The emperor made her a promise, but she had to wait until the child was born.
She could understand, after all, going out while heavily pregnant is indeed tiring.
A few days later, the emperor gave her something she had never expected.
The wooden plaque that had appeared in the hands of the late emperor soon appeared in Gu Jiangli's hands.
The emperor spoke to her tenderly, "Aren't you curious about how I know what happened between you and Chu Tan'er in the Delan Palace? I'll tell you now."
"Back then, my father gave me a few secret guards. They didn't have any special skills, but they were extremely loyal."
"When Chu Tan'er entered the palace, I knew she would cause you trouble, so I arranged for these secret guards to be by your side. If something happens and you can't handle it, they will step in to protect you."
"They will also tell me everything that has happened."
"Now I am giving them to you. If you find them useful, make them your guards."
Gu Jiangli's hand was held firmly by him.
She was forced to grip the wooden plaque tightly.
As far as I can remember, the late emperor did give the emperor several guards when he was dying, but he has never used them in all these years.
The first time these people were used was to stay by her side and protect her.
Did the emperor care about her that much back then?
"Your Majesty, I had just been made a concubine then, and you already valued me so much?"
The emperor raised the corners of his mouth and gave a soft "hmm".
"When did you start caring so much about me?"
This has always been a question that has intrigued her.
She knew how important the title "Consort Chen" was to the emperor.
He specially bestowed upon her the title of "Imperial Consort Chen," which was by no means a random choice.
The emperor had long been in love with her, but she was completely unaware of it.
He looked into her eyes and said:
“A long time ago, you climbed out of Taiqing Pool, soaked and in a sorry state. But your eyes were like those of a cheetah, searching for the murderer who had harmed you in the crowd.”
"You've had your eye on me since then?"
"From the moment you kicked Lan Huier into the Taiqing Pool, no woman in the harem has ever been as audacious and vindictive as you. You did what many people wanted to do but dared not."
Gu Jiangli chuckled softly, looking down. "It seems His Majesty was intimidated by my martial prowess."
"Um."
She was a little stunned, not expecting that her casual joke would be taken seriously by the emperor.
This made her feel a little embarrassed.
The emperor looked at her and spoke again: "To the women of the harem, I and the Empress Dowager are their heavens and earth, the objects they would never dare to contradict, disobey, or do anything disrespectful to."
"But you never seem to treat me as the emperor, nor the empress dowager as the empress dowager..."
"Gu Jiangli, you actually live more like a real person than I do."
Gu Jiangli was completely stunned.
She gradually came to understand.
The emperor was so attentive to her because of his feelings for her, but also because she lived the kind of life that he dared not live.
He lived for nearly thirty years under the fear and intimidation of the Empress Dowager.
In some unknown corner of his heart, defying the Empress Dowager's decree was also something he wanted to accomplish.
Ultimately, his inability to rescue Consort Yu from the Empress Dowager when he was young remained an insurmountable obstacle for him.
Gu Jiangli took a deep breath, then wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her chin on his shoulder.
"I hope that from now on, Your Majesty can also be your most vibrant self in front of me."
"I will accept Your Majesty's gift."
She gripped the wooden plaque that allowed her to command the guards, already assigning them tasks in her mind.
The emperor breathed hot air into her ear and buried his head in the crook of her neck.
It seemed that this would make him feel more secure and warmer.
"I will." That was his promise.
He has made many promises, and he will fulfill them all.
Gu Jiangli felt a little relieved after hearing the emperor's words.
Doctor Wu and Physician Lü had been standing outside the door for quite some time.
Gu Jiangli then said, "Your Majesty, it's time for Doctor Wu to administer acupuncture. I've invited them in."
“Very well,” the emperor replied.
Gu Jiangli waved, and two doctors entered one after the other.
Gu Jiangli did not stay in the room for long.
Seeing that the bed curtains had been drawn and the emperor had already taken off his clothes, she went to the side hall next door.
She also has her own things to do.
————
Side hall.
Gu Jiangli looked at the wooden plaque on the table.
He then looked up at the men kneeling on the ground in front of him.
They were all dressed in dark gray clothes to make them easy to hide in the dark.
It is indeed clothing commonly worn by bodyguards.
"His Majesty has given me the wooden token to command the secret guards. I have something to instruct you on. Who among you is in charge?"
The man in the lead was about thirty years old. He lowered his head and said solemnly, "I am Gengwu, their leader. Please give your orders, Your Majesty, and we will certainly fulfill your request."
"very good."
Gu Jiangli was relieved.
These people did not ask why the emperor gave her the wooden plaque, nor did they show any sign of disobeying orders.
He is indeed a loyal person.
She then gave her instructions: "The Prime Minister is going to Qizhou as an imperial envoy to deliver disaster relief funds. He is carrying a lot of silver. You must secretly escort the Prime Minister to Qizhou safely so that the disaster relief funds can be successfully distributed to the people of Qizhou."
Gengwu seemed somewhat confused about her intentions, his face full of doubt.
He exchanged glances with the others, and finally bowed and said, "Yes, your subordinates will definitely escort the Prime Minister safely to Qizhou."
Gu Jiangli raised an eyebrow. "Once the silver is safely delivered, the Prime Minister should immediately set off to return to the capital. On the way back, you should devise a way to kill the Prime Minister."
Gengwu and the others immediately raised their heads.
I couldn't believe that this seemingly gentle and mild-mannered woman would say such a thing so calmly.
Before Gu Jiangli could finish speaking, ignoring their surprised looks, she continued:
"I don't care whether you're disguised as bandits or refugees, the Prime Minister's death must be made to look like an accident, and His Majesty must not be implicated in it."
“After the prime minister dies, bring back the part that best proves his identity and hand it over to me.”
Gengwu and the others were taken aback again. After thinking it over, he couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, does 'partial' refer to?"
Gu Jiangli's cold gaze shifted, a smile playing on her lips: "Just a portion of the prime minister's share, nothing more, understand?"
Gengwu lowered his head without making a sound, and unknowingly, a layer of cold sweat had appeared on his back.
The same was true of several people around him.
"Yes, I understand. I will not fail in my mission."
Gu Jiangli nodded and watched them leave.
The imperial city is more than a month's journey from Qizhou. By the time Gengwu and the others bring good news, the child will probably have been born.
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