After the thunder rumbled, the heavy rain in the capital city came pouring down.
Gu Jinke felt relaxed after taking a bath. He lay on the small couch in a snow-white underwear and slowly dried his hair.
Sang Yi sat on one side, her slender fingers running through her hair, massaging her scalp carefully.
"Your Highness, did you not sleep well last night?" Seeing the fatigue faintly visible between Gu Jinke's eyebrows, he couldn't help but frowned slightly and asked worriedly.
Gu Jinke thought of the bizarre dream he had yesterday, closed his eyes, and smiled playfully.
"Maybe I had a hard time in my dream," she said.
It is very hard to break free from those struggles and restraints.
However, Sang Yi obviously didn't understand what she meant and said "Hmm?" in confusion.
Gu Jinke was not prepared to explain in detail. She bent her legs, tapped her fingers on her knees, slowly recalled the details of her dream, and sorted out her confused thoughts.
Seeing that she said nothing more, Sang Yi could only guess what kind of dream the princess, who had just come of age, might have.
Her Highness is of noble status, has no worries about food and clothing, and doesn't seem to have any special hobbies on weekdays. She is indifferent to everything. What kind of dream would make her tired?
He listed them one by one, and then eliminated them one by one, but felt that none of them seemed like what he thought of. Finally, he didn't know what he thought of, his expression changed strangely, and the movements of his hands stopped for a moment.
Gu Jinke noticed it keenly and opened his eyes to look at him: "What's wrong?"
"No!" Sang Yi replied hastily, and when he met her gaze, he quickly lowered his head to avoid Gu Jinke's clear eyes. He lowered his head, his ears slightly red. The look in His Highness's eyes didn't look like that!
Seeing the guilty look on his face, Gu Jinke thought he was caught slacking off while on duty. She usually served him carefully, so this one or two times was not a big deal. So she let him go and lazily looked away.
Sang Yi's ears turned red and her heart was in a mess.
If it is true, should he...
…
After Gu Jinke dried his hair, he let Sang Yi help him put on his clothes and tie his hair. Then he went to the study along the eaves and asked someone to call Xin Shuang over to talk.
She had something in her heart that she couldn't wait to verify.
Xin Shuang hurried to the study, still a little surprised: "Your Highness?"
Gu Jinke took out a token from the box on the bookshelf and threw it to her: "Well, get people moving. Whatever the third and fifth sisters want to do recently, make sure they get twice the result with half the effort."
Xin Shuang opened his eyes wide in surprise: "Your Highness!?"
Gu Jinke smiled at her reassuringly: "Don't worry."
What else could she do? After being surprised, Xin Shuang actually accepted Gu Jinke's order very quickly. Perhaps it was because His Highness had been too well-behaved in the past two years, which made her a little uncomfortable. She had forgotten that His Highness had always had many strange ideas.
It was probably a spur of the moment thing.
After doing this, Gu Jinke asked Xin Shuang to go down and harness the carriage.
Xin Shuang looked outside and saw that the rain was getting heavier and heavier with no sign of stopping: "Your Highness, are you still going out?"
Your Highness is in a very good mood today. He wants to go out in such heavy rain? You know, on weekdays, when encountering such weather, His Highness’ favorite thing is to laze around in his house and prepare some delicious food.
Gu Jinke's thoughts turned, and he responded with a "Yeah."
Xin Shuang had no choice but to do as he was told.
After giving the instructions, Gu Jinke sat in the study for a while before returning to the bedroom. He saw Sang Yi taking out her clothes basket, taking out the thick clothes she had bought this year, and ironing them carefully.
She took a step back and looked up at the gloomy sky: "It's not winter yet."
When Sang Yi heard her movement, he quickly stood up and bowed, his steps were a little flustered.
But when I heard her say this, I was stunned for a moment before I realized that I was being teased.
He looked at the new clothes that had been put away, and then at the gloomy sky outside. There was some disapproval between his eyebrows, but his years of habit made him restrain himself and dare not show it completely. He could only mutter quietly: "As the old saying goes, every autumn rain brings a chill."
The autumn rain has arrived, and the wind is blowing with a chill that is not negligible. If Your Highness does not buy new clothes early, what if you catch a cold?
As he thought about it, Gu Jinke's sickly face appeared in his mind unconsciously, and his brows immediately furrowed.
His serious concern and worry made Gu Jinke feel a little embarrassed.
She touched the tip of her nose and ignored him. Step inside and take the cloak off the truss and tie it up. Sang Yi wanted to come over to help, but she stopped him: "No need."
She fastened it hurriedly, walked out of the room, took down the umbrella standing under the eaves, opened it and went to the outer courtyard.
Sang Yi unconsciously followed her footsteps and stopped hastily. The slanting rain hit his face, and the coolness brought him back to his senses. He stood in the corridor, silently watching Gu Jinke's back disappear from his sight.
Just now Gu Jinke went to the study. According to his guess, he hurriedly changed the mattress for His Highness, but the mattress and quilt only had some wrinkles from use, and no other traces at all.
That's why when he met Gu Jinke just now, his steps were a little flustered and awkward when he saluted, but now he is watching His Highness's back as he leaves in a graceful manner. He couldn't help but laugh to himself and shook his head.
If His Highness is not completely ignorant, then he has no interest in male beauty at all.
Gu Jinke had no idea how Sang Yi was feeling inside, as the carriage arranged by Xin Shuang was already parked in the outer courtyard waiting for him. Seeing her coming, Xun Ji bowed and saluted, then took her and drove towards the Dali Temple.
Therefore, when Xue Cang saw Gu Jinke under the eaves of the Dali Temple, he looked at the dark sky with some disbelief.
The sun hasn't even risen in the west yet, so why is His Highness here at this time?
She was going to the outskirts of Beijing to investigate a case today. She remembered that when she mentioned this official business, the prince was lazy and didn't say a word. She thought he agreed not to go, so she didn't dare to ask more. Unexpectedly, he came suddenly today.
But today's rain is unusually heavy. Maybe it's because of this?
As she was lost in thought, she saw Gu Jinge climbing the stairs with an umbrella and glanced at her calmly: "Why? Master Xue really appreciates today's rainy scene?"
Rain scene, with such heavy rain, how can there be any rain scene!
Xue Cang and Lord Li, who were going together this time, twitched their lips at the same time under the eaves of the corridor.
Xue Cang decided to set off a few days ago because the weather had been fine in the past two days and a trip to the outskirts of Beijing would at most take some time on the road. But this morning, the weather changed suddenly, thunder rumbled, and heavy rain poured down.
Even at this hour, it hasn't stopped yet.
The official duties were arranged early, and she has always been upright and strict with herself. Of course, we will not delay official business due to a heavy rain, so we gathered here today and prepared to set off.
But in such weather, even though I am on official business, I may not be in a good mood. How can I be in the mood to appreciate the scenery?
Seeing their expressions, Gu Jinke's lips curled up slightly.
It was raining heavily, and the rain falling along the eaves formed a rain curtain.
As the people were greeting each other in the corridor, they felt the water vapor from the rain soaking their clothes.
Xue Cang reached out her hand to invite Gu Jinke to go inside, but Gu Jinke waved her hand to refuse her and also told her the purpose of his visit: "I remember that Master Xue is going to Dachang Village in the suburbs of Beijing today? I was sent by my mother to study in the Dali Temple, so I will go with Master Xue."
Xue Cang hesitated for a moment, and finally saw Gu Jinke's carriage parked outside. It was spacious and luxurious. He swallowed the words he was about to tactfully persuade her to stay and agreed.
The guards of the Dali Temple were quite quick and efficient, and they had prepared for a while beforehand, so they had quickly added the extra equipment they needed to take because of the rain.
For example, rain gear, dry food, hot water, etc. that are often needed for traveling on rainy days. He checked the carriage, horses, etc. again before inviting Gu Jinke and the two adults in one by one.
The guards wearing straw raincoats rode on horseback to lead the way. Gu Jinke and her companions' carriage was protected by the guards in the middle. The group drove through the rain and headed towards the outskirts of Beijing.
The criminal that Xue Cang and the others were going to find this time was named Chang Lian. He used to be a farmer in Changjia Village outside Beijing. After passing the imperial examination and being appointed as an official, he went to the remote Anyi County to serve as a county magistrate.
County Magistrate Chang stayed in Anyi for three years. When it came time for promotion assessment, she could have been promoted or transferred to another slightly wealthier county based on her political achievements. However, at this time, he was reported for corruption by a fellow official with evidence. After preliminary verification by the local authorities, he was escorted back to the capital, where the Dali Temple made a judgment.
However, Xue Cang was a careful person. When he looked through the files, he found that some of the accounts of the corruption committed by the Chang County Magistrate did not match. In order to avoid making a false case, based on the clues, Xue Cang decided to go to Changjia Village in person to look for other evidence accounts that might be hidden in his hometown.
After the carriage left the Dali Temple and passed through the rich bluestone pavement of the capital, its speed slowed down. One reason was that the rain was getting heavier, and the other was that it was difficult for the horses to move on the muddy road.
In order to avoid driving the horses too fast and causing them to slip and injure people, everyone tacitly slowed down and slowly headed towards the outskirts of Beijing.
Time passed slowly. Not long after the carriage drove out of the city gate, Xue Cang, who was reading files at his desk, changed his expression. The small window of the carriage in the quiet compartment shook, as if it was blown open by wind and rain, revealing a narrow gap.
A gust of cool air blew in.
Xue Cang's eyebrows moved and he pushed open the window. Outside, a carriage was turning around the official road. The rain was wrapped in the wind and hit the wall of the carriage hard. The tall weeds on both sides of the road were also blown down.
She closed the window, retracted her gaze, and picked up the wooden ball that had suddenly appeared on the carriage.
The wooden ball unscrewed slightly, revealing a piece of paper inside. She unfolded it and read the contents, and unexpectedly felt as if it was as she expected, and that everything was settled.
She smiled. He put the note into the carriage's fireplace and watched the flames engulf it, turning the note into ashes.
Xue Cang sat quietly for a while before knocking on the door. The guard outside the door whispered to her, "Master Xue."
Xue Cang touched the footer of the file and ordered, "From now on, no one is allowed to disturb His Highness. After all, we are here to investigate a case. If we reveal His Highness's identity, someone might offend him. I will talk to His Highness alone when we get there."
There was a lot of thought in her tone. The guard thought of Lord Xue's usual habits and didn't find it strange. Sometimes, the Lord himself also went on private visits in clothes.
It’s just to avoid alerting the enemy!
She understands this!
She responded immediately and passed the order on.
In the carriage behind, Lord Li, who had received the order, breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said to his guards: "Fortunately, it's good! Otherwise, His Highness's reckless temper... Lord Xue is really capable, and he is worthy of being the lord I respect."
She gave a thumbs up, her face full of respect and admiration. Lord Xue was indeed amazing. He even dared to make demands on Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess.
The group completely passed the bend and went away. The weeds that were broken by the wind and rain survived the strong wind, bounced back and straightened their stems.
Xun Ji adjusted the bamboo hat on his head and asked in a low voice: "Your Highness, will Lord Xue help us to provide cover?"
Gu Jinke tightened his raincoat and said with a smile, "Although Lord Xue is strict in some aspects, generally speaking, no one who can hold the position of the Minister of the Six Ministries is really a fool. I am doing her a favor by leaving. She may be happier."
Otherwise, Lord Xue's worry would probably be what to do if Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess behaved recklessly or gave blind orders, disrupting her investigation.
She curled her lips and said, "Okay, let's go, let's find two horses or a carriage?"
After all, traveling is very tiring, especially when it rains so heavily and you give up the comfortable carriage, the contrast is particularly obvious.
Listening to her suggestion, Xun Ji unconsciously pulled the corners of his lips and smiled.
Two figures flashed past and went in another direction in the foggy rainy day.
…
The third princess, Gu Jinxiu, looked at the heavy rain outside the window and felt a little worried.
After being reminded by Qingxia, the maid beside her, she suddenly realized her own shortcomings. She was full of confidence and was going to look for the thousand-mile horse herself today, but she didn't expect to be met with a heavy rain.
Qingxia took out a coat and put it on her: "Master, put on some more clothes, the weather is getting colder."
Gu Jinxiu held his soft and boneless hands and put on the coat, then played with it for a while, but her brows were still gloomy and she looked a little absent-minded.
But she had often been in such a depressed mood over the years. After thinking about it, she was still a little worried about the matter of the Fifth Princess, which she had let go of yesterday, and was unwilling to give up.
She even thought of Xian Guijun, with whom she had been in a silent cold war since he revealed his ambition last time.
She thought about it carefully, made up her mind, and called the housekeeper: "Prepare some exquisite toys and street food, I want to go to the palace to see my father."
The butler responded and went downstairs to prepare.
Inside Zhaoxian Palace.
The noble lord was kneeling on the couch, fiddling with his needle and thread, when he heard the servant below report: "Noble lord, the fifth princess has come to the palace to pay her respects."
The needle in his hand went astray and almost stabbed himself. But I couldn't help feeling happy and warm in my heart.
A few days ago, he was very angry because he discovered Gu Jinxiu's ambition. He felt a little unwell and has been in a bad mood these days. He and Gu Jinxiu are in an inexplicable stalemate.
After all, the Crown Princess has been decided in the court, and now she has the support of the Emperor and the Queen, as well as a group of veteran ministers, so it is legitimate.
Although the Crown Princess has had a bad reputation and has acted recklessly in the past two years, the Empress has never revealed her intention to replace the Crown Princess. After all, this is a major event that could shake the government.
So when I woke up early this morning and saw the rain, I thought of Gu Jinxiu. He was even more saddened by the scene, so he took out needle and thread to pass the time. Unexpectedly, Gu Jinxiu had already entered the palace to pay her respects.
He put away his needle and thread, calmed himself down, and went out to meet Gu Jinxiu with a stern face. But he didn't expect that he would frown at first sight.
Gu Jinxiu came into the palace in the heavy rain. Although she had an umbrella and a carriage, her clothes and shoes were inevitably wet due to the slanting rain as she walked through the palace road.
But even so, she still carried large and small bags in her hands, and even held a precious item directly against her chest.
"What are you doing? Where are the palace servants? You can't even keep out the rain, and you can't even help the master get things?" There was some anger between Xianguijun's brows. She waved her hand and asked the palace servants beside her to take the things in her hands.
He has always attached great importance to rules and thought that these palace servants were lazy and neglected Gu Jinxiu.
The palace servants who came with Gu Jinxiu all shrank back.
Gu Jinxiu smiled apologetically at them, handed the large and small bags in her hand to the palace servants, and then explained to Xian Guijun: "Father, it has nothing to do with them. It was my daughter who was anxious to see you, so she ran a little faster. I didn't let them take these things either."
Hearing this, Xian Guijun's brows softened immediately, and his deliberately stern face relaxed a little, but he still reprimanded her, "It's raining so hard, why did you come to the palace? Wait until the sun is clear, then you can come back. Look, your clothes are damp. Besides, what precious thing do you have to protect like this? Go down and change into something warm, or you will catch a cold."
Gu Jinxiu smiled gently, leaned closer and said intimately: "You missed your father, I haven't seen you for several days. I thought you were still angry with me. I happened to see some exquisite toys in the capital yesterday, and I thought you would like them, so I bought some for you, and I couldn't wait to send them here today. As a result, I saw some delicious snacks on the way here, they were steaming hot and really tempting, so I bought some to share with you. It was windy and rainy, and I was afraid that the palace servants would not be careful, so I put them in my arms and covered them. They should still be hot now, you can try them."
Xian Guijun's expression could no longer remain calm, and his eyebrows and eyes curved involuntarily as he smiled.
When she had been unable to conceive for a long time and adopted the Third Prince's daughter who had just lost her father to raise, she had never imagined that this daughter would be so caring from childhood to adulthood, especially to her son, the Eighth Prince. It was really worth it.
So even though she later gave birth to the eighth prince, she still loved the third princess as much as ever, like her own daughter.
The Third Princess saw him smile, and she smiled shyly, with some trepidation in her smile: "Father, please don't laugh at me now that I'm this old. I even brought some new toys for my eighth brother. Father, please don't be angry with your daughter."
The virtuous and noble Lord is just feeling happy.
He was indeed angry the day he found out, but after just a few days, his anger gradually wore away.
Now that she sees the child, she would go to see him in the rain, thinking about how he likes her and how his brother likes her, and she looks nervous, so he can't help but feel sorry for her.
Thinking about how this child lost her father early, and how the emperor didn't dote on her, and how her talent and intelligence were suppressed in order not to steal the limelight from other princesses, I don't know how painful and tired she must have felt.
No wonder one can't help but develop some ambitions when facing that position.
What's more, they are all daughters of His Majesty, and the Crown Princess is not the Queen's biological daughter. Gu Jinxiu is also of the legitimate royal bloodline like Gu Jinke!
It's right to have some ambition!
Thinking of this, he thought of the marriage that Gu Jinxiu had requested, his eyes moved, and his heart softened.
He patted her shoulder and said to her, "I will talk to your mother about your marriage. Try your best, but don't hold out too much hope."
Gu Jinxiu quickly lowered her eyes to hide the ecstasy in her eyes, fearing that she would lose her composure.
River! ink!
Although Xian Guijun only said that he would try his best, Gu Jinxiu knew very well that Xian Guijun seldom asked the Empress for anything and was of a simple and indifferent nature. The Empress doted on him and felt indebted to him, so she would most likely seriously consider this matter.
Just consider...
She smiled, with a determination in her eyes.
She went back and changed into dry clothes and shoes, stayed with Xian Guijun for a while, ate some food, and made Xian Guijun smile. Seeing that it was almost time, she said goodbye.
However, she hesitated for a moment, and finally told Xian Guijun frankly: "Father, I...I will go to see the fifth sister later."
Xian Guijun was stunned for a moment. He knew that she went to visit the fifth princess not just because she was worried, but when he saw the sincere expression on her face, he softened his heart.
What's more, she explained it to him so openly, without any deception or evasion.
He thought about what he had promised Gu Jinxiu just now, and looked up at Gu Jinxiu's eyes. Those beautiful almond eyes looked at him with clear black and white, making him accustomed to being soft-hearted and compromising over the years.
He thought...it would be better if...the Great Jin Dynasty had a benevolent and righteous empress in the future.
How is his daughter worse than Gu Jinke?
Xian Guijun did not stop Gu Jinxiu anymore, but he did not speak in support either.
But as soon as Gu Jinxiu left Zhaoxian Palace, she couldn't help but smile.
As she expected, Xian Guijun softened his heart!
As long as he softens his heart, Gu Jinxiu will have the greatest help.
She knew her father too well.
This is one of the four noble princes who is deeply favored by the Queen!
But he is the most soft-hearted and dotes on her the most.
The victory in the first battle made her full of confidence for the upcoming meeting with the fifth princess, and she walked briskly towards Zhaode Palace.
…
On the other hand, Gu Jinke and Xun Ji also came to the imperial mausoleum outside the city, which was closely guarded by a royal guard.
The imperial mausoleum was built magnificently; after all, this was the burial place of most of the royal family. Therefore, even the surrounding area was generously paved with stone slabs, extending far away.
Gu Jinke and Xun Ji looked at each other from a distance, then retracted their gaze. Xun Ji looked around, confirmed the direction, and then stretched out his hand to point a location to Gu Jinke.
The two looked at each other through the rain, nodded, and took advantage of the rain and the surrounding terrain to go in the direction Xun Ji pointed.
That was beyond the sight of the imperial mausoleum's sentry box and far away from the guards, but still within the range of the imperial mausoleum's bluestone slabs.
But this place is obviously neglected, leaning against the mountain wall and overgrown with weeds.
Xun Ji listened to the sounds around him before he felt at ease and groped around on the mountain wall for a while. He then found a cave entrance shaded by natural green plants, reached his hand in and turned it slightly.
Then he nodded slightly to Gu Jinke, and the two of them walked forward another bend and groped towards the mountain wall for a while. This time, they actually pushed a stone that fit perfectly into the mountain wall, and then they reached in and turned it gently.
This time, the stone slab under their feet split open to form a hole that was only wide enough for one person to pass through.
Xun Ji's face relaxed a little and he jumped down first, followed closely by Gu Jinke. When both of them fell into the cave entrance, the bluestone slab here closed again and the stones that had been pushed in were restored.
After the rain washed away, even the dust disappeared.
It was narrow on top but spacious on the bottom. Gu Jinke and Xun Ji took off their raincoats in the winding tunnel, and then went deeper into the tunnel with a clear goal.
When they came out again, they were already in a deserted house.
Xun Ji whispered to her, "Your Highness, according to your request back then, this entrance has been opened in this courtyard."
Gu Jinke nodded and looked around. The furnishings here were very similar to the room where the Crown Princess was imprisoned in his dream. It seemed that the location she had chosen back then was correct.
This is indeed the courtyard where the royal family has always used to imprison people.
However, the sisters of the empress's generation either died or were well-behaved, so the courtyard in this imperial mausoleum has been very dilapidated over the years and is completely deserted. It just looks relatively clean and there is not much dust.
After Xun Ji carefully confirmed that there was no one outside, Gu Jinke pushed open the old door with a creak.
She stood in the corridor and looked around from the perspective of the princess at that time, and finally determined the location of the room where the princess originally lived.
She closed the door and walked along the eaves with Xun Ji.
Although Xun Ji didn't know why His Highness suddenly wanted to come to the imperial mausoleum under the cover of Lord Xue today, she never doubted Gu Jinke, so she quickly dispelled her doubts, scratched her hair, and followed Gu Jinke to another door.
Gu Jinke was about to push the door open, but suddenly took a step back.
This wooden door looked no different from the one before at first glance, but Gu Jinke had a good memory. She moved closer and looked at the pattern carefully, frowning slightly. The pattern engraved on this door was... apricot blossom?
And the thing on the other door just now was... plum blossom?
She took a few steps back and looked at the door of the next door to confirm that there was indeed a plum blossom on it.
She took a few more steps forward, her eyes filled with confusion. Could it be that someone else had come to change the door of this yard alone?
And it was replaced with the least commonly used apricot blossom?
But these were not her main purpose, so she had to hide her doubts, pushed the door open and walked in.
Xun Ji stepped in behind her and closed the door gently.
The layout and orientation here are exactly the same as those in the dream of the princess. In a simple and plain manner, Gu Jinke walked to the table where the princess copied scriptures in his dream and knelt down.
If the trajectory in the book can never be changed and she remains unaware of it, then one day in the future she will be confined here.
Perhaps, like the princess in the dream, she will copy scriptures here at some point in time, repent for her sins and pray for her ancestors.
But the difference now is that she knew the ending many years in advance, so she quickly realized that something was wrong, and then when fate was beyond her control, she concealed the truth and prepared a way out for herself within the scope of her options.
What about the princess who knew nothing at the time?
She raised her head and looked at the empty wall opposite, as if she was back in her dream and saw the eyes of Princess Yuan.
Those were the almond-shaped eyes that she was most familiar with, but unlike her usual casual and indifferent look, those eyes were calm and gentle, and even revealed a smile of relief, staring straight at her.
Gu Jinke also looked back calmly.
Even though the princess in the book struggled hard and tried to improve herself throughout her life, she still could not resist her fate.
Her glory in the early stage was just to better set off the protagonist. Even when she wanted to fight back according to her own wishes, she was manipulated like a shadow puppet and did things completely against her will.
Then her efforts and her vision eventually became stepping stones for others to climb up.
The people she once treated kindly now cursed her, and her supporters who had placed high hopes on her looked at her in disappointment. He was deserted by his friends and relatives, and even had to bear the guilt forever in history books.
Then she...
Can you really be relieved and liberated?
The princess opposite seemed to know what she was thinking. She smiled slightly, and her pure and otherworldly face became a little bit weird.
"Your Highness, there's someone!" Xun Ji's voice was low and short, and he rolled with Gu Jinke on the ground, rolling under the only bed in the room that was covered by a curtain.
The trance in Gu Jinke's eyes faded away, and he came out of his complicated emotions.
Everything in front of me was pitch black, with only the curtains on the bed hanging down and swaying slightly.
Gu Jinke and Xun Ji both lowered their eyes and held their breath.
But after a while, the door of the room was pushed open again.
One set of footsteps stepped in, and another stopped at the door, closing it after the previous person came in.
Gu Jinke and the others didn't dare to look up, for fear that their gaze would be noticed by people with keen senses. They could only slowly guess the identity of the person who came in.
However, the people in the room spoke up quickly, saving them from having to think about the question.
"I came to see you, Yuan."
Xun Ji's eyes widened unconsciously.
There is only one person in the world who would call himself this.
Gu Jinke lowered his eyes, a look of surprise flashed across his eyes, and even the corners of his lips curled up in sarcasm. So the Queen came here to commemorate Shiren Yuan?
Or maybe, Yuan Shiren’s rank was not high enough to be buried in the center of the imperial mausoleum, so the empress found another way and buried him here first?
Almost instantly, Gu Jinke remembered the apricot blossom pattern engraved on the door that had puzzled him, and confirmed his guess.
Then...it's really fate!
The queen must have found a place to sit down and chatted with him, saying a few words from time to time. Her tone was much gentler than usual.
"Old Five was injured a few days ago, but he finally recovered and woke up yesterday. I came here to pray before, and it must be the blessing of our ancestors, so today, it rained heavily, so I came here to fulfill my wish. I was about to leave, but I ended up here without realizing it."
She paused and continued.
"The third child has grown up a lot. This child is like you. This time, she performed well in handling the affairs of her fifth sister and fundraising. She is a little bolder and dares to speak out. However, her methods are still immature."
There was another long pause, and she didn't know what she was thinking about.
The rain outside continued to fall. There was no fire in the house, and no one was around. The cold quickly came over her, and she coughed a few times. When the coughing stopped, she said, "It's time for the children to choose a king."
"The fifth brother accidentally chose the son of the Tan family to bring good luck. Yesterday, I saw that my heart was with the fifth brother. Now there are only the third brother, the fourth brother, and... the sixth brother."
"I, the fourth one, have already made a choice in my mind. The third one's king..."
She paused for a long time and sighed, "Let me take another look, let me see...what kind of Yue Family I can give her."
She seemed to be conflicted and hesitant. Somehow, perhaps because she was emotional, she started coughing violently. The people outside were worried and anxious. They walked back and forth two or three times, but still couldn't help knocking on the door: "Your Majesty!?"
It was Fang Rui's voice.
"Don't come in." The queen suppressed the itch in her throat and ordered her in a loud voice.
Wait until Fang Rui calms down. The queen couldn't help herself again and she covered her mouth and coughed for a while before stopping.
The ground was too cold. She seemed to stand up and paced slowly in the room: "My children... have all grown up. I have two candidates in mind... but... let me take a closer look and hesitate for a while."
Gu Jinke lay on the ground and slowly clenched his fists.
The Queen came in private. After she said this, she seemed to have no idea what to say next. She stood there for a while, then opened the door and went out.
Fang Rui nervously stroked her back: "Your Majesty?"
"Just take a pill and take it." The queen's voice became majestic and cold again, no longer gentle.
Fang Rui probably brought medicine with her. Gu Jinke heard the crisp sound of porcelain bottles hitting each other, and then the empress should have taken the medicine: "Go back to the palace. If you stay any longer, it will be easy for the people in the palace and the ministers to find out."
Fang Rui agreed, and the footsteps of the Queen soon disappeared here.
Xun Ji waited until they were far away before he let out a sigh of relief: "Your Highness, they are far away."
Two people came out from under the bed. Gu Jinke looked around and found that nothing in the room had changed. If they had not heard it with their own ears, no one would have thought that Her Majesty the Queen would come here to commemorate an old friend.
It is even possible that no one knows that Her Majesty the Queen left the palace privately today.
Xun Ji looked at Gu Jinge, whose mood suddenly turned cold: "Your Highness?"
Gu Jinke looked around again, stepped on the flat ground, and calmed down his emotions: "Okay, let's go."
"Then here..." Xun Ji frowned slightly. This was the place where the Queen was unwilling to let even Fang Rui in.
Do they want to...
Gu Jinke chuckled and narrowed his eyes: "Let's go, it's not time to move yet."
After hearing this, Xun Ji had to suppress all his curiosity and exploration in his heart.
The two of them returned along the same route, put on their straw raincoats and went to look for Master Xue Cang from Dachang Village.
Xue Cang and his group have already returned, still walking back in the same group they came in the morning.
The two men looked for an opportunity and returned to the carriage quietly.
Then he arrived in the capital and said goodbye to Xue Cang and the others as if nothing had happened.
Xue Cang smiled slightly, bowed, and watched them drive away in the carriage.
Lord Li was a little excited behind her. He looked at Xue Cang with eyes full of respect and admiration.
Lord Xue is so awesome!
Today, when they were investigating a case, Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess actually did not take out the carriage to interrupt their investigation.
Although she may have slept in the carriage for the whole day because she was lazy or disliked the dirt on the rainy ground.
But Lord Li was still very happy. Xue Cang smiled at her happy eyes, hiding his inner thoughts: "Well, now that today's work is done, let's go home. The weather is so cold. It's important to go home early and eat some hot food. Don't catch a cold."
Lord Li and the guards all cheered.
As soon as Gu Jinke returned home, he went into the bedroom and ordered no one to disturb him.
Sang Yi keenly noticed that something was wrong with her mood.
He looked at Xun Ji who was standing outside the door inquiringly, but Xun Ji just shook his head slightly.
After all, not only did she only half understand what the Queen said today, but she also had to keep the fact that she and the Crown Princess went to the Imperial Mausoleum today a secret and could not tell anyone about it.
Sang Yi could only stand in the corridor anxiously, but Gu Jinke must have noticed his footsteps very quickly and ordered, "Okay, it's getting late, you all go downstairs and rest."
"Your Highness, would you like to have some dinner?" Sang Yi asked hurriedly.
"No need, I'll call someone if you want."
A few people could only retreat worriedly.
Gu Jinke was indeed in a bad mood. She understood what the empress said in the abandoned garden of the imperial mausoleum.
The empress was not only considering the choices of princes by the princesses, but also the family power behind the princes chosen by the princesses.
The Fifth Princess chose a man from the family of Tan Jijiu. Although this marriage was arranged because of the compatibility of their horoscopes and for good fortune, the Empress should be satisfied.
Tan Jijiu was from a noble family. In terms of her status among literati, she was not as high as Jiang Taifu, and the prince chosen by the fifth princess was not a military general.
If he is not determined to rebel, he will not pose an absolute threat to the future crown prince.
The Fourth Princess was never among the Empress's choices for crown prince, so her marriage was easily arranged.
Then the rest belongs to the third princess.
The empress is definitely hesitating about how to choose a Yue family with a strong background, who will not be targeted now and will not take over the power in the future. Therefore, she is very troubled.
Such blatant favoritism reminded Gu Jinke of the princess with a gentle smile in his dream, and herself.
She sat in the room for a while, feeling really bored. As she listened to the sound of rain outside slowly stopping, she suddenly felt something in her mind and opened the door and went out.
When Xun Ji and Sang Yi heard the noise, they immediately followed.
Gu Jinke raised his hand and said, "Xun Ji can just follow from a distance. Sang Yi, you can take a rest."
Sang Yi bit her lip, lowered her eyes dejectedly, and had to stop.
I don't feel it on weekdays, but it turns out that His Highness's mood is fluctuating, and when he needs company, he won't choose him?
…
Gu Jinke walked aimlessly, all the way out of the Princess's Mansion and into the street. Probably because the rain had just stopped, water was still dripping from the eaves. There were only a few people on the street, and they were all coming and going in a hurry.
Without the usual noise, it was quiet and peaceful here. Gu Jinke's troubled mood relaxed a little. She smiled, looked up and around, and suddenly realized that she had come to a river in the capital.
The houses on both sides of the river have closed their doors and windows, leaving only the lanterns by the river reflecting on the water, which actually looks quite beautiful in the night.
She didn't want to leave anymore. She stood by the water and watched the rippling water quietly, trying to get rid of the resentment and even hatred in her heart.
There was the sound of a carriage passing by behind me, but after a while, it actually reversed.
"Your Highness?" a puzzled male voice asked softly.
Gu Jinke looked up and saw a young man in white next to the carriage, like a fairy under the moon, cold and noble, looking at her with surprise and worry.
Gu Jinke smiled inexplicably: "Mr. Jiang?"
Jiang Mo slowly approached her and bowed: "Mo greets Your Highness."
Gu Jinke raised his hand to exempt him from the greeting, said nothing, and turned around.
Jiang Mo stood behind her, stroking his cufflinks, and asked, "Your Highness, why are you here so late at night? Is there something troubling you?"
Gu Jinke looked at the lights swaying on the water, his eyes flickering slightly, and there was a hint of smile in his voice as he spoke: "Mr. Jiang really cares about me, but I'm afraid I'm going to let him down. I'm afraid Mr. Jiang can't solve my problem."
Jiang Mo's expression changed. He was very familiar with Gu Jinke and was sensitive enough to her emotions. He quickly saw that something was wrong with Gu Jinke's mood...
His heart was pounding inexplicably, and his intuition and physical instinct prompted him to take a step forward, just slightly behind Gu Jinke, and stand beside her.
He tilted his head to look over, the distance was close enough.
He could see her trembling eyelashes and every change in her lips and eyes under the night sky. "If you can tell me, Your Highness can talk to Mo about it. Even if it can't be solved, you will feel much better."
Gu Jinke's lips curled up slightly and he tilted his head to look at him.
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