Search on Alipay to receive red envelopes, and add one cent to top up your account in Jinjiang. She was too familiar with the other person's eyes.
Before He Qing turned eighteen, this was the look she saw most often. From the maids and palace maids who served her to the maids and aunts she occasionally met, this was how most people looked at her.
A little bit of contempt, a little bit of disdain.
He didn't even bother to hide it, nor was he afraid that she would find out, because he didn't think there would be any serious consequences if she knew.
That's a condescending attitude.
Although her status was more noble than anyone else's, everyone knew that she was just an empty shell, at the mercy of others. Therefore, no one respected her, no one valued her, and no one took her seriously.
Ever since he was reborn and became a monk in the Wending Palace with the permission of the Empress Dowager, He Qing had not faced such gazes for a long time.
She thought she had forgotten, but it turned out she hadn't. Just a familiar look could pierce her heart, bringing her back to the old days. She thought she didn't hate him, but it turned out she had simply suppressed the swirling hatred deep in her heart, thinking that if she didn't think about it, she could pretend it didn't exist.
But that was the mark left on her by eighteen years of palace life. How could it be removed so easily?
He Qing bit her lip hard to avoid showing any abnormality in front of Gu Zheng. But her hands, enclosed in her wide sleeves, were clenched into fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, using the stinging pain to block out the strange feeling in her heart.
"Master Gu is absolutely right." He Qing smiled slowly until he was sure he wouldn't reveal anything. He picked up the tea on the table and drank it all. Then he nodded slightly and stood up. "Thank you for your hospitality today, Master Gu. Farewell."
Then she left the yard without looking back.
Gu Zheng walked two steps forward and watched her leave. He turned around to look at the tea set on the table, sneered, and turned to go into the house.
It was not until he turned out of the alley, walked around most of the street, and returned to his carriage, with the curtains lowered so that no one could see his expression and movements, that He Qing gradually came back to his senses from the state of forced suppression.
She hammered the car wall hard, but instead of venting her anger, it made her hand hurt.
He Qing held her fingers to her lips and blew a breath. An inexplicable feeling of grievance welled up in her eyes, quickly soaking them. She raised her head slightly, trying not to burst into tears.
Don't cry, if you cry you lose.
To divert her attention, He Qing began to reflect on what Gu Zheng had just said. There must have been something else in his words, but she simply hadn't grasped it. Was that slight contempt directed at her, not only at her stupidity, but also at her?
He said the people of the capital couldn't stand the turmoil, that the common people had few desires and were easiest to satisfy, and that the people neither understood nor cared about what was going on in the court...
He Qing broke down these words in his mind, carefully interpreting them word by word, and racked his brains to squeeze out his pitiful political wisdom, and finally slowly savored some of their meaning.
He believed that the earthquake was just a power struggle in the court, but it affected the people.
Why did he think so? Because it was Empress Dowager Zhang who had mentioned the earthquake, using the excuse of the Emperor Taizu's dream. This was the first time Empress Dowager Zhang had spoken in court, so it was only natural that she was seen as trying to gain the upper hand.
But Gu Zheng thought that this matter was related to him.
He Qing didn't know what went wrong, but he must have shown something abnormal, either himself or Empress Dowager Zhang, and Gu Zheng noticed it.
Thinking of this, He Qing couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. Was Gu Zheng too perceptive, or were their actions too obvious, for him to see it? If he could see it, could others? Did the Empress Dowager, who spent more time with them, see it? If she did, what would she think?
The Grand Empress Dowager is the support of He Qing and Empress Dowager Zhang in the palace. If she becomes suspicious and harbors grudges against them, it will inevitably affect what happens in the future.
"Calm down..." He Qing leaned against the car wall, pressing his chest, forcing himself not to panic. Panic would be useless. The more times like this, the more you need to think calmly to know what to do next.
As she thought about it, her thoughts turned to Gu Zheng again.
This is a smart man, He Qing confirmed again. But now, she no longer likes this person.
If Gu Zheng had simply misunderstood them as engaging in a political struggle, it wouldn't have been a big deal. While the earthquake was real, and she simply wanted to prevent the court from suffering greater losses, it was indeed a conspiracy between her and Empress Dowager Zhang, so being misunderstood wasn't unjust.
However, He Qing also saw a clue from Gu Zheng's contemptuous attitude: he didn't believe in the so-called earthquake prediction at all.
Although he clearly didn't believe it, he still gave advice as if it were true, and did it better and more wholeheartedly than most people.
Gu Zheng is really a good guy. He climbed up using the ladder they had built. After climbing up, he pulled the ladder away and mocked their shallow minds, which he easily saw through.
This is simply too much!
The feeling of being trampled underfoot was truly unpleasant. He Qing's heart was filled with anger and resentment. Was he, Gu Zheng, the only smart person in the world? Everyone else was a jerk, letting him take advantage of them, without even a shred of temper?
If possible, she really wanted to step on this man and not give him any chance to stand up, to see how long he could continue to be so arrogant.
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