"I know that Aunt Qiu is a capable person by the Empress's side, but it is precisely because of this that you show how much you value the Empress Dowager, right? With Aunt Qiu watching over her, those evil spirits will naturally be docile. The Empress Dowager will see your sincerity and will naturally only be close to you in the future, both she and Little Dragon Son."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager was slightly startled, and then she came to her senses.
He Qing's words were certainly a suggestion for solving the problem, but they were also a disguised reminder to her: although the court was important, Empress Dowager Zhang and the baby in her belly were more important.
This child wasn't just born and done; she had to watch over him until he grew up and hand over the Chu Empire to him. Children couldn't live without their mothers, and if Empress Dowager Zhang was constantly afraid of her, the child would inevitably be affected. If she wasn't close to him, what was the point of all her hard work?
Empress Dowager Zhang was a weak character with no opinions of her own. She had no say in matters of the court, so it was easy to win her over, and there would be no harm in it.
After figuring this out, she couldn't help but pat He Qing's hand on the table and sighed, "I've been very busy recently, focusing on the present and not the future, and inevitably neglecting many things. Fortunately, you reminded me, otherwise I would really..."
She paused, then made the decision, "Then Aunt Qiu should pack up and go to Kunhua Palace to serve tomorrow. The Empress Dowager and the little prince are of great importance and cannot be neglected."
"Yes." Aunt Qiu nodded quickly in response.
Although she didn't want to leave the Grand Empress Dowager's side, she was also afraid of losing her favor. But following the Empress Dowager and the little prince was also for the Grand Empress Dowager. It was an important matter, so she didn't have to worry about being ignored. Besides...
To be frank, the Empress Dowager was now the head of the harem, holding authority never before held by any woman in the harem since the founding of the nation. Ultimately, however, these powers would eventually be handed back to the young emperor, and serving that master might even offer her a better future.
The Grand Empress Dowager's move naturally wouldn't just target Aunt Qiu. The next day, when He Qing arrived at Kunhua Palace, he saw the place filled with items, all sent there by the Grand Empress Dowager's order. Aunt Qiu led several palace servants in inventorying and sorting, while Empress Dowager Zhang sat nearby, her expression relaxed. It was clear that Aunt Qiu's methods were extraordinary.
And the person holding incense had been pushed into a corner, quiet and invisible unless you looked carefully.
Upon seeing her, Empress Dowager Zhang stood up, her face showing a familiar look, "Master, please take a seat. I was just talking about you with Aunt Qiu."
Although Master Gu was a civil official, he had good physical fitness. Unlike most civil officials, he did not ride in a carriage, but rode a horse in front to lead the way, looking very heroic.
According to historical records, after the fall of the Great Chu State, he traveled tens of thousands of miles, traversing almost the entire China, forming alliances and persuading separatist forces in various places to fight against the Iron Wolf Tribe of the grassland and keep foreign races out of the country.
Perhaps his excellent physical fitness was also a factor in his success. Otherwise, the long journey alone would have deterred most scholars.
He Qing is very conflicted now.
On the one hand, she really admired Gu Zheng and recognized his talent and ability, but she could never forget the contemptuous look in Gu Zheng's eyes that day, and naturally she had doubts about his character.
So at this moment, sitting in the carriage, she lifted the curtain and looked at the people running in front of the convoy, feeling very complicated.
"Master, what are you looking at?" Yuping couldn't help asking when she saw her staring straight ahead.
Seeing He Qing remained silent, she watched for a few moments before adding, "Master Gu's horse has run a bit further away. Should we send a message? He's here to protect us, so why is he only concerned about himself?"
He Qing was about to shake his head, but then he changed his mind and decided that if the earthquake was real, Gu Zheng would be too embarrassed to see him anyway, so he nodded and said, "Okay, send someone to tell them. Although we're outside the city, there are a lot of people along the road, so it's not safe to ride a horse like this."
How could she forget that, with her status, although she couldn't suppress Gu Zheng, she could always use her power to bully others and make him feel unhappy.
Soon, a guard rode up and caught up. After whispering to Gu Zheng for a moment, he turned his head to look over here, quickly reined in his horse, and waited there. He waited until He Qing's carriage caught up, then he rode slowly to the side.
He Qing lifted the curtain and looked out, her gaze meeting his. Gu Zheng didn't panic at all, his eyes fixed on her without blinking or avoiding her.
The two looked at each other for a moment, and He Qing asked softly, "Does Master Gu still hold on to his thoughts from that day?"
Gu Zheng frowned slightly but remained silent. He Qing then continued, "Of course, the people don't want to be harassed, but if it's something that benefits them, even if it's a bit of a hassle, I don't think they'll be ungrateful. Does Lord Gu agree?"
The four words "not knowing what is good for you" were obviously a veiled criticism, and He Qing had no intention of hiding it.
Gu Zheng lowered his head and thought for a moment, then smiled. "That's a good point, but the little food scraps that two children dropped while playing and fighting are certainly a hearty meal for the ants on the ground. But who of these two children really cares about the lives of the ants? One day they scattered scraps all over the ground, but the next day they might start a fight and crush countless ants. Both of them were unintentional. Should the ants be grateful for that little scrap?"
Last time, his words were very reserved, and He Qing had thought he would have some concerns. But today, it seemed that this Lord Gu was even bolder than she had imagined.
He Qing snorted, "How do you know the kid didn't just see an ant on the ground and deliberately removed the debris? Just because another kid came to grab it, you assume they're going to fight and will eventually step on the ant. Is that reasonable?"
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