The next morning.
The incident of the Emperor biting the Empress after they consummated their marriage is now common knowledge. The entire palace, from the Cining Palace to the stables, is talking about it. Who knows how it will spread outside the palace?
Today is the day Guan Zhiyue is to leave the palace to return to her parents' home. This imperial edict to leave the palace was obtained from the Empress Dowager. Guan Zhiyue could actually leave the palace freely, but she did not want to break the rules because of herself, so she went to the Empress Dowager for help.
Otherwise, how could women who have married into the palace return to their parents' home so freely? If it were so casual, wouldn't all the women in the harem have to go home for a few days?
"Your Majesty, everything is ready. Is there anything else we need to prepare?" Bilian walked in with a list of items and asked her mistress to take a look.
The things in Guan Zhiyue's Cold Palace were actually all from her spatial storage. The things she brought with her when she left the palace this time were mostly food, and she also took three ginseng roots the size of white radishes.
“Your Majesty, isn’t this thing a bit too eye-catching? Besides, didn’t you take some back to your residence last time? Let’s keep some in the palace too. The palace isn’t as safe as outside. This thing is a life-saving medicine.” Bilian looked at the radish-sized ginseng with some amazement.
Guan Zhiyue looked at the things that had already been placed, reached out and patted Bilian's head, and said, "Little girl, remember that your mother doesn't lack these things. Your father and brother need these things more than we do."
“Father and brother are in the army camp. Their daily training must have taken a toll on their bodies more than ours. They must also have a lot of hidden injuries. These things are much more useful to them than to us.”
Hearing Guan Zhiyue say this, Bilian realized it made sense; the master and young master must need these things.
"By the way, have you prepared all the gifts for my maternal grandmother's family?" Guan Zhiyue thought about her upcoming visit to her mother's family home.
Bilian nodded, and after seeing that Guan Zhiyue had finished packing, she packed her things and then helped Guan Zhiyue out of the palace.
——
Guan Mansion.
"This old minister, along with his family, respectfully welcomes Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings!" Guan Zhiyue had just stepped down from the carriage when she saw her family members kneeling at the gate of the Guan residence. She quickly ran over and helped them up.
"Grandfather, Grandmother, Father, you are making your daughter feel terrible."
The family got up from the ground and looked at Guan Zhiyue's neck. They had heard about it, and when they saw the red mark on Guan Zhiyue's neck and the bite mark on her collarbone, they frowned in displeasure.
He Shilian even pulled Guan Zhiyue into the house to check her over and see if she had any other injuries.
"Grandmother, don't worry, your granddaughter is fine. Besides, the Emperor and I never consummated our marriage. He just went crazy and suddenly bit me. Don't worry, Grandmother."
He Shilian held Guan Zhiyue's hand, refusing to believe it. As someone with experience, how could she not understand men? She thought her granddaughter was lying to avoid making her worry.
Finally, after the female doctor's examination, it was discovered that she was still a virgin, and only then did they realize that what their granddaughter had said was true.
Then she became worried. How dissatisfied must the Emperor be with his granddaughter? He didn't seem to like her at all. They had been married for so long, and he still hadn't thought about consummating their marriage. This was a slap in the face to the Guan family.
Guan Zhiyue certainly didn't know what He Shilian was thinking, and of course He Shilian would never let her know, since these old folks only wanted their children to be safe and happy.
"Little sister, how long will you stay this time?" Second brother Guan Chengheng asked with a smile. He loved playing with his little sister the most, especially since they had less and less time together after she went to the palace.
In his early years, he had been stationed at the border, leaving his little sister in the capital to endure so much gossip and rumors. As her brothers, they were heartbroken and didn't know what to do.
Guan Zhiyue thought for a moment and said, "Second brother, I can only stay home for three days this time."
Guan Chengheng was a little disappointed after hearing this. Why was it so short? Why not half a month? That way, he could take her to many more places, especially since he didn't have to go back to the barracks for duty during the Spring Festival.
"It's so short! Your second brother said he would take you out to have some fun, but it's a pity that we can't take you out to play in such a short time."
Hearing her second brother's words, Guan Zhiyue smiled and comforted him, "It's alright, second brother. Besides, your sister will be busy after the New Year. If you can enter the palace, you can come and help your sister with farming."
"Ah! Farming, what farming? Sister, how hard have you been? You've only been in the palace for a short time, and you've already learned farming! Father, Father..." Guan Chengheng looked extremely aggrieved when he heard Guan Zhiyue say this, and he quickly called out to the people beside him.
"What happened? What happened to Chengheng?"
Guan Chengheng clung to Guan Hongsheng, Guan Zhiyue's father, looking utterly aggrieved.
"Chengheng, what are you doing crying like this, a grown man?"
Guan Chengheng got off Guan Hongsheng and pointed at Guan Zhiyue, who was standing not far away watching them, and said, "Yue'er is suffering so much. She's suffered so much. In the few months she's been in the palace, she's already learned to farm. Yue'er is someone who is cherished by her grandparents, father, and elder brother. How did she end up learning to farm? It's so hard. Father, Yue'er is suffering so much."
Guan Zhiyue looked at Guan Chengheng, who was acting like a drama queen, and couldn't help but twitch her lips. She blinked and looked at the group of people, saying, "Grandfather, Grandmother, Father, Eldest Brother, don't listen to Second Brother's nonsense. I was just joking with him."
Guan Shang, with a serious expression, called Bi Lian over.
"Bilian, come here."
Upon seeing this, Bilian quickly ran past Guan Zhiyue and knelt down in front of them with a thud, waiting for her masters to criticize her.
"Tell me, is what Chengheng just said true? I've long heard that the Empress is causing trouble in the Cold Palace with some kind of 'fearful mountain' in the back. Is that true? And what was the yellow ox Chengheng sent in for last time?"
Bilian was trembling and almost cried. How could Old Master Guan be so terrifying? Did he even want her to live? He was practically going to kill her.
"Yes, Your Highness, Your Highness has indeed been clearing land and farming in the back hills of the Cold Palace. Your Highness said that this would cultivate your character, so..."
"Yue'er, what's wrong?"
Guan Zhiyue sighed, then bowed to her family and said, "Grandfather, you know the importance of being prepared for danger even in times of peace. I don't want to waste my time in the Cold Palace. Besides, there's nothing wrong with farming. It's self-sufficient, especially in a place like the palace. Wouldn't you feel more at ease eating food you grow yourself?"
"My granddaughter doesn't have such great ambitions, nor does she have so many thoughts. They all like that wealth and status. It was only after entering the palace that my granddaughter realized that what she really wanted most was freedom."
"My granddaughter feels that clearing wasteland and farming is very free and unrestrained, so she hopes that her family will support her. However, my granddaughter cannot flatter the emperor and seek benefits for the family like other nobles."
Guan Shang listened with hope, then comforted him, saying, "Just do what you like. What we need is for you to be safe. Official positions are not something you have to strive for. If your father and the others want official positions, they will work hard for them themselves. Just be safe."
Upon hearing her family's words, Guan Zhiyue's eyes instantly filled with tears. This was what a loving family was like! Other families, for the sake of benefits, pushed their daughters into the palace, while the original owner of this body had wanted to enter the palace herself, yet her family was only concerned about her safety...
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