Li Qiji looked at Guan Zhiyue in shock, completely astonished. He simply couldn't believe that a woman like her could go to a place like that.
Moreover, she was far away from the capital, even though she was a native of the capital!
"Empress, I'm not joking with you. I've never even been to that place, you—"
Guan Zhiyue waved her hand and said, "I know! It's because I've never been there that I want to go and see it!"
Li Qiji....
"Empress, what will I do if you leave?"
Guan Zhiyue looked at Li Qiji with some surprise after hearing his words and said, "Your Majesty, what you said is a bit strange. If I leave, there are still three thousand beauties in the harem!"
Of all the rivers in the world, I only drink from one ladle!
Guan Zhiyue: "..."
"Alright, it's getting late. Your Majesty should go back to your palace to rest. I'm going to get my beauty sleep too." Guan Zhiyue stood up from the chair next to her and said to Li Qiji, who was still sitting there.
Li Qiji looked up at Guan Zhiyue and said, "Empress, may I stay tonight?"
"Why? Stay here. There's nowhere for you to sleep in this cold palace. Besides, I'm about to go to Sihuang Prefecture for disaster relief. The Empress shouldn't stay in the cold palace anymore, since this trip will last for several months."
"I still have so many things to arrange! I'm planning to plant a second crop of rice on the back hill!"
Upon hearing this, Li Qiji knew that Guan Zhiyue was trying to fool him again, and he couldn't be shameless anymore.
After the people left, Bilian looked at Guan Zhiyue and said, "Your Majesty, is it really right for you to treat the Emperor like this?"
"Besides, the Emperor saved your life! Last time you were assassinated, you almost lost your life if it weren't for the Emperor."
Guan Zhiyue was truly moved by Bilian's words, especially considering how long they had spent together, sleeping in the same bed day and night. Although they hadn't done anything special, it was more than enough.
But when she thought of the poor original owner who lost her young life because of this scoundrel, she felt that everything Li Qiji was doing and experiencing was atonement. He had already caused the original owner's death.
Having inherited her body, how could I so easily forgive this murderer?
"Alright, shut up! Bilian, are you mine or the Emperor's? Think back to when we were together. If he hadn't disliked me so much, why would he have banished me to the cold palace on our wedding night?"
"Yes, I did love him very much back then, but since he didn't love me, why did he agree to my father's request? Why send me into this cold palace to just waste my days and nights eating and waiting to die?"
Guan Zhiyue poured out her innermost thoughts. She was in immense torment and suffering. On one hand, there was the death of the original owner of the body, and on the other hand, there were all the things Li Qiji had done to her, good and bad. She had seen it all.
Humans aren't plants or trees; how can they be without feelings? Having spent so much time together, Guan Zhiyue isn't blind to these things, so this is what causes her the most pain.
"Alright, go and rest! We need to get up early tomorrow to pack our things; we'll be heading to Sihuangzhou in the next couple of days."
"I plan to take you and Xiao Dezi with me. Shiliu and Cuijuan will stay in the Cold Palace to continue managing my affairs. Liu Debao must work hard for me," Guan Zhiyue said to Bilian.
Bilian beamed with joy. She never expected that the Empress would take her along on this trip. She could leave the palace and travel around. It couldn't be more wonderful!
"Oh, Your Highness, are you really taking me away?"
"Hmm, what else? What, you don't want to go?" Guan Zhiyue asked.
Bilian quickly shook her head and said, "No way, I really want to go, so I'm very happy that Your Majesty can take me with you."
"That's fine then. Go and rest! You don't need to serve me here anymore." After waving the person away, Guan Zhiyue lay down on the bed and, thinking about what Li Qiji had told her, she drifted off to sleep.
Nothing more was said that night.
——
The next day, in the Golden Palace, before Shen Zhongshi, Shen Na's father, could speak, Li Qiji gave Hua Quan a look.
Hua Quan produced an imperial edict and loudly proclaimed, "Prime Minister Su, Lord Su, receive the edict!"
Su Xu was completely bewildered, but still knelt on the ground, saying, "Your subject, Su Xu, receives the imperial decree!"
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I have heard that the locust plague in Sihuang Prefecture is extremely severe. Therefore, I hereby appoint the Empress, who is knowledgeable in agriculture, as the main person in charge of the locust plague control."
Grand Secretary Su Xu is hereby appointed Imperial Commissioner. From the capital to Sihuang Prefecture, all officials along the route are to cooperate fully. Anyone who disobeys may be executed first and reported later! So be it!
Su Xu was completely dumbfounded. Was he being asked to go to the disaster area with Xiao Yue'er?
"Yes, Your Majesty! I will certainly live up to Your Majesty's expectations!"
As for why the emperor sent Su Xu to be the imperial minister, it was actually to reassure the people.
After all, the imperial court had sent its highest-ranking officials and even the empress to help govern, which made them feel a little better.
This also reflects the emperor's benevolence and his eagerness to help them.
The entire court was abuzz with discussion. The Empress was about to leave the palace, so did her daughters in the inner palace have a chance?
It's a case of one family rejoicing while another is grieving!
Those who were happy were naturally the faction that felt the Empress should leave, while the Guan family was naturally unhappy.
Their daughter has been frail and sickly since childhood. She has lived a life of luxury and has no idea how to control locusts. Isn't this just trying to kill her?
Guan Mansion.
"My lord, please think of a solution quickly! What should we do? Is the Emperor taking advantage of the fact that no one in our court attends the morning court session?" He Shilian paced back and forth anxiously, clutching her handkerchief.
When Guan Shang heard the news from his student, he couldn't help but frown. It was simply bullying their family.
Since Guan Zhiyue's grandfather passed away, and her father and brother were both generals, who were mostly in the military camps and rarely attended court, no one in the court could speak up for Guan Zhiyue.
This is why Guan Zhiyue was sent to such a far place to deal with the locust plague.
"Madam, please don't rush, let me think about it." Guan Shang frowned, thinking and thinking.
There is still no definite answer. Disobeying the imperial decree is not an option either; their entire family cannot afford to accept it.
But~
"Alas, I will go and beg the Emperor to rescind his decree!" Guan Shang stood up, took a deep breath, and said to He Shilian beside him.
He Shilian stopped him and said, "Master, you're being foolish! What good will it do you to go to the palace? Our granddaughter still needs to go!"
"Then what do you suggest we do now?" Guan Shang sighed.
He Shilian sighed deeply and said, "What else can we do? We can only let her older brother or her father go with her."
Guan Shang sighed and could only nod in agreement. After all, disobeying the imperial decree was impossible, and all he could do was provide protection.
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