Chapter 179 Personal Meeting

After hearing this, the prince smiled and said.

"I'm not late, am I?"

"No, it's just right."

Most of the other ministers who were supposed to arrive had already arrived, except for the royal relatives, who all arrived late for the sake of the so-called royal dignity.

It seems that arriving late can show their dignity.

So the prince glanced at the carriages and horses parked in an orderly manner at the gate of the general's mansion and smiled, with a shrewd glimpse in his eyes.

"Let's go. Now that I'm here, I'm going to pay my respects to Madam Gu. My mother has repeatedly told me to tell her that I must come to the palace to meet her when she feels better."

The words were full of kindness.

One can tell the Queen’s attitude towards the Gu family just by hearing it, and this is also the Prince’s attitude towards the Gu family.

Then Shang Ji said respectfully.

"Grandmother knows that the Empress is concerned about her, so she recovers faster. When she is fully recovered, she will naturally go to the palace to pay her respects to the Empress."

The prince felt relieved when he heard this.

Then he walked into the gate of the general's mansion and went straight to the front hall.

This was the first time that the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess came to the General's Mansion. They looked around and said with a smile.

"It's been nicely renovated. You can tell that a lot of thought went into it, but it doesn't look like Rokuro's work."

"Your Highness, it was my wife, Mrs. Du, who taught the course. She had lived in Jinling City for a few years when she was young, so she liked the gardens very much."

"No wonder, I look very Jiangnan-style."

The prince had heard his mother mention Mrs. Du once, and was said to be a very smart and virtuous woman.

They were also very grateful that such a person could be with Shang Ji.

They walked step by step to the front hall, and the people who were talking and laughing heard a noise coming from outside.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived, the Crown Princess has arrived, Prime Minister Guo has arrived, and the General has arrived."

Madam Gu stood up calmly and said to Madam Guo beside her.

"I'm sorry for the concern of the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister."

"What are you talking about, elder sister? Our two families have been friends for many years, so this is how it should be."

When Prime Minister Guo arrived at this time, Madam Gu didn't think it was a big deal.

It was obvious that the prince arrived at this time to save face for the widows of the Gu family.

Otherwise, for a family like the Gu family, which has no children or grandchildren to take over the position, it is just a short-term glory.

Not worthy of the favor and attention of others.

With so many people coming today, everyone can see how important the Gu family is in Shang Ji's heart.

Now that the Prime Minister's Mansion and the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace have to be added to the mix, naturally we all know who will be the honored guest at today's banquet.

Seeing this, everyone stood up and walked outside.

When they saw the prince, they all knelt down and paid their respects.

"I (the minister's wife) have met the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess."

Prime Minister Guo and Shang Ji stepped back. As ministers, they could not bear to kneel like this.

"Everyone, please stand up. The General's Mansion is hosting the banquet today, so there is no need to be formal."

"Thank you, Prince."

Having said this, Shang Ji welcomed the prince into the main room of the front hall.

Today in the general's mansion, there was no separate table for men and women; instead, they were all mixed together.

The lobby is large enough, so even with so many people coming, it doesn't feel crowded. Instead, it is a place where old friends meet and have a great time chatting.

When the prince arrived, many court officials who had been greeting each other before came over.

Everyone wants to show up in front of the prince and get some appreciation.

This scene made Shang Zhiping sweat uncontrollably, and he also felt nervous and unconfident.

He Shilin, who was standing next to him, had never seen such an occasion before, so he swallowed nervously.

The two looked at each other and saw tension in each other's eyes.

This touch melted a lot of it.

After all, today is their home court, so they can't just hide away and let others see their cowardice.

Therefore, Shang Zhiping gritted his teeth and stood still, not saying anything about getting closer to the prince, but compared to his previous behavior of hiding away whenever something happened, he had made great progress.

Sister-in-law Liu stood behind her son, not trying to protect him like before, but instead giving him strength.

This support from his mother made Shang Zhiping feel much more at ease.

There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!

Then I heard the prince speaking to Old Madam Gu with great concern.

"I see that the old lady is still in good health, and her demeanor and appearance are the same as before. It seems that this general's mansion is a treasure land, and the old lady is well taken care of."

When the prince said this, his words were sincere.

Old Madam Gu could tell, and because he was the son of Empress Guo, she spoke with a certain degree of affection.

"Your Highness is right. Shao Yu and his wife are very respectful to me, so my health will naturally improve."

That’s why people say that Madam Gu is a shrewd person. Her words are simple, but her meaning is very clear.

Shang Ji and Du Jingyi were very filial to her, so she was in good health.

The Duke and Madam Wei came to her house to make trouble, so she became sick with anger.

Those two were really just sitting at home and having their troubles come from the sky. They probably didn't expect that Old Madam Gu would complain like this in front of everyone and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

As luck would have it, the prince was also a very smart person and quickly understood the meaning.

So, he said it meaningfully.

"My Daxing Dynasty takes filial piety as the law. It is only right for Liu Lang and his wife to respect you. If anyone makes you feel uncomfortable in the future, just send someone to report to the East Palace. I want to see who dares to disrespect Madam Gu."

After hearing this, even those with sharp ears and eyes understood.

With the prince as a guarantor, this old lady Gu will probably be able to walk around Sui'an City with her free will in the future.

You know, the prince is not a person without real power.

Now most of the court is under his jurisdiction. Although His Majesty is still in power, he has not attended court for many years, so the Crown Prince has been regent for several years.

Now they just have to wait out the days. When His Majesty passes away, the prince will naturally ascend the throne and become the emperor.

With the future new emperor protecting them, no one would be stupid enough to cause trouble for the Gu family.

Therefore, at this moment, when the ladies looked at the widows of the Gu family, there was a little more respect in their eyes.

What's more, even Gu Xiaolang who was standing next to him received a little more attention.

You know, in an occasion like today, every lady would have a clear mind.

But to be honest, Xing Zhao's situation is much better than Gu Xiaolang's.

The Xing family holds real power and has a rich financial background. Madam Xing, the mother-in-law, seems to be easy to get along with and has a straightforward personality, so people who come into contact with Madam Xing surround her several times.

But no one is interested in my third aunt and eldest sister-in-law Liu.

And now, not only Gu Xiaolang, but also Xue Niang stood out from the crowd, looking much more likable than before.

(End of this chapter)