Chapter 59: Stepmother and Empress Dowager
Gu Wan opened her eyes and saw the green curtains. The old emperor passed away today, and the original owner knelt down in grief and fainted.
The original owner was sixteen years old this year. Before the death of the late queen, she wanted to preserve the honor of the Gu family and asked for one last favor on her deathbed. She and the emperor were a young couple, and they had come to this day. The emperor was also very moved. Although it was just an empty title, he agreed to take the original owner into the palace.
But the emperor's favorite person was the imperial concubine, who had just passed away a month ago. The emperor became depressed and sick, and coupled with his early illness, he suddenly died a month later because he missed the imperial concubine too much. The current crown prince was the most beloved son of the imperial concubine and the emperor.
When the emperor passed away and the new emperor ascended the throne, the original owner naturally became the empress dowager.
The original owner's wish was to gain the male protagonist's love and to avoid the Gu family being confiscated and exiled.
Long before the original owner was told that she would enter the palace to become the queen, she had fallen in love with the male protagonist, but a girl's feelings are always secretive, not to mention that the Gu family is the queen's faction.
The prince has always looked down on the Gu family. He feels sorry for his mother as his mother's position is occupied by Queen Gu.
On weekdays, it is just to maintain superficial peace.
Gu Wan sat up from the couch.
The serving palace maid had already signaled to pull up the curtain.
"Is the queen feeling better?"
The person who spoke was Gu Wan's senior maid, who was left to her by the late queen. Her name was Zhuxiang. She was very cautious and dutiful, and she was already twenty-five years old.
Gu Wan sat on the couch with her hair loose, rubbing her temples with her hands. "Not bad."
Another palace maid had already squatted down to put shoes on Gu Wan.
Gu Wan was only wearing her undergarment. Because she was in mourning for her country, her undergarment was also plain white, but it was not whiter than her skin. The cleavage on her chest was exposed, which made her look even more seductive under the candlelight.
Zhuxiang reached out to support Gu Wan.
"Your Majesty is weak and fainted while kneeling today. If I knew, I would only praise your sincerity and would not discuss anything else."
Sitting on the stool from the couch, Gu Wan looked at herself in the mirror. She was the one carefully selected by the Gu family. Although she was only sixteen years old, she was already extremely beautiful. It would not be an exaggeration to say that her every frown and smile was so stunning that it could captivate the whole country.
In ancient times, raising girls was more elaborate.
Zhuxiang looked at the woman in front of her and could only sigh in her heart, what a pity.
Just as Gu Wan was about to speak, she heard footsteps outside.
Zhuxiang also frowned and walked steadily to the door of the bedroom. She was about to see who was so blind, but when she saw the bright yellow clothes in front of her, she quickly squatted down and saluted.
"This servant greets His Majesty."
The person in front of him did not stop, but walked straight in.
Zhuxiang frowned. This didn't make sense. That was the empress dowager's bedroom, and it was already late at night.
Gu Wan looked at him inconspicuously. The hero of this article, Shao Jingzhou, had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, was tall and had long legs. He was a prince from a noble family and raised by the royal family. He exuded pride and arrogance from the inside out.
"Meet the Queen Mother."
Gu Wan looked at him. Although she spoke respectfully, her body showed no sign of respect. She was even a little surprised by his attire today, and her eyes were full of amusement.
Gu Wan blushed as if she had just realized something. She turned her back and said, "Jing... Zhou, no, Your Majesty, I haven't dressed yet. Please go out and wait."
Zhuxiang was still kneeling there. Although she didn't look up, she could probably guess what the emperor was thinking now. Even a woman might be moved by someone like the queen, let alone a man. If, if she could win the favor of the current emperor, then the Gu family, the Gu family could continue its past glory.
Shao Jingzhou only saw her red ears, raised his eyebrows, and put his hands behind his back.
"Yes, I am sorry for being rude." After saying that, he turned around and went out again.
Gu Wan narrowed her eyes when she heard the frivolous tone. Shao Jingzhou had many tricks up his sleeve.
When he was still the prince.
The Gu family and Shao Jingzhou are not from the same faction, and of course they will never become one.
The first thing he did after ascending the throne was to promote his confidants and consolidate his power, and the second step was to eliminate dissidents.
But the Gu family had produced two queens and three generals guarding the northwest, who had fought on the grasslands. It was not easy to overthrow them. He had only met the original owner twice, but he could see that she liked him. So he took advantage of this friendship and tricked the original owner into bringing the evidence of rebellion that she had hidden in advance into the Gu Mansion.
General Gu was immediately found guilty of treason and was exiled and beheaded.
On that day, Gu Wan was at Gu's house to visit her relatives, and she was pregnant with Shao Jingzhou's child. A fire broke out that day, and the original owner and the child were burned to death. Or perhaps Shao Jingzhou had deliberately chosen the time, and the child should not have been born.
At this point, the glorious Gu family declined.
The one who takes over the Gu family's military command is the heroine's biological brother, which opens the era of the dual strength of the male and female protagonists. The story of the original owner and the male protagonist only occupies the first chapter of the novel and is not given much attention.
No one remembers the original owner and the child who died in vain.
After Shao Jingzhou left, Zhuxiang got up and walked to Gu Wan to find clothes for her.
Gu Wan did not put her hair up again. Her upper body was a plain-colored double-breasted shirt and a blue chest binding, which was very elegant.
Shao Jingzhou stood in the hall with his hands behind his back. He turned around when he heard footsteps. There was no emotion in his eyes when he saw her dress. He had heard earlier that the eldest daughter of the Gu family was stunningly beautiful, but he had never seen her then. Later, when she entered the palace, he only saw her from afar a few times and only heard a few dirty jokes from several princes. Now it seemed to be true. The flash of whiteness just now flashed through his mind.
"My mother fainted today. Is she okay now?" His voice was clear, and his peach blossom eyes looked at someone seriously. I always felt that he was affectionate.
Gu Wan lowered her head slightly and looked away uncomfortably.
"I am now in good health, thank you for your concern, Your Majesty."
Shao Jingzhou just hummed softly.
"I think the Queen Mother hasn't had her meal yet. I've been busy all day. Can I ask for a meal from the Queen Mother?" He sat down and looked at Gu Wan unscrupulously.
Gu Wan clenched her hands, "Your Majesty, it's already late, Your Majesty, could you please go back and have dinner?"
Shao Jingzhou really didn't know how the Gu family, which was full of soldiers and generals, could raise such a soft and sweet daughter. She even spoke to men in such a... seductive way. I guess his father hasn't touched her yet.
"What are you afraid of, mother? We are mother and son, can't we eat together?"
After he said that, he looked at the eunuch next to him, Zhao Jiukuang.
Zhao Jiukuang instantly understood the emperor's intention and hurried forward, "I will arrange it right away. The Empress Dowager can also advise the emperor to take good care of himself." After saying that, he turned around and walked out quickly.
Zhuxiang lowered her head. Although this matter was a bit hypocritical, it didn't matter. It could also satisfy the late queen's wishes.
Gu Wan bit her lip but didn't dare to say anything.
Shao Jingzhou looked at her little movements and chuckled. He knew that a man who knows the times is a hero. There is something special about looking at a beauty under the light.
Soon the meal was set up in the front hall.
Zhuxiang supported Gu Wan and walked towards the front hall, just half a step behind Shao Jingzhou. Although it was not right for them as an elder, she still had to live by his mood.
Shao Jingzhou didn't care at all and walked ahead with big strides.
The two sat down and tried all the dishes.
Gu Wan lowered her head and ate in small bites.
Shao Jingzhou raised his hand and asked them all to go out.
Gu Wan finished the food on her plate and looked up, wanting Zhuxiang to continue serving her food, but she found that everyone had left.
Shao Jingzhou served Gu Wan a spoonful of scrambled eggs with shrimp.
"Eat, mother. I'm not used to having so many people watching me."
Gu Wan felt a little embarrassed and just nodded.
Shao Jingzhou looked at Gu Wan, his face expressionless. "General Gu wrote in a memorial that the border was unstable. He traveled a long way and was unable to return home. He felt very guilty."
Gu Wan put down her chopsticks and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your understanding."
Shao Jingzhou smiled and said, "I didn't say I forgive General Gu. Isn't it too early for your mother to thank me?"
Gu Wan knew that he said this on purpose. The Gu family had been guarding the border for decades. He couldn't just find a pretext to take down the Gu family. Otherwise, he would hurt the hearts of the people in the court, and the people of the world would not be happy either.
"The emperor will certainly understand the gulf in his heart."
Shao Jingzhou raised his hand, poured a glass of wine, and handed it to Gu Wan.
"Mother, please have a drink with me." The tone was not a request, but an order.
Gu Wan frowned and pursed her lips.
"Your Majesty, this is not in accordance with etiquette. If Your Majesty needs someone to drink with, I can wait until the national mourning is over and then choose a concubine for Your Majesty."
Shao Jingzhou snorted coldly, "My Queen Mother will disobey me. What if I insist that she drink it?" He looked at Gu Wan with sharp eyes without any restraint.
Gu Wan picked up the wine in front of her and drank it in one gulp in a fit of anger, "Is the emperor satisfied?" The original owner could not drink.
Shao Jingzhou raised his eyebrows at her angry expression and felt in a good mood.
"That's not the way to drink with someone." Then he poured another glass.
Gu Wan gritted her teeth and drank it all, and soon she couldn't sit up straight.
Shao Jingzhou saw that she was about to fall, so he put his hands around her waist and hugged her, letting her sit on his lap. He reached out and pinched her cheeks. Just as he thought, she was soft, and her waist in his palm seemed to be boneless, which was really alluring.
The smile on his face disappeared as he looked up, "Someone come here."
Zhao Jiukuang hurriedly pushed the door open and came in. Seeing that the empress dowager was already lying in the emperor's arms, he quickly lowered his head again.
"The servant is here."
Shao Jingzhou stood up and carried the person in his arms and walked out of the front hall. Ignoring other people's eyes, he carried her back to the bedroom.
Zhuxiang suppressed the excitement in her heart. The emperor was young after all, and who could escape from the arms of a beauty?
After Shao Jingzhou left, Gu Wan opened her eyes.
Zhuxiang saw that Gu Wan was not drunk and thought that she did it on purpose. After careful consideration, she decided to guide her.
"Your Majesty is very scheming. Now the glory of our Gu family depends entirely on you. It's a good thing that the Emperor cares about you."
Gu Wan looked at her coldly and scolded, "You bastard."
Zhuxiang knelt down in fear, "My Lady."
Gu Wan got up from the bed, walked to the stool wearing only socks, looked at the teapot on the table, poured herself a cup and drank it. The original owner did not know how to drink, and her body could not withstand so much alcohol.
"I know exactly what you're thinking, but do you know what Shao Jingzhou is thinking? It's possible that word will spread throughout the palace tomorrow, saying that I couldn't stand the loneliness of the inner palace and deliberately seduced the new emperor. That would be disgraceful for the Gu family."
Zhuxiang was frightened by Gu Wan's words and kowtowed several times, "Your Majesty, what does the Emperor mean?"
Gu Wan knew that Shao Jingzhou was not someone who could be lured into a trap by ordinary seduction. She dared to say that there would definitely be such a rumor tomorrow. Anyway, the things happening in the palace were unclear. If the rumor reached the ears of ministers and the people, and was spread a few times, someone would believe it.
The reputation of the Gu family will be criticized, and those ministers of remonstration will have something to say.
Shao Jingzhou has never been a soft-hearted person.
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