Chapter 65: Stepmother and Empress Dowager
Gu Wan was pulled to her feet by him, frowning.
"It's just the palace, where else can we go?"
Shao Jingzhou stroked her hand and said, "Then go out and take a look."
An hour later, Gu Wan had changed her clothes and was sitting in the carriage. She glanced at Shao Jingzhou who was sitting next to her, then looked down at his hand holding hers.
Shao Jingzhou suddenly pressed his big hand on the back of her head and kissed her. After a long while, he let go and rested his hand on her forehead.
"I can feel you looking at me like this."
Gu Wan glared at him.
Shao Jingzhou smiled and held her in his arms.
Half an hour later.
Shao Jingzhou reached out to take her down.
Gu Wan recognized this place at a glance: Jinzhong Temple.
Shao Jingzhou held Gu Wan's hand the whole time.
"Let's go in and burn some incense."
However, Gu Wan unexpectedly saw Shao Sui’s guard. Could he be here too?
The host came over to greet him.
Gu Wan looked at the Buddha statue. She was a person who believed in fate very much. She closed her eyes and just prayed for the mission to go smoothly.
Shao Jingzhou clasped his hands together and glanced at Gu Wan beside him. He suddenly hoped that he and Gu Wan could have a child of their own.
Shao Sui stood in a hidden place and watched. Shao Jingzhou seemed very serious about her. If Gu Wan also liked him, he would be willing to let her go, but Shao Jingzhou was not a good match.
After the two of them burned incense, Shao Jingzhou and Gu Wan took a walk in the temple.
"Do you still remember what you told me at that time? It was the twenty-second year of Chongyou."
Gu Wan looked up at him and said, "Yes."
Shao Jingzhou stood with his hands behind his back, looking off into the distance. "If that hadn't happened, would you have fallen in love with me?"
Gu Wan shook her head gently. How could that be? The original owner wouldn't do that either. No one would love you.
Shao Jingzhou looked at Gu Wan and shook his head, laughed at himself, reached out to lift her chin, and stood very close to her.
"But there's nothing I can do. You already like me." Then he kissed her.
Gu Wan reached out and pushed him, this was an important place for Buddhism.
Shao Sui stood silently in the corner, just watching with no expression on his face.
Shao Jingzhou took Gu Wan to see another master.
"Master Kongwen, can you tell fortunes and draw lots?"
Gu Wan remained silent, standing aside and observing. The master in front of her was neither humble nor arrogant. She still remembered that in the original novel, he predicted that the heroine was born with the destiny of a phoenix and would be Empress Yi.
Master Kongwen made a gesture of invitation, "Your Majesty, please write down one word."
Shao Jingzhou put one hand behind his back and wrote on the paper, "Yuan."
Kong Wen just looked at the words and then looked up at Gu Wan.
"Amitabha, Your Majesty's relationship with you will not last long. Only by letting go and following your heart can you achieve the end."
Shao Jingzhou held Gu Wan's hand tightly. He would not let her go. What if he insisted? He was the emperor, so it was not impossible.
"Then Master, we will take our leave now."
Master Kongwen stood behind him and said, "I want to speak to this girl privately."
Shao Jingzhou was a little hesitant, but he still believed in Master Kongwen.
"I'll wait for you outside." After saying that, he strode away.
Gu Wan knelt down and saluted the master.
"Meet the Master."
Master Kongwen returned the greeting with a half bow, "Miss Gu, how are you?"
Gu Wan just pursed her lips and didn't reply, waiting for his next words.
Kong Wen lowered his head and said, "Miss Gu and the Emperor are not destined to be together. Buddha believes in the cycle of cause and effect. Is Miss Gu willing to give up and achieve perfection in this life?"
Gu Wan didn't expect him to see this far. "Master has just said that there is cause and effect. If there is a cause, there will be an effect. People who have left home should understand this better."
The heroine was born with the fate of a phoenix, so coming to her means giving up karma. How is that possible? She is not a good person.
Kong Wen held one hand out in front of him. "Amitabha, Miss Gu, let's just pretend that today's conversation never happened. Please."
Gu Wan knelt down to say goodbye and pushed the door open to leave.
Shao Jingzhou heard the sound of the door, turned around to look at her, and reached out to hold her hand again.
Kong Wen looked at Shao Jingzhou and said, "Your Majesty, I will be traveling these days and will not be in the temple. I hope Your Majesty will take care of yourself."
Shao Jingzhou nodded, turned around and left with Gu Wan.
Kong Wen stood there for a long time without moving until Shao Sui arrived.
"I have been waiting for the prince for a long time."
Shao Sui put his hands behind his back and said nothing.
Kong Wen knelt on the ground and said, "This woman is an ominous sign. Please kill her, Your Highness."
Shao Sui just snorted coldly, turned around, drew out the guard's sword and put it against Kong Wen's neck, "No, no, nonsense." He could barely make a sound now, but it was still very difficult for him to spit out a few words, then put away the sword and turned to leave.
When Gu Wan left Jinzhong Temple, she looked back. This place made the original owner's life very sad. If she had known that it was Shao Sui who saved her, would she have fallen in love with him, and then none of this would have happened. But the world of novels is the world of novels. If there were no misunderstandings, such drama would obviously not be enough.
Gu Wan was so tired that she fell asleep in the carriage, her head resting on Shao Jingzhou's shoulder.
Shao Jingzhou reached out and smoothed her hair. He wished he could be there that day. It was him who really saved Gu Wan, not the emperor's uncle.
The carriage went all the way into the imperial palace.
Zhuxiang had been waiting at the door of Zhaohua Palace for a long time. She only felt relieved when she saw the emperor carrying her master over.
Shao Jingzhou escorted Gu Wan all the way to the bedroom, covered her with a quilt, and looked at her for a long time before leaving.
Zhao Jiukuang was already waiting outside the hall, and he rushed over as soon as he saw someone.
"Your Majesty, as soon as you left today, Miss Yu arrived at the door of the Imperial Study with a memorial, waiting for you. I have already informed her, but Miss Yu refused to leave and is still waiting at the door."
Shao Jingzhou frowned and quickened his pace.
"Why don't you persuade me?"
Zhao Jiuguang simply bowed his head and admitted his guilt. Can this problem be solved by persuasion?
Yu Shengxue hadn't eaten for a day and looked a little weak. She looked even more pitiful and weak after crying. When she saw Shao Jingzhou coming, she suddenly stood up and was about to jog over, but she had been squatting for a long time and felt a little dizzy when she stood up suddenly.
Shao Jingzhou was quick-witted and quick-handed. He reached out to catch it, and Yu Shengxue fell into his arms.
"Your Majesty."
Shao Jingzhou sighed, "Why are you waiting here?" Although there was some blame in his tone, there was also a hint of pity.
Yu Shengxue smelled a faint scent of pear blossoms on him. Was it Gu Wan's?
"I, no, I have some new blueprints to show His Majesty."
Shao Jingzhou simply picked the person up.
Zhao Jiukuang pushed open the door of the imperial study, watched the person go in, then closed the door and stood outside waiting.
Gu Wan had actually woken up a long time ago. After Shao Jingzhou left, she sat up.
Zhuxiang was already used to it. She went forward, helped Gu Wan sit in front of the dressing table, and helped her remove her makeup.
Gu Wan looked at her in the bronze mirror and said, "Just say whatever you want to say."
Zhuxiang lowered her voice, "Your Majesty, today, Miss Yu waited for the Emperor at the door of the Imperial Study all day, holding a memorial. No matter how Eunuch Zhao tried to persuade her, she refused to leave. Everyone in the palace should know about this by now."
Gu Wan was a little tired today and had been sitting in the carriage. She yawned and said, "How infatuated." Her tone was very flat. Yu Shengxue thought that everyone was equal, and she also claimed to be an independent and unique woman who had received higher education, but she still did such a stupid thing, regardless of her identity, status, and reputation. This was a palace, not the modern world.
Zhuxiang didn't know how to say it, she was a little worried.
"Your Majesty, do you think the Emperor will be moved?"
Gu Wan looked up at her. "If you were a man, and a smart, independent, and beautiful woman was so infatuated with you, what would you do?"
Zhuxiang thought for a while, "She should be very touched, but I think the Majesty is the most beautiful person."
Gu Wan laughed when she heard her words. "You, do you know? Some men have beautiful wives at home, but they insist on taking a concubine outside. However, the concubine cannot compare to the wife in any way. So why do these men take concubines?"
Zhuxiang frowned, not understanding what was going on, and just shook her head slowly.
Gu Wan turned and looked at the bronze mirror. "First, the concubine is subservient. The wife at home is too outstanding, and the man always wants to be admired. Second, the man always feels that the concubine is more exciting than the wife."
It was the first time that Zhuxiang heard such explicit words, and her cheeks suddenly felt hot.
"Then, Your Majesty?"
Gu Wan stood up, and Zhuxiang handed her the ironed handkerchief. "The Emperor will have sympathy for Miss Yu, but he will not take her in just yet, because I have not yet agreed to be his concubine."
Zhuxiang seemed to understand something.
Shao Jingzhou carried the person into the imperial study and said, "I have something to go out for today. You don't have to wait for me anymore. Also, don't stay in the palace every night. You should go back, otherwise the Marquis of Zhennan will be worried."
Yu Shengxue wanted to refute, but after what happened yesterday, she already knew in her heart that Shao Jingzhou still liked Gu Wan.
"Yes, I understand."
Shao Jingzhou nodded, "I'll have someone prepare some food."
Yu Shengxue stood up and saluted as a subject. "Thank you, Your Majesty, but the palace gates are still locked. I must go home now to avoid worrying my father and brother."
Shao Jingzhou did not force her to stay, but just sent someone to send her to the Zhennan Marquis Mansion.
Yu Shengxue felt aggrieved sitting in the carriage, tears falling one by one. She wanted to go back so much, this world was not fun at all.
Yu Huainan got the news in advance and was already waiting at the door.
The two walked into the Marquis' Mansion side by side.
Yu Huainan saw that she had been crying and chuckled, "Why, you can't stand it after just a few days?"
Yu Shengxue gritted her teeth, "What do you know?"
Yu Huainan looked at her with a blank expression, "I know everything. How does it feel to see the person you like with someone else? The emperor is a man of great determination. Once he makes up his mind, he won't give up easily."
Yu Shengxue knew it, but she was confident that she would not lose to an ancient woman who knew nothing except her beauty.
"Do you really think that if the Emperor orders the execution of all the members of the Gu family, Gu Wan will be the only one left alive? And that my brother won't get nothing then?"
Yu Huainan knew that he had a way. He could imprison Gu Wan and make her fall in love with him. This should not be difficult.
"Don't worry about my affairs." After saying that, he kicked off his clothes and strode away.
Three days later,
Good news came from the front line, the Gu family has regained two lost territories.
Shao Jingzhou took a look at the good news and threw it aside.
Shao Sui stood aside with his hands behind his back.
"My uncle hasn't been to the palace these days." He sighed again and said, "Stay and have a drink with me tonight."
Shao Sui nodded slightly.
In the huge Chengqian Palace, Shao Jingzhou and Shao Sui drank one cup after another.
"Uncle, do you know? That old man Kong Wen actually said that Gu Wan and I are not destined to be together. How could that be possible?"
Shao Sui looked at him and was already drunk.
Shao Jingzhou didn't want him to answer him either.
"This isn't a letter of good news. The recapture of the five cities will mark the day Gu Wan and I completely break off relations. She will hate me for the rest of her life."
Shao Sui looked at the wine glass in his hand. It had been like this since he was a child. He knew everything about him. He regarded himself as the closest uncle to the emperor and could give in to anything, but the only person he could not give in to was Gu Wan.
Zhao Jiukuang saw that the prince had left before he went into the palace to take care of Shao Jingzhou.
Shao Jingzhou stood up shakily and said, "Go find Gu Wan for me. Go find Gu Wan."
Zhao Jiukuang really couldn't make the decision and could only send someone to Zhaohua Palace.
Gu Wan had just finished washing up and was ready to lie down.
Zhuxiang was a little worried, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid of this trip..." Her eyes were full of worry. Although she had behaved intimately with the emperor before, it had never reached this point. If she went tonight, she would never be able to come back.
Gu Wan shook her head slightly and took a purse. "Let it be."
Zhuxiang's eyes were red. If there was another way, her master wouldn't have to suffer such humiliation.
Gu Wan only put on a cloak and followed the eunuch who was ordered to go to Chengqian Palace.
Zhao Jiukuang was asking people to prepare sobering medicine, otherwise the emperor would have a headache when he woke up tomorrow. When he saw Gu Wan coming, he hurried forward to pay his respects.
"Your Highness is finally here. The Emperor drank with the Prince tonight and kept calling for you after he got drunk. I had no choice but to call you over."
Gu Wan untied her cloak and said, "Okay, I'll take care of you."
Zhao Jiukuang bent down and nodded repeatedly, waved his hand and gave a wink, and only the two of them were left in Cheng Qian's bedroom.
Gu Wan walked forward and sat beside the bed.
Shao Jingzhou was already drunk, but he vaguely remembered who the person in front of him was, so he reached out and shook hands.
"Wanwan, Wanwan."
Gu Wan knew that her father had brought good news today.
"Your Majesty, I am Gu Wan." She leaned over to Shao Sui's ear, whispered softly, and threw the incense she brought into the incense burner.
Shao Jingzhou's vision gradually became clear. He put his arms around Gu Wan and kissed her without any reason. Her clothes fell off.
The young eunuch brought some sobering medicine.
Zhao Jiukuang waved his hand, "No need, just wait patiently."
Gu Wan looked at the kiss marks on her neck. She had prepared the fragrance early in the morning just for today. It would make people confused and excited, and then faint, mistakenly thinking that they were having sex. She originally wanted to have sex with Shao Jingzhou directly, but she really didn't like him, so she took off her clothes and lay beside Shao Jingzhou again.
The next day.
Shao Jingzhou felt a sharp headache. Didn't Zhao Jiukuang actually prepare any hangover medicine for him last night? But then he remembered some fragments. Gu Wan? Him and Gu Wan? He didn't believe it until he saw the person beside him.
Gu Wan also woke up at the right time, hugging the quilt, with her hair scattered on her shoulders. She lowered her head, revealing a white neck with faint red marks on it.
"emperor."
Shao Jingzhou just felt happy that they had finally taken this step, but she was very calm.
"I was drunk last night." He just felt that his actions were very rude at that time.
Gu Wan lowered her head slightly, "Your Majesty has already obtained what he wanted. I just want to go back."
Shao Jingzhou frowned and suppressed the restlessness in his heart. He had a plan for this matter, but not now. He lifted the quilt, opened the bed curtain and went down.
"Zhao Jiukuang, have someone come in and serve."
Zhao Jiukuang had been waiting there early. When he heard the sound, he pushed open the door and let the person in.
Shao Jingzhou washed and dressed himself outside, glanced at the bed curtains, and said, "Let's get Zhuxiang over here."
Zhao Jiukuang knew that what happened yesterday should have been accomplished, so he was naturally happy.
"I obey your order."
When Gu Wan came last night, she only had a hairpin on her head that Shao Sui had given her. She took it out from the bed, pricked her hand with it, and then smeared it on the bed.
Zhuxiang did not sleep all night and was very anxious until the eunuch came over. Although she knew that something had happened, she was full of guilt. Her master was really suffering. She followed the eunuch to Chengqian Hall, and when she saw her master, she couldn't stop crying.
"My Lady."
When Gu Wan was thinking about the next step, he saw the girl started crying and smiled.
"Why are you crying? Help me get up and dress."
Zhuxiang quickly wiped away her tears, and when she saw the marks on her master's body, she suppressed the sadness in her heart.
Gu Wan washed up and had breakfast in Chengqian Palace, then returned to Zhaohua Palace before Shao Jingzhou left the court.
"If the Emperor comes, tell him I'm not feeling well and won't see him."
Zhuxiang nodded and took note of it.
Shao Jingzhou was absent-minded at the court meeting today, so he simply left early. When he returned to the hall, he found that no one was there.
The eunuch who cleaned the bedroom told Zhao Jiukuang what happened on the bed. For the sake of the royal bloodline, every time the emperor favored him should be recorded.
Zhao Jiukuang guessed the emperor's intention, waved his hand to let the eunuchs go to work, and reported the matter to Shao Jingzhou.
Shao Jingzhou couldn't hide his joy between his eyebrows.
"Okay, go down."
Shao Sui did not leave the palace last night. Since he made the decision that day, he had already prepared all the spies in the palace.
The subordinate frowned as he looked at the message handed over to him, then looked at his master who was practicing calligraphy in the study, and walked over.
"Your Highness, after you left Chengqian Palace last night, the Emperor summoned the Queen Mother, who remained silent all night until this morning."
A big ink dot dripped from the pen that Shao Sui had just dipped in ink, staining the paper. He then silently extended the black dot with a few strokes to turn it into a word.
"No problem."
It’s not that he doesn’t care, of course he cares, but what he cares about is Gu Wan’s mood. She must be sad in her heart, and she can only blame himself for not starting to fight for it earlier.
"Go down."
The subordinates just kept silent. They had all witnessed too many life and death situations. In fact, compared with life and death, this matter was not a big deal. But that was the person that the prince loved most. She must be very sad. The chance of nothing happening overnight was indeed very small.
Shao Jingzhou began to review the memorials, but as he looked at the letter announcing the good news from yesterday, he began to think of countless possibilities in his mind.
"Zhao Jiukuang."
Zhao Jiukuang came in from outside the imperial study.
"emperor."
Shao Jingzhou leaned back in his chair and casually recited a few children's toys in the palace.
"Send them all to the Gu family, saying that there was a victory report from the border yesterday, and this is a special reward."
Zhao Jiukuang agreed, saying that the reward was for the Empress, not the Gu family.
Gu Wan came back to take a shower. Shao Jingzhou fell into a coma last night. Her next step was to get pregnant, but it must not be Shao Jingzhou's child, because that child had been burned to death and he had given up on his own.
It would be great if it could be Shao Sui's, so that it could help Shao Sui rebel and intensify the conflict, and it could also protect the Gu family from being ransacked later. The mission cannot be taken lightly at this point.
For some reason, Shao Jingzhou couldn't bear to read the memorial today and simply stood up.
"Zhaohua Palace."
Zhao Jiukuang walked beside him with his waist hunched, "Yes."
Zhuxiang didn't expect the emperor to come so soon. "Your Majesty, why don't you go lie down in the bedroom? It would be inappropriate if the emperor came in and saw you." She wanted to stop the emperor, but what if the emperor broke in?
Gu Wan continued to make clothes and was about to finish the ones for her nephew.
"No, just say I'm not feeling well and he won't come in."
Zhuxiang knelt down and bowed before going out, then repeated what she had been told.
Shao Jingzhou frowned and just glanced at the door. "Okay, take good care of it. If you have any problems, please find Zhao Jiukuang and report to me."
Zhuxiang answered yes, knelt down and waited for him to leave.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor has passed away."
Gu Wan nodded, she calculated that it needed to be done as soon as possible.
Shao Jingzhou didn't return to the imperial study either. "The emperor's uncle shouldn't have returned home either, right?"
Zhao Jiukuang replied, "Your Majesty, the eunuch on duty today reported that the prince had a hangover last night and is not feeling well."
Shao Jingzhou chuckled, in a good mood, "Okay, then let's go see the emperor's uncle."
Shao Sui was practicing sword. The remaining poison in his body was gradually cleared out, and he felt more and more relaxed when practicing sword. When he heard footsteps, he raised his sword and stabbed forward.
Shao Jingzhou didn't react at first, but later he took the sword of the guard next to him and started fighting with Shao Sui.
Shao Sui showed no mercy, and Shao Jingzhou was defeated with every move, so he simply threw away his sword.
"Why is the emperor so serious today? I can't even handle a few of his moves."
Shao then handed the sword to the guard and wiped the sweat off his face casually.
Shao Jingzhou simply sat down and poured himself a cup of cold tea.
"Did your uncle rest well last night? I heard from Zhao Jiukuang that you drank quite a bit yesterday as well."
Shao Sui frowned unconsciously, but still nodded.
Shao Jingzhou drank his tea and said, "Uncle's tea is still as delicious as ever. By the way, last time, Mr. Chen from the Yongding family submitted a memorial, saying that he wanted me to arrange a marriage between Uncle and his daughter, but I declined."
Shao Sui was really unhappy, and he was too lazy to say a word today.
Shao Jingzhou looked at the bamboo forest and said, "Uncle, please stay in the palace for the next few days. I have some questions about the Imperial Guards that I want to ask you."
Shao then stood up and bowed in obedience to the order.
The two of them didn't talk for long before Shao Jingzhou received a secret report and quickly returned to the imperial study.
Yu Huainan presented a memorial.
"Your Majesty, this is the account of bribes secretly paid by some officials in the Jiangnan region in recent days."
When Shao Jingzhou was the crown prince, he knew that the Jiangnan region was rich and there were almost no clean officials. He advocated killing one to warn the rest, but his father was unwilling to do so. He said that if the water is too clear, there will be no fish, and it is impossible to clear it at all. He could only choose those who are less corrupt and can still get things done, but he absolutely disagreed.
"Then let's handle it according to the law. You are responsible for this matter."
Yu Huainan saluted and said, "Yes." Then he looked up at Shao Jingzhou again.
"Last night, Shengxue came home crying. I am indeed overstepping my bounds. Is the Emperor interested in marrying Shengxue?"
Shao Jingzhou tapped the table with his fingers and said, "We'll discuss this matter later."
Yu Huainan knew what Shao Jingzhou meant. Since he didn't completely refuse, he still had intentions. He left the imperial study and turned down the eunuch who was escorting him out of the palace. He walked along the small path alone, wanting to go to Zhaohua Palace to see her, but he happened to meet two maids talking.
"I saw the Queen Mother come out of Chengqian Palace this morning. She must have slept with me last night."
"Is that true? She's the Empress Dowager. The Emperor should call her Mother."
"Shh, keep your voice down, do you still want your head?"
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