Shen Wan took a deep breath, her eyes darkened, and she made a difficult decision: "Madame Rong, go prepare the talisman water."
Aunt Rong responded and quickly went out to prepare the talisman water.
The preparation of talisman water is very simple. You just need to soak the talisman paper in hot water for half a cup of tea and it will be ready.
The wet nurse helped the unconscious Gu Zhiyan to sit up and carefully fed her the talisman water. Beside her, a little maid was wiping the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief.
Shen Wan stared closely at the cup of magic water in the wet nurse's hand, still feeling uneasy.
It wasn't that she didn't have her doubts about the talisman water given by Chu Qianhuang, she even specially invited Doctor Lao who was familiar with the Imperial Hospital to the palace to have him look at the talisman water.
At that time, Doctor Lao said: "Taoist medicine has a long history, thousands of years old."
"Taoists believe that man follows the earth, the earth follows the sky, the sky follows the Tao, and the Tao follows nature. They emphasize 'nurturing oneself from within' and have the following methods: keeping one's mind focused, looking inward, concentrating thoughts, concentrating spirits, moving qi, external alchemy, internal alchemy, spells, etc., which can cure diseases, prolong life, and achieve longevity."
"I have only a superficial knowledge of Taoism, so I dare not speak nonsense."
Although Doctor Lao said so, Shen Wan still felt uneasy.
Gu Zhiyan had been sick a few times recently, and Shen Wan had avoided letting Gu Zhiyan use the talisman water that Chu Qianhuang had begged for. As a result, Gu Zhiyan had been recovering very slowly these times, with repeated fevers, insomnia, and nightmares...
Shen Wan was heartbroken seeing her daughter suffer.
After Gu Zhiyan took the talisman water, the wet nurse carefully put her back on the couch and covered her with the mattress again. Shen Wan personally wiped the sweat from her forehead, cheeks and neck, and hummed a tune softly to calm the little girl's emotions.
After a while, Gu Zhiyan's sleeping face became peaceful.
After about an incense stick of time, the nurse said in surprise: "My Lord, Princess, the county lady's fever has subsided!"
Shen Wan hurriedly went to test Gu Zhiyan's body temperature herself, and found that it was not hot to the touch. They looked at each other.
The nurse tucked in the corner of Gu Zhiyan's quilt and sighed, "The talisman paper sent by Miss Chu is always so effective!"
Shen Wan's eyes froze when she heard that.
At this time, Gu Zhiyan's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.
"Qiniang...Qiniang is awake!" Prince Jing shouted excitedly.
Gu Zhiyan looked at Shen Wan beside the couch and called softly, "Mom..."
The little girl's voice was hoarser than in the afternoon.
"Qiniang..." Shen Wan's eyes suddenly filled with tears and she choked slightly. She gently touched Gu Zhiyan's cheek and said softly, "If you are tired, don't talk. Mother will feed you some water. Drink more water and your illness will get better."
Shen Wan felt relieved a little.
In any case, my daughter's fever has subsided, which means she doesn't have to travel while sick anymore.
Although their home is a prince's mansion, the emperor is traveling now, and the convoy will not delay the journey because of Gu Zhiyan's illness.
However, Shen Wan's heart still couldn't calm down. She didn't even know how long the fever could be reduced.
After coaxing Gu Zhiyan to sleep, Shen Wan and Prince Jing also went to rest. They had been lying there for less than two hours when they heard the loud crowing of a rooster from afar outside.
It's dawn.
The Holy Chariot set out at the hour of Chen and rested before the hour of Shen in the afternoon.
Just as Chu Qianchen had thought before, the emperor took five and a half days to complete the original three-day journey, and it was not until the tenth day of November that he arrived at the Xiyuan Palace.
Chu Qianchen naturally followed Gu Jue and lived in the Zichen Palace in the northeast of the temporary palace. It was far away from the Chongming Palace where the emperor lived, at least half the distance of the temporary palace.
"This Zichen Palace is the palace where I stayed every time I came for the winter hunt." Gu Jue took Chu Qianchen's hand and walked into the main hall, "I'll take you around."
Chu Qianchen glanced around.
The layout inside the hall is simple and solemn. Apart from the furniture, the carpets and furnishings are basically in cold colors. Even the large floor-standing vase and the plum vase on the high-legged flower table give people a clear and cold feeling, without any bright colors.
The layout of this palace is completely Gu Jue's style.
Chu Qianchen looked around with great interest several times, and an idea came to her mind: the next time she entered the palace, she must ask the Queen Mother if the residence where the prince lived when he was a child was still there. If it was still empty, she would definitely ask the Queen Mother to take her to see if it looked like this too.
Chu Qianchen couldn't help but pursed his lips and smiled, imagining what Gu Jue looked like as a child.
The prince must have been very handsome when he was a child! Maybe the queen mother has a portrait of the prince when he was a child...
Thinking of this, Chu Qianchen's eyes became brighter and he looked towards Gu Jue expectantly.
Gu Jue saw her laughing foolishly and raised his eyebrows, "What's wrong?"
"I'm thinking about how to decorate this place." Chu Qianchen laughed even more happily, thinking that it would be better not to tell the prince about this matter for the time being.
Gu Jue: “…”
Facing Gu Jue's inquiring gaze, Chu Qianchen waved to Amber and Jiang Yuan as if nothing had happened and began to give orders.
Although the Zi Chen Palace was the palace that Gu Jue often used in the past, he never came here again after he went to the north to join the army. There seemed to be no people inside and outside the house. There was only someone cleaning it regularly, and the furniture and some decorations were still there.
Chu Qianchen let Amber and the others busy themselves, thinking that it would be better for her not to be in the way. He smiled and took Gu Jue's hand and said, "My Lord, didn't you say you would take me around?"
"Let's go." Gu Jue held her hand and took her around the Zi Chen Palace.
This palace is actually just an ordinary palace. For Chu Qianchen, what is new and interesting is that this is a place she has never been to in her previous life. In her previous life, she never had the opportunity to come here hunting with Gu Jue.
This place also has some of Gu Jue’s past.
For example, the bamboo forest in the front courtyard was planted by someone when Gu Jue was twelve years old; for example, on one of the pillars here, there are several scratches representing Gu Jue's height made when he was a teenager;
For example, the swing in the backyard was installed by Gu Jue at the instigation of his tenth brother; another example is the painting in the study that was given to Gu Jue by the late emperor when he hunted a tiger at the age of thirteen; ...
These were all trivial matters, but Chu Qianchen listened to them with great interest.
She looked at the painting of "White Tiger Coming Out of the Mountain" on the wall for a long time, and said to herself with a curved lip: "I definitely can't do it..."
Gu Jue: “…”
He always felt that she was laughing at something he couldn't guess.
Chu Qianchen turned his head and asked seriously, "Didn't I say last time that I would roast a pheasant for you? Is there anything else you want to eat?"
Although she couldn't hunt tigers, it was still easy for her to hunt pheasants!
Chu Qianchen stared at him with sparkling eyes. He was already eager to try and couldn't wait for tomorrow to come.
"This is your first time here, so I'll do as you say." Gu Jue gave the initiative to Chu Qianchen.
Gu Jue is not a picky eater and can eat anything. This is because he has been fighting on the battlefield for many years, and most of the time he ate dry food on the battlefield.
In essence, he was actually very picky. There were few things that would please him or make him eat more. After all, he was a prince, born noble, and had been pampered since childhood, and he had eaten all kinds of delicacies.
Since the prince doesn't say anything, then she will make the decision!
Chu Qianchen counted on his fingers and listed all kinds of wild delicacies, from wild game such as pheasants and roe deer, to some wild mushrooms that can be found in the mountains, as well as wild vegetables, winter bamboo shoots, and so on.
As the saying goes, live by the mountain.
Since they were out to play, Chu Qianchen had done his homework in advance. He had roughly investigated what the hunting grounds in this area produced in abundance, and planned to pair it with medicinal food so that Gu Jue would eat better during his time in the hunting palace.
After Chu Qianchen told him everything, he asked with a smile, "How is it?"
She can make all of these for him!
"Then let's go into the mountains together tomorrow." Gu Jue nodded and said, "Is your bow ready?"
"Ready!" Chu Qianchen nodded vigorously.
Her bow was given to her by Gu Jue. She had carefully maintained the bowstring, and all the arrows were carefully selected by her. She was just waiting to enter the hunting ground to show her skills!
"I will definitely not return empty-handed!" Chu Qianchen vowed.
Gu Jue was amused by her and stroked her soft black hair. "What are you thinking about? Do you think I don't exist?"
With him around, how could she go back empty-handed!
“Of course!” Chu Qianchen hurriedly pinched Gu Jue’s sleeves and laughed happily, “The prince is so powerful!”
The prince is the most powerful and the best!
Chu Qianchen looked at him, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise up again and again, his eyes sparkling.
It’s great that she could meet the prince in both of her lives!
She was about to say something, but Jing Feng entered the study room and reported, "Your Majesty, Princess, the Emperor sent someone to say that today's palace banquet is scheduled for the evening. Your Majesty and Princess are invited to attend the banquet."
Generally speaking, there will be a palace banquet on the first night when the emperor arrives at the Hunting Palace. This is the rule and the convention. The emperor will entertain the accompanying royal family, nobles, civil and military officials, and their families.
Not everyone can go, but anyone who can go represents his or her identity and status in Da Qi.
The other invited people will definitely go, but whether Gu Jue goes or not depends entirely on his mood.
Gu Jue glanced at Chu Qianchen beside him, and saw that she was drinking tea and her expression did not show the slightest bit of emotion due to the palace banquet. He knew that she was not interested in this kind of palace banquet.
Gu Jue originally came here to play with his little girl, and he was too lazy to accompany the emperor to socialize, so he simply refused: "You can go back now."
Instead of going to such a boring palace banquet, he might as well stay here with his little girl.
Chu Qianchen drank her tea absentmindedly, thinking that she should rest early tonight and conserve her energy so that she could perform well in the hunting ground tomorrow. She must let the prince see her riding and archery skills.
Not only can she shoot targets, she can also hunt!
Jingfeng took the order and walked out of the outer study room silently.
The two maids, Amber and Jiang Yuan, were also very tactful and did not bother their masters, leaving this private space to the couple.
In the study, the atmosphere was warm and quiet. The two of them discussed what to bring to the hunting ground tomorrow...
However, Gu Jue and Chu Qianchen wanted to have some peace and quiet, but trouble still found them.
More than half an hour later, Crown Prince Gu Nanjin suddenly showed up without warning and came in person to invite someone.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, please." After asking Gu Jue for permission, Jing Feng led the person to the outer study.
"Ninth Uncle, Ninth Aunt." Gu Nanjin politely bowed to Gu Jue and Chu Qianchen, smiling appropriately, gentle but not too attentive.
Chu Qianchen picked up the teacup and looked at Gu Nanjin.
This was the first time Chu Qianchen saw Gu Nanjin after he was punished by the emperor to kneel in the Taimiao.
In just one month, he had lost a lot of weight, and his handsome face looked a little sickly. His steps were not as steady and agile as before, and his legs and feet were a little stiff.
In the past, Gu Nanjin, as the crown prince of the country, was confident, reserved, noble, steady, and able to control himself.
But now he seems to be restrained and serious.
He is completely different from the crown prince who welcomed Gu Jue back to the capital in March.
Chu Qianchen looked at Gu Nanjin with a subtle look in his eyes, thinking: He was such a good prince, but he was forced into this state by the emperor. It has been like this in his past and present lives. He is really pitiful.
Gu Jue invited Gu Nanjin to sit down, and Gu Nanjin got straight to the point and stated his purpose: "Ninth Uncle, I am here on the orders of my father to invite you to the palace banquet tonight."
Gu Nanjin made no secret of his helplessness. He gave Gu Jue a bitter smile, with the word "chuan" appearing between his brows.
Chu Qianchen lowered his eyes and drank his tea slowly, understanding everything in his mind.
The emperor asked the prince to invite people, ostensibly to give face to Gu Jue, but the prince, the heir to the throne of a country, was sent to do such a thing, which undoubtedly damaged the prince's dignity. If he failed to invite the prince in the end and the news spread, it would damage the prince's prestige and save the emperor's face.
After what happened last time, the emperor must have been using the prince as a stepping stone.
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Chu Qianchen was clear about this, and Gu Nanjin himself was of course also very clear about this.
The study room was clearly very warm, but Gu Nanjin felt cold all over, and even his fingertips were slightly numb.
Gu Jue did not agree or refuse immediately, but just stared at Gu Nanjin quietly.
Gu Nanjin looked back at Gu Jue without dodging, his eyes full of complicated expressions.
When the house was silent, the sound of the cold wind blowing on the flowers and trees outside the window seemed extremely obvious, rustling.
Chu Qianchen looked at the wintersweets in the cold wind outside the window, thinking that he could ask Amber to pick a few branches of wintersweets to put in the vase later.
"Please lead the way, Your Majesty." Gu Jue nodded in response.
"Thank you, Uncle Nine." Gu Nanjin breathed a sigh of relief. His gratitude came from the heart.
During this period, the emperor's mood became increasingly unstable.
On the surface, he was "forgiven" by the emperor, who did not pursue his unfilial behavior nor depose him as crown prince. However, he could also feel that the emperor was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with him.
This dissatisfaction was not only directed at him, but also at the queen. Since then, the emperor never went to Fengluan Palace again, but instead frequently went to Zhongcui Palace of Concubine Chu.
With so many eyes watching in the harem, everyone knew that the emperor was dissatisfied with the crown prince and increasingly valued the second prince.
Even if Gu Nanjin didn't specifically inquire about it, these gossips would still reach his ears from time to time.
He is the crown prince, and even if he does not covet power, he does not want to be deposed.
To be realistic, no new monarch can tolerate a deposed prince, and for the sake of his wife and children, he cannot be deposed.
Behind him were not only him and the Eastern Palace, but also the Queen, his in-laws, and the officials who followed him...
When the nest is overturned, no eggs will remain intact. As a prince, he had to move forward with a heavy burden.
In the past few months, Gu Nanjin felt that life was becoming more and more tiring.
He knew that the Ninth Uncle could see his current situation, so he did not reject him.
The Ninth Prince is also carrying a heavy burden for the Queen Mother, Prince Chen's Mansion and the Northern Army. Their fate has never been just about themselves.
Gu Nanjin couldn't help but feel a sense of sympathy, but other than that, he felt helpless.
He could see that the Ninth Prince was not an ambitious person, but his father could never understand why. He always speculated about the Ninth Prince with the greatest malice, always thinking that the Ninth Prince would rebel one day. However, he never thought about how many so-called "rebels" throughout history had to rebel and were forced to rebel...
And there was no way Gu Nanjin could tell the emperor these words.
All he can do now is take one step at a time and see what happens.
Chu Qianchen vaguely saw a hint of "sympathy" in Gu Nanjin's expression. He didn't say anything, but he disagreed in his heart.
In her heart, the prince is different from Gu Nanjin and there is no comparison between them.
Gu Nanjin only knows how to go with the flow, but the prince is a man who can go against the current.
"Let's go." Gu Jue said these four words to Chu Qianchen.
Since Gu Jue is going, it is natural for Chu Qianchen to follow Gu Jue.
The three of them set out from Zichen Palace together. The couple did not bother to change their clothes or wash up, and went directly to the palace banquet in their casual clothes.
Today's palace banquet was arranged in Hanyuan Hall, the most spacious palace in the Hunting Palace.
The sky was already dark, indicating that night was approaching.
The glazed palace lanterns in the Hanyuan Hall illuminated the entire hall as bright as day, magnificent and magnificent. The hall was filled with male and female guests, each of them dressed in brocade and gorgeous clothes, carefully dressed to look like a painting.
The eunuch guarding outside the palace shouted in a shrill voice: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived, His Royal Highness the Prince of Chen and the Princess of Chen have arrived!"
This loud shout attracted everyone's attention. All the guests in the hall, including the emperor on the golden throne, looked at Gu Jue, Chu Qianchen and Gu Nanjin who were approaching outside the hall.
Most eyes were still on Gu Jue, especially those of the court officials.
Ever since Gu Jue returned to the capital from the north in March, apart from attending court for a few days regarding Qin Yao's affairs, he spent most of his time staying at Prince Chen's Mansion and refusing visitors. Most of the people present had rarely seen Gu Jue, and even if they saw him by chance, they only glimpsed him from afar.
Over the past eight months, they have heard rumors from time to time that the Prince of Chen is seriously ill and bedridden. They have also been wondering in their hearts whether the Prince of Chen is really dying, which is why he is so low-key and does not show up in public. Even this time when he came out to accompany the emperor on the winter hunt, he came in a carriage.
During the five days on the road, everyone had various speculations. Now that Gu Jue had come to the palace banquet, everyone couldn't help but want to see with their own eyes what Gu Jue's condition was like.
Gu Jue, who was outside the palace, was wearing a black cloak with a circle of white sable fur. His long black hair was loosely half draped and half scattered behind him. He was tall and slender, and the wide cloak could not hide his tall and straight figure. He looked very graceful.
At this moment, he walked very slowly, side by side with Chu Qianchen, who was wearing a cloak of the same color and style, obviously matching her pace.
A couple walked slowly towards them, their steps were light yet graceful, their demeanor was graceful, and they looked calm and at ease, with a sense of leisure and peace.
The eyes of the crowd were so hot that they seemed to be burning, and they exchanged glances in twos and threes.
Look at Gu Jue, he is calm and composed in his every move, his eyes are bright, he doesn't look like he will die soon!
Even when Gu Jue took off his cloak outside the hall, those eyes were still on him, lingering.
Everyone had different expressions, and was thinking about their own positions.
Not only the emperor and his ministers were looking at Gu Jue, even Taoist Master Xuan Jing at the table was secretly looking him up and down with a slightly concentrated look in his eyes.
Xuan Jing still looked like an immortal on the surface, but his heart was in chaos. At this moment, he couldn't help but doubt whether the information he had received earlier was wrong.
His heart sank, knowing that the emperor would certainly question him later if there was anything wrong with his divination. How would he respond then?
Xuan Jing started to ponder with a headache.
The emperor on the golden throne had a gloomy expression, his hands were clenched tightly under the table, his eyes were fixed on Gu Jue, he could no longer see Chu Qianchen and Gu Nanjin beside him.
When Gu Jue walked to the center of the hall, the emperor forced a smile and spoke first, "I haven't seen my ninth brother for a long time."
There was a thorn in the emperor's words, which meant that Gu Jue did not see the emperor after returning from Hao Kingdom, which was disrespectful.
"I thought my royal brother didn't know that I was back." Gu Jue didn't even move his eyes or eyebrows. He still looked calm and composed, with a smile on his lips, as if the person he was facing was not the Emperor of Great Qi, but an ordinary person.
“…”
“…”
“…”
All the guests in the room were silent.
Perhaps only Prince Gu Jue dared to casually call himself "I" in front of the emperor, and even dared to slap the emperor in the face openly.
emperor:"……"
The emperor's rage burned even more fiercely because of Gu Jue's calm expression, and his anger became more and more violent, almost bursting out from under his skin.
His eyes changed drastically for several times. After a while, he slowly said, "I have always valued my ninth brother and entrusted him with an important task. I asked you to escort Wuhejialou back to Hao Kingdom. But my ninth brother, you have disappointed me so much..."
The emperor's tone was filled with undisguised questioning. No matter what, Gu Jue could not explain the whereabouts of Wuhejia Tower, which meant that his mission to Hao Kingdom had failed.
"Disappointed? I should give these two words to my royal brother. I have only been away from the capital for a month, and 'my' princess has been bullied." Gu Jue's voice was neither light nor heavy, and he only slightly emphasized the word "my", which made it sound meaningful.
Chu Qianchen easily took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and pressed the corners of his eyes with it twice in a very formal manner. His little face drooped slightly, looking very pitiful.
She was already very skilled at pretending to cry and act pitiful after having done this several times before.
emperor:"……"
The emperor's face became visibly gloomier and he almost wanted to flip the table.
This Chu lady looked as weak as a white rabbit, but in fact she was as wild as a horse. Who dared to bully her? Even the emperor was so "bullied" that he had to issue an edict of remorse.
Veins popped out on the emperor's forehead. Every time he thought of the fact that he had decreed that Princess Gu Jue be given to him, he felt so aggrieved that his throat felt sweet and he wanted to vomit blood.
He could only comfort himself: This Chu was just a concubine's daughter of a marquis. The Yongding Marquis's Mansion had no future to begin with, and a mere concubine's daughter could not possibly give any help to Gu Jue.
Although Gu Jue seems to have the military power in his hands, he is actually like an isolated island in the court and has no support from any civil officials or families.
Gu Jue alone wanted to rebel and ascend to the throne of the Son of Heaven. That was wishful thinking! Thinking of this, the emperor reluctantly suppressed his anger and told himself that there was still a long way to go. When Da Qi and Nan Hao formed an alliance and he had Nan Hao's support, Gu Jue would not be able to stir up any waves.
The ministers looked back and forth between the emperor and Gu Jue, feeling even more complicated.
The emperor was furious and had lost all his composure; Gu Jue was calm and composed, and was not surprised by the honor or disgrace.
No matter how you look at it, Gu Jue has the upper hand over the emperor, and the emperor is helpless against Prince Chen.
If the Prince of Chen is in good health, it may not be easy for the Emperor to sleep peacefully.
As long as the Prince of Chen is around, the Emperor will be constrained by him, and the Crown Prince...
Many scrutinizing eyes turned to Gu Nanjin who was standing next to him.
"..." Gu Nanjin was in a dilemma, hesitating to speak. He had finally invited Gu Jue to the palace banquet, he really wanted to persuade the emperor to say less, but he knew that he was in a difficult position.
No matter what he said, it would be wrong, and the emperor would think that he was biased towards Gu Jue. As soon as he opened his mouth, he would definitely be reprimanded by the emperor.
The atmosphere suddenly became a little stagnant.
(End of this chapter)