Chapter 386 Meeting the Emperor is like guessing a question
In the morning, Gu Xixi and He Jinglan were preparing for the opening.
At this moment, someone came from the palace. Two eunuchs held tokens and conveyed the emperor's oral instructions.
He did not reveal what exactly happened, only that it was rumored that the daughter of the Gu family and Boss Gu from Qingtian County in the northwest had gone to the palace to meet the emperor.
The carriage prepared specially for Gu Xixi was just outside Ganyu Residence.
He Jinglan felt uneasy. She held Gu Xixi's hand and looked into her eyes worriedly.
Neither He Jinghui nor Mu Nanzhao knew about the emperor's summons in advance.
So He Jinglan couldn't help but worry about whether this trip would be a good or bad outcome.
Gu Xixi saw He Jinglan's worry, and when she pulled her hand out with a smile, she pinched her hand without leaving any trace.
"I know it's going to open soon. We agreed to unveil it and cut the ribbon together."
"But now that His Majesty has summoned you, the grace of God cannot be delayed."
"I believe you can do this by yourself, no problem."
With two eunuchs beside her, these were all Gu Xixi could say.
I believe He Jinglan can understand what she means.
The emperor's order cannot be disobeyed, so she will handle it carefully when she goes there to reassure He Jinglan.
He Jinglan and Gu Xixi looked at each other for a moment, took a deep breath, and smiled relaxedly.
"It's just the opening of a new store. Of course I can do such a small thing."
"I just feel sorry for you. You planned for so long, but in the end you missed it."
"But of course, it is still more important to go to the palace to see the emperor."
He Jinglan turned to the two eunuchs and said politely, "Not only did you delay your father-in-law's work, but you didn't even ask for tea."
"It's just a small token of my appreciation. Just think of it as inviting the two eunuchs to have tea."
Zi Yan took out a brocade bag prepared as a reward and handed it to the eunuch chief with both hands.
The blue sachet is of the best quality.
It usually contains a small handful of golden melon seeds, weighing about three or four taels.
The chief eunuch was not polite at all. He thanked generously and put the brocade bag into his arms.
"Thank you for the reward, Miss He. We will not be polite."
Seeing him accept it, He Jinglan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said to Lu La, "It was you who followed Boss Gu into the palace last time."
"You still have to be more careful today and serve well, understand?"
The key is to "pay more attention".
Green wax eyes darkened for a moment, and she lowered her head and said, "Yes, I'll remember that."
It has always been normal for female members of the royal family to be accompanied by personal maids when entering the palace.
The chief eunuch took a look at Lu La and did not object to her following Gu Xixi.
He just smiled and said goodbye to He Jinglan, "It is indeed as Miss He said. We must return to the palace as soon as possible to report, so I won't bother you any more."
So He Jinglan watched Gu Xixi get into the car and leave.
Because of her absent-mindedness, the long-awaited opening ceremony was dull.
She managed to complete the unveiling, then handed everything over to Shopkeeper Tang and returned to the carriage to wait for Mu Nanzhao to arrive.
At this moment, He Jinglan had just finished telling what happened, and seeing Mu Nanzhao was about to leave, she said, "Don't be impulsive."
"I have also sent someone to inform my brother about this."
"I guess he'll be here soon. Let's discuss what to do."
Mu Nanzhao didn't even turn his head, as if he didn't hear it at all.
He Jinglan was anxious, "Where are you going? You don't really want to..."
"I'll go pick her up." Mu Nanzhao said this and walked away.
"Hey!" He Jinglan stretched out her hand through the car window in vain, but had to retract it for fear of being seen.
What should I do now?
The emperor suddenly summoned Xixi into the palace. What was his purpose?
Xixi relies on her abilities rather than her beauty or family background as the basis of her life.
The emperor had previously made it clear that he wanted to recruit Gu Xixi to serve the country.
Thinking about it this way, this trip is most likely for official business.
As for Mu Nanzhao...
He has always been a shrewd and calculating person, and he would not do such a stupid thing as "breaking into the imperial study and then dying with Gu Xixi".
He Jinglan's thoughts were racing.
By the time He Jinghui arrived, she had calmed down a little.
"Brother, let's go back home and talk about it."
Xiao He Mansion.
He Jinghui was shocked, "You said that His Majesty summoned Boss Gu to the palace alone,"
"Mu Nanzhao was so angry that he rushed into the palace to snatch someone away?"
He Jinglan no longer had the energy to roll her eyes. "When did I say that?"
"It's already a mess, brother, can you please stop imagining and talking nonsense?"
Another deaf person walked past her.
"Immediately have someone keep an eye on the palace's movements. If anything happens, we can prepare for it early."
He Jinglan was the only one left, and she was no longer panicked.
Anyway, things have come to this point.
If it's just a false alarm, just get through it safely.
If not.
Or if something happens to Gu Xixi, Mu Nanzhao will go crazy for the first time in his life, and Xiao Hefu will have no choice but to risk his life to accompany her.
Dismissal from office, demotion, house confiscation, exile, imprisonment, beheading...
The worst result is nothing more than randomly selecting one or more of the above items.
The Imperial Palace's Council Hall.
This place is more formal than the imperial study and the space is much larger.
Gu Xixi knelt on the polished stone floor with her head lowered, feeling a sense of emptiness all around her.
The emperor sat on the dragon throne, overlooking the world from his high position.
"Boss Gu, please don't be polite."
Gu Xixi stood up and waited for the emperor to make his intentions clear.
After a moment, the emperor spoke, his voice sounding very kind, "I have read the report of the Ministry of Revenue."
"The strategy you proposed to kill locusts has been very effective."
"The Ministry of Revenue has asked local officials to weigh the insect carcasses collected so far and make a rough estimate."
"Originally, this summer was going to be the biggest locust plague in Gyeonggi Province in nearly 50 years."
"But because of you, it was basically annihilated before it could reach a large scale."
The emperor looked at Gu Xixi with a smile, "You have made such a great contribution."
"I just want to know what I should reward you with."
Gu Xixi remembered the last time the emperor wanted to reward her with a marriage, and said with gritted teeth, "Food is the foundation of people's lives."
"As one of your majesty's subjects, I am doing my best to help you. It is only natural that I will do my best. I dare not take credit for it."
The emperor sighed, "My humble contribution? Boss Gu is still too modest."
He changed the subject and said, "But I always reward those who have made contributions."
"Since you are familiar with the Northwest Army, have a close relationship with the He family, and have a cousin who is the new champion."
"If I confer upon you the title of county lady, you and the regent will be a perfect match."
Gu Xixi was secretly shocked.
Sure enough, after the flower-viewing banquet at He’s residence, the emperor soon found out about it.
Everyone says that the emperor is suspicious.
What exactly is he suspicious of at this moment?
The more times like this happen, the more you should not panic.
Soon, Gu Xixi said calmly, "The position of county lord is noble. I don't have a background that matches her, and my father and brother haven't made great contributions. I really don't dare to accept it."
"Besides, I like farming and I only know how to farm. I beg Your Majesty to help me!"
Mu Nanzhao once mentioned that people who sit on the throne are all very suspicious.
Fortunately, the new emperor is wise and never doubts anyone he doesn't employ. He trusts anyone he employs.
So Gu Xixi made a bold guess that although the emperor seemed to have mentioned so many people, he was actually referring to her alone.
Perhaps they noticed that she was involved with too many key figures, and couldn't help but suspect that she was "restless."
Perhaps, this is the last test before the probation period ends and the official employment begins...
The emperor looked at Gu Xixi, his expression unrecognizable, "You have the ability, but you lack a good family background."
"Being named a county lord will instantly put you on an equal footing with your friends."
"It's a rare opportunity, are you sure you don't want it?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com