“How would I know why she’s always targeting me? She must dislike me, or she’s jealous that I’m younger and prettier than her. It’s jealousy at play.” She couldn’t help but bring up what Atuo Jianghua had said.
"Are you overthinking it?" Gu Linchao asked gently, patting her head as he saw her aggrieved expression.
"No, that's not true." Wen Nongnong wrinkled her nose and leaned against his chest. "If you don't believe me, you can ask Si Yi or Jiang Hua. They were both there."
“I don’t disbelieve you, I just can’t understand why the Empress Dowager would target you,” Gu Linchao said, then looked at her with a smile, “After all, Nong Nong is so well-behaved, so… quiet.”
In the next sentence, he unconsciously used a phrase she often used.
Wen Nongnong recognized the teasing tone in his voice and widened her eyes in surprise. "Your Highness, you actually joke?"
Gu Linchao coughed lightly, looked away somewhat awkwardly, and took her hand. "Let's go."
"Where are you going?" Wen Nongnong asked, puzzled.
"Let's go to the Empress Dowager's courtyard together," Gu Linchao said gently.
Upon hearing this, Wen Nongnong felt a sweet warmth in her heart. Gu Linchao actually wanted to take her to see the Empress Dowager. Although she didn't want to see the Empress Dowager's face at all, Gu Linchao wanted her to go with him.
Does this mean that Gu Linchao also wanted to avoid suspicion?
The two walked out of the house hand in hand, passing Xiao Yan and the others sitting under the tree, and then went straight out.
Xiao Yan, A Tuo, Jiang Hua, Si Yi, and Lü Qiao, who were watching the drama unfold, were speechless.
The four onlookers were dumbfounded.
"This is a sacred Buddhist sanctuary! How dare you do this?" After a moment, Xiao Yan reacted and said with a look of jealousy.
A-Tuo Jiang Hua nodded, but her expression was full of envy. "That's right, even in a pure Buddhist temple, they don't know how to restrain themselves."
The two suddenly felt a sense of kinship and mutual appreciation.
One is still unmarried, the other is practically relegated to a cold palace.
...
When Empress Dowager Guo heard that Gu Linchao had come to Huangming Temple, she was initially surprised, but then she thought of Wen Nongnong here and suddenly felt a little uneasy.
Could it be that Gu Linchao came to Huangming Temple for Wen Nongnong?
She was unwilling to accept this fact.
Thinking of Abbot Xuanqing, she felt that Gu Linchao must have come here to visit Abbot Xuanqing, after all, Abbot Xuanqing was his mentor.
Thinking about it this way, she felt relieved.
Because of the assassination attempt last night, she didn't sleep well all night, and her complexion was inevitably pale and haggard.
To make herself look better, she even applied some rouge to her face and carefully applied lip rouge to her lips.
Looking at her beautiful reflection in the mirror, she finally felt somewhat satisfied.
They had their things put away, and then sat up straight, waiting for Gu Linchao to arrive.
Not long after, the eunuch's voice rang out from outside.
"Your Majesty, the Regent has arrived."
Empress Dowager Guo's face showed undisguised joy, but when she saw Wen Nong Nong following Gu Linchao in, her expression froze, and even the finest rouge could not conceal the ashen pallor that appeared on her face in an instant.
"What brings the Empress Dowager here?" Gu Linchao asked directly as he entered.
Empress Dowager Guo then came to her senses and picked up a teacup from the side to conceal her unusual behavior.
"Actually, it's nothing serious. It's just that I was assassinated last night, and they still haven't found any trace of the assassin. They're a bit uneasy, so they called the Regent over to discuss a solution."
Gu Linchao's voice was cold and distant, "I heard that the Emperor has appointed Si Luo to be in charge of the Empress Dowager's safety. After such an incident, Si Luo will investigate thoroughly. It is not appropriate for me to overstep my bounds."
Empress Dowager Guo gripped the cup tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white from the force.
Wen Nongnong, who hadn't spoken since entering, shifted her gaze from the woman's rouge-covered face to her pale fingers, her strange feeling intensifying.
She wasn't wearing any makeup when she and the ladies from various households came to visit her this morning, so why is she suddenly wearing it now?
Also, why did she insist on seeking help from Gu Linchao after being assassinated?
As Gu Linchao said, the relevant authorities will be responsible for a thorough investigation.
Wen Nong Nong gave her a strange look, then her heart stirred. She suddenly stepped forward, took Gu Linchao's arm, and said in a coquettish tone, "Your Highness, Si Luo said there's a very nice restaurant in the town at the foot of the mountain. Can you take me there? I've been eating vegetarian food at the temple for the past few days, and my mouth has lost its flavor."
Although she was facing Gu Linchao when she said this, she was watching Empress Dowager Guo's reaction out of the corner of her eye.
Sure enough, after she took Gu Linchao's arm and said those words, Empress Dowager Guo's expression turned extremely ugly, and her eyes shone with a chilling light, shooting straight at her as if she wanted to torture her to death.
Seeing this, she understood perfectly.
No wonder Empress Dowager Guo always disliked her and targeted her at every turn; now I know why.
She sneered inwardly, then suddenly shrank back, burrowing into Gu Linchao's arms, and stammered, "Empress Dowager... why are you looking at me like that?"
Gu Linchao was caught off guard by her sudden appearance and paused for a moment before finally reaching out to put his arm around her shoulder. Hearing what she said, he looked at Empress Dowager Guo with some surprise.
Empress Dowager Guo was caught off guard by Wen Nongnong's sudden remark. She couldn't control her expression for a moment, and she forgot to conceal her murderous intent in her eyes. Gu Linchao caught her red-handed.
Gu Linchao narrowed his eyes, his voice cold and devoid of warmth, "Does the Empress Dowager have some dissatisfaction with my wife?"
"Yes, does Your Majesty have some grievance against me? Your gaze just now was quite frightening," Wen Nongnong added from the side.
Cold sweat trickled down Empress Dowager Guo's forehead. Hearing Wen Nongnong's words, she was so angry she felt like she was about to explode. But with Gu Linchao there, she couldn't make a scene.
Faced with Gu Linchao's questioning, she was drenched in sweat. After a long while, she clutched her handkerchief and said with a stiff smile, "How could I dare to have any dissatisfaction with the Regent's Consort? The Regent is overthinking it." She paused, looked at Wen Nongnong, and said with a slight reproach, "Nongnong, you are really spoiled. Being in this position, I can't help but be a little strict sometimes, but it's not directed at you. Don't overthink it."
"My wife is spoiled, but I will indulge her as I please. There's no need for the Empress Dowager to worry about her," Gu Linchao said coldly, showing no respect whatsoever. "Whether the Empress Dowager did it intentionally or unintentionally, I do not wish for a next time." With that, he put his arm around Wen Nongnong's shoulder and turned to leave.
Empress Dowager Guo stared wide-eyed as the two left.
Only after the two left did she slump into a chair, as if all her strength had been drained away.
But thinking about what Gu Linchao had just said, she felt a sharp pain in her heart.
The scene of Wen Nong Nong being intimate with Gu Lin Chao in front of her, in particular, almost made her lose her mind.
"Smack!"
She forcefully knocked the teacup to the ground beside her.
Warm, rice, rice!
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