Gu Linchao was already aware of the Empress Dowager's health condition, but hearing Wen Nongnong's words still made him feel somewhat distressed.
After a moment, he squeezed her fingers and said, "Don't worry, Mother will be alright." He was trying to comfort her, and also himself.
"Yes." Wen Nongnong nodded emphatically, "I will take good care of Mother and make her happy every day."
Gu Linchao looked at her tenderly, "She will be happy with you by her side."
Wen Nongnong had someone inform the Empress Dowager beforehand that she and Gu Linchao would be there.
So when the two arrived, the Empress Dowager had already had breakfast prepared.
"Mother, I'm back." Gu Linchao held Wen Nongnong's hand and bowed to her as soon as he stepped into the house.
Seeing her son return safely, the Empress Dowager's eyes welled up with tears, but she covered them with a smile and said kindly, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back. Come, sit down and have your meal."
"Yes," the two replied, and sat down in the seats next to the Empress Dowager.
Xiao Yan arrived before the two of them. He glanced at them and noticed the cut on Gu Linchao's lip. As if he had caught something, he smiled and said, "So that's why you took so long to get here. It turns out absence makes the heart grow fonder... Ah."
As he spoke, he suddenly let out a scream and glared angrily at Gu Linchao sitting opposite him.
"Yan'er, what's wrong? What are you shouting for?" The Empress Dowager looked at him in confusion.
Wen Nongnong was equally puzzled, "Yes, Uncle, why did you suddenly scream? It was terrifying."
Xiao Yan: "..."
Faced with the earnest and concerned looks from his mother and daughter-in-law, he truly had no way to express his bitterness.
He couldn't very well say that he had been stepped on by Gu Linchao, could he?
Gu Linchao picked up a steamed bun and placed it on the plate in front of him. "I think you're really hungry, so you'd better eat it quickly."
Xiao Yan glared at him, picked up a steamed bun, took a bite, but accidentally bit her tongue.
He looked at the three of them with teary eyes.
"What's wrong, Uncle?" Wen Nongnong asked with concern.
Xiao Yan pointed to his mouth, "I bit my tongue..."
A smile flashed in Gu Linchao's eyes, but he said on the surface, "Don't talk nonsense while eating."
Xiao Yan: "..."
The Empress Dowager looked at him helplessly, "How old are you? How can you still be so careless?"
Xiao Yan: "..."
Wen Nongnong handed him a glass of water, "Uncle, have some water."
Xiao Yan picked up his cup and said with emotion, "Nong Nong is still the best to me. Unlike a certain mother and son, who don't care about me at all."
Because he bit his tongue, his speech was a little slurred, but the others could still hear him clearly.
Wen Nongnong found it extremely funny, thinking that he was really like a child.
The Empress Dowager's lips twitched slightly, but Gu Linchao simply ignored her.
After the meal, the Empress Dowager took her medicine. Gu Linchao sat for a while longer, then asked Wen Nongnong to stay with her while he went to the study with Xiao Yan.
When they arrived at the study, Wen Tingyun and Wen Tingyun were already there.
"I've heard rumors that the imperial court is preparing to send troops to Xiangzhou," Wen Tingyun said solemnly after entering the study.
Gu Linchao nodded. "I already guessed it." On the way back to Xiangzhou, Gu Heng sent so many people to intercept and kill him, but they returned empty-handed. How could he be willing to accept that?
Xiao Yan sighed, "I knew this day would come, but all your efforts over the years have been in vain. Gu Heng is such an ingrate."
Gu Linchao remained silent.
For a moment, the study fell silent.
After a moment, Wen Tingyun couldn't help but break the silence, "Then let them come. I was just worried about not having anyone to practice on."
Xiao Yan casually continued, "Don't worry, I'll make sure you get plenty of practice time."
“But what I find strange is, what will the Emperor use to mobilize troops? The military tally is in the hands of the Prince. Isn’t he afraid that the soldiers will turn against him?” Wen Tingyun suddenly asked.
Xiao Yan also said, "Most of the soldiers and generals that the court can use have fought alongside Heng in the north and south, and those soldiers and generals only recognize military tallies. Could it be that Gu Heng, that ingrate, wants to use a fake military tally?"
Gu Linchao shook his head. "No, he's not that stupid. He's always been wary of the military tally I hold, so he wouldn't be foolish enough to forge one. Although he can't mobilize the troops in the court, he can mobilize the Si family."
"The Si family?" Everyone was surprised.
"Hmm." Gu Linchao nodded. "I suspected that Si Luo was a bit strange before, so I had someone investigate. It wasn't until recently that I found out that the Si family had been secretly training troops for Gu Heng all these years."
Gu Heng's dispatch of troops to Xiangzhou is undoubtedly to utilize these people, along with the Si family army, which is why Gu Heng is acting so recklessly.
"No wonder the Emperor suddenly wanted to marry a woman from the Si family as his empress. It turns out the Si family has such a purpose. The Emperor wants to reassure the Si family and make them work for him." Wen Tingyun suddenly realized.
Xiao Yan sneered, "I underestimated him. But this is enough to show that Gu Heng had been planning to deal with Hengzhi for many years."
As he spoke, he looked at Gu Linchao and said indignantly, "You've devoted yourself to the great cause, but I never expected that people have never trusted you and have always been on guard against you."
All these years, what you've done for the greater cause, for Gu Heng, has been utterly worthless.
Wen Tingyun also sighed.
Wen Tingyun sneered, "He is so unrighteous and heartless that he is not fit to be a ruler at all."
The study fell silent upon hearing this.
After a long pause, Wen Tingyun scolded in a low voice, "Don't talk nonsense!"
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