Gu Jinzhi did not want to interact with the imperial concubines.

  It's not that they're afraid of having nothing to do, thinking about scheming against others, but this palace is temporarily under the control of the Empress Dowager, and the Central Palace has no master. Before the Queen is established, these women are somewhat cautious in their actions.

  Gu Jinzhi did not take advantage of others' thoughts and did not like being taken advantage of by others.

  A quiet and peaceful life is what she wants.

  She smiled and declined Empress Tan: "Your Majesty's complexion is rosy, your spirit is healthy and strong, and there is no minor illness. Your Majesty can rest assured, eat lightly and wish you a long and happy life."

  The empress dowager burst out laughing and beckoned for Gu Jinzhi to return to his seat.

  She affectionately pulled Gu Jinzhi's hand and said to Tang Guifei, "A good person, who would wish for discomfort on themselves? You must be lazy again, wanting to pretend to be ill to shirk responsibility."

  Empress Tan hastily smiled and said, "Your Majesty is teasing me! I dare not, it's just that these past few days, I've indeed felt somewhat unwell. Perhaps it's the change of seasons from winter to spring, and I'm a bit uncomfortable."

  "Just take a good rest." The empress smiled, "Look at me, I'm not feeling well either? No need to take medicine, you young people can't handle things."

  Tang Guifei hastily agreed.

  Gu Jinzhi didn't want to show off in front of the imperial consorts, but Tan Guifei, Zhang Fei and the Emperor all saw it.

  Zhang Fei originally wanted to join in the fun and make Empress Dowager laugh. Now that Tang Guifei had also been called back, she didn't dare speak up, standing quietly by the side, her beautiful eyes sizing up Gu Jin a few times.

  The Empress Dowager... liked the future Princess of Luoyang very much and didn't hesitate to refute Consort Tan's words for her sake.

  Tang Guifei thought it was just a joke and wouldn't get angry, but instead would want to curry favor with Gu Jin even more?

  At present, in this palace, except for the former empress, the empress dowager does not favor any of the concubines. Whoever can gain her old favor will add a lot of weight to the future competition for the position of empress.

  Zhang Fei's heart also stirred slightly.

  The emperor also took a look at Gu Jin, and then looked at the Luoyang King who was sitting next to the empress dowager with a thick face.

  His gaze fell on Luyang Wang for a moment.

  The empress dowager's heart felt slightly chilled.

  The emperor's filial piety is true, but his suspicious mind grows more and more severe with each passing day.

  It seems like every emperor is like this.

  She yawned.

  Gu Jin saw it and stood up, pulled Luoyang Wang's words, and the two paid homage to the Empress Dowager and bid farewell.

  The empress dowager did not retain them.

  As he came out of Kun Ning Palace, Lu Yang Wang pouted and said somewhat unhappily, "The Empress Dowager said that a quail soup was made in the palace. Xiao Qi, I want to eat quail soup."

  "Come to my place. I'll do it for you, okay?" said Gu Jinzhi.

  She thought that even if the King of Luoyang was foolish, it would still be better for him to enter the palace less often. What the emperor doesn't see won't bother him.

  "Will you do it too?" King Louyang asked with some doubt, asking cautiously.

  Gu Jin couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  She nodded definitely.

  Luyang Wang also smiled, his eyes narrowed into a slit, turned around and pulled her hand, walking quickly outside: "Go back to eat quail soup. Xia Qi, I'm already hungry, do you have any pastries on you..."

  Two people spoke in unison. One of them walked out of the palace gate.

  Cheng Gu Gu saw them off to the palace gate, and said to Gu Jin: "The king is now in your care, take good care of him with all your heart. Spare the empress dowager from worrying."

  The way of Gu Zhen is righteousness.

  Luoyang Wang and Gu Jin walked away together, and Tan Guifei and Zhang Fei also bid farewell.

  The emperor stayed behind alone and inquired about the empress's health.

  "...I heard from the eunuchs that you've been lazy about eating and talking these past two days. I'm very worried, and I was thinking of inviting Jinzi to come into the palace to take a look." The emperor sat across from the empress dowager, having a heart-to-heart conversation with her. "I didn't expect them to be so filial either. Has she prescribed any medicine for you?"

  "There's no need for medicine." The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "She says it's nothing serious. It's normal to feel a bit weak at this time of year, there's no need to take any medicine. The last batch of medicine she sent over, I've been taking some every now and then, it moistens the lungs and nourishes them, so coughing won't be a problem again. Your Majesty doesn't need to worry about me."

  The emperor's face became even more relaxed, with a look of relief.

  The Empress Dowager asked him again if there were any difficulties in the court recently.

  "...Last year, the north suffered from heavy snowfall, and countless cattle and horses of the nomadic people froze to death. The Tartars are feared to plunder again. I have allocated some grain and fodder to the north, but it is unknown how long it can be suppressed." The emperor said, "As spring warms up, the south is either plagued by epidemics or floods, or droughts. My heart is also anxious about this. This is an unchanging annual phenomenon. As for the capital, it's nothing more than officials submitting memorials to establish the Eastern and Western Palaces, and stabilize the imperial court."

  The empress dowager listened and nodded slightly.

  Major state affairs have officials of the imperial court to plan for the emperor.

  It is possible for an empress dowager and a crown prince to ascend to the throne with the help of the empress dowager.

  There were only five people in the emperor's palace.

  The imperial consorts were: Noble Lady, of the first rank was Guifei Tan and of the second rank was Fei Zhang.

  The Zhang family was a large clan in Jiangnan, but had little influence in the imperial court; the Tan family was prominent and the old master of the Tan family had students all over the country.

  It's clear who will be chosen.

  "It's always noisy." The Empress Dowager sighed, "Ever since the late Emperor's wife started making a fuss about establishing the Central Palace, I heard from the Emperor that my ears have calluses. What about the Emperor? Zhang Fei is also worthy..."

  The Empress Dowager valued Zhang Fei highly.

  The emperor fell silent for a moment.

  The Empress Dowager was cautious by habit and never willing to clearly express her attitude, lest the Emperor think his mother was interfering in politics.

  "...the Tan family will not let things go easily." The Emperor said, "It will be another noisy scene when the time comes."

  "If that's the case, why not establish a crown prince first?" The Empress Dowager said, "The eldest imperial son was born to the previous empress, isn't the Tan family seeking an outsider? If we establish a crown prince and then establish Zhang Fei as empress, will they still have anything to say? If we establish a crown prince and then establish Tan Guifei as empress, what will the emperor use to suppress the Tan family in the future?"

  The Empress and Consort Tan were twin sisters, both daughters of the Tan family.

  The Empress Dowager said, which coincided with the Emperor's intention.

  He smiled and nodded.

  "I see Mother Empress is quite fond of Consort Tan, and I thought..." The Emperor smiled again.

  The Empress Dowager also smiled and said, "Tang Guifei is a likable person. She entered the Crown Prince's mansion at the age of 13 with her twin sister to serve the Emperor. Later, her sister became the Crown Princess, while she was a concubine. Her sister gave birth to the eldest son of the Emperor, but she had no children for several years; her sister became the Empress, and she was a Guifei, always one step behind, yet she remained calm and quiet, never causing any trouble in the palace. With such a temperament, how could I not like her?"

  The emperor listened, his lips curled up in a subtle, mocking smile.

  Tan Guifei is indeed "virtuous" beyond others...

  Even Empress Dowager, such a wise and intelligent person, thinks she's good...

  Luckily Empress Dowager was wise and understood the major affairs of state, otherwise when she spoke on behalf of Concubine Tan to ask for her to be made Empress, could the Emperor have openly refuted her?

  When the time comes, the Tan family will put pressure on again, and even the emperor can compromise.

  That clever and "virtuous but not jealous" woman, the emperor thought of her and couldn't help but laugh.

  Tang Guifei. Probably the most calm and quiet among all the emperor's concubines.

  "...I, in this deep palace for over twenty years, what kind of people have not seen? People living in this world always ask for something." The empress dowager continued, "Some seek fame, some seek wealth. Those who do not seek either fame or wealth are either extremely cunning or have experienced all the affairs of the world."

  "Tan Guifei, she's not one of those who see through the ways of the world. If she were to become empress, I'm afraid all her charming qualities would have to be put away and her true nature revealed. I don't want to see that side of her. As it is now, with her status below others, she can maintain a gentle and quiet demeanor. Uncompetitive with the world, this is what I like most about her."

  The emperor burst out laughing.

  The empress dowager saw it as deeply as he did.

  What she means by "liking" is this.

  The emperor's mind was also put at ease.

  The Empress Dowager's idea was consistent with his own, and he became even more confident in himself, and his actions were also more confident.

  For many years, the empress dowager has always been like this, silently standing on the emperor's side. In everything, she considers his situation and sacrifices herself for him. Knowing that the emperor is not truly fond of Luoyang Wang, the empress dowager would rather not see him.

  It's also a mother and son. The doting mother always has a soft spot.

  If one were to think carefully about it, shouldn't the Empress Dowager's heart be biased towards the Emperor?

  "The Empress Dowager's words are indeed correct, I will remember them in my heart." The Emperor said.

  The empress dowager nodded slightly.

  The Emperor thought for a moment, then said: "There's another thing. The princess had someone send me a memorial saying that Annan is in rebellion and the Hu family has usurped the Chen family's throne. Just a few days ago, I was talking to the Grand Preceptor about how this year's tribute from Annan hasn't arrived yet by March. It seems there really is something going on. And I also met someone who claims to be the king of Annan..."

  "How can such a thing happen?" The empress dowager's eyebrows furrowed, "Usurping the throne and plotting against the country is a heinous crime!"

  "I somewhat believe him, but I'm not entirely sure." The Emperor also said, "This is a matter of great importance, and the opinions of the cabinet members are divided."

  The Empress Dowager nodded: "Be extremely cautious."

  The Emperor said.

  As it was almost time for lunch, the emperor stood up and bid farewell, going to the imperial study.

  Several old men were still discussing Annan's national affairs, and the emperor wanted to go back and listen to the results.

  Unexpectedly, on the fourth day of the third month, an envoy from Annan suddenly arrived in the capital.

  The newcomer was a messenger who claimed to be the nephew of Chen. The previous king, Chen, had no son and had appointed his nephew, Hu, as king.

  But some people were dissatisfied and came to frame him.

  Annam did not have an emperor named Yuwang at all.

  Ann Nan is far away in the south, and even the emperor doesn't know the inside story.

  Each side has its own argument, but the emperor does not believe either of them.

  He wants to send someone personally to Vietnam.

  Gu Yanwu was a very suitable person. Once things settled down, the Emperor would use his achievements as an excuse to grant him the title of Marquis and promote him to be the next Chancellor.

  Chen Yu stayed in Beijing temporarily, waiting for a conclusion on the matter.

  The envoy of the Hu clan also stayed behind.

  Gu's family also didn't hear about Eldest Uncle being sent as an envoy to Annan until several days later.

  Song Pan'er listened and didn't say anything.

  She didn't have a good impression of her uncle.

  Gu Jin thought that Chen Wei was temporarily safe. If he got into trouble again, it would prove that Hu Shi and his son had a guilty conscience.

  As a result, the next day it was heard that Chen Yu was assassinated, and his name became famous overnight.

  The emperor was shocked and had all of Hu's envoys, including his son, thrown into prison.

  Qin Sheng hurriedly rushed to the door of the Gu family: "Seventh Miss, please go and take a look. Chen Gongzi said that he doesn't believe in other doctors, is afraid of being bribed, and only wants you to see him."

  Gu Jin's eyebrows slightly furrowed.

  Isn't it a coincidence that he was assassinated? Is Chen Yu's self-directed and self-acted, then wanting others to help with the aftermath?

  ——*——*——*——

  Thanks for the rewards from 轩辕御谶, enya2013 and jojo8129.