The main hall of Kunning Palace suddenly fell silent.

  The empress dowager looked at Gu Jin kneeling there and was also hesitating about what to say.

  Call her up?

  Why did she not cure her illness?

  The Empress Dowager liked Gu Jinzhi very much. However, the child cannot be too willful and must not be careless, otherwise how can she take care of Prince Mu Yang in the future?

  She was about to say a few more words when the Emperor smiled and said: "Rise."

  The empress dowager said no more.

  Gu Jin thanked him and stood up.

  The Empress Dowager also didn't want her to stand empty-handed, so she ordered someone to bring over a luxurious stool for them to sit on. Only then did she remember that the mother and daughter of the Ning family had been kneeling since they arrived and hadn't been offered seats yet.

  "Everyone rise," Empress Dowager said loudly, "Granting seats."

  The mother and daughter Ning changed their faces.

  The empress dowager couldn't bear the thought of Ning Ruo's death, but the emperor didn't care.

  As long as the emperor doesn't mind, the empress dowager wouldn't dare to be stubborn. The empress dowager is a gentle person, she never dares to act arbitrarily, thinking that the emperor is her son, and forgetting the etiquette between ruler and subject.

  Is Lord Ning doomed to die?

  Madam Ning didn't know what to do, Empress Dowager told her to get up, she had no choice but to crawl up.

  Ning Xuan didn't though.

  She knelt down, crawled forward a few steps, and burst into loud sobs: "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, my father is critically ill. Even if he has made countless mistakes in the past, he will definitely change from now on. I beg of you, Empress Dowager, to spare my father's life for the sake of our sibling relationship. Ning Xuan is willing to sacrifice ten years of her own life."

  Madam Ning saw this and also knelt down, crying uncontrollably.

  The quiet Kun Ning Palace was suddenly filled with wailing sounds again.

  What a filial daughter! Zhu Zhongjun couldn't help but sneer inwardly as he watched from the side.

  Gu Jin was solitary and proud from his previous life, disliking power and influence.

  The higher one's position, the less freedom they have.

  The Empress Dowager exerted her authority and ordered her to go and treat the illness of Prince Yiyan. Did she dare not go?

  So in her past life, Zhu Zhongjun always forced her to climb up step by step, making others unable to be her master, and she could control everything freely. At that time, she was so simple that people both loved and hated her.

  In the midst of a long and mournful cry, Zhu Zhongjun thought to himself.

  The Empress Dowager's heart was torn apart by the crying of Ning and her daughter.

  She looked at Gu Jingzhou, wanting to say something, but couldn't bear to.

  Finally, she closed her eyes slightly.

  "You all go back first." The emperor's voice suddenly rose, "Kun Ning Palace main hall, how can it be noisy? Chang Shun, send Mrs. Ning out of the palace."

  Mrs. Ning was stunned and had forgotten to cry.

  Ning Xuan's tears also stopped.

  She raised her eyes and glanced at the emperor.

  The emperor's voice was high, but his expression carried a hint of pity, Ning Xuan's heart skipped a beat.

  She knew her filial piety, moved the emperor's heart.

  She achieved her goal.

  The emperor will have a later invitation. They just need to meet and wait with peace of mind.

  She supported her mother and left the palace gate.

  On the road, her heart was filled with a sense of emptiness and freedom, as if there were clear springs flowing gently.

  As soon as they left, the Emperor shook his head and said to the Empress Dowager: "...... Xiang's sister was sensible when she was young. Now her thoughts are getting more and more sinister. Knowing that you are in a difficult situation, she still deliberately says something like reducing her lifespan by ten years. There is no king in her eyes, only small emotions. It's really regrettable."

  "The two characters 'loyalty and filial piety' naturally require loyalty to the ruler first and benevolence and filial piety afterwards."

  In front of the Emperor and Empress Dowager, one should first think of loyalty rather than filial piety.

  Zhu Zhongjun listened from below. Although he knew that the emperor's words were the mainstream idea of this time and space, his heart still cooled down a bit.

  Until this moment. He really didn't like this time and space.

  Freedom, with responsibility and obligation, is often more secure. However, responsibility and obligation do not come from human nature, but are distorted by the hierarchy of monarchs and nobles, and the guarantee of freedom itself is a fake product.

  What's the point of freedom?

  He turned around and glanced at Gu Jingzhou.

  She has been living in this time and space for thirteen years, did she ever complain?

  The quiet girl lowered her head, lost in thought, her long eyelashes fluttering lightly before returning to calmness.

  Zhu Zhongjun also didn't know what she was thinking about.

  The empress dowager listened to the emperor's words and softly sighed, indicating that she was also very worried.

  This sigh brought Zhu Zhongjun's train of thought back.

  "After all, her vision is somewhat limited." The empress dowager commented on Ning Xuan, "She's a bit too eager for quick success and immediate gain. It can't be blamed on her, though - with your uncle being ill like that, as his daughter, she can't help but be anxious and lose composure."

  It's okay to be anxious, but it's unacceptable to lose composure in front of you.

  The emperor smiled and said no more.

  The great hall fell silent once again.

  Gu Jinzhi stood up and said: "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, it's getting late, the city is about to impose curfew, I bid farewell."

  The Empress Dowager and the Emperor were both stunned again.

  She has made up her mind and won't save Ning Xue anymore.

  Is it really not working, or is it just that tone didn't come out right?

  "Xiao Qi, is there really no other way to cure Prince Yan's illness?" The Empress Dowager couldn't help but ask again.

  She felt quite uncomfortable in her heart.

  The emperor also wanted to ask.

  "Empress Dowager, indeed there is no way, and also I dare not, said Gu Jinzheng."

  The emperor and empress dowager also slightly furrowed their brows.

  Zhu Zhongjun smiled slightly in his heart.

  "How could I dare not speak out?" The Empress Dowager hastily said, "Xiao Qi told me, and I will definitely take charge for Xiao Qi."

  Miss Gu said: "The commoner's daughter had previously seen the illness of Ning Houye, and as a doctor to save people, she spoke sincerely without any personal motives. However, this led to malicious speculation, not only hurting Miss Gu but also slandering her entire family, causing even her ancestors to be talked about in a bad light. If Miss Gu were to treat him now, wouldn't it be said that she was trying to curry favor and had no integrity? Tomorrow, if word gets out that Miss Gu is unfilial and unkind, how can she face the ancestors of the Gu family?"

  This is one thing I dare not do.

  The Marquis Ning is averse to illness and dislikes doctors, and doesn't trust the folk doctor. Now that his illness has reached a critical point, he's already beyond salvation. Even if the folk doctor were to intervene, she could only extend his lifespan by three to five years. Given the Marquis Ning's temperament in the past, it's likely that he would suspect the folk doctor of having ulterior motives and refuse to entrust himself to her, deliberately allowing himself to suffer.

  At that time, another layer of resentment was added, and this is what he dared not to do.

  Mrs. Ning and Miss Ning went to Min's residence for treatment, but Min had already made it clear that Lord Ning's illness was beyond cure. Even if Min were to intervene, she could only delay the inevitable by a few years, just like all the other doctors. Whether Min intervened or not was of no great importance.

  Miss Ke Ning did not believe. She went to the palace to cry and complain, hoping that Empress Dowager would issue an edict to force the commoner's daughter to surrender. In front of Kun Ning Palace, the commoner's daughter repeatedly stated her true feelings, but they still refused to accept, using benevolence and filial piety to pressure her. They did not believe the doctor's words, yet asked the doctor to save their lives, making it difficult for people. If they could not be cured, they would blame the doctor for not trying his best, and from then on, they often slandered the commoner's daughter in front of Empress Dowager.

  "This is the third time, I dare not."

  The words had barely fallen when the great hall fell silent.

  The empress dowager's eyes showed some embarrassment.

  Gu Jin said again, she had no way out. She wasn't like the Ning family, who didn't believe her and thought she was being willful?

  This time, she was really not being willful, but Ning Xue's illness had already reached a point of no return.

  Gu Jinyi said this fact again, but everyone thought she was making excuses...

  Indeed, she is just a doctor, not a fairy.

  Every doctor has his own incurable disease.

  It's not that Gu Jin cured the Empress Dowager's stubborn illness, so she can cure every disease.

  Moreover, Gu Jin saw that Ning Yue was ill and did not hide it. Instead, he spoke frankly without reservation, resulting in being injured without fighting back.

  This kindness and virtue, is unexpectedly so unjust. The Empress Dowager's heart felt sour.

  Compared with He Ning's brother, she also had a soft spot for Gu Yu in her heart.

  "Come, come closer to Grandma." The Empress Dowager said with a heartache.

  Gu Jin got up and walked to the side of the Empress Dowager.

  The empress then pulled her hand, letting her sit down and said: "I know that Xiaoxi is wronged! The Ning family has faults. I also have faults! In the future, if the Ning family people make trouble again, I will not agree to it first."

  She has already believed Gu Jinzhi's words.

  The emperor smiled and said no more.

  Gu Jin heard the Empress Dowager say that she also had her own faults, and her heart skipped a beat.

  That ruthless heart suddenly lightened by more than half.

  “……The Empress Dowager said so, I dare not assume it.” Gu Jin had stopped calling herself a commoner, and her solemn expression relaxed slightly. “Although I cannot cure the Marquis of Ning's paralysis, I can make him feel better. He may not be able to walk, but he will be able to move his hands slightly.”

  The empress dowager was shocked and hastily asked: "Really?"

  Gu Jin nodded.

  The emperor finally heard the sound of the words, and his gaze at Guan Zhi's eyes had a deeper meaning.

  "I also dare not guarantee, can only say try my best." Gu Jin said, "Just now I didn't dare to say, afraid of trying badly, the Emperor, Empress Dowager and Ning Furen, Ning Xiaojie would think that I'm eager to take credit, deliberately making Ning Houye look inferior..."

  The Ning family looked down on Gu's family and always thought of Gu Jin as being very gloomy.

  She just said that.

  The empress dowager can also understand.

  That rascal of a brother, if Gu Jinzheng could only scold him half to death, he would think that Gu Jinzheng was holding back. If it were anyone else, they wouldn't dare to interact with him again.

  The Empress Dowager knew that Gu Jin was showing her respect, so she hurriedly smiled and said: "With me around, they dare not speak wildly. If they do, I'll have them banished from the capital."

  "I'll do my best." said Gu Jinzhi.

  The empress dowager hastily summoned Chang Shun and had her personally escort Gu Jin to the Ning residence.

  "If anyone in the Ning family utters a single idle word, bring Miss Jin back immediately. If Miss Jin suffers even a little from their gossip and rumors, I'll skin you alive first, then deal with them."

  Chang Shun immediately knelt down and kowtowed, acknowledging his guilt.

  Zhu Zhongjun hastily stood up and also pulled Gu Jin's hand, saying to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor: "I'm going too! I'm going too!"

  The emperor and empress dowager would naturally not stop him.

  He followed Gu Jinzhi to the Ning family's home.

  The emperor also saw the empress dowager was tired and got up to return to the imperial study.

  On his way, he kept thinking: Gu Jinzhi's guess was probably true, but she had made up her mind not to treat him, thinking that Ning Xue had wronged her.

  The empress dowager personally pulled her and apologized, as if she had suddenly softened her, and only then did she relax.

  She was a woman who would be strong when faced with adversity, but gentle when treated kindly.

  In the past she was always quiet and peaceful, the emperor didn't know she had this side.

  Something suddenly slipped through his mind, and he felt that giving her to King Luyang was a bit too easy at the time.

  This matter had been swirling in the emperor's mind for a long time, and it was even more important than the military affairs of Annan country. He couldn't get rid of Gu Yuanchao's appearance for a long time.

  That solemn expression, that quiet and wordless demeanor, makes one have no choice but to believe her words.

  The empress dowager apologized with one sentence and softened up again.

  The emperor thought that Gu Jin was both pitied and admired by people.

  ——*——*——

  Thanks for the rewards from 小院子, cici713, _d_1981, jojo8129, 熱戀^^, hS and 紅茶咖啡.