Following the chief eunuch attendant all the way to the corridor outside the main hall, Gu Qinglu stole a glance at the man walking a few steps ahead of her.
She thought to herself: We’re already at the corridor—why hasn’t he dismissed me yet?
According to what that old woman had told her, women of the Central Plains imperial clan, no matter how powerful, were not allowed to enter the Son of Heaven’s main hall.
That was where court was held and state affairs discussed.
Women were forbidden to set foot there.
Xiao Xingcang, who was walking ahead, noticed that the footsteps behind him had slowed.
He paused slightly and turned his head.“The Emperor wishes to see the Princess Consort. Court has already adjourned—there’s no issue.”
Gu Qinglu was momentarily stunned.Is he some kind of mind reader?He had guessed exactly what she was thinking.
Since Xiao Xingcang had said so, the weight lifted from her heart. She stepped forward calmly, though she still slowed her pace, no longer walking side by side with him as she did back at the residence.
Outside the hall, the nanny stopped.“Your Highness, Princess Consort—earlier, this old servant saw an old acquaintance at the corner. I’d like to go and greet them.”
Xiao Xingcang acknowledged it and instructed, “Return to escort the Princess Consort according to the time.”
The nanny responded and withdrew.
The chief eunuch who had entered earlier returned, raising his hand to invite the couple inside.
The moment Gu Qinglu stepped through the hall doors, she caught sight of a youthful face in the side hall. She halted, bent down, and paid her respects.“This humble wife greets Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor.”
The Emperor of Dayong, Xiao Yu, was fifteen years old, having ascended the throne more than five years ago.
He wore a bright yellow dragon robe embroidered with gold, his hair bound beneath a golden crown. His brows and eyes bore some resemblance to Xiao Xingcang.
The boy stood there, silent. Surprise and delight flickered in his eyes, but more than anything, there was fear.
Xiao Xingcang was also watching him. His deep, somber gaze calmly captured every shift of emotion.
After a moment, the Emperor still did not speak. Gu Qinglu remained bent over, her head lowered. Xiao Xingcang frowned slightly at the sight.
Only then did the other seem to notice his subtle expression and hastily raised his hand.“Princess Consort of Qin, please rise—quickly, please dispense with the formalities.”
“This humble wife thanks Your Majesty.” Gu Qinglu straightened, then bowed once more.
Xiao Xingcang flicked a glance at her from the corner of his eye. She’s far too practiced with these courtesies, he thought.
Xiao Yu also snuck a look at Gu Qinglu. Though doubts stirred in his heart, he showed nothing on his face.“Uncle, please—come inside.”
Gu Qinglu thought the atmosphere would ease once they reached the side hall. Instead, uncle and nephew stood facing each other again in silence.
She figured the young nephew was simply too happy to see Xiao Xingcang recovering and was so excited he didn’t know what to say.
The next moment, she saw the man in front of her extend his hand.“Bring this prince today’s memorials.”
Gu Qinglu turned her head sharply to look at him.Checking memorials the moment he arrives?
No wonder the nephew didn’t dare speak.
Xiao Yu glanced at him hesitantly before retrieving the memorials.
Xiao Xingcang took them and flipped through them on the spot.
They concerned bridge repairs and road construction across the realm.
The Emperor had already approved them; this time the memorials requested silver, and the Emperor had marked them for temporary delay.
After finishing one, he picked up the next.
When Xiao Xingcang reached a particular memorial, his gaze paused.
The Emperor secretly glanced at him, wanting to sit down but not daring to.
Only after Xiao Xingcang finished reading all the memorials did he walk over to a circular chair, adjust his robe, and sit.
Gu Qinglu lowered her head slightly, her eyes sweeping discreetly over uncle and nephew.
Prince Qin, she thought, could you be any less high-profile?
He may be your nephew, but he is still the Emperor.
Xiao Xingcang pulled out the memorial concerning Miao Territory and flipped through it again.
His voice turned faintly cold.“The memorial says this prince was not poisoned, but afflicted by a Gu from Miao Territory. How did Your Majesty determine this?”
At these words, Gu Qinglu abruptly raised her eyes.
As if sensing it, Xiao Xingcang turned to glance at her, catching the flicker in her gaze.
Speaking of this, the young Emperor grew a little smug, his tone unconsciously lightening.“During Uncle’s half year of unconsciousness, I had people investigating the southern border. Several individuals were brought back and interrogated overnight—that’s how we learned of it.”
Xiao Xingcang shot him a look. After returning from the southern lands afflicted by the Gu, he had also dispatched people to investigate many times, yet found nothing.
This nephew of his, however, uncovered it within half a year—and at the height of his unconsciousness, no less.
At this thought, Xiao Xingcang’s gaze darkened.
By the time those people were brought back from the south, he would have already been dead.
The interrogation results only surfaced recently. If not for Gu Qinglu, wouldn’t he already be lying peacefully in the ground?
What a fine scheme.
But why would something that happened in the southern border implicate Miao Territory?
Regarding Miao Territory, Xiao Xingcang remained reserved.“The Holy Sect of Miao Territory signed an agreement with our ancestors a hundred years ago—without an imperial summons, they are not to leave Miao Territory. Has Your Majesty forgotten?”
His words caught Gu Qinglu by surprise. She hadn’t expected him to speak on Miao Territory’s behalf.
Xiao Yu studied his expression. His youthful eyes darted about.“But Miao Territory has a new Holy Maiden. To this day, the Central Plains has received no formal letter from her. Moreover, the witness is already in the imperial prison—Uncle may see him at any time.”
Gu Qinglu’s lowered eyes stirred.
On the day of her ascension ceremony, she had personally written the memorial reporting to the Central Plains, stamped with both the Miao seal and her private mark, and handed it directly to the imperial official stationed in Miao Territory.
How could the Central Plains not have received it?
Unless… they were referring to the new Holy Maiden selected by the tribes over the past two years?
That shouldn’t be possible.
The elders and the ritual masters of the other tribes held the imperial clan of the Central Plains in great reverence.
They admired Central Plains etiquette, Han customs, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and scholarship.
There was no way they wouldn’t report it.
Something must have gone wrong somewhere.
But she couldn’t figure out where.
Xiao Xingcang responded softly to the Emperor, yet his gaze shifted to Gu Qinglu, who seemed lost in thought.
Her eyes were lowered, her expression unreadable, but the hands lightly clasped before her were moving.
After observing her for a moment, Xiao Xingcang arrived at an answer in his heart.
She cared about news concerning Miao Territory.
Before he could think further, the chief eunuch stepped forward to report,“Reporting to Your Majesty, Your Highness—the Empress Dowager has prepared a family banquet and requests the Princess Consort to attend.”
The sharp voice snapped Gu Qinglu back to her senses. She lifted her eyes to look at Xiao Xingcang.
He said, “Go. I’ll come fetch you later.”
“This humble wife takes her leave.” Gu Qinglu bowed and exited the side hall.
Outside the hall, the nanny was already waiting. Seeing her emerge, she hurried forward.
Master and servant walked in silence, surrounded by countless palace maids ahead and behind.
Gu Qinglu was still thinking about what had happened in the side hall and paid no attention to the magnificent palace buildings.
When they reached the end of the corridor, voices suddenly drifted from within the palace walls.
“A foolish princess consort, and yet she’s allowed to help choose my brother’s Empress. And Mother actually agreed.”
“When your uncle was gravely ill, the Grand Princess’s residence cast a divination and said that finding a girl with a compatible birth chart to bring in as a joy-bringing bride might help him recover. And didn’t he recover? But your uncle is suspicious—he thinks the Emperor is humiliating him. So no matter how wronged the three of us feel today, we have to swallow it.”
The nanny moved to step forward, but Gu Qinglu reached out and stopped her.
Then another young woman’s voice sounded,“Ungrateful. We did it for his own good, and now he makes things difficult for us.”
Next came a woman’s sigh.
Gu Qinglu’s bright eyes turned slightly as she glanced around.
Maids and attendants stood by the doorway, yet none went in to announce their presence.
Clearly, these words were spoken deliberately for her to hear.
Or rather—no, she was a fool.
She wouldn’t understand such things.
Perhaps they were meant for the nanny to hear.
As for the why, Gu Qinglu didn’t want to ponder it. This was Xiao Xingcang’s affair—it had nothing to do with her.
Steadying her mind, she glanced at the nanny.
The nanny understood and stepped forward to announce their presence to the attendants by the door.