Recently, the Third Prince has been having trouble with things in the court. Every time he goes to court, he often feels sulky. He came to see Concubine Zheng because he wanted to complain and vent his dissatisfaction. But with Zheng and others here, some
It was difficult to say the words, so I had to suppress them.
The third prince was chatting carelessly, but the previous depressing scene that made him vomit blood appeared in his mind unconsciously.
Under his instruction, Minister Qian formally proposed the land tax reform plan at today's morning meeting. The original land tax system did have flaws, but the new reform measures had not been tested and were not very convincing. Gu Xinian was not very convincing.
The tit-for-tat confrontation was merciless, and every sentence hit the point. Qian Shilang was clumsy and tongue-tied, and was no match for him at all. He was immediately refuted and his face turned red.
Although the mocking eyes of the courtiers were not directly aimed at him, this feeling was enough to make the always glorious third prince depressed and annoyed.
"Zhang'er," Concubine Zheng's concerned voice sounded: "Your face doesn't seem to look good. Did something unhappy happen to you?"
The third prince composed himself and said with a casual smile: "It's just some troubles in the court. Mother and concubine don't have to worry."
Although it was an understatement, the gloomy look in her eyes was completely different. In front of Zheng and others, Concubine Zheng could not ask too many questions, so she had to suppress the doubts in her heart and casually opened the topic.
.
Just as he was talking, the palace maid came to report again: "Your Majesty, Minister Gu is outside asking for an audience."
When Ye Qinglan suddenly heard the name, her heartbeat suddenly accelerated. Her ears felt a little warm. Fortunately, she kept her head lowered, so no one noticed her strange behavior for a moment.
Concubine Zheng looked surprised and said with a smile: "Please come in and talk, Mr. Gu." The maid respectfully accepted the order and left.
Concubine Zheng then smiled and said to Mrs. Zheng: "Xinian rarely comes to see me. Today I probably heard that you entered the palace. I have benefited from you."
Zheng was amused. Ye Qingning knew who Gu Xinian came for, and couldn't help but secretly envy him. His cousin, who never put any woman in his eyes, was really interested in the tenth sister...
A coldness flashed across the eyes of the third prince. What does Gu Xinian mean by showing up at this time? Is it to show off or to demonstrate? He spent so much effort in lobbying in the past few years, but Gu Xinian just pretended to be deaf and dumb.
He refused to agree. Now it's better. He actually stood upright in the court, standing next to the prince who should have turned against him and became filled with hatred...
Amidst the subtle looks in everyone's eyes, Gu Xinian walked in.
Not long after he came to court, Gu Xinian was still wearing a black official uniform, but he was even more charming. The black eyes under his thick eyebrows lightly swept over Ye Qinglan's slightly drooped pretty face. Then he gave her a smile.
Concubine Zheng and the three princes saluted and said hello.
Putting aside the disputes in the court, Concubine Zheng is Gu Xinian's biological aunt, so she is naturally quite affectionate when they meet her. As for the third prince, he is even better at showing off. No matter what he is thinking in his heart, he always looks kind and friendly.
. He even joked with a smile: "You rushed here not long after my aunt arrived. You are really well-informed."
These words sounded normal, but in fact there was a hint of sarcasm. Gu Xinian was so well-informed about matters in the palace, naturally it was because of Queen Gu.
In fact, the third prince wronged Gu Xinian this time. Gu Xinian received the news from Ruomei last night and knew that Ye Qinglan would enter the palace with Ye Qingning and the Zheng family, so after going to court today, he did not even bother Empress Gu.
I didn’t even go to Fengyi Palace, so I went directly to Concubine Zheng.
Gu Xinian just pretended that he didn't understand anything and dealt with it casually.
The third prince had suffered a lot from the past, and he must be very angry now. However, judging from the pretentious nature of the third prince, he would never be willing to lose his composure in front of so many people. So... let the third prince alone
My life is getting better. Anyway, he is the one who has the upper hand now.
Having known each other for many years in his previous life, he was very familiar with the third prince's temperament. He seemed easy-going and approachable, but in fact he was very proud. He would never give up halfway when he was determined to do something. This was the third prince's advantage, but if he used it well, he would not give up.
It's a fatal flaw.
In terms of land tax reform, the third prince had a bad start and was at a disadvantage. However, he could conclude that the third prince would never stop there. Instead, he would definitely continue to carry out the reform.
This time, he planned carefully to make the third prince suffer a serious fall...
Gu Xinian's careless eyes and the third prince looked at each other in the air. Under the gentle and calm appearance, there were actually turbulent waves hidden. However, only the two of them knew it.
Everyone was talking, and no one paid attention to Ye Qinglan. Ye Qinglan could finally breathe a sigh of relief and look at Gu Xinian quietly.
After the last separation, we haven’t seen each other for more than a month.
To be honest, she didn't toss and turn and miss him day and night. She even tried her best not to think of him, and her life was more peaceful and happy. It wasn't until the moment she saw him that she realized that she had actually missed him all along.
.
But at this moment, he was clearly sitting opposite her, but she couldn't look at him openly, and she didn't even have a chance to speak...
Ye Qinglan felt an inexplicable sourness in her heart and sighed secretly.
Gu Xinian seemed to have noticed Ye Qinglan's depressed mood, and looked over to comfort him. Their eyes were locked for less than a second, and they quickly moved away as if nothing had happened.
This short moment of looking at each other was considered a small comfort. Ye Qinglan cheered up, raised her ears and listened to what others were saying... mainly listening to Gu Xinian. She couldn't look at him openly, and it was always boring to listen to what he said.
Question!
Gu Xinian didn't talk much on weekdays. In fact, he was very eloquent. Even though it was trivial gossip, he could still say it in a witty manner. Concubine Zheng and Mrs. Zheng were so amused that they both pursed their lips and chuckled.
According to the customs in the palace, only the queen has the qualifications to call relatives into the palace. It is very difficult for ordinary concubines to see their families. Concubine Zheng's status is only lower than that of the queen. She can call relatives into the palace, but she has to report
Only the Queen's approval is required. This time, Zheng and others were summoned to the palace with the Queen's permission. The imperial dining room had already given instructions, and at noon, someone sent exquisite meals, and there was a palace maid.
We went to the dining room to arrange a table.
Concubine Zheng said with a smile: "Xinian, it's rare for your aunt and cousin to enter the palace. Don't leave at noon. Stay and have dinner together before leaving!"
Gu Xinian smiled and said: "I will obey the imperial concubine's wishes." This sentence made Concubine Zheng amused.
According to the rules of the palace, men and women sit at separate tables. There are only six people eating, but they are divided into three groups. The third prince and Gu Xinian sit at one table, and Zheng Guifei and Zheng family sit at one table. As for Ye Qingning, together with Ye Qinglan,
We were taken to the room next to the dining room to eat.
Ye Qingning couldn't ask for this. As soon as he sat down, he let out a long sigh of relief. Then, while the palace maid waiting on the side was not paying attention, he whispered in Ye Qinglan's ear: "Fortunately, you don't have to come here often, otherwise I would have suffocated you to death."
"
When you are a guest in other houses, you have to be more reserved and reserved, but there is always an opportunity to talk quietly. But like just now, you simply don’t dare to breathe. The gorgeous and majestic palace has an oppressive atmosphere everywhere, just like that.
Even ordinary palace maids have a solemn look on their faces.
Ye Qinglan pursed her lips and chuckled, then lowered her voice and replied: "If you bear with it as long as you can, I probably won't stay too long. After dinner, you can probably go back."
Ye Qingning nodded and whispered in his ear: "I didn't expect that my cousin would come today."
There are too many subtexts in this sentence. Ye Qinglan felt her cheeks feel a little hot, but she responded nonchalantly: "Yeah, I'm surprised too!"
Due to the presence of several unfamiliar palace maids, Ye Qingning couldn't make fun of her and just laughed a few times.
The food in the imperial dining room is naturally delicious. However, no matter how delicious it is, you can't eat it with open belly. Otherwise, it will really become a joke among the palace ladies.
Ye Qingning looked very elegant when eating. He only took one or two bites of each dish before stopping using his chopsticks. Ye Qinglan was very knowledgeable and only ate half full.
"Don't worry, come to my place when you get back. There are plenty of snacks." Ye Qingning whispered in Ye Qinglan's ear.
Ye Qinglan almost burst into laughter, but she nodded seriously.
The maids waiting on the side secretly praised in their hearts. They are indeed the nieces of the imperial concubine. Look at these two young ladies, their table manners are really impeccable!
The two sat idle for a while, and Concubine Zheng sent someone to call them over again. This time, the third prince and Gu Xinian did not show up.
Concubine Zheng smiled and said: "Zhang'er and Xinian both have business to do, so I will let them go back first. Sister Ning rarely comes to the palace once, and it is too boring to stay in this palace all the time. I will let them go back first."
Can someone from the palace take you two to the imperial garden?"
He said he wanted them to go out for a walk, but actually he wanted to distract the two of them so that he could have a quiet chat with Mrs. Zheng.
Ye Qingning responded with a smile. Then, a woman in palace clothes, about 20 years old, came forward and led Ye Qingning and Ye Qinglan out of Concubine Zheng's palace. Then they walked towards the imperial garden.
At this time, it was spring and the flowers were blooming. The imperial garden was filled with all kinds of exotic flowers and plants that made people dizzy. Ye Qingning and Ye Qinglan looked at them with great interest and felt much more comfortable and comfortable than before.
When passing by a rockery, Ye Qinglan felt that it looked indescribably familiar and couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Isn't this the place where Gu Xiyu and Shen Changan met? In the blink of an eye, more than half a year has passed. But now that I think about it, it is still vivid in my mind.
Now Shen Changan is still suppressing bandits in Shandong. It has been so long and there is no news. I don’t know when he will come back...
"Cousin Ning!" A slightly familiar girl's voice suddenly sounded from the front.
Ye Qingning was startled and quickly looked over.
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