usatvline Chapter 498 Falling
Chapter 498 Falling
"The relationship between these two seems really good. Unless something unexpected happens, probably no one will be able to get close to the emperor."
The Minister of Justice couldn't help but retort, "Master Dou, don't be so absolute. Don't forget, back then, the Imperial Censor, Master Zhang, and his wife were also extremely affectionate, and it was a big deal that the whole capital knew about it. But in the end, they still divorced. Even the son of Minister Kong and Mu Yao did the same thing. Now the imperial decree of divorce has been issued."
Lord Dou's face suddenly turned bad, and he said in a deep voice, "If Lord Liu insists on comparing the two couples with the Emperor and Empress, then it's extremely meaningless. Lord Zhang and Kong Lin have been acting since the beginning, and there have been dirty tricks behind the scenes. The Kong family is even more greedy for Mu Yao's dowry. When has the Emperor and Empress ever deliberately spread their feelings? It's just that the two of them have a good relationship, and everyone can see it. When has Lord Liu ever seen the Empress live in Chuigong Palace for several months? The Emperor doesn't even shy away from the Empress when it comes to government affairs. What's more, the Empress's father is the Marquis of Nanping, who controls a large army. According to the past, he must be wary of the Empress. No matter how good their relationship is, it is impossible for her to listen to the affairs of the court."
"I also heard something. The Empress's sister, Gu Jianyue, has been getting very close to Wen Zhu, who is close to the Emperor, recently. It seems that they are in a good relationship. If the Emperor didn't treat the Empress sincerely, then Lord Wen would never have the opportunity to get close to the Gu family. After all, Lord Wen is the Emperor's right-hand man. He not only handles important matters of the Imperial City Bureau, but also protects the Emperor's safety."
"Master Liu, don't just focus on your own little piece of land. You need to have a long-term vision."
"I didn't expect that you are the only smart one who figured out the interests involved. But then again, is the queen's sister really so close to Wen Zhu? How did you know?" The Minister of Justice moved the umbrella a little closer to Lord Dou.
Lord Dou looked around, making sure there were no ears behind the walls, before he whispered, "A while ago, for the teacher's birthday, I wanted to buy an embroidered screen for her. I figured it would be fine to buy it from anyone, so I might as well take care of the Queen's mother's business. After all, Gu Jianyue was doing a good deed. But when I went to buy the embroidered screen, I accidentally saw Wen Zhu sending Gu Jianyue back to Chunshui Embroidery Workshop. Wen Zhu was waiting there for a while, and it turned out that Gu Jianyue brought Wen Zhu a pair of shoes she had embroidered herself."
"What was Lord Wen's reaction?" The Minister of Justice asked curiously, his eyes burning with the desire for gossip.
"When Lord Wen heard that it was Miss Gu who made it herself, he was so happy that he left with the shoes in his hands as if they were treasures. I just saw Lord Wen in the Chuigong Palace, but I didn't see him wearing the shoes Miss Gu gave him. I guess he was reluctant to wear them. Although Miss Gu is a second-married woman, she is the queen's sister and the eldest daughter of the Nanping Marquis's Mansion. It can be said that Lord Wen is marrying above his station by being with her." Lord Dou and the Minister of Justice had already arrived at the palace gate while they were talking, and their carriage was not far away.
Lord Dou glanced at the Minister of Justice and said, "I won't chat with you any more. I'm leaving now. But please don't spread what I told you today. Otherwise, it might cause great trouble. After all, we know it, but whether the Emperor will allow it to be publicized is another matter."
"I know, I know. I'm not the kind of person who talks too much. Even if I were, when it comes to matters concerning my life and property, I would naturally act cautiously and not say anything nonsense." After the Minister of Justice gave repeated assurances, they all got on the carriage.
There was now a thick layer of snow, and the carriage was moving very slowly.
Inside Kunning Palace, Wen Zhu arrived immediately after seeing off the officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court. Standing outside the palace, he reported, "Your Majesty has just received news that the envoys from Yelan Kingdom have arrived outside the capital and will be arriving in the next day. My spies have gathered that, in addition to their prime minister and generals, the Yelan Kingdom's crown prince and princess are also accompanying them, along with their concubines."
"Their purpose is unknown, but we have already sent people from the Imperial City Bureau to infiltrate the inn where they are staying. I wonder if they can find out anything."
"It's snowing heavily now, making it difficult for carriages to travel. I'm afraid they won't enter the capital tomorrow and will stay at the inn for two more days. This will give us more time to investigate."
"Go down." After reporting, Xie Ci'an waved his hand and asked them to leave the hall.
Gu Jianchu was naturally able to find out the purpose of their visit to Beijing, but now that he couldn't see them, he had no idea what they were thinking. He could only wait for two days and then he would know when he saw them.
When they traveled to the State of Jin on diplomatic missions, it was naturally not her, the queen, who would go out to meet them. If she wanted to see them and know the purpose of their visit, she could only invite them into the palace. But now that she didn't know their purpose, she couldn't invite them into the palace casually. The only way was to hold a palace banquet, which would allow her to meet them, find out their purpose, and also allow the two countries to test each other.
Gu Jianchu leaned on the soft pillow, casually fiddling with the ashes in the incense burner. Since she was three months pregnant, her sleep quality has been extremely poor, and she can only light calming incense to help her sleep.
"Your Majesty, would you please prepare a palace banquet for them after they arrive in Beijing? This would demonstrate the hospitality of our great nation."
Even if Gu Jianchu had not proposed it, this palace banquet would naturally have to be prepared to test the intentions of the two countries.
Xie Ci'an ruffled Gu Jianchu's hair and said gently, "Of course we have to prepare it, but let the Ministry of Internal Affairs prepare these things. Besides, the banquet will not be held in Qingliang Palace, we can prepare it in the court."
Since we don't know whether their actions are good or evil, it would be more appropriate to choose the court as the place.
With the Imperial Household Department making preparations, Gu Jianchu naturally didn't have to worry about it. Besides, it was snowing now and she was really too lazy to move.
Just as the two finished their discussion, Qiu Tao hurried in from outside. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, news has come from the Princess's Mansion. Princess Rou and Prince Dongli accidentally fell off a cliff while admiring the plum blossoms in the hills behind Wanguo Temple. They were seriously injured and have been sent back to the capital."
Gu Jianchu and Xie Ci'an looked at each other.
There are so many things going on today.
Gu Jianchu asked with concern, "How could they have rolled down the cliff for no reason? I remember the cliff was quite steep, but there's no need to climb up the cliff to admire the plum blossoms. Are the two seriously injured? Have you sent a doctor?"
"As for how he rolled down, I don't know. I heard that Prince Dongli was seriously injured and his leg was fractured. Sister Zhuxi has already sent Doctor Lin to treat him. I guess we'll have to wait for Doctor Lin to come back to find out the details."