Part 3
Balls of fire surged upwards. Gu Zhen closed his eyes, tried his best to suppress the anger in his heart, and rose abruptly.
“Zhen sees that, even given so much time, the Empress has still not thought this matter through properly.” Gu Zhen glanced at her, his voice flat.
If he said she hadn’t thought it through, then she hadn’t.
Zhao Yiyi didn’t want to argue. She felt tired and didn’t want to speak.
Gu Zhen’s voice was heavy. “In that case, let it be done as the Empress says.”
With that, he left straight away, not staying for another moment.
The Emperor had come to Jiaofang Palace several times, and several times left in anger. The palace servants in the hall were all panic-stricken. After sending off the Emperor with mixed fear and shock, they felt their legs go weak, as if all strength had been drained from their bodies.
The female officials were slightly better, only somewhat frightened, but they held up appearances. After exchanging glances, they said helplessly, “Yun Zhu, go inside first and see how Her Highness is doing.”
Leaving Suzhang Gate, thinking of those words just now, Gu Zhen suddenly felt he had spoken too harshly.
He had come today intending to soothe the Empress a little.
But provoked by her, he forgot everything. The words that came out were inevitably severe, and his tone too cold.
Just now, he had indeed lost his composure.
Wu Mao turned his head, secretly glancing at the Emperor’s gloomy face. After calculating for a moment, he decided not to speak to avoid bringing trouble upon himself.
Unexpectedly, long after the carriage had started moving, the Emperor called his name.
“Your Majesty?” Wu Mao turned his head hurriedly, asking repeatedly, “Does Your Majesty have any instructions?”
Gu Zhen tapped the carriage wall lightly and asked indifferently, “Is that little dog selected?”
Wu Mao replied respectfully, “It has been selected. Lively and beautiful, and very sturdy!”
“Then keep it for two more days and pick a good time to send it to the Empress,” Gu Zhen said flatly.
Hearing this, a complex feeling flashed through Wu Mao’s heart. He had thought just now that His Majesty didn’t plan to send it anymore.
Since he still intended to send this slender hound to the Empress, it meant His Majesty still cared about her. So what was the point of today’s argument…?
This was the masters’ business. He dared not think too deeply about it. After rolling it over in his mind once, he cast it aside and began calculating which day would be best to send it to the Empress.
He Minghong had been waiting in Zichen Palace for a long time.
By now the sky was completely dark. Flowing clouds obscured the stars and the crescent moon. The heavy, dark sky pressed down, making it hard to breathe.
“Your Majesty.” Seeing the Emperor’s procession approaching from afar, He Minghong hurriedly stepped forward to bow.
Gu Zhen told him to rise. Stepping down from the carriage, he asked, “Uncle waited until now; is it for the land measurement in the Jinei counties?”
He Minghong nodded slightly. “Yes. This subject personally went there over the last two days, even disguising myself as a local village head. I found that this matter indeed faces heavy resistance.”
Having expected this long ago, Gu Zhen was not surprised, only sighing, “No matter how heavy the resistance, it must be done. Never mind, just investigate the details first; the specific measurements can be delayed.”
After He Minghong reported what he had seen and heard these days, Gu Zhen pondered for a moment and gave a few more instructions.
“If Uncle does it, Zhen is more at ease,” he said.
He Minghong bowed and accepted the orders. Just as he was about to leave, he heard the Emperor ask from the seat above, “These past days, We haven’t seen Xunfang going to Mother’s place. Did Uncle forget to mention it to her?”
Hearing this, He Minghong knew the Emperor still remembered, and obviously, he couldn’t avoid it.
Although he was reluctant to have his daughter constantly around the Empress Dowager, he respectfully replied, “Your Majesty knows this subject was not at home these past few days. When I return today, I will instruct her.”
Gu Zhen then added, “Uncle also knows Mother loves liveliness and fears boredom most. When she’s bored, she’s willing to pay attention to just about anything.”
This sentence sounded like the Emperor’s casual lament, but He Minghong heard the hidden meaning clearly.
“Yes, yes. However, the Empress Dowager’s status is noble; she naturally needs people around to entertain her,” He Minghong replied respectfully.
Gu Zhen glanced at him lightly, his eyes slightly deep. He said nothing more, just dismissing him.
“Your Highness, look, this little dog is so well-behaved.”
Wu Mao half-squatted on the floor of the Empress’s quarters, teasing a pale yellow puppy.
This puppy was only two months old and had no concept of recognizing a master yet. It was wagging its tail and spinning in circles, occasionally chasing its own tail.
Wu Mao fed it a few snacks, making it settle down a bit as it buried its head, working hard to eat the food.
Zhao Yiyi leaned back in an armchair, looking at the slender hound with interest. Seeing it wagging its tail even while burying its head to eat, she couldn’t help but chuckle twice.
“It is indeed well-behaved,” she said warmly.
Hearing this, Wu Mao breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled ingratiatingly. “Out of the litter of four, this one was born the best-looking, and its personality is lively. His Majesty specifically ordered this slave to send it over to relieve Your Highness’s boredom.”
Zhao Yiyi rested her chin in her hand, watching. Seeing it eat happily, she casually fed it a piece. Unexpectedly, the puppy started circling the hem of her dress.
Yun Zhu couldn’t help but say, “It’s so obedient, without a shred of imposing manner. Can it really be taken hunting when it grows up?”
“Director Yun, look at what you’re saying!” Wu Mao couldn’t help but retort. “This puppy is naturally a bit more obedient. As for ‘A-Mo’ by His Majesty’s side, who hasn’t seen its majestic air when hunting?”
Zhao Yiyi didn’t interrupt. Only after the two finished speaking did she ask, “His Majesty gave this slender hound to me; does that mean it is at my disposal?”
Wu Mao replied, “Naturally so. Since the puppy is given to Your Highness, it is Your Highness’s dog. How Your Highness wishes to name it, house it, or keep it, is entirely up to Your Highness.”
Zhao Yiyi nodded slightly. “I understand.”
Suddenly having such a little thing around, after Wu Mao left, all the palace servants in Jiaofang Palace gathered around the puppy, using various foods to tease it into running.
Though slender hounds are athletic and puppies are lively, it ultimately couldn’t handle such exhaustion.
After running for a while, it shrank back to the hem of Zhao Yiyi’s skirt, refusing to run anymore.
“Oh! It’s quite clever!” a little palace maid couldn’t help but exclaim. “It actually knows Her Highness is its master.”
Everyone found it amusing and echoed, “Indeed sharp-witted.”
Seeing it like this, even if Zhao Yiyi didn’t want to pay attention to it initially, it seemed unreasonable not to pick it up and tease it a little.
After staring at it for a moment, she finally laughed lightly, bent down, and scooped the puppy into her arms.
“Wu Mao just said its birth mother is from the same litter as A-Mo by His Majesty’s side?” Zhao Yiyi asked while stroking the puppy.
Yun Zhu replied, “Yes.”
Zhao Yiyi smiled. “In that case, His Majesty’s beloved dog is its uncle.”
“Should be… yes.” Yun Zhu couldn’t help but look up, glancing at the squirming puppy. Do dogs count seniority like this?
Zhao Yiyi patted it soothingly and whispered, “What name should I give you?” She pondered for a moment, then said, “Since your fur is yellow, let’s call you A-Huang.”
The palace servants thought Her Highness would quote classics to come up with a fine name. Hearing “A-Huang,” they all fell silent for a moment.
Zhao Yiyi teased it a few more times. Remembering the puppy her brother almost had thrown away that day, the smile on her lips suddenly carried a hint of malice. She said, “You say A-Huang’s background is so noble; how about I reward it to the Marquis’s Manor and order Father and Madam Xu to take good care of it?”
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