The prince loves me like his life, but I force him to rebel

The emperor was already having a headache.

Empress Xian's people came to ask him to move to Renxin Hall. Although he was puzzled, he got up and went there immediately.

He was somewhat worried that Empress Xian would make things difficult for Concubine De, but he also wanted Concubine De to give him acupuncture.

The atmosphere in Renxin Hall is indeed a bit strange.

If it was just the Queen who came to have tea with Concubine De, she shouldn't have brought so many servants with her. But when they entered the Renxin Hall, they saw Queen Xian and Concubine De drinking tea in a friendly manner, with Gu Nianzhi standing beside them.

"Your Majesty, my sister was afraid that I would be bored in the palace alone, so she came here to invite me for tea."

Concubine De greeted him with a smile.

Empress Xian also put on a smiling face and agreed repeatedly.

"Is Mr. Gu here too?" The emperor pointed at Gu Nianzhi and asked casually.

Queen Xian was afraid that Gu Nianzhi would mention Bai Mo, so she quickly replied, "Mr. Gu is well-informed, and the folk stories he told are truly fascinating. He is indeed the most trusted counselor of the Third Prince."

"Oh? What story did you tell that even Empress Xian praised you highly?"

Gu Nianzhi smiled and said, "It's just an ordinary folk legend, about a wealthy family with several wives and concubines competing for favor, and several sons fighting for the throne. I'm afraid that telling such a thing would pollute the emperor's ears."

"The world is bustling with people, all for profit. Even brothers will inevitably fight for profit. It's normal." The emperor drank tea and felt that his headache seemed to be much better. He then asked: "Mr. Gu, do you have any interesting stories other than fighting for fame and fortune when you travel around the world?"

“There is no story about fighting for fame and fortune?” Gu Nianzhi thought for a moment, changed the story of Journey to the West, and told it in the simplest language.

When they were talking about the three attacks on the White Bone Demon, Sima Yao, who had learned that the Queen was going to Renxin Hall in a big way, rushed over.

Seeing his father, the empress and Concubine De sitting together, listening attentively to what Gu Nianzhi was saying with great excitement, he was stunned for a moment.

Although the Queen and Concubine De still call each other sisters on the surface, they actually regard each other as their mortal enemy. How could they now sit together and drink tea so peacefully?

And what on earth was Gu Nian talking about as he jumped up and down?

After the ceremony, Sima Yao also sat down beside him.

The emperor was still not satisfied and asked Gu Nianzhi to continue.

Concubine De saw the look in Sima Yao's eyes when he looked at Gu Nianzhi. That look was exactly the same as the one Cen Yu gave Gu Nianzhi.

Defei's heart skipped a beat.

Could it be that his son also knew Gu Nianzhi's true identity?

If he also fell in love with Gu Nianzhi, I'm afraid his original plan would be even more difficult to implement.

The queen smiled on the surface, but she was actually feeling very uneasy.

After enduring for half an hour, she finally found the opportunity to leave and return to the palace.

After the Queen left, while the Emperor and Sima Yao were discussing state affairs, Gu Nianzhi stopped Concubine De in the garden and told her the purpose of her visit.

She wanted Concubine De to invite Cen Yu to meet her, as she had something important to ask him.

"Where are you going to meet him? Inside the palace? Outside the palace?"

Gu Nianzhi recalled that Concubine De once mentioned that Cen Yu was taking a huge risk by entering the palace, so she chose to meet Cen Yu outside the palace without hesitation.

"Outside the palace. Where I first met him."

"when?"

"Of course the sooner the better, but I don't know when he will be free."

"He should be available anytime for your matter. Let me do my best to notify him, but I can't guarantee that he can come today."

"Thank you for your concern, Madam Lady Laode."

Gu Nianzhi looked into the room and saw Sima Yao and the emperor had already set up the chessboard and started playing the game.

Perhaps Defei was trying to find a way to contact Cen Yu, and for a while no one knew where she went.

Sima Yao raised his eyes unintentionally and saw Gu Nianzhi sitting alone in the garden, so he called her name and asked her to come in and watch the chess game.

"Mr. Gu, I am now under attack from both sides and I am afraid I will lose."

“Your Majesty, I am a stupid person and have never studied chess. I am afraid I cannot give you any advice.” Gu Nianzhi stood aside. Sima Yao, holding the black pieces, occupied most of the chessboard, and the emperor’s white pieces had a hard time moving.

"Yao'er, do you know why I like playing chess with you?"

"I don't know." Although Sima Yao responded to the emperor's words, his eyes were always on the chessboard. He was concentrating on thinking about the future path.

"When other people play chess with me, they always deliberately leave pieces behind in order to let me win. Only you treat chess as chess, the king and his subjects as king and his subjects, and the father and his son as father and his son."

Sima Yao's eyes changed. He didn't know what his father meant.

Was he praising himself for his concentration in playing chess, or was he implying that he was dissatisfied with himself for disregarding the righteous relationship between monarch and subject, and the affection between father and son when playing chess?

This distraction made me feel a little dazed.

"I'm afraid I'm going to lose this game completely." The emperor was looking for an opportunity on the chessboard, muttering, "I really don't want to lose..."

Gu Nianzhi grabbed a handful of chess pieces and threw them directly onto the chessboard.

The game is over, no one wins or loses.

Sima Yao was horrified. While looking at his father's expression, he quickly grabbed Gu Nianzhi and brought her behind him.

"Mr. Gu, what are you doing?"

“Since the emperor has said he doesn’t want to lose, there’s no need to play this game of chess.” Gu Nianzhi showed no fear at all.

"They say that a true gentleman watches a game of chess without saying a word. But you, on the other hand, did not say a word but started to fight." The emperor did not seem to be very angry.

"Your Majesty, since you have already determined that this game of chess is doomed to fail, why do you continue according to the rules?"

Gu Nianzhi gently brushed away Sima Yao's hand that was holding her wrist, took two steps forward, and stood in front of the emperor.

"Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, the whole world belongs to you, let alone a game of chess?"

"You are quite brave." The emperor looked at Gu Nianzhi, and Sima Yao was a little confused as to whether he was angry or happy.

"Your Majesty, there is no such thing as a losing game." Gu Nianzhi knelt down with his hands clasped, "I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

"Punish?" The emperor stood up. "It is my own inability to do so that I have created this situation where I am doomed to fail. What is the point of punishing you?"

Sima Yao also knelt down quickly.

"Father, Mr. Gu has always been a wanderer and doesn't know much about the royal rules. Please forgive his recklessness for risking his life to save my child..."

"It's a losing situation, so why not break it?" The emperor muttered to himself, as if he had realized something.

The emperor suddenly felt his headache become even worse, and he covered his temples and rubbed them gently.

Concubine De just came in. Without having time to ask the two men why they were kneeling, she quickly supported the emperor and let him rest on the soft couch.

"You all go back first. I will treat the emperor."

Sima Yao helped Gu Nianzhi to stand up, and they turned and left.

Gu Nianzhi looked back at Concubine De worriedly, only to see Concubine De nodded firmly at her.

Gu Nianzhi suddenly understood and informed Cen Yu about the meeting. He thought that Concubine De had already made arrangements.