It's all ruined, who cares about the chastity arch

"Madam, this is..." The maid was surprised and obviously had not expected such a good thing.

Su Wanyu gently put the gold into the maid's hand and said in a gentle tone: "I hope you can help me find someone."

"Madam, please give your instructions. I will do my best." The maid lowered her head and spoke respectfully.

"Song Yuling, the Regent's female teacher." Su Wanyu slowly uttered the name.

When the maid heard this, she immediately knelt on the ground, looking panicked: "Madam, I have only been in the mansion for a short time and I know very little about that gentleman."

Su Wanyu didn't care. She took out another piece of gold from her bosom and gently placed it in the maid's open palm.

In this world, money can often open many closed doors. If it doesn't, it's just because you haven't paid enough.

Faced with the second temptation, the maid was obviously shaken. She looked around vigilantly, and after confirming that no one was paying attention, she lowered her voice and said quickly: "Mr. Song entered the Gu Mansion about 20 years ago, and initially served as the concubine of the Prince Consort."

"Concubine?" Su Wanyu seemed quite surprised.

The maid nodded and continued, "That was before the eldest princess married into the Gu Mansion. The prince consort forcibly brought her back to the mansion as a concubine. Miss Song's fate was really unfortunate. She was originally the daughter of a wealthy businessman in Jiangzhou. After her family fell into poverty, she fell into prostitution. In the end, the prince consort paid a large sum of money - a full five thousand taels of gold to redeem the Gu Mansion."

"Ms. Song has a gentle personality, treats people kindly, and is clever and skillful, which makes her loved by everyone in the mansion. However, deep down, she does not want to stay in the Gu Mansion and has tried to escape many times."

"In order to escape, a weak woman who had never ridden a horse, even if she fell and was covered with bruises, was determined to learn how to ride; she used to find it too heavy to even carry a bucket of water, but in the end she was able to endure hardships that ordinary people could hardly imagine, and even crawled through a dog hole to seek freedom."

When the maid said this, she frowned slightly, and her eyes showed both admiration for Song Yulin and regret for the past.

"Her struggle almost caused unrest in the Gu Mansion, until the eldest princess was betrothed to the prince consort by Emperor Deshun, and the situation changed. Unlike other concubines, Miss Song never participated in the intrigues of vying for favor, but instead took risks many times to rescue the eldest princess from danger."

"The princess felt pity for her and wanted to elevate her status and free her from her lowly status as a concubine, but Miss Song's only wish was to leave the Gu Mansion and return to her own home."

"When the princess asked her where her hometown was, she always shook her head. She said that her home was a place that no matter how fast a horse was, it couldn't reach it."

"No one knows exactly where that place is. We only know that there, women like us don't have to be trapped in this small world for our whole lives."

The maid's eyes were red and her voice was slightly choked as she spoke: "Later, Emperor Deshun passed away, the new emperor ascended the throne, and the eldest princess's power gradually increased. She personally made the decision to let Miss Song get rid of her status as a concubine and slave, and become the enlightenment teacher of the little prince."

After hearing this, Su Wanyu felt mixed emotions. She had not expected that Miss Song would have such a dramatic change in her life, from a concubine in a mansion to an enlightener.

What kind of thrilling story is hidden behind this seemingly ordinary woman that allows her to stand out in the vortex of power?

However, how did she become the imperial concubine?

This question kept lingering in Su Wanyu's mind.

The maid seemed to see through her doubts and spoke slowly, her voice low and mysterious: "When the little prince was three years old, the late emperor built this mansion for the eldest princess and visited frequently, and thus became acquainted with Miss Song."

"Given Miss Song's personality, how could she be willing to get involved in the palace? She once said that she has a childhood sweetheart at home, and her greatest wish in life is to go home and reunite with her family."

"Unfortunately, the late emperor was far more persistent than the prince consort..."

When the maid said this, a trace of sadness flashed in her eyes, and then she stopped talking. She just quietly put away the gold and said softly: "Madam, I will not say more about the rest."

Su Wanyu thought about it secretly in her heart and did not ask too many questions.

The two walked side by side, their conversation mixed with ease and casualness, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the vermilion door of the guest room.

This Moon-Viewing Tower was once an elegant place for admiring the bright moon and tasting fine wine. However, because the eldest princess and the regent did not drink alcohol, they transformed this place into a quiet place to receive guests.

Whenever there are visitors from afar, they can always find peace and enjoy a moment of leisure here.

Stepping into the first guest room on the first floor, the interior decoration is luxurious. The chaise longue is embroidered with intricate cloud patterns, exquisite tea sets are placed next to the eight-immortals table, and the step-out bed is a culmination of craftsmanship, with delicate carvings and colorful luster.

Tea and various snacks have already been prepared, waiting for the maid to enjoy and take a short rest.

"Madam, please take a rest. I will take my leave first." The maid bowed respectfully in a gentle voice.

Su Wanyu waved her hand gently, signaling him to leave, and then sat alone on the chaise longue, feeling the delicate bedding and the scent of ambergris in the air, which made her feel relaxed and happy. It was obvious that every detail of this room had been carefully taken care of.

At this time, Yun Yi was still in the eldest princess's courtyard, and was unable to return in time because of Mother You's temporary retention.

In the guest room, Su Wanyu enjoyed this rare tranquility alone. Perhaps because of the exhaustion from the past few days, she lay unconsciously on the chaise longue, and her eyelids gradually became heavy.

Outside the window, the willow leaves by the pond swayed in the autumn wind, a few yellow leaves intertwined with the green, and ripples appeared on the water surface.

The breeze mixed with drizzle brushed lightly across the courtyard, and the rustling sound of the rain was like silkworms eating mulberry leaves in spring.

In this silence, Su Wanyu's consciousness gradually became blurred.

In a trance, the silence was broken by the sound of a door hinge turning. The tightly closed door was slowly pushed open and then gently closed. Followed by a series of light footsteps approaching slowly.

Su Wanyu was not in a deep sleep. She suddenly opened her eyes and saw Gu Linjun standing in front of her. He was wearing a gold-threaded gown that she had sewn herself. He looked heroic and handsome, which added a bit of extraordinary temperament to him.

However, his eyes revealed an indescribable strangeness. His usually deep pupils now looked empty and confused.

"Prince?!" Su Wanyu sat up alertly and asked in confusion, "Why are you here?"

This was not the occasion for him to appear. The Regent did not answer, but approached her with unsteady steps and slowly raised his right hand. However, before he could say anything, his body suddenly leaned forward as if he had lost his balance.

His sleeves fluttered, and his wide cuffs rolled like clouds as he leaned towards her.

Seeing this, Su Wanyu didn't have time to think about it. She quickly stretched out her hands and caught him steadily, "Prince, be careful!"

He was huge and heavy as a rock, forcing Su Wanyu to take two steps back to support his weight.

In order to prevent them both from falling, she quickly grabbed his arm and tried to maintain her balance.