The emperor just doesn't treat everyone equally, and it's none of my business!

"Get up." Gu Shijin looked at the three people still kneeling on the ground.

"My lady, I'm sorry." Xingyue said. It was all her fault. She had caused trouble for the lady.

Gu Shijin said: "It has nothing to do with you. Concubine Zhou is here to cause trouble. No matter what you do, she will cause trouble for you."

"But you still need to be more careful in the palace in the future."

"Yes, my lord."

This Zhou Guipin Gu Shijin remembers that she is the Queen's person. For so long, apart from paying respects every day, Gu Shijin and the Queen have basically had no interactions.

I don’t know whether Concubine Zhou wanted to cause trouble this time on her own initiative or if someone was instructing her from behind.

"Go back, the emperor will come over tonight."

Lu Junze was coming to Ningyu Pavilion for dinner in the evening, so Gu Shijin wanted to prepare some different dishes. Unfortunately, Ningyu Pavilion didn't have a small kitchen, otherwise she could cook it herself.

Crispy pork, twice-cooked pork with potatoes, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, sweet and sour spare ribs, spicy rabbit cubes, braised fish, and stir-fried bok choy.

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was already prepared by the imperial kitchen, while the spicy rabbit cubes were something the eunuch from the imperial kitchen specifically asked about.

Today, the imperial kitchen received a new batch of fresh rabbit meat, so someone was sent to ask Concubine Jin whether she liked it, so Gu Shijin ordered spicy diced rabbit.

In his previous life, Gu Shijin loved eating rabbits. Although rabbits are cute, they are also delicious.

This is how it is in the palace. As long as you are favored, the imperial kitchen will not treat you badly even if you are just a concubine of the fifth rank. If you are not favored, what can you do even if you are a concubine?

Today's dishes are relatively greasy, so Gu Shijin asked Xingzhu to prepare some iced watermelon early so that it would taste refreshing when eaten later.

Greasy dishes will become even greasier when they get cold, so Gu Shijin kept paying attention to the time. When Lu Junze arrived, the table had just been set.

Having only eaten a bowl of noodles at noon, Lu Junze was a little hungry, but he was still a little surprised to see the dishes on the table.

"So rich today?" Lu Junze smiled. He knew that Gu Shijin ate a balanced diet every day, and the table was not full of fish and meat.

Gu Shijin sat down and said, "Your Majesty did not enjoy the lunch today, I must compensate you."

The emperor does mental activities every day.

"You had someone send me some cakes and sour plum soup this afternoon, and I've eaten them."

What Lu Junze meant was that he was not hungry in the afternoon.

"Your Majesty, please try this spicy rabbit. I specially asked the imperial kitchen to make it for you."

"it is good."

There are so many concubines in the harem, but Lu Junze is most comfortable eating at Gu Shijin's Ningyu Pavilion. Even if it is not a special dish, just some ordinary dishes, Lu Junze is happy to eat.

Lu Junze looked at Gu Shijin. Perhaps it was because of Gu Shijin, who was not as pretentious as the other concubines and got full after just a few bites, which made her lose her appetite.

If Gu Shijin knew what Lu Junze was thinking, he would definitely agree. After all, it is better to eat with people who have a good appetite.

The spicy rabbit was indeed very spicy. Lu Junze felt his taste buds exploded as soon as he took a bite, but he really wanted to eat another piece.

When eating with Gu Shijin, Lu Junze would not restrain himself too much. It was probably because Gu Shijin often said that people should enjoy life while it lasts.

This kind of food is like this, the more you eat it, the spicier it gets, and the more you want to eat it.

But Gu Shijin couldn't let Lu Junze keep eating, mainly because his stomach couldn't take it.

Gu Shijin scooped a bowl of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and handed it to Lu Junze: "Your Majesty, drink some soup, otherwise your stomach will be uncomfortable in a while."

After saying that, Gu Shijin quietly glanced at Xingzhu and asked her to take the spicy rabbit cubes away.

Lu Junze looked at the actions of the master and servant without getting angry, and said, "Take it away."

Xingzhu: "Yes, Your Majesty."

Everyone was very satisfied and happy with the meal.

After dinner, the two sat together and chatted. They didn't talk about anything special, but mainly Gu Shijin pestered Lu Junze to tell her about the scenery of Jiangnan.

"Your Majesty, is Jiangnan really that beautiful?" Gu Shijin asked curiously.

Lu Junze had been to Jiangnan before he ascended the throne, but he has not toured the south since he ascended the throne.

"Jiangnan does have a unique flavor." Lu Junze nodded: "I will take you to Jiangnan if there is a chance."

"Your Majesty." Gu Shijin leaned into Lu Junze's arms, moved: "You are so kind to me."

Gradually, the atmosphere in the room changed.

There was only one candle left in the room, and the dim light enveloped the figures entangled on the bed.

The rabbit was caught by the hunter. It kept struggling and making a "wooooo" sound from its mouth.

But the hunter never wanted to let the rabbit go. He looked at the rabbit over and over again, trying to find the most delicious way to eat it.

"Woooooooo..."

"Don't be anxious...don't be anxious..." The hunter gently stroked the rabbit to calm it down.

Unfortunately, the comfort did not work. The rabbit became more anxious, and the "woo woo woo" sound gradually turned into "cluck cluck cluck".

Finally, the rabbit was tired and knew it could not escape the hunter's clutches, so it gave up struggling and lay down comfortably, waiting for the result.

……

It was a day off, so Gu Shijin didn't have to get up early to pay his respects to the Queen, and he slept until the sun came out.

"Huh..." Gu Shijin opened his eyes contentedly, stretched himself, and said, "Xingzhu..."

Xingzhu, who was guarding outside, came in immediately after hearing the sound.

"Little Master."

"Well, not getting up early to greet is life."

While having breakfast, Gu Shijin learned that something big had happened in the palace.

That is, Chen Changzai, who was demoted by the emperor, died.

After Chen Changzai was confined by the emperor, she was served by only one personal maid. When the maid woke up one day, she found that Chen Changzai was dead.

He died in his own bed, lying upright, as if he had committed suicide.

However, in the palace, it was a serious crime for a concubine to commit suicide, and it would implicate her family.

"My lady, it seems that Chen Changzai is an orphan, and was also presented by the lower-level officials." Xingzhu whispered in Gu Shijin's ear.

Gu Shijin nodded. This was the sorrow of women in this era. They were like a gift that could be passed around at will without any dignity.

The news soon spread throughout the harem, and the emperor ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of Chen Changzai's death. It was finally discovered that it was indeed suicide.

Soon Xiao Linzi got the news and came back.

It turns out that after Chen Changzai fell out of favor, she had been bullied by the palace maids and eunuchs.

Not only did she have rotten meals every day, she was also often beaten and scolded. Because there were no extra palace maids, she had to wash her own clothes.

But even so, the palace maids and eunuchs would not let her go. The reason was very simple: these palace maids had always been bullied by Chen Changzai in the past.

From Chen Changzai's previous attitude towards Gu Shijin, it can be seen that he is not a good-tempered person. Now, the boomerang has finally flown to him.

For Chen Changzai, who had been favored, lived a good life, and enjoyed being served, such a life was worse than death.

Gradually, she lost hope of living. The emperor would never think of her again anyway, and there was no one for her to worry about after her death.

Gu Shijin couldn't help but sigh. So one should not go too far in life. No one knows what the situation will be like tomorrow.