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

The Empress Dowager and the Concubine Dowager have been out of the palace to pray for the country for more than half a year, and it is time for them to return to the palace.

Gu Shijin has never met the Empress Dowager and the Concubine Dowager. Now hearing that these two are coming back, Gu Shijin feels a little nervous because the Empress Dowager is the most powerful person in the harem.

I hope the Queen Mother is a kind and benevolent old lady. I think so, but Gu Shijin thinks it is unlikely. After all, she is the champion of the palace fight last time, how could she be kind.

In the harem, kind-hearted people won’t go far.

Now is obviously not the time to think about this at the palace banquet. I can only wait until I get back to find out.

Lu Junze had been paying attention to Gu Shijin the whole time, and of course he did not miss the glance and smile between the virtuous king and Gu Shijin. An inexplicable feeling of discomfort arose in his heart.

Shangguan Yan had also been observing Lu Junze, so she naturally did not miss the expression in Lu Junze's eyes. She thought about it and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, it turns out that the virtuous prince knows Concubine Jin."

Lu Junze didn't say anything. He picked up the wine on the table and drank it in one gulp. He put down the glass and looked at Shangguan Yan: "The queen has worked hard."

This palace banquet was arranged by the Queen, so she naturally knew everyone's position best.

Shangguan Yan: "It is what I should do."

She didn't know if the emperor had any other meaning in this sentence, but even if he did, Shangguan Yan had to pretend not to know.

Gu Shijin did not hear the conversation between Lu Junze and Shangguan Yan, but the virtuous king heard it. He picked up the wine glass on the table and walked to the center, saying, "Your Majesty, I toast to you."

Lu Junze raised his glass and said, "Thank you for your hard work in escorting the Queen Mother and Concubine Dowager to the Huguo Temple this time."

"Your Majesty, what are you talking about? This is what I should do."

After saying that, the two of them raised their heads and drank the wine in their glasses.

Originally, this matter should not have been done by the wise king. He went there to ask for permission on his own initiative, and Lu Junze had no reason to stop him from doing this.

After a few more pleasantries, the wise king returned to his seat.

The virtuous prince told Lu Junze that the queen mother was very happy to know that Concubine Liu was pregnant, which also indirectly explained why he knew about Concubine Jin.

Since Lu Junze dotes on Concubine Jin so much now, the Queen Mother naturally received the news. It is not surprising that the wise prince, who has always been following the Queen Mother, knows something about it.

To put it simply, this dinner party was just a bunch of ministers fawning over Lu Junze, and had nothing to do with Gu Shijin. Next to her sat Concubine Ning, and the two of them were chatting in low voices, so it didn't seem too boring.

"Sister, what spices did you use? They smell so good." Concubine Ning asked after sniffing.

Gu Shijin raised his sleeve and sniffed, but smelled nothing: "Yuer likes it? I'll tell you when I go back and ask Xingyue. She made all these things."

Lady Ning smiled and said, "Okay."

Lady Ning didn't like the scent, but she felt it was a little familiar, but she couldn't remember what it was for a while.

Just as Gu Shijin returned to his tent, Su Deyuan came and said that the emperor had summoned him, so Gu Shijin forgot about asking Concubine Ning about the spices.

"Concubine, please pay your respects to the Emperor."

"Get up." This time, Lu Junze did not step forward to help Gu Shijin.

As soon as Gu Shijin came in, she felt that Lu Junze's mood was a little strange. In her previous life, she was able to rise from a helpless clerk to a senior executive, so she was very sensitive to people's emotional changes.

Gu Shijin walked to Lu Junze's side, saw that he was painting, and began to grind ink consciously.

The room suddenly became quiet, with only the sounds of grinding and brush painting as the rest of the sounds could be heard.

After about a quarter of an hour, Lu Junze put down the brush.

He painted a lotus.

"Your Majesty, your painting is so beautiful." Gu Shijin praised.

Lu Junze raised his head expressionlessly and said, "When it comes to painting, my brother, the wise king, is the best."

Gu Shijin was a smart man, and he quickly understood the reason for Lu Junze's bad mood from his words.

"I don't know the virtuous king, and the one the emperor painted is the best in my heart." Gu Shijin raised her eyes and looked at Lu Junze, with admiration and worship in her eyes.

Gu Shijin's words and eyes made Lu Junze's expression better, and Gu Shijin also felt a little relieved.

You are such an adult, why are you still jealous?

Lu Junze took Gu Shijin's hand and sat down next to him, saying, "Hasn't Jin'er seen you today?"

"Ah?" Gu Shijin was shocked, and the expression on her face changed to be very natural: "Have I met the virtuous king today?"

"Yeah." Lu Junze tapped Gu Shijin's head: "You, just remember to eat."

The food at today's banquet tasted good, and it was not the same monotonous flavor as the one in the imperial kitchen. Gu Shijin did eat a lot.

Suddenly, Gu Shijin seemed to have realized something and said, "Your Majesty, the virtuous king you are talking about is not the one sitting opposite me today, right?"

"Yes." Lu Junze said slowly.

"Then he is not as good-looking as you, the emperor."

Lu Junze glared at Gu Shijin, but his tone was full of doting: “Nonsense.”

"I am telling the truth."

"You're not good-looking, but you're still smiling?"

When Lu Junze said this, both of them were stunned.

Lu Junze drank a lot today, and asked some questions without thinking.

Gu Shijin naturally took over the conversation: "I saw that he was somewhat similar to the emperor, and guessed that he was the emperor's brother, so I laughed."

"Yeah." Lu Junze pulled Gu Shijin over and held her in his arms.

"Your Majesty, have you drunk the hangover soup?" Gu Shijin asked in a low voice.

Lu Junze closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Eunuch Su." Gu Shijin shouted outside the tent.

"My Lady Jinpin."

"Eunuch Su, bring the emperor a bowl of sobering soup."

"I have prepared it long ago." Su Deyuan went out and brought it in, still steaming.

The sobering soup must have been prepared a long time ago, but Lu Junze just refused to drink it.

Gu Shijin was speechless. Why was the emperor still acting like a child?

"Your Majesty, let me feed you?" Gu Shijin asked deliberately.

Lu Junze opened his eyes, picked up the hangover soup and drank it.

"Go out."

"Yes, the slave will leave."

"You've become braver." Lu Junze patted Gu Shijin.

"No way, I am doing this for the emperor's good." Gu Shijin propped herself up and knelt down behind Lu Junze: "I will give the emperor a massage."

Since learning a trick or two from Xingyue, Gu Shijin's massage skills have greatly improved.

"Your Majesty, are you comfortable?" Gu Shijin asked, "I have been learning this for a long time."

"Yeah, that's good. It's not in vain."

Gu Shijin smiled contentedly.

Gu Shijin tried hard to please Lu Junze because she was afraid that Lu Junze would torment her at night, but she didn't expect that she still couldn't escape.

"Your Majesty, your concubine...your concubine..."

Gu Shijin wanted to speak, but Lu Junze lowered his head and kissed her mouth, blocking all the words in her throat.

"Ah..." Gu Shijin exclaimed, frowning. What is Lu Junze going crazy about? It hurts so much.

"Jin'er, you are mine." Lu Junze murmured in Gu Shijin's ear.