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

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

Lu Junze took Gu Shijin's hand and said, "Get up."

Lu Junze came from the Cining Palace with a scent of sandalwood on his body, which should have been a pleasant smell, but for some reason Gu Shijin felt a little nauseous. However, she didn't take it to heart and just thought she was not used to it for a while.

"Your Majesty, would you like me to serve you the meal?" Gu Shijin asked.

"it is good."

The Empress Dowager has been a vegetarian in recent years and has never thought of inviting the Emperor to dinner, so Lu Junze did not have dinner in the Cining Palace.

Gu Shijin's meals have always been simple. He doesn't need big fish or meat. He just orders what he wants to eat.

Today's dishes are all homely, including cabbage and egg soup, twice-cooked pork, cold tofu, fried spare ribs, stir-fried shredded potatoes, and braised duck.

And each portion is not too big, just enough for two people.

"Your Majesty, please taste today's dishes to see if they suit your taste."

Of course it is to your taste. The cooking skills of the imperial kitchen are all good, not to mention that it has been instructed by Gu Shijin remotely.

"This braised duck tastes quite unique." Lu Junze picked up another piece of braised duck and said.

Gu Shijin smiled and said, "I asked them to add a little mint in it."

Lu Junze raised his eyebrows, “Jin’er is smart.”

It is easy to get sick of braised duck if you eat too much at one time, but after adding mint, the braised duck does not taste so greasy.

After dinner, the two of them walked hand in hand in the yard as usual to help digest their food.

Lu Junze likes to be with Gu Shijin, not because Gu Shijin is so smart or anything else, but he feels very peaceful when he is with her and can put aside all the worries of the day.

Gu Shijin was also very tactful. He would never discuss those bad things with her, or try to ask Lu Junze something indirectly.

Unlike other concubines, she always did things with a purpose and always wanted to get something out of him.

It is really difficult to be an emperor, as there is no freedom in the huge palace.

"Your Majesty, let's go play chess."

After walking for a while, Gu Shijin began to feel bored.

Lu Junze looked at Gu Shijin and asked, "Do you know how to play Go?"

"No." Gu Shijin shook her head confidently, "But I can play Gobang."

"Gobang? What is Gobang?" Lu Junze asked.

Gu Shijin became excited when he talked about this, and he took Lu Junze's hand and ran into the house.

"Jin'er, slow down." Lu Junze said helplessly.

Gu Shijin asked Xingzhu to set out the chessboard, then took out the chess pieces and began to explain the rules of Gobang to Lu Junze.

"That's it. It doesn't matter if you place the chess pieces horizontally, vertically or diagonally. As long as five pieces are connected, you win." Gu Shijin drew the chess pieces. "Does the emperor know how to do it?"

Of course Lu Junze could understand such a simple thing at a glance.

Lu Junze nodded.

"Then I want the black piece." Gu Shijin brought the black piece to his side and placed the white piece in front of Lu Junze.

Gu Shijin originally thought that he was an experienced person and Lu Junze was a beginner, and that he would definitely win the first two games. However, he did not expect that Lu Junze had already had five consecutive white pieces when he had just placed the tenth piece in the first game.

"Ah, how could I not see it!" Gu Shijin regretted deeply as she looked at the five white pieces standing upright. How could she have ignored such five obvious pieces?

Gu Shijin quickly picked up the white piece and threw it back into Lu Junze's chess basket. "It doesn't count. This game doesn't count."

Lu Junze chuckled and said lovingly, “Okay, this round doesn’t count.”

Gu Shijin didn't feel anything was wrong and started the next game immediately.

The fact is that IQ is determined by fate. In the second game, Gu Shijin lasted a little longer than in the first, but he still lost in the end.

"Ah, why did I lose again?!"

"Come again."

In the end, Gu Shijin finally won with Lu Junze's intentional or unintentional letting the water flow.

"Your Majesty, I won." Gu Shijin shouted happily.

Lu Junze put down the chess piece and nodded, saying, “Yes, Jin’er won.”

"Jin'er, are you still going down?" Lu Junze asked.

Gu Shijin shook his head. Lu Junze stood up and took Gu Shijin's hand and walked into the bedroom. "Then let's rest."

The lights in Ningyu Pavilion did not go out until midnight, and Gu Shijin once again realized how good Lu Junze's physical strength was.

However, Gu Shijin has been sleeping more during the day recently, and he is not sleepy even after tossing and turning for so long.

Lu Junze held Gu Shijin in his arms, and Gu Shijin put his head on Lu Junze's chest.

"Your Majesty, how is the little princess?" Because the little princess was born prematurely and was weak, Gu Shijin had always wanted to go and see her, but she didn't want to go to Concubine De's palace, so she put the matter aside. Now she could ask Lu Junze if she was okay.

Lu Junze straightened Gu Shijin's sweat-soaked hair and said, "The imperial physician said that if you take good care of it, it will grow up."

The little princess did not suffer any substantial damage to her body, she just needed precious medicinal herbs and food to slowly nourish her, and the last thing the royal family lacked was precious things.

Concubine Liu suffered so much when she was pregnant with the little princess that Gu Shijin thought the little princess would be in poor health, but he didn't expect that.

Because those medicines are for boys and have no harm to girls.

In fact, if Gu Shijin thought about it carefully, he would be able to guess the reason. After all, among Lu Junze's existing children, girls are all healthy, while boys always have some defects.

Gu Shijin nodded: "That's good."

After a long while, Gu Shijin thought that Lu Junze had fallen asleep. She heard Lu Junze ask, "Jin'er, when Concubine Liu fell that day, did you notice anything unusual when you went over there?"

"Ah?" Gu Shijin turned to look at Lu Junze, confused.

"Just, will there be anyone or anything that is wrong when you arrive?"

Gu Shijin shook her head: "No, I met Concubine De coming from the direction of Yunguang Pavilion on the way. I went there with Concubine De and didn't notice anything different."

Lu Junze: “Yunguang Pavilion?”

Yunguang Pavilion is the residence of Concubine Li Guipin. Yunguang Pavilion is in the same direction as Yufu Palace, but in completely opposite directions to Yonghe Palace where Concubine De lives.

The banquet ended so late that day, what was Concubine De doing there?

"What's wrong, Your Majesty? Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing." Lu Junze patted Gu Shijin's back, "Is Concubine De alone?"

"No, there are also the maids and eunuchs of Concubine De."

"Eunuch?"

Lu Junze remembered that when Concubine De was in Yufu Palace, there were no eunuchs around her, but there were two little palace maids.

Lu Junze has a good memory and still has a general impression of the people who were in Yufu Palace that day.

"Yes, it was a little eunuch. I was frightened by Concubine Liu's scream, and it was that little eunuch who helped me up." Gu Shijin said.

Of course, this is not true. It was made up by Gu Shijin, but it doesn’t matter.

She just wanted to let the emperor know that Concubine De might have been responsible for Concubine Liu's accident.

"Your Majesty, why are you asking me this? Do you doubt me?"