Seizing the throne, abolishing the adopted son, the imperial concubine rose to prominence

Just as the emperor frowned and hesitated, the queen smiled and looked at Gu Youning, "Concubines in the harem cannot be promoted easily without merit. Right now, only Concubine Gu is of the third rank, and the Second Prince is particularly close to Concubine Gu. Why not raise the Second Prince in Changchun Palace for now?"

After the Queen finished speaking, she turned back to look at the Emperor and said, "Next year, the two princes will also be attending school. Then we can give the Second Prince a separate palace to live in. This will also reduce the gossip."

The Queen's words were like a blessing from heaven to Xiao Yun'an. He had always wanted to get close to his mother but was unable to do so. As long as he spent some time with her, he would surely win her favor.

Gu Youning couldn't help sneering in his heart.

It turned out to be waiting for me here.

No wonder the Queen wanted to hold He Cairen hostage just now. She wanted to force Xiao Yun'an into her palace.

Not to mention that she had a deep hatred with Xiao Yun'an, she would not even raise an ordinary prince or princess. If she raised them well, it might not be a reward, but if she raised them poorly, she would get herself into trouble.

What's more, the Queen's move was obviously ill-intentioned.

"It is my blessing that the Empress trusts me."

Gu Youning was about to help Tan Yin stand up when he heard the emperor say gently, "You are not feeling well, just sit down and talk."

"Gu Jieyu is well-mannered and well-behaved, and has raised the eldest prince to be well-behaved and intelligent. The emperor and I both trust you. Then I will have the palace servants deal with the second prince..."

The Queen wanted to settle the matter as she spoke.

"But Her Majesty, you also know that Zheng'er just had a fright a few days ago and hasn't recovered yet. He still has to take medicine every day. I'm afraid I don't have the energy to do anything else."

Seeing that the Queen was trying to persuade him with a gentle expression, Gu Youning continued in a slow voice, "Besides, when it comes to knowing etiquette and observing rules, how can I compare to He Cairen? When Cairen was in the Eastern Palace, she helped the Queen with the affairs of the Inner Court, so she is naturally more competent than I am."

"But He Cairen's current position..."

The queen seemed to agree with Gu Youning's words, but her expression was a little embarrassed.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Sister He was demoted for mismanaging the Empress Dowager's birthday ceremony. However, she now kneels and prays for the Empress Dowager every day with a sincere heart. If the Empress Dowager can recover soon, it will also be Sister He's contribution."

At this time, Sun Cainv, who was hiding in the corner, spoke timidly.

Disdain flashed in the eyes of the concubines. This Sun Cainv was loyal to Guanju Palace. She had gained all the benefits by following her. Now she was actually finding an opportunity to plead for He Zhiyi.

"What Sun Cainu said is ridiculous. If the Queen Mother can recover soon, it is because of the filial piety of the Emperor and the Empress and the blessing of heaven. What does it have to do with He Cairen?"

Lady Lu was feeling lost and heartbroken. When she heard this, she subconsciously sneered and even abandoned her usually charming and gentle voice.

"He Cairen taught Lady Lu according to the palace rules. Why should Lady Lu bear a grudge and pick on He Cairen for everything?"

Sun Cainv suddenly changed her timid attitude and spoke loudly.

"How dare you, a lowly concubine, criticize a high-ranking concubine? Come here..."

Lady Lu was already furious, and after being provoked by Sun Cainv's words, she lost her composure and forgot where she was.

"Shut up, everyone."

The emperor at the top slammed the table hard.

"The Queen Mother is still ill. How can you make such a noise here?"

"I know I was wrong, please punish me, Your Majesty."

Sun Cainv quickly knelt down and apologized.

Concubine Lu stood upright, her eyes filled with grievance and tears falling on the emperor.

A beauty with tears in her eyes is a very pleasing sight, but the emperor is worried at the moment, and Concubine Lu's behavior makes her look unrepentant.

"Concubine Lu was disrespectful before the Emperor and shall be fined three months' salary."

The emperor said coldly.

Concubine Lu was in disbelief. It was only when the maid beside her pulled her that she bowed with red eyes and said, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your punishment."

After this incident, everyone could see that the emperor was in a bad mood and dared not say anything.

"Since there is no suitable concubine to raise the Second Prince, he will continue to stay in Guanju Palace under the care of Concubine He."

The emperor's gaze swept over the crowd below and he spoke majestically.

"Since that's the Emperor's wish, then I'll have to trouble He Cairen with the Second Prince's affairs."

"The Second Prince has just been frightened, so Cairen He must be more careful when taking care of him."

The queen's eyes flickered, and she no longer insisted on her previous statement.

"I will obey the orders of the Emperor and the Empress."

He Cairen still had that indifferent expression, but there was a hint of annoyance in his eyes.

If it was an ordinary prince, she would have kept him as a carefree child to relieve the emperor's worries. However, the empress dowager loved peace and quiet because Xiao Yun'an was in a coma and she didn't know why. She didn't want to get involved in these troubles. Moreover, the second prince was only interested in Gu Youning. Although she didn't expect to gain any benefits from him, she didn't want to raise an ungrateful person.

Never mind. At most, I can hire a few more nannies to keep a strict eye on her and make sure she doesn't cause any trouble.

He Cairen agreed reluctantly, and Xiao Yunan felt even more resentful and hateful.

But this resentment was directed at Gu Youning.

After his rebirth, he tried to show kindness and closeness to his mother several times, and pity her for his whole life. But why was his mother so cruel, so indifferent to him, and even refused to take him in?

Could it be that because my mother was favored by my father in this life, her mind became corrupted and she had long lost the pure kindness of her previous life?

Gu Youning didn't notice Xiao Yun'an's expression, but just glanced at Lady Wen with a slightly worried look.

But even if she noticed, she wouldn't care. Xiao Yun'an had already harbored murderous intentions towards Zheng'er and had put them into action. With new and old grudges, they had long been irreconcilable.

"There are still memorials to be reviewed in the Qianzheng Palace. I will return first. The remaining matters will be handled by the Empress. If my mother wakes up, please tell me."

The emperor stood up.

"Yes, I will take care of everything."

The queen quickly stood up.

The emperor nodded and walked downstairs, and the concubines knelt down to see him off respectfully.

When he reached Gu Youning, the emperor stopped.

"You don't have to leave tonight. You and Zheng'er can pack up and come back tomorrow."

"Yes."

Gu Youning lowered his head in response.

"you……"

The emperor felt a little choked up when he saw that the woman was unwilling to look up and look at him, but because of the concubines in the hall, he didn't say anything more.

After the emperor left, the concubines also lost interest.

"The Empress Dowager loves quiet and quiet, and now that it's freezing outside, I won't arrange for you ladies to attend to her. All the palace ladies should follow the Emperor's instructions and devoutly copy Buddhist scriptures and offer them to the Baohua Hall to pray for the Empress Dowager."

"Yes, I will follow your Majesty's orders."

Hearing this, everyone became happy again. If they came to serve the empress dowager, not to mention that it would be difficult to serve her, it would be very painful to go back and forth in the cold wind every day, and they didn't have a sedan chair to sit in.

Gu Youning saw that the concubines were sincerely grateful to the Queen and admired her, so she was defeated twice by him and was now trying to win people's hearts.

The queen gave a few more instructions and then asked everyone to disperse, while she stayed in Ci'an Palace to take care of the patient.

"It's cold at night, why don't we squeeze in together?"

When they arrived at the palace gate, Gu Youning stopped Concubine Wen who was about to leave.

"it is good."

Lady Wen looked at Gu Youning for a moment, and finally nodded in agreement.

"Are you angry that I just suggested that He Cairen continue to support the Second Prince?"