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

"No... My aunt won't die. My stepmother promised me that as long as I stay in the palace and listen to my stepmother, she will treat my aunt and sister well. No, no..."

Zheng Baolin cried and shook her head, but when she got to the end of her words, even she seemed to not believe it.

"Baolin should know better than me what kind of person your stepmother is."

This sentence was equivalent to saying what Zheng Baolin didn't dare to think about in her heart, and she fell down limply.

"I am also a concubine's daughter. I know it's not easy for a concubine to survive in the family. But the worst thing people do is to try to cover their ears and steal the bell, pinning their hopes on the kindness that beasts don't have."

This time, Gu Youning did not help the person on the ground, but sighed condescendingly.

"Although your aunt is gone, your sister is still in the Zheng Mansion. You still have a chance to mend the situation."

The word "sister" was like the path God showed her when she was in despair.

The person who was so disheartened just now had a glint in her eyes. She stood up by herself, holding the rockery stone, and holding the hand of the palace maid, she bowed solemnly to Gu Youning: "Thank you, Concubine Jie, for telling me this. I will remember your kindness."

Zheng Baolin did not doubt Gu Youning's words. Such a lie could be exposed with just a little investigation. There was no need to waste effort.

She also knew that Concubine Gu had ulterior motives in telling her this, but if she hadn't given her this reminder, she would have waited until her younger sisters were arbitrarily married off by their stepmother and tortured to death, while she would still be obeying her elder sister's orders in the palace.

"You don't have to thank me. I helped you out of some empathy, but mostly out of selfish motives."

"When doing good deeds, we judge by deeds, not by our hearts. I cannot be away for too long, so I will go back first."

Zheng Baolin's face was obviously relieved, and it was obvious that Gu Youning's frankness comforted her very well.

"Master, do you want Zheng Baolin to help you deal with the imperial concubine?"

Coming out of the rockery, Tan Yin asked softly.

"No, she's helping herself."

Gu Youning shook his head.

"That's right, Master just reminded Zheng Baolin a few words today. Whatever she does in the future has nothing to do with Master."

Tan Yin also came to her senses.

"Your Majesty, be safe."

As the master and servant walked out of the west gate of the Imperial Garden, they saw the bright yellow imperial carriage.

"Come closer."

The emperor on the imperial carriage had a gloomy face and seemed a little unhappy.

Gu Youning walked towards the imperial carriage with his head lowered, feeling a little confused.

Could it be that the emperor knew what happened just now?

No, even if the emperor was in the imperial garden just now, it was impossible for him to hear what she and Zheng Baolin said.

When entering and leaving the rockery, she and Tan Ying looked around, but there was not even a palace maid around.

"Where did you go just now?"

A cold questioning voice came from the imperial carriage.

"Today, I took Zheng'er out to visit the Imperial Garden. Zheng'er felt a little cold, so I had him sent back to the palace. I sat by the rockery for a while and watched the koi in the lake."

"The koi in the imperial garden are much fatter than those in the palace. I wonder how they taste?"

Because of the doubts in his heart, Gu Youning's answers were still nine-tenths true and one-tenth false, and he still had the innocence of the past.

"You are useless. I need you to eat and drink."

"That koi fish is not meant to be eaten."

The emperor snorted softly on his carriage, and the corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily.

But he immediately remembered that he had just seen people from Changchun Palace bringing Zheng'er out, but did not see the girl. Afraid that something had happened to her, he worriedly sent people to look for her in the Imperial Garden. However, the man was watching the koi with great interest, and the emperor's mouth drooped again.

She stood up and stepped down from the imperial carriage. Just as she was about to give him a few harsh words of reprimand, a soft and pleasantly surprised voice came from behind: "Your Majesty? Your Majesty, I greet you."

Gu Youning looked up and saw the woman behind the imperial carriage wearing a rouge-red palace dress, with a pair of charming eyes fixed on the emperor.

"No gift."

The emperor raised his hand.

"Your Majesty, I haven't seen you for a long time, and I miss you so much."

Concubine Lu grabbed the emperor's hand, which he had not had time to withdraw, and leaned forward softly, placing the emperor's hand on her chest.

"Your Majesty, look how much it misses you."

This Concubine Lu is truly a beauty. No wonder she is the concubine who sleeps with the most people in the harem.

If she were a man, she would definitely like this kind of good fortune.

Gu Youning thought to himself.

"Okay, I'm going to Roufu Palace today."

The emperor saw that the woman next to him had no jealousy or hatred in her eyes, and was actually appreciating her with interest. The words "How shameful" that were about to come out of his mouth were replaced with this.

"I will take my leave first."

Gu Youning noticed the emperor's unfriendly look and knew it was time for him to leave.

"Master, don't worry. Although Lady Lu comes from one of the four great families, she behaves in a dissolute manner, and most of the concubines in the palace look down on her."

On the way back to Changchun Palace, Tan Yin saw that her master was a little silent, so she spoke to comfort him.

"I don't care about that. There are so many women in the palace. It would be difficult for me to be obsessed with all of them. I just think that Lady Lu's behavior is indeed not that of a lady from a noble family."

Gu Youning always felt that there was a worldly air about Lady Lu, and her every gesture was very similar to the woman Xiao Yunan brought from a brothel into the palace in his previous life.

But she was only puzzled for a moment. Perhaps the Lu family had specially hired someone to train their daughter in order to gain the emperor's favor.

When they returned to Changchun Palace, the little palace maid He'er ran up with an anxious look on her face.

"What happened?"

Tan Yin asked.

He'er glanced around.

"Let's go into the hall and talk."

Gu Youning said.

Entering the palace, He'er first bowed to Gu Youning, then stood up and said, "The palace maid that Sister Tanyin asked me to find a few days ago has been found. The maid's name is Yulian. She was beaten with fifty boards by Eunuch Cao and sent to the palace."

"She is a slave who has offended the Emperor. Now she is in the palace with no one to take care of her. She is so sick that she is only half dead. If she doesn't get treatment, I'm afraid she won't live long."

The reason why He'er was so anxious was because of this reason. She thought that her master's request for her to inquire about the palace maid must be useful.

"Yulian has already made up her mind to die, and she only begged me to save her brother, saying that Lady Lu would never let him go."

"She is already ill and confused, and I just responded randomly."

He'er continued.

"You did a great job, please step back."

"This is a reward for you."

Tan Yin stuffed a gold ingot into He'er's hand.

"Don't refuse. Your family is in need of money right now."

Seeing He'er about to kneel down to refuse with a look of panic on her face, Gu Youning spoke gently.

"Yes, this servant thanks the master for his kindness."

He'er worked so hard just to show off in front of her master so that she could make meritorious deeds in the future, but her master actually rewarded her generously.

With this gold ingot, her father could get some good medicine to treat the disease without having to boil the same medicine for three meals.

To such a good master, she is willing to be loyal to him for life, even if it costs her life.

He'er left the hall with a grateful look on her face.

"Let Yuan Cai go to the palace and save the life of that palace maid."

"Also, invite Lan Sizhen from the Shanggong Bureau over tomorrow and tell him I need to make some jewelry."