The daughter of the first wife grew up in the countryside and was extremely powerful

The reason why the queen behaved in this way was because she had a special purpose in mind, so when she treated her, she naturally showed more kindness than before.

Not much time passed before the emperor finally arrived, accompanied by a series of light but clearly audible footsteps coming from afar.

Everyone present stood up and bowed respectfully to the emperor.

The emperor walked up to the main seat with a swift and graceful stride, his face full of joy. He waved his hand with a smile and said in a clear voice:

"Never mind! Today is just an ordinary palace banquet. My dear ministers, there is no need to be so restrained. Please take a seat!"

However, even though the emperor had asked everyone to relax, how could those present dare to act recklessly?

They responded in unison, then slowly sat down with great respect.

At this moment, Gu Fanchu seemed calm on the surface, but his heart was actually already in turmoil.

While others weren't paying attention, her beautiful eyes scanned the crowd inconspicuously, as if she was eagerly searching for someone.

Hard work pays off. When her gaze moved to the left of where His Majesty was sitting, she finally met those familiar and deep eyes.

Those eyes were like a deep lake, with no bottom to be seen, and contained endless comfort.

At this moment, Gu Fanchu's originally restless heart instantly calmed down.

As the banquet officially began, a group of palace maids with graceful figures and beautiful faces came in one after another. They moved lightly in and out of the hall, holding trays steadily in their hands.

On it are placed delicious dishes with great color, aroma and taste, ready to be presented to the guests.

When everyone had finished three rounds of wine and five dishes, and the atmosphere was becoming increasingly heated, the Queen finally took action.

She turned slightly and whispered to the emperor who was sitting casually beside her:

"Your Majesty, I've heard that the young lady who returned from the General's Mansion is not only incredibly intelligent and clever, but she also helped Noble Concubine Xi and the Censor's wife successfully cure their illnesses. At first, I thought she was just a dabbler in medicine, a casual novice, but I never imagined she possessed such extraordinary skills and could bring people back to health! Now, Noble Concubine Xi and Madam Zhang are both pregnant, as they wished. It's truly astonishing! This proves that this young lady truly possesses extraordinary abilities."

After saying this, the Queen's loving gaze slowly turned to Gu Fanchu, who was sitting quietly below. A faint smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, and she continued:

"Your Majesty, you are aware that our Yu'er has been in poor health since she was a child. It is precisely because of this that the selection of the Crown Princess has been delayed. I have been thinking recently that if I could have someone so proficient in medicine by Yu'er's side at all times, to carefully care for her, wouldn't that be a good thing, killing two birds with one stone, a win-win situation?"

At this point, the Queen thought to herself that since she had chosen to bring up the matter under these circumstances, His Majesty would surely not reject her request outright in front of everyone.

You know, even if the prince is not favored by the emperor, how could His Majesty, as the king of a country, really ignore his own son?

What's more, the prince has the Xue family as a solid backing.

Even if we don’t consider the prince himself, we have to consider the Xue family’s reputation!

At this moment, the ministers and ladies sitting below exchanged glances with each other tacitly.

Obviously, they had already seen through the real intention behind the Queen's move - to facilitate the marriage between the Prince and the famous Princess Lingyu of the General's Mansion.

As everyone knows, the prince has been weak and sickly since childhood, and he has always been low-key and cautious in his daily behavior.

In this way, it is not difficult for everyone to infer that this marriage must have been instructed by the Queen.

However, what was unexpected was that the queen actually tried to win over the powerful general's mansion. Her ambition was truly shocking.

After hearing this, the emperor's expression darkened slightly, revealing a hint of displeasure.

With his wisdom, he could easily see the hidden meaning in the Queen's words.

However, when he recalled what they had just discussed in the study, his originally slightly gloomy heart suddenly became clear.

"Princess Lingyu truly possesses extraordinary abilities! Her medical prowess at such a young age is truly astonishing. Furthermore, her intelligence and sharp wit are truly rare. Whenever I think of this girl, I feel immense fondness for her!"

The emperor spoke slowly, his words full of praise.

After he finished speaking, he looked thoughtfully towards the general's residence, as if he wanted to see through layers of barriers and see everything there clearly.

"I remember that we only met briefly last time and didn't get a good look at her. Come, Princess Lingyu, please step forward quickly so I can get a closer look at this beautiful lady with both talent and beauty."

As the emperor finished speaking, the hearts of everyone in the general's mansion instantly rose to their throats. Cold sweat broke out in everyone's palms, and their nervousness was beyond words.

They knew very well that this audience with the emperor was of great significance. If the emperor really followed the empress's wishes, then the next step would most likely be to grant the marriage contract in front of everyone.

For the general's mansion, this is undoubtedly a major event that concerns the family's honor, disgrace, prosperity and decline.

Gu Fanchu's heart trembled slightly, but he quickly calmed down.

She took a deep breath, then stood up calmly, first gently adjusted the hem of her skirt, then walked slowly towards the center of the hall with graceful lotus steps.

Every step she took seemed so dignified and elegant, like a blooming lotus, slowly blossoming under everyone's attention.

After walking to the middle and standing still, Gu Fanchu bowed slightly, folded his hands in front of him, and respectfully saluted the emperor and empress on the high seats, and said softly:

"Your Majesty and Your Majesty are so kind. I really don't deserve it."

Her voice is clear and pleasant, like a yellow oriole singing out of a valley, or like pearls falling on a jade plate, which makes people feel good when they hear it.

At this time, the eyes of everyone around were focused on Gu Fanchu.

Among them, some people's eyes were filled with envy and jealousy. They secretly wondered why this woman was so lucky to be favored by His Majesty and the Queen.

Some people's eyes revealed a hint of gloating. These people thought that even if she was in a great position now, once she was married to the sickly Crown Prince, her life would probably not be so good in the future.

After all, everyone in the palace knew that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had been frail and sickly since childhood, and even His Majesty did not like him very much. How could he pass the throne to such a sickly person?