Gu Jin followed the old man into the palace, but in the end only the old man returned, causing another huge stir in the Chengguo Gong Fu, with everyone's heart filled with great ripples.

  Everyone is eager to know what's going on.

  The second daughter's fifth sister cried and refused to go out, urging her parents to quarrel with the eldest uncle and ask why they gave the opportunity to the seventh sister.

  The second master and the second lady did not dare.

  They all fear the great master.

  The lady overheard some rumors and waited for the old master to return from court, then told him: "...I said it from the beginning, Baoyu is not reliable. Nothing has been decided yet, but she's already making a big fuss about it, do you still expect her to gain favor in the palace in the future? If she doesn't cause trouble, it's just burning incense for nothing!"

  The old master Gu Yanwu's eyebrows also furrowed.

  He knew that none of the three daughters in the second house were quite up to par.

  The fifth sister has a strong personality, she was competitive since childhood and is proud of her achievements. The fourth sister looks ordinary, the sixth sister is timid and weak but also stubbornly foolish.

  Those two are still not as good as Wu Niang.

  Gu Chengzhong himself had no concubines, only a pair of children born to his wife Ning. His daughter Gu Yue is now 22 years old and was married into the Tang family of Kuaining five years ago.

  He had no choice but to pick from among the short ones, and he chose the fifth daughter of the second wife.

  No one knows, because the empress dowager fell ill, the originally scheduled selection of imperial consorts was delayed for over a year, and now it is still uncertain when it will take place.

  The Empress Dowager's illness is getting worse, and the Emperor is so busy with state affairs that he has no time to think about taking a new concubine.

  "Good-for-nothing!" The old master scolded the fifth daughter with a gloomy face, "A thing that can't be used again, fortunately she hasn't entered the palace yet! If she had entered the palace, where would I, this elder brother, be placed in their eyes?"

  The old man sent his niece into the palace, which was in order to be closer to the emperor.

  But if this niece were to incur the emperor's hatred, wouldn't that ruin Master's current prospects?

  This fifth daughter is really not as good as the newly arrived seventh daughter!

  Seven Girls...

  The old master still can't recall her appearance. After she returned to the capital, everyone only had dinner together, and the old master only saw her once before following the old master into the palace.

  She didn't say a word, not like her third brother and sister Song's family who were so glib, but she had some quiet elegance. From the outside, she looked like Old Three Gu Yanjing, with a soft personality.

  "What's wrong with that?" The old lady sighed, "I thought she was stronger, originally it wasn't wrong. Usually when nothing's happening, you can't test her depth. Now look at her, simply not decent!"

  The old master nodded in agreement.

  The two things of Seventh Sister returning to the capital and entering the palace again are like a mirror reflecting her true form, revealing Fifth Sister's true nature.

  "I'd rather wait until I understand what Father is doing by bringing Rong'er into the palace. If it's a good thing, why not just recommend Rong'er instead!" The old madam said in a low voice, "I don't trust Pei'er at all, she can't handle anything."

  The old man didn't say anything.

  He sank into deep thought.

  They had lunch at the Wang's residence, and then Old Master went back to the government office.

  He really wanted to know what Gu Jinzhi was doing in the palace.

  It's no use asking Old Gu about it. I can only go to the palace gate to make some inquiries.

  As a result, he heard that the emperor had sent back all the people from the Imperial Hospital, not allowing them to diagnose the Empress Dowager's illness, and only left Guo Gong in the Kunning Palace to serve her.

  But Guo Guo has returned home.

  Could it be...

  Only Gu Jin remained?

  Mr. Gu Yanwai was puzzled in his heart.

  What is this little girl doing with Gu's family?

  Gu Yanwu returned home with many doubts.

  "Go sit with the Song family for a bit and listen in." The old master said to the old mistress.

  Madam said yes and headed towards Song Dang Er's place.

  Not yet entering the courtyard, I already heard the laughter from inside. This laughter can probably be heard all the way to Er Fang's Xiu Fang Pavilion too. Who knows what she's thinking about again at this hour?

  The madam sighed.

  In this household, everything has to be managed by her alone. However, the younger sisters-in-law and nieces are all troublesome and have their own ideas.

  Two houses and three houses will be like this. It's inevitable that they will fight sooner or later.

  Madam entered the Quiet Garden.

  Song Pan'er was sitting on the kang, smiling brightly; the whole room was surrounded by maidservants. They were all staring; in the center of the room, Gu Xuan and Gu Xun, two brothers, were playing a guessing game, with various tricks, making Song Pan'er and the maidservants laugh so hard they held their bellies.

  Everyone stopped when they saw Madame coming in.

  The maidservants who were no longer needed all withdrew and left, leaving only a few personal attendants behind.

  Song Pan'er went down from the kang and welcomed Madame Yu, then sat back up on the kang.

  Gu Xun and Gu Xuan, two brothers, came over to pay their respects to their aunt and returned together.

  Madam quickly got to the point, pulled Song Xiang'er's hand and said: "Jin sister is still in the palace, I'm afraid you're worried, specially came to tell you: Jin sister is serving in front of the Empress Dowager..."

  Song Pan'er was not surprised at all and didn't worry either. She smiled and said: "Father sent someone to tell me."

  She wasn't curious about what her daughter was doing in the palace at all?

  Or does she know?

  Madam's mind was turning, and she asked: "Wan'er, what else did Father say? I heard that the Empress Dowager is not in good health?"

  Song Pan'er had always liked this sister-in-law and knew that although she was opinionated, her actions were reasonable. She didn't hide it from her: "The Empress Dowager's health is indeed poor. Sister Jin is in the palace taking care of the Empress Dowager's illness. Sister-in-law, you don't know yet, do you? Sister Jin followed Father and learned a good skill!"

  The madam was shocked.

  She certainly knew that Gu Jin was treating illnesses in the palace.

  Could it be that Old Master Gu and Song Tan'er both think that Gu Jin's medical skills are genuine? If he messes up, the entire family will lose their lives!

  Song Pan'er's tone of voice revealed a few points of joy in her heart, it can be seen that she really did!

  The madam was shocked and felt that something was fishy. Looking at Song Tan'er's delighted face, she thought her daughter really could make a name for herself in front of the empress dowager.

  Song Paner is also so ignorant despite being a bit stronger!

  Have you gone silly living in Yangling Prefecture?

  The madam furrowed her brow, unable to think of a solution, and left the quiet garden.

  Madam Ning had just left when Song Pan'er felt that the air in this room was a bit strange and stifling.

  She felt nauseous at her chest.

  "She opened the west window." Song Pan'er said to Mu Qing in front of her, "Just now I was excited, there were too many people standing in the house, and the whole room was filled with stagnant air. I felt suffocated."

  Mo Qingdao personally opened half a window.

  Opened the window, and in the courtyard, there is a faint scent of plum blossoms, reminiscent of lingering thoughts.

  That smell was originally something Song Dan'er liked, but now it's somehow unbearable.

  "Bring me a spittoon!" she ordered her maid urgently.

  Da Ya Niang hurriedly handed a spittoon to Song Pan'er.

  Song Pan'er coughed up several mouthfuls of yellow phlegm.

  The whole house of maids and servants were frightened to death.

  "Third Mistress, it's just as well that the old master is still in the mansion. Shall I go and invite him to come and take a look at you? You were feeling unwell this morning, weren't you? Perhaps it's just a case of being unaccustomed to the local water..."

  Gu Jinzhi's wet nurse, Zhu Mama, was also by her side.

  She couldn't help but wonder if Mrs. had these symptoms, how could they be so similar to those of a pregnant woman?

  Mrs. Ke had two children, if she was pregnant, wouldn't she know herself? Looking at her like that, it's clear she hasn't forgotten about this suspicion.

  Mom is cautious by nature and she's also not very close with Song Pan'er. So I don't dare to say more.

  “……Last night, I drank some Huangjiu wine and ate a bowl of duck congee. It must be that my stomach is not feeling well. And the water and soil in this capital are different from ours, plus the bumpy road, what a big deal! How dare you make Old Master work hard!” Song Pan'er said with a smile.

  She also had some worries in her heart and didn't dare to tell the maids.

  She was in a similar situation when she was pregnant with Gu Yu and Gu Xuan.

  But she's at this age now, and having another child is simply embarrassing!

  Song Pan'er didn't want to go see the old master, also harboring a glimmer of hope: hopefully it wasn't that she had gotten pregnant, she really didn't want people gossiping about her.

  If it were in Yanling Prefecture, her own place, then it would be nothing.

  It's in Beijing...

  Song Pan'er felt uneasy and anxious in her heart, and also a little apprehensive.

  The lady returned to her own courtyard and told the old master what Song Pan'er had meant.

  The old master burst out laughing: "To treat the Empress Dowager's illness?"

  He found it laughable.

  Then he said, "Really don't know the height of heaven and earth, living in a rural area for a long time, frogs at the bottom of the well! The Empress Dowager's illness, I am most clear. Even the old master didn't take good care of it, but instead left Jin sister in the palace. How do you know that the old master didn't make some kind of secret recipe? Wanting a clean girl to be a medicine guide? Song Shi is foolish and happy!"

  The lady was so startled by what he said that her heart skipped a beat.

  "Grandpa isn't that kind of person, is he? Using his own granddaughter..."

  "You still think he's a good guy!" The old master said of his own father, with a mouthful of disgust, just short of spitting, "If he can cure the Empress Dowager, he will be the greatest benefactor of the imperial family, and live a life of glory and wealth, with everything at his fingertips! For six years in Yanling Prefecture, he didn't make a sound, but as soon as he heard that the Empress Dowager was ill, he rushed back. Do you think he's really above worldly desires?"

  The lady did not refute it.

  She didn't believe her husband's words, but she also didn't argue with him.

  The old master and the old lady have a gap, and the madam knows it.

  They were like father and son sworn enemies.

  The old madam has been married to the Gu family for over thirty years, and she is most clear about her mother-in-law's personality. The old master indeed has some eccentricities, but he is a good person.

  He resorted to trickery and had his own granddaughter brought into the palace to be killed, something the old master could not bring himself to do.

  Gu Jinzhi stayed in the palace after all for what, Master believed his own speculation, must have taken medicine to induce, afraid can't come back, Mrs. has reservations.

  However, Old Master Gu has made contributions in front of Tianjia, and all the benefits are on the head of the Gu family, and the old master also benefits.

  He doesn't care about his niece's life or death, and he can do it as easily as an old man.

  On the second day, the old master went to court early.

  Song Pan'er got up early and vomited again.

  This time, she felt a chill: didn't run away, probably got pregnant.

  Gu Yanzhen was frightened and hurriedly went to invite Old Master to come and take Song Pantou's pulse.

  Song Pan'er's face turned bright red, looking both shy and ashamed.

  Gu Yanwen was bewildered and anxious to the point of being unable to act.

  The old man's eyes had a hint of calm smile: "A thriving family, this is a good omen, nothing to worry about. Are you living in the rumors and gossip of others?"

  He said this to Song Meng'er.

  "Another child is going to be added to your household." The old man turned around and said to Gu Yan's tense face.

  Gu Yanwen paused for a moment before reacting, overjoyed, almost jumping up, with a smile all over his face.

  ——*——*——*——

  Thank you daxiang8911, 熱戀^^ and 卿卿 for your rewards.

  Second update O(n_n)O~ seeking pink votes.