Arriving at the Gu's residence, Zhu Zhongjun heard that the former King of Luoyang was still lingering and didn't leave, he hesitated for a moment.

  He still returned to his own palace afterwards.

  There were two guards brought from Luzhou beside him.

  The steward was a permanent resident of the capital.

  He carefully and cleverly inquired about some things, figured out his own situation, and understood his relationship with Gu Jinzhi. He also started to linger at the Gu's house.

  When Gu Zhenzhi taught her brother to read, he lazily leaned on the big pillow beside him, holding a book of Analects and reading with great concentration.

  But he has changed completely.

  Uncle Wang didn't quite understand what had changed about Zhu Zhongjun, he just felt that he was different from the previous Prince Wang.

  In the past, Luoyang Wang was silly, but he smiled very sincerely and brightly at Huan Ge.

  Zhu Zhongjun's smile was shallow, with a hint of pretence, and not coming from the heart.

  Weng's brother could feel it, but couldn't say it out loud, so he didn't like talking to Zhu Zhongjun.

  After reading the book, Mu Qing was in the small kitchen of the Zhengyuan, making some pastries for them.

  Wang Ge took the opportunity to slip away and take a look.

  Song Pan'er is resting in the inner room, she has been very tired lately.

  Her belly is getting bigger and bigger, Gu Jinzhi's premonition might be twins.

  This also exhausted Song Pan'er's energy.

  Dong Ci was originally where Gu Jin's younger brother studied, and there wasn't a single servant in front of him.

  As soon as Wang Er ran away, Zhu Zhongjun crawled over and leaned against Gu Jin's thigh, continuing to read his book.

  Gu Jin tapped his forehead lightly: "Lean against the pillow and snore... If someone comes in and sees you, what kind of impression will it give?"

  Zhu Zhongjun's lips curled slightly, unmoved: "I'm an idiot! I'm holding your hand outside, and others don't think it's lost its dignity!"

  Gu Jinzhi didn't say anything else.

  Her hand gently stroked his cheek, jaw, neck and lips, back and forth.

  Gently, with the palmar surface of the fingers rubbing.

  Zhu Zhongjun finally couldn't bear it anymore, got up and stared at her: "Do you usually tease a fool like this? Gu Jinzhi. You're not pure enough."

  Gu Jin raised an eyebrow and smiled lightly.

  Even pretending to be foolish requires capital.

  After that, Zhu Zhongjun didn't dare to act silly in front of Gu Jin anymore.

  Sometimes he would say: "This life is going to marry you again. A couple for two lifetimes, it's really strange. We didn't have such a deep fate in our previous life either."

  Gu Jinzhi ignored him.

  She brought Zhu Zhongjun into the palace once.

  Zhu Zhongjun remembered what Gu Jin said, that the King of Luyang was very close to the Empress Dowager, and the Kunning Palace where she lived was where he grew up. He had no scruples about anything and could shout in the great hall.

  He thought of several fools he had seen in his past life.

  He pretended very well.

  Not to mention the Empress Dowager, even Gu Jin'er looked a bit dazed after seeing it.

  She had almost forgotten that Zhu Zhongjun was a particularly good actor. Those words and actions towards her in those days also quickly faded from Gu Jin's heart.

  The emperor took Zhu Zhongjun to the imperial garden and asked him about the wound on his head.

  Gu Jin followed him.

  Zhu Zhongjun burst into tears in front of the emperor: "...... it hurts so much. Xiaogui said not to tell Empress Dowager, she will worry. But it hurts."

  Cried heartbrokenly.

  Gu Jin's heart skipped a beat.

  The King of Loyang is just like this.

  The emperor gently patted his head, sighed and reminded him: "From now on, listen to Xiao Qi's words carefully and don't climb high."

  Zhu Zhongjun wiped away his tears and said he understood.

  On his way back, he asked Gu Jinzhi: "How was it? What do you think of what I did?"

  Gu Jinzhi closed his eyes and remained silent.

  She's feeling a bit down.

  Zhu Zhongjun was a very astute person. He could guess her emotions from just one glance at Gu Jin's eyes.

  He asked: "You don't really like that fool, do you?"

  Then the carriage fell silent.

  Arrived at Gu's residence, Zhu Zhongjun was again that foolish Prince Wang.

  He's already gotten used to pretending.

  He had eaten dinner and was still in the study room with his siblings doing their homework.

  On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival in May, Empress Dowager granted permission for Gu Jin to accompany Song Tian'er into the palace to pay her respects.

  They were a mother and daughter without a title, originally they couldn't enter the palace. The Empress Dowager then issued an edict.

  Also afraid of other consorts in attendance. Making Song Tan'er uncomfortable, she refused to let others enter the palace and only invited Gu Jin's mother and daughter.

  The Empress Dowager also heard that Song Pan'er had always been very competitive and strong-willed.

  Song Paner was very moved.

  She gradually became satisfied with King Luoyang and was even more grateful to the Empress Dowager. The unhappiness that marriage had brought her also disappeared.

  She was respectful yet lively in front of the empress dowager, which slightly surprised the latter.

  The empress dowager didn't know, but Song Pan'er was very well-mannered and articulate, yet not servile or obsequious at all. As a result, she also genuinely thought that Song Pan'er was great.

  She treated them to a lunch, and also gave them some medicinal supplements, letting Cheng's aunt personally escort them out of the palace gate.

  After feasting Song Daner and her mother, the Empress Dowager ordered Gongsun to bring all the selected women from the Ministry of Revenue to Kunning Palace.

  More than fifty people in total.

  This time the palace is going to select eighteen people.

  Changshun had long gone to the front station. He knew which female leads were must-haves and which ones could be chosen, and he quietly gave hints to the empress dowager one by one.

  The Empress Dowager had some interest in Gu Jinzhi's elder sister.

  She knew that the Emperor was promoting Guo Yanwei, and must be planning to reuse him.

  The empress dowager then asked, "Which one is Madame Guo of the Chengguo Duke's estate?"

  Gu Wan's heart skipped a beat as she stepped out of the crowd and went forward to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager.

  The empress dowager told her to lift up her head.

  Gu's elder sister is just like her second uncle, a beautiful life.

  Sixth Sister is not as good-looking as Fifth Sister, but she still surpasses most female leads, at least more charming than Gu Jinzhi.

  The empress dowager smiled and said: "Very good!"

  A good sentence, let everyone remember Gu Wan Zhi.

  This is something with an empress dowager as its backing.

  Gu Xuan was overjoyed, but felt dizzy and disoriented. She had been trying her best to make a good impression in front of the Empress Dowager, to show off her good feelings.

  But little did she know, the Empress Dowager had already found out about her.

  The empress dowager asked her a few questions, and she replied in a somewhat tense tone.

  The Empress Dowager smiled kindly: "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. I won't eat you."

  Everyone burst out laughing.

  Gu Wan's palms were also sweating, and she couldn't help but laugh along with him.

  Then Chang Shun came in and loudly announced: The Emperor has arrived.

  All the beautiful girls were nervous in their hearts.

  The Empress Dowager also stood up and welcomed the Emperor.

  The emperor sat down beside the empress dowager and asked with a smile: "Mother, haven't you chosen yet?"

  "This is just the beginning." The Empress Dowager said with a smile.

  Gu Wan had already stood at the front, and the emperor saw her at a glance.

  He glanced over the crowd, each one with their heads down, tall and short, fat and thin, all looking alike, and he couldn't tell who was who.

  He raised his voice slightly and asked Empress Dowager Cixi, "Which one is the niece of Grand Secretary Guo?"

  The crowd of women listened, feeling both admiration and jealousy.

  Two of them were sent by the Tan family and the Xia Shoufu's family. The Tan family was the maternal family of the previous empress, while Xia Shoufu was the first person in the current court.

  The emperor and empress dowager did not ask them but only asked the Gu family.

  What's good about being domestic?

  A family that made its fortune by selling medicine, only gained some reputation in recent years. When the prestigious families in Beijing mention the Gu family, they feel that they are not profound enough and look down on them.

  As a result, the emperor and the empress dowager only believed the account of the Gu family.

  The girls below are so envious and jealous that their teeth itch.

  Gu's confused head suddenly cleared up.

  She always felt something was off.

  Why only ask her?

  This has brought her to the point of being hated by everyone. What will she do in the future? Will the Empress Dowager really support her? Will the Emperor really favor her?

  If it wasn't true, how would she deal with the anger of other concubines who were selected later?

  Scoffs and sneers are inevitable.

  The Empress Dowager pointed at Gu Wan and said to the Emperor: "This is the one."

  "Raise your head and let me take a look," said the Emperor.

  Gu Wan raised her face.

  The empress dowager noticed the emperor's expression. The emperor's eyes were very calm, and it was impossible to tell whether he liked or disliked it.

  Gu Xuanzhi indeed has some color, but she is not the most outstanding among this group of beautiful women.

  She is slightly below average.

  "Looks good." The emperor said to the empress dowager. "Empress Dowager, let's make her De Consort now."

  De Fei is the second-ranking imperial consort of the first rank.

  There is a Zhang Fei in the imperial palace now. She was Shu Fei and also Zheng Er Pin.

  Above her was only one imperial noble consort of the first rank, Imperial Noble Consort Tian.

  Gu Wan's calm heart skipped a beat again.

  "The Emperor's words are indeed correct. Chang Shun, take note and confer the title of Gu De Fei upon Madame Gu. Bestow Qing Mu Palace upon her."

  Gu Wan knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress Dowager!"

  Her eyes were slightly moist.

  She never expected that the emperor would make her a virtuous imperial concubine.

  What she thought in her heart was that as long as she could become a noblewoman of the fourth rank, she would be satisfied.

  And then she never heard the words in her ear again.

  She stood in the back, with women constantly coming forward before her eyes.

  Some were chosen, while others were left out.

  Apart from her, the others who held the highest rank were also of the fourth grade and did not receive a palace, waiting to be granted one after they had achieved merit.

  Everyone's eyes on Guan Zhong turned scorching hot.

  Those concubines would have liked nothing better than to rush up and cling to her legs, begging for mercy.

  By the next day, Jingli had already heard about Gu Wan being conferred as a noble consort of the second rank.

  The second lady was so delighted that tears almost came out of her eyes.

  The second master also had ups and downs in his heart.

  Their daughter was sealed as a noble consort of the second rank, shouldn't they at least be granted a title of baroness or something similar?

  Song Pan'er didn't expect it either, and she was a little jealous.

  "Wan's sister looks like that, and yet she has such a future." she said.

  Gu Jinzhi smiled and said, "The emperor knows that the grand duke is uncomfortable in his heart because of the mistake he made on the trip to Annan, so he will make it up to him. Just wait, soon the grand duke will be granted a marquis title because of this matter."

  As a result, on the same afternoon, Gu Yanwei was sealed as Xi Ping Hou, and his wife was sealed as a first-class lady.

  As Gu Jing expected.

  Zhu Zhongjun asked her privately: "What merits does your uncle have towards the emperor?"

  Gu Jing shook her head. She didn't want to mention this.

  Zhu Zhongjun smiled: "No merit, the emperor promotes him like this... it's like raising a hunting dog, feeding it with the best food, expecting it to assist in hunting in the future. Once the prey is hunted out, this dog... you and your aunt are of the same bloodline, I'm afraid there will be no good outcome in the future."

  Gu Jin gave him a cold glance.

  Zhu Zhongjun held the book and read it, ignoring him.

  He sees through the political tricks completely.

  ——*——*——

  Thanks for the rewards from 熱戀^^, 颜之遥 and 午予.