jdhmnovel Chapter 121 Message by Pigeon from Xijing Kingdom
Chapter 121 Message by Pigeon from Xijing Kingdom
Then Gu Liuli pleaded for the maids and eunuchs: "Daughter-in-law, granddaughter-in-law, please plead for these servants. Please forgive them this time, after all, it was an unintentional mistake!"
Shen Hui pursed her lips, smiled, and said to the Empress, "Sister, look, Liuli is still too kind-hearted. You must have Chuan'er protect her well."
Gu Liuli blushed as Shen Hui teased her. She lowered her head slightly, her hands unconsciously stroking her slightly protruding belly, and said coquettishly, "Consort Shen always teases me. If you keep doing this, I won't talk to you anymore."
When Shen Hui heard Gu Liuli call her Consort Shen, she pretended to be stern: "Liuli, your mother and I grew up together. You should at least call me Aunt Shen! Calling me Consort Shen is too formal! Is this treating me like an outsider?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Liuli looked at Mu Qingling, who was sitting next to the Empress Dowager, and saw her nod.
Gu Liuli called out sweetly, "Aunt Shen!"
Shen Hui then revealed a satisfied smile.
Looking at Gu Liuli's shy appearance, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but smile kindly and said, "It's rare to find a Crown Princess who is so kind and generous. This kind of quality is exactly what the harem needs."
The Empress smiled and nodded, "Your Majesty is right. Liuli has always been kind and generous to others. However, although this rumor was an unintentional mistake by the servants, the rules of the inner palace cannot be disregarded. She should still be punished to serve as a warning to others."
Gu Liuli quickly said, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. I do not wish to completely absolve them of their punishment, but only hope that they will be treated leniently and given a chance to reform."
After a moment's thought, the Empress said, "Then punish them by sending them to the Censorate for a month of hard labor, so they can reflect on their actions."
Everyone agreed, and the matter was temporarily put to rest. They then started talking about the baby in the Crown Princess's womb.
The Empress Dowager said with a look of anticipation, "Whether it's a boy or a girl, they are all of royal blood. Everyone is looking forward to it."
Shen Hui chimed in, "Yes, this is a joyous occasion. The palace will definitely hold a grand celebration once the child is born."
With a happy smile on her face, Gu Liuli said softly, "With the love of my grandmother and mother, and the blessings of Aunt Shen, I and the child in my womb feel very warm."
After chatting for a while, Gu Liuli got up to say goodbye, saying she was a little tired and wanted to go back to rest. The Empress and the Empress Dowager told her to take good care of herself during her pregnancy, and then let her leave.
After Gu Liuli left, a complex emotion flashed in Shen Hui's eyes. She leaned closer to the Empress and whispered, "Sister, Gu Liuli is innocent and kind, but how is she supposed to survive in this deep palace?"
The Empress Dowager looked at Shen Hui and said, "I'm telling you, you're worrying for nothing. Don't worry, Liuli is no simple woman. I can see that Jingchuan has been well-trained."
The Empress and Shen Hui stared at the Empress Dowager, and then the three of them burst into laughter.
The eunuch and nanny guarding the door exchanged a glance and noticed that the Empress Dowager's laughter had increased significantly since the Crown Princess's arrival.
In Xijing Kingdom, Jiang Liushen and some important ministers were discussing, "Your Majesty, what exactly are the United States and Japan planning to do?"
Another court official, clearly a military man, said: "Why should we care about them? We have plenty of food now. Even if a war really breaks out, we're not afraid!"
"Everyone, please don't panic. I have already sent a message by carrier pigeon, and I believe Emperor Xiao has received it by now. Let's wait patiently." Jiang Liushen stood quietly by the window with his hands behind his back, dressed in a yellow robe, so that no one could see his true thoughts.
At the same time, Xiao Han of the Nanzhao Kingdom sat on the dragon throne when his secret guard Tian Qing suddenly appeared in the hall with a pigeon: "Your Majesty, this is a carrier pigeon from the Xijing Kingdom."
Tianqing placed the carrier pigeon in the Emperor's hand. Xiao Han opened it and carefully read the text on it. The more he read, the more his brows furrowed. He said to Tianqing, "Go to the Crown Prince's residence and secretly summon the Crown Prince to the palace."
Xiao Jingchuan of the Crown Prince's residence had just coaxed Gu Liuli to sleep and was about to go to the study when he unexpectedly ran into Tian Qing.
"Tianqing, why are you here instead of with Father? Are you looking for Yueying and the others?"
No wonder Xiao Jingchuan asked him that. After all, Tian Qing and the others often came and went from the Crown Prince's residence to look for Xuan Huo and Mu Yu, so Xiao Jingchuan naturally assumed that he was not there to see him.
"Your Highness, I've come to see you. The Emperor has ordered you to sneak into the palace tonight!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingchuan's heart tightened, and a hint of doubt flashed across his face. However, he quickly composed himself and nodded to Tian Qing, "I'll go with you right away." He knew that his father's summons to the palace late at night and his request to act quietly meant that there must be something extremely important and confidential.
Xiao Jingchuan carefully left the room, afraid of disturbing the sleeping Gu Liuli. He quietly closed the door, turned and followed Tian Qing, taking advantage of the darkness to avoid the crowd, hurrying towards the palace. Along the way, he secretly wondered what could be so urgent that he had to be summoned to the palace at this time.
Soon, Xiao Jingchuan arrived at the main hall of the palace. The hall was brightly lit, and Xiao Han sat upright on the dragon throne, his expression solemn. Upon seeing Xiao Jingchuan enter, Xiao Han slightly raised his hand, signaling Tian Qing to step back.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty." Xiao Jingchuan bowed respectfully.
"Get up." Xiao Han's voice was low and weary. He gestured to the chair beside him, gesturing for Xiao Jingchuan to sit down. Then he picked up the letter from the table and handed it to Xiao Jingchuan: "Take a look at this."
Xiao Jingchuan took the letter and began to read it carefully. As he read on, his expression gradually became serious.
It turned out that the letter concerned the situation in the Western Jing Kingdom. The emperor of the Western Jing Kingdom had recently been in declining health, and various factions within the court were stirring up trouble, making the situation extremely unstable. The Southern Zhao Kingdom and the Western Jing Kingdom had always been on friendly terms, and now that the Western Jing Kingdom was in turmoil, the Southern Zhao Kingdom had no choice but to take precautions.
"Father, what do you mean?" Xiao Jingchuan asked Xiao Han after reading the letter.
"The reason I had you come quietly was to avoid disturbing Liuli. After all, she's six months pregnant now, and it wouldn't be good if the pregnancy were to be affected." Xiao Han sighed slightly, a hint of worry on his face.
Xiao Jingchuan felt a warmth in his heart, not expecting his father to be so thoughtful and still care about Gu Liuli. He quickly said, "Thank you for your concern, Father. I have also been worried that these things would affect Liuli. I will make careful arrangements and will not let these troubles bother her."
"Father, rest assured, I will talk to Liuli tomorrow." After discussing some details, Xiao Jingchuan got up to take his leave.
Back at the Crown Prince's residence, Xiao Jingchuan entered the room and looked at the sleeping Gu Liuli, a warm feeling welling up in his heart. He secretly vowed that no matter how turbulent the situation outside was, he would protect Gu Liuli and their child.
"Ding! Long time no see, host, your little cutie is back!" the system's mechanical voice rang out.
Hearing the familiar voice in her mind, Gu Liuli suddenly opened her eyes: "I said, System, why do you always disappear without a trace?"
The system suddenly transformed into a black and white nine-tailed raccoon cat. When Gu Liuli saw its two tails, she was somewhat horrified: "Your tails?"
"Meow!" Nine-Tanuki said, "Host, this is my transformation. When I have nine tails, that will be the time when you have completed all the tasks in this book. As for whether you want to return to your world, that will only be possible by chance!"
Gu Liuli frowned, her mind filled with doubt: "How is my mission progressing? Life in the deep palace is not easy, and I'm pregnant. I don't know if I can complete the mission smoothly."
Nine-Tanuki wagged its tail and said, "The mission is progressing smoothly so far, but the road ahead will be difficult. The situation in Xijing Kingdom is turbulent, which will also affect Nanzhao Kingdom, and your and the Crown Prince's situation will become more complicated. You must remain vigilant at all times, as this concerns not only the mission but also your safety and that of the child in your womb."
Gu Liuli gently stroked her belly, a resolute glint in her eyes: "I understand. No matter what difficulties we encounter, I will protect myself and the baby, and I will try my best to complete the mission. But could you give me more hints instead of always appearing out of nowhere?"
Nine-Tanuki blinked: "I will appear at the crucial moment, host, don't worry. Next, you need to pay attention to every move in the palace, especially those with ulterior motives. They might take advantage of the turmoil in Xijing Kingdom to stir up trouble in the harem of Nanzhao Kingdom."