zChapter 1061 - The Gu Master’s Ambitions

Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui got a huge fright and could not stay any longer in this Sheng Palace, escaping in a flurry. When she was running away, she could still her Xuan Tianmo’s heartrending shouts, causing her a great deal of grief.

In the end, that was her son! And it was her only son for so many years! She used to treat this son as her only hope in life, used to entrust her biggest hopes and fantasies on this son, used to love this son so much. But with things as they are now, she had a goal she had to complete, a path she had to walk, she finally understood that she would not be restricted by others any longer. If she wanted to sit on the highest position, she could only depend on herself. Therefore, no matter what, she could not lose. If Xuan Tianmo could not make it one day, she would have to help up someone who could.

Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui left Sheng Palace, sitting on the imperial carriage to return to the palace, but as she adjusted her emotions with much difficulty and came to the front of Zhao He Hall to report good news and not bad news to the Emperor, the Eunuch who went in to pass on the message came out and spoke in a troubled tone: “Imperial Concubine Gui, His Majesty is strange today and is actually stubbornly refusing to meet you, even saying that you should return to your own palace courtyard and not come over for the next few days.”

“What?” Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui suspected that something was wrong with her ears, “His Majesty will not meet This One? How is that possible?”

The Eunuch passing on the message was also very puzzled. Logically, Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui was favoured now and the Emperor was docile towards her, how was it possible for him not to meet her? But the Emperor clearly said not to meet, this caused him to be very troubled.

At this moment, Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui’s voice was heard, she asked: “When This One was around today, where did His Majesty go? Who did he meet?”

That Eunuch replied: “After Your Highness left, His Majesty said he wanted to take a walk out, We Servants followed along but he only walked around the gardens. He did see Her Highness the Empress and the past Eunuch Yuan. They exchanged a few sentences, then Her Highness the Empress took Eunuch Yuan away. After that, His Majesty did not allow Us Servants to follow him and wanted to walk around on his own, We Servants did not dare to follow. After that, it was said that…… it was said that His Majesty walked to Winter Moon Palace without realising it and even knocked on the door, just that the people inside Winter Moon Palace did not allow His Majesty to enter.”

“You said His Majesty went to Winter Moon Palace?” Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui felt a chill rise up in her heart and started to panic. She did not ask any longer, turning around to leave Zhao He Hall, returning to Cun Shan Palace with her servants.

After returning to Cun Shan Palace and dismissing everyone to leave the main hall area, she entered that secret room and met the Gu Master, her first sentence being a direct question: “What do we do? The old man went to Winter Moon Palace and likely remembered something, he does not want to meet me now, I was stopped outside when I went to Zhao He Hall.”

Seeing Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui, the Gu Master was eager to approach her and make physical contact, but there was something preoccupying Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui today and she was not very cooperative, he did not get what he wanted after manhandling her a few times. That person had no choice but to stop and tell her: “The old Emperor has a stubborn temperament and would always have times where he is a bit inflexible. But do not worry, he is unable to stay away from you now! I guarantee it.”

“You guarantee it?” Doubt appeared in Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui’s eyes, “Last time you guaranteed that Feng Yuheng would definitely be implanted with Gu after drinking your Gu tea and would definitely be controlled by us. But the reality? Nothing happened to her. Now you’re saying guarantee again, how can I believe you?”

The doubt from Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui caused the Gu Master to greatly lose face, he scoffed coldly and walked a few steps away, and when he turned around, hints of warning was contained in his gaze. He said: “Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui is sitting in a high position now and feels that I am dispensable? Alright, you can doubt me, then I do not have a reason to continue staying in this dark and damp small house. From now on, I will not interfere in your affairs anymore, you can deal with everyone on your own!”

“You.” Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui did not expect this person to use this to threaten her. She harboured some hatred and hated that she could not chop this person up. However, she could only keep these emotions in her heart, not daring to show it on her face. Why the other party dared to threaten her was because he knew that she could not leave him. At this stage, she had no way to turn back, other than begging for his continued help, there was no other way.

Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui breathed in deeply a few times and was able to withstand temporary setbacks. She immediately changed her expression and walked forward, reaching out to place her hand on the man’s chest, speaking gently: “How can we still be so reserved towards each other? I was too anxious earlier, it is my fault, don’t be angry, okay!” After saying this, she reached into that man’s shirt, her hands roaming around his chest.

That man still had a cold expression and even stepped back to avoid Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui’s hand, asking again: “Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui, continuing to work together with me, have you really thought it through? You really see me as one of your people?”

“Naturally.” Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui quickly expressed her stance, “We have feelings from growing up together, when did I lie to you before? Having you live here is only temporary, only a temporary measure, if I end up sitting on the Empress Dowager seat one day, wouldn’t you be able to live anywhere you want in this imperial palace!” As she spoke, she walked up with large strides and undid her belt without any hesitation, from her outer robe to her inner clothes, then her chest binding, when her whole body was revealed, she jumped towards that man’s body, saying flirtatiously: “It was all my fault, don’t be angry at me!”

That man did not hold back at her, pinching that part of her upper body with great force. It hurt so much that Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui yelped, her heart hated this a lot, but she held it down on the surface, hugging that person more tightly.

The man pushed her onto the border of the water pool, standing behind Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui, his face full of lust, telling her: “That’s right, be more obedient, then I will be willing to help you. I cannot increase the control on the old Emperor for the time being, else he would break down easily and die earlier than expected. And you, do not have a suitable child to inherit that throne.” An evil laughter was heard from him and his body pressed forward, the two of them tightly stick together, then she heard that person say: “That old Emperor is useless now, you should bear my child as soon as possible, only from this, can this palace and even this whole Da Shun, can be ours. Only our own child can tolerate us being together in the open, do you understand?”

After saying this, as he pushed up, Imperial Concubine shouted to match his actions, yet her mind exploded.

This person wanted his own child to be the Emperor, could it be that Xuan Tianmo’s illness was related to him? She was more terrified the more she thought about it, especially since she saw the state of Xuan Tianmo’s lower body today, she thought that it must be related to Gu techniques at this moment. Could it be, that she had harmed her own son? Imperial Concubine wanted to cry, but no tears came out.

As expected, like what the Gu Master said, the Emperor could not stay away from Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui, he resisted and did not want to meet her to rid his addiction, but after resisting it until the night, he finally could not bear with it and sent Wu Ying over with great hope to ask Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui to go to Zhao He Hall.

Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui was also helpless. The Gu Master also went crazy today and messed with her until she felt like dying. Her important part was still aching until now, how could she serve the Emperor like this? But could she not go? The Emperor already sent someone to ask for her, in addition, she wanted to see what state the Emperor was in now, and why he could bear with it and not meet her in the afternoon.

So, she still went, secretly applying the recovery medicine the Gu Master gave her, sitting on the soft sedan chair, with the palace staff carrying her into Zhao He Hall.

The Emperor had a headache the whole afternoon. Though it was not a major headache, a constant slight pain was even more excruciating. He wanted to get rid of his addiction of Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui, yet had a very urgent need to see Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui. Being conflicted like this, he was still unable to tolerate it in the end and sent someone to summon Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui.

Once he saw Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui, his headache symptoms disappeared instantly, the warm and affectionate feeling surged forth and the Emperor left like a spring wind was blowing in winter, feeling comfortable all over.

That night, they spent it sweetly as usual, but Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui was bearing with the pain while serving him. And, other than the physical pain, the conflict in her heart had not dissipated. She was thinking, if she conceived that Gu Master’s child, she would no longer be able to control that Gu Master. It was possible that the other party would use various ways to engulf everything then control this imperial palace himself, with her dying by then. However, she was unable to get rid of him now, there were still many things which she had to use him for and depend on him for. Regardless, she needed to find an all encompassing solution for this matter.

Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui decided internally, once she successfully became pregnant, once she gave birth to her son, regardless of who this child belonged to, when the Emperor died, that Gu Master must die!

The first month passed, then the second month, even during the third month, the Emperor passed those days being half alert and half muddled. And in court, because Xuan Tianmo was ill, no one was given a hard time. Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui was also waiting quietly, she was only waiting for her own stomach to swell up.

Unfortunately, it was really as what Feng Yuheng said, it was very difficult for her to get pregnant, the imperial physicians shook their head every time they came, regardless of how hard she worked, whether it was the Emperor or the Gu Master, there was no sign of getting pregnant.

And during one of the days in early March, the court of Da Shun received a letter from the ruler of Gu Shu. The previous ruler had passed away from an illness and a new ruler was appointed, he planned to visit Da Shun personally to show Da Shun the sincerity of their newly appointed ruler.

The Emperor was very happy about this, but that Gu Master was not happy at all, he was even very angry. He asked Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui: “Do you know what are the true intentions of Gu Shu’s newly appointed ruler coming to Da Shun? Where does he stand?”

At this moment, Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui and him were hugging in the water pool, and a flirtatious atmosphere was floating in the air, she said: “What other true intentions are there? It’s national affairs and should not be related to us, right? With a new ruler ascending the throne, as the subordinate nation to Da Shun, they should be coming here to offer a tribute. As for where he stands, he definitely is not an ally, but it is impossible for him to be our enemy immediately, they cannot defeat Da Shun after all.”

“I hope that is the case!” The Gu Master was still a little cautious, “But we should make some preparations, it is best that you secretly send people to the south to investigate, first find out the background of that new ruler.”

“Why?” Imperial Concubine Yuan Gui did not understand, “Though you are a Gu Shu citizen, you do not normally show yourself in public, the new ruler might not even recognise you, and it would not be a problem even if he does, right?”

The Gu Master shook his head, “I wasn’t talking about that, just do what I say.”

The Gu Shu ruler heading towards Da Shun capital, everyone calculated, this trip would take a minimum of three months. Even if they considered that they might already be on the way when the letter was written, they would only arrive in two more months.

And on a certain night one month later, in Wen Xuan Palace, the Wuyang Princess Xuan Tiange felt a chill down her whole body as she slept, and a cold and eerie feeling surged forward quickly……