C242

Gu Liuyan pretended to be surprised. After a long silence, he said: "This slap was given by the prince."

The empress dowager had wanted to press on further, but when she heard the eunuch's voice calling out to her, a trace of helplessness flashed across her eyes. She could only sit on the spot, not taking off her veil.

Duan Chengxuan rushed over hurriedly, and only after seeing that the white gauze covering Gu Liuyan's face hadn't been removed did he finally calm down a lot. "What did Imperial Mother want with this son of mine?"

"It's been a long time since we last met. I've asked you to come take a seat." The empress dowager pinched the buddhist beads, her eyes brimming with happiness. "I offer a seat to King Jing."

Sitting on the side of the bed, Duan Chengxuan hadn't come to visit his mother for a long time. Back then, because of Su Yuwan, he had almost broken off his relationship with the Emperor and lost the position of emperor.

After greeting each other, Gu Daiyan, who was standing at the side, saw this and laughed in his heart.

No matter how much the empress dowager liked him, he was still Duan Chengxuan's mother.

She took a medical book and carefully examined it. She didn't pay any attention to what was going on outside the window, as if it had nothing to do with this mother and son.

"However, in the past few days, This Dowager has heard quite a few rumors regarding you." With a sudden change in topic, the empress dowager's gaze fell completely on Gu Danyan. Her tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction as she said, "It seems that Princess Jing often lives in Tianyan's mansion and rarely lives in the prince's estate. Xuan'er, please tell This Dowager about this matter."

Gu Pingyan, who was called Dao, was slightly stunned. Why did he mention this matter all of a sudden?

"Why does This King not know?" Duan Cheng Xuan laughed dryly.

"A few days ago, Lady Xu spoke a few more words with This Dowager. She said that Imperial Concubine Jing had hurried back to the Prince's Mansion to see her, and that she wasn't familiar with the Prince's Mansion. This Dowager sent people to investigate and found out that Imperial Concubine lived in the Medicine Hall." The empress dowager raised an eyebrow and downed the soup in one gulp.

What does Her Majesty mean by that? Duan Chengxuan and Gu Daiyan were both puzzled.

"Nothing like that." Duan Chengxuan replied in a clear voice.

"Then is it true that Crown Princess Jing is taking a diagnosis in the Hall of Relief?" Her Majesty continued to ask.

Duan Chengxuan raised his eyebrows. He only thought that the empress dowager didn't like girls that showed up in public like this, and then glanced at Gu Daiyan, who had a dazed expression. He only continued, "Yan'er usually works on medicinal plants at home, but it was just to befriend old mister He."

"There's actually such a thing?" Only then did the empress dowager's angry expression fade slightly. Just as Duan Chengxuan let out a breath of relief, the empress dowager smashed the empty bowl in her hands into pieces. "How long more do you want to lie to this one?"

"Princess Consort Jing said something with her mother." Duan Chengxuan's expression immediately darkened, and he directly pointed the spearhead at Gu Daiyan, who was at the side.

Gu Danyan, however, only placed the medical book in his hand on the table and sneered: "Prince, what can I, a trivial princess, say in front of your mother?"

"Imperial Mother, you don't have to listen to her …"

"I didn't say anything in the first place. If you really don't like me, then you only need to stop writing." Gu Danyan stood up in anger, his face becoming even paler. He only curtsied to the empress dowager before leaving with quick steps.

Duan Chengxuan furiously looked at Gu Danyan's back, he could not contain his anger. Just who gave her the guts to act so rashly!

Senior Servant Gui hastened to chase after Gu Mingyan. Only the empress dowager had a calm expression. "I'd originally heard that the two of you were on good terms with each other, but I didn't expect things to turn out like this."

"Imperial Mother, Gu Danyan is not as innocent as you imagined. She has great foresight …"

"However, she did not say a word. This matter was investigated by my family, including the fact that you helped Su Yuwan send her to live in the Desolate Hall. You even allowed her to spread rumors, but she did not seem to care at all." Her eyes were red as she began to cough.

Duan Chengxuan was slightly stunned before hurriedly supporting the empress dowager's shoulders with his hand. "Imperial Mother, don't get angry."

"This one has already spared Su Yu Wan's life! "You still treat Yan'Er this way? Do you know that as her husband, you should be his heaven to protect her from wind and rain!" The empress dowager waved him away. "If you don't respect your wife in the future, don't come see This Dowager again in the future!"

The empress dowager immediately sent out the order for him to leave, and Duan Chengxuan felt extremely helpless.

Senior Servant Gui did not manage to catch up with Gu Danyan and only sent the eunuch to follow her. She panted as she returned to the door and saw Duan Chengxuan standing outside. She sighed, "Your Highness Duke of Jing, you've really misunderstood my Royal Highness."

Senior Servant Gui had explained everything that had happened just now clearly. She had only described Eunuch Li as a spy for the empress dowager and had not let Duan Chengxuan know.

Duan Cheng Xuan rubbed her forehead with a dark expression. How could she be a fool if her mother was able to protect the two of them from the imperial harem without suffering any injuries that day?

"It's better if you treat your wangfei well. Previously, the empress dowager couldn't see you, so she only heard your news from her. She didn't say anything bad about what you had done, and the empress dowager even knows that you were the Sunset Water Stronghold before." Senior Servant Gui wiped the sweat from her forehead and quickly replied.

Duan Chengxuan's heart sank even more. "Regarding the Sunset Water Stronghold, did she say anything about himself?"

"Nothing, but the empress dowager sent people to investigate. The mirage's poison was personally cured by Crown Princess Jing. She even cured the Tong Zhou's commander. Such a good wife should be treated well by the prince." Senior Servant Gui spoke nonstop.

Duan Cheng Xuan was silent.

Normally, as long as it was something related to Su Yu Wan, there would be no one who wouldn't stop him from leaving.

However, when he married Gu Danyan back to the clan, many people in the surroundings instead clapped their hands and praised him, telling him to treat her well.

If it was only one or two times, then it would have been fine, but in his eyes, Gu Pingyan was a weak and weak girl, and if not for Senior Servant Gui and the empress dowager's scolding, he might have forgotten that Gu Mingyan was also a weak and weak woman.

It seemed that he really needed to be more patient.

After Duan Chengxuan asked around, he came to look around. When he saw Gu Pingyan, she was sitting in the pavilion by the lake and was lying on the stone table, feeding the two birds that had appeared out of nowhere. A cape appeared on her shoulders, and a group of palace maids and eunuchs were carefully watching her.

Arriving at the pavilion, the person on the stone table said coldly, "Has the prince's divorce letter been written?"

"Do you know that if I divorce you, in the future, no one will dare to marry you, and even more people will despise you." Duan Chengxuan sat down with a dark expression, then the two birds scattered in panic.

Only then did Gu Danyan lazily get up. His pale face now had a tinge of red in it, and his face was covered by his veil. He held his cheek and said helplessly: "I'd rather do it than stay by your side."

"Is he sick?" Duan Chengxuan raised his hand to touch her forehead, but the latter dodged and almost slid off the stone stool. He didn't mind moving a little and said, "Don't infect the prince, otherwise the empress dowager can punish me for this."