The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 704 - 704 330 Fetal Movements (Second Tael Update)_2

Chapter 704: 330 Fetal Movements (Second Tael Update)_2 Chapter 704: 330 Fetal Movements (Second Tael Update)_2 Noble Consort Zhuang followed up, “Empress Dowager, Hengheng’s wife must come from a family that matches our social status and brings some benefits to him. What does Gu Jinyu have? She isn’t even the biological child of Marquis Ding’an! Could the Marquis Residence actually favor her in the future? Besides, I suspect that His Majesty simply wishes to plant a spy in the Zhuang family!”

The Marquis Residence is His Majesty’s close confidant. By marrying Gu Jinyu to our family, on one hand, it disrupts any potential power alliances with other influential families. On the other hand, it allows His Majesty to keep a close eye on the Duke of An County and the Zhuang family’s every move.

Noble Consort Zhuang believed that this was His Majesty’s plan.

In fact, the Emperor had no such intentions. However, just like the Emperor’s distrust towards the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager did not fully trust the Emperor’s intentions either.

The Zhuang family cannot suffer any mistakes nor should they miss such an excellent opportunity to forge a marriage alliance with a powerful family.

The stronger the Duke of An County, the more assistance he can provide her son, Prince Ning.

“Aunt….” Seeing that her reasoning wasn’t working, the Noble Consort Zhuang played the kinship card.

Empress Dowager Zhuang closed her eyes to alow her mind to rest.

Noble Consort Zhuang became extremely anxious and decided to pass the ball to Gu Jiao, “Miss Gu, what do you think?”

She knew of the discord between Gu Jiao and Gu Jinyu. She believed that Gu Jiao would not speak on behalf of Gu Jinyu and would not care about the disputes between the Zhuang family and Marquis Residence.

Gu Jiao was Empress Dowager Zhuang’s person.

Gu Jiao paused as she continued to scrape the Empress Dowager’s back. “This is a matter of the Duke’s personal life, shouldn’t it be his own decision? After His Majesty bestowed the marriage, did you ask him whether he accepts it? Does Consort Zhuang represent his own will?”

Noble Consort Zhuang was left speechless.

Noble Consort Zhuang left dejectedly with no success.

After finishing the gua sha for Empress Dowager Zhuang, Gu Jiao went to prepare her black gunpowder.

The space in Bishui Alley was limited, so she didn’t dare to get out of control, fearing that she might blow up the mansion.

In Renshou Palace, there was enough open space, and even if it blew up, it wouldn’t matter.

Eunuch Qin came to attend to the Empress Dowager, who looked much better, and her chest didn’t feel stuffy anymore.

Eunuch Qin served some freshly cut fruits and asked, “Is the Empress Dowager really not going to interfere with the Duke of An County’s marriage affairs?”

Empress Dowager Zhuang retorted mockingly, “His Majesty made the decision without consulting me, giving me a great responsibility. How can I manage? Does this kingdom really belong to the Zhuang family? Everyone thinks that my power came easily, who saw the struggles I had to go through?”

Eunuch Qin deeply agreed.

Outsiders only saw the Empress Dowager’s authority and control but failed to see the bloodshed behind her rise to power.

Empress Dowager Zhuang calmly said, “If Zhuang Yuheng wishes to cancel the wedding, he will come and ask me himself. If he hasn’t said anything, it means he accepts.”

Just as her words were spoken, a loud boom came from the small lawn in the side hall, making the entire Renshou Palace seem to shake three times.

Both of their faces changed.

Eunuch Qin hurriedly scrambled out, “Miss Gu, Miss Gu, are you alright?”

A large piece of the lawn had been blown bare.

But Gu Jiao was nowhere to be seen.

Alarmed, Eunuch Qin shouted, “Miss Gu!”

“I’m… here…”

A faint voice came from above his head. Looking up, Eunuch Qin saw Gu Jiao with a blackened face and disheveled hair, her limbs hanging down without any vitality, as if she was a small rag doll hanging from the high eaves.

Gu Jiao opened her mouth and exhaled a puff of black smoke.

Eunuch Qin: “…”

After being rescued by the palace guards, a dazed Gu Jiao climbed onto the Phoenix Bed and slept for the entire afternoon.

When she woke up, it was already close to evening, and the Empress Dowager asked her to have dinner in the Renshou Palace.

She thought for a moment and said, “Grand-aunt, let me make you some milk dates.”

Mostly because she felt guilty for blowing up grandmother’s lawn and thought of making it up.

Milk dates are made with sheep yogurt, dried red dates, and almonds. The red dates are naturally sweet, so no additional sugar is needed. They are delicious and nutritious.

Red dates and almonds are easy to find, but sheep yogurt has to be obtained from the Imperial Kitchen.

As a palace cook from Renshou Palace went to the Imperial Kitchen to get sheep yogurt, Gu Jiao went to the Imperial Garden to pick some flower petals for tea.

She hadn’t been picking for long in the Imperial Garden when a few unfamiliar palace maids came over. They also picked some fresh flowers with their baskets.

Gu Jiao put the filled basket on the stone table and went to fill another basket. Although it looked like a lot of petals, once they were dried, hardly anything would be left.

Gu Jiao returned with full loads.

Just in time, the sheep yogurt was also brought over. She passed the basket to Eunuch Qin and turned to go to the small kitchen to make milk dates.

Inside Huaqing Palace, a group of palace maids knelt down in a flurry.

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