The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 812 - 812 377 Mothers kindness and filial piety (second

Chapter 812: 377 Mother’s kindness and filial piety (second watch)_2 Chapter 812: 377 Mother’s kindness and filial piety (second watch)_2 “The consultation fee isn’t cheap,” Gu Jiao declared.

Prince Ning probably hadn’t expected Gu Jiao to react this way, as normally adults would feel so honored to be asked to visit the prince’s mansion for medical treatment, they’d hate to even charge a consultation fee. Caught off guard, he wasn’t sure how to respond.

A moment later, he couldn’t help but say with a chuckle, “That’s only to be expected.”

Gu Jiao stated, “When I have time, I’ll send someone to deliver a note to the prince’s mansion.”

Prince Ning smiled, “Then that’s settled. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now.”

After Prince Ning had left, Gu Jiao rose from the swing and made her way to her aunt’s study room.

Empress Dowager Zhuang was reading a document. Upon seeing Gu Jiao enter, she humphed disapprovingly.

This was typical of her aunt, so Gu Jiao didn’t feel she had done anything outrageously wrong. She approached and handed Xue Ningxiang’s letter to her aunt.

“What’s this?” Empress Dowager Zhuang asked.

“A letter from Xue Ningxiang. Do you remember her, auntie?” inquired Gu Jiao.

Empress Dowager Zhuang furrowed her brows in thought.

To remind her, Gu Jiao mentioned, “Doggy’s mother.”

Upon hearing about Doggy, Empress Dowager Zhuang remembered—a little baby who, given a sweet, could lick it for an entire day in her courtyard, quiet and easier to manage than little Jingkong!

Then she recalled Xue Ningxiang.

Mainly because Xue Ningxiang cooked delicious meals, and Sixth Son cooked terribly. Whenever Gu Jiao was absent, she would have Xue Ningxiang come over to cook.

“She cooks well,” Empress Dowager Zhuang remarked.

“Please read the letter first,” Gu Jiao suggested.

Empress Dowager Zhuang read the letter swiftly through. To be honest, Xue Ningxiang’s handwriting was rather ugly. But with Gu Jiao’s “pearls and jade” as a prior example, Empress Dowager Zhuang felt she could just about accept it.

“Oh,” Empress Dowager Zhuang raised her eyebrows, “little Xiang Xiang is quite in demand.”

Such a reaction was worthy of her aunt.

Gu Jiao took a seat opposite Empress Dowager Zhuang and watched her intently, “Right? So how should we solve this dilemma?”

Empress Dowager Zhuang said nothing but extended her hand in a “give it to me” gesture.

Pretending not to understand, Gu Jiao asked, “What’s that?”

With an icy tone, Empress Dowager Zhuang declared, “Don’t play dumb with me! Make up for yesterday’s performance fee! Otherwise, no deal!”

Just as expected.

“Alright then,” Gu Jiao sighed, reluctantly pulling out a box of sweets and counting out five to place in Empress Dowager Zhuang’s hand, her face a portrait of pain, “That’s all there is, not even one left for Jingkong.”

Empress Dowager Zhuang was choked up by Gu Jiao’s outrageously overacting performance. How had this girl not entered the palace to compete for favor, with acting skills like this, who could she possibly fool?

But then again—

Empress Dowager Zhuang’s gaze swept over her clenched fist.

It seemed she didn’t need to pretend; one punch and even the emperor would be down for the count.

After accepting the sweets, Empress Dowager Zhuang addressed Gu Jiao, “What’s so difficult about this matter? Whoever she likes, I’ll simply arrange the marriage for her.”

The problem was—

Xue Ningxiang hadn’t written in her letter whom she had taken a liking to.

Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow, “Should I reply to her with a letter then?”

“Forget it, she wouldn’t disclose such things in a letter,” Empress Dowager Zhuang said, calling over Eunuch Qin, “Send two reliable people to the county town of Youzhou.”

Empress Dowager Zhuang gave her instructions, and Eunuch Qin left to carry them out.

Such was the convenience of power and influence; solutions were simple and brutal, both in their execution and the speed with which they were achieved.

With her aunt handling the situation, Gu Jiao was no longer worried about it. She was merely very curious—who would Xue Ningxiang ultimately choose to marry, the warm middle-aged gentleman or the lovesick young pup?

As Gu Jiao pondered this, a eunuch’s announcement came from outside—the Emperor had arrived.

The Emperor had come to see Empress Dowager Zhuang’s performance.

Even if the Emperor was gradually developing an aversion towards Empress Jing, he still wasn’t quick to see through her true nature. Therefore, the Emperor continued to believe the perpetrator was still hiding in the shadows, waiting to strike.

Gu Jiao, who knew the entire truth—no, she had not only taken action but had also shot herself in the foot.

Well, let them act on; it wasn’t a bad thing after all.

Having tolerated the Emperor for so many years without knowing he had been drugged, who could say whether her aunt truly harbored no nostalgic feelings of the bond between mother and child?

Gu Jiao chose to keep the truth from her aunt as well.

Thus, her aunt also believed that Empress Jing was restraining herself from acting.

“Are you planning to visit the Imperial Garden today, Mother?” the Emperor asked in an indifferent tone.

Such terrible acting skills!

Empress Dowager Zhuang rolled her eyes and, without venturing from Renshou Palace, felt disinclined to play along, “Go? Why not? But—”

She drew out her words, deliberately glancing at Gu Jiao.

Gu Jiao caught on immediately.

Candied fruit, of course.

She got the hint!

Perfect timing; Gu Jiao also wanted to observe the effect of the Traditional Chinese Medicine on the Emperor. Madam Nan had mentioned that when a TCM practitioner needed such large doses of a medicinal guide, it meant the medicine’s efficacy was nearly unsustainable.