latelenovela Chapter 434 Gui Shan Informs
Chapter 434 Gui Shan Informs
The younger sister then had a box brought over, giving Guishan and Zuohe each a jade bracelet. Guishan, being the principal wife, received a bracelet that was entirely emerald green with excellent translucency, making it superior to Zuohe's.
Zuo He didn't care that her bracelet was inferior to Gui Shan's, but she did care about the pearl hairpin on Hu Manman's head, which was much more valuable than both of their bracelets combined.
After resting, the younger sister led the three of them forward. This time, she walked side by side with Hu Manman, while Gui Shan and Zuo He lagged behind.
Gui Shan pondered for a moment, then said to Zuo He, "I brought a sash that I embroidered myself today, which I originally intended to present to Consort Wan, but I was so careless that I forgot to bring it. I wonder if Sister Zuo could make the sash for me?"
Zuo He looked down on Gui Shan and rejected her without a second thought.
The younger woman turned around and asked, "What kind of ribbon?"
Gui Shan said, "Recently, I have been worshipping Buddha and will embroider the Buddha's name on my sash so that I may recite it for Your Majesty's unborn child, so that he may ascend to the Pure Land as soon as possible."
"You're so kind." The younger sister was indeed moved and quickly said, "Then I'll trouble Consort Zuo."
When Consort Wan spoke, Consort Zuo could not refuse and could only follow the palace servants.
The younger sister took Gui Shan's hand and carefully inquired about her recent daily life.
Hu Manman, however, was disdainful. She felt that Gui Shan was doing it on purpose. After all, the prince didn't treat Gui Shan very well, and Gui Shan's move was to win over Consort Wan and get Consort Wan to support her.
How foolish! No matter how far Consort Wan stretches her reach, it can't reach into the Prince's residence.
The three of them walked further and further into the remote area, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the North Palace, a place known as the Cold Palace.
The younger sister seemed to just realize what was happening and said, "Oh dear, I was so focused on talking to you that I forgot to watch where I was going."
Gui Shan smiled and said, "Your Majesty has walked such a long distance without showing any signs of fatigue, which shows that you are in good spirits."
The younger sister pointed to the pavilion in front: "Let's go sit for a while."
He then glanced at the North Palace as if by chance, a thoughtful expression on his face, and said to Hu Manman, "Manman, it's rare for you to enter the palace, and you've just happened to be here. Why don't you go and see your sister?"
Hu Manman's expression changed slightly; she didn't like this older sister in the palace. Originally, she was just her father's adopted daughter, relying on him for survival. Later, she gained favor and repeatedly disobeyed her father's orders.
At that time, she was still young. When she entered the palace to see Consort Rong, Consort Rong actually wanted to teach her a lesson because of her recklessness.
How ridiculous! Does she still think she's the real daughter of the Hu family?
But since her younger sister had already spoken, Hu Manman couldn't refuse, so she agreed and got up to follow the nanny.
As soon as she left, Guishan said anxiously, "Your Highness, neither the Prince nor Consort Hu can be trusted. Your Highness, no matter what Consort Hu gives you, you must not believe it."
The younger sister smiled faintly: "I know, don't worry."
Seeing her so confident, Gui Shan realized what was going on. She didn't really trust Hu Manman; today's events were probably intentional, designed to lower Hu Manman's guard.
If that's the case, she'll be relieved.
The younger sister asked, "What do you mean by saying the prince is untrustworthy? I have never trusted the wise prince."
Gui Shan told her in detail about all the letters she had found in the study.
"The prince forbids anyone from approaching the study. I only had that one chance, and I was unable to bring out the evidence. The prince is colluding with the people of the northern desert."
The younger sister's eyelids twitched: "Mobei? If I remember correctly, Mobei will arrive in Kyoto in a few days. They're here for peace talks."
"Yes, on the surface they are negotiating, but their current plan is to have assassins impersonate envoys and die at the Great Zhou post station after meeting His Majesty."
The younger sister stared wide-eyed in surprise.
“Emissaries have always been treated the same as kings. If they die at the Great Zhou post station, the Northern Desert will have enough justification to send troops to attack the Great Zhou.”
"But because the two countries have been at peace for many years and have long been friendly nations, this peace talk is just a further step in improving relations between the two countries. So the troops there are simply not enough."
Gui Shan originally thought she would need to explain things to her younger sister in order for her to understand the relationship between Mobei and Da Zhou. However, she didn't expect her sister to know so well, and she felt much more at ease.
"Yes, so once their plan succeeds, the Great Zhou will be caught off guard, and His Majesty will have to send out new generals to regroup and fight the war again."
The younger sister thought about it carefully, then shook her head and said, "They came with great force, but our Great Zhou is no ordinary force either. Even if we are caught off guard at the beginning, once we react and fight back, the Northern Desert is no match for us."
Gui Shan said, "Therefore, the Prince and General have informed the Northern Desert of the defensive map and the military situation of the Great Zhou."
The younger sister was stunned: "He's a prince! How could he collude with an enemy country? This is treason!"
Gui Shan sighed, "Your Majesty, even if you don't summon me to the palace today, I will find a way to see you. This matter is of great importance, and we cannot let the Prince act recklessly. The Prince has made an agreement with Mobei: Mobei will help him accumulate military merits, and when he ascends the throne, he will give two cities of the Great Zhou to Mobei."
The younger sister sat there blankly, her thoughts filled with the power struggles within the harem. But when it came to matters of national importance, it was indeed beyond her control.
"I will tell the Emperor about this matter in detail. Guishan, don't worry, I will definitely find a way to get you out of the Prince Xian's residence."
Gui Shan smiled and said, "Your Majesty, ever since I realized that I had entrusted myself to the wrong person, I have had little hope of leaving. If possible, I would like to enter the court and become an official like Your Majesty's second sister, Princess Mu Tong. But I am just a weak woman after all. For the sake of the country, please do not worry too much about me."
The younger sister held her hand: "We are all just a drop in the ocean, but without millions of us, there would be no Great Zhou as we are today. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am today, and the Emperor might not have been able to resist the Wise Prince. You are a meritorious official, and we all remember you."
Gui Shan smiled broadly upon hearing this affirmation.
She used to think that she could only become a superior person by marrying into a high-ranking family. Later, she decided to destroy her family, which was holding her back, and rely on the crown prince to make her family depend on her.
It wasn't until she entered the Eastern Palace and went to the Prince Xian's residence that her experiences made her realize that the only person a woman can truly rely on is herself.
She wanted to be someone who could rely on herself.
Hu Manman went in to see Consort Rong, who had completely lost her former beauty. In order to maintain her graceful appearance and to seduce the Emperor in bed, she had used potent drugs that damaged her body.
Therefore, the fertility drug that the Hu family used to get her pregnant was extremely potent and overpowering. After she lost her child, her body was completely ruined, and no amount of youth-preserving drugs could reverse that damage.
She cries almost every day now, and is somewhat deranged. When she sees Hu Manman, she is bewildered for a long time before she reacts, and then bursts into laughter.
"Manman? Manman, you've entered the palace too? You're so disobedient! Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you're his own daughter? Let me tell you, no, neither you nor I are his pawns, pawns!"