Chapter 1344: Ready to Strike

Fengxu brought Zhao Ziting to the banquet hall as well. Little Zhao Ziting, now a young boy, wore a well-fitting suit and looked like a little adult. He curiously watched Zhao Lianyi. His father told...Gu Die'er, upon hearing her mother's words, expressed surprise on her face. However, her eyes held not the slightest hint of panic. She feigned concern and asked:

"Mother, you don't have to go this far for me."

Mrs. Gu merely raised her hand to smooth her daughter's hair before speaking,

"Butterfly, you are my only daughter. When you married into the palace, it was to take care of your family. Originally, I thought we were on the prince's side, and he would treat you better because your family had always put in their best effort. Unfortunately, mother underestimated the ruthlessness of women in the palace, and as a result, you lost your ability to bear children."

You are destined to have no children in this lifetime. Now, the Emperor is looking at you because you are young and beautiful, and he can still visit your palace. But when you grow old and lose your beauty, it will be very easy to be forgotten in the harem.

For the stability of your family, you've paid such a heavy price. I would even spend my silver to pave a safe path for you. Now that everything the Gu family does is seen by the emperor, as long as he sees it favorably, he will treat you both with kindness, and you can live more freely.

"If the Emperor returns triumphantly this time after his campaign, with your contribution as a companion and Gu Jia's efforts, you should be able to become a concubine. Then I will pull some strings for you, and once you are promoted to a concubine with a title, you'll be able to show less deference to others in the palace."

After Mrs. Gu finished speaking, she secretly squeezed Gu Die'er's hand. Gu Die'er immediately understood and rushed into Mrs. Gu's arms, sobbing with gratitude for her mother's countless plans for her.

These words soon reached Su An's ears, and eventually the emperor's as well. Xin Yuan felt touched by Gu Jia's deep love and care for his daughter.

As a beneficiary, he didn't mind giving some benefits to his loyal and hardworking subjects, otherwise it would chill the hearts of those below him. So he had already started thinking about what title to give Gu Die'er after this campaign ended.

Gu Die'er stayed at the Gu family for one night. The next day, before dawn, she set off with a group carrying silver to join the main force. Along the way, everyone was on high alert and didn't encounter any troublemakers. It took them a whole day to catch up with the marching troops.

The Emperor, after hearing Su An's report and personally inspecting the silver, felt increasingly confident. Then, he took precious time to visit Gu Dieer, praising her and explicitly stating that upon returning from this campaign, he would break protocol and promote her.

Gu Die'er covered the annoyance in her eyes and bowed politely:

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. My family's actions are merely what is expected. Without Your Majesty, there would be no such prosperous and peaceful era. How could my family have the peace of mind to conduct business without worry Now, we are simply returning your kindness in a different way."

Xin Yuan, having heard Gu Die'er's words, felt even more that she knew her place. Although she was usually indifferent to him, at critical moments she was still willing to stand by his side, using the whole family's resources to support him. He was pleased and had lunch with Gu Die'er together.

This performance further confirmed to the entourage that the emperor favored Consort Gu.

"Can the Emperor not favor a concubine Even if it's just for money, he would treat her well. The Gu family poured their money into water, they still want to hear a splash, don't they"

Immediately, guards began to discuss amongst themselves.

Only Qi Shaohang didn't participate, but he didn't want to stand out too much. Although he didn't speak, he was listening intently with his ears perked up.

At this time, another person also said:

"Of course, that silver is what our squad was responsible for transporting back. I've never seen so much silver in my life. It seems the rumors about the Gu family being as rich as a country are true."

"Tsk, even if one is as rich as a country, they can't stand such extravagant spending. While things look good now, who knows what the future holds."

Some people hold different opinions, some even predict the downfall of Gu's family.

Qi Shao Hang frowned upon hearing this. He felt that the rumors of the Gu family being as rich as a country were not a good thing. The vice-commander's words just now were also right. War was the most expensive affair, and if it dragged on for too long, it could indeed cripple a family.

Unknowingly, Qi Shaohang felt a surge of pity for Gu Pin. If this speculation turned out to be true, the one who would ultimately suffer the most tangible harm would be Gu Pin alone.

After Empress Gu saw off the Emperor, she excused herself as being tired and went directly to her carriage for a midday nap. This way, it wouldn't delay everyone's departure.

Only after the team had set off again did Gu Die'er open her eyes. She raised her hand and took off a hairpin from her head. This was a hair ornament that Madam Gu had specially helped her with before she left home. She understood this was a hint from her mother.

As expected, the gemstone at the end of the hairpin could be removed, and a wax pellet was found inside the setting where the gem was embedded.

Gu Die'er crushed the wax pellet, and inside was a piece of paper with the words: "Feign death to escape, ripples will aid you."

After Gu Die'er finished reading, she sat up, stuffed the note into her mouth, then picked up the tea beside her and drank it all in one go. Then, calmly, she put the gem back in place and reinserted the hairpin into her bun. She casually pulled out a book and started reading.

Although Gu Die'er would flip through a page of her book after a while, her mind was filled with the content on the note. She didn't expect that her good friend would dare to take such a big risk to help her. However, the note didn't mention any specific plans, which made her somewhat uneasy.

Thoughts swirled in her mind, making Gu Die'er feel a bit anxious. This time returning home, she just wanted to see her mother and make sure everything was alright at home. She didn't dare say anything else.

Because she was very clear that the Emperor had placed guards around her, and everything she said and did would be reported to him. She couldn't show even the slightest abnormality. If she aroused the Emperor's suspicion, it would bring ruin to the Gu family, a result she could not bear.

But the mother hinted that her family had already made up their mind to retreat, skillfully and flawlessly, needing only her to wait for the right moment and cooperate.

The ripples on the other side avoided some eyeliners and met Madam Gu at a teahouse.

Madam Gu looked at the burly man standing behind Ripples with some surprise, and immediately signaled with her eyes, inquiring about the situation.

Ripple said softly:

"This is Feng Lao Da, when I was traveling as a physician he tried to rob me of my money and belongings, but I turned the tables on him and robbed him instead. Now he's under my command, completely loyal to me."

Feng Lao listened to this, the corner of his mouth twitched, he gave Madam Gu a smile that was uglier than crying, which made Madam Gu chuckle.

"That's his mistake then, blind to gold when he sees it. Having him as your subordinate is a favor."

Boss Feng immediately retracted his smile and tried his best to be a good background board.

Then, Ripple also smiled and said:

"Madam Gu said that while he may not be very skilled, his appearance is quite intimidating. Having him by my side would save me a lot of trouble."

Then the casual conversation came to an end, and the topic shifted to Gu Die'er and her family.

"Ripples, I've set the stage here. Now we just wait for Butterfly's cooperation."

"Madam, please rest assured, I will be responsible for everything on this side."

"Okay, I believe you. Just let me know what you need."

"No, I'll play it by ear. All you have to do, my lady, is make sure after the incident, the Emperor finds nothing amiss at home.", thank you. If Miss Peony needs any assistance, please let me know at any time."After the two ended their conversation, they were about to go home. Ripple habitually glanced out the window and saw a...