Chapter 37 It Was Hoped That She Could Change Everything

Empress Su’s eyes lit up. She looked up at Ye, smiled at her, and said quietly, “Madam, you’re so considerate. I remember it.”

Ye smiled and said, “This is what we should be as an official family. Your Highness, if something else needs to be done, we will do it together. It is related to the masses. Gu Family will take the lead.”

Empress Su nodded and said, “Great. Great. By the way, I heard that Gu Family has a lady called Gu Qiang. Is she here?”

They only know Gu Qiang. Ye felt angry at first. But then she realized that Gu Qiang came here with nothing, so she turned around instantly and pointed at Gu Qiang. All eyes were on her.

Gu Qiang came to her senses and saw Ye waving at her and signaling her to go over.

Gu Qiang had no choice but to walk slowly to Empress and give a salute.

“Is this Miss Gu? Very pretty.” Empress said and then looked at Gu Qiang with sparkling eyes.

It was only a polite formula used to relieve the embarrassing atmosphere. After all, everyone knew the theme of the gathering. It was impossible for Empress to ask for money directly, and she would wait for Gu Qiang to donate money actively.

However, Gu Qiang stood there and just said, “Your Highness, thank you for your praise.”

Then she remained still. Empress Su was waiting for Gu Qiang to give some money or treasures or promise to do her best, but she said nothing finally.

Empress Su knew as the eldest daughter of Gu Family, Gu Qiang called Ye mother, but they didn’t get on well in private, so they would prepare donations separately. Unexpectedly, Miss Gu had no manners and brought nothing. Was the royal family really in the mood to give a banquet? It was just an excuse. Overall, Empress Su was not satisfied with Gu Qiang. The girl was not so good as Princess Royal and Empress Dowager thought. Instead, she was a little dumb.

Empress Su was not foolish. She waved and told the three women of Gu Family, “You have my permission to go.”

Ye’s face darkened instantly. She thought she was involved because Empress Su didn’t like Gu Qiang. In that case, what she had done would be in vain, wouldn’t it?

After getting into the sedan chair, Ye kept silent. She couldn’t make a comment. Gu Qiang had no money to donate. Such a cause would lead to such an effect.

When they returned to Gu Mansion, Ye got down the sedan chair and walked towards her yard. Gu Zhihua didn’t go immediately. Instead, she stood before Gu Qiang and looked coldly at the latter.

Gu Qiang turned around. Gu Zhihua shook her clothes, which were made of expensive material. In Gu Qiang’s eyes, Gu Zhihua seemed to be shaking gold. Even though she was wearing such expensive clothes, she was only an ugly woman. Both her heart and appearance were dirty.

A breeze blew. Gu Qiang was greeted with a pungent smell. It was the smell of liquid powder sold in Yinshui Shop of the capital. All ladies were obsessed with it except her.

Gu Zhihua stared at Gu Qiang’s eyes and said coldly, “Gu Qiang, are you crazy? Don’t you know why Empress invited us there? Are you really so poor?”

Wasn’t she poor? Gu Qiang thought to herself that if she was not unyielding, maybe she would have nothing to eat. She was different from Gu Zhihua that wore valuable clothes and expensive liquid powder. What was the use of saying it now?

Though she thought so much in the heart, Gu Qiang was still expressionless. There was only one thing on her mind that she would be attacked by refugees and lose her memory as recorded in the diary.

The most important thing was the attack from refuges. If she was swapped for Gu Zhihua, the latter would be attacked and she could sit idle and enjoy the fruits. How great it would be!

Finding Gu Qiang had no response at all, Gu Zhihua became angrier. She wanted to ridicule Gu Qiang, but Gu Qiang didn’t take it to heart, and she herself got mad finally.

“Are you deaf? You used to be eloquent, didn’t you? You have a ready tongue before my mother. Now, look, what are you wearing? Aren’t you ashamed to enter the palace with such clothes?” Gu Zhihua tugged at Gu Qiang’s white clothes with contempt.

Gu Qiang turned around. Ting Feng and Chui Xue had arrived. The expression of the two girls could tell how much they disliked Gu Zhihua.

Gu Qiang lowered her head, brushed Gu Zhihua’s hands away from her clothes, and said coldly, “Don’t you know what clothes I wear and how much money I have? You withhold my money while hoping I can wear beautiful clothes so as not to lose face. Don’t you think it ridiculous?”

Then Gu Qiang walked to Ting Feng and Chui Xue and returned to her yard with them.

Bitch! Gu Zhihua stood there and gripped her handkerchief. Why was Gu Qiang such a nuisance woman? Gu Zhihua wanted to ridicule her, but it turned out just the opposite.

Gu Zhihua stamped her feet there and then went back to her room.

On the other side, Empress Gu Qiang sat on a chair in the main hall of Fengqi Palace, after returning from the Duke’s House. Ling stood next to her, wrote down everything she knew in a notebook, and put it in front of her.

Gu Qiang looked through it and frowned. She was clear about these things. They were just written again. No important things were included.

“Just these?” Gu Qiang threw the notebook on the table and turned around to ask Ling. The latter seemed to be very nervous, but she still nodded and said, “Yes, Your Highness. It seemed to be held back by someone and no information could be got.”

How was it possible? If it happened to someone else, it would be possible. However, Gu Huaian had cut off his relationship with Gu Family, why was he killed? Gu Qiang was puzzled by it and had no appetite for lunch.

While Gu Qiang was considering how to deal with it, she heard a eunuch shouting in a sharp voice in the yard, “His Majesty is here.”

Shen Zhongbai arrived. Gu Qiang frowned. Why did he come here?

Gu Qiang couldn’t remember when Shen Zhongbai came here last time. When he was in Gu Qiang’s heart before, she used to sit before the window and expect his arrival. At least they were a couple.

But now Gu Qiang had woken up to reality. When she heard any news about him, she would feel disgusted. She didn’t want to hear anything about him.

Gu Qiang stood up and went out with everyone else in Fengqi Palace to welcome Shen Zhongbai. When she just kneeled, he walked past her, sat on the middle chair in the main hall, and overlooked her.

He didn’t let Gu Qiang rise. He was dealing her a head-on blow. She was clear about these details. It was typical of him to do that.

“I heard you went to the Duke’s House?” Shen Zhongbai stroked a cup on the table, stared at the cup, and asked.

His mood couldn’t be told from his voice, but Gu Qiang broke out in a cold sweat at the back. It was beyond her expectation that he would know that. There were two possibilities. He sent an informer around her or Shen Qianshan told him.

No matter which one was correct, Shen Zhongbai came to criticize her.

It was indeed her mistake. She was too rash.

“Yes, I did.” Gu Qiang answered slowly. Now that it couldn’t be concealed from him, she had better admit to it, or she would get in trouble if she was convicted of deceiving the Emperor.

“As the Empress, you are noble. Why did you go to the Duke’s House? The Ninth Duke is single. Didn’t you think about what others would say if you went there rashly?” Shen Zhongbai said coldly. He was furious and his anger would nearly break out. His eyes were scarlet, but he still looked at Gu Qiang calmly.

Gu Qiang lowered her head. He who had a mind to beat his dog would easily find his stick.

“Yes, I know I was wrong.” Gu Qiang said slowly with her head lowered.

Shen Zhongbai didn’t look at Gu Qiang. Could her casual apology relieve his anger? Impossible. He came here today to take advantage of the opportunity to punish her.

“As the Empress, you should always know what you are doing. You need to calm down now. Just stay in this palace and don’t go out.” Then Shen Zhongbai rose and went out. It seemed that he didn’t want to give Gu Qiang a chance to explain.

He was clear that Gu Qiang had connections in the court and military. That was why he didn’t dare to do anything against her. She was much more capable than one could imagine.

When Shen Zhongbai left, the wind was mixed with the fragrance of a woman. It came from another woman. As the Emperor, it was not unusual to have the smell of another woman, so she didn’t take it to heart.

Ling came to her, helped her up, and said quietly, “Your Highness, why did the Emperor treat you like that? You did nothing wrong.”

Ling referred to the fact that Gu Qiang was prohibited from going out. Was the investigation into Gu Huaian’s death so unpresentable?

“That’s because it has something to do with him. I just suppose that he thought the Ninth Duke threatened his status and my brother was in the camp of the Ninth Duke, so he killed my brother. Of course, it was also possible that my brother found something and infuriated the Ninth Duke, so my brother was killed.” Gu Qiang stood up with no expression.

On the other end of the diary was herself at the age of fifteen. How Gu Qiang wished that she could help the other her, but she could do nothing now.

It was hoped that she could change everything.