Chapter 61 Unwilling to Talk About It

Gu Qiang turned around to look at Li Zixi and said with a smile, “No.”

She swallowed back other words on the tip of her tongue. That was because she knew some relationships couldn’t be explained with words and she didn’t need to explain that to a strange girl.

Of course, Li Zixi could tell Gu Qiang’s reluctance to explain her relationship with Shen Qianshan, so she stopped inquiring.

Instead, she sat opposite to Gu Qiang and served tea, which gave off fragrance. Gu Qiang lowered her head, looking at the tea leaves floating in the cup. The tea fragrance made her mind clear. She gained an insight into the mind of the Empress Dowager. Shen Qianshan was old enough to marry. Though he didn’t intend to find a wife, there were rumors and pressure from outside. The Empress Dowager was still concerned about Shen Qianshan while her own life was in danger. It seemed that she cared about him very much.

Li Zixi sat next to Gu Qiang and said, “I can see you have a special relationship with the Ninth Duke, but I have no feeling for him.”

Gu Qiang smiled embarrassedly and asked, “How do you know I have feelings for him?”

The girl was forthright, but her arrogance made Gu Qiang feel uncomfortable.

However, Gu Qiang was not mindful of trifles and didn’t bother herself with it.

Soon Shen Qianshan who sat on the edge of the yard seemed to be lonely. He stood up, pretending to brush the dust from his clothes, and walked to Gu Qiang, saying, “It’s time to go back. Let’s go.”

Gu Qiang turned around to tell Li Zixi, “See you. I will give your regards to the Empress Dowager.”

Then she caught up with Shen Qianshan who had gone far.

Li Zixi turned around to squint at the tea which hadn’t become completely cold on the table. When a servant girl came over to take the tea away, she suddenly swept everything on the table to the floor. The servant girl felt panicky and knelt down immediately, saying in a tearful voice, “My Lady, please don’t be angry. You can’t lose your temper in the palace. If the Empress Dowager knows, you’ll face a severe situation.”

Li Zixi sneered, and the rage was about to engulf her like flames.

“Obviously, Gu Qiang has her feelings for the Ninth Duke, but she didn’t admit it. Everyone knows their relationship. Does she think we’re blind?” Li Zixi spat with fierce eyes, which sent a chill down the spine of the servant girl.

“Wait and see. How can I allow them to be so happy?” Li Zixi talked to herself.

The servant girl couldn’t help asking in a low voice, “My Lady, you don’t love the Ninth Duke, do you? He doesn’t have real power. Compared with him, the Third Prince is a better choice.”

The servant girl was clever. Li Zixi couldn’t help glancing at her and then shook her head helplessly, “Don’t you know the Third Prince is going to marry Gu Qiang’s sister, Gu Zhihua? I’ve had no chance.”

Then she propped up her head against her hand, and the servant girl fell into silence.

When Shen Qianshan took Gu Qiang to the resting place of the Empress Dowager, he stood at the door and touched her head. She felt embarrassed and asked, “Your Highness, what are you doing?”

Without any unusual feeling, Shen Qianshan looked around the dead quiet room and said, “Be cautious in the palace. I have something to do. See you.”

Then he left. Looking at his stretched figure in the setting sun, Gu Qiang felt lonely but free, which was a feeling hard to describe.

After dinner at dusk, Gu Qiang sat on a chair with boredom and looked at clouds changing shapes above the palace, which made her heart extremely peaceful.

Seeing servants helping the Empress Dowager out of the room slowly, Gu Qiang saluted her at once. Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager settled herself next to Gu Qiang, and with a high color, she looked good.

“Qiang, don’t stand on ceremonies. I come out to breathe fresh air. I have been staying in the yard these days and don’t know what it looks like outside.” The Empress Dowager said, looking around the surrounding views in admiration.

But Gu Qiang wasn’t so carefree. She asked at once, “Your Highness, how do you feel?”

It was the second day that she had stayed in the palace. If the Empress Dowager didn’t feel better at all, how could she explain?

When Gu Qiang thought of it, her hands were intertwined, and her palms covered with sweat. She was waiting for an answer from the Empress Dowager expectantly.

The Empress Dowager turned around and replied smilingly, “An imperial physician has given me an examination. I’m on the mend and will recover within three days. I didn’t expect I would recover so quickly. That’s because of your prescription. If I can recover, I will give you some rewards.”

Gu Qiang lowered her head smilingly and respectfully. She felt pleased. It was the chance that she wanted.

When the day just broke the next morning, a maid rushed in, woke up Gu Qiang, and said with excitement, “Miss Gu, please wake up. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor are waiting for you.”

Gu Qiang became fully awake at once. After being dressed, she asked, “Is it about the Empress Dowager’s illness?”

The maid was a young girl with an oval face, but she looked mature because she had stayed in the palace for long.

“Yes. The Empress Dowager felt better this morning and asked an imperial physician for an examination. Guess what? She has recovered!” The maid danced with joy while saying.

Gu Qiang smiled. After she dressed, she came to the main hall with the maid.

The Emperor was sitting at the master position in the main hall. The Empress Dowager was sitting by him in light green, full of spirit and energy, looking like a different person.

Gu Qiang knelt to salute. It was not the first time for the Emperor to see Gu Qiang, and he told her, “I heard you cured the illness of the Empress Dowager, right? You are young but surprisingly capable. Amazing! Tell me what you want. I will grant your request so long as I can.”

Gu Qiang lowered her head modestly and responded, “Your Majesty, the prescription is manna from heaven. I’d like to give it to you, hoping you can cure more people.”

The Emperor looked down at Gu Qiang from his position. The young girl was on her knees, looking like a delicate flower worth admiration. More importantly, given what she did, she seemed to be giving off a faint fragrance. The Emperor even had no idea how to reward such a capable and kind girl.

All rewards were dwarfed by her loftiness, which even astonished the Emperor.

The Empress Dowager looked down at Gu Qiang, who kept looking after her these days more considerately than her maids.

“You’re concerned about the people in the whole country. I will remember it forever. I’m decided to carry out your wish.” The Empress Dowager said.

Gu Qiang knew why the Empress Dowager hurried to award her. The imperial family was afraid of owing someone a favor because it would be difficult to return it later. A man who never gets enough was like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. The Empress Dowager was afraid that Gu Qiang would be greedier in the future.

In this case, it was better not to provoke the Empress Dowager. After thinking for a while, Gu Qiang raised her head and said, “As my mother died when I was young, I live timidly in the family as if treading on thin ice. Your Highness, when I am with you, I feel warm. I wish you can be my grandma.”

It was a risky move. Gu Qiang was clear what she was saying and that she might have gone too far, but she had no choice but to grasp the chance, or there wouldn’t be such a good opportunity.

The Empress Dowager changed her countenance and turned around to have eye contact with the Emperor. He just smiled with embarrassment. In fact, the reason why Gu Qiang had such a request was that she wanted a backer instead of her affection for the Empress Dowager. As she said, she had a tough life in the Prime Minister Mansion. Everything in the family was in the charge of Ye, and it was impossible for Ye to treat Gu Qiang as her own child. In such a case, it was normal for Gu Qiang to seek a backer.

The Emperor gave a dry smile and told the Empress Dowager, “Mother, now that Miss Gu has such a request, you can agree for the sake of the prescription.”

The Empress Dowager nodded. She thought Gu Qiang would request an engagement with a duke, but she was wrong.

The Empress Dowager thought highly of Gu Qiang for her foresight, so she nodded, “OK, I agree to your request.”

Gu Qiang was pleased. She kowtowed twice to the Empress Dowager and then left.

At noon, when the Emperor got Gu Qiang’s prescription, she had been on the way back to the Prime Minister Mansion.

People in the Prime Minister Mansion seemed to know her return in advance. She saw many people standing at the gate far away wearing a complimentary smile.

Gu Qiang lowered the carriage curtain slowly. She was clear about what kind of people they were and that few of them welcomed her sincerely.

When the carriage stopped, she got off. Prime Minister Gu walked to her and beamed, “Qiang, I heard you have cured the Empress Dowager. Is that true?”

Ting Feng and Chui Xue came over to take Gu Qiang’s baggage, looking calm.