"If Elder Sister refuses to see me, I will wait outside until she does."
Gu Mingyue, supported by Nanny Lan, appeared greatly wronged.
She had brought delicious pastries to visit her elder sister, Gu Qianying.
To her surprise, Gu Qianying refused to see her. Gu Mingyue was pregnant and about to become a concubine to His Highness the Crown Prince. With such a noble status, Gu Qianying's refusal to show her any respect was a grave insult. If this were to spread, outsiders would only speak ill of Gu Qianying, pity her, and praise her instead.
Gu Mingyue intended to tarnish Gu Qianying's reputation. Beside her, Nanny Lan, assisting Gu Mingyue, spoke venomously in front of many maids and servants, detailing how Gu Qianying lacked sisterly affection and was heartless towards a pregnant woman.
She wished to cast all the blame and ill repute onto Gu Qianying.
How could Gu Qianying not see through Gu Mingyue's petty schemes?
Now, she was on the same side as Gu Mingyue and would naturally assist her.
Moreover, her master absolutely forbade His Highness the Crown Prince from marrying Gu Qianying.
Gu Mingyue, being merely a concubine's daughter, was not a threat. But Gu Qianying was different.
Gu Qianying was the legitimate daughter, favored by Old General Gu. If the Crown Prince truly took a liking to her, she would undoubtedly become the prime candidate for Crown Princess. If that were to happen, her master would lose any chance of entering the Eastern Palace.
With this thought, Nanny Lan's words became increasingly venomous.
Gu Mingyue listened from the side, feeling immensely pleased, completely forgetting her original purpose for visiting the Garden Pavilion.
"Pfft!"
A basin of foul water was hurled directly at Nanny Lan.
Nanny Lan froze.
Gu Mingyue was also stunned.
At this moment, Lu Zhu, holding the empty wooden basin in one hand and with her hands on her hips, glared at Nanny Lan and Gu Mingyue. "My young lady said that no barking beasts are allowed in the courtyard today. Second Young Lady, you should both leave!"
Lu Zhu's words caused Nanny Lan and Gu Mingyue's faces to turn as colorful as a palette, looking extremely unpleasant.
Nanny Lan spat out a mouthful of dirty water and glared fiercely at Lu Zhu, "Presumptuous! Audacious dog slave, how dare you insult this old servant and disrespect me! Guards, seize this dog slave and let me teach her the proper etiquette of a maid!"
Nanny Lan had often worked in the palace, and her demeanor in disciplining subordinates was ingrained. However, her behavior was useless in the Garden Pavilion, especially in front of Lu Zhu.
"Order people to seize me? Haha, is your old brain filled with paste!"
Lu Zhu stepped forward, grabbed Nanny Lan by the hair, and kicked and punched her in the stomach, completely disregarding her status as a palace-trained nanny.
To dare to yell and act presumptuously in the Garden Pavilion was simply asking for a beating!
Lu Zhu was strong. After a few blows, Nanny Lan's curses turned into pleas for mercy.
Beside her, Gu Mingyue, frightened, showed signs of distress due to her pregnancy.
The maid following her, carrying the food box, was even more terrified.
After beating Nanny Lan soundly, Lu Zhu directly threw her out.
Gu Mingyue, fearing Lu Zhu would harm her, quickly left with Nanny Lan.
Her purpose for coming here was thus foiled.
Meanwhile.
After Lu Zhu drove Gu Mingyue and her entourage away, she returned to the room.
Inside the room.
Gu Qianying was conversing with her elder brother, Gu Yefeng.
Lu Zhu brought tea and reported the recent events to Gu Qianying.
After listening, Gu Qianying simply said, "Yes, well done. The small kitchen has prepared two baskets of steamed buns for you. Go and eat."
Upon hearing about the buns, Lu Zhu's eyes lit up, and she quickly replied, "Thank you, Young Lady, for the reward."
After Lu Zhu left happily, Gu Yefeng frowned and looked at Gu Qianying, "You want to draw out the master behind Nanny Lan, but you don't need to be so impatient. Having Lu Zhu beat up Nanny Lan in full view of everyone, are you not afraid of being branded as arrogant and overbearing?"
Gu Qianying played with a dried and de-toxified herb, its leaves crushed, and lazily said, "Your sister doesn't want to be the high and mighty Crown Princess, nor does she want to be the dignified Empress who rules the world. If that's the case, what good is a good reputation? Can it be eaten? Can it be drunk? Can it be seen?"
After Gu Qianying's speech, she felt nothing, but it greatly angered Gu Yefeng.
"A girl without a good reputation, how can that be? You used to care the most about your reputation, but now you are so indifferent. Sister, why have you changed so much? You asked me to feign obedience to His Highness the Crown Prince and serve him. Have you considered what would happen if Grandfather found out? You know very well that Grandfather's favored prince is not Crown Prince Nan Rongqi. Yet, you ask me to act this way, isn't that going against Grandfather, intentionally provoking him?"
Gu Yefeng paused at this point. Seeing that Gu Qianying remained silent, he continued, "Even if Grandfather, out of his love for you, doesn't punish you after knowing what we've done, you don't want to be Crown Princess, and you've also cut off your own path to the Ninth Prince's mansion. So, what exactly do you want to do?"
Gu Yefeng couldn't understand all the previous events.
If she had taken a liking to Crown Prince Nan Rongqi and wanted to be Crown Princess, it would be plausible for her to ask him to take sides to pave the way for her future. He wouldn't have said anything.
At worst, he would explain to Grandfather on his sister's behalf. But his younger sister had just said herself that she didn't want to be Crown Princess.
In that case, what was the purpose of him doing all these things before?
"In the future, the Crown Prince will be deposed, and the empire will change hands!"
Gu Qianying looked at Gu Yefeng, her words spoken with utmost seriousness.
Gu Yefeng was completely startled by Gu Qianying's statement.
"You... What did you say? You... say it again..."
Gu Qianying threw away the useless herb leaf in her hand, stood up, walked to Gu Yefeng, faced him, and said word by word, "In the future, the Crown Prince will be deposed, and the empire will change hands – this is my sister's goal!"
Gu Yefeng's eyes widened, "Sister, have you gone mad!"
Gu Qianying looked at Gu Yefeng very seriously. She did not answer his question but instead said, "Brother, if my sister wants something, will you get it for her?"
"Naturally. Whatever brother has, can be bought, or obtained. As long as my sister asks, brother will get it for her, even if it's the moon in the sky, brother will try to pluck it."
"Then, the Crown Prince will be deposed, and the empire will change hands – this is what my sister wants."
Gu Yefeng's eyes widened again. He saw that Gu Qianying did not seem to be joking. After a long pause, he finally accepted Gu Qianying's "desired object" this time!
"But... the reason?"
"No reason, will you give it or not?"
Gu Yefeng thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth, "As long as my sister wants it, brother will give it. So, you asked brother to feign obedience to Nan Rongqi for the future..."
Gu Yefeng did not finish his sentence, but Gu Qianying understood what he meant.
"Brother is right. Feigning obedience is not true loyalty. In the future, we will hide our strength and bide our time, only to be reborn from death for future survival."
"But how will we explain this to Grandfather?"
Gu Qianying personally peeled an orange for Gu Yefeng and broke off a small piece, feeding it to him before speaking, "Naturally, we will follow the old method. Brother will go to Grandfather to receive punishment, and sister will go to Grandfather to speak well of brother. After all, it was brother who insisted on following His Highness the Crown Prince. I think Grandfather will be lenient with brother this time and won't bear to cripple him. Brother must protect sister at all times."
Gu Yefeng: "..."
After Gu Qianying and Gu Yefeng finished discussing their next steps in the room, Lu Zhu, who had originally gone to the small kitchen, suddenly ran back.
"Young Lady, Young Lady, it's not good, it's not good! He... he's here! He's here."