As the chief eunuch's voice rang out.
Two men entered from outside the great hall.
General Gu, clad in armor and battle robes, carried a large saber.
Gu Yefeng, in purple robes, walked slowly side by side with him.
At the moment the two appeared, everyone was stunned.
"Isn't that General Gu and Gu Yefeng?"
"They've come back to life?"
Amidst the surprise, people murmured amongst themselves.
Clang!
The teacup in Nangong Xuanning's hand fell to the ground. She stared in shock at the man in purple robes walking towards her.
It was him, Gu Yefeng? He had truly appeared!
Gu Yefeng did not look at her, his cold gaze fixed on Nanrong Qi, who sat on the high seat.
"Your humble servant Gu Yefeng pays his respects to the Emperor."
Without kneeling, Gu Yefeng merely cupped his hands towards Nanrong Qi. His tone was not particularly respectful.
Beside him, General Gu stood tall, not even lowering his head. He also looked at Nanrong Qi with a cold expression. "Your Majesty, your old subject has returned."
The several military generals who had defected and pledged allegiance to the former crown prince, now the Emperor, were all in a panic at this moment.
They had originally followed General Gu.
But after General Gu's "death," they had pledged allegiance to the former crown prince, who was now the Emperor.
Yes! They obeyed the Emperor, and in the entire court, the Emperor was supreme.
Since they obeyed the Emperor, why should they fear General Gu?
The several generals adjusted themselves between panic and composure.
As for the noble ladies on the other side, the moment they saw General Gu and Gu Yefeng, they all instinctively glanced at Gu Qianying several times.
The Imperial Noble Consort's family had become "strong!"
Now that she was pregnant, it was likely that no one would dare to touch her.
At this moment.
Nanrong Qi's expression was as ugly as it could be.
He sneered and said, "You're not dead?"
This was not a statement a true Emperor should make, yet he couldn't control himself.
It was also at this moment that he finally understood.
So, all of this had been planned in advance!
He glanced sideways at Gu Qianying and glared at her through gritted teeth.
"Imperial Noble Consort, good, very good!"
He would remember this!
If he still didn't know who was behind it, he would be a fool!
"Hmm? Your Majesty, I am carrying your flesh and blood, so naturally, I am very well. This is, after all, Your Majesty's first child. But I wonder if this child will..."
Gu Qianying's words were loaded with meaning.
Those present did not understand.
"Thanks to Your Majesty's grace, your old subject and my grandson are both alive and well."
General Gu forcefully thrust his saber into the ground. The ground trembled.
Everyone gasped in fear.
During the previous Emperor's reign, General Gu was already so arrogant, and he was still as proud now.
Beside him, Gu Yefeng, the eldest son of the Gu family, was still as elegant and distinguished as ever, though the scar on his cheek remained.
Even so, it did not detract from his handsome appearance.
Among the crowd, only the Grand Empress Dowager, seated there, did not show much shock on her face.
"Today, at my birthday banquet, the Imperial Noble Consort has presented gifts one after another, giving me one surprise after another. I am very pleased."
With her experience, the Grand Empress Dowager, with a single sentence, helped to salvage the Emperor's dignity.
"Guards, grant General Gu a seat."
After stabilizing his emotions, Nanrong Qi had a eunuch bring a chair and place it in the center of the hall.
He did not believe that General Gu would sit in the center of the hall in full view of everyone. What kind of place was that?
That was where the dancers performed for entertainment, and even women who wished to showcase their talents could step forward.
Who would sit in such a "showy" place?
However, General Gu sat down right in front of everyone, in the center of the hall, in such a peculiar and special manner.
Finally, General Gu added.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the seat."
Nanrong Qi's lips trembled with anger.
After granting the seat, as for Gu Yefeng, Nanrong Qi told him to find a place to sit casually and not to linger in his sight.
But who knew that Gu Yefeng would add a chair next to Gu Qianying and sit beside her, with Nangong Xuanning on the other side.
From then on, Nangong Xuanning's gaze never left Gu Yefeng.
After the shock came overwhelming excitement.
He had finally appeared!
"Gu..."
A belly full of words got stuck in her throat, and she didn't know where to begin.
She had heard Gu Qianying say that the person who saved her that day was Gu Yefeng.
She desperately wanted to ask him, was it really you?
But the words at her lips, she didn't know how to ask.
She didn't want to mention that day; it was when she was at her most disheveled and least willing to recall.
Yet, she wanted to hear him clearly admit that he had saved her.
The teacup, shattered into pieces, was cleared away by the palace maids beside her.
At this moment, a maid refilled Nangong Xuanning's cup with osmanthus wine.
Osmanthus wine was a warm wine specially bestowed by the Emperor at palace banquets.
"Osmanthus wine is good, but it's not advisable to drink too much, Your Highness Princess. It's better to drink less."
A sudden remark made Nangong Xuanning pause. She turned her head and met Gu Yefeng's narrow, elongated eyes.
"Are you... are you... caring for... me?"
She stuttered nervously.
In fact, there was not much warmth in Gu Yefeng's narrow, elongated eyes.
He simply disliked the scent of osmanthus.
Because his sister, Gu Qianying, was allergic to osmanthus.
He did not respond to Nangong Xuanning, but as he averted his gaze, he uttered two words, "No."
He was stating a fact.
But the way he did it was interpreted by Nangong Xuanning as the opposite.
Someone had told her that sometimes, words could be understood in reverse.
And at this moment, Nangong Xuanning heard Gu Yefeng's two words in reverse.
Therefore, she was very happy, exceptionally happy.
"Alright, I'll listen to you. I won't drink it."
Nangong Xuanning immediately instructed the palace maid to remove the cup of osmanthus wine in front of her.
The maid obeyed and did as she was told.
Gu Qianying was wholeheartedly in favor of the interaction between Gu Yefeng and Nangong Xuanning.
This was the only thing that brought her joy on her path of revenge.
Due to the "resurrection" of General Gu and Gu Yefeng, Nanrong Qi was very displeased but could not show it.
And the grace that Gu Qianying's maid had begged for earlier, he had to agree reluctantly.
Nanrong Qi had originally intended to use a birthday banquet to win the hearts of the people by showcasing his filial piety.
But whether he won the hearts of the people or not, on this day, he witnessed a "comeback from the dead" drama that could seize power without a single soldier.
As the banquet dispersed, Nanrong Qi looked meaningfully at Gu Qianying's still flat stomach and said, "Imperial Noble Consort, you must take good care of your pregnancy. Don't miscarry by accident!"
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. I will protect this belly of mine with my life. After all, the child in my womb is Your Majesty's first child, and perhaps a little prince. Historically, the eldest son is always the crown prince, and the crown prince is the future heir!"
Gu Qianying smiled, her smile becoming increasingly sinister.
At this moment, Nanrong Qi, who had been hoping Gu Qianying would bear him an imperial son, now wished more than ever that the child in Gu Qianying's womb would die in utero.
Now, General Gu and Gu Yefeng had regained their positions. These two were powerful figures in the military, and the Gu family army under their command was what he feared the most.
Before, when the two were "deceased," he could neglect the Gu family army and not give them important roles. Over the years, his own men had infiltrated the army.
But with the return of General Gu and Gu Yefeng, all his efforts in the military would be in vain.
And Gu Qianying's mention of "crown prince" sounded very jarring to Nanrong Qi.
"If the Imperial Noble Consort's pregnancy results in a prince, I will make an exception and bestow the title of Crown Prince."
Nanrong Qi said this to Gu Qianying, but his gaze swept over the concubines in the harem and the Empress seated beside them.
These women in the harem could likely understand the meaning behind his words.
The struggles within the harem always involved underhanded tactics, and the death of one or two infants under these tactics was quite normal.
After the banquet.
The Grand Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the harem concubines returned to their respective palaces.
Some noble ladies paid their respects at the Jiaofang Palace and then left in groups.
These noble ladies were astute and knew how to judge the situation. The Emperor's words were final.
They understood whom they should curry favor with at the moment.
However, Gu Qianying, who should have been at Jiaofang Palace dealing with the noble ladies of the court, appeared outside the palace.
In a private room labeled "Gui" in a restaurant.
Gu Qianying, Gu Yefeng, General Gu, Du Chun, Nangong Li, Meng Qinghua, Yan Kuan, and others were seated around a table.