The Transmigrated Princess - Chapter 22

Gu Qing actually believed it because, in the original book, the Grand Preceptor’s plan had been to render Xie Zhili impotent, have Lin Chenzhi marry a princess, and then seize the opportunity to eliminate Xie Zhili, ensuring that Lin Chenzhi and the imperial princess’s child would inherit the throne.

But now, Lin Chenzhi had already been sentenced to death by the emperor. She had also reinforced the prison guards in advance to ensure Lin Chenzhi wouldn’t be secretly swapped out. The Grand Preceptor only had this one son, he would undoubtedly do everything in his power to save him.

Taking advantage of this situation to deceive Xie Zhili into usurping the throne to rescue his son was exactly the kind of thing the Grand Preceptor would do.

Gu Qing’s eyes darkened as she realized this was a golden opportunity. She instructed Xiaolan to return to stay with Shaoyao for the time being. “I’ll take note of what you’ve said. If your words prove true, I’ll grant your sister’s request.”

As soon as Xiaolan left, Gu Qing took out a whistle and summoned a white pigeon, sending a message to Xie Zhibai about the situation.

Watching the pigeon disappear into the darkness, Gu Qing pondered quietly. If this plan succeeded, she and Xie Zhiting could finally be together.

Night had already fallen. After handling all these miscellaneous matters, Gu Qing could finally lie down to rest. She still had court to attend the next morning.

The life of a working woman was tough.

The next day, the news of Gu Qing’s family moving out of the Duke of Zhenguo’s residence instantly became the hottest topic in the capital.

With both grandparents still alive, the third branch of the Gu family had already split off, this was an extremely rare occurrence. Everyone speculated about the reason, with most commoners believing it was because Gu Qing still couldn’t let go of Princess Roujia, leading to her expulsion from the family.

When the emperor heard about this in the palace, Consort Shu happened to be present. He sighed with some relief and said to her, “That child is quite sensible.”

Consort Shu nodded. She naturally understood the implications of Gu Qing’s actions. “Doesn’t that just prove her sincerity toward our Zhenzhen? That she isn’t just using Zhenzhen as a stepping stone?”

At the mention of this, the emperor couldn’t help but sigh. “It’s a pity she’s a woman. If she were a man.”

If Gu Qing were a man someone who had charged into a military camp for Xie Zhiting and split from her family for her and given that Xie Zhiting also loved her, he would have been more than willing to approve. But the problem was that she was a woman.

Since ancient times, there had never been a female imperial consort.

Consort Shu remarked, “Though she’s a woman, there are advantages to a union between women. For one, our Zhenzhen wouldn’t have to endure the suffering of childbirth.”

Noble Consort Xian had died from difficult labor, and Consort Shu herself had narrowly escaped death when giving birth to Xie Zhibai.

The emperor’s mood visibly darkened as he thought of these tragedies. He patted Consort Shu’s hand in a comforting gesture.

He knew full well how dangerous childbirth could be, but he still stubbornly argued, “Even if Zhenzhen married another man, she wouldn’t have to bear children. As my daughter, she has every right to choose not to.”

Consort Shu shot him a reproachful look. “Are you sending Zhenzhen into marriage or into resentment?”

In this society, what man could tolerate a wife who bore no children? If Xie Zhiting refused to conceive, the consort would likely be pressured to take concubines to continue the family line.

But who would willingly watch their husband dote on another woman?

The emperor fell silent, realizing the crux of the issue. He knew it was impossible, but in his heart, he still couldn’t accept his daughter being with another woman.

Imperial Consort Shu had always known when to stop. Seeing the emperor’s growing resistance, she said no more. Just then, it was time for the emperor to take his medicine. Eunuch Li brought it in, and Consort Shu took the bowl at the opportune moment. She scooped a spoonful, gently blew on it to cool it, then carefully fed it to the emperor.

“Your Majesty’s health has been declining lately. You’ve been taking this medicine for over half a year does it even work?” Consort Shu wore a worried expression, as if genuinely concerned for the emperor.

The emperor patted the back of her hand reassuringly. “Don’t worry. This medicine was specially sought out by my order, and it has always been prepared personally by the hidden guards. There’s no issue. It’s just slow-acting, but with minimal side effects.”

It was clear the emperor had great faith in the medicine. A flicker of calculation passed through Consort Shu’s eyes, but when she looked up again, her face was all smiles, just as usual.

The news of the Zhenguo General’s household division had spread throughout the capital. Even Consort Shu, secluded in the palace, had heard of it let alone Xie Zhizhen outside the palace walls.

She was somewhat surprised but quickly pieced together the underlying reasons. Without delay, she hurried to the Gu residence.

The maids and servants brought by the Gu household had already been instructed, if they saw Xie Zhizhen, they were to let her in without hindrance. Thus, she encountered no obstacles upon entering.

Since it was her first time at the Gu residence, she wasn’t entirely familiar with the layout. After asking for Gu Qing’s whereabouts, she had Sujuan pull aside a maid to guide them.

Upon entering the study, she saw Gu Qing standing straight before the desk, a wolf-hair brush in hand as she wrote something.

Sujuan discreetly retreated to guard the door, leaving the study to Gu Qing and Xie Zhizhen.

“Was it because of me?”

Gu Qing had actually heard Xie Zhizhen the moment she entered. She extended a hand, gesturing for her to come closer.

Xie Zhizhen took two steps forward until she stood beside her. Gu Qing wrapped an arm around her waist, the thin layers of gauze barely concealing the soft, slender curve beneath. When Xie Zhizhen looked down, she saw a map of the imperial palace.

Before she could ask, Gu Qing answered her earlier question. “Don’t overthink it. Now that I have an official post, moving out isn’t so bad at least I won’t be constrained. You moved out of the palace too, didn’t you? Life outside has its advantages.”

Xie Zhizhen understood this was meant to comfort her, but she couldn’t help feeling lost. She grasped Gu Qing’s hand and asked, “That opportunity you mentioned the one in a month, does it really exist?”

They had already sacrificed so much to be together, and now they had to wait for another chance. What if it never came?

Gu Qing rested her chin on Xie Zhizhen’s shoulder, clasping her hand tightly. Guiding her fingers, she pointed to the location of the Qianqing Palace. “We don’t have to wait a month. This is our opportunity.”

Xie Zhizhen was confused. She knew the Qianqing Palace was her father’s residence, but what did that have to do with them being together?

Gu Qing chuckled, her low voice brushing against Xie Zhizhen’s ear, sending a shiver down her spine. Then, she explained Xie Zhili’s plans to usurp the throne.

“With the merit of saving the emperor, plus Consort Shu whispering in his ear, this will most likely succeed.”

Xie Zhizhen was stunned. She never imagined the Sixth Prince would be so bold as to attempt a coup!

Gu Qing drew a circle over the Qianqing Palace. “I’ve already prepared everything.”

Then, Gu Qing briefly explained her plan to Xie Zhizhen, though it was still just a preliminary draft, and the specifics hadn’t been finalized yet.

It must be said that this matter greatly reassured Xie Zhizhen, easing the tension in her heart.

Gu Qing led her by the hand to the small courtyard where she lived, where a swing stood. “I remember you loved swinging the most when you were little. I also planted many peach blossoms here, the ones you love.”

The death of that peach tree had deeply saddened the young Xie Zhizhen back then, and because of it, she had never planted another tree since.

Xie Zhizhen stared at the peach tree before her, lost in thought for a long while. Gu Qing simply watched her quietly before saying, “The peach tree you always wanted to plant, I planted it for you.”

“Mm.” Xie Zhizhen responded firmly, her gaze lingering on the still somewhat bare peach tree. Unable to resist, she stepped forward and ran her hand over the rough bark, a smile tugging uncontrollably at her lips.

Just then, someone entered the courtyard. “Miss, Your Highness, the Madam requests the princess’s presence.”

Xie Zhizhen turned and saw Xiaolan. Yesterday, Xie Zhili had sent over several maids, and truthfully, she hadn’t paid much attention to their appearances. But this one stood out vividly in her memory after all, among them all, she bore the closest resemblance to herself.

She had already heard from Gu Qing last night that the girl was to be sent away immediately. So why was she still here?!

Meeting Xie Zhizhen’s questioning gaze, Gu Qing could only dismiss Xiaolan first. “I’ll come later. Go and inform Mother for now.”

Once Xiaolan had left, Gu Qing hurriedly explained what had happened the previous night.

“She only used this secret to bargain for my help in uncovering the truth about her sister,” Gu Qing said. “At first, I also thought of sending her away to be settled somewhere else. But if she stayed in the capital, there was always the risk Xie Zhili might spot her. I was afraid something might happen to her, so I kept her in the estate.”

“Though she’s in the Gu residence now, she isn’t serving by my side. I assigned her to Mother’s courtyard as a cleaning maid. The servants below probably didn’t know her background and just sent her to fetch us.”

Gu Qing was anxious. The move yesterday had been hectic, and they had slept late. With the early court session today, she had forgotten to mention this to Xie Zhizhen. Sometimes, confessing proactively and being caught before explaining made all the difference.

Xie Zhizhen pressed her lips together. Though she still felt somewhat uncomfortable, she knew Gu Qing wasn’t that kind of person.

But knowing it in her heart was one thing seeing someone who resembled her, and who had originally been sent by Xie Zhili to serve as Gu Qing’s bedwarmer, was something Xie Zhizhen couldn’t quite accept.

Especially since, “Can we trust what she says?”

If she claimed Xie Zhili had usurped the throne, was it necessarily true? Could it be a trap set by Xie Zhili?

Gu Qing couldn’t very well say she had transmigrated from a novel where Xie Zhili and the Grand Astrologer were already in cahoots. Instead, she replied, “I’ve investigated. Xie Zhili and the Grand Astrologer’s residence are indeed closely connected. Plus, with Lin Chenzhi about to be executed, her words hold some credibility.”

“Besides, even if what she says is false, it won’t affect us. At worst, we’ll just have wasted some effort.”

Seeing that Gu Qing had done her research and wasn’t blindly trusting Xiaolan’s words, Xie Zhizhen relaxed slightly. Still, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy about Xiaolan staying in the Gu residence.

After some thought, a light sparked in Xie Zhizhen’s eyes. “Why not send her to my residence? My sixth brother wouldn’t dare come looking for her at the princess’s estate.”

Gu Qing frowned, not entirely convinced by the idea. “No, she originally came from Xie Zhili’s household. What if she tries to harm you?”

Hearing Gu Qing’s immediate concern for her safety, Xie Zhizhen felt a warmth in her heart, her lips curling into an irrepressible smile. She took Gu Qing’s hand and gently swayed it, a gesture she often used to coax others when she was younger.

“Don’t worry, I’ll have people keep an eye on her. I just can’t rest easy if she stays at your place.”

Seeing her stubbornness, Gu Qing had no choice but to relent, though she repeatedly cautioned, “Even if she seems harmless for now, you must stay vigilant. Don’t let her near your courtyard keep her in the outer quarters and away from anything related to your daily needs.”

Support The Transmigrated Princess