Harem Daily Life

Chapter 1047 Joint

Having finally gained the freedom to change her appearance, Gu Yuanyuan could finally walk around openly. Upon arriving in Yuecheng, she first pretended to return to her former residence. He Linzhang sent someone to follow her, and they saw that she did indeed chat with two neighboring families, and their relationship seemed quite good. Then, she wandered around a few places in the city, bought a new set of clothes and a hairpin, and returned to the inn.

The first thing I did upon returning to the inn was to find Tao Yanyan and give her the hairpin I had bought.

"Sister, I've always wanted to give you a gift when we first meet. This is something I specially picked out for you, but I don't have any extra money on me. I hope you won't find it too much."

Tao Yanyan glanced at it; the hairpin was fairly well-made, but it wasn't worth much money.

Tao Yanyan gave Xianglan a look, and Xianglan stepped forward to accept the hairpin.

"You've put your heart into this. But I don't know how to wear this hairpin; it doesn't suit my status."

Tao Yanyan's words were somewhat harsh, and Gu Yuanyuan bit her lip, furious. They shared the same stunningly beautiful face, so why was she the Empress while she was nothing?

Jealousy almost made her lose her composure, but she knew she couldn't act rashly or anger the person in front of her and get kicked out.

“My sister is of noble status, and my brother-in-law has prepared the best things for her. It’s alright if she doesn’t wear the jewelry I gave her, as long as she accepts my heartfelt gift.”

Tao Yanyan smiled slightly: "Since you gave me something, I can't just take it for nothing. Xianglan, go and get a piece of jewelry."

Xianglan accepted the order and went to rummage through the Empress's jewelry box. Every piece was exquisite, and she couldn't bear to give them away. In the end, she picked out the most elegant bracelet and took it over, her heart bleeding.

Gu Yuanyuan was immediately captivated by the bracelet and put it on her wrist.

She had never worn such expensive jewelry before.

The thought of the person opposite her possessing such a large box of treasures she had never seen before stirred something within her. She secretly vowed to make His Majesty fall in love with someone else as soon as possible. After all, it was the same face, and she was ten years younger, so why couldn't it be her instead?

He Linzhang entered from outside and saw Gu Yuanyuan standing in front of Tao Yanyan. His eyes instantly turned cold.

"My husband has arrived?" He Linzhang had just made an incognito visit to inspect the defenses of Yuecheng, and he was carrying a chill with him as he entered.

"Let them come, so you don't get cold."

Tao Yanyan wanted to take off He Linzhang's cloak, but He Linzhang stopped her.

Gu Yuanyuan stepped forward instantly, taking over the task of untying the cloak, and said with a bright smile, "Brother-in-law, sister, let me do it."

Her gestures were graceful, and she stood elegantly beside He Linzhang, a perfectly timed smile on her face. Tao Yanyan stood to the side, watching someone who looked exactly like her serving He Linzhang, and felt a little strange.

Hmm, these two great faces are truly a match made in heaven!

He Linzhang glanced at the Empress, who was watching the spectacle with amusement, and suddenly felt annoyed.

"All of you, step back." He spoke coldly, and Gu Yuanyuan, intimidated by his imposing presence, quickly retreated.

"What~" Tao Yanyan said irritably when only the two of them were left in the room.

"I see you're enjoying the show, aren't you?" He Linzhang sat down and poured himself a cup of hot tea.

Tao Yanyan leaned closer: "It's like watching me stand with Your Majesty, a feast for the eyes. Your Majesty, just treat it as a performance for your concubine, don't be so petty."

He Linzhang glanced at her: "I think you're too carefree. Have you forgotten why she approached us?"

Tao Yanyan smiled guiltily: "Your Majesty, I have complete confidence in you and place great trust in you, so I have no worries at all."

He Linzhang said helplessly, "Then I also feel uncomfortable. She is not you, but she has your face. I don't want to see her."

Tao Yanyan gently coaxed, "It shouldn't take much longer. The person behind her might have already found her."

That night, two men dressed in black did indeed arrive at the inn.

It turned out that Gu Yuanyuan had appeared in several places she used to frequent during the day, which indeed attracted the attention of people hiding in the shadows.

The person keeping watch followed her all the way to the entrance of the inn, noted the location, and then went back to report. The person sent that night was the one who was to meet with her.

However, He Linzhang had already arranged for Shadow Three and his men to keep watch in the dark, without alerting her. All they needed to do was find out who was behind her.

The two men in black were very cautious. After exchanging a few words with Gu Yuanyuan inside the house, they left in a hurry. Ying San recognized that the men in black were speaking the Yan language.

"The Yan Kingdom?" Upon hearing Ying San's report, He Linzhang's eyes darkened as he said, "Could it be the remnants of the former Yan Kingdom?"

After the Great Zhou incorporated the Yan Kingdom into its territory, it renamed it Yan Prefecture and placed the Marquis of Jing there to govern.

"Those two men in black live in Yuecheng. They're peddlers by day and go to gambling dens at night. It would be easy to arrest and interrogate them," Ying San asked.

He Linzhang shook his head: "Keep it for now. Have someone keep an eye on it secretly and see who's behind it."

They couldn't stay in Yuecheng for long; they should set off for the next city today. After another seven or eight days, they would enter the territory of Xia Kingdom. With Kang Mowan's coronation approaching, they had to hurry.

"What does Your Majesty think of this Marquis Jing?" Tao Yanyan asked.

He Linzhang pondered for a moment: "Although he is from Yan and has had some unethical ways of accumulating wealth in the past, I do not believe he would dare to scheme against me like this."

Tao Yanyan smiled and said, "I also think that using such tricks to scheme is not the way Marquis Jing would do. Otherwise, what would he want? To use a woman to spy on Your Majesty and influence Your Majesty's decisions?"

It doesn't seem like it. It's more like a method devised by a woman.

Knowing that the emperor and empress had a deep affection for each other, they found a young woman who looked similar to the empress to replace her, in order to make the emperor dislike the empress and favor the new woman.

Most likely, they're here because of Tao Yanyan.

Tao Yanyan racked her brains but couldn't figure out who else she might have a rival in love.

As the group set off, Gu Yuanyuan went to the Empress Dowager to pledge her loyalty again. She found that His Majesty was too cold, while the Empress Dowager was much kinder. Taking the path of winning her mother-in-law's favor was still the only option.

He Xiaoqi naturally wouldn't stay by the Empress Dowager's side anymore. She avoided Gu Yuanyuan as if she were avoiding a dangerous object. For the sake of her own breathing, she kept her within a ten-meter radius.

The Empress Dowager had regained her foot-massaging maid, and naturally she used her to her heart's content, living a very comfortable life.

Upon entering the Xia Kingdom, the Zhou entourage was welcomed along the way. Not only were they secretly escorted by people sent by Kang Mowan, but they were also met by people that Qi Yizheng had arranged in advance. They traveled smoothly all the way to the capital of the Xia Kingdom.

To avoid trouble, Gu Yuanyuan was asked to wear a veil, leaving only her eyes visible. Although she was very reluctant, she had to wear it in the end.

He Linzhang and Tao Yanyan had been waiting for the person behind her to assign her a task, but after waiting for several days without any action, the two of them began to find it strange.