RPAGF Chapter 782 Reprimand
Chapter 782 Reprimand
The palace maids in front of the palace gate immediately curtsied upon seeing them.
"Miss Gu."
"Her Highness is waiting inside." Granny Li nodded to her and went in first.
Gu Qingchen straightened his somewhat disheveled clothes, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.
The hall was warm as springtime, and the air was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood and flowers.
It was completely different from the tense atmosphere she had imagined.
The Empress was sitting on a soft couch, wearing a luxurious sable fur coat, and holding an exquisite gilded hand warmer in her hands.
She didn't look at the person who came in; she just kept her head down, intently watching the wisps of smoke rising from the stove.
"Your Highness, Miss Gu has arrived," Li Mama reported softly.
The Empress then slowly raised her head.
Her face showed a hint of weariness, but she was very well-maintained and her real age was hard to guess.
Her gaze fell on Gu Qingchen, without a trace of reproach, but rather with the gentleness of an elder looking at a younger person.
"Qingchen is here."
The Queen's voice was very soft and gentle.
Gu Qingchen felt a chill run down his spine and, following proper etiquette, stepped forward and curtsied.
"Your humble servant, Gu Qingchen, greets Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace."
"Get up, get up." The Empress beckoned to her, a kind smile on her face. "Silly child, why are you bowing so deeply? Come here to me."
Gu Qingchen got up as instructed, but became increasingly wary.
This is highly unusual.
She slowly walked to the soft couch, stood a few steps away from the Empress, and stopped.
"Look at this child, her face is all white from the cold, and her hands must be freezing too." The Empress said, handing the gilded hand warmer in her hand to the maid beside her, "Take this and warm Miss Gu's hands."
The palace maid immediately brought a hand warmer to Gu Qingchen.
Gu Qingchen hesitated for a moment, but still accepted it. The hand warmer still retained the Empress's body heat, and the warmth spread from his fingertips to his entire body in an instant.
"Please sit down," the Empress said, gesturing to the seat beside her. "You must be exhausted after a long day of running around outside the palace."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Gu Qingchen sat down, but dared not fully relax, only sitting on half of her buttocks.
"Bring hot tea, and also bring up the almond milk I just made in my small kitchen," the Empress instructed.
"Yes."
Soon, steaming hot tea and sweet almond milk were served to Gu Qingchen.
The Empress looked at her with loving eyes, as if she were looking at her own daughter.
"Hurry up and have some hot tea to warm yourself up. You child, you're just too impatient and too kind. When we heard about the disaster in the south of the city, the Crown Prince and I were extremely worried. But you, you rushed over there all by yourself."
Gu Qingchen, holding her teacup, replied softly, "This humble woman merely did what she was supposed to do."
"It is necessary to do so, but you cannot neglect your own health." The Empress sighed, her tone full of heartache. "If you fall ill from overwork, wouldn't your mother be heartbroken? I would be heartbroken too if I saw that."
As she spoke, she reached out and gently patted the back of Gu Qingchen's hand.
"I know there are some misunderstandings between you and the Crown Prince. Chen'an is also spoiled by me and has a stubborn personality. But in his heart, he is on your side."
Gu Qingchen's heart skipped a beat.
coming.
After going around in circles, we're finally getting to the main point.
She remained calm and listened quietly, wanting to see what kind of grand performance this empress, the mother of the nation, was planning.
She raised her eyes, looking directly into the Empress's kind and gentle eyes, and said softly, "This subject does not know what misunderstanding is. This subject only knows that there is a distinction between ruler and subject, and that men and women should be kept separate. His Highness the Crown Prince is the heir apparent, the future ruler of the world. His heart should be filled with the well-being of the nation and its people, not with someone as insignificant as this subject."
She adopted a humble posture, but her words were sharp and tactful, deftly deflecting the Empress's challenge.
The Empress's smile froze slightly for a moment when she heard the words "distinction between ruler and subject," but she quickly returned to normal.
She sighed softly, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness and earnestness typical of an elder.
"You're such a stubborn child. An'er is too impatient. But you also need to understand why he's in such a hurry?"
The Empress reached out her hand, and this time, she grasped Gu Qingchen's hand.
"Because he has you in his heart. Otherwise, with so many noble ladies in the world, why would he care so much for you alone?"
"Qingchen, listen to my advice. You and Qian Zhenyun are ultimately not a good match. Because of you, the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and the Qian family have already developed a rift with the Crown Prince. Do you really want to see your father, your brother, and the entire Qian family stand against the Crown Prince because of your momentary willfulness?"
These words finally revealed their true colors.
It was no longer a gentle, comforting reassurance, but a blatant threat.
Gu Qingchen's heart sank. She didn't pull her hand away, but lowered her eyes and looked at the delicate almond custard in front of her, remaining silent.
While undercurrents were swirling within the Kunning Palace, at the other end of the Forbidden City, in the Imperial Study, the atmosphere was already frozen solid.
Zhao Yunci looked at the report that had been sent back by fast horse.
He did not fly into a rage like the Crown Prince, and his face was not even particularly expressive.
"Summon the Crown Prince."
Soon, Zhao Chen'an, exuding a chill, entered the Imperial Study.
“Father.” He bowed respectfully.
Zhao Yunci did not make him stand up, but gently pushed the report over from the imperial desk.
"See for yourself."
Zhao Chen'an straightened up with some confusion, picked up the report, and his expression changed instantly after just one glance.
The document details how he ordered Qian Zhenyun to provide disaster relief without providing troops, money, or provisions, how Gu Qingchen forcefully intervened, and how the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion provided funds and provisions to win over the people.
"Explain yourself," Zhao Yunci's voice remained calm. "Using a natural disaster to retaliate against your subjects and suppress your political enemies. Chen'an, is this the art of rulership I taught you?"
"Father!" Zhao Chen'an knelt down with a thud, his forehead pressed against the cold floor tiles. "Your subject knows his mistake! Your subject acted out of anger. It was Gu Qingchen and Qian Zhenyun who... they went too far and publicly humiliated the royal family!"
"Royal dignity?" Zhao Yunci finally raised her head, her eyes filled with undisguised disappointment. "Royal dignity is earned through the support of the people, not by forcing a woman to marry into the royal family!"
"For the sake of your ridiculous pride, you set such a vicious trap when the entire city was suffering! You almost let the disaster victims in the south of the city freeze and starve to death in despair! What did you gain by doing this?"
The emperor suddenly stood up, walked up to him, and looked down at him.
"You've inherited a mess! You forced the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion to step in, and they gave away all their wealth to help the disaster victims, becoming living bodhisattvas in the eyes of the people!"
"And what about you? In the eyes of the people, you, the crown prince, have become a laughingstock, watching your subjects suffer while doing nothing!"
Zhao Chen'an was so trembling from the scolding that he couldn't utter a single word.