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After leaving the East Palace, Gu Jiao conducted a check on Gu Chengfeng's learning achievements.
Gu Chengfeng was inwardly resistant.
Gu Jiao took out a bottle of hair tonic and handled the matter easily.
Having confirmed that there were no issues with the main prop, namely Gu Chengfeng, Gu Jiao then began to prepare to lure the Crown Prince into taking the bait.
Firstly, she had to choose a moment when the Crown Princess was alone, ensuring that she couldn’t have an alibi. Then, she would smoothly lead the Crown Prince to 'catch the adulterers in the act.’
It was also a coincidence that Empress Xiao had the Crown Princess dine at the Kunning Palace for dinner. Lately, there had been many affairs in the East Palace, and Qin Chuyu had been brought back to the Kunning Palace for upbringing.
After the meal, Qin Chuyu wanted to visit Little Jing Kong at Renshou Palace. Empress Xiao asked the Crown Princess to accompany Qin Chuyu.
The Crown Princess dared not refuse and went along with Qin Chuyu.
The two little troublemakers went wild as soon as they got together, going from Renshou Palace to the imperial garden, and then from the imperial garden to Taiye Lake. And since the Crown Princess was ordered to look after Qin Chuyu, she had to follow along all the time.
However, she couldn't keep up with the two little ones and lost them in no time.
Only Chunying remained by the Crown Princess's side, and sending her away was easy.
Gu Jiao walked up to them directly and said, "I need a hand, help me take this over there."
The Crown Princess frowned, "Why is it you again? Are you haunting me?"
Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow, "Are you helping or not?"
If it was the Crown Princess asking Gu Jiao for help, Gu Jiao would certainly refuse. But the situation was different for the Crown Princess; she had an image to maintain and a status to uphold, so she had to help.
The Crown Princess glanced at Gu Jiao's basket and said to Chunying, "Help Physician Gu carry it."
"Yes!" Chunying reluctantly took the basket and walked with Gu Jiao towards the pavilion.
Halfway there, Gu Jiao said to Chunying, "Take it directly to Renshou Palace. I still need to pick some fruits."
Chunying was taken aback. Wasn't it just to the pavilion? How did it suddenly become Renshou Palace?
"I'm worried about the Crown Princess being alone there."
"How about I ask her to pick fruits with me?"
That’s precisely what worries me. Chunying thought to herself, though she didn't dare show it on her face.
This was the imperial palace, and Qin Chuyu and other palace servants were nearby. Chunying believed that Gu Jiao wouldn't dare to cause trouble, so she took the basket and left.
Gu Jiao wouldn't actually go and ask the Crown Princess to pick fruits. With a turn of her heel, she changed direction and headed towards the imperial study.
According to Eunuch Qin's information, the Crown Prince was in the imperial study today.
When Gu Jiao arrived at the imperial study, the Crown Prince had just come out. He looked at her strangely, "It’s you? What are you doing here?"
Was the imperial study a place where someone like her could come and go?
The Crown Prince's impression of Gu Jiao was based on her being Xiao Liulang's shabby wife, her unattractive appearance, her rural upbringing, and her lowly status as an insignificant medical woman. He couldn't comprehend how she managed to gain a bit of favor from the Emperor and Empress Dowager.
In any case, he didn't hold Gu Jiao in high regard.
Gu Jiao didn't mind the Crown Prince's attitude. At least he was out now, which saved her from making excuses to lure him out.
"I... was just passing by." Gu Jiao said with a straight face, "Is the Crown Prince heading back to the East Palace? I just saw the Crown Princess near Taiye Lake."
Indeed, the Crown Prince was initially planning to return to the East Palace. However, upon hearing that the Crown Princess was at Taiye Lake, he changed his mind and headed there directly.
Gu Jiao walked in the same direction.
Frowning, the Crown Prince asked impatiently, "Why are you following this prince?"
Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow, "I'm not following Your Highness. I'm also going to Taiye Lake. My younger brother is playing near there with the Seventh Prince."
The Crown Prince had heard a bit about Qin Chuyu's new friend, the little one named Jing Kong.
The Crown Prince furrowed his brow but didn't say anything.
The two entered the inner palace together. As they passed by a rockery between Kunning Palace and Yongshou Palace, Gu Jiao suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"Your Highness!" She called to him in a hushed voice.
The Crown Prince was growing increasingly impatient and asked her irritably, "What now?"
"Shhh." Gu Jiao pressed her fingertip against her lips and made a silent gesture, "There's movements behind the rockery. Listen!"
In general, the Crown Prince wasn't a very indifferent person and wouldn't ignore what was happening around him. After hearing Gu Jiao's words, he furrowed his brow and halted his steps.
Soon after, he indeed heard some commotion coming from behind the nearby rockery.
That rockery was actually the former "scene of the crime," but this time, Gu Jiao had chosen a different spot to eavesdrop from compared to where she and Rui Wangfei had stood before.
Back then, she and Rui Wangfei had been too far from the rockery, and the sounds were not very distinct. Now, she was standing with the Crown Prince on the path, which was almost half the distance closer to the rockery.
Unless the Crown Prince was deaf, he should be able to hear everything happening behind the rockery.
"It's you? How... How did you end up here?"
That was the voice of the Crown Princess.
"I didn't want to come either, but I had no choice."
This wasn't Ning Wang's voice.
Ning Wang was severely injured and currently recuperating at the Ning Wang Residence. It would be nothing short of a miracle for him to appear here.
"I think you've gone mad. This is the imperial palace. You're openly meeting me in broad daylight. Aren't you afraid of being discovered?"
"Don't worry, my martial arts are excellent. I won't let anyone find out."
"Leave."
"I'll leave after I deliver the message from my master. Master wants you to remember that you're his woman. Remember your identity! Stop avoiding him all the time. If there's a next time, he can't guarantee he'll keep your relationship hidden."
"Are you threatening me?"
"The message has been delivered. I'm leaving."
"Wait! How... How is he doing? His injuries?"
It was a concerned and worried tone.
"If you're truly worried about my master, why don't you visit him in person? It's been so long since you've seen him. Don't you want to meet him?"
She sighed bitterly, "What good does wanting do? Is the imperial palace a place I can just leave whenever I want? What do I do if I'm suspected?"
"Don't worry, as long as you want it, my master will arrange everything for you."
Actually, the script ended at the point of inquiring about the injuries. The subsequent lines were Gu Chengfeng's on-the-spot improvisation; he added lines arbitrarily again.
Throughout the conversation, Gu Jiao had been observing the Crown Prince's expressions. Initially, he showed no reaction to the first two sentences. It wasn't until the third sentence that he slightly furrowed his brow.
When he heard the line “I'll leave after I deliver the message from my master," his brow furrowed even tighter, revealing a small trace of anger.
Hold on, shouldn't there be a stronger reaction to being cuckolded?
Something seemed a bit off.
Given the Crown Prince's feelings towards Wen Linlang, he should have drawn his sword and charged forward long ago, cutting down either Wen Linlang or that adulterer in rage, or perhaps even both of them together.
But he didn't.
Gu Jiao asked curiously, "Your Highness, did you not recognize the voices of the people just now?"
The Crown Prince snorted coldly, "How would this prince recognize it? This prince doesn't know them!"
Gu Jiao opened her mouth, "You... Don't recognize? Didn’t you find any of their voices a bit familiar just now?"
Like the Crown Princess's voice, perhaps?
Raz P.'s Thoughts
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