The emperor's muttering, Zhang Qi didn't know, she just lowered her head and sat quietly, smiling when she should smile, speaking when she should speak.

  Less than two quarters of an hour later, the emperor took the lead in leaving. As soon as he left, a loud buzz filled the hall, and before long, more than half of the young masters from noble families also left.

  Zhang Xuan also got up, and Zhang Qi hastily stood up and followed him.

  As she approached, Zhang Xuan smiled and said: "Don't stay for a while?" In the blink of an eye, he smiled again: "It's okay to leave now, anyway, His Majesty has seen her. This palace is too big and stuffy, it's boring."

  It's just so boring, otherwise those young masters from wealthy families wouldn't have left one by one.

  The brother and sister went back to the Zhang's residence first.

  The next day, Ah Lu got up early, and as soon as the sun rose, she rushed into Zhang Qi's room with a burst of energy.

  Awakened by the cold wind, Zhang Qi opened her dazed eyes and asked in a hoarse voice: "What's going on?"

  A Lu hummed a tune, and upon hearing this, she turned her head back to smile: "Today is Ah Gui's birthday, I picked some peach blossoms and pear blossoms and put them in the house, Ah Gui, smell if they are fragrant or not?"

  Birthday?

  She is thirteen years old now, and fourteen by Chinese age reckoning.

  At thirteen or fourteen, a girl is as tender and lovely as a blooming flower, with a subtle charm that is most captivating to the eyes of men in Jiangnan.

  In these few months, Zhang Qi's figure has grown taller and slender like a willow branch, her body shape becoming more plump and curvy. She had almost forgotten that she was already fourteen years old.

  A Lu said while busy: "A Gui, do you think His Majesty will choose Wei Gu as his concubine?"

  Is that Zhang Yu'e? The one who said she wanted to become Your Majesty's consort and compete with the legitimate daughters at the Xiao family banquet?

  She shook her head and said, "Maybe not."

  "Ke Wei is in high spirits right now. Just now I heard her say that Your Majesty looked at her several times."

  Last night at the banquet, Zhang Wei and Zhang Qi sat together. After thinking for a while, Zhang Qi couldn't remember whether Your Majesty had looked in her direction either. She shook her head, "I didn't notice."

  She got up from the ground and dressed in a green dress. She said in a low voice, "Just listen to it, don't tell anyone else."

  "Huh?"

  The master and servant walked out of the courtyard, treading on the morning sun and strolling among the peach blossoms.

  On one side, she was darting back and forth. Zhang Qi was on the other side, picking off beautiful peach blossoms one by one with her outstretched hand. She was also busy and lively.

  While playing, Ah Lu lightly called out: "He Jie." She gave a curtsy to the maid who was walking towards the two of them and happily smiled: "He Jie gets up really early."

  Na He's sister responded with a sound, quickly walking close to the two of them. As she met Zhang Qi's gaze, she pulled out a letter from her bosom and said: "This is for you."

  Having said that, she hastily ran away.

  Zhang Yi was taken aback. Seeing that there was no one around, he unfolded the silk book.

  "Preparations have been made."

  It's obviously Xiao Mo's handwriting!

  Just a glance. Zhang Qi's face turned pale as she rolled up the silk book and whispered to Ah Lu: "Let's go back."

  The two of them hastily returned to their room. As soon as the door was closed, Zhang Qi threw the silk book into the charcoal stove.

  Watching the flames rise and quickly turn into ashes, Ah Lu asked anxiously: "Ah Qi, what's wrong?"

  Zhang Qi pursed her lips and didn't respond.

  Xiao Mo told her that he was ready over there and asked her to carry valuable items with her at all times, so as not to be caught off guard when the time came.

  Mistress! Mistress! Hmph!

  Zhang Qi turned around in the room twice: Since he said so, he must have done it. He wouldn't care whether she was willing or not.

  She bit her lip and thought for a moment, then Zhang Qi's eyes rolled around and she thought to herself: I mustn't get angry, I have to ask clearly, when is he planning to come pick me up and how will he do it.

  After some deliberation, Zhang Qi decided to find He Jie and ask if she knew any details.

  At this time, the sun was high in the sky. Because of the school's recess, the girls had nowhere to go and sat in groups of three or five in the garden, admiring the fresh flowers on the branches while discussing last night's banquet and guessing which girls the emperor favored.

  Outside Zhang Xiao's courtyard, a low whisper came over, "That Gui girl has arrived."

  "Madam was thinking of summoning her, but she came over first. Hmph! If she's looking for Ah He, let her be... The Grand Madam has given strict orders, and yet she still dares to secretly meet with him, it's really infuriating!"

  "But she has talent and reputation..."

  "What are you afraid of? These masters will take care of everything!"

  ……

  The two servants arrived at the outer courtyard of Zhang Xiao's residence. Zhang Qi said to Ah Lu, "Go and see if Ah He is there."

  "Huh?"

  A Lu responded with a clear and crisp voice, and her body quickly dodged out of the thicket.

  But then Ah Lu suddenly darted out, only to rush back immediately. She rushed in front of Zhang Qi, panting and said: "Ah Qi, Ah Qi, the imperial edict has arrived!"

  What?

  Zhang Qi suddenly looked up!

  It wasn't just her who was shocked, the master and servant rushed back together, and wherever they went, all the girls and maids looked at Zhang Qi in surprise.

  When she arrived at the courtyard, Zhang Wei, who had just been radiant and eloquent, was now pale-faced. She stared at Zhang Qi, not daring to believe that His Majesty had looked at her instead of herself.

  As she approached, the buzzing sound filled the air. However, Zhang Shierlang and Zhang Xiaoshi, who were standing in the middle of the courtyard, had a warm and smiling expression when they saw her. Behind them, Zhang Xuan also had a smile on his face.

  Entering the imperial palace as a concubine is hard work, but it's also better than marrying into an ordinary family as a concubine.

  Zhang Qi walked up with small steps, and after the eunuch finished presenting the imperial edict, he looked her up and down for a moment before asking in a shrill voice: "Is this Zhang Shi's Ai?"

  At that moment when she saw the eunuch, Zhang Qi's face finally changed. She couldn't believe it, that His Majesty who was clearly not pleased with her would suddenly decide to let her enter the palace?

  Her lips trembled, and under the eunuch's compelling gaze, she lowered her head. "In response to Your Excellency's words, it is indeed Ah Gui." Behind Zhang Gui, Zhang Xiao Shi, who had taken in her expression, smiled even more warmly now.

  The eunuch smiled and looked at Zhang Gui, saying in a shrill voice: "His Majesty has decreed that Zhang Shi's Ah Gui is kind-hearted and talented. Now that the new king of Zhou has ascended to the throne, Zhang Shi's Ah Gui can serve as an envoy to promote our country's prosperity."

  He handed the imperial edict to Zhang Gui's hands and said warmly: "Gui girl still has more than 20 days, take good care of it."

  Having said that, the eunuch turned around and left.

  They were all stunned for a while. Zhang Shi'er and the others finally came to their senses. Zhang Gui, who was holding the imperial edict, walked out more than ten steps in a daze before he finally came to his senses amidst the crowd's clamor and shouts of surprise.

  Your Majesty actually wants her to be an envoy to Zhou?

  What does this mean?

  She looked foolishly in Zhang Xuan's direction.

  Zhang Xuan approached her with big strides, looked at Zhang Qi's pale face for a moment, squeezed out a smile and said in a low voice: "It's just to let you go on an errand, no need to think too much."

  Sending a young maiden as an envoy is likely to give rise to suspicions of marriage alliance with foreign countries. How can she not think much of it?

  Zhang Qi took a deep breath, and when the matter was at hand, she never panicked. "Your Majesty's intention is to marry me off to Zhou Di and make me the concubine of Yuwen Yong?"

  Zhang Xuan furrowed his brow and shook his head, Zhang Qi whispered: "Ninth brother isn't it that you have friends who often come and go in the palace? Why not ask them?"

  Zhang Xuan woke up and also knew. What the emperor had in mind, his attendants would always know. There was no need to guess this matter. Asking someone directly would make it clear.

  "Alright, Ninth Brother will go ask right away."

  Having said that, Zhang Xuan hastily walked away.

  Under the gaze of the crowd, Zhang Xiao walked out from afar. She turned her head back and glanced at Zhang Qi before saying, "Pass down the order, don't restrain Miss Qi too much. And if that young master from the Xiao family wants to find her, let them meet."

  She slowly commanded: "Go and release that Ah He. En, also pass on what I just said to her."

  Just now, when I caught the maid Ah He secretly passing messages between two people, Zhang Xiao was furious. For a moment, she hated it so much that she gritted her teeth and wanted to catch Zhang Gui and force-feed him medicine.

  While she was thinking about Zhang Gui's talented woman identity and considering how to deal with it properly, the imperial edict came down.

  At this time, she thought: The imperial edict has already determined Zhang Gui's fate. Why not follow Xiao Mo and let him have his way? Otherwise, after Zhang Gui is married off to a distant land, he will still be thinking of her constantly, with a knot in his chest, and spend the rest of his life unhappy.

  In Zhang Xiao's view, now that things have come to this pass, even if Xiang Mo were to get together with Zhang Qi and have a child, it wouldn't be a problem. After all, those northerners are very casual about these things - they don't care about their daughters' chastity, so why should we be so particular? Men are like that - they always want what they can't have, but once Xiang Mo has had Zhang Qi's body and played with her for a dozen or so days, he'll completely let go.

  "Yes."

  Zhang Qi lowered her head.

  After staying in the room for half a day, Zhang Qi walked out as she saw the bright sunshine and heard the continuous laughter outside.

  The blue sky and green tiles, the peach blossoms are red and the willows are green. This world is truly beautiful beyond description. Zhang Qi took a deep breath in, then exhaled a mouthful of turbid air.

  As she walked quietly with Ah Lu to the garden, whispers and discussions came from behind, "I heard that His Majesty took Wang Xie's sister as the noble concubine, Shu Yuanshi is the sister of Xiao Fu."

  "Not only that, but also the four families of Wang, Kong, Yan and Pan have their daughters being favored by Your Majesty and are about to enter the palace."

  "It's none of our Zhang family's business."

  "Some people will be disappointed."

  "It's better to be disappointed than to marry someone from a faraway place and leave home." "Yes, yes."

  Among the laughter, Ah Lu looked at Zhang Qi with concern.

  Seeing no worry on her face, Ah Lu was taken aback and asked in surprise: "Ah Gui, aren't you afraid?"

  Zhang Qi turned around, "I'm not afraid." She said softly: "With my identity, no matter who I marry, it will take a lot of effort to live a good life. It's the same in Jiankang as it is in Zhou land."

  As he spoke, Zhang Gui looked at Ah Lu with a gentle gaze and said in a low voice: "Ah Lu, I'm going to travel far away this time, the road ahead is uncertain, you don't have to follow me. I remember your hometown still has an uncle. Tomorrow I'll give you eighty taels of gold, go back to your hometown to buy some good land and find a simple husband..."

  She had only spoken to this point when Ah Lu was greatly moved, she shook her head desperately and sobbed: "No, no, I won't leave! Ah Qiu, wherever you go, I'll follow! Whether you're alive or dead, I'll follow you!"

  This is her only relative.

  Zhang Qi's eyes were slightly red, and seeing A Lu's emotional excitement, she pulled her to hide in the peach tree forest, hurriedly taking out a handkerchief to help her wipe away tears.

  Wiping her face with a handkerchief, Ah Lu was overcome with grief and couldn't help but burst into loud sobs. But she didn't dare make a sound, so she tightly clenched her fists in her mouth.

  Zhang Qi saw it and was deeply hurt in her heart. She stretched out her hand and tightly hugged A Lu.

  Zhang Qi's illegitimate daughter status destined her to be rejected wherever she went. Even if Zhang Xuan was good to her, that goodness was only faint and required her to exhaust herself to manage. She left, he would feel sad for a few days at most, write a few poems and then recover, but what about Xiao Mo? She didn't know, maybe it was the same as with Zhang Xuan.

  Only Ah Lu is truly good to her.

  ##

  Looking for Pink Tickets. These chapters are a bit of a brain drain.

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