The Premier's intention is to weigh the pros and cons.

  Gu Yunxi slowly walked forward, a faint smile on her face, and lightly bowed, "Nanny Yun."

  The woman in her forties, dressed in dark, luxurious attire that exuded an air of nobility, gazed at her with interest, sizing her up for a moment. "Ah, please get up quickly! I've only seen Miss Guo before, but not the second miss, who is also so beautiful? I heard that today, the second miss went to the Crown Prince's banquet with the king?"

  Gu Yunxi didn't know what the nanny meant, and only nodded her head, "I still have to thank Your Highness for your kindness."

  Yun's aunt clicked her tongue, shaking her head as she moved closer to Gu Yunxue. She turned back to look at Gu Zhongzheng and said, "Master, the second young lady is really something else! When I came out tonight, I saw the king sending someone into the palace. The second young lady is a clever girl, it seems she has done a good deed for the king."

  Gu Yunxi naturally knew what she was saying and immediately lowered her eyes, "Mother said it seriously, Yunxi doesn't dare."

  Yun's aunt shook her head, "Second Miss is really humble, it's hard for the empress to hear the news from the king and ask me when I came to the mansion to deliver some things, saying that this second lady of the Gu family was who, how come she had never heard of her before, just right, the empress entrusted me that if you see you must let you enter the palace to let the empress take a look."

  Gu Yunxi's eyebrows slightly furrowed, while Gu Zhongzheng stroked his chin and chuckled, "Xiang Junniang is indeed thoughtful. Xue'er often goes to disturb you, which has already made me uneasy. Now..."

  "Ah, Master Xiang is being too polite. Since the young lady has already been chosen by His Majesty as his future queen, then this Xiang manor is one family with Her Highness. The second miss will visit Her Highness and she won't even have time to be happy."

  Gu Zhong Zheng's eyes flashed with a bright light, "Xiang Jun Niang has always been fond of these young ones, since that's the case, it won't hurt for Yun Xue to enter the palace with Xue Er tomorrow and let Xiang Jun Niang take a look."

  Gu Yunxi's heart skipped a beat as she felt that this father had pushed her out twice in a row, what did he mean by this?

  Yun's aunt clapped her hands and smiled, "Now that's settled, the two young ladies from the Gu family will enter the palace together. Her Majesty must be overjoyed. Since it's like this, you girls should prepare yourselves tomorrow. At noon, the palace will send a carriage to pick you both up."

  Gu Yunxi no longer had the right to say "no", and immediately smiled and nodded, "Yunxi is obedient and grateful to Nanny Yun."

  Yun Niang was originally going to leave, at this time she said a few more words of comfort and farewell, and then she was accompanied out the door by someone. Gu Yun Xi turned around and looked at Gu Zhong Zheng, "Daughter doesn't know what Father means, please enlighten me."

  Gu Zhong's face was filled with a warm smile as he looked up and down at his little daughter, seemingly unable to believe that the person in front of him was the same Gu Yunxi from years ago. "Yunxi, in the past few years, your father has been busy with court politics and has neglected you and your mother. It's not too late to make it up to you now."

  Gu Yunxi furrowed her brow, but Gu Zhongzheng continued to speak as he entered the main hall, "Your sister is still the dignified Princess of De at present. If Prince De ascends to the throne in the future, your sister will become the empress who sets an example for the world. Although I am a chief minister, a civil official can never compare to a military officer. Having more power means having more influence. If the next ruler is born to my daughter from the Gu family, it would ensure that our Gu family has no worries for three generations. As your father, I wouldn't have failed our ancestors' legacy."

  Gu Yunxi's heart tightened, but she still furrowed her brow and asked, "Father means——"

  Gu Zhongzheng sat down in the main seat, staring straight at the girl standing in the hall, "Father's intention is to hope that you can help your sister in the future. At that time, even if there are three thousand concubines in the palace of King De, you and your sister will be able to secure the position of crown prince!"

  At this moment, there were only two people in the quiet room, Gu Zhongzheng's voice fell heavily in the room, Gu Yunxi's face was slightly surprised, but her heart was coldly laughing. Gu Zhongzheng had indeed thought of his own retreat long ago, and not only that, he had also thought very far ahead!

  She slightly lowered her head, "But wouldn't this hurt sister's heart?"

  Gu Zhongzheng saw Gu Yunxue being so obedient, and his eyes showed a satisfied expression. "You can rest assured that your sister is a sensible person, and as her father, I will naturally entrust her with important matters. Now that you have gained the favor of De Wang, this is a great opportunity. However, since your sister is older, you should still prioritize her in your actions."

  Gu Yunxi's mouth curved slightly, and she lowered her eyelids to conceal the sharpness in her eyes. "Father is being cautious and far-sighted, daughter is admiring him. Since that's the case, then daughter will certainly follow father's intentions. However, about tonight's matter, can Duke De be safe?"

  Gu Zhongzheng's mouth hooked up, "I've been in the imperial court for many years and have seen King De grow up. Although he has been away from the military for many years, he is a man with ambition and means. Moreover, the current crown prince is not of good quality, if it weren't for being the eldest son, who would be appointed as the successor?"

  With a slight pause, Gu Zhongzheng's eyes revealed a hint of ruthlessness. "Guo Zheng'en relies on the empress and the crown prince to wield significant power in court, almost as if he wants to suppress my family, the Gu clan. I'd like to see how this half-dead man can help his incompetent grandson conquer the world."

  Gu Zhongzheng said all this, in the end, just wanted to vent his discontent, and still didn't answer Gu Yunxi's question. After a pause, he raised his head and smiled, "Tonight's affairs are mostly set up by Cheng En Gong. When I returned to the palace, someone had already gone to ask questions on behalf of De Wang. Although the Emperor is wary of court factions and has many suspicions, in my opinion, De Wang has his own methods, at most it will be a false alarm."

  Gu Yunxi nodded and bowed slightly, "Since that's the case, I'll put my mind at ease. Then I'll return to Suimeng Xuan now."

  Gu Zhong nodded, and as he was about to leave, he added another sentence, "Tomorrow when you enter the palace, be sure to make a good impression. Although Xiang Juniang has been silent for many years in the palace, she is a thoughtful person, and De Wang is extremely filial to her. If you perform well, it will also be useful in front of De Wang."

  "I bid farewell in obedience to Father's teachings."

  The moment she stepped out of the quiet chamber, Gu Yunxi's mouth corners rose steadily. The so-called unparalleled favoritism, the so-called father-daughter relationship, were all just weighing pros and cons after all. In this world, everything was indeed calculated!

  As I walked to the entrance of the Shuiyue Pavilion, a figure in cyan was standing in the courtyard. Luo Qingyi was only wearing a thin shirt, and his entire body was standing in the courtyard with his lips already frozen purple. At this moment, seeing Gu Yunxi return, his eyes lit up, "Xi'er!"

  Gu Yunxi's heart warmed up, if she had to say that the only person who was good to her in this world was her mother in front of her. She hurried forward, "Mother, it's so cold outside, why are you standing here waiting?"

  Luo Qingyi's hands were frozen, but at this moment, she quickly pulled Gu Yunxi's hands into her own sleeves. "I was worried about you, it's so late and you haven't returned yet, I was going to have Yu'e wait for you at the gate."

  As she spoke, she walked into the house, and when Yu Niang saw Gu Yunxi return, her eyes also lit up. "Miss is finally back!"

  Gu Yunxi nodded and pulled Luo Qingyi to sit by the stove, "Mother, do you know what kind of person Consort Xiang is in the palace?"

  Luo Qingyi furrowed her brow, "What's the point of asking this?"

  Gu Yunxue rubbed his hands together as he replied, "Tomorrow I will be going to the palace with Gu Yingxue to pay her a visit. Since I have never seen her before, I must ask."

  Luo Qing's eyes flashed with a hint of doubt, "Let you and Gu Yingxue enter the palace together? Whose idea is this?"

  Gu Yunxi now has nothing to hide from Luo Qingyi, and after Yu Niang laid out the bed for the two of them and left, in an instant the room was left with only the two women. "It's Father's idea."

  Luo Qingyi's fists clenched slightly, "What does he mean? Meeting Xiang Jun should have been a matter for Gu Yingxue, this future daughter-in-law, but now he's actually pushed you out, what is the meaning of this?"

  "Mother is clever!"

  Gu Yunxi didn't intend to hide it, fortunately confirming Luo Qingyi's idea. Luo Qingyi's eyes narrowed slightly, her voice sharp and clear: "Gu Zhongzheng, after all these years, he still hasn't changed a bit! For the sake of power, he can do anything!"

  Gu Yunxi didn't understand the first half of Luo Qingyi's sentence, and continued to ask, "Mother, now that things have come to this point, do you know what kind of person Xiang Jun is? Although I won't follow Father's wishes, I also can't provoke her temper. Moreover, tomorrow is the day when I'll be entering the palace with Gu Yingxue, so I must be cautious."

  Lu Qing's eyes gradually became distant, she stared straight at the dancing flames inside the stove, "Xiang Jun, she was the most silent woman in the harem, yet when the empress first gave birth to the crown prince, among the concubines who got pregnant after the empress, only the taciturn Xiang Jun managed to give birth to a child, and that's how today's De Wang came to be."

  Gu Yun Xi's eyes narrowed, "Sometimes, a person not speaking doesn't mean she can't speak. This Xiang Jun is not simple!"