Practice Is the Only Standard for Testing Truth
Gu Hao was suspicious.
The Empress's phoenix carriage was second only to Li Er's carriage, so it was easy to recognize.
When they got closer, a eunuch caught a glimpse of Gu Hao. He was instantly delighted and shouted into the study room,
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, the scholar is here."”
"Is Empress Zhangsun really here?" Gu Hao raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Gu Hao."
Princess Li Lizhi, who was dressed in white, walked out. When she saw Gu Hao, a smile appeared on her face.
Gu Hao nodded slightly and followed Li Lizhi into his office.
As soon as he approached, the fragrance of rice assaulted his senses.
Gu Hao was shocked when he looked up.
Empress
Zhangsun, who was standing next to the bookshelf, looked like a larger Li Lizhi. She was also dressed in men's clothes and looked very handsome.
"Empress, this is?" Gu Hao cupped his hands and asked curiously.
Why did you come here to show off your male appearance?
Empress Zhangsun looked at Gu Hao and chuckled.""I heard that you went to prison last night because you were wronged, so bengong specially came to see if you were wronged.”
"Mother knows that you want to eat imperial food, so she specially made a few dishes for you.”Li Lizhi added with a smile.
"Sorry to trouble the Empress.
Gu Hao laughed dryly.
He felt strange.
Was this…a mother-in-law visiting her son-in-law?
"Sit." Empress Zhangsun smiled.
"Alright."
Gu Hao nodded.
After the three of them sat down…
"Did you suffer any grievances last night?"
Empress Zhangsun asked with concern.
Gu Hao blinked and shook his head.""No, no one interrogated me last night."
"That Hou Junji is too despicable. He clearly knows that you saved me, but he still dares to capture you. Hmph.”Li Lizhi snorted unhappily.
Gu Hao smiled and didn't reply. Instead, he picked up a piece of duck meat with sauce and ate it.
Needless to say, the taste was really good.
"It's just a little cold."
Gu Hao thought to himself.
"Hou Junji has performed many meritorious deeds at His Majesty's side.”Empress Zhangsun said softly,"He is indeed a little ruthless. His Majesty has also been persuading him, hoping that he can study more.”
"Is the Empress worried that this subject will have a grudge against General Hou?”Gu Hao shook his head with a smile and said,"Your Majesty, you've underestimated my magnanimity. General Hou is like the wind when it comes to solving cases. He only used half a night to find out the mastermind behind Prince Changle's assassination. I really admire his ability to solve cases."
As for capturing me and sending me to prison, it was done impartially. I am sincerely convinced and will not blame you.”
Empress Zhangsun stared at Gu Hao for a long time before she nodded slowly and said,""It's good that you think that way."
"Anyway, I don't like him." Li Lizhi mumbled.
"What a coincidence. I don't like it either.”Gu Hao said in his heart.
"Hehe, Lizhi can ignore people she doesn't like.”
Empress Zhangsun chuckled, her eyes full of affection.
"Then can mother ask father to transfer Hou Junji out of Chang 'an?”Li Lizhi asked expectantly.
Gu Hao took a sip of wine and looked at Li Lizhi with a hint of warmth in his eyes.
The suggestion was childish,
but the intention was genuine.
"Your Imperial Father is different from us.”Empress Zhangsun said softly,"He is the Emperor of the Tang Empire. He has to be responsible for the people of the Tang Empire. Personal preferences should be placed behind the country and the people.”
"Empress, you have a wise idea." Gu Hao raised his cup, looked at Empress Zhangsun, and praised,"Your Majesty, you worry about the world first, and then you enjoy the world's happiness. This is unprecedented."”
"Worry before the worries of the world, and be happy after the happiness of the world…" Empress Zhangsun moaned softly. Then, she rolled her eyes at Gu Hao and said,"I'm clearly talking about His Majesty. Why are you praising me?"”
"This official thinks that the Empress is more worthy of praise than Your Majesty.”Gu Hao muttered softly.
That was what he thought.
"Don't talk nonsense." Empress Zhangsun spat softly, her cheeks slightly red.
Obviously, even though she felt that Gu Hao's praise was exaggerated, it was still quite useful.
Gu Hao smiled.
He vaguely understood Empress Zhangsun's intentions.
However, he still needed to test it out.
"Niangniang does not need to be humble, even if it is in front of His Majesty, this minister would dare to say this.”
Gu Hao smiled faintly.
"Imperial Mother and Imperial Father are both equally powerful.”
Princess Li Lizhi said with a smile.
"Hurry up and eat," Empress Zhangsun chuckled.”
"Oh, oh." Li Lizhi was in a good mood, and her appetite was much bigger than usual.
"No response. Did I guess wrong?”
Gu Hao muttered to himself as he ate the delicious food.
He was a little puzzled.
If Empress Zhangsun had only expressed her concern to him, there was no need for her to come out of the palace in men's clothing. Wouldn't it be fine if she had just summoned him over with an imperial decree?
He must have something important to say for him to come so solemnly.
Gu Hao was puzzled. His appetite hadn't decreased at all.
Not long after, the plates of imperial food on the table in front of him were all gone.
"Eighty percent full, not bad."
Gu Hao commented on the dinner.
Then, eunuchs and palace maids removed the banquet table and brought in three tea tables.
There was tea, pastries, and grapes on the coffee table.
"Lizhi, go back to the palace and help mother get the paper on the desk. Mother wants to ask the scholar for a few lines of poetry.”
Empress Zhangsun looked at Li Lizhi and ordered softly.
"Me?" Li Lizhi was stunned.
He immediately reacted.
He knew that his mother wanted to talk to Gu Hao alone and wanted him to stay away.
"What can't I hear?”Li Lizhi was a little dissatisfied. She said,"I know."”
After
Li Lizhi left, Gu Hao asked,""Does the Empress have something to tell this subject?"
Empress Zhangsun nodded and said softly,""You are very smart, you were just testing bengong.”
Gu Hao laughed dryly and didn't answer.
"You guessed right, bengong did come for that matter.”Empress Zhangsun looked at Gu Hao.
"I don't quite understand.”
Gu Hao picked up the tea on the coffee table and took a sip.
In this era, most of the tea was ginger soup. It was rare to find a tea like the one in the later era.
The cup of tea that Gu Hao was drinking was much lighter.
He guessed that this should be the tea Empress Zhangsun liked to drink.
"Yang Zhengdao wanted to use the whereabouts of the Heirloom Seal and the Imperial Jade to threaten His Majesty to chop off your head.”Empress Zhangsun said.
Gu Hao pursed his lips and muttered,"Empress, you're so direct."”
"Didn't you say you didn't understand?" Empress Zhangsun snorted coldly.”
Gu Hao sighed and said,"I don't dare to listen."
"Heh, do you think you're being wronged?”Empress Zhangsun snorted.
Gu Hao looked at Empress Zhangsun. His originally calm face gradually became aggrieved.
"Niangniang, do you think this subject is wronged? "I just made a great contribution to the Tang Empire, but Your Majesty wants my life just because of a word from that grandson…"
Gu Hao complained with an aggrieved expression.
His acting skills were very exaggerated, but his true feelings were revealed.
He really felt wronged!
"Who said His Majesty wants your life?”Empress Zhangsun snorted lightly, feeling a little lacking in confidence.
"Niangniang, do you think I'm stupid? I've already deduced the whereabouts of the heirloom seal and the jade pendant to His Majesty, but what did His Majesty do? "Sending that bastard Hou Junji to interrogate Yang Zhengdao…" Gu Hao snorted coldly."Your Majesty, you're so intelligent. How could you not know His Majesty's intentions?"”
"Didn't you just say that you didn't have any grudges against General Hou and admired him? How did this become a bastard?”Empress Zhangsun said faintly.
Gu Hao coughed lightly and smiled.""Didn't we just set a good example in front of Prince Changle? In front of the Empress, this subject revealed his true nature.”
"This mouth of yours…" Empress Zhangsun shook her head and said seriously,"I've already advised His Majesty that he won't have such thoughts again.”
"As expected." Gu Hao's expression remained the same.
Previously, he had guessed that Empress Zhangsun had come personally to appease him.
If it had been before last night, he would have been extremely grateful to Empress Zhangsun and let out a huge sigh of relief.
And now, he was still very grateful to Empress Zhangsun, but he would not let his guard down, nor would he cancel his plan.
"Does the Empress think that it can be persuaded?”Gu Hao asked.
Empress Zhangsun looked at Gu Hao and smiled,""What? You don't even believe bengong's words?"
"Yes!" Gu Hao said with certainty, then added,"But I've never seen Your Majesty's moral integrity.”
"Haven't you seen His Majesty's moral integrity? What do you mean?" Empress Zhangsun frowned. She didn't understand for a moment.
"What I mean is that Your Majesty values the heirloom seal too much," Gu Hao explained in a low voice.”
Empress Zhangsun smiled and said softly,""His Majesty does sometimes get into a dead end, but as long as you explain things to him clearly, he can still distinguish right from wrong.”
"Then can the Empress allow him to kill Yang Zhengdao?”Gu Hao asked.
Empress Zhangsun paused and said,""You should know that Xiao Yu once tried to protect Yang Zhengdao.”
"This is the present and the present." Gu Hao said,"If I'm not wrong, Yang Zhengdao was the one who planned the assassination of Prince Changle last night.”
"This needs to be investigated." Empress Zhangsun said.
"The results of the investigation…won't you be able to do it with just a word, Your Majesty?" Gu Hao said.
This subject will tell the Empress the truth. If Yang Zhengdao doesn't die, this subject's heart will not be at ease.”
"If you still believe in bengong, then put your heart in your stomach.”Empress Zhangsun said softly,"You are the person that this Queen is protecting. No one in the Great Tang dares to touch you.”
"Including His Majesty." Empress Zhangsun added.
Gu Hao looked at Empress Zhangsun.
Empress Zhangsun replied with a calm and sincere gaze.
"If only you had come two days earlier.”
Gu Hao sighed.
He was willing to believe Empress Zhangsun.
However, he couldn't swallow the anger he had suffered these past two days.
After a moment of silence, Gu Hao muttered,""Then in the future…this minister will be the Empress's person?”
Empress Zhangsun frowned.
For some reason, she felt a little awkward when she heard this.
After thinking for a while, she said,"You are still His Majesty's man, but if you encounter any problems in the future, you can come to BenGong."”
"I thought I could become a part of the Empress Faction.”Gu Hao muttered softly.
"What did you say?" Empress Zhangsun frowned. She didn't hear it clearly.
"I said that it's the Li family's fortune to be able to marry the Empress, Your Majesty," Gu Hao said with a smile.”
Empress Zhangsun glared at him and said angrily with a red face,"If you dare to speak nonsense again, BenGong will cut off your ears."”
Gu Hao was stunned.
Shouldn't he cut his tongue?
Gu Hao couldn't help but laugh when he realized what had happened.
The empress was joking with him.
It was just…a little cold.
"This minister will remember what the niangniang said.”
Gu Hao said softly.
"There's no rush. BenGong will leave when Lizhi comes.”
Empress Zhangsun said.
"That's good."
Gu Hao replied.
Then, he was a little overwhelmed.
The Empress Zhangsun was like a virtuous lobbyist just now,
but now, she had become the future mother-in-law.
The question made Gu Hao feel as if he had returned to the twenty-first century.
Family background, birthplace, how many children do you plan to have after you get married, do you like boys or girls…
"Cough cough ~ I drank too much tea just now. I have to go to the toilet. Excuse me.”
In the end, Gu Hao couldn't help but pee.
"Little brat, you are quite shy. You should be able to treat Li Zhi wholeheartedly.”
Empress Zhangsun chuckled.
She knew that if she didn't leave, Gu Hao definitely wouldn't come out of the latrine pit, so she didn't make things difficult for him.
As soon as Empress Zhangsun left, Gu Hao and Li Lizhi popped their heads out from two different directions.
"What did Imperial Mother talk to you about?”
Li Lizhi asked suspiciously when she returned to the study.
Gu Hao closed the door without batting an eyelid and bolted it. Then, he casually took a book from the bookshelf and slowly walked to the bed in the deepest part of the study room.
Li Lizhi followed naturally.
"We're talking about our marriage.”Gu Hao sat on the bed and said leisurely.
"Marriage?" Li Lizhi's face turned red. She couldn't help but ask,"What did Mother say?”
Gu Hao sighed and said,"The Empress said…she asked me to be more tolerant. She said that Lizhi doesn't like to bathe. She only bathes three or four times a year. If she rubbed her body, she would get dirty…"
Li Lizhi's small mouth was slightly open, and her breathing slowly became rapid.
"You…dared to lie to me!"
After saying that, Li Lizhi pounced on Gu Hao like a puppy, baring her fangs and brandishing her claws.
"Humph, humph, practice is the only standard to test the truth. Whether there is dirt or not, you will know with a rub.”
“………”
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