Chapter 567: Where Are You Going with All These Bags?
The Gu Ziye of today still had a bit of baby fat, making her look playful and adorable.
Emperor Gu Yuanzhang glanced again at the little grandson in Lu Yuan’s arms.
After looking at his little grandson and granddaughter, the Emperor sat back down in the chair behind his desk.
“Have a seat. Don’t just stand there,” the Emperor said with a wave of his hand.
Only then did Lu Yuan and Gu Ziye sit down.
The Emperor looked at Lu Yuan and asked, “We hear you wish to return to your hometown for ancestral worship?”
“In response to Your Majesty the Emperor, I have not returned for ancestral worship in three years. I would like to make the trip this year,” Lu Yuan replied directly, as bowing was difficult while holding the child.
“If you leave, who will take up the duty of guarding the West Gate of the Imperial City?” the Emperor asked.
“Lan Ying, the Vice Commander of the Prefecture Army Left Guard, can bear this great responsibility!” Lu Yuan answered without hesitation.
Lan Ying?
Others might not know who Lan Ying was, but Emperor Gu Yuanzhang knew perfectly well.
Lu Yuan didn’t recommend anyone else, only Lan Ying.
Of course, Lu Yuan wasn’t particularly close with Lan Ying, nor was Lan Ying one of his trusted confidants.
In fact, there had even been some friction between the two in earlier years.
“Oh? The adopted son of Marquis Yongchang, Lan Yu?” the Emperor asked, stroking his beard as if he didn’t already know.
Marquis Yongchang, Lan Yu, had been executed by the Emperor long ago.
“The very same,” Lu Yuan replied.
Lu Yuan had already activated his system’s identification function. He saw the Multiplication Factor above Emperor Gu Yuanzhang’s head drop to [Multiplication Factor: 7].
Of course, this didn’t matter much. As long as the number was above [Multiplication Factor: 3], it meant their relationship was still manageable and they weren’t at the point of a complete falling out.
Even if the day came when the Emperor wanted to make a move against Lu Yuan, he would have to carefully weigh Lu Yuan’s strength.
Lu Yuan was now at the Late-stage Star Monarch realm. Across the entire Empire, aside from a few reclusive masters, there was no one who could truly handle him.
The two great Daoist Temples of the Royal Family, the Celestial Dynasty Palace and the Le Shen Temple, had lost seventy percent of their strength in the national war against the Wa Country, suffering a devastating blow to their vitality.
The Celestial Dynasty Palace was currently relying on its Treasure of the Palace, the Celestial Master Sword, to try and reverse its fortunes and restore the temple to its former glory.
In Lu Yuan’s estimation, that would take at least a decade.
By choosing Lan Ying, Lu Yuan was more or less playing with his cards on the table, but he also had to give the Emperor some face.
Back then, Lan Ying had monitored Marquis Yongchang, Lan Yu. Wasn’t his role now to monitor Lu Yuan?
Lu Yuan was so deferential for two reasons: one, the Emperor was Yue’Er’s father, and two, he now had a family to protect.
It seemed that only now that Lu Yuan had the power to protect his family did he dare to suggest leaving the Imperial City at such a critical juncture.
The Emperor abruptly changed the subject. “The Empire has always prioritized filial piety. We are greatly pleased by your devotion.
It is not impossible for you to return home for ancestral worship.
However, Yue’Er has just given birth to two children. Her body is weak. How can she endure such a long journey?”
Before Lu Yuan could reply, Gu Ziye jumped in and cut him off.
“Father Emperor, I’m perfectly fine now! I’m eating well, sleeping well, and I can jump and run around.”
Clearly, Gu Ziye didn’t want her Father Emperor to use her as an excuse to keep Lu Yuan in the Imperial City.
Having taken the Elixirs Lu Yuan had refined for her, Gu Ziye’s body had long since returned to its pre-pregnancy state—it was even a little better.
The Emperor looked at Gu Ziye’s rosy complexion and realized it was no longer realistic to use her as an excuse to keep Lu Yuan.
‘A married daughter is truly like spilled water. She doesn’t side with her father at all when she speaks,’ the Emperor couldn’t help but lament internally.
“Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!” an old eunuch announced in a high, pinched voice from outside the Imperial Study.
Empress Ma didn’t wait to be summoned by the Emperor and walked straight into the Imperial Study.
Empress Ma had her own special privilege: she could walk freely throughout the Imperial Capital, and not even the Emperor could stop her.
This showed just how much Emperor Gu Yuanzhang doted on the Empress.
Hearing the eunuch’s announcement, Lu Yuan and Gu Ziye stood up with their children to greet the Empress.
Empress Ma was dressed only in a simple robe made of ordinary silk, not some magnificent, floor-length gown or other ornate attire.
Empress Ma gave the Emperor a simple greeting before walking straight to Lu Yuan and Gu Ziye’s side, taking the child from Gu Ziye’s arms into her own.
“Ooh, ooh, my sweet baby~ Grandma’s here to hold you~” Empress Ma cooed, rocking the child from side to side.
The Emperor’s conversation with Lu Yuan was thus interrupted. He was a little helpless but couldn’t bring himself to disrespect the Empress.
The Emperor said, “My dear Empress, what brings you here?”
Without looking up, the Empress replied, “Can’t I come see my own daughter, granddaughter, and grandson?”
The Emperor, who had just stood up, sat back down, saying, “Of course, of course, of course. See for yourself!”
Being rebuffed by Empress Ma like that, the Emperor was naturally a little displeased.
Empress Ma took the initiative to ask her daughter, “What made you think to come into the Imperial Capital today? And you didn’t even come to see me.”
“Mother, Yue’Er missed you too~” Gu Ziye said coquettishly to Empress Ma.
Gu Ziye had matured a lot in recent years.
But in front of the Empress, she still revealed her true nature, calling her “Mother” instead of the formal “Mother Empress.”
Empress Ma looked at her daughter with a doting expression and said, “Look at you. You’re a mother yourself now, but you still act like a child.”
Gu Ziye snuggled up to Empress Ma and said wheedlingly, “Mother, I want to go back to Taiping City with Yuan~. The Qingming Festival is coming up, so we need to perform ancestral worship!”
Hearing this, Empress Ma made an immediate decision. “Then go back! You’ve been stuck in the Imperial City for years, you must be eager to go back for a visit, right? I approve!”
Empress Ma didn’t ask for the Emperor’s opinion, directly granting Princess Yue Ning’s request in her capacity as Empress.
“Aiya, Empress, this is a major issue! Why didn’t you discuss it with Us? The Prince Consort still has official duties!” the Emperor said, standing up and clapping his hands in frustration.
“If he has official duties, then he can hand them over!” Empress Ma said, looking at Lu Yuan.
Seeing the Empress so insistent, Emperor Gu Yuanzhang had no choice but to wave his hand in resignation. “Let the Left and Right Guards of the Mansion be temporarily commanded by Lan Ying.”
Lu Yuan immediately clasped his hands in a salute and said, “Many thanks for His Majesty the Emperor’s grace!”
After Lu Yuan and Gu Ziye left with their children,
Empress Ma turned to the Emperor, her face showing displeasure, and said:
“What? That’s Yue’Er’s husband. Don’t tell me you can’t even trust him?”
The Emperor flicked his sleeves and said, “It is precisely for that reason that We have kept him in the Imperial City. We are doing this for Yue’Er’s own good.”
“If you were truly doing it for Yue’Er’s good, you wouldn’t be Binding her,” Empress Ma retorted, not believing the Emperor’s words.
Recently, the Imperial City had been thrown into utter turmoil, and it all had something to do with the Jinyi Guard.
In this regard, Empress Ma knew well that the inner palace should not interfere in politics, so for some matters, she could only turn a blind eye.
But on this matter, Empress Ma was unwilling to yield.
‘Yue’Er is my own flesh and blood!’
She had already lost a son; she couldn’t lose a daughter too.
“My dear Empress, you must understand what kind of person Lu Yuan is.
He is skilled in medicine, proficient in Martial Arts, and adept at Alchemy. And more than that, his mind is always filled with strange and peculiar things. We must…”
“Enough, enough. And stop with the royal ‘We.’ In short, Yue’Er is going to accompany her husband back to Taiping City for ancestral worship. I have already given my approval.” Empress Ma’s voice rose a few notches.
“Fine! We have enough headaches already. We are currently facing crises both internal and external. The slightest misstep could have unimaginable consequences,” the Emperor said, turning his back to Empress Ma.
Indeed, the Divine Ling Empire had just conquered the Wa Country and needed to dispatch a large number of soldiers to garrison it, as well as arrange for Civil Servants to stabilize the Wa people on a psychological level.
At this very moment, the Crown Prince had passed away, shaking the court and the country, and precautions had to be taken.
Furthermore, this year, torrential rains had fallen in the Central Plains Region, flooding millions of acres of fertile land, displacing the common people, and causing a sharp increase in the number of refugees.
All of the above were issues the Emperor had to resolve.
At this critical moment, the Emperor’s dispatch of the Jinyi Guard to monitor all civil and military officials was a move born of desperation to stabilize the situation.
Empress Ma knew all of this, but she didn’t agree that all of the Emperor’s actions were correct.
Seeing that the Emperor had no desire to listen to her, Empress Ma turned and left the Imperial Study.
After Lu Yuan and Gu Ziye returned to their manor, Lu Yuan ordered the servants to begin loading their belongings onto the carriages.
The ever-curious Zhao Qiao’Er, who loved to be in the middle of things, came to Lu Yuan’s side and asked, “With all these bags and bundles, where are you all going?”