?

  Zhang Qi let out a soft sigh and said, "To be honest, Zheng Shi was indeed driven away by me. If it weren't for me, she and Chang Gong wouldn't have ended up like this."

  She didn't expect her to admit it so readily, and the crowd was stunned again. But Empress Hu was delighted in her heart, thinking: I didn't expect this Zhang Shi to be a straightforward person, talking to her is really not tiring at all. Other noblewomen, even for the simplest things, like to beat around the bush seven or eight times, always wanting to say something but stopping themselves, always being ambiguous and mysterious, and always liking to put on an "you know what I mean" expression. What does she know? Every time she hears them talk like that, she gets tired and angry and chases them away.

  At this time, Zhang Gui tilted his head and said: "However, to be honest, I knew Long Gong before. When he decided to marry Zheng Shi, we had already fallen in love, and I even expressed my desire to marry him in front of everyone. Zheng Shi didn't win Long Gong's heart, but she rashly married into the family, thinking that just having a nominal status would be enough to tie him down. How foolish."

  The Empress Hu heard this and couldn't help but smile, nodding her head: "Indeed, the two words 'name' and 'status' are quite dull." She too was bound by status, tied down by her identity as empress. Yet she could not abandon this status; if she failed to become empress, who knows whether Gao Zhan would let her live?

  The person next to them listened to the two of them chatting and couldn't help but stare with wide eyes.

  "Many things, once you open your mind, are just that. One day, Zheng will also think it's all pointless."

  Seeing Empress Hu listening intently, Zhang Gui thought to herself: It seems her attitude towards me has changed. In that case, I can proceed to the next step now.

  Thinking of this, she stood up and bowed to Empress Hu again. Zhang Gui said respectfully: "I have something to report to Your Majesty, may I ask you to dismiss the attendants?"

  "Dismiss the attendants?" Empress Hu was taken aback, but then she thought to herself: this Zhang Shi is different from those other noblewomen. She's quite interesting, let's hear her out. With a wave of her hand, she ordered, "You all may withdraw for now."

  "Yes."

  The noble ladies and wives all came out, and Zhang Gui immediately closed the door. She walked to the side of Empress Hu and sat down on a stool, looking up at Empress Hu with beautiful eyes, smiling sweetly, "I know you are straightforward, so I won't waste words." She picked up the wine jug, poured another cup for Empress Hu and herself, then took a sip. With a gentle breath, she asked: "What do you think of my looks, Your Majesty?"

  Hu Huanghou is actually a person who doesn't care about dignity and even likes it when others are ambiguous towards her. Her biggest characteristic is that she's extremely lustful, to the point of being obsessed with men. As the only one in history to have been an imperial concubine and yet willingly became a prostitute, she uttered the shocking phrase "being an empress is not as good as being a prostitute". Later on, when she was in the brothel, she would endure men's filthy language, humiliation, and beatings with pleasure.

  At this moment, she heard Zhang Yi's straightforward question without any courtesy, and she became interested. After sizing up Zhang Yi from head to toe, she said with a pretentious tone: "Very beautiful, stunning the city and the country, nothing surpasses this." Shaking her head, she added: "However, I find it disgusting."

  Zhang Qi's mouth curled up, and she wasn't intimidated by her sentence "looked disgusting" at all. Instead, she tilted her head happily and asked again: "What does the Empress think? What is the position of the Empress in the Emperor's heart? Is it that no matter how beautiful a woman is, she can't replace her?"

  These words were truly impolite, but Hu didn't get angry at all. On the contrary, she burst out laughing. "You, Zhang, are really interesting! Your audacity is unbelievable. No wonder Gao Changgong abandoned that hypocrite Zheng Yu and chose you!"

  After she finished laughing, she actually seriously answered Zhang Qi's question, "Well, if you have something to say, just say it directly."

  "Yes, Your Majesty should know that I, Zhang Gui, and Gao Changgong have a deep affection for each other. Apart from him, I will never like any other man again. Therefore, I want to ask for your protection, Your Majesty, and beg you to help me let me and Changgong guard the border together. Even if there is a summons, I won't enter the palace."

  Empress Hu understood her meaning!

  This Zhang was afraid that her beauty would be noticed by her husband, so she sought help from herself, and would rather go to the border areas than stay in Ye City.

  She understood the implicit meaning of Zhang's words, and with Zhang's beauty, she really entered the palace. Her own husband would definitely treat her as a treasure, and at that time, she would use her skills to secure her position as empress! Not to mention Gao Zhan, even He Shikai, he was infatuated with Zhang earlier, and Empress Hu saw it clearly!

  Thinking of this, Empress Hu smiled and said: "Alright, I'll help you with this!"

  "Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhang Gui was overjoyed and hastily stood up to pay his respects to Empress Hu.

  "No need to thank me, I've always known you're bold, Zhang. But I didn't expect you to be so fearless, speaking your mind directly in front of me without any hesitation. Very well, very well, Zhang. From now on, if you have anything to say, you can come find me directly. Even if there's nothing, you can still come into the palace and chat with me." She let out a sigh and complained, "You don't know how annoying those noblewomen are. Every time I listen to them speak, I feel like getting angry. Ah, but if I don't let them come, it would be too lonely for me."

  She pulled out a jade pendant from her sleeve and tossed it to Zhang Qi, "Here, take it, you can see me anytime."

  "Yes." Zhang Qi smiled and responded with a "heh".

  As she accepted it, Empress Hu suddenly leaned in and asked in a low voice: "Uh, Zhang Shi, is Gao Changgong brave?" In Zhang's dazed eyes, Empress Hu swallowed her saliva and asked in an even smaller voice: "That... how is his martial arts skill?"

  Perhaps she saw Zhang Gui being arrogant in front of her, so this dignified queen also became arrogant.

  Zhang Qi slowly narrowed her eyes, she lowered her head and said softly: "Chang Gong, apart from me, he has never been close to other women, nor does he like female colors, nor does he like other women approaching..."

  The Empress Hu sighed and said disappointedly, "So he's really just a young boy. That's not interesting at all." She glanced at Zhang Qi and asked in confusion, "Then why do you still have feelings for him?"

  Zhang Qi said in a low voice: "A Qi likes his tenderness."

  Gentleness? Empress Wu had always disliked the word "gentleness" the most, whether in politics or life. What's the point of being soft and weak? It's annoying to see. She nodded and waved her hand, "Alright, you can go back now." If Zhang stayed any longer, he might even lose his soul.

  Zhang Qi stood up and bowed, then put her silk hat back on and walked out.

  No one expected Zhang Qi to leave so soon, and the noble ladies and wives, as well as He Shi, were all a bit stunned. Just as they were staring at Zhang Qi in surprise, they suddenly noticed that Zhang Qi was holding a jade pendant in her hand, half of which was exposed!

  What is this jade pendant? This is the Queen's usual adornment, only those who have been granted an audience with the Emperor can obtain one, a jade pendant that allows free access to the palace! How did Zhang just meet the Queen and get this thing?

  For a moment, everyone was stunned and disbelieving.

  *

  At this time, two guards had brought fine wine from the Langling Wangfu and handed it over to the Empress's people. Cheng Shi and others escorted Zhang Gui away. It was only at this moment that Cheng Shi and others were stunned, and they didn't dare believe this fact until they returned to the Langling Wangfu.

  In the afternoon, Langling Wang stepped into the main courtyard. At a glance, he saw a figure in black clothes, Zhang Gui, who was lazily sunbathing.

  He walked up to her, lowered his head and smiled: "A Qie, just now outside, I actually heard people mention that you and the Empress hit it off immediately, in less than half an hour, she rewarded you with a jade pendant that allows you to enter and leave the palace freely, and can see her at any time. Is this true?"

  When King Lanling said this, Yang Shoucheng and Fang Lao behind him also stopped talking and turned to look at her.

  These people, who have lived in Ye City and Jin Yang for many years, are very familiar with the current Empress Hu, formerly the Princess of Guangping. Almost all the upper-class nobles say that Empress Hu is the most difficult person to deal with. Sometimes, you offer her tens of thousands of taels of gold, but she may suddenly turn against you without reason; sometimes, you treat her with utmost respect and care, but she may whip you in an instant and order your family's business to be shut down.

  Therefore, when Langling Wang heard this rumor, he did not believe it. Yang Shoucheng Fang Lao and others also did not believe it.

  Zhang Qi raised her head, met the gaze of Prince Lanling and others, smiled slightly, took out the jade pendant from her bosom, and placed it on the table with a "ding" sound.

  It's actually true!

  Among the crowd's gasps, Langling Wang picked up the jade pendant and looked at it for a few moments, narrowing his eyes to ask: "What method did Qing use?" He lowered his head, staring unwaveringly at Zhang Qi, this woman of his, who would forever be impenetrable to him, always throwing out another enigma just when he thought he had figured her out.

  Facing Lanling King's puzzlement, Zhang Qi just playfully blinked her eyes and said "I won't tell you."

  The King of Lanling smiled wryly and shook his head, waving his hand to signal the crowd to disperse. When the courtyard had quieted down, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Zhang Qi, saying in a low voice: "Empress Hu is somewhat similar to Your Majesty, she is quite willful in her actions. When I found out you accepted her invitation, I was worried." He smiled softly, "I didn't expect that I would be worrying for nothing."

  Zhang Qi was hugged from behind by him, and without turning around, she turned her head back like this. She stretched out her pink tongue and lightly drew on his lip line, murmuring: "Chang Gong..."

  The King of Lanling's lips moved slightly, suddenly covering her small mouth, and he kissed her until she couldn't breathe. Only then did he respond in a low voice: "En."

  "Lend me some people, I have something to do." She winked at him playfully and giggled: "It's a very important matter, but I won't tell you now."