I became the God Brother of the Regent King after Transmigration!-Chapter 364 - 282: Is the Empress Dowager Satisfied?
The imperial guards and the Empress Dowager’s escorts gathered together, plus the accompanying eunuchs and palace maids, there were only about seventy or eighty people in total.
Zhang Fengcai stepped forward, respectfully bowing toward the direction of the Phoenix Carriage: "A verbal decree from His Majesty has arrived. Your servant bids farewell, wishing the Empress Dowager and the Young Master a safe journey."
Rong Miaoyan once again bowed on horseback: "Ning An bids farewell to the Empress Dowager."
Empress Dowager Su snorted coldly and abruptly lowered the curtain.
At this moment, the Crown Prince ran over, whispered closely by Empress Dowager Su’s ear: "Grandmother, don’t forget our plan."
Empress Dowager Su’s eyes glanced toward Gu Lan ahead: "I will remember."
After speaking, the curtain already covered her face.
"Gu Lan, be careful. It’s just an escort twenty li out, if quick, you should return before nightfall. I will wait for you at the city gate," Miaoyan cautiously reminded from the side.
Gu Lan smiled helplessly, said: "I probably won’t return tonight. After escorting the Empress Dowager, I’ll go to Mu City to have an authentic Mu City roasted goose with someone."
Rong Miaoyan gritted her teeth: "I knew Rong Heng would follow along."
Gu Lan patted the head of Miaoyan’s little white horse, said: "I’ll teach you how to ride tomorrow when I return."
The carriage and horses set off, moving from the gate of the Imperial Palace toward the city gate.
The Crown Prince stood stunned in place, gazing at the gradually distant Phoenix Carriage. Once the last trace of it disappeared, his reluctance faded away, revealing a murderous intent in his eyes.
"Grandmother, have a good journey."
...
Once the carriage completely left the Imperial Palace, Rong Heng, who was wearing a mask and disguised as Gu Lan’s guard, seamlessly joined in, following silently behind Gu Lan.
The accompanying imperial guards sensed something but, seeing that Gu Lan did not say anything, understood that this person was one of the Marquis Mansion’s Hidden Guards for the Young Master.
The Empress Dowager was to go to Qingliang Temple in Lu State, and Gu Lan, along with this troop of imperial guards, was only responsible for escorting her to the boundary monument twenty-some li outside the Capital City, where the governor of Mu City would take over. However, Rong Heng wanted to eat Mu City roasted goose, so the two planned to go to Mu City after escorting the Empress Dowager.
The imperial guards were on horseback, while the Empress Dowager’s guards were on foot, naturally slowing down the pace once they left the Capital City.
Gu Lan lazily rode his horse, shaking a folding fan in his hand: "At this pace, it might be nightfall by the time we reach Mu City, just in time for dinner."
Underneath the mask, Rong Heng’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, his deep gaze fixed on the Phoenix Carriage, his eyes quietly reflecting: "Hopefully."
Gu Lan assessed the guards around the Empress Dowager, noting there were only about twenty or thirty of them.
Suddenly, a familiar face caught her eye: "Aren’t you two Little Xu and..."
Just then, a fair and delicate little eunuch, precisely Little Xu, sat straight-backed behind the coachman outside the Empress Dowager’s Phoenix Carriage.
Meanwhile, in a similar position on the carriage following the Phoenix Carriage, another slightly clever little eunuch who had once come to Yinzhou for a decree sat there.
"This servant is Zhao Cheng, Young Master may call me Little Cheng. It’s truly my fortune to behold the Young Master’s elegance once more," Little Cheng’s words were flattering, but his expression was somber.
Little Xu also timidly bowed his head, softly saying: "This servant Little Xu greets the Young Master."
"Are both of you accompanying the Empress Dowager to Lu State as well?"
The two nodded, and Little Cheng said with a crying face: "Yes, this servant once thought delivering the decree of conferring the title in Yinzhou would bring immense honor, expecting to prosper upon returning to the Capital. Who would’ve thought... never mind, this servant is just destined to serve others."
Gu Lan couldn’t help curling his lips. Indeed, these two eunuchs appear quite unfortunate; having journeyed arduously from afar to Yinzhou with Gu Changting to deliver the decree, they gained nothing, and after barely resting, were picked by the Empress Dowager to accompany her to Qingliang Temple, an even more distant place they might never leave.
Despite Empress Dowager Su’s noble status, at Qingliang Temple, a renowned temple in Yan Country, she too would have to practice devout worship herself.
Counting aside the guards, Gu Lan noted there were only six accompanying palace attendants in total, with four appearing as gentle palace maids, and just the two small eunuchs, predicting that their future at Qingliang Temple might be even more grueling.
Rong Heng quietly minimized his presence, to prevent the two little eunuchs from recognizing him.
Little Xu sat inside the Phoenix Carriage, but Little Cheng could only sit with the coachman behind, indicating the Empress Dowager indeed favored the former.
Of course, Little Xu’s looks were indeed much more handsome and delicate compared to Little Cheng.
Perhaps Little Cheng’s words reached the Empress Dowager’s ears; she lifted the curtain from within, turning her head, eyes sullen and face revealing a harsh appearance, coldly asking:
"Truly, a tiger lost in the plains bullied by dogs. Little Cheng, it seems you are quite discontented with me, but I am still the Empress Dowager, how can I allow you to speak at will?"
Little Cheng quickly dismounted, kowtowing and slapping his own mouth: "This servant dares not, this servant dares not, it’s this servant’s loose tongue. Empress Dowager, you know, this servant just has a cheap mouth. Please forgive me, Empress Dowager."
Rong Heng saw this scene, his eyes darkened a bit.
Empress Dowager Su waved her hand: "Your mouth is indeed loose, but it’s more amusing than Little Xu’s. Come, ride on my Phoenix Carriage, and tell me about the experiences you encountered when you went to Yinzhou."
"Yes, I obey, Your Highness."
Little Cheng hurriedly climbed to the other side of the coachman, sitting just outside the sedan curtain with Little Xu on the left and right.
"What did you notice?" Gu Lan asked.
Rong Heng said, "Zhao Cheng is skilled in martial arts, his dismounting was proficient, and he mounted quickly as well."
Gu Lan chuckled lightly, her gaze casually grazing around the Empress Dowager:
"Aside from the guards, there are six palace attendants around the Empress Dowager. The two palace maids in green skirts should be skilled in martial arts. The palace maid in the blue dress has a scent similar to yours, likely skilled in medicine, and Aunt Fang is also a long-standing attendant around the Empress Dowager. Now all of them are surrounding her; it seems the Empress Dowager is quite afraid of us."
Rong Heng frowned slightly: "These five seem quite useful. What then prompted the Empress Dowager to choose Little Xu to accompany her to Qingliang Temple?"
Gu Lan: "Couldn’t it just be because he’s good-looking?"
"...what you say makes sense."
At this moment, the Empress Dowager Su finally lifted her head, looking at Gu Lan riding on horseback along the official road.
The young man held a folding fan, his demeanor casual and flamboyant, seemingly unchanged from the time seen in Yongshou Palace a year ago. In fact, the unrestrained air in her eyes was even stronger than before.
"Back in Yongshou Palace, I misjudged you," Empress Dowager Su sighed, "Had I known, I should have chosen Qian Rui to be Prince Rui’s Heir’s Companion that day, allowing you to continue being your capital dandy."
Gu Lan showed no smile or respect to the Empress Dowager, saying flatly: "It’s a pity, the Qian Family is no more, and the Empress Dowager’s Su Family followed suit, unable to witness the big dandy leading the little dandy around the brothel, truly a regret."
Empress Dowager Su was filled with emotion, shaking her head: "You acted so well that day, even fooled me... Gu Lan, aren’t you curious why I let you escort me?"
Gu Lan raised her brows slightly: "Isn’t it that the Empress Dowager wants to see what kind of style the person who brought down your Su Family actually has?"
Empress Dowager Su paused for a moment, the cold look in her eyes dissipating a bit, and then laughed heartily:
"Yes, yes, do you know, the Crown Prince analyzed countless pros and cons in Yongshou Palace yesterday, but I just wanted to see what the renowned Young Master Gu in the capital has become after all this time."
Gu Lan spread her arms gracefully and nobly, asking: "Now that the Empress Dowager has seen, are you satisfied?"
Under the mask, Rong Heng’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot, a low voice transmitted to Gu Lan: "A fifty-one-year-old old lady, and you don’t let her go?"
Gu Lan: "Am I that kind of person? I was just asking casually, you know."
"..."
Empress Dowager Su shook her head and then nodded lightly: "Beneath repute, it is indeed hard to match, yet the Young Master truly surprises me, but compared to those years..."
Gu Lan "Oh" echoed, a competitive spirit rising within.
In terms of the most renowned in the capital, besides Xie Yun before, no one could surpass her.
"Is the Empress Dowager talking about the Third Prince from those years?" Rong Jue was once known as Dayan’s foremost scholar.
Empress Dowager Su said: "The Third Prince was raised by me."
It was true, by seniority, Rong Jue must call the Empress Dowager Mother Empress.
She pondered for two seconds, then asked: "So the Empress Dowager... favored someone like my father?"
Empress Dowager Su blushed, seeming to recall the charm of Marquis Gu, yet shook her head: "Though exceedingly handsome, he was crude and unruly, even hitting members of the Su Family."
Gu Lan thought, right, Marquis Gu was younger than the Empress Dowager. When he gained fame in the capital for fighting, she should have already been the Empress, and Marquis Gu had unhesitatingly struck Su Shoucheng.
She suddenly shivered inside, her gaze slowly moving to Little Xu’s face, and said:
"What was Xie Yun’s father’s name again?"
