o be done, and any omission would affect the final result. It especially tested my patience and attention to detail. If not handled properly, the resulting dough would not only taste bitter but also b...Unfortunately, the couple had no way to find out the county lord's intentions and could only helplessly give up. After getting on the carriage, Xu Huaiyi saw that she was still thinking about it and advised her, "Don't think about it anymore. It has nothing to do with us. No matter what her purpose is, at least the refugees have benefited in practical terms, which is enough."

Gu Huanxi hummed in response, but all the way, her mind was still churning with thoughts.

Back home after dinner, the couple went into their western room. The mattress and quilts on the kang had been prepared a few days ago, so they moved in. At night, they heated up the kang, which made for a comfortable sleep.

As soon as the door closed, Gu Huaxi happily took off her shoes and lay comfortably on the kang.

Xu Huaiyi sat beside her, skillfully kneading her legs.

Gu Huanxi closed her eyes, planning to take a nap.

At this moment, Xu Huaiyi said, "Wife, do you have any thoughts"

Gu Huanxi said calmly, "There are some ideas I have, but they can't be carried out right now. Our power is too small; anyone could crush us easily. So, we just need to lay low for now."

Xu Huaiyi said, "It's not wrong to just get by, but we also need to develop secretly. Otherwise, when will we be able to do whatever we want without relying on others"

Gu Huanxi reminds us, "As long as we live in a society ruled by the emperor, we will have to act according to people's faces our whole lives. Don't even think about freedom, justice, and equality. At best, we will stand in higher positions in the future, and there will be fewer people who need to show us respect."

Xu Huaiyi said boldly, "That's fine too. If I can become a prince in the future, second only to the emperor, hehehe, then I just need to look at the emperor's face."

Gu Huanxi opened her eyes and said, "Why don't you just be willing to sacrifice everything and bring down the emperor"

Xu Huaiyi hugged her waist and lay down, leaning closer and whispering softly, "Do you agree If you agree, I'll go ahead. Then, I'll make you queen... ah, gently, my wife, it hurts so much..."

"You're going to die from this anyway, it's better you stay here and not go out and get yourself killed. You'd just drag me and the child down with you." Gu Huanxi twisted his waist like a fat cat and turned in a circle before letting go of him, panting heavily.

Xu Huaiyi hurriedly flattered, "I was just joking just now. How could I have the guts Even if I did, I wouldn't have the ability. And even if I had the ability, I wouldn't have the chance. Now that the world is peaceful, there's no reason to rebel. It's unlike our predecessor who crossed over. His timing was perfect. The previous dynasty was in its final years, with a feeble and incompetent emperor who made the people suffer greatly. This forced the people to rebel, which paved the way for his imperial dominance..."

Gu Huanxi asked coolly, "Are you envious"

Xu Huaiyi muttered softly, "If you're a man, who wouldn't envy that But not everyone has that fate, that opportunity…"

"If you were given the chance, would you take it"

"Huh This…"

"Seeing him seriously considering it, Gu Huan felt both angry and heartbroken. She wanted to pinch his flesh. 'You only see how glorious and powerful the Emperor's achievements are, but you don't think about the suffering he endured behind closed doors How many people died fighting alongside him You know how many wives he lost Two died, and there were even more children who died young. His third Empress only gave birth to one son. Do you know where that child ranked among his brothers Thirteenth! But in reality, when he ascended the throne, there were only three sons alive. The others perished in the war. These repeated experiences of losing wives and children—can an ordinary person bear such pain'"

Xu Huaiyi shivered, his whole body breaking out in a cold sweat. He shook his head vigorously, "No, you can't! If anything happens to A Li, I definitely won't survive."

“Therefore, you are given a chance, but you can't grasp it.” Those who can become emperors are called ruthless and heartless.

Xu Huaiyi completely gave up. "If achieving imperial power requires such a huge price, then I definitely won't do it. A warm kang and family are more suitable for me."

... there's no need to slack off.

Xu Huaiyi composed himself and couldn't help but gossip, "Which of his three wives' sons ended up being emperor"

Gu Huanxi said, "The second wife."

"Good fellow, he doesn't take any advantage, nor does he claim any rights. How did he get to this position Based on his cunning and schemes" Xu Huaiyi suddenly imagined a power struggle play in his mind.

Gu Huan spoke in a complex tone, "It was probably luck. At the time, the eldest son was injured in the war and became disabled, losing his right to inherit. As for the son born to the third empress, he was much younger than his two older brothers. When the previous emperor died, the Thirteenth Prince was only a few years old. How could he possibly ascend to the throne"

Xu Huaiyi envied, "That former emperor was truly lucky. He picked up a big leak."

Gu Huanxi rubbed her temples, "Let's not talk about that, it has nothing to do with us..."

"Don't stop, I haven't heard enough yet, wife. Tell me more, is that thirteenth prince still alive"

Gu Huanxi originally didn't want to say, that circle was really too complicated. But thinking about how he was going to enter the Martial Academy in the future and might come into contact with it, if he were oblivious and knew nothing, what if something happened It would be troublesome. So, she nodded, "He is alive, sealed as King Chu. He's said to be the same age as the current emperor, and he's the only prince of that generation still alive. He holds the highest rank and is currently the Zong Zheng. His public reputation isn't bad. How he truly is, who knows Oh, by the way, his biological mother is still alive. That means there are now a queen, a empress dowager, and a great empress dowager in the palace. What a hot mess!"

Xu Huaiyi's eyes lit up, "Good fellow, this level of excitement could easily make an eighty-episode palace intrigue drama. You tell me, is this Prince Chu willing to put up with this with his own mother"

“How would I know Whether you're willing or not, things have already been decided. His nephew is now in power. It doesn't make sense for an uncle to usurp the throne from his nephew. Even if something happened to the current emperor, there are still seven or eight sons waiting to inherit the throne. He wouldn't be next in line.” Unless all those princes were gone.

"Not necessarily," Xu Huaiyi's imagination ran wild. "What if the current emperor isn't rightfully seated Wouldn't that give us a reason to depose him"

Gu Huanying reminded, "There are also brothers today."

"Are they siblings"

Upon hearing this, Gu Huan recalled the information she had learned from the original owner and mused thoughtfully, "Speaking of which, he wasn't particularly tall or short. He has an elder brother who was already designated as Crown Prince but unfortunately passed away due to illness early on, so the throne eventually went to him. He also has two younger brothers, both born out of wedlock, with a significant age gap between them. They are very low-key within the imperial family and rarely appear in public. Judging from this, the current Empress Dowager is not as exemplary as people claim..."

"What does that mean"

Before the original owner came to Beijing with her father, she often accompanied him to tea houses to listen to storytelling. Most of what I just told you comes from those stories. People in the tea houses spoke highly of the Empress Dowager, saying that she was charitable and generous, actively selecting concubines for the previous emperor and enriching the harem. There were few disputes in the palace at that time, it could be said to be a model of harmony between wives and concubines. But if she was truly so charitable and generous, how come there were only two sons born in the palace Or why were they so much younger than her own son, and so low-key with no presence at all There must be something fishy going on here.

Of course!rely on. Forget it for now, talking about this is too early. However, you should pay attention to the boundaries of your interactions with him, lest people misunderstand your stance. If you two aren'...