Chapter 91

"Oh my! My great ancestor!" As soon as Guo Shi saw Lin Jiaojiao, she stepped forward and pulled Lin Jiaojiao into the room, "You're finally back! Where did you go early in the morning! Why are there two officials with swords and knives here!"

"Perhaps because of last night's incident, the Emperor sent guards to protect Lin Guniang," Qingdai speculated. She pushed Lin Jiaojiao directly to the table, which was set with more than a dozen exquisite dishes, steaming hot.

Thinking that Imperial Concubine Ning had helped her last night, and that she had invited her to Yonghe Palace later, she thought the food shouldn't be poisoned, so Lin Jiaojiao felt relieved.

"Lin Guniang, this is the breakfast sent by Imperial Concubine Ning. Eat it while it's hot, or it will get cold later."

"Have you eaten?" Lin Jiaojiao glanced at Guo Shi and Qingdai. Guo Shi's stomach made a rumbling sound at an inappropriate time.

Seeing this, she pulled Guo Shi and Qingdai to the stools, "Sit down and eat together!"

Qingdai hurriedly bowed and stepped back a few steps, "This is not according to the rules..."

"What rules or not rules, starving my stomach will starve Zhu Geer; that is what's not according to the rules!" Guo Shi sat down without a word, swallowing her saliva as she looked at the delicious breakfast, "My God, the food the Niangniangs eat in this palace really looks delicious!"

"Sit down and eat together." Lin Jiaojiao invited again.

Qingdai still declined, "Lin Guniang, this food was sent by Imperial Concubine Ning for you to eat. If a servant like me eats it, I will be punished if it spreads."

"Alright, then I won't force you." Lin Jiaojiao could only pick up her chopsticks first, while signaling Guo Shi to start eating.

Guo Shi asked while eating the golden fried bun, "I say Lin Guniang, where did you go early in the morning!"

After Lin Jiaojiao drank a cup of hot milk with a rich milky fragrance, she felt much warmer, "I went to the cold palace."

"What?!" Guo Shi was so shocked she almost choked on the fried bun!

She hurriedly picked up a bowl of soy milk and poured it down, then smoothed her chest, and only then swallowed the choking bun, "What did you go to the cold palace for!"

Qingdai understood Lin Jiaojiao's meaning and asked directly: "You went to the cold palace, did you see Xi Pin Niangniang?"

"I saw her, took her pulse, and found she was pregnant." Lin Jiaojiao helped Guo Shi smooth her back. Fortunately, Guo Shi wasn't eating when she said this, otherwise she would have choked again!

"Pregnant!" Qingdai widened her eyes, "She... then this...?"

"Imperial Physician Chen has already gone to take a look," Lin Jiaojiao lowered her head and continued to eat breakfast, "Xi Pin should be able to come out of the cold palace soon. When she comes out, she can help me contain Imperial Yu Fei."

"But this," Qingdai showed a trace of worry in her eyes, "but if Imperial Yu Fei finds out—"

"That's exactly what I want her to know," Lin Jiaojiao said while eating, "Otherwise, how can she make a move against me again? If she doesn't make a move, how can I collect evidence and topple her together?"

"Their Xu family harmed my Lin clan. Imperial Yu Fei is definitely not innocent; she also enjoyed many conveniences. Aren't these conveniences and silver obtained from embezzling military pay? Moreover, last night—" Lin Jiaojiao hadn't finished speaking when Qingdai hurriedly signaled her to be quiet, while cautiously looking out the window.

"Be careful, the speaker has no intention, but the listener does." Qingdai pointed out the window. Lin Jiaojiao looked in the direction she pointed and saw the guards standing like statues at the gate of Qingju Pavilion.

"This palace is intertwined; who knows who has a secret relationship with whom," Qingdai reminded in a low voice, "We'd better be careful."

"Alright," Lin Jiaojiao took Qingdai's words to heart, her voice becoming much smaller, "Thank you, Qingdai, for the reminder."

Guo Shi had already swept away the breakfast in front of her. Suddenly hearing the sound of Zhu Geer waking up and crying, she hurriedly stood up to soothe the baby and breastfeed.

After Lin Jiaojiao finished breakfast, Qingdai began to serve her to dress. After dressing, Lin Jiaojiao went out with Qingdai, Guo Shi, and Zhu Geer.

But as soon as they went out, the two guards followed closely, "Lin Guniang, where are you going?"

"I am invited by Imperial Concubine Ning to go to Yonghe Palace to take the Crown Prince's pulse and adjust his body." Lin Jiaojiao was wearing a rice-white dress, decorated only with a pearl hairpin on her head, but she wore a snow-white veil on her face to cover the burn scar.

Originally she didn't want to cover the scar, but thinking she was going to take the Crown Prince's pulse, if this appearance scared the Crown Prince, she would truly be guilty!

Qingdai asked, "What about you two? Why not guard Qingju Pavilion, but follow behind us?"

The guards responded: "The Emperor ordered us to follow Lin Guniang and protect Lin Guniang's safety."

"Oh my, you were truly sent to protect our Lin Guniang!" Guo Shi looked at the swords and knives worn by the guards, feeling a bit fearful, but Zhu Geer in her arms stretched out a little hand from the swaddle, wanting to touch the guards' swords.

This bad habit of touching swords and playing with swords was raised by General Lu!

Guo Shi hurriedly pressed Zhu Geer's chubby little hand back into the swaddle, "Zhu Geer, be good. This is not General Lu's mansion, where you can touch swords and play at will."

The two guards looked at each other: this little baby actually liked touching swords; it was the first time they had heard of such a hobby!

But Zhu Geer was a bit unhappy, pouting and whimpering, wanting to cry. Seeing this, Lin Jiaojiao hurriedly picked up the baby to soothe him, while signaling Qingdai to continue leading the way, and learned about the situation at Yonghe Palace from Qingdai.

Not long after, they arrived at Yonghe Palace. The red palace wall was five zhang high, and at the entrance, a palace maid in a green palace dress, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, was waiting.

When the palace maid saw Lin Jiaojiao, she bowed and said respectfully, "Greetings, Lin Guniang. This servant is Duruo of Yonghe Palace. Imperial Concubine Ning sent this servant to wait here. Please follow me."

But she glanced to the side and saw the guards following behind them, feeling strange, "Lin Guniang, may I ask these two—"

"Auntie, we are acting on the Emperor's orders," the square-faced guard stepped forward and explained simply, "The Emperor said, as long as Lin Guniang leaves Qingju Pavilion, wherever she goes, we must follow and protect her."

A trace of surprise flashed in the palace maid's eyes: the Emperor sending guards to follow Lin Guniang was truly a treatment that no inner palace mistress had ever had!

Even though she had been in the palace for more than ten years, this was the first time she had seen such a thing!

But whether these guards could enter Yonghe Palace, the palace maid couldn't decide. She bowed and said, "Lin Guniang, please wait here for a moment. I still need to report this matter to Imperial Concubine Ning."

"Thank you, Duruo." Lin Jiaojiao responded. The palace maid couldn't help but look at Lin Jiaojiao again, instantly filling her with a good impression!

This Lin Guniang had only seen her once last night, yet she noticed her. This feeling of being respected was something she had never experienced before.

She bowed to Lin Jiaojiao again and turned to enter Yonghe Palace to report the situation to Imperial Concubine Ning.

Lin Jiaojiao stood at the door waiting. They smelled a burst of fragrance across the gate.

At this time, a child's childish voice came from inside: "Don't eat, don't eat, I just won't eat! Mother Concubine, I don't eat these! I want to eat Imperial Yu Fei's osmanthus cake!"