NOVEL NEXT Chapter 198: Longing
Chapter 198
"Emperor, since you've met Gu Sang's grandmother, you must know—"
Before she could finish, Pei Changying interrupted. "I haven't met her, I've only seen photos."
"Empress, you've lived with Sang Sang longer than I have, you surely understand her better."
"Think carefully, perhaps Sang Sang mentioned something to you before, but you just don't remember."
Gu Qingrou was about to shake her head and say no, but Pei Changying's slightly suspicious gaze fixed directly on her, accompanied by a harsh tone.
"Could it be that your relationship with Sang Sang isn't as good as you claim?"
Gu Qingrou's heart skipped a beat, instinctively recalling the various incidents that had caused Gu Sang to fall out of favor.
No.
The Emperor can't know.
In the Emperor's mind,
She had always been gentle and magnanimous!
Gu Qingrou hastily said:
"I seem to recall my sister mentioning to me that her grandmother was very kind and gentle, a unique grandmother who would support her no matter what she did."
"As for the rest, Your Majesty, let me think carefully when I return to the palace. It's been so long, my memory is a bit hazy at the moment."
After saying this, Gu Qingrou anxiously observed Pei Changying's expression. Seeing that his eyes no longer held suspicion, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, she had managed to fool him.
She didn't actually know what Gu Sang's grandmother was like, but praising someone positively had never been wrong since ancient times.
Especially during livestreams, whenever Gu Sang mentioned her grandmother, the warmth in her eyes made it clear that her grandmother was a wonderful person!
After Pei Changying left, Gu Qingrou made an excuse to keep Palace Maid Li behind to help.
"Why did you slander me to the Emperor, saying I know what Gu Sang's grandmother looks like?" Gu Qingrou glared at Palace Maid Li with an unfriendly expression.
She had almost.
Almost slipped up.
Palace Maid Li suddenly knelt down and said:
"Your Highness, this servant is being monitored and cannot contact the Noble Consort privately."
"I had no choice but to have the Emperor summon you."
"This servant knows that if Your Highness were aware of this matter, you would surely find a way to contact the Noble Consort."
Noble Consort!
Noble Consort!
Even now, she still refers to her by that title!
Must she haunt her so relentlessly, not letting her rest even in death?
The coldness in Gu Qingrou's eyes hadn't dissipated as she spoke icily:
"Why do you think I would defy the Emperor to help you?"
"If the Emperor finds out I leaked information, my fate would be the same as yours."
Palace Maid Li calmly raised her head to look at the Empress, and said word by word:
"Because, Your Highness is also a woman!"
"Your Highness also longs for the freedom of love in the future world, otherwise, you wouldn't often watch livestreams from the future."
Palace Maid Li was also in the palace, and among this group of women, she understood the struggles of the harem.
However, she knew more that these women, who used to focus solely on harem struggles for favor and family ambitions, had learned to consider themselves after seeing the freedom of the future world.
For family, for parents, in the end, it's better to consider oneself more.
Their families sacrificed their freedom by sending them into the palace, and what they faced was the precarious and treacherous life within the palace walls.
If they hadn't seen the freedom of the future world, hadn't seen the smiles of the future, perhaps they would have thought this was how life would always be.
Living in darkness isn't actually frightening, because they would only think that the world is just this dark.
But a beam of light from the livestreams shone in, and they realized that the world isn't entirely dark.
At least some places have light.
After experiencing the light, even if they couldn't escape the darkness, their hearts already longed for it deeply.
Palace Maid Li's words hit Gu Qingrou like a thunderbolt, leaving her mind buzzing.
She seemed surprised, frightened, and scared all at once.
Did she... did she really long for the freedom of the future world?
How could she desire such immoral concepts from the future!
No, this was worthy of being drowned in a pig cage!
She didn't even dare to recall the various shocking concepts from the future livestreams.
"Your Highness, I know you will make a decision true to your heart."
"Just as you actually can't stand sharing your husband with other women."
Seeing Gu Qingrou still hesitating, Palace Maid Li didn't try to persuade her further. Instead, she quietly left, leaving the place to Gu Qingrou to consider slowly.
Gu Qingrou didn't know how she made it back to her chambers, only realizing when she had already stepped one foot inside the doorway.
Gu Qingrou murmured: "Is the future really that good?"
It was an unintentional question, but her personal palace maid thought she was asking her.
She answered with lowered eyes:
"The future is immoral, women don't even have the most basic virtues of obedience, men and women's relationships are chaotic, the men and women of the future should all be drowned in pig cages."
Although she was looking down while speaking, Gu Qingrou still noticed a hint of longing in her expression, and heard a trace of insincerity in her tone.
These were words she often said, and the palace maid, fearing her displeasure, didn't dare speak her true thoughts.
Yes.
True thoughts.
True words.
So, did she really long for it?
Gu Qingrou returned to her room and waved for all the palace maids to leave.
"Gu Sang, I'll be merciful this time and help you once."
"But if you can't hear me speak, don't blame me."
"Ding!"
"Connection established!"
The cold, emotionless mechanical voice frightened Gu Qingrou so much that her heart trembled. Where did this eerie sound come from?
The next second, she saw a floating virtual screen appear before her eyes, and Gu Sang who was about to go to bed.
Both were stunned by the sudden connection and the person on the other side.
Finally, Gu Sang recovered and calmly asked:
"What do you want?"
Gu Qingrou stared intently at Gu Sang. This beautiful and cold face had once made her jealous to the point of madness.
But as if remembering something, Gu Qingrou's lips curled into an extremely bitter smile: "You're so lucky, does that system of yours bring you good fortune?"
"Every time something good happens, it's always you who encounters it."
"Even when I attend banquets with you, I end up getting robbed or bumped into, while you're completely fine."
"I could have attended with you at that time, but I suddenly had diarrhea, causing me to miss the chance to meet the Emperor."
"By the time I saw the Emperor again, you two were already discussing marriage."
Gu Sang looked at Gu Qingrou with an expression that said 'if you're sick, go get treatment, I'm not a doctor'.
Gu Sang spoke in a flat tone: "In life, there are many things that don't go as we wish."
"You can't think I'm lucky every time something doesn't go your way. I have plenty of things that don't go well for me too."
"Besides, even if you hadn't had diarrhea then, do you think Pei Changying would have definitely taken a liking to you?"