After being reborn, I was won over by the heartfelt words of my loyal bodyguard.

Chapter 218: Suspicion Arises

The moment Gan Yanling saw Xu Jiu, he was somewhat surprised. He had never expected that Xu Jiu would also come here. At this moment, Gan Yanling focused his gaze on Xu Jiu.

"Why is my beloved concubine standing outside the Imperial Study all of a sudden? How long has she been standing outside the Imperial Study?"

Gan Yanling asked Xu Jiu a question, and Xu Jiu replied that he had only been there for a few minutes.

Xu Jiu then brought over a bowl of chicken soup and placed it next to Gan Yanling's grinding stone.

"This is chicken soup that I personally prepared in the Imperial Kitchen. I hope Your Majesty will like it. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave now."

At this moment, Xu Jiu even gave a special farewell ceremony. Gan Yanling nodded slightly, but before leaving, the Prime Minister glanced at Xu Jiu.

"Your Majesty, there is something I am unsure whether I should speak of."

Upon hearing this, Gan Yanling immediately instructed the Prime Minister to recount the matter. The Prime Minister then told Gan Yanling that Xu Jiu had initially been in love with Shangguan Mufeng, but now…

"Your Majesty, I only wish to tell you one thing, and I hope Your Majesty can be wary of her."

Although the Prime Minister didn't say the rest of the sentence aloud, Gan Yanling understood what he meant: Xu Jiu had been standing outside the whole time and hadn't left at all.

When Xu Jiu heard what the Prime Minister said, he felt as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.

It seems the prime minister doesn't want him to have a good life at all. He seemed to have been very respectful to her back at the post station.

More importantly, he even gave her gifts, but now he's trying to kick her while she's down.

"Your Majesty, I don't think it's necessary for you to bother with a court official. After all, it's common knowledge that court officials are gossipy. Why bother having anything to do with such a person? It will only make you angry."

The palace maid comforted Xu Jiu, who naturally understood what the maid was saying. However, Xu Jiu couldn't understand why the Prime Minister was treating her this way now.

"I am a little tired. Why don't I go back and rest? I don't really want to care about the various things happening in the court anymore."

Just as she was about to go to rest, a carrier pigeon from a neighboring country arrived unexpectedly. Xu Jiu took the message from the pigeon and read it carefully. Unexpectedly, it was a message that told her to keep the king under control.

The emperor praised Xu Jiu here, and Xu Jiu felt as if his heart was being torn apart, but he did not show it.

After Xu Jiu returned to the palace, he burned the letter. It seemed that they had already received the good things that Gan Yanling had given them, otherwise, why would they have sent him such a letter?

It seems the letter mentions that new people will be sent there in a few days.

Was he going to let these people into the harem of Gan Yanling? For a moment, Xu Jiu was completely bewildered as to what her father was planning.

"What are you thinking about, Your Majesty?"

A palace maid walked up to Xu Jiu and draped a cloak over his shoulders.

"I didn't think anything of it, so you don't need to worry."

Inside the restaurant, Lin Fengmian had already told Gan Luo that the Prime Minister seemed to have noticed someone following him and had quickened his pace, ultimately causing Lin Fengmian to lose track of him.

"It doesn't matter."

Shangguan Mufeng sensed that Gan Luo seemed to be dealing with the current prime minister, so he couldn't help but ask if the current prime minister had offended Gan Luo, since, as far as Shangguan Mufeng knew, the prime minister and Gan Luo were related by blood.

“I do need to deal with this prime minister. Do you know that he has planted people around me?”

Upon hearing the phrase "planting someone," Shangguan Mufeng was stunned for a moment. Not knowing who this person had planted beside Gan Luo, he earnestly inquired about it.

"Among the tributes from the neighboring country some time ago, there was a handsome man. They cultivated this handsome man so much that they placed him by my side to obtain what I do every day."

Shangguan Mufeng recalled that a handsome man had indeed been among the tributes sent by a neighboring country a few days ago.

This handsome man's appearance was even more stunning than that of a woman, but of course, he could not compare to Gan Luo's beauty.

"Your Highness, I would like to ask you when you learned of this matter?"

“I knew it from the beginning, but I played along and went along with their plan. I brought this person into the princess’s residence and treated him quite well.”

Shangguan Mufeng inquired about the whereabouts of the man Gan Luo was currently in, and Gan Luo replied that the man had been placed in a remote area outside the capital. Gan Luo had a mansion in this area, where the man lived and was looked after by people every day.

"Your Highness is indeed exceptionally intelligent; I am truly impressed."

Shangguan Mufeng hesitated, seemingly wanting to say something, but ultimately kept it all to himself. Gan Luo, however, could tell that Shangguan Mufeng had something to say.

"Since we have known each other for some time now, if you have anything to say, feel free to tell me directly. There is no need to hide anything."

Moreover, Shangguan Mufeng had helped Gan Luo before, and Gan Luo was not an ungrateful person.

"Your Highness has given me an official position in the court, presumably so that I could marry the princess of the neighboring country. But in the end, I did not marry the princess of the neighboring country. I wonder if Your Highness is disappointed?"

Gan Luo suddenly realized that it was just because of such a small matter that he had told Shangguan Mufeng. He was not disappointed, especially since the reason Gan Luo had appointed Shangguan Mufeng to an official position in the court was because of Shangguan Mufeng's strong abilities.

It wasn't because he wanted Shangguan Mufeng to marry Xu Jiu, but when he saw them, they both seemed to have feelings for each other, so he secretly encouraged them. Although it didn't work out in the end, it didn't matter to Gan Luo.

"I see. I thought I had disappointed Her Highness the Princess."

"How could I possibly be disappointed? I have already prepared for the worst. Besides, your position in the court has helped me, hasn't it?"