The more Empress Wei looked at Qin Gui, the more she liked her. she smiled. “Xiao Gui, the emperor intends on doing the winter hunt in a few days. You should pack up some things and go with him as well.”

Empress Wei was thinking that the gentlemen from various noble families would be there, so she could go and pick out her future nephew-in-law.

Qin Gui’s eyes lit up and she nodded straight away. She could finally go out and have fun!

After coming to the capital and sitting around in that drab mansion, she had long grown bored of it.

“Mother, I want to go with Cousin Gui as well!”

At this moment, Gu Zhen who had just left the study hall came trotting over with great enthusiasm.

As soon as Gu Zhen got out of school and heard that Qin Gui had come to Fengluan Palace, he came straight over, just in time to hear about the winter hunt.

Gu Zhen gave his greetings to the empress and looked at her with an eager face.

Empress Wei looked lovingly at her beloved son and asked, “Zhen’er, how is your archery practice coming along?”

“Mother, look! There are calluses on my hands already.” Gu Zhen reached out his small hand to show Empress Wei and Qin Gui the calluses on his palms.

Empress Wei felt pained on one hand, but knew on the other that boys couldn’t be raised pamperingly> “Zhen’er, if you practice well, we will take you along on the hunt.”

Gu Zhen’s eyes lit up at once. He was young and frail, so he had never followed the emperor on a hunting trip before. He had been looking forward to it for a long time.

Only then did Qin Gui remember that the improved compound bow had not been invented yet, so she thought about looking for two craftsmen tomorrow to make them. She rubbed the top of Gu Zhen’s soft hair and also helped Empress Wei encourage him. “Practice well and cousin will come by next time to bring you something nice!”

Gu Zhen had blind trust in his Cousin Gui, so anything she gave him would definitely be good. The little guy waved his arms ambitiously and said, “Don’t worry, Cousin Gui! I’ll definitely hunt down a mountain chicken for you this winter hunt! Then I’ll make a shuttlecock for you to play with!”

Qin Gui was overjoyed. “I’m counting on you then, Gu Zhen!”

The two cousins laughed together.

After having lunch at Fengluan Palace, Qin Gui headed home. Almost immediately after, the emperor entered Fengluan Palace.

“Father!” After Gu Zhen greeted the emperor, he opened his arms and pounced intimately towards the emperor.

The emperor caught him and held him before helping up the curtsying Empress Wei and asked, “Has Xiao Gui left?”

“Just only,” Empress Wei said with a smile.

The emperor and the empress sat down together while Gu Zhen sat happily in his father’s arms, playing with a Rubik’s cube. The palace servants immediately served up some tea.

“This Qin family, they’ve become more and more unruly since the old marquis passed.” Empress Wei told him angrily about how Marquess Su had secretly embezzled her sister’s dowry and said, “It was also thanks to Xiao Jiu’s cleverness that she was able to retrieve it, and gain profit at that!”

“Girls are just more focused on the details, Your Majesty. If it were Zening, he would likely be fooled by Mrs. Su and not even know he was taken for a fool!” When she mentioned Zening, Empress Wei sounded like she was rebuking him, but there was a gentle look in her eyes.

The emperor agreed with her and said, “Zening is a boy, he has to build a career so he can’t spend all his time thinking about home. There is Xiao Gui there to take care of her two brothers in the future, so you can worry less, too.”

“Xiao Gui this girl, she doesn’t take any losses. This is good!” Empress Wei smiled and nodded her head. “With her around, I can also rest easy.”

“But no matter how good Xiao Gui is, I’m the only one who knows.” When she spoke of this, Empress Wei couldn’t help but sigh. “That child has had a hard life, and I’m afraid marriage will be difficult for her too. Noble families are good, but there are too many rules. I’m worried they will dislike the fact that she came from the countryside. But if she looks for a small family, I’m worried she would have to suffer…”

While speaking, Empress Wei’s brows locked together in worry. And, she felt even more hate for the Zhao Aman couple now. If not for that vile pair, then Qin Gui would not have to worry about getting a good home as a noble lady and having the protection of the empress herself!

The emperor suddenly had a thought and suddenly interrupted her. “Rongrong, what do you think of Gu Zezhi?”

“Gu Zezhi?” Empress Wei blinked and blinked again.

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