"Elder Sister Zhao, it's better if you can understand the situation," said Consort Li sympathetically as she helped support Consort Zhao, truly relieved.
Gu Qingrou then glanced silently at Consort Li.
Afterward, she concealed her expression and said with a forced smile, "Well, you should rest well, Consort Li. We should leave now."
Without waiting for the two behind her to say anything else, Gu Qingrou quickly turned and walked out of the Palace of Exile.
"Elder Sister Zhao, we're leaving now. Don't worry, when the Ministry of Works officials return to the capital, I will definitely pass on a message to the Empress for you. Then you'll be able to leave," Consort Li hastily instructed Consort Zhao.
Then, covering the anguish in her eyes, she hurried out of the Palace of Exile.
The two women, one following the other, left the Palace of Exile.
Walking ahead, Gu Qingrou's expression kept changing - at one moment alarmed, the next fearful, then frowning, her inner turmoil and struggle immense.
What the Emperor most desired now was to find Gu Sang.
If Gu Sang returned to the palace, would there still be a place for her?
What if...!
What if she implicated herself again for framing...
No! No!
Gu Qingrou, don't be soft-hearted!
Don't let watching a few modern live streams delude you into dreaming of that unattainable one husband, one wife ideal. You have to live in this world for the rest of your life!
You finally managed to become Pei Changying's official wife after so much effort. How could you let Gu Sang return?!
"Sister Li."
Suddenly stopping in her tracks, Gu Qingrou, who was walking ahead, turned around and gazed at Consort Li with a profound look.
Consort Li was startled by this gaze. "Empress?"
Gu Qingrou suddenly took Consort Li's hand intimately.
Speaking in a bewitching tone, she said, "You only managed to become a consort by replacing Consort Zhao Ronghua. Just now, seeing you in such splendor while she can only linger in the Palace of Exile, who knows what Consort Zhao must be thinking."
"I think, with Consort Zhao's profound nature, she must be resentful, right?"
"If I were you, I would never give Consort Zhao a chance to rise again. Otherwise, she would definitely be the first to go after you!"
Was that really the case?
But Consort Li didn't want to think that way. After all, Elder Sister Zhao had saved the lives of an entire city's population. How could she be so petty?
Mustering her courage, Consort Li said, "Your Majesty, Elder Sister Zhao... probably wouldn't do that."
A person capable of defying the Emperor's orders to save commoners - would she really resent having her consort position taken?
Moreover, before leaving, she had promised Elder Sister Zhao that once the generals and officials returned to the capital, she would immediately plead with the Emperor on her behalf.
Gu Qingrou sighed with feigned sympathy, "Consort Li, you only know her appearance, not her heart."
"Are you willing to gamble the future of the Li Family on Consort Zhao's conscience?"
"Think about it - once Consort Zhao regains favor, not to mention if Gu Sang returns from the modern world to compete for the Emperor's affection, will you even have a place then?" Gu Qingrou's words were deafening, completely shattering Consort Li's sympathy.
Yes, Consort Li began to waver!
Setting aside the question of whether Gu Sang would return or not, what if Consort Zhao angered the Emperor again?
As the messenger, she would also be implicated!
Moreover, Consort Zhao had become so wretched in the Palace of Exile. What if, after regaining her position, she blamed Consort Li for not offering aid when she was suffering?
She couldn't gamble away the entire Li Family's future just because of momentary sympathy!
But...!
But...!
But she truly couldn't bear to see Elder Sister Zhao, who had saved millions of people, suffer such hardship. Surely she wouldn't harm Consort Li?
"Sister, you all watch too many live streams and start deluding yourselves with ideas of gender equality."
"The Emperor is the sovereign of all under heaven. He has absolute power over our lives. We cannot live in the modern world, so we must face reality."
"You need to look out for yourself more. Don't let your soft-heartedness ruin your entire family..."
As Gu Qingrou left, her words pierced Consort Li's heart like a sharp blade.
In an instant!
Reality overshadowed all her hopes and discontentment.
Consort Li began to struggle;
Become insecure;
Fearful;
Conflicted.
Gazing at Gu Qingrou's departing figure with a mocking smile, she repeated in her heart over and over, "But I promised her in the Palace of Exile..."
"Elder Sister Zhao, even if you regain favor, you won't take revenge on me, will you?"
"What should I do..."
Two days later.
All the split-screen live streams were activated.
Today was the day Gu Sang left the training base.
President Tang and Lu Mufei had already received the news and were waiting outside the base to pick up the actors.
Gu Sang immediately spotted Lu Mufei waving at her and smiled, asking, "Senior, why did you come?"
Lu Mufei replied, "I came with President Tang."
"I heard you graduated with the best performance, even the instructors praised you endlessly. Of course I had to come and flatter the future top actress."
After President Tang had arranged for the other actors to board the vehicle, he came over to the two of them, his admiring gaze unabashedly falling on Gu Sang.
Delighted, he said, "Miss Gu, the instructors told me about all of your performances during training. You're very tenacious and a quick learner, willing to put in twice the effort for your roles."
"As for the salary issue you mentioned, I agree. We can sign the contract after we return."
President Tang personally saw the two into the car.
The live stream cameras panned, and soon the vehicle stopped at the entrance of a luxuriously decorated restaurant.
To celebrate the successful completion of the training, President Tang generously booked a large private room and ordered ten bottles of expensive fine wine.
When the red and white wines were served, the ancient commoners watching the live stream were astonished to see several of the female actors pour for themselves, stand up, and toast President Tang before drinking it all down in one gulp!
The casual way they drank clearly showed it wasn't their first time!
The ancient commoners were stunned. "What respectable woman would drink with strange men like this, let alone so many of them together!"
"I told you these women may look beautiful, but they have no self-respect. Who knows what they might do if they get drunk!"
"Why can't they drink! The enlightened one said men and women are equal!"
"Do you even know what equality means? Whatever men can do, women can do too. If it's manly for men to drink, how is it improper for women?"
"You... you're speaking like a woman!"
As the live stream went on, more and more ancient women began to change their mindsets.
They no longer meekly accepted insults and ridicule, occasionally mustering the courage to retort, leaving the irrational men speechless.
Soon, the ancient people's attention shifted from the drinking to the dishes being served!
Gazing at the porcelain-white plates adorned with a variety of deliciously fragrant dishes, not only the commoners but even the ministers couldn't help but swallow their saliva in anticipation.
With reddened eyes, the minister exclaimed, "Unbelievable! Simply unbelievable! The table can actually rotate? How convenient, we won't even need to stand up to serve ourselves!"
A soldier cried out, "Giant insects! Those must be the giant insects that plagued us before! How can we eat those? Wouldn't that be deadly?"
A commoner stared wide-eyed, "Is that how meat is served? Such a large slab at once, that one piece of meat is more than we would use for an entire stir-fry!"
"Wait a minute? Is that not beef? How can beef be consumed as food, that would be a great sin! Without cattle, what shall we use for plowing the fields?"
