I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 316 Confession
The carriage stopped, and Princess Xuan personally lifted the curtain, asking softly, "Is Your Highness injured? Is everything alright in the capital?"

“I haven’t even been on the battlefield,” King Xuan waved his hand to signal the carriage to continue, and rode alongside it on horseback. “It’s just that the capital is too chaotic, with a complex web of power struggles that is giving me a headache.”

"After we return to the palace, I will make you a soup with red dates, goji berries and ginseng."

"I will not return to the Prince's Palace."

Princess Xuan was puzzled. If they didn't return to the palace, where would they stay?

King Xuan casually tossed down the heavy bomb, "The Imperial Palace."

The Imperial Palace? Princess Xuan and Lady Ming exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.

Princess Consort Xuan took a long time to say, "The Prince has seized the throne?"

"Well, I didn't want to either," but Emperor Pingyuan was too troublesome, even more so than the last emperor of the previous dynasty. "The Emperor Gaozu left me a will that if my descendants are unworthy, I may take his place."

Princess Xuan was stunned; this was the first time she had learned that Emperor Gaozu had left a will.

On the other side, Tang Zhao also said, "As expected of a man who conquered the world, this contingency plan is brilliant."

Look at this, when things are peaceful, they let the mediocre Emperor Sheng'an ascend the throne and enjoy a life of wealth and prosperity. But when trouble arises, they send the capable Prince Xuan to clean up the mess. Anyway, they are all Emperor Kangzhi's sons, so no matter who sits on the throne in the end, the country will belong to the Gu family.

After all, he was his own grandfather, so Gu Ci couldn't really comment. He could only change the subject and say, "Tang Zheng and his son have been imprisoned. Father said you can do whatever you want with them. Would you like to go see them?"

"I must see her! I absolutely must see her!" Tang Zhao demanded. "Send Song Qinglan to the prison as well, and lock her up right across from Tang Zheng."

"What about the old lady of the Duke of Wei and Tang Ming?"

Without mentioning Gu Ci, Tang Zhao had almost forgotten about the two of them. "We're all family, so let's all reunite in prison!"

Gu Ci chuckled, "I'll do whatever you say."

Tang Zhao leaned against Gu Ci and said, "I like hearing that. Say it more often in the future."

Gu Ci leaned closer and whispered in Tang Zhao's ear, "Yes, sir!"

King Xuan escorted the entourage all the way into the imperial city. King Xuan and his wife first paid their respects to the Empress Dowager before returning hand in hand to Fengyi Palace.

The Grand Steward of Fengyi Palace led all the palace servants and attendants in bowing, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness and Your Highness."

Princess Xuan said kindly, "Please, no need for formalities."

"Thank you, Your Highness and Your Highness," Chief Steward Wang Shan bowed and reported, "This servant has already renovated the entire Fengyi Palace according to Your Highness's instructions. Please inspect it, Your Highness."

When she was a hostage in Luoyang, Princess Xuan would be summoned to the palace during festivals. She would visit Fengyi Palace most often. Whenever she came to the luxurious and strictly disciplined Fengyi Palace, Princess Xuan always felt uncomfortable.

But now, the precious ornaments have all disappeared, replaced by calligraphy and paintings by famous artists. Princess Xuan looked closely and saw that they were the travelogues she loved to read.

“Your Highness is busy with official duties, how can you waste your time on such trivial matters?” Princess Xuan said reproachfully. “No wonder Your Highness’s eyes are so dark.”

“If the Princess Consort likes it, then my efforts have not been in vain,” Prince Xuan said, pulling Princess Consort Xuan to sit down. “From now on, you will be the mistress of Fengyi Palace. You can do whatever you want with it, without worrying about those damn rules.”

"Keep these eunuchs and palace servants if you find them convenient, otherwise use the older ones. In any case, everything should be done with the Princess's comfort in mind." Princess Xuan leaned against Prince Xuan's chest. "Your Majesty, I thank you."

King Xuan embraced his wife, saying, "You have suffered a lot following me in the past, and you will have to manage such a large harem in the future, which will require even more effort. What I have done is only a small way to repay you, so why should I ask for thanks?"

Princess Xuan voiced her concerns, "But the Prince has not yet ascended the throne. Won't it cause controversy if we move into the palace so abruptly?"

“The Ministry of Rites is already making preparations for the coronation ceremony. However, the national treasury is empty due to years of war. I have already instructed the Ministry of Rites to reduce expenditures,” King Xuan comforted him. “I have been living in the palace since I entered Luoyang. The ministers are used to it and no one will make trouble for me.”

"What about the Prince Xuan's residence?" Princess Xuan was still thinking about the house where she had lived for more than ten years.

Without a second thought, King Xuan said, "Keep it. When you get tired of the palace, we'll move there for a couple of days."

Princess Xuan was delighted. "Your Highness is now the Emperor. A monarch's word is law. Your Highness cannot lie to me."

"Do not lie to you."

The couple, who rarely had a chance to be together, lingered for a while before King Xuan reluctantly left to attend to his duties at the front court, while Queen Xuan began to reorganize the inner palace.

In the Xuanwang Mansion, Tang Zhao returned to the Biyuan Courtyard, which he had not seen for a long time, and sighed with emotion.

“After we got married, you used the excuse of recuperating from illness to hide in the study and wouldn’t even see me.”

Gu Ci smiled awkwardly. When he was unconscious, his grandfather had forced him into a marriage. When he woke up, he was unwilling and didn't give Zhao Zhao a kind look. Now, he really wished he could go back in time and give that ungrateful version of himself a good beating.

"During my first New Year after I married into the family, you suffered a sudden attack of poison in the middle of the night, muttering, 'Aren't you in the Northwest?' Looking back now, I think you were talking about Bai Rouyin."

Caught off guard by the dredging up of old grievances, Gu Ci felt a chill run down his spine. He hadn't expected that Tang Zhao would still remember this matter after all these years.

"Did you like Bai Rouyin that much back then?" Tang Zhao genuinely didn't understand. Based on her understanding of Gu Ci, if Gu Ci fell in love with someone, it should be for life. How could he change his affections to her halfway through?

Gu Ci reached out and covered Tang Zhao's incessantly chattering mouth, "Zhao Zhao, listen to me."

"You know, Bai Rouyin and I were betrothed when we were young. Ever since I was old enough to understand, my father and mother have often told me that Bai Rouyin is my future wife and that I must treat her well."

“I didn’t know how to treat her well, so I could only follow my father’s example and give her some hairpins and dresses that women liked every year on her birthday. Later, I joined the army and had more things to do, so I entrusted the selection of gifts to Chaohui and Chaoyi.”

Tang Zhao twitched his lips. You've certainly made things easier for yourself.

"Later, my grandfather bestowed a marriage upon me, and there was no longer any possibility between Bai Rouyin and me. I felt guilty, so I gave her many precious spoils of war as compensation. It was also because of this guilt that I didn't know how to face you at the time, so I could only hide in the study."

Tang Zhao slapped Gu Ci's hand away and reminded him, "You used to hate me."

"Yes, I admit that I initially disliked you because you were Tang Zheng's daughter. I thought that since you had Tang Zheng's blood in your veins, you would be like Tang Zheng, someone who would stop at nothing for power and wealth."

Tang Zhao sincerely said, "You're right, I really am that kind of person, but it has nothing to do with Tang Zheng."

“Don’t talk nonsense again,” Gu Ci scolded lightly, and continued, “The more I got to know you, the more I found you to be so intelligent, quick-witted, cheerful and open-minded.”

“But what truly made me fall in love with you was that winter banquet that year,” Gu Ci gazed at Tang Zhao with tender eyes, “when you suddenly appeared on the island in the middle of the lake and saved me from a predicament.”