Chapter 437: Visiting Lotus Heart Lake
What is bound to come cannot be avoided.
Du Hanping remained calm and continued to formulate her plan.
Gu Nianting's carriage returned to the city and went straight to the street market without stopping at Prince Chen's Mansion.
Along the way, Du Hanping tried to please him and they had a very pleasant conversation.
When they arrived at the market, Gu Nianting did not hesitate to spend gold and silver. He bought whatever Du Hanping wanted to buy. Anyway, the treasury of Prince Chen's Mansion would be filled to its full capacity soon.
After shopping, it was already three quarters past noon.
There were still no empty seats in the restaurants inside and outside Shengjing. Gu Nianting sincerely invited Du Hanping to go back home with him for dinner.
Du Hanping said there was no rush to eat.
Seeing that she had something to say but was too shy to express it, Gu Nianting asked with a smile.
"Why not?"
A bit of girlish shyness appeared on Du Hanping's face, which was a little different but not strange.
"This……"
He wanted to say something but stopped, which successfully aroused Gu Nianting's curiosity.
"There is no need to be polite between close friends. Lord Du, please feel free to speak frankly. If you need me for anything, I will never refuse."
Du Hanping was measured and spoke out her true feelings.
"When I first fell in love, I had a wish, which was to stroll around Lotus Heart Lake with the man I loved. Walking around it is like walking hand in hand through life, and it is of extraordinary significance."
"I thought it would be easy to fulfill my little wish, but I didn't expect that after I turned fifty, I couldn't find a man willing to go with me."
"I wonder if you can do me a small favor today, Your Majesty? Let's put aside our love affairs and just talk about our friendship. Let's forget our age difference and go for a stroll around Lotus Heart Lake, okay?"
Gu Nianting had long been immersed in her sweet words and could not extricate himself. After hearing these words, he was even more delighted.
It's rare to find someone who appreciates him wholeheartedly, who is honest and sincere without a trace of hypocrisy. Even though she is no longer young, he still cherishes her.
Looking at him slowly, he felt that being in advanced age had its own unique feeling. He nodded without hesitation.
"it is good."
Du Hanping's face is sweet, like a peony in full bloom, dignified and beautiful, like brocade and embroidery.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
It was as if he could smell the fragrance of flowers, the breeze blowing by, sometimes strong, sometimes weak, refreshing his heart. Gu Nianting gently waved his folding fan, smiled contentedly, and gave instructions to Wu Yan.
"You wait here, you don't have to follow."
Wu Yan agreed to stay.
"Yes."
The two of them strolled leisurely towards the Lianxin Lake not far away.
There are no shops and very few houses near Lianxin Lake, so it is sparsely populated.
The deeper you walk, the fewer people there are around you.
Until no one was around, a stall appeared not far away, out of place, located on the side of Lianxin Lake. The vendor was concentrating on making dim sum, without shouting, and was silent, waiting for customers.
When Du Hanping saw it, she was surprised and happy.
"Your Highness, please look over there. That is my favorite dim sum shop. It is very rare to see it. Even though I have been patronizing it for many years, I can still only taste its delicious food a few times."
Gu Nianting was careful and thoughtful and made a suggestion immediately.
"You have been thinking about it for many years. I think it tastes good. I will accompany you to taste it."
Du Hanping looked pleased.
"it is good……"
Before she finished her words, she tripped and fell, seemingly accidentally.
"what!"
Gu Nianting helped her in time and she didn't fall.
"Beware!"
"Are you OK?"
Du Hanping said she was fine, but she was limping.
Gu Nianting smiled helplessly and asked softly.
"Are you hurt?"
Finding a bench, Du Hanping sat down weakly, looked up and smiled at him.
"It's okay. I'll just sit here and rest for a while."
Gu Nianting was knowledgeable and took the initiative to express himself.
"Then you sit still and wait for a while. I will go buy some snacks."
Du Hanping responded respectfully.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Gu Nianting turned around and walked towards the stall.
Du Hanping accurately captured the person in the dark and quietly signaled him with her eyes.
Su Ding was hiding in the dark. After receiving her signal, he turned around and gave orders to his men.
Several people dressed up as killers, appeared with masks on, and shouted loudly to attract Gu Nianting's attention.
"Du Hanping, you are at the end of your rope!"
Afraid that Gu Nianting couldn't hear her, Du Hanping screamed.
"Help!"
When Gu Nianting reached the stall, he heard something bad happen and immediately turned back.
He had no habit of carrying a sword, so he fought with them bare-handed.
After a fierce battle, Gu Nianting won a great victory, but two fists are no match for four hands, and the thief still escaped.
"Who are they?"
Du Hanping answered according to the plan.
"I guess he is someone hired by some secret minister or chancellor. If I am eliminated, the people below will have a chance to take the high position of prime minister."
Gu Nianting's face was full of surprise, as if he had heard shocking news.
"So the competition in your secret platform is so fierce..."
There was no point in saying more. Du Hanping groaned in pain and stopped him from continuing.
"Um--"
Only then did he notice that her wide sleeves were gradually turning red. The red was so strong that one could imagine how serious her injuries were. Gu Nianting was startled and hurried forward to check.
"You are hurt?"
Although the injury was real, Du Hanping had taken medicine in advance, so she didn't feel any pain, and it wouldn't harm her body.
She frowned and tried hard to hold back her anger, as if she was in great pain. She was afraid that he would worry, so she tried her best to remain calm and composed.
"No problem..."
Seeing this, Gu Nianting couldn't help but feel worried.
"You're already in so much pain that you can't speak, and you're still saying it's okay?"
"If you delay healing, the consequences will be unpredictable. Come back to the palace with me to heal your wounds."
Du Hanping was weak and helpless, and just needed a reminder.
"But my feet..."
Gu Nianting did not hesitate, he picked her up and ran to Prince Chen's Mansion at lightning speed.
"Well, I'll just have to take offense."
Du Hanping pretended to be frightened.
"Your Majesty?"
All the shock gradually turned into shyness. She put her arms on his shoulders. Sweetness instantly filled the entire Lianxin Lake, and the surrounding scenery was instantly eclipsed.
Unexpectedly, she looked plump and it was very easy to hold her in his arms. Gu Nianting didn't feel tired even after running all the way.
Fearing that his actions might damage her chastity, he deliberately took a secluded path, bypassed an alley, entered the palace through a side door, and chose a guest room nearby, where he let her lie on the bed.
"I will go and call the doctor. Please wait a moment."
Du Hanping gently grabbed his sleeve and prevented him from leaving.
"Is there a female doctor in the prince's house?"
Gu Nianting answered truthfully.
"All doctors are men."
Du Handing looked at him tremblingly and made a pitiful request.
"My wound is private, and no outsiders are allowed to examine it. I beg Your Majesty to bandage it and stop the bleeding for me personally, okay?"
Gu Nianting smiled awkwardly.
"But, I am also a man."
Secretly thinking of her beloved man, Du Hanping expressed her admiration and easily won him over.
"Your Majesty, I am not an outsider."
Realizing that she was speechless, she played hard to get and changed the subject.
"What I mean is that the prince is my savior, so we should not be polite to him."
The more she acted like this, the more satisfied Gu Nianting felt. He always felt that he was so handsome that he could charm all the women in the world.
"I will go back to my room to get the medicine box and will be back immediately."
Du Hanping smiles like a rosy cloud, a flower blooms alone, her beauty is unparalleled.
"Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Your Majesty."
As soon as Gu Nianting left, Du Hanping took out the water bottle she carried with her and pretended to sweat a little on her forehead, trying to make it look real.