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Yiling arrived close to noon.

She shamelessly declared that she was just there to freeload a meal.

"... When I come to the Capital, I always want to eat some of your home-style dishes. I don't know anyone else, so I can only come to you." Yiling said matter-of-factly.

Seeing that Gu Wanning had guests, the Second Concubine got up to take her leave.

Er Ya saw her off and couldn't help but scold her, "... Even if he were a son, such an unfilial son deserves to be struck by lightning. Especially since you're the older sister. You weren't supposed to raise him, yet you did, and this is the result, and you still can't let go of him. Are you just naturally prone to worrying and being let down? Then give me all your things, and I'll call you sister, I promise I'll treat you well! What, just because you shared the same mother's womb makes you different? You only lived there for ten months, while we lived under the same roof for years!"

The Second Concubine smiled bitterly.

She didn't want to go home yet, so after thinking about it, she decided to go visit her pregnant First Concubine.

When Er Ya heard that she was going to the Qin Residence, she asked her to bring a small jar of pickled radishes for her First Concubine.

The First Concubine can eat a little now, and everyone fawns over her for whatever she likes; she's the most precious person around.

Inside the house, Gu Wanning rolled her eyes at Yiling: "I'm not eating lunch."

Yiling: "... Look at you, so petty. I treat you like family, but you treat me like an outsider."

"Your bloodline is noble, I dare not accept such praise," Gu Wanning sneered. "I have no requests of you, only one thing: I wanted your brother to take a look at the Marquis, and you won't even do that..."

How dare you eat her food!

Want to eat and drink for free?

"I'm so confused! I asked my brother why he wouldn't show it, but he just wouldn't tell me. It's driving me crazy!" Yiling stomped her foot, and the golden butterfly on her head trembled with her movement, looking incredibly lifelike.

"But don't you have any doctors in the Central Plains?" Yiling asked again. "We don't necessarily have to find my brother. If all else fails, I'll send someone from the Southern Border to take a look at your man."

Gu Wanning knew that Physician Bian had seen Xu Weibei.

However, Xu Weibei didn't mention it at all after he returned, so she vaguely guessed that the outcome was probably not good, and therefore didn't ask too many questions.

"How about this," Yiling blinked, "You cook for me, and I'll find someone for you. I'll send someone back to look for them right away."

"It's a deal! What do you want to eat?"

"Anything is fine." Yiling rolled up her sleeves. "Come on, I'll cook for you. Once I learn how, I'll go back and show off to my father, tricking him into giving me something good."

Gu Wanning: You're so filial to your father, the Emperor!

Yiling came over for a free meal almost every day.

Although she lacks boundaries, she's not an annoying girl.

He talked too much and asked too many questions.

Fortunately, she didn't need any special treatment; Gu Wanning was the same as always when she came.

However, Yiling can be quite exasperating at times.

For example, she even suggested that Gu Wanning go to the Southern Border with Xu Weibei.

"In the Southern Border, my father is the Marquis's elder, so he will definitely not make things difficult for you if he arranges your marriage. Besides, arranged marriages are not practiced in the Southern Border at all. We can marry whomever we want, and we can take care of ourselves."

Are they all this lazy and unambitious?

But will this method be able to cultivate a suitable successor?

Although Gu Wanning didn't quite approve of the Central Plains emperors' practice of "raising Gu" (a metaphor for corrupt officials) to find a suitable successor through bloodshed among brothers, she felt that a prince who was too relaxed might be a good person, but he was not suitable for governing the country.

Aren't the princes' marriages just for political alliances?

"It's not appropriate!" Yiling shook her head, speaking with righteous indignation, "That's why we need to invite my cousin back and let him inherit my father's throne."

Gu Wanning was so shocked by these words that she remained silent for a long time.

Should Xu Weibei to inherit the Southern Border?

She really dares to dream.

"What, you're making decisions for your father, the Emperor?"

"This isn't me making a decision for my father; it's my father's own idea."

Gu Wanning: "... What, is there a pitfall on your throne?"

Why not let his own son, or even his nephew, sit in the throne, but instead hand over the reins to someone from outside the family?

This would have been absolutely unimaginable in ancient times.

"Father said that Grandfather originally intended to groom Aunt; but Aunt is love-struck..."

"Wait, what did you say?" Gu Wanning interrupted Yiling, "Love-obsessed?"

Why would this word come from the mouth of Yiling?

Could it be that Yiling was also a time traveler?

"Yes, 'love-struck,' the kind of stupid woman whose brain turns to jerk when she meets a man," Yiling said. "That's what my great-grandmother said when she was alive."

"Your great-grandmother?"

"Yes, speaking of which, my great-grandmother was amazing; I could tell you all her stories in three days and three nights. But she said her great-grandmother was even more amazing..."

Gu Wanning: Okay, I got it. There are fellow transmigrators, but they transmigrated into her ancestor's generation.

And they were transported to Southern Border...

I don't know which is better.

But she's playing the lead role in a female-centric story, while I'm just a background character.

In short, Yiling said that the emperor of the Southern Border wanted his nephew to return and inherit his throne.

"My father said that the ruler of a country should be the most capable; if my cousin doesn't go, then he should choose a suitable successor from among my cousins; if there isn't one, then he should look for outstanding children from the other three major families..."

Gu Wanning: Then I suggest you stick to the plan and don't involve Xu Weibei.

Xu Weibei would never agree to such an absurd idea as going to Southern Border.

"My father was very proud to have a nephew like Xu Weibei."

"Does your father think that the Marquis might be able to lead the generals of the Southern Border to conquer cities and expand the territory?"

"How do you know? That's what my father said."

"Then tell your father to give up, it's no use."