Chapter 418 The Queen Mother's Plot

Chu Huaixu did not answer immediately, as if he didn't know what to say.

Seeing that he was silent, Yu Youning did not urge him, but just waited quietly.

After waiting for a long time, Chu Huaixu finally spoke.

"My grandmother left the capital, saying it was to pray for me. But in reality, she had her niece's daughter sleep with my father. Two months later, she discovered she was pregnant. Fearing that my father would not want her to give birth, and also fearing someone would plot against her, she left the capital with her and went to Mount Wutai. She kept it a secret from everyone and raised her. Now, she's almost thirteen, and she felt it was time to bring her back. That's why she suddenly wanted to return to the palace."

Chu Huaixu used the simplest words to describe these things.

But when Yu Youning heard it, he had already imagined many causes and consequences.

"Isn't the Queen Mother your father's biological mother?" Yu Youning asked curiously.

"yes!"

"She's your biological mother, why would she scheme against your father like this?"

"She is my father's mother and the current Empress Dowager, but she is also a daughter of the Shen family. The reason for doing this is very simple, it is just for the Shen family's century-long glory.

As long as my father is still on the throne, the Shen family will be a powerful and influential family. After all, that is my father's maternal grandfather's family. The current ruler of the Shen family is the current emperor's uncle. Who wouldn't give him some respect?

But in the future, if my father is gone and I am the new emperor, my relationship with the Shen family will be even more distant. My mother's family is my maternal grandparents' family!

The Shen family had enjoyed glory for many years, so how could they be content to only enjoy the glory of these few decades? They naturally wanted to maintain this glory forever.

There is only one way to achieve this, and that is for the next emperor to also come from the Shen family."

Chu Huaixu said this with a twitch of the corners of his mouth.

Like laughing.

It also seems like he is making fun of himself.

Yu Youning could understand his feelings at this moment.

Obviously, she was his own grandmother, but in order to plan and achieve her own goals, she actually used him, her own grandson.

Chu Huaixu was in imminent danger at that time, and might even die soon.

But the Queen Mother not only did not show any sympathy for him, she even wanted to use him to carry out her own plans.

From Chu Huaixu's perspective, just thinking about it would make him feel chilled.

Yu Youning gently patted Chu Huaixu's shoulder, "Ah Xu, don't be upset! You and the Empress Dowager have never met, let alone any feelings for each other. You don't even have face for her. Why should you be sad because of what she did! Don't you think so!"

Chu Huaixu's face was filled with helplessness and sadness. "Over the years, I've written to her every month and asked people to send her things I thought were good. Even when we were traveling before, whenever we saw something delicious or fun somewhere, I would have someone send it to her..."

She rarely wrote back. Even when she did, it was written by someone else, and it was just a few words. I thought she was not good at speaking, or maybe she didn't know what to write because she had never met me.

Now I think about it, I was overthinking it. She was just too lazy to deal with me!

Chu Huaixu's voice was low, and a depressed aura lingered around him.

Looking at Chu Huaixu like this, Yu Youning felt a little worried.

Is Ah Xu going to cry?

What would she do if Ah Xu really cried?

Should I help Ah Xu wipe away his tears and comfort him gently?

Or should I pretend not to see it, quietly go out, give Ah Xu some space, and let him calm down slowly?

Doesn’t the book say that all men in this world, regardless of age, are very concerned about their reputation and don’t want others to see their vulnerable side?

Yu Youning was still trying to figure out what to do, but Chu Huaixu looked over with some concern, "Youning, what's wrong with you?"

Looking at Chu Huaixu's concerned eyes, Yu Youning quickly shook her head, "It's okay, I'm fine, I was just thinking about how to comfort you."

Hearing Yu Youning's words, Chu Huaixu laughed and looked much happier than before.

"Youning, don't try to comfort me. I've figured it out myself."

Yu Youning smiled embarrassedly, "I'm really not very good at comforting people. I rarely feel bad, but when I'm in a bad mood, I eat. Eat more delicious food, eat more sweet food, and you'll feel better. Do you want to try it?"

Looking at Yu Youning's eyes full of expectation and caution, Chu Huaixu couldn't say anything to refuse and nodded, "Okay!"

"Then wait, I'll get it!"

Yu Youning ran out quickly and came back not long after.

When I came back, I had a lunch box in my hand.

After opening it, Yu Youning took out four plates of snacks.

Although there are only four plates, there are more than a dozen varieties.

There is only one piece of each dessert.

Yu Youning sat across from Chu Huaixu, holding his chin with both hands, looking at Chu Huaixu eagerly, "Xu, try them all and see which one you like best. Then I'll get you some more."

Chu Huaixu looked at the dozen or so snacks and said, "By the time I've tried them all, I should be full."

He spoke seriously and deliberately tried not to smile.

Hearing this, Yu Youning was stunned for a moment, but soon smiled embarrassedly.

She forgot that!

Chu Huaixu is not like her. He has a big appetite and can eat a lot.

This method is suitable for me, but not for Chu Huaixu.

However, Yu Youning quickly thought of the other half of the solution.

"Take a bite of each! Leave the rest to me!"

"How can this be possible!" Chu Huaixu immediately refused, "How can I let you eat the leftovers?"

Yu Youning picked up a piece of dessert, broke off a small piece and gave it to Chu Huaixu.

"Isn't this better?"

Seeing that Yu Youning was serious and persistent, Chu Huaixu said nothing this time. He accepted Yu Youning's kindness and put the snack into his mouth.

The snack is sweet and soft, and melts in your mouth with just a sip.

The phrase "melts in your mouth" is fully reflected at this moment.

The two of them didn't say anything and just ate all the snacks.

Yu Youning looked at Chu Huaixu expectantly, "Ah Xu, which one do you like best? I'll get it for you!"

Chu Huaixu shook his head. "No need! I'm full, and besides—I'm not feeling uncomfortable anymore."

In fact, he didn't need to eat these snacks at all. When he saw Yu Youning worrying about him, his mood was already better.

It didn't matter that the Empress Dowager didn't really care about him.

At least Youning really cares about him!

At least his father and mother really care about him!

There are also people like Huo Qingchen who really care about him.

Thinking about it this way, it is not necessary for the Empress Dowager to care about him.

Yu Youning was still looking at Chu Huaixu eagerly, "Is it really not necessary?"

"Really, no need."

Seeing that Chu Huaixu really didn't want to eat, Yu Youning didn't force him anymore.

The atmosphere between the two of them became much better, and Chu Huaixu's mood also became much better.

But in the palace, in the Queen's Palace, the atmosphere between the Emperor and the Queen seemed a little tense.

The emperor looked at the expressionless queen and wanted to explain several times, but in the end he couldn't say anything.

The queen watched all this quietly, without any ripple in her heart.

The emperor does not have other children.

But those children would not threaten her son.

But the prince that the Queen Mother is about to bring back is completely different from the other princes.

He is the blood of the Shen family.

It is the continuation of the Shen family's glory.

Back then, in order to ensure that he was born and raised safely, the Queen Mother secretly took his mother to Mount Wutai, and stayed there for so many years.

Now that he has suddenly come back, won't he take action against Xu'er in order to allow him to succeed to the throne?

Throughout history, how many princes did not have a good end!

Even if she didn't care whether Xu'er could ascend the throne, even if Xu'er himself didn't care about the throne.

But can the Queen Mother and others really let Xu'er go?

Even though they hadn't returned yet, the Queen had already anticipated the bloody storm that would come in the future.

And everything is because of the emperor!

If the emperor had not made the girl from the Shen family pregnant, how could all this have happened?

Even though the birth of this child was not what the emperor wanted.

But after all, he was the one who made the girl pregnant, right?

The more the queen thought about it, the colder her eyes became.

The emperor looked at the changes in the queen's eyes and felt helpless and aggrieved.

"Back then...it happened so suddenly. I didn't want you to be angry, and I didn't want her to enter the harem, so I had someone watch her and gave her contraceptive soup.

Two months after that incident, you gave birth to Xu'er. Xu'er was born in poor health, and the Empress Dowager said she would go to Mount Wutai to pray for Xu'er. She also said that she would never be able to marry in her lifetime and wanted to take her with her to worship Buddha together. She told others that she wanted to stay by the Empress Dowager's side and that she didn't want to marry, so that she could at least have some dignity.

I thought at the time that this was indeed a solution. I couldn't refuse the Queen Mother's face again and again. So I agreed. I really didn't expect that my mother would actually..."

The emperor said this and sighed deeply.

He was really anxious and even forgot to say "I" and kept saying "I".

The queen was originally very angry, but after hearing the emperor's explanation, her anger was reduced to only five points.

The Queen sighed deeply, "They are about to come back. What are you going to do when they come back?"

Seeing that the queen's expression had softened a little, the emperor also secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

"Don't worry, the crown prince can only be Xu'er, and the future successor will only be Xu'er. When my mother brings him back, I will find an uncle to adopt him out, and he will just be a rich and idle person in the future.

When Xu'er ascends the throne, let him confer the title of a prince on him. With this title, the Shen family will not fall, and they should be content to live in peace for another hundred years."

No matter from which perspective, the emperor's arrangement was very appropriate.

But the Queen was afraid that the Queen Mother and the Shen family would not be reconciled.

But the queen also understood that their unwillingness was just their own thoughts, which the emperor could not imagine. She could not vent her dissatisfaction on this point on the emperor.