Chapter 454: Mother and Child Died

After that day, Zhao Hua and Xiao Jingheng never discussed anything about Xiao Jingyan again.

At noon, the two of them had lunch together. Zhao Hua helped Xiao Jingheng take the medicine.

"After taking the medicine, Xiao Lang, take a good rest and put aside state affairs for now. Don't waste your energy reviewing memorials."

Xiao Jingheng nodded in agreement, "Tomorrow is a day off. Zhao'er, go back to the palace and make preparations with Chengyu. The day after tomorrow, you will go to court on my behalf."

Zhao Hua pursed his lips timidly and was silent for a long while before he nodded slightly and said:

"It is for Xiao Lang that I muster the courage to come to the court. If I have done anything wrong, please do not blame me, Xiao Lang."

"No problem." Xiao Jingheng waved his hand with his sleeves open, smiled at Zhao Hua, and said firmly:

"My Zhao'er is no longer the cowardly woman she was when she first entered the palace. I believe in you."

Zhao Hua nodded gently, and the look in her eyes as she looked into Xiao Jingheng's was filled with endless affection.

And in this friendship, there was also some contempt for Jamel Xiao hidden.

In Zhaohua's opinion,

Cowardice should never be an innate shackle that sticks to women.

It comes from men's bottom-of-heart contempt for women and from the stereotype that the strong look down on the weak.

And what she had to do was to break this shackle in front of Jamel Xiao.

Let him understand that in this world, whether men or women, they are all living people.

No one should become anyone else's appendage, a decoration, or a plaything.

After Zhao Hua left, Xiao Jingheng, who had been sleeping soundly, suddenly sat up and called in Xiao Yinzi, who was guarding outside the door.

"Go and ask the people from Tianji to do something for me."

*

The next day.

Early in the morning, after Zhaohua had finished dressing, she went to the main hall to receive the greetings from the six concubines.

But today they seemed to have heard something exciting, and were gathered in groups of three or five, whispering about something.

When Yunshan helped Zhaohua sit on the Phoenix Throne, he deliberately cleared his throat to remind the concubines,

When the concubines in the hall saw Zhaohua coming, they hurriedly greeted her.

"Your Majesty, the Queen, I respectfully wish you the best of health and happiness."

"Please stand up and take a seat." Zhao Hua raised his hand to invite them to sit down, and then asked: "What are you talking about so early in the morning?"

The chatterbox Ruobin would be the first one who couldn't stand it.

She said with great joy, "The Queen doesn't know yet? Prince An is a playboy. He ran out to flirt with other girls before he fully recovered. Isn't this going to cause trouble?"

He lowered his voice and pretended to be mysterious, "Last night, when he was having sex with a prostitute, he suddenly had a stroke and died on the prostitute's body!"

Only a Mongolian woman like you would dare to say such shameful words that cannot be made public.

She said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry:

"Tell me, doesn't he owe Baden? This matter has spread all over Kyoto, and it is a disgrace to the royal family."

When Concubine Ru started the conversation, the other concubines also started to discuss it as if it were just some idle matter.

In the midst of this chaos, Ru Ge, who was usually taciturn, suddenly shouted,

"Please stop talking! Prince An is a royal relative after all, and it is not right for the ladies in the harem to talk about men outside the family like this. Aren't you ashamed?"

Her sudden shout frightened Rupin so much that she shuddered.

"Why are you so anxious? Oh, what kind of royal relative is Prince An? If this matter gets reported to the emperor, will he still honor him after his death?"

As the two of them talked,

Zhaohua and Rongyue looked at each other in tacit understanding.

Everything is self-evident.

Later, news came from the imperial court that Xiao Jingheng felt that Xiao Jingyan's death was not dignified and a disgrace to the royal family, so he did not allow him to be buried in the prince's mausoleum. He only asked people to find a Feng Shui treasure land and buried him properly.

It is said to be a Feng Shui treasure land, but in fact, they just wrapped the body and found an empty place to burn it.

When the people from Tianji Office came to reply to Xiao Jingheng and said that everything had been arranged,

Zhao Hua was serving Xiao Jingheng, stirring the bottom of the medicine bowl with a spoon and giving him medicine to reduce his fever.

When it was just the right temperature to eat, Zhao Hua scooped up a spoonful. Before he could bring it to Xiao Jingheng's mouth, he saw Xiao Yinzi running in in a panic, stammering back:

"Your Majesty... Concubine Jing Gui, she, she found out about Prince An's affairs and couldn't bear it... She committed suicide!"

After hearing this, Xiao Jingheng just replied lightly,

"All matters concerning the harem shall be handled by the Queen."

Zhao Hua put the medicine into Xiao Jingheng's mouth, without even turning his head, and said lightly:

"It is a serious crime for a concubine to commit suicide. Concubine Jinggui was so foolish that she is not worthy of being buried in the late emperor's mausoleum. Since she is dead and there is no one in her mother's family, we can just wrap her in a straw mat and bury her outside the palace."

Listening to Zhao Hua's cold decree, Xiao Yinzi felt frightened in his heart.

He took a breath and responded with a trembling voice.

"Minion... obey your order."

Then he ran away in panic.

After he left, Xiao Jingheng stroked Zhao Hua's cheek with a smile, and said happily:

"Zhao'er's current style of dealing with things is becoming more and more like that of a queen."

Zhaohua smiled shyly, "I am where I am today, all thanks to Xiao Lang's teaching and training. I am overjoyed."

Then he took another spoonful of medicine and handed it to Xiao Jingheng's lips.

"Come, Xiao Lang, drink the medicine."