Speaking of Rong Ning, the emperor paused in his actions, then shook his head and said helplessly, "If it were A Ning fighting me today, she wouldn't give up until she beat me to a pulp. She's not like you, nor like Yang'er. She's not as composed as you, nor as cunning as I am."

She was wild and stubborn, but also possessed a pure and kind heart.

The emperor tilted his head back, looked into the distance, and suddenly said, "She is not like any of us, but rather like your mother before she was married."

"Um?"

The Crown Prince was initially puzzled, but then became interested. "Everyone says that before Mother was married, she was a well-known gentle and virtuous lady from a prominent family in Nanyang City. How could she be like A-Ning?"

Upon hearing this, the emperor was stunned, then burst into laughter…

He couldn't stop laughing until tears welled up in his eyes, at which point he slowly stopped.

His gaze passed over the high walls, looking into the distance, his thoughts drifting. He spoke slowly, his tone full of gentleness, "What gentleness and virtue? That's just what your mother pretended for the world."

The Chengen Marquis's family was established through military achievements. Although it declined due to the Southern Dynasty's emphasis on civil affairs over military matters, your mother still enjoyed wielding swords and spears.

She disliked the constraints of this rigid system in Nanyang City. When she was young, her greatest wish was to roam the world freely and uphold justice.

She was also very free-spirited, climbing trees to steal birds' nests and swimming in rivers to catch fish; she would come and go from brothels and gambling dens at will.

"If it weren't for this personality, how could he have developed such a deep friendship with that person at Linghua Temple?"

The emperor thought of the person at Linghua Temple, and suddenly his mind cleared.

Certain unforgettable fragments of memory immediately pulled his thoughts back from his recollections.

The past cannot be retrieved; those foolish things from our youth, no matter how wonderful, can never be returned to.

That bright, stubborn woman, who only wanted to roam the martial world freely, perished when she was betrothed to the royal family and forced to marry him for the sake of her family's honor.

From then on, the only one who lived in the world was the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Chengen, who was known for her stunning beauty and virtuous character.

He sighed, patted his thigh, and slowly stood up. "We've gotten carried away. Pass down the order: not a single word I just said is to be transmitted."

To outsiders, your mother has always been a model of a virtuous wife and loving mother—she was, she is, and she will always be.

Always!

This is the highest praise one can give to a woman.

Although their youngest daughter lived a carefree and flamboyant life because she didn't care about this, she also suffered too much slander.

This world is harsh on women.

The emperor's women were subjected to even harsher treatment, sometimes a thousand times harsher. Even if they were dead, any wrongdoing they had could be brought up and discussed repeatedly.

It's disgusting.