Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Weak and easily fell
The dreams in his mind were like a tangled mess, tearing at each other. Liang Hanzhang tried hard to break free, but he could not see the truth from the hazy scene.
With a splitting headache, she slowly opened her eyes and looked around, finding herself lying in a bamboo green tent.
Although the emperor was visiting Nanzhou, the daily necessities around him were not as noble and luxurious as those in the palace, but looking around, every item, big and small, in the bedroom was exquisite.
The light was dim, layers of curtains obscuring the inner chambers. Nearby, beside a landscape screen, a jade candle, as thick as a baby's wrist, burned. On the rosewood table, curls of green smoke drifted from the crevices of the Boshan incense burner.
The light was dim and bright, with a faint light coming in from outside the curtains, making this luxurious bedroom look like a cage that imprisons freedom.
This must be the bedroom of Emperor Jianping. And the bed she was lying on must be the emperor's "dragon bed."
After realizing this, Liang Hanzhang discovered that the bedding and jade pillow were all stained with the unique scent of pine resin that belonged to Li Cheng.
She didn't understand why he brought her here and asked her to sleep on the "dragon bed". She grew up in the countryside and was not familiar with the etiquette of the palace. She also knew that the emperor's dragon bed could not be slept in casually, not even by the queen.
Now, as the former empress, she returns to Li Cheng's side, seeing familiar faces who are determined to eliminate her. What should she do? How will Emperor Jianping deal with her? Has he not yet decided on a punishment, or will he spare her for the Crown Prince's sake?
Or maybe he still has feelings for her?
The situation that night was urgent, and she was so frightened that she spoke without thinking. She wondered if Emperor Jianping was angry about this and was still brooding over it.
She was about to lift the soft brocade mattress and get out of bed when she heard footsteps outside the curtains. The next moment, the footsteps stopped at the edge of the curtains. Although the person tried to keep their voices down, Liang Hanzhang could still make them out.
It was a childish voice.
Now she is in the emperor's bedroom. Looking at the entire Jin Dynasty, if there is any child who is qualified to enter the emperor's bedroom at will, it must be the five-year-old prince.
Hearing the prince's clear and tender voice, Liang Hanzhang's nose felt sore and tears filled his eyes.
This is her child too.
She felt sorry for her child. For five whole years, Zhou'er had to grow up without his mother.
She had been without her parents since she was a child. When she became pregnant and decided to keep the child, she swore in her heart that she would take good care of her child and let him grow up carefree and healthy.
But now, she has missed five years of Zhou'er's childhood!
Whenever she thought of this, she couldn't help but feel heartbroken.
Fortunately, although Emperor Jianping didn't know what he thought of her, he felt truly pain for his own bloodline.
Even though she was far away in Nanzhou, she often heard some royal rumors. It was said that the emperor had only one prince, and he loved this only child very much.
As she was stunned, Li Fu's tentative voice came: "My Lady, are you awake?"
Liang Hanzhang knew he must have heard something when he asked that. Not intending to ignore it, she responded, her voice hoarse from last night's shrill scream.
Afterwards, after hearing a few instructions from Li Zongguan, two maids came in and helped Liang Hanzhang dress and wash. When everything was ready, she was helped out of the inner room and into the main hall outside.
It was the scorching sun at this time. The summer weather in Nanzhou was always shrouded in scorching heat and humidity. The cicadas outside the yard were chirping, as if they were shouting out their anxiety and dissatisfaction at the moment.
As Liang Hanzhang emerged from the inner chambers, he saw a little boy standing next to Li Fu, barely reaching his waist. He was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe with a round collar, his hair held in place by a crown and a bamboo-green headband hanging down the back.
His big, black grape-like eyes stared straight at her, his hands resting awkwardly at his sides, as if he was a little nervous. When he met Liang Hanzhang's gaze, he looked away, half shy and half frightened.
When Liang Hanzhang saw the child who looked so much like Li Rong, she knew that it was her child.
Li Huaizhou was obviously curious about her. Although he didn't dare to look Liang Hanzhang in the eye, he would secretly glance in the direction where Liang Hanzhang was standing from time to time.
Li Fu looked much older than he remembered. He had a lot of white hair on his temples. He was not as fat as he was five years ago. His movements were not agile and he looked quite old.
He saw Liang Hanzhang and bowed to her as he had done five years ago. He asked, "How have you been these past five years, Madam?"
Even though he had heard the conversation between Li Cheng and Li Fu with his own ears, Liang Hanzhang felt no resentment towards the older steward at this moment.
She glanced at the small figure in front of her inconspicuously and said, "Manager Lao, please be careful. Everything is fine."
The old steward laughed after hearing this. He was sincerely happy for Liang Hanzhang: "As long as the queen is fine, I will feel relieved."
Although Liang Hanzhang couldn't figure out Emperor Jianping's current attitude, she couldn't accept the suddenness of the incident last night. It was Brother Wang who had been driving for her out of kindness, and that was how he met the Emperor's brutal hand. She couldn't just sit back and pretend nothing had happened.
So, even though the situation was inappropriate, she still spoke up, "Excuse me, Steward Li, is the young man next to me last night still alive?"
She asked the heavy words with a hard voice.
Last night was so dangerous, and Li Cheng had decided to kill him. She saw with her own eyes the sharp arrow piercing Brother Wang's chest.
I'm afraid the possibility of survival is very slim.
She was the one who harmed him.
Liang Hanzhang was blaming herself, the corners of her eyes were red with a dark color that Li Fu could not understand.
Li Fu knew that when the queen woke up, she would definitely ask about this person's situation, so he did not hide anything. He just sighed in his heart that it was a good thing that the emperor did not kill him last night and let the slave hang on to his life.
Otherwise, I am afraid that more trouble will arise between Her Majesty and Your Majesty because of this lowly slave.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. The brother is still alive. We sent the imperial physician to treat him last night. I believe he will wake up in a few days."
Liang Hanzhang: "Are you serious?" She widened her eyes and looked up at Li Fu, a few drops of water rolling down beside her crimson pupils.
Li Fu saw this scene and felt indignant for His Majesty and the young prince. His Majesty had vomited blood last night and was still lying on the bed in the east wing next door.
The prince was the same. When he heard that his mother was about to wake up, he rushed over excitedly and stubbornly waited outside without eating or drinking, determined to let his mother see him first when she woke up.
But their queen was indifferent to her husband and turned a blind eye to the child she had carried for ten months, but only cared about a wild man with whom she had an unclear relationship.
Your Majesty treated her like a jewel in the past, and in the five years since her "death", he has been guarding the prince all the time. He personally kept the prince by his side to teach him, and did not allow new people into the harem, so he just lived like this, guarding her "tablet".
But this woman who made His Majesty so infatuated not only disappeared inexplicably for five years, but also spoke harshly to His Majesty the first time they met, making His Majesty so angry that he vomited blood and fainted.
As the Empress was the Empress of the Jin Dynasty, Li Fu, a mere eunuch, dared not say much. However, seeing her indifference towards His Majesty and his son, Li Fu felt indignant for both of them.
He noticed the Crown Prince standing next to him, looking at his mother eagerly. He couldn't bear it, so he pulled him over, squatted down, and said to him softly:
"Your Highness, aren't you thinking about your mother all the time? This is your mother. Look how much you look like her. Come on, let's go and pay our respects to your mother."
The Crown Prince was undoubtedly the most knowledgeable about etiquette. He had been raised in the imperial family and taught by the most prestigious masters of the academy. Since he was old enough to understand, he had never made a mistake in these etiquettes of interpersonal communication.
But now, facing his biological mother, he was a little timid and needed Li Fu to hold his hand and lead him forward. He didn't dare to look directly into his mother's eyes, for fear of seeing the disgust in her eyes.
He followed Li Fu's movements and slowly walked to Liang Hanzhang, bowing his head and kowtowed obediently:
"Your son sends his regards to the Queen Mother."
The person at the top didn't say anything for a long time.
Li Huaizhou was a little worried that if Manager Li rashly brought him to see his mother, his mother would be unhappy, so he ignored him.
Unexpectedly, the next moment, he heard a sob from above. He looked up in surprise and saw his mother, who was covering her mouth and looking at him with tears in her eyes.
Those almond-shaped eyes were full of tenderness.
He had also seen such gentle eyes in his father's eyes. Back then, when he was infected with the plague, he lay in bed and couldn't stop crying. His father stayed by his side, looking at him with such distressed and gentle eyes, and gently coaxing him:
"Don't be afraid, Zhou'er. Your father will always be with you."
That year, my father, who was in his prime, had gray hair on his temples, as if the sudden plague had struck him.
Although Li Huaizhou was young, he could understand that the white frost on his father's temples was caused by his worry about his children.
How important is his life in the eyes of his father.
Now, the same look appeared in the Queen Mother's eyes.
At that moment, Li Huaizhou suddenly felt confident in his heart. He was not a child abandoned by his mother. His mother loved him. His mother had her own reasons for being away from him for the past five years.
Li Huaizhou was still staring at her blankly, his small body still kneeling on the ground. His thin lips, identical to Li Cheng's, could not help but utter a word:
"mother".
He is calling for his mother.
When Liang Hanzhang heard this, she felt a shock in her heart, a huge feeling of guilt and pity rushing into her chest. Her nose felt even more sore, and she felt like she couldn't stop crying.
Not only was Liang Hanzhang shocked, Li Fu was also shocked, and even Li Huaizhou himself was horrified. His little face was already bleeding with shame.
How could he shout out the word "mother"?
What would his mother think when she heard this? Would she think that he was not good at talking and had an unpleasant personality?
The world of a child is both simple and complex. He can perceive the emotions of adults and, like adults, will experience all kinds of strange emotions such as worries and fears of gain and loss.
Especially for a child like Li Huaizhou who is delicate and sensitive, he observes others more and explores their true thoughts by observing their subtle movements.
Even if he could see that the eunuchs around him disliked him, it didn't matter. He was the crown prince of a country, and his status was noble. If anyone dared to disobey him, they would never have the chance to appear before him again.
But the person standing before him now was his mother, his biological mother. Her blood flowed in his body, and he was the child she and his father gave birth to.
Instinctively, Li Huaizhou felt uneasy in front of his mother, even more worried that she would dislike him. He was afraid that while he was a treasure in his father's eyes, he would become a worthless and dirty thing in his mother's eyes.
The little prince was confused at this moment, not knowing what to do next. Unexpectedly, the next second, he was hugged by his mother. He heard his mother's hoarse voice crying:
"Zhou'er!"
Li Huaizhou was caught off guard and was embraced by a warm embrace. He looked at his mother who was so close to him. He could even see the tiny hairs on her face with bright eyes and a charming look clearly.
And those almond-shaped eyes covered by tears, with a pair of distant mountain eyebrows above them, made the mother look even more pitiful and helpless.
Mother, you must have suffered a lot over the years. Li Huaizhou looked at those eyes and couldn't help thinking in his heart.
He remembered that Li Zongguan had said that his eyes looked like his mother's. His mother's eyes were really beautiful.
Is it the same with his eyes?
Infected by Liang Hanzhang's crying, Li Huaizhou immersed himself in his mother's soft embrace. His nose felt sore and he just wanted to hold his mother for the rest of his life.
Liang Hanzhang stroked the child's thin and small back and couldn't help feeling distressed: "Zhou'er, it's your mother's fault. I haven't been with you for the past five years."
She loosened her grip slightly, looked at her child, and said in a pious voice, as if she were confessing: "Zhou'er, do you blame your mother?"
Li Huaizhou looked at his mother crying miserably and wanted to wipe her tears with his own hands, but he was worried that his mother would despise him. When he suddenly heard these words, he shook his head quickly.
Does he blame his mother? He asked himself.
No, I never felt any resentment.
He asked himself honestly, at that moment, he felt nothing but joy. The first time he saw his mother, he felt a sense of closeness and liked her from the bottom of his heart.
His mother must have suffered a lot and been wronged over the years, so she had to hide the truth from him and his father.
Otherwise, why did my mother say those strange words last night? Why did my father remain speechless for so long after hearing them?
It can be seen that there are many hidden secrets in this.
He shook his head slightly, his voice choked with sobs: "Zhou'er has never blamed his mother."
"My father doesn't either. My father and I live alone in the palace. Apart from my cousin Yu and a few study companions, there is no one to play with me. My father is even worse. He is lonely all day long. He misses my mother all the time. Sometimes, when I sleep in the same bedroom with my father, I can hear him saying my mother's name in his dream in the middle of the night."
The little prince cried more and more sadly. He observed the people and things around him very carefully, although his father never told him what he was thinking.
But Li Huaizhou knew clearly that his father must have loved his mother very much.
However, he buried this love deep in his heart and did not intend to show it to others.
Li Huaizhou knew his mother had suffered a lot, and he also knew that there must be a huge conflict between his father and mother. Otherwise, his father's reaction last night would not have been like that.
As the child of his father, the Emperor, and his mother, the Empress, he naturally had to act as a link between the two and gradually resolve the conflicts they had experienced over the past five years.
He wanted his mother to follow him and his father back to Chang'an. He wanted to live under the care of both his parents.
Li Huaizhou was thoughtful, so he subconsciously spoke for Emperor Jianping, hoping that through his words, his mother would change her opinion of his father.
When Liang Hanzhang heard his son speaking for Li Cheng, he was not jealous at all, but felt a hint of joy.
His willingness to speak up for Li Cheng showed that in the Crown Prince's heart, Li Cheng must be a competent father. Otherwise, the five-year-old child would not be so stubborn in proving to her everything about Li Cheng over the past five years.
Regardless of what the facts were back then, and who was right or wrong between the two of them, Li Cheng, as Zhou'er's father, let Zhou'er grow up surrounded by fatherly love.
Both publicly and privately, Liang Hanzhang should thank him.
Thank him for raising the child so well and giving the position of crown prince to Zhou Er.
She held the child and nodded gently, tears still flowing from her eyes: "Mother knows, it's my fault..."
Li Fu was worried that Liang Hanzhang, having just woken from a coma and having cried for so long, would be distressed. The same was true for the young prince. Although he had watched him grow up, he had never seen him cry so heartbrokenly in the past five years.
It can be seen that blood ties are not hindered by time and distance.
He sighed secretly, not knowing whether he was happy for the little prince or angry for His Majesty who was still bedridden and had not met Empress Xiaode in person.
He gently reminded, "Your Majesty, haven't you eaten yet? Why don't you have the servants bring over some light meals?"
Liang Hanzhang, still recovering from the overwhelming guilt and joy, was about to shake his head when the old eunuch retorted, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince hasn't had his meal yet this morning. Why don't you join him?"
Li Huaizhou touched his belly secretly, wondering why he had eaten chestnut cake and had a meal before coming here, but the old eunuch said he had "not eaten"?
Later he realized that Li Fu was creating an opportunity for him and his mother to get along with each other, so the little prince did not refute and nodded slightly following Li Fu's words.
Liang Hanzhang looked at the prince, who was silently weeping and crying bitterly. His skin was very pale, his lips were not rosy, and his body was not as strong as that of an ordinary five-year-old.
She felt remorseful as she watched, as if her heart was being repeatedly pierced by a needle.
If she had not been so willful and pursued the so-called "truth" back then, would the premature birth have not happened?
The prince should have grown up safely and healthily, but now, because of his momentary mistake, he has led to this situation.
The more Liang Hanzhang thought about it, the more he couldn't help crying. Li Fu had always been very good at reading the Queen's expressions and knew what she was thinking. He leaned forward slightly and said:
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. Although the little prince looks a little thin, he has not suffered any serious illness in the past five years. The chief imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital have been taking care of the little prince's body. I believe that in a few years, the prince will be no different from an ordinary person."
Liang Hanzhang didn't know whether he believed it or not, so he nodded and prepared to take the child's hand to the eight-immortals table.
Li Huaizhou was five years old this year, and his father had always said he was grown up and would not let him live in the Purple Palace. He said he didn't need anyone to coax him, that he should control his emotions, be a man of integrity, and govern the Jin Dynasty well in the future.
Even Li Huaizhou himself subconsciously felt that he had grown up and should be more sensible. He should not ask his father to accompany him or hold him all day long like he did when he was a child, nor should he hold his father's hand every time he goes out.
He has subconsciously considered himself an adult. He wants to do mature things that adults should do, instead of acting like a three-year-old boy who makes people worry about him all day long.
But now, his mother was holding his hand, an action which he usually thought was extremely childish, but he did not feel disgusted at all and had no intention of breaking free.
His face was so red that it seemed as if blood could drip from it. He had only one thought in his mind: his mother's hands were so soft, and he hoped he could hold his mother's hand for the rest of his life.
From then on, he also had a mother.
The two masters sat on chairs as servants presented them with dishes. Due to the hot and humid climate in Lingnan and the fact that Liang Hanzhang had just woken up from a coma, the kitchen prepared some light meals.
For example, there are steamed fish, braised pigeon, seafood congee, and a famous Lingnan vegetarian dish called Dinghu Shangsu, which is said to be made with mushrooms, white fungus, day lily and other vegetarian vegetables to give it a meaty flavor.
The cooking process for this dish is very complicated. The broth is made by simmering soybeans, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and water for more than ten hours. To ensure the taste of the food, all the ingredients are repeatedly stir-fried, steamed and soaked in warm water.
In short, if you want to eat this dish, the chefs have to prepare it a day or two in advance.
Liang Hanzhang looked at the dazzling array of dishes on the Eight Immortals Table, then looked at the Crown Prince who was sitting upright like a scholar, and couldn't help feeling a bit puzzled.
She had not been with her child for five years and had no idea what the prince liked to eat.
She touched the prince's head and asked in a gentle voice, "What does Zhou'er like to eat? Mother will pick some for you."
Li Huaizhou was not picky about food, perhaps because of his nature or because he developed a habit by eating with Emperor Jianping. For him, eating anything was fine as long as he could be with his mother.
He placed his hands politely on his knees and said shyly, "I am not picky about food and I always listen to my mother." Suddenly, he remembered something and was momentarily flustered:
"I can do it myself, so you don't have to worry about it."
As he spoke, he picked up his chopsticks and dug into the bowl of rice in front of him. Liang Hanzhang looked at such a sensible child and only regretted his own incompetent choice in the past, which had caused the child to suffer so much and become so sensible at such a young age.
At the Eight Immortals Table, the mother and son exchanged a few words from time to time, mostly with Liang Hanzhang asking questions and Li Huaizhou answering.
This child was usually outgoing and talkative. Sometimes Emperor Jianping would get so annoyed that he would order him not to talk while eating or sleeping. But the prince almost never did.
Now, he sat obediently on the chair, answering whatever Liang Hanzhang asked. Sometimes, when Liang Hanzhang wasn't paying attention, he would peek at her with his black eyes rolling around.
As soon as Liang Hanzhang turned around, he immediately looked away and ate his meal obediently.
Li Fu, who was standing by, laughed secretly.
Liang Hanzhang didn't spend much time with her child and didn't know what he liked or what his hobbies were. These five years of missing time were a huge regret for both mother and child.
The regret had already been made and could not be undone. Even if she wanted to spend more time with her child and do more for him during this time, it seemed to be of no avail.
After dryly finding a few topics to talk about, the two fell silent.
After finishing his meal and rinsing his mouth, Li Fu still had something to say to Liang Hanzhang alone, so he sent the little prince away on the pretext that the queen had just woken up and needed more rest.
After the prince left, Li Fu stood in front of Liang Hanzhang, leaned forward slightly, and said: "I believe that the queen fell off the cliff accidentally that year and was rescued by Marquis Zhuang. She has been hiding in Nanzhou for the past five years. There must be many hardships that this servant does not know."
Although he did not accompany His Majesty out of the city to chase the Empress last night, he finally learned the truth of what happened from the Crown Prince and the left and right Qinglong Guards.
He still couldn't believe the truth from last night until now. Li Fu couldn't help asking, "Did the Queen think that it was His Majesty who wanted to kill her?"
Liang Hanzhang looked at Li Fu and wanted to ask, "Isn't it true? I heard him discussing it with you." But in the end, she said nothing and looked away.
She said softly, "Yes."
Li Fu shook his head as if he had just heard a ridiculous joke. His slightly cloudy eyes were filled with tears. "How could Your Majesty think of His Majesty like this?! His Majesty doted on you so much back then, and you had just given birth to a prince. His Majesty loved you so much, how could he let you die?!"
He really couldn't understand why the Queen had been hiding in Nanzhou for the past five years and had turned a blind eye to His Majesty and his son, all because of this outrageous and somewhat ridiculous rumor!
Doesn't she even have this little trust in His Majesty?
Liang Hanzhang didn't know what she was thinking. It was not long after she gave birth, and the emperor and empress didn't like her. Li Rong didn't tell her about her troubles, and everyone was confused.
When she suddenly heard what Li Cheng and Li Fu were discussing that day, she believed it without asking Li Cheng for confirmation.
She admitted that she had been somewhat arbitrary, but under the circumstances at the time, did she dare to confess to Li Cheng? Did she have a choice?
If Li Cheng and the Empress were in cahoots, wouldn't she be courting death if she went to verify it? By then, she would truly have no way out.
Li Fu looked at the woman before him, who hadn't changed in the past five years. If anything had changed, it was that her clothes were more plain, her features more heroic, and she no longer had the submissive demeanor she had used when she faced His Majesty.
His eyes were filled with sorrow. "Your Majesty, what happened back then was not what you had in mind. Because you repeatedly betrayed His Majesty, the virtuous king was stripped of his title. You know, the retired emperor and the queen mother have always favored the virtuous king. Because the crown prince position was not passed to the virtuous king as promised, they have always felt guilty towards the virtuous king.
"The virtuous prince was stripped of his title, but the Eastern Palace was blessed with a son. The retired emperor and the empress dowager were unhappy, so they vented all their emotions on Your Majesty. You don't know how much Your Majesty endured alone at that time."
When the old steward said this, he seemed to recall the difficult years in the past and saw Emperor Jianping alone juggling between his parents, wife and children. He burst into tears.
"His Majesty was afraid that you would worry too much after giving birth, so he did not tell you about this matter. Perhaps he did not expect at the time that the Queen would doubt him like this. His Majesty thought that he could handle this matter in a short time."
"Later, the Empress fell off a cliff and died. His Majesty searched for you at the foot of the cliff for three days and three nights without sleep, and then fell seriously ill. You know what happened next. He forced Emperor Hui'an to become the Supreme Emperor, and then he sat on this throne himself."
Li Fu sincerely hoped that the two could reconcile as before, although because of these bad things, he instinctively disliked the Empress.
But who made His Majesty like her? Besides, she is the Queen of the Great Jin Dynasty and the biological mother of the Crown Prince.
This woman was a crucial figure for both His Majesty and the Crown Prince. Li Fu wished only the best for his two young masters. Therefore, today, he swallowed his own selfish desires and explained the truth of the past to Liang Hanzhang.
"Your Majesty, what His Royal Highness said just now is correct. Since you left, His Majesty has not had a woman enter the harem. He has focused his attention on the court and the Crown Prince, trying to numb himself with political affairs. But I know that His Majesty is definitely still thinking about you, Your Majesty."
He looked into Liang Hanzhang's eyes, his voice trembling: "If the Queen knew the truth, would she still blame Your Majesty for turning a blind eye to him?
"Even if your majesty doesn't consider His Majesty, you must at least consider the little prince. He's five years old, and for the past five years he's been without his mother. He doesn't say it, but I can see that the little prince is extremely eager to spend time with you, your majesty."
"He wishes he had a mother."
Liang Hanzhang stood there in a daze, unable to recover, with Li Fu's words constantly flashing through his mind.
"He wishes he had a mother."
"His Majesty has always been thinking of you, Your Majesty."
…
Even today, after listening to Li Fu's explanation, hearing those words that were enough to break her heart, she couldn't help but burst into tears, feeling desolate, and guilt and regret flooding over her like a tide.
Maybe, in the past five years, she was really wrong.
Back then, she did not trust Li Cheng and misheard the conversation between him and Li Fu. She took advantage of the situation and fell off a cliff. After being rescued by Zhuang Binghuai, she insisted on going to Nanzhou and staying away from the battlefield in Chang'an.
Later, she heard that Li Zheng ascended the throne, named her Empress Xiaode, and named Zhou Er as the crown prince.
But what was she thinking at the time? She was cold and indifferent, thinking that Li Cheng was hypocritical and only doing superficial work.
That was the Crown Prince, with whom she had slept for countless days and nights, who was always gentle and kind to her, and who pulled her out of the quagmire and allowed her to live a bright and beautiful life in the sunshine.
Such a good person, such a gentle person. How could she misunderstand him so deeply?
Liang Hanzhang's tears welled up, and she buried her head in her knees, clasping her hands together. It seemed that only in this way could she feel safe enough.
Ultimately, it was because she had too little self-esteem. Her path was chaotic and dark. She was abandoned by her parents at a young age. For more than a decade, she had been doing the most menial jobs, being scolded and beaten by countless people.
Although His Majesty was a gentle, redeeming light to her, lifting her from the mire of danger, he was gentle, tolerant, almighty, and he loved her.
But deep down, Liang Hanzhang still stubbornly believed that she would always be the unloved one. When faced with important choices, she would always be seen as an outcast. For example, her parents sold her off in the blink of an eye to raise her younger brother.
In her subconscious, Li Cheng was indeed good to her, so good that she was infatuated with the gentleness this man brought her. But these were just a few small favors that slipped through his fingers.
When the time came to choose, she would undoubtedly be the one left behind. Li Cheng would choose the Emperor and Empress without hesitation. After all, they were his biological parents, sharing the same blood as him.
Now, she realized that she was totally wrong.
In Li Cheng's eyes, she became the favored one.
Guilt and regret consumed her. Liang Hanzhang looked at the clear sky with sore eyes.
Suddenly, I couldn't help but think: If she had spoken to Li Cheng to confirm after hearing those words, wouldn't these things have happened later?
She would be the prince's biological mother, the current Empress Xiaode. The three of them would live together and there would be no so-called separation.
That was the scene she longed for in her dreams, and it was also something she could rightfully possess.
But all of these were wiped out one by one by her arbitrary and tyrannical behavior.
Liang Hanzhang suddenly wanted to hug that man, the man she hadn't seen for five years.
She did not expect Li Cheng to forgive her, she only hoped that her sins could be less and less.
…
In the east wing, Li Rong had woken up a long time ago. The imperial physician came to see him last night and said that he vomited blood due to anger and that he would recover after taking medicine and resting for a few days.
When Li Huaizhou's clear and childish voice sounded in the main room, he had already slowly woken up.
He lay alone in bed, looking at the sunlight coming in through the gaps in the window lattice, looking at the dust flying in the air, and looking at the hourglass sliding down bit by bit on the Duobao Pavilion.
He listened to the child's crying, and he listened to the woman's familiar voice, which was still soft and sweet.
She was very attentive to the child and her words were full of concern and love for the prince.
The bustling atmosphere of the main room next door made the east wing seem even more deserted. Emperor Jianping lay on the couch, unable to help but think that if he died right then and there, that woman wouldn't even shed a tear for him.
She has always been a heartless person.
Her heart seemed to be surrounded by heavy ice and snow. She locked herself inside and refused to let others peek into it, not even her husband who shared the same bed with her.
However, even such a cold-hearted woman had a soft spot deep in her heart. She gave every bit of warmth to the so-called "brother" and her current child.
No, she gave it to many people: Zhuang Binghuai, Zhang Laosan, and that Wang Laoer from last night.
Her heart can hold so many people at the same time, why can't it hold him?
Emperor Jianping couldn't help but think sadly.
It turned out that the happy life he envisioned, with a harmonious couple and a child playing with ice, was nothing but a luxury.
She was still the same good-hearted woman who had been full of nonsense. She had never liked him, nor had she ever cared about him. This woman had no heart for him, and was completely cold and indifferent to him.
Just as Emperor Jianping was lost in thought and thinking about how to punish Liang Hanzhang, he heard the palace door creak and a very familiar figure flashed past the door.
So familiar that he will never forget it in his life.
Before he could say anything, the woman, with the scent of peach on her body, threw herself heavily on him.
Li Cheng's face darkened. Not knowing what she was up to, he sternly rebuked her, "What are you doing? Get out of here!"
The woman didn't answer him, and naturally wouldn't listen to him. She was a rebellious person to begin with, not the submissive and docile lady she once was. Otherwise, she wouldn't have earned the nickname "Yaksha" in Tang County.
This is her, isn't it?
She had been wearing the mask for so long that not only others but even she herself had almost forgotten what she really looked like.
Now, isn't it time for Li Cheng to see her true face?
Liang Hanzhang seemed oblivious to the rebuke from the emperor. She raised her upper body and scanned Li Cheng's face inch by inch with her sparkling almond-shaped eyes.
There was fascination, guilt, joy in his eyes, and some emotions that Li Cheng could not understand.
She placed her hands on his temples, stroking them gently, and looking at the white hair that had grown there without her knowing when, her heart ached.
Li Cheng saw the woman sitting astride him, she said nothing, just looked at him with burning eyes.
He didn't know what the other party was going to do.
Just as he was about to speak again, the woman on him had already shifted her gaze to his thin lips.
No one reacted.
Emperor Jianping's body trembled.
Through the screen of mountains and rivers, in the dim light, one could only see the former Empress Xiaode pressing her lips against Emperor Jianping.
The emperor, who was strong and powerful and had been practicing martial arts without slacking off, did not even have the strength to push away the woman who was acting presumptuously on him. He could only stare at her with red eyes.
The past is up and down, Liang Hanzhang can't grasp it. She just wants to hold on to the only beauty around her at this moment.
…
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