Chapter 67 If anyone dares to hit you again, Youyou will help you hit back
Seventeen was actually Concubine Kang's child? Over the years, the Empress had seen too many secrets, but she could not hide her shock when she heard this.
She looked at Lu Zhaoyi and asked, "Lu Zhaoyi, are you serious?"
Lu Zhaoyi kowtowed: "To reply to the Empress, I am guilty. Concubine Kang killed my child..."
Lu Zhaoyi told the story of how her child was killed by Concubine Kang. At the end, she burst into tears and could not suppress her grief.
The Queen then looked at Concubine Kang who was avoiding her gaze and said, "Concubine Kang, is what Lu Zhaoyi said true?"
Concubine Kang hesitated and didn't answer for a long time.
The Queen's voice was cold: "Don't even think about hiding it. What Xiaojiu and Tongtong said is not only heard by you, but also by Your Majesty, me, and... everyone else."
It turned out that everyone could hear that Concubine Kang and Lu Zhaoyi were both shocked.
Concubine Kang felt a chill down her spine, and then she lowered her head and honestly admitted, "I am guilty. Please forgive me, Your Majesty, for my youth and ignorance."
As she spoke, she clenched her fists, looking indignant, and changed the subject: "I was wrong, but Lu Zhaoyi stole my child and separated us for many years. Please make the decision, Your Majesty."
Lu Zhaoyi immediately responded, "Your Majesty, I was angry when my child was killed, and I made a mistake. Please punish me."
"But for so many years, I have treated Seventeen as my own child." When she said this, Lu Zhaoyi's eyes turned red and she choked up.
She pointed at Concubine Kang and complained in a trembling voice: "It was Concubine Kang who often beat or scolded Seventeen. Every time I saw it, my heart ached. But because she was the main concubine, I dared not tell the Empress. I had to swallow my anger for so many years. Poor my Seventeen."
As he said this, he fell to the ground, holding his chest and crying, looking heartbroken.
The Queen frowned and glanced at Dangui beside her. Dangui nodded and walked to the side hall. After a moment, she came back with a sullen face and whispered something in the Queen's ear.
The queen's face turned cold, and she said loudly, "Madame Zheng."
Nanny Zheng, who was waiting at the door, responded and walked in with the terrified Seventeenth Prince. She walked to the Queen's side, rolled up the Seventeenth Prince's sleeves, and saw several purple fingerprints on the boy's thin arms, which showed that he had been pinched very hard.
Afterwards, Nanny Zheng rolled up the Seventeenth Prince's trouser legs to his legs, and saw that there were several mottled purple bruises on the boy's white thighs, some new and some old, which clearly showed that he had been beaten more than once.
The queen herself had several children, and when she saw this situation and the little boy's fearful look, her heart suddenly sank and her face instantly turned gloomy.
She waved her hand, and Nanny Zheng tidied the clothes of the Seventeenth Prince and took him out.
The queen had a dark face. She picked up a porcelain cup from the table and smashed it to the ground. She said in a stern voice: "You are a man with a heart of a snake and a scorpion."
The Empress was always gentle and kind. Concubine Kang and Lu Zhaoyi had rarely seen her so angry. They were so frightened that they knelt on the ground and trembled.
The queen looked at Lu Zhaoyi, who was still crying, with a stern look in her eyes, and asked, "Lu Zhaoyi, you said that because of your position, you didn't dare to tell me about Concubine Kang beating and scolding the Seventeenth Prince?"
Lu Zhaoyi trembled and answered, "Yes."
The queen snorted coldly, a scornful smile appeared on the corner of her mouth: "Then I ask you, if Seventeen was your biological child, would you still swallow your anger like this?"
Lu Zhaoyi's crying stopped abruptly, and he was unable to speak for a long time.
The Queen sneered and continued, "You even did something like stealing and swapping children in order to avenge your own child. If Seventeen was your biological child and was subjected to such abuse, you would definitely fight for him."
Hearing that sharp shout, Lu Zhaoyi shuddered all over and didn't dare to answer. He prostrated himself on the ground with his hands clenched into fists under his sleeves.
The queen had seen many of the vicious thoughts of these women in the harem, and said sarcastically: "Lü Zhaoyi, ask yourself with your conscience, every time you saw Concubine Kang beat and scold her own child without knowing it, did you feel the pleasure of revenge in your heart?"
Lu Zhaoyi trembled violently and did not dare to raise his head.
She told herself again and again that Seventeen was innocent, and no one knew that Seventeen was Concubine Kang's child. As long as she raised Seventeen well, she would have hope for the rest of her life.
But, but every time she saw Concubine Kang treating Seventeen ferociously, a kind of joy that she couldn't tell anyone else welled up in the deepest part of her heart.
But when she saw the little boy leaning on her arms, calling him mother softly, showing her the scars on his body, and telling her that Concubine Kang had beaten him again, she felt extremely guilty.
For so many years, she has been tortured by this pleasure and guilt.
Now, after being exposed by the queen, she could no longer hold back her anger and burst into tears: "I am guilty, I am guilty, I am sorry to Seventeen."
Seeing this, Concubine Kang also burst into tears: "Your Majesty, I really didn't know that Seventeen was my child, otherwise I would never treat him like that. Please, please give Seventeen back to me. I will definitely treat him well in the future and make up for the sins before I committed."
The queen angrily rebuked: "It's not your child, how can you treat him like that? Who gave you the courage?"
Concubine Kang stammered and dared not say anything, she just fell to the ground and cried bitterly.
Lu Zhaoyi raised her head and took the opportunity to say, "Your Majesty, you have seen the injuries on Seventeen's body. Concubine Kang is so vicious, you must not give Seventeen to her. I swear that I will protect Seventeen in the future and will never let him get hurt again. Your Majesty, I beg you to leave Seventeen to me."
Each of them insisted on his own opinion and both cried bitterly and kowtowed to beg for mercy.
The queen looked solemn and said, "It's too late. You two are both the same. Neither of you is fit to be a mother."
If Lu Zhaoyi really treated Seventeen as her own child, then over the years, whenever she had a fit and made a big fuss, Concubine Kang would never dare to hit Seventeen again.
The reason why Concubine Kang dared to abuse the royal heir so wantonly was largely due to Lu Zhaoyi's connivance.
Upon hearing the queen's words, the two people kneeling on the ground were stunned, raised their heads, and looked at the queen with tears in their eyes.
The Queen's voice was icy: "Even if the child is your own, it is not yours alone. It is His Majesty's child, the most noble prince of Dasheng. You cannot do whatever you want with him."
"Someone come here." the queen shouted.
Four sturdy old women came in with ropes that had been prepared long ago.
The Queen said loudly: "First, Concubine Kang framed Lu Zhaoyi for losing her child, then abused and insulted the royal heir, and today she fought in public. This behavior and this virtue seriously violated the palace rules. Tie her up, drag her outside, and give her 30 strokes of the cane. Then send her to Yongsi Palace and never let her out again."
Hearing such a severe punishment, Concubine Kang was dumbfounded. Seeing two maids coming to tie her up, she cried and begged for mercy, but her mouth was soon gagged, her hands and feet were tied, and she could no longer move.
The Queen looked at the trembling Lu Zhaoyi and said, "Lu Zhaoyi, you have your reasons for what you did. I wanted to give you a lighter sentence, but you should never allow Concubine Kang to treat Seventeen like this for your own selfish reasons. Take Concubine Kang out and give her twenty strokes of the cane, and then send her to Yongsi Palace."
Lu Zhaoyi was slightly relieved after hearing the first half, but she was terrified when she heard the last part. She struggled to crawl to the empress, "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I really know I was wrong. Please give me another chance."
The queen was silent with a gloomy face. Compared with the bad and stupid Concubine Kang, people like Lu Zhaoyi were more terrifying.
They were able to switch two people's children quietly and kept this secret for so many years. If it weren't for Tong Tong exposing it, no one would have discovered it. It's really terrifying when you think about it.
She didn't dare let such a scheming person stay in the palace.
Two maids twisted Lu Zhaoyi's hands, tied them, and gagged him. The two of them collapsed on the ground. After a long period of quarreling, the hall finally quieted down.
The queen stood up, walked over, and looked down at them. "I will tell Seventeen exactly what you two did."
There was pain, regret and begging for mercy in the eyes of the two.
The Queen continued, "Don't worry. I will discuss with His Majesty and find a kind and gentle foster mother for Seventeen. As for you two, Seventeen will never see each other again."
The two of them looked pale and their eyes were filled with despair.
The queen waved her hand. The four maids responded respectfully, dragging Concubine Kang and Lu Zhaoyi away, two of them holding one.
Soon, the sound of beatings was heard from outside the yard. Because the two men had their mouths gagged, they did not utter any crying or howling.
The beating was quickly completed, and the two people who had already fainted were carried away and sent directly to Yongsi Palace.
The queen sighed softly. Originally, she should have reported to His Majesty for approval before sending the concubine to the Yongsi Palace, which was equivalent to the cold palace. However, since it involved the harm of the royal heirs, His Majesty had always been very cautious about this matter. If His Majesty heard about it, he would only punish them more severely. He might even beat them to death in a rage.
It's not that she is soft-hearted, but when she thinks about the original plot that says that everyone died, she feels that death is unlucky. No matter what happens in the end, a life is a life.
Besides, Seventeen was still very dependent on Lu Zhaoyi. The child was pitiful enough. If Lu Zhaoyi was beaten to death directly, he would be very scared.
The Queen gave Dangui a look, and Dangui called Nanny Zheng and the Seventeenth Prince to come in.
The seventeenth prince looked around with a pair of anxious eyes. Not seeing Lu Zhaoyi, he asked timidly, "Empress, where is my mother?"
Just now he heard the noise here and the sound of beating outside. He wanted to run out to see what was going on several times, but Nanny Zheng held him and wouldn't let him move.
The little boy was almost seven years old. After hearing what he had just heard in the lotus pond and what had just happened, he already knew that something big had happened.
But no one has told him what the specific result will be. His heart is like a small boat floating on the sea, not knowing where to go.
The queen looked at the frightened and helpless little boy and sighed heavily.
In the past, she had seen this child always timid and unable to show himself in public, which displeased her very much.
Looking back now, I only feel heartache.
She reached out her hand to the little boy and touched his head. "Seventeen, come with me to see your father first."
---
In Chongde Hall, after listening to the empress's story, Emperor Wen Zhao was so angry that he smashed a set of tea sets. "Poisonous woman, poisonous woman! Why did you send them to Yongsi Palace? Just beat them to death."
The Queen advised, "Your Majesty, the two of them deserved death, but what about Seventeen? He is still so young. Let's keep him for a few more years. When Seventeen forgets about Lu Zhaoyi, it won't be too late to deal with them then."
Emperor Wen Zhao sat back on the Luohan bed and sighed heavily: "Eighteen has always been timid, but at least he is still a little bit courageous in front of his mother. Last time he even did a somersault in front of me."
"But Seventeen is always timid and cowardly. I was wondering why Seventeen didn't learn from Lu Zhaoyi's generosity. It turns out that child has suffered so much behind the scenes."
Emperor Wen Zhao became angry again as he spoke, and slammed his fist on the table: "Poisonous woman."
The queen advised: "Eighteen is timid, that's natural, he inherited it from his mother, Concubine Ning, but Concubine Ning was very nervous and caring towards her children, the child was spoiled, and gradually he became braver."
"But as for Seventeen, Concubine Kang has evil intentions and does nothing to harm others. Lu Zhaoyi only pretends to be sympathetic, but has done nothing to stop her for so many years. The child is helpless and lives in fear all year round. Isn't she timid?"
The queen knelt down and pleaded guilty: "Your Majesty, I was in charge of the harem, but such a shameful thing happened. I failed in my duty. Please punish me."
Emperor Wen Zhao stepped forward and helped the empress up. "Your Majesty, what are you talking about? You are kind-hearted. How could you have known that those two vicious women could do such a thing?"
The Queen sighed: "Seventeen is still waiting in the side hall, Your Majesty, do you see?"
Emperor Wen Zhao thought for a moment and said, "He is not a child anymore. He saw what happened today with his own eyes and cannot hide it. Instead of letting him hear rumors from others, it is better to tell him directly."
The queen nodded: "That's what I meant."
The two of them agreed and asked Liang Quan to bring the person over. The little boy knelt down and greeted him politely.
Emperor Wen Zhao looked at the little boy with red eyes and felt pity for him. He personally helped him up and pulled him to sit on the couch.
The little boy had never been treated like this before, and was so flattered that he wanted to stand up, but Emperor Wen Zhao held him down by the shoulder: "Seventeen, sit down. Your father has something to say to you."
The little boy nodded heavily, looking extremely well-behaved, his two little hands tightly grasping the hem of his clothes, not showing any of the uprightness and generosity that a prince should have.
Looking at this scene, Emperor Wen Zhao and the Empress both thought of the Fifteenth Prince who used to be as naughty as a monkey, and couldn't help sighing. Although Concubine Dun later became disloyal, before that, she still truly loved the Fifteenth Prince, otherwise the child would not have been so fearless.
Emperor Wen Zhao patted the little boy on the shoulder and said in a gentle voice: "Seventeen, did you hear Xiaojiu and Tongtong talking today?"
The seventeenth prince nodded and asked in a low voice: "Is everything he said true?"
Emperor Wen Zhao nodded: "It's all true, Concubine Kang is your biological mother..."
Emperor Wen Zhao was afraid of frightening Seventeen, so he softened his tone and told her the whole story.
The little boy's tears started to fall down rapidly. Soon, a large area of his clothes was wet, but he held back his tears.
The queen couldn't bear it and her nose felt sore. She quickly turned her head away and gently pressed the corner of her eyes.
After Emperor Wen Zhao finished speaking, he took the crying little boy into his arms and patted him on the back gently: "Okay, a man should stand tall and upright, stop crying."
The seventeenth prince recalled that the fifteenth prince had just lost his mother and was bullied. He was terrified and worried. He hugged Emperor Wen Zhao's neck tightly with both hands and asked with sobs, "Father, I don't have a mother anymore, right?"
Emperor Wen Zhao touched his head and said, "They are both evil-minded and unworthy of being the mother of my son. Father will find you a good mother."
The little boy didn't understand. He nodded, shook his head, and then nodded again.
Emperor Wen Zhao comforted the little boy for a while, and finally calmed him down. He then put him down and looked at the empress and asked, "Do you have a candidate for the empress?"
The queen shook her head and said, "I have thought about all the concubines in the harem, but I can't think of anyone who is suitable."
She thought Concubine Dun was a good person, but she wanted to praise and kill the fifteenth prince. She thought Lu Zhaoyi was also a good person, but Lu Zhaoyi was so black-hearted.
She used to think she was very good at judging people and could see through most people, but now, she deeply doubted her own judgment of people.
Moreover, as it is such an important matter as raising a prince, she should let His Majesty make the decision himself.
Emperor Wen Zhao saw the empress's sad face and nodded to show his understanding. After a moment's thought, he said, "I think of someone."
The queen asked, "Who?"
Emperor Wen Zhao: "As a concubine."
The Queen was slightly surprised and said, "Ru Fei already has Xiao Jiu, not to mention Ru Fei's personality..." She was most afraid of causing trouble, so she was probably reluctant.
Considering that the seventeenth prince was still alive, the queen swallowed the rest of her words.
Emperor Wen Zhao knew what the empress meant and said, "The others either already have children, or have bad intentions, or are too young. Seventeen has suffered a lot, and I am worried about leaving her to others. Concubine Ru is kind-hearted and honest, and I think she is the most suitable."
The Queen wanted to say that Concubine Zhen would also be a good choice. Every time she looked at the little prince and princess, her eyes were full of love, and it was obvious that she liked children very much. But when she thought of His Majesty's avoidance of the identity of Concubine Zhen, she did not dare to mention it.
Emperor Wen Zhao looked at the seventeenth prince and asked, "How about letting Concubine Ru be your mother?"
The Seventeenth Prince had been taught since childhood and had grown up with experiences that told him that whenever His Majesty asked him a question, he could only say yes, so he nodded obediently: "I will listen to your instructions, Father."
Emperor Wen Zhao touched his head and asked again, "Do you like Empress Rufei?"
The seventeenth prince thought of the beautiful empress who had held him in her arms and comforted him softly, and the little sister who was not even as tall as the stool and climbed onto the chair to bring him snacks and gave him the nine-linked ring to make him happy. He nodded solemnly: "I like the empress Rufei and I also like the ninth sister."
"That's good." Emperor Wen Zhao smiled and looked at the empress: "Go ahead and register the seventeenth child under Concubine Ru's name. This way, she will also have a child."
This is a good thing for Concubine Ru, and the Queen nodded, "Yes."
Seeing that it was time for dinner, Emperor Wen Zhao invited the Empress and the Seventeenth Prince to have dinner together. After dinner, the Empress took the Seventeenth Prince out and asked someone to go back to the Seventeenth Prince's original residence to pack his luggage. She then took the Seventeenth Prince back to the Fengyi Palace first.
---
Night has fallen, it's time to rest.
But just after a few days of peace, the harem suddenly had such a big incident again. All the palaces became restless again, and the concubines who lived nearby even visited each other from door to door, whispering to each other.
The concubines who had never heard Tong Tong speak were completely puzzled. They really couldn't understand why Concubine Kang and Lu Zhaoyi were beaten with a stick in public and sent to Yongsi Palace just because they had a fight in public.
Although their actions seriously violated the palace rules, compared with the mistakes made by Concubine Jing and Concubine Chun, who were suspected of treason, the mistakes they made were nothing compared to the big ones. The severity of their mistakes was not enough to send them to the Yongsi Palace.
When the concubines who had heard Tong Tong's words heard that the Ninth Princess was also at the scene when the incident happened, they immediately knew that it must be that Tong Tong who had revealed something again.
But what kind of information could have caused the magnanimous Empress to have such a fit in Fengyi Palace?
Everyone was anxious and curious, but it was not convenient to go out to inquire in the middle of the night, so they had to go to bed early, thinking of going out early the next morning to see who to ask.
Only Miaoyunxuan was peaceful and quiet, thanks to the fact that Concubine Ru had the gate of the courtyard locked as soon as she came back, and no one opened the door no matter who knocked.
She had just given Youyou a bath, changed her into pajamas, and was holding the little girl on the couch, telling her a story.
Ru Fei's voice was soft and pleasant. She held the little girl in one hand and gently patted her round little butt with the other hand.
The little kid, with his two chubby feet bare, lay in Concubine Ru's arms, listening quietly. He felt warm in his heart, and his little face smiled like a sunflower.
Ru Fei found it funny and bent down to kiss her forehead: "What are you laughing at?"
The little girl chuckled: "Fortunately Youyou is my mother's child."
Concubine Ru knew that the girl must have said this because of what happened in the lotus pond. She sighed, "I don't know what deep hatred Concubine Kang and Lu Zhaoyi have. Not only did they fight in public, but they didn't stop even after falling into the water. Now, he has been beaten with a stick and imprisoned in Yongsi Palace. I'm afraid he will never be able to get out again. It's just a pity for Seventeen."
Ji Jinyou guessed that it was because Concubine Kang knew the truth. She really wanted to tell her mother some gossip, but she couldn't say it.
The little girl kicked her feet and sighed in a stern manner: "What about the Seventeenth Brother? Isn't there anyone to take care of him?"
Concubine Ru grabbed the girl's chubby feet as she kicked around and said, "I guess she will move in with the other princes, just like the fifteenth prince."
Ji Jinyou thought of how Seventeen had panicked and cried when the two had fought before, and felt a little worried for him, "But Brother Seventeen is not as brave as Brother Fifteen. He was so scared that he kept crying before."
Ru Fei sighed, "Yes, Seventeen was frightened."
Ji Jinyou raised her little head and looked at Concubine Ru: "Mother, please don't fight with others. It's too scary."
Hearing the worry in the little girl's tone, Concubine Ru hugged the heavy little girl tighter: "Don't worry, Youyou, mother won't fight with anyone."
Ji Jinyou thought about it and clenched her small round hands: "If anyone bullies your mother, Youyou will help you beat her."
The little girl was so cute and fierce that Ru Fei couldn't help laughing. She held her little fist and said, "Okay, our Youyou is the most considerate."
Thinking of her mother's personality of making a big deal out of a small matter, Ji Jinyou knew that she would never have the chance to help her mother. She leaned into Concubine Ru's arms and said, "Mother is the best mother. Youyou will be with her forever."
Ru Fei was so happy with the little fat girl that she bumped her head with hers and said, "Youyou is also the best lady."
Seeing their two masters happy, Jin Xing and Hai Tang, who were sitting beside them embroidering flowers under the lamp, also laughed. For a moment, the house was filled with laughter.
At this moment, there were a few knocks and someone knocked on the gate.
Everyone was stunned. Jin Xing put down the embroidery in her hand, stood up and walked to the door, and asked the eunuch on duty to go and take a look.
Soon, the eunuch trotted in and said, "Your Majesty, it's the Empress who has brought the Seventeenth Prince."
Rupin was startled and quickly got up from the ground. Jin Xing and Haitang helped Rupin tidy up her clothes and hair, while the other helped Youyou put on her coat. The two of them were quick and efficient, and just as they had taken care of the two masters, one big and one small, the empress came in with the seventeenth prince, and everyone hurriedly bowed and paid their respects.
The Queen smiled and called out, and then sat down according to their rank. The Queen did not waste time and went straight to the point and stated her purpose of coming.
Upon hearing that His Majesty had issued an order to register the Seventeenth Prince in her name and to let her take care of him, Concubine Ru was stunned for a moment and stammered, "Your Majesty, you know that I am not good enough. The prince is precious and I am afraid that if I don't take good care of him, something bad will happen to him later."
In her heart, having Youyou alone was enough. She had never thought about having a son, let alone raising someone else's son.
Especially since the Seventeenth Prince is so old and has his own ideas, she is really afraid that she won't be able to teach him well.
Besides, it is inevitable that the child will get sick as he grows up, or get bumped or bruised if he is not taken care of. Isn't that the fault of her as the adoptive mother?
For her own child, no one would suspect that she had bad intentions, nor would they say anything, but for an adopted child...
What people say is really scary, she really doesn't dare to keep one.
Ji Jinyou was also stunned.
She sympathized with the Seventeenth Prince, but the reaction that came to her mind was that she didn't want anyone else to compete with her for her mother.
But the Empress just said that this was His Majesty's order, and now the person has been sent to Miaoyunxuan, they have no way to refuse, otherwise they would be disobeying the order.
The seventeenth prince saw that Concubine Ru did not seem to want him, and tears of sadness almost fell from his eyes. His two little hands were clenched together tightly, and he was at a loss as to what to do.
When the empress saw Concubine Ru trying to push her out in fear, she secretly thought that His Majesty had made the right choice. In this palace, the concubines wished they had many princes, but Concubine Ru didn't think so.
She smiled and took Concubine Ru's hand: "His Majesty values you, so he gave Seventeen to you to raise. Don't think too much, just treat Seventeen as your own child. As long as you have a clear conscience, no matter what happens, no one will blame you."
These words gave Concubine Ru some peace of mind, but she still hesitated and didn't say anything for a long time.
The Queen added: "In a few months, Seventeen will be seven years old, and then he should move out. It will only take about half a year."
It was His Majesty's order, and the person was sent by the Empress herself. With words being said to this extent, Concubine Ru knew that if she refused again, it would be a lack of courtesy and disobedience to His Majesty's order.
She sighed in her heart and bowed to express her gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty and the Queen, for your consideration of me. I will definitely treat Seventeen as my own child in the future."
"Okay, get up quickly." The queen smiled and waved to the little boy standing beside her: "Seventeen, come here and greet your mother."
"Yes." The seventeenth prince walked to Concubine Ru, knelt down and kowtowed: "Son has seen mother."
Although Ru Fei was timid, she was an open-minded person. Since she had agreed, she did not hesitate any longer. She stepped forward to help the little boy up, touched his little face, and said softly, "Good boy."
Things were set in stone and could not be changed, so Ji Jinyou gladly accepted it. He felt that having another brother was also good. This way, at least his mother would have a son in her name, which was quite important in the harem where offspring were valued.
She didn't need anyone to call her. She walked forward on her short legs, took the Seventeenth Prince's hand and shook it, smiling naively: "Seventeenth Brother, don't be afraid. I will protect you from now on."
The little dumpling was not even as tall as Seventeen's chest, but he said in a serious manner that he wanted to protect others, causing the Empress and Concubine Ru to laugh out loud.
The Queen still had something to say to Concubine Ru in private, so she asked Xiaojiu to take Seventeen to play aside first. When there were only two of them left in the room, she told her about the grudge between Concubine Kang and Lu Zhaoyi.
Concubine Ru was dumbfounded and her heart was pounding. She couldn't help but feel more sympathetic and distressed for Seventeen, and promised the Queen that she would treat him well.
"Your Majesty and I are both very relieved to have you raise the child." The Queen nodded and continued, "Because of those past events, His Majesty ordered a thorough investigation. The people who previously served Seventeen can no longer be employed. So today I only brought Seventeen's luggage, but not the person. Tomorrow I will personally select a few capable and reliable people to send him over."
Princess Ru responded one by one and expressed her gratitude again and again.
After the queen finished her instructions, she called Seventeen in, gave him a few words of admonition, and then got up and left.
The seventeenth prince looked at Concubine Ru timidly without saying a word.
Ji Jinyou held his hand and dragged him in front of Concubine Ru, "Don't be afraid, mother is the best mother in the world."
Concubine Ru thought of the words of the Empress, reached out to pull the little boy over, rolled up his sleeves, and when she saw the purple handprints there, her eyes reddened with heartache. Even with her good temper, she wanted to slap Concubine Kang and Lu Zhaoyi hard.
When Ji Jinyou saw the scars, she clenched her fists in anger, and her face puffed up: "That's so bad."
Ru Fei took the little boy into her arms, hugged him tightly, gently stroked his head, and said softly, "Don't be afraid, Seventeen. No one will dare to bully you from now on."
Ji Jinyou raised a small hand and patted his back: "Don't be afraid, Brother Seventeen. If anyone dares to hit you again, Youyou will help you fight back."
Nestled in that warm and soft embrace, feeling the firm patting of the little hands on his back and listening to the two people's soft and comforting voices, the little boy's panicked heart, which had been wandering for so long, suddenly settled down.
He pursed his lips and tried to hold back, but finally he couldn't hold it back anymore and burst into tears.
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