However, the weak woman who was targeted was smarter, more clever, braver and more decisive than they had imagined. When she found that the assassins subconsciously avoided the Queen Mother's side and looked at her with murderous eyes, she immediately rushed forward and helped her husband block the knife that was coming towards him.
She thought that since she was going to die anyway, she might as well take this opportunity to save the emperor and fight for a glimmer of hope for her children and her family.
At the critical moment, he was pushed away by his wife, and had to watch her block the incoming swords for him. The current emperor of Da Qi, who had always been submissive and obedient to Da Lu, showed his stubborn side for the first time.
Despite the empress dowager's objection, he promised his dying wife that he would personally raise their son, now the eldest prince Xiao Yuanjin.
Xiao Yuanjin was also the main target of the assassins at that time. Fortunately, he not only had a smart and brave mother, a father who would rather let others protect his son first than let anyone protect him, but also loyal servants who were fearless and willing to risk their lives to buy time for him.
In order to protect him who was being held in his wet nurse's arms and trying to hide, he and the other servants around his father and mother almost all died.
The tragic situation at the scene made his father like a mad trapped beast. This honest man who always knew how to deal with the current situation suddenly burst into intense hatred and indignation, and showed an obstinacy to never give in even if it meant destroying himself and the person who stood in his way.
Faced with this man who had completely lost his mind but was only one step away from ascending the throne, even the powerful Lu family had to make temporary concessions out of frustration.
Of course, their concessions are conditional.
The Empress Dowager Da Lu agreed to the current Emperor of Da Qi's "unconventional" personal raising of Xiao Yuanjin on the condition that he must not posthumously confer the title of empress on Xiao Yuanjin's biological mother.
She insisted on holding a funeral for Xiao Yuanjin's mother with the lowest status of "Crown Princess" on the grounds that Xiao Yuanjin's mother was seeking repayment for her kindness and deliberately violating the royal rules.
The current emperor of Da Qi was alone and powerless, and few of the royal family members stood on his side. After two days of tug-of-war, he finally couldn't bear to see his wife's body being thrown aside, so he had to settle for the second best and let her rest in peace first.
Of course, this was what he thought was the "end." In the eyes of Da Lu and the rest of the Lu family, this matter was far from over.
They could not stop the current emperor of Da Qi from keeping Xiao Yuanjin by his side, but they did not want to keep Xiao Yuanjin, the eldest son with a good family background, to continue to be an eyesore.
Therefore, during the funeral of Xiao Yuanjin's mother, Empress Dowager Da Lu not only deliberately made a mess of things, but also took the opportunity to give Xiao Yuanjin, who was guarding the mourning hall, a highly concealed chronic poison.
Although Xiao Yuanjin was able to be treated by the imperial physician at the beginning of the poisoning because the emperor discovered it in time and luckily saved his life, he lived a life of frailty and illness and difficulty walking from then on.
A frail and sickly prince who could not walk would never have any chance of becoming emperor if the emperor had other healthy princes. The Lu family's motivation to kill him was suddenly much smaller.
In addition, the emperor always kept Xiao Yuanjin by his side like a little tail. Not only did he eat and live with him, but even when he went to court, he would ask his trusted palace maids and eunuchs to take Xiao Yuanjin to wait in the small room at the back. Once there was any abnormal situation, he would be the first to hear it.
In this way, it was really difficult for the Lu family to find a perfect opportunity to attack him again. After weighing the pros and cons, their attitude towards Xiao Yuanjin suddenly changed from "must kill him" to "find an opportunity first".
One side protected him very closely, while the other side did not have the intention to kill Xiao Yuanjin at all costs. This is why Xiao Yuanjin was able to survive to this day.
In the original book, although Xiao Yuanjin's own situation has not been very good, he still helps many people around him to the best of his ability.
Because of this, he has always gotten along very well with his "hostage" study partner Yu Zizhen, who is also passionate and kind-hearted.
Although he didn't know that the "good brother" he thought was actually a girl until they both died, but judging from the fact that the original owner wanted to protect Xiao Yuanjin even after her death, and wanted him to live a smooth and peaceful life until old age, and even developed strong regret and obsession because of this, the original owner at least did not let Xiao Yuanjin down for his protection and trust in her.
Recalling these plot contents, Yu Zizhen and Mr. Jiang went into the Southern Study together to meet the emperor.
As the plot described, in the small corner by the window of the South Study, there was a little boy who was only slightly older than Yu Zizhen sitting quietly behind his small desk.
He was thin and his face was pale with a bluish tint, but his facial features were extremely delicate. When he raised his head after hearing the noise, the pair of clean and clear peach blossom eyes embedded in his cold little face seemed to shoot out four big words in an instant: Keep away from strangers.
Yu Zizhen's eyes widened, and in his heart a groundhog was singing loudly, spinning in circles and screaming.
What a cute little boy! He’s so adorable that my heart melts. I really want to rub him!
"Zizhen pays homage to His Majesty. Long live His Majesty." The groundhog in his heart had already built a magic fairy castle, but on the surface, Yu Zizhen was respectfully and properly paying his respects to the emperor together with Mr. Jiang.
The emperor came over and helped her up with his own hands, then signaled Mr. Jiang with his eyes, "No need to be polite, no need to be polite. Come, please take a seat."
Yu Zizhen thanked him with a smile, then sat down on the brocade stool brought by the young eunuch.
As for Mr. Jiang, he could only stand there and answer the emperor's questions.
The emperor also ordered someone to prepare tea, snacks, and a box of preserved fruits for Yu Zizhen, saying, "Take whatever you like."
Yu Zizhen smiled and nodded, "Okay. Thank you, Your Majesty."
She was well-behaved and loved to laugh. The emperor fell in love with her the moment he saw her. He looked at his son and said, "This is my eldest son, Xiao Yuanjin. He is eight years old this year. You should have a lot to say to Zizhen."
This is the filter of his father. Otherwise, with Xiao Yuanjin's cold and aloof look, no one would think that he could have anything to say to people of the same age.
Yu Zizhen stood up with a smile and bowed to Xiao Yuanjin in a formal manner, "Zizhen greets the eldest prince."
Xiao Yuanjin nodded slightly, then lowered his head in silence and completely ignored him.
The emperor was very embarrassed. He frantically gestured to Yu Zizhen, "Please sit down. You are too obedient, child. You are still young, so you should be more casual when you get along with each other in the future."
Yu Zizhen smiled and sat back down, "Okay, I'll listen to your majesty."
The emperor secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and privately felt that the eldest son of the King of Zhenbei was really a good-tempered person.
On second thought, the emperor felt a pang of conscience when he realized that he had to summon such a well-behaved and sensible child to the capital and the palace according to the request of the Empress Dowager Dalu.
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