It was no secret that Empress Dowager Jiayi was not buried in the imperial mausoleum, but in a scenic spot on the outskirts of the city. Xie Rang had also sent people to guard the area.
His mother was an orphan who met the late emperor in the common people and entered the harem. However, the emperor's mind was unpredictable, and after only a few years of favor, she was banished to the cold palace for offending the emperor, who did not care at all that she was pregnant.
She probably thought that giving birth to Xie Rang would improve things, but in the end, no turning point came. Xie Rang's name was enough to show the late emperor's attitude. Until she died in the cold palace, she never saw the person she wanted to see.
Empress Dowager Jiayi may not have truly treated Xie Rang very well, but at least she did give birth to him. Xie Rang stumbled and fell until he reached an age where he could remember things, and at least his life was spared.
The road wasn't easy to walk on, so Xie Rang held Yun Qing's hand, making sure she took each step firmly so she wouldn't slip and fall on the wet moss.
The rain had just stopped, and a cool breeze blew by, which inevitably stirred up some memories for Xie Rang: "...She probably loved me, just not that much. But no one says that a mother must love her child, so I don't blame her."
The name Qi'an itself reveals some clues.
Especially in the harem, after being tormented countless times, it was already quite remarkable that she didn't transfer those negative emotions onto Xie Rang. After all, there were quite a few people who used their children as a means to win favor.
Xie Rang recognized this principle long ago, so he never expected anything; he would be happy if things could go peacefully together.
Yun Qing, however, still caught a glimpse of the melancholy in his eyes, a feeling he had never shown in front of her in the past years.
She suddenly remembered that when they first met, wasn't it because this person looked so pitiful that she changed her choice?
Yun Qing squeezed his hand: "It's alright, those who are alive will always love Your Majesty."
Not only her, but also the court officials and the people of the land will love and respect this young monarch.
From being abandoned in the cold palace to becoming a puppet emperor, and now holding great power and possessing the world, Xie Rang's life is heading in a better direction.
Yun Qing's words were so heartwarming that Xie Rang was suddenly pulled out of that emotion. He realized that he had regrets, but he didn't seem to have any regrets.
"I love Grand Tutor."
He whispered.
While Yun Qing was still in a daze, he had already led her to the tombstone. Someone had been cleaning it, so apart from being a bit desolate, there was nothing wrong with it.
Xie Rang arranged the offerings he had brought along, and the accompanying guards placed prayer cushions and lit incense.
Xie Rang took the incense, knelt on the prayer mat, and lit three sticks of incense for her. His eyes held a gentle smile, and his voice was very soft: "I brought the person I like to meet you. The Grand Tutor is so good, I believe you will like her too."
He only said that one sentence, then stared at the tombstone for a long time before getting up.
Yun Qing was standing nearby when she saw the name on the tombstone: Xiao Yuan. She felt a little sorry for her; she was a bird that had been trapped and died in the harem.
Having agreed to come with Xie Rang, Yun Qing hadn't thought of what to say. She silently finished offering incense to Xie Rang, and then Xie Rang helped her up.
"Now that we're out, let's take a stroll around today."
Yunqing Road.
Xie Rang couldn't help but laugh. He realized that Yun Qing was trying to comfort him, so he went along with it: "Alright. But the Grand Tutor is too conspicuous, so it's better to wear a mask."
Most importantly, Yun Qing has not yet revealed her identity. It would be bad if she were seen but not recognized. They must keep the initiative in this matter completely in their hands and not let anyone with ulterior motives take advantage of it.
Of course, Xie Rang didn't discriminate. Since Yun Qing wore a mask, he also wore one. It was a human skin mask made with special techniques, which could serve as a disguise to the greatest extent.
Yun Qing had always known of this thing's existence, but this was the first time she had ever worn it herself. The royal craftsmanship was truly extraordinary; even in later generations, it was unlikely that such a fine product could be made.
She touched her face and found that it wasn't much different from her own skin, and there was no odor or anything like that.
Seeing her interest, Xie Rang spoke up at the opportune moment: "If the Grand Tutor is curious, I will send the craftsman to the Li residence later."
This production method is generally only controlled by the royal family. One reason is the monopoly, and another reason is the high production cost, which they are unwilling to cause trouble for.
Yun Qing shook her head: "Never mind, it's not necessary."
What's the point of her studying this? She should be thinking of ways to preserve more information for future generations.
Well, it's just so that everyone can do more research.
Xie Rang smiled and said, "The face-pinching technique used by the Grand Tutor is also very magical. If I hadn't been able to hear it, it might have taken a long time before I found out."
Yun Qing held a high position and wielded great power, so no one dared to approach her easily. Her aloofness became her best form of protection. Coupled with her lifelike face-shaping technique, which is the magical makeup technique of later generations, no one would even think of it that way.
"Is that so? I don't think so." Yun Qing wanted to sneer as she spoke. "His Majesty went to great lengths to get close to me. Who knows when my true identity will be exposed?"
Yun Qing never doubted Xie Rang's insight; he became more and more clever as he grew older, and this was true for everyone.
Xie Rang gave an awkward smile and didn't dare to reply.
He felt that this old grievance could be brought up for a lifetime.
-
Debts must be repaid.
In the following days, Xie Rang was buried in a pile of memorials. Yun Qing kept her word and refused to help.
She excused herself to rest at home for a few days, which wasn't really a pretext. She was genuinely exhausted during the time she was treating the epidemic in Jiangnan. Even someone as strong as her would feel terrible after two months of that.
Fortunately, the situation there is improving. Although there has been more rain this year, the revised flood control measures implemented by everyone have prevented major problems. The minor flaws do not outweigh the positive ones, and a major disaster has been averted.
Rewards were sent to the Li residence in waves. Outsiders saw this and thankfully no one said anything sour. Yun Qing's actions were truly beyond reproach, and they could only admire him sincerely.
Of course, only those involved know how much personal motive His Majesty the Emperor had mixed into his rewards.
When Diancui saw the expensive fabrics mixed in, she was completely at a loss: "Young master, what is this?"
Those who were even slightly close to Yun Qing in the mansion knew that Yun Qing had already revealed his identity to His Majesty the Emperor. Diancui and Uncle Jiang were originally worried, but these rewards had alleviated some of their concerns.
It seems that the emperor still respects teachers and values the way, and did not suddenly change his attitude because of Yun Qing's identity as a woman. But why does it still feel a little strange?
Yun Qing: ...
She remained silent, then rubbed her forehead: "Keep it away, we'll make clothes from it later."
Once exposed, they become unscrupulous.
What should she say in thanks?
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