The Empress Dowager slowly shifted her gaze to Long En's face, scrutinizing him closely.
She then realized that the face before her was almost identical to the face of the person she had longed for and loved most in her life, as if they had been carved from the same mold.
Countless times in the dead of night, she longed to see that face again, even if only for a fleeting moment.
But now that she had finally seen it, she was so eager to go forward and touch and feel the warmth of that silhouette from her memory.
Even the look in his eyes, which had been filled with extreme anger just moments before, gradually softened, becoming gentler than it had in years...
After gazing at it for a long time, she finally gave up on the idea.
They simply met each other's eyes in silence.
Scenes from before entering the palace flashed through my mind, and all the love, hate, and grudges of the past surged into my heart all at once.
The Empress Dowager gritted her teeth and endured it, her two fists clenched tightly under her sleeves, so tightly that faint bloodstains appeared on her palms.
Grandpa Shou stood silently to one side, his eyes glistening with tears as he watched the mother and son.
Recalling the past, she said with heartache, "Back then, this old servant was ordered to leave the palace and search everywhere, almost scouring the entire Western Qin Kingdom. When I finally found the young master, a villain was raising his knife to cut off one of the young master's legs so that the young master would have to beg on the street for him. If this old servant had been just one step later back then, just one step later, I'm afraid the young master would never have been able to stand in front of the Empress Dowager again in his life."
As she spoke, she wiped away her tears and continued, "Over the years, the Empress Dowager instructed the young master to hone his skills outside the palace and wait for the right opportunity. But the young master was just a child then, and had never experienced the love of his parents. He suffered greatly and experienced the coldness of the world. In the end, the young master did not disappoint her expectations and built the vast Xiaolong Society on his own. If it weren't for the interference of Prince Qin, Xuanyuan Han, the Xiaolong Society would have definitely helped the young master achieve great things. The young master... he really had a very difficult time."
A palace gate separated the mother and son for decades, and the Empress Dowager longed for them for many years.
Now that the mother and son are finally reunited, how could she not know the longing and hardship she has endured over the years?
She was once a pure and kind person, but her beloved died tragically, and she was deceived and schemed against. To seek revenge, she had to compromise and abandon her young child. She paid such a heavy price in her life.
But now, as long as the great cause remains unfulfilled, she and her son cannot recognize each other. Otherwise, all the things she has done and all the plans she has made over the years will have been in vain.
Upon realizing this, the Empress Dowager silently reminded herself and said with a heavy heart, "Now is not the time."
As the saying goes, a mother and child are of one heart. Long En knew very well that even if he wanted to call her "mother" at this moment, he could only shout it in his heart and could never say it out loud.
The room was silent; no one spoke.
"The descendant of the guardian... Could it be that Mother has truly found him?"
"Was the great fire at the City God Temple back then truly caused by the Empress Dowager?"
"It turns out that the fire was not only meant to burn Empress Dowager Chun to death, but also to send her most trusted servant out of the palace."
"Could the person that Eunuch Shou was searching for after being sent out of the palace be this man before us?"
"He and his mother...reunited as mother and son...and ascended the throne. He and his mother were mother and son, so the emperor...could it be that the emperor isn't..."
The Empress, upon hearing everything that had happened inside the palace, was instantly stunned.
Just then, without noticing, I bumped into the flower stand next to me, making a loud "bang".
This immediately alerted the three people inside the hall.
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager immediately shouted sternly towards the door, "How dare you! Who is there?"
Just then, a clever palace maid beside the Empress saw a cat passing by and quickly went over to pick it up.
When the Empress Dowager saw that it was a cat that jumped out, she no longer suspected anything.
The Empress broke out in a cold sweat, clutching her chest as if she dared not even breathe. Before she could catch her breath, she quietly retreated.
When the Empress Dowager came to her senses, she pondered for a moment and said, "Now that we have returned, let us stay temporarily in that secluded villa in the city. We must find the Guardian as soon as possible."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Seeing that the Empress Dowager was finally speaking more gently and even allowed Long En to live in her separate residence, Eunuch Shou was very happy for him.
"Alright, all of you, go down now. Don't arouse suspicion."
The Empress Dowager waved her hand, and Eunuch Shou went over and pulled up the reluctant Long En, and the two of them moved out together.
"How could this be?"
"What exactly is going on?"
Who exactly is that man?
"And who is the current emperor...?"
Hearing everything that had just happened in Yong'an Palace, the Empress was clearly quite frightened. In a daze, she muttered to herself, not even knowing how she had ended up in front of Emperor Jing.
Upon entering the palace, she saw Emperor Jing practicing calligraphy at his desk. The Empress stared at him intently for a long time before finally snapping out of her daze and bowing to him, saying, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects."
Emperor Jing put down his pen, looked up and saw that her expression was obviously abnormal, so he said, "Please rise, Your Majesty. Why does Your Majesty look so pale today?"
The Empress had not yet figured out how to tell Emperor Jing what she had just seen and heard. She was also full of questions, but did not know where to begin.
So he pretended to say, "Yue'er hasn't written to me for over a month. I just miss my son. It's alright, Your Majesty doesn't need to worry about me."
Emperor Jing did not doubt the Empress's words, but continued writing: "Children will eventually grow up and leave their parents' side. Yue'er has been married for several years now and is a mother herself. Currently, she holds the most noble status in the Dongning Palace, and I believe she will soon be in charge of the Phoenix Seal. The Empress should be at ease. Why are you still not used to it and can't put your mind at ease?"
For some reason, the Empress suddenly became agitated: "Yue'er is my own flesh and blood, and of course I will never be able to let her go until my death. Unlike the Emperor, who is so heartless and ungrateful, he has paid little attention to his two sons since they were young. If it weren't for Uncle Qin, Yue'er would have been sent by the Emperor to that bitter and cold northern land and wasted her life."
Emperor Jing was stunned to see the Empress acting so arrogantly and speaking such words.
Unexpectedly, the Empress became even more aggressive. She looked into Emperor Jing's eyes and said, "Furthermore, even though Yue'er is currently respected in the Dongning Palace, what about the future? Does Your Majesty dare to say that you don't covet Dongning? If that time comes, how will Your Majesty deal with Yue'er? Caught between Western Qin and Dongning, what choice will Yue'er make? Is it for Your Majesty's unification of the world that you wouldn't even spare me..."
Seeing that the Empress's words were becoming increasingly outrageous, Emperor Jing slammed his hand on the table and raised his voice to stop her, rebuking her: "Enough! Empress, have you lost your mind today? How dare you utter such treasonous words to me?"
I don't know where she got the courage today, but the Empress still retorted without fear: "Is it that I am being rebellious, or is it that Your Majesty is used to doing things your own way and wants to go against the will of Heaven?"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jing pointed at the door and practically roared, "Get out! Get out! Go back to your palace right now!"
"Hmph," the Empress glared at Emperor Jing, not to be outdone. After a while, she snorted coldly, then flicked her sleeves and turned to leave.
When she returned to her palace, the empress was already in tears.
The maid beside her wiped away her tears while comforting her, "Your Majesty, what's wrong with you today? Why did you provoke the Emperor with those words just now? Princess Yue hasn't written for a long time, perhaps it's just because of some delay. Your Majesty can wait a few more days, there's really no need to be so angry."
The Empress was also in a state of great turmoil at this moment, and choked out, "Perhaps, I am just afraid of what I saw and heard in Yonghe Palace just now."
Upon hearing this, the maid finally spoke up and asked, "By the way, just now when I was following behind Your Highness, I wonder what Your Highness heard that made you so frightened?"
The Empress snapped out of her reverie, glanced at the maid, and then hesitated before saying, "I..."
As if suddenly remembering something, the Empress asked anxiously, "By the way, did you give any instructions to those at Yong'an Palace just now?"
The maid said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, I have already given instructions. Your Majesty did not appear in Yong'an Palace today."
The Empress said quietly, "That's good, that's good. What happened today must not be known to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager."
The maidservant thoughtfully brought over a cup of hot tea and said with concern, "Your Highness, please have some calming tea to soothe your nerves."
The Empress finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the hot tea being held in the maid's hands. She took the tea and sipped it lightly.
Setting down her teacup, she said softly, "Actually, when the princess got married, I already foresaw her fate. Do you know what that feels like?"
As the empress spoke, she looked deeply into the maid's eyes.
The maid shook her head, looking puzzled.
The Empress said sadly, "This feeling is like that of a dying person who knows they are about to die, and with each passing day, they are one day closer to death. And you can't do anything about it. Do you understand that feeling of utter helplessness?"
The maid seemed to understand but not quite, and asked again, "Then why didn't Her Majesty the Empress strongly oppose it at the time?"
The Empress said, "Because I know that in this world, one day, when you meet someone who makes your heart flutter at first sight, even if you know it's like a moth drawn to a flame, you will still do it without hesitation. Born into an imperial family, Yue'er is not the obedient and gentle type that imperial families are supposed to be. Whether her future is a blessing or a curse depends entirely on her fate. No one can help her!"
As she spoke, the Empress silently shed tears once again.
Meanwhile, in the Qin Prince's Mansion in the east of the city, the Yi Mansion in the west, and even in the streets and alleys of the entire imperial city, gongs and drums resounded everywhere, and firecrackers crackled, creating a lively and bustling scene.
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