Before Concubine Xiu could recover from her slight shock and sadness, she was gagged and taken away.
On the way back, she was still wondering why among so many children in the palace, only Zhou Zhaonuan was so loved by the emperor.
Concubine Xiu was under house arrest for a long period of time. During this period, she was only left with a personal maid and two eunuchs. She could not come out without Zhou Beichen's order.
Time flies like an arrow. In the blink of an eye, Zhou Zhaonuan and Zhou Zeyun are already fourteen years old. In a few years, Zhou Zhaonuan's martial arts have improved by leaps and bounds. Not only that, Jinxiu Huafang has also opened many shops in various places, plus the world's granary.
Originally, nearly half of the ministers in the court had complaints about Zhou Zhaonuan, the regent princess. However, these complaints would change with time and events.
Two years ago, Zhou Zhaonuan also participated in a case in the Ministry of Justice, and used his intelligence and talents to perfectly solve the case. This made many ministers less critical of Zhou Zhaonuan.
Zhou Bihe stayed by Concubine Liang's side and was quite obedient. Then there was Zhou Zeyu, whose martial arts skills had improved by leaps and bounds in recent years. The only thing that remained unchanged was that he still stuck to his sister as always.
In recent years, the relationship between Liangdi and Liangfei has inexplicably improved. After all, they are sisters. In her spare time, Liangdi, who was promoted to Concubine Qian some time ago, would run to Liangfei whenever she had time. If she returned to the palace late, she would stay directly at Liangfei's place.
As for what the two sisters were thinking or saying, no one in the harem knew.
Zhou Beichen's promise to Shen Nian'an has been fulfilled. She went from being a helpless abandoned woman in the cold palace to the empress above everyone else and second only to the emperor. Zhou Zhaonuan naturally became the legitimate princess, and as for Zhou Zeyun, he has been named the crown prince.
On this day, the weather was fine and the clouds were light. Shen Nian'an was walking on the palace road, followed by a large group of palace maids and eunuchs. On her left and right were Concubine Shu, Concubine Xian, and Concubine Ying. They were talking and laughing together.
"Sister Queen, how come you are so fertile? Not only that, but every one of your children is loved by the Emperor. You have extraordinary abilities. Unlike me, I have been in the palace for so many years, and all I do is eat and wait for death. This life doesn't seem like something I can live on. Alas, if it really doesn't work out, I have to think of a way to have some fun so that I can have the desire to live a good life."
After Ying Fei finished speaking, she lowered her eyes, and her serious thinking look almost made the senior palace maid beside her laugh. She even secretly touched her master with her hand. As a senior palace maid, she knew her master's character best. No matter how sad their master was, he would not be sad for more than a quarter of an hour.
Shen Nian’an: “…”
Still talking about herself like that? In her opinion, Ying Fei was just too rich. She shook her head, not knowing what to say to Ying Fei.
But the virtuous concubine was standing nearby, she came forward and couldn't help but speak.
"Ying Fei, what on earth are you thinking about all day long? Look at you, you have no shortage of money, gold, silver, and jewelry. Except for not being able to leave the palace, aren't you living a very carefree life? What's more, you want to have fun, what kind of fun do you want to have?"
Concubine Ying looked up at the sky and suddenly had the urge to fly out. She looked up at the sky and sighed sincerely.
"It would be great if I could leave the palace. I've been in the palace for so many years, and to be honest, I haven't been back many times. Over the years, the people I feel most sorry for are my parents."
Concubine Ying was really depressed this time. For some reason, she felt uncomfortable every time she thought of her parents' increasingly aging backs.
Mom is fine. She doesn't have to worry about her life because of her business, but Dad is not so lucky. He used to be a general, but now...
Thinking about the fact that Yuan Kingdom was going to go to war with Guo Dynasty during this period, Concubine Ying couldn't be happy at all. Her mood was like a rainy day without sunshine for a long time.
Concubine Shu's heart sank as she stepped forward, her eyes slowly turning to look at her. "Concubine Ying, I'm sorry to hear that you're worried about the upcoming war with the Yuan Kingdom. Don't worry, although your uncle is not young anymore, he's still a skilled warrior. Since he volunteered to go to the battlefield, you should respect his choice."
Shufei was a palace concubine, so she didn't need to call him uncle. However, because they had a good relationship and everyone around her was her own people, she no longer cared about it.
When Concubine Ying heard this, her nose felt sore and a tear squeezed out of her eye socket. She immediately held it back, raised her head, and gave Shen Nian'an and the others an ugly smile.
"Alas, I do respect his opinion. When Daddy fought in the war a few years ago and made great achievements, I supported him. But last time, he was injured by the sword, and now he has volunteered to fight again. I feel so helpless."
Concubine Ying patted her chest, looking helpless. "Sister Queen, I also know that I absolutely cannot stop this matter. I should do my job. Compared with my father, the people of the country are of course more important."
After saying this, Ying Fei's nose started to sore again when she thought of the moment when she saw her father a few days ago. At this moment, she looked like a little girl trying hard to seek comfort from others.
Shen Nian’an had no choice but to pat her shoulder, her eyes looking into the distance, deep and profound, as if no one knew what she was thinking.
"Relax, some things are there even if you worry about them, and they are there even if you don't worry about them. Instead of doing that, you might as well find time to go to the temple and pray for their safety."
Ying Fei's heart, which was filled with dark clouds, seemed to be opened up in an instant. Although it didn't have much effect, she felt as if a ray of light was shining.
"It's all right to pray, Queen Sister. Otherwise, let's go together in a few days to Baohua Temple outside the palace on the outskirts of the city."
Shen Nian'an nodded and agreed without even thinking about it. It was just a matter of a word with Zhou Beichen.
At the same time, in Xuanzheng Hall, Zhou Beichen had already decided to lead the army in person this time.
Looking at the ministers kneeling below, Zhou Beichen's brows were still furrowed, but his tone was relatively gentle. "Alright, my dear ministers, I have already decided to lead the army in person. Please don't try to persuade me to reconsider."
Adhering to the idea of trusting people when employing them and not employing people if you don't trust them, Zhou Beichen fully trusted Shen Nian'an. Shen Zishan had been promoted by Zhou Beichen all the way in the past few years and had already reached the position of prime minister.
At this moment, his brows furrowed, and he immediately kowtowed, sincerely persuading, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please don't do this. It is so dangerous to lead the army in person. Please consider the people of the entire dynasty."
General Ye's already restless heart could no longer be contained. He cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I am still here, along with General Wu. This time, the two of us, plus a few younger ones, are more than enough. Why does Your Majesty have to go in person?"
"Your Majesty's own safety is at stake, and you are one with the people of the world. Please take care of yourself and respect yourself."
General Ye thought for a moment, closed his eyes, then opened them again, and said without fear of death.
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