"In truth, how could I not also yearn for a loving mother and filial son?"
Seeing Xie Yuan laughing so hard he was doubled over, Helian Jue looked somewhat helpless.
Empress Dowager Ashina still had the kindness of raising him.
Furthermore, Empress Dowager Ashina also put in a lot of effort in this return to the capital.
However, this empress dowager was far too willful, and Helian Jue was truly unable to become a good mother and son with her!
“A Yuan, after you entered the palace, the others are doing alright, but we really need to be careful with Empress Dowager Ashina.”
As Helian Jue said this, he didn't forget to glance at the tent beside him.
The place was inhabited by the "angels" sent by the imperial court to Yuezhou to deliver imperial edicts. Besides officials from the Ministry of Rites and eunuchs, Fang Dafu, a confidant of Empress Dowager Ashina, also lived there.
Helian Jue believed that Xie Yuan would not be easily deceived, but whether Xie Yuan knew something or not was another matter.
"Yes, I saved it!"
Xie Yuan nodded. During this time, she and Helian Jue had been communicating.
Therefore, he knew that Empress Ashina had done those demonic things.
After Fang Dafu arrived in Yuezhou with the messenger, he treated her with great respect.
He also offered many "tips" in his words.
For example, what are the personalities of the concubines in the imperial harem? And what are the situations of the noble families, powerful officials, and other influential figures in the capital?
If one didn't know the true nature of Empress Dowager Ashina and only looked at Fang Dafu's behavior, as an "ugly daughter-in-law" who had never met her mother-in-law, she would definitely feel grateful.
What a wonderful mother-in-law!
Knowing that she was new to the city and her family had no connections, they were afraid that if she entered the palace, she would know nothing and cause trouble or make a fool of herself.
Sending a trusted confidant in advance to give her some proper advice shows that you're treating her like family, or even like your own daughter.
If Xie Yuan were a little simple-minded, and if Helian Jue hadn't told her everything in detail, she probably would have been easily fooled.
pity--
Her relationship with Helian Jue was neither that of an ordinary couple nor a true "political marriage."
They considered each other the most important person in their lives.
Helian Jue had no secrets from her, and Xie Yuan trusted him completely!
Xie Yuan had no need to learn about the palace through outsiders, nor did he need to rely on a so-called mother-in-law.
Xie Yuan only believed one thing: whether in the Yue Prince's Mansion or the Imperial Palace, the only person she trusted and relied on was Helian Jue.
"Ah Xi, with you here and our four children, I'm not afraid of anything!"
She's just a terrible mother-in-law, what's so scary about her?
Although Empress Dowager Ashina held the rightful position, she made too many foolish decisions.
She could have used this trip back to Beijing to rebuild her relationship with her adopted son, but she made a mess of it herself.
Not being her biological mother, and having a grudge against Helian Jue, Xie Yuan didn't consider Empress Dowager Ashina a formidable opponent at all.
"Yes! With me here, I will never let you and the child suffer any injustice!"
Helian Jue reached out and grasped Xie Yuan's soft hand, saying gently, "Besides, I believe that with your intelligence, you won't suffer any losses!"
When he said this, he wasn't just praising Xie Yuan, but also indirectly saying: Just go for it! I'll support you in everything!
The experiences of the past three or four years have made Helian Jue, who was already somewhat cold-hearted, even more obsessive.
He will unconditionally trust and pamper those who can enter his heart.
Helian Jue wouldn't care too much about the people who were kept out of his heart, regardless of their identity or background!
Xie Yuan naturally belonged to the former category, while the two empress dowagers belonged to the latter.
"I believe in Ah Xi, and Ah Xi believes in me! That's wonderful!"
Xie Yuan nestled in Helian Jue's arms, sighing softly.
Xie Yuan knew about Helian Jue's feelings for her and how much he valued her, but she wouldn't let that make her complacent.
Feelings are too ephemeral; they can change at any time.
She and Helian Jue still have decades to go, and she must remain vigilant at all times to avoid following in the footsteps of Empress Dowager Ashina.
Helian Jue heard Xie Yuan's murmur, and his eyes were filled with deep affection.
but--
"It's getting late, I need to return to the palace now!"
"It's getting late, Your Majesty should return to the palace first!"
Helian Jue and Xie Yuan said it almost in unison.
The two were stunned for a moment, looked at each other, and then smiled at each other.
"After the grand court assembly tomorrow, I will appoint Prime Minister Wang Yu as the chief envoy and the Minister of Rites as the deputy envoy to welcome you and your child into the palace!"
Helian Jue said softly.
This is the proper way to behave according to the etiquette of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and it is also the best step to show sufficient respect for Empress Xie Yuan.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Xie Yuan understood Helian Jue's intentions and thanked him softly.
The couple talked for a while longer before reluctantly parting ways.
Xie Yuan stood outside the tent, watching Helian Jue lead Duofu and more than a dozen guards into the city.
She only turned and went into the tent after the group had completely disappeared from sight.
Of course, during this process, Xie Yuan did not overlook the fact that the door to the next tent was slightly ajar, and a pair of eyes were peeking from behind.
"Fang Dafu!"
Xie Yuan couldn't guess who else it was besides him.
Empress Dowager Ashina sent Fang Dafu to Yuezhou not only to curry favor with Xie Yuan, but also to have Fang Dafu secretly investigate and observe Xie Yuan.
When it comes to the conflict between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, you need to know yourself and your enemy.
Previously, Empress Dowager Ashina made a foolish mistake by rashly "advising" Helian Jue to marry the Turkic princess without understanding Xie Yuan and her relationship with Helian Jue.
Or perhaps, Empress Dowager Ashina wasn't truly unaware of this principle; she simply didn't take Xie Yuan seriously.
She was the mother-in-law, and Xie Yuan was just the daughter-in-law.
She herself was the high and mighty Empress Dowager, the late emperor's first wife, while Xie Yuan had only received the imperial edict to be made empress.
There was no grand ceremony for her investiture as empress, nor did she receive the Phoenix Seal, and she had no foothold in the harem.
Even in the capital, Xie Yuan was without parents or older brothers, like a piece of duckweed floating on water.
Empress Dowager Ashina completely ignored Xie Yuan.
Later, realizing she had underestimated Xie Yuan's influence on Helian Jue, Empress Dowager Ashina desperately tried to remedy the situation.
She wanted Fang Dafu to investigate and observe Xie Yuan carefully to understand her temperament, and ideally, to discover her strengths and weaknesses.
Fang Dafu has indeed been doing just that over the past few months.
However, although Xie Yuan seemed easy to talk to, he was very meticulous in his actions.
He was even stricter in managing his subordinates.
Her surroundings were like an iron barrel, truly impenetrable.
"not necessarily!"
Fang Dafu truly lived up to his reputation as an old eunuch who had been in the palace for over twenty years.
His abilities certainly did not disappoint Empress Dowager Ashina's high regard.
Xie Yuan was wary, and Fang Dafu could not easily get close to him.
However, Fang Dafu discovered that Xie Yuan's entourage included several acquaintances.
“Luo Peiyu? Isn’t this girl a palace slave? Three years ago, she was chosen by Consort Xiao and sent to Yuezhou to be a concubine.”
Fang Dafu discovered several of the "beauties bestowed by the emperor" from back then, including Luo Peiyu, and immediately had an idea...
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