Chapter 1062: Her Bond with Her Brother
The little hands under the dragon-patterned cuffs clenched slightly: "If I really can choose, I would rather..."
The words turned into indifference when they came to his lips: "There are many things in the world that we can choose, but we cannot choose our parents.
Mother, an ordinary child of six may be innocent and naive, but since the day I ascended the throne, what I have seen and heard is no longer comparable to that of an ordinary child."
The young emperor suddenly stood up, his black crown gleaming coldly under the candlelight: "Every word I just said came from my heart, so there is no need to doubt others, mother."
The pair of deep eyes that did not match her age swept over her, causing Feng Ziqing to unconsciously avoid her gaze.
She suppressed her anxiety and tears welled up in her eyes: "Even if I have a disagreement with the princess, why would Your Majesty say such hurtful words?"
As she covered her face with the silk handkerchief, she was already thinking about how to depose the emperor after she came to power - for now, she needed to use this little puppet to stabilize the political situation.
Jiang Heng watched his mother acting coldly, and suddenly felt that his cousin's comment was very apt: she is narrow-minded but greedy for power, stupid and stupid without knowing it.
Even the veteran officials in the court dared not look down on him, but this woman always treated him as an ignorant child.
"As long as your mother stays in the Cining Palace to live out her days, I will abide by my filial duty."
The little emperor bowed politely and said, "You are tired from the journey. I still have some memorials to be reviewed. I will take my leave now."
The vermilion palace gate slowly closed, separating the mother and son into two worlds.
Feng Ziqing stared at the swaying bead curtain with a sneer, while Jiang Heng walked out of the hall and looked up at the starry sky - having his aunt was like having a bright light, after all, God treated him well.
Hearing this, Feng Ziqing couldn't hide her surprise: "You're only six years old and you're already handling government affairs?"
She originally thought that she would have to wait until she was at least a teenager before she would be exposed to these things, but she never expected that it would be ten years earlier.
Jiang Heng adjusted the gold thread embroidery on his cuffs, his young face showing a calmness beyond his age: "Not only do I review memorials, I also attend court to discuss government affairs at 3 pm every day."
As he turned around, the jade pendant on his waist rang softly: "Aunt and cousin have handed over half of the memorials to me. I can even independently review the memorials on people's livelihood and taxes."
From being unfamiliar at first to being proficient now, I wonder how much lamp oil has soaked into those cinnabar annotations.
Looking at the corner of the boy's bright yellow clothes disappearing around the corner of the corridor, Feng Ziqing stroked the carvings on the pillars with her fingertips.
It seems that Jiang Xue has really poured all her efforts into this crown prince. If she can make this carefully cultivated seedling turn against her...
The smile on her lips deepened. How sad would the female regent who looked down on everyone be then?
The gilded beast stove in the warm room emitted wisps of agarwood. Jiang Xue waited until her husband had finished his Tremella soup before she spoke: "I discussed this morning with Heng'er about your sister..."
"The nobles are going to use her leaving the palace to cause trouble?"
Xiao Zhan put down the celadon teacup, his dark pupils reflecting the flickering candlelight.
The desk was piled with secret reports from various places, all of which were evidence of the crimes of the wealthy and powerful families occupying land privately and buying and selling official positions.
The princess swept her sleeves across the outlines of the mountains and rivers on the map. "The hereditary system has become a chronic disease for a hundred years. They control 70% of the official positions and 90% of the fertile land. If we don't use the strategy of boiling the frog in warm water, when the Tianshui Kingdom is eyeing us covetously..."
The unfinished words turned into a soft sigh, startling the birds perched outside the window.
"Then bring her back to live in the side hall of Fengzao Palace."
Xiao Zhan tapped the other person's forehead with his fingertips and suddenly changed the subject: "But if my Xiaoxue frowns because of this, I will send her back to Northern Frontier overnight."
Jiang Xue held her husband's hand and chuckled, "She couldn't hurt me at all when she put a curse on you back then. Now you're just a bird in a cage."
She suddenly noticed the coolness of the other person's fingertips: "Why are you rubbing your solar plexus today?"
"I heard that you met Yun Zhen alone?"
Xiao Zhan's tone was tinged with anger.
The sorcerer who always liked to wear a crane cloak and pretend to be a god would ask his wife to read ancient books all night long to find the solution every time they met.
"The kid from the Jiang family broke the glass cup when he tried to steal his elixir."
The empress took out a gilded hand warmer from her treasure box and put it into her husband's palm: "I happened to pass by the alchemy room, so I discussed the astrology with him for half an hour."
Seeing that the other party was still frowning, she suddenly tiptoed closer and said, "How about taking you with me next time? Let Taoist Yun calculate for us..."
The last note disappeared in the sudden kiss.
The snow on the window was falling down, and the sound of patrolling guards' footsteps could be heard amid the sound of the night watch.
As the candlelight flickered, no one noticed the edge of a black robe passing over the eaves - it was the leader of the secret guards who were ordered to monitor Fengzao Palace.
Jiang Xue's fingertips gently stroked the hard object in her sleeve, and after a moment's hesitation, she said, "Actually... he gave me an old item today."
"Old stuff?"
Her bare hands took out a black jade pendant from the cloud-patterned brocade collar, its lustrous luster flowing between the carvings.
Xiao Zhan's pupils shrank slightly, and the past rolled away like smoke.
During the rainy season in the south of the Yangtze River that year, they traveled across seven states in search of the rare black jade, and visited the old jade craftsman who lived in seclusion in Lingyan Mountain three times before they made this double dragon playing with a pearl pendant.
On the night of the Shangyuan Palace Banquet, it was the girl who stood on tiptoe to tie this pendant on the crown prince.
"This item should have been buried in the underground palace with the late prince."
Xiao Zhan's fingertips brushed across the cold lines of the jade pendant: "How dare General Yun tamper with the imperial mausoleum?"
"He couldn't let go of his obsession after all."
Jiang Xue held the jade pendant in her hand, and the warm touch made her palm feel hot.
Xiao Zhan looked at her slightly bulging belly and seemed to be hesitant to speak - vaginal objects should be taboo, but this is the bond between her and her brother after all.
"Let's seal it in the red sandalwood niche for now."
She put the jade pendant into the gilded silver box and said, "If we ever meet again..."
The last syllable was scattered in the breeze, like a sigh or a prayer.
Xiao Zhan's expression eased: "This is the most appropriate arrangement."
Suddenly, I saw my wife covering her lips and sighing softly, and the pale blue under her eyes became more and more obvious in the morning light.
He hurriedly helped the man lean on the Qingluan pillow and said, "I will go to the Qinzheng Palace to assist Heng'er and will be back before dinner."
The warmth from the touch of lips was still on his cheek. When Xiao Zhan stepped out of the bedroom, even the remaining snow in front of the steps reflected his smile.
Deep in the veil, Jiang Xue quickly fell into a chaotic dream.
In the ink-like darkness, the sound of a musical instrument suddenly broke through the air. The sound of the seven strings evoked the "Crane's Cry in the Ninth Heaven" from deep in her memory. She stumbled towards the sound and suddenly touched a cold stone wall.
The moment he pushed it open, a familiar figure emerged in the dazzling skylight - a young man in a black python robe sitting in front of a scorched-tail zither, and the birthday song of that year was flowing between his fingers.
As the gauze curtain flutters gently, the lingering sound of the guqin flows in the warm breeze.
Jiang Xue's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she vaguely saw a figure in a green shirt sitting beside the sandalwood table.
The man's fingertips wandered among the seven strings, his moon-white hairband curved as he moved, and when he raised his eyes, familiar smile lines appeared at the corners of his eyes.
"Xiaoxue, are you in a daze again?" A clear voice woke her up from her trance.
Jiang Xue grasped the hem of her skirt, her nails digging deeply into her palms - this face, which was 70% similar to Yun Zhen, clearly belonged to her brother who had passed away three years ago.
The unique sense of illusion that is unique to dreams came over her. She lowered her eyes to look at her flat belly, but allowed herself to indulge in this illusion.
The strings suddenly stopped vibrating.
Jiang Ke swept the incense burner on the table with his wide sleeves and waved to her amid the smoke: "Come here and let my brother take a look."
The body reacts faster than the mind.
When she fell into the arms with the fragrance of agarwood, the years of time in the deep palace seemed to flow back to the brightest spring day.
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