Birthday banquet (1)
December 25th, the day of the Empress's birthday banquet.
Early in the morning, Xie Sili instructed Green Bamboo and the four of them, Plum Blossom, Orchid, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum, to dress Xie Jingche and Xie Jingyan in festive attire.
This was their first time meeting the Empress, and they couldn't afford to be impolite. More importantly, they needed to convince the Empress that Xie Jingche and Xie Jingyan were indeed the children of the late Crown Prince Jun Qichen.
Perhaps the Emperor had long forgotten what Jun Qichen looked like, but how could the Empress, as his mother, possibly forget? He was the child she had raised herself, hand in hand.
Thinking of this, Xie Sili turned her gaze to the two children.
Perhaps sensing her gaze, Xie Jingche's voice rang out, "Auntie, don't worry, we won't embarrass you. We will do as we agreed before."
Xie Jingche's words made Xie Sili chuckle. She walked to Xie Jingche's side and reached out to pat his head. At only five years old, Xie Jingche's features did not resemble Jun Qiyu much, but rather his biological mother. However, Xie Jingyan's features were very similar to Jun Qichen's, and both of them inherited their parents' beautiful peach blossom eyes.
“Actually, I was reluctant to bring you into the palace. After all, my brother didn’t want you to get involved in that world before he passed away.” Xie Sili squatted down in front of Xie Jingche and said calmly, “But I told you about your background before I returned to Chang’an, because I have reason to believe that you and Yan Yan have your own judgment.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Jingche gave her a hug. "Auntie, don't worry, I won't go back to that place. My family consists only of my great-grandfather and great-grandmother, and you and everyone in Siyuan. I have nothing to do with that place."
Xie Jingche buried his head in her shoulder. "I don't want to go back to this place either. I just want to tell the truth to my grandmother. She has the right to know the truth, doesn't she?"
Meeting Xie Jingche's eyes, Xie Sili reached out and ruffled her hair. Just as he was about to speak, his voice rang out again, "Aunt, would anyone really murder their own son for the so-called throne? Is he really such a cold-blooded person?"
Xie Sili gently embraced Xie Jingche, saying, "So after things are settled in Chang'an, let's go back to Yuzhou City together, okay? And then we'll never come back. You can stay with Mr. Zhuge and study together, and become someone even more outstanding and capable than your brother in the future."
Xie Jingche nodded in agreement, “Okay, I want to become someone like Brother Si Ze. Brother Si Ze is really amazing, as are Ying Yi, An Yi, and Si Yi. Everyone in Si Garden is amazing, and I want to become as amazing as them in the future.”
Xie Sili reached out and pulled him into her arms, patting his back. "Okay, I believe you can definitely become someone like them."
After they finished talking, Xie Jingyan came out of the room. She was wearing a red jacket and looked like a lucky doll that had stepped out of a painting. When she saw them, she ran happily towards them and finally jumped into their arms.
"Auntie, am I pretty?" Xie Jingyan asked, her big, bright eyes sparkling. "Grandmother will like me and my brother, won't she?"
Xie Sili reached out and pinched her cheek, smiling as he said, "Of course, our Yan Yan has always been the most popular. Everyone who meets you will like you."
The little girl blushed instantly at her words and buried her face in her arms in embarrassment.
She took the gifts she had prepared for the Empress, boarded the carriage, and led them into the palace.
At the palace gate, they passed through without hindrance thanks to the Empress's previous token. They even saw Huang Shi and Xie Siyao and Xie Siyu on the way. Since the carriage had to stop at the palace gate, they got off the carriage together.
They didn't have to wait; they were taken away directly by Zi Ling, who was already waiting there.
Upon seeing this, Huang, who wanted to step forward, spoke up almost without thinking.
Why don't they have to queue?
“If Madam Xie could become a guest of honor of Her Majesty the Empress, she would naturally not need to wait in line here.” Zi Ling turned her head and looked at Madam Huang with a hint of impatience in her eyes, as if she did not take Madam Huang seriously.
She didn't give Huang a chance to speak and left with Xie Sili.
When they were finally leaving, Ziling changed them into sedan chairs again. Ziling, who was standing beside her, whispered, "Huang is really shameless. She actually said such things."
"Why are you getting angry with her?" Xie Sili lifted the curtain and looked at Ziling. "Don't get sick from getting angry."
As Zi Ling spoke, she made a face at Xie Sili.
"Her Majesty's health improved a lot last night. This morning, His Highness and the Princess came to present her with gifts. Her Majesty looks much better."
Xie Sili turned her gaze to Xie Jingche and Xie Jingyan, and reached out to hug them.
Upon arriving at Kunning Palace, they heard cheerful laughter coming from inside. After listening carefully, they realized that Jun Qiyu was saying things to please the Empress again.
This is a trick he has always used to disguise himself.
Zi Ling lifted the curtain and said with a smile, "Your Highness, Miss Xie has arrived."
"Let them in."
Hearing the Empress's words, Xie Sili glanced at the two little ones beside him, nodded to them, and then together they lifted the curtain and bowed to the palace.
Just as Xie Sili had predicted, the Empress dropped what she was holding the moment she saw Xie Jingche and Xie Jingyan.
She staggered as she stood up, her lips twitching, but she didn't utter the words.
a long time.
The Empress's voice rang out, "Rice, I have something to say to Li. You may leave now."
"yes."
After Jun Qiyu left, Xie Sili heard the Empress's voice, "Li girl, are these two children your children?"
Xie Sili squatted down and embraced the two of them. "They are my children. We have depended on each other since we were little. My husband fell to his death while gathering herbs on the mountain." Xie Sili's eyes reddened slightly as she said this. "When my master and I rescued my husband, my master said that he would not live for long, but I never expected..." She finished speaking and shed a few tears at just the right moment.
a long time.
Xie Sili then heard the Empress's voice, "Li girl, how did you save your husband?"
“When I saved my husband, he was seriously injured. At first, my master thought he was beyond saving, but he thought that I was also in poor health and that I had gained a husband for free, so he helped me heal him. Later, we got married and had children with my master as our witness.” Xie Sili sighed as she said this.
"Your Majesty, you don't know, my husband was covered in wounds at that time."
Did he ever tell you how he got injured? Why did he get injured out of nowhere?
“My husband said that his father wanted to kill him.”
After saying those words, the Empress staggered again, and she would have fainted if Zi Ling hadn't been there to support her.
Before his death, Jun Qichen said that even if his own father wanted to kill him, he would not regret being their child. His only regret was that he could not serve the Empress and fulfill his filial duties.
This was a key reason why Xie Sili chose to retain her position as Empress.
"Li girl, does your husband have any marks on him?" the Empress asked in a trembling voice.
Upon hearing this, Xie Sili raised her wrist and pointed to it, "My husband has a very obvious scar on his wrist bone. He said that it was a scar he got when he was young and wanted to roast a rabbit for his mother."
The Empress clenched her hands, which were hanging by her sides, with a hint of pain, but still maintained a smile on her face as she looked at Xie Jingche and Xie Jingyan.
She called the two children to her side, and just as she was about to speak, she heard Xie Jingche's voice, "Your Majesty, don't worry, we depend on our mother for survival, but she treats us very well."
"From a young age, they taught me to read and practice martial arts, and even enrolled me in the Longmen Academy. They also arranged for Master Zhuge to take me as a disciple. My mother said that Master Zhuge was the former Crown Prince's teacher." Xie Jingche looked at the Empress with great interest and said, "I am the most outstanding student at the Longmen Academy in Yuzhou City. Even Master Zhuge praised my sister and me."
"Your Majesty, Mother has taken such good care of us all these years. We have learned so much. Although Mother is not in good health, she has never neglected us. She is the best mother in the world." Xie Jingyan also gave the Empress a bright smile.
Noticing the misty tears in the Empress's eyes, Xie Sili reached out and patted their heads. "You two stay here and keep Her Majesty company. I'm going to find Prince Yan."
"Don't worry, Mother, my sister and I will take good care of Her Majesty the Empress," Xie Jingche's voice rang out.
Xie Sili bent down and rubbed Xie Jingche's head. "Okay, I believe you."
Xie Sili bid farewell to the Empress, leaving the three of them alone, while she went to find Jun Qiyu.
She saw Jun Qiyu sitting alone in the pavilion, with a pot of tea beside him.
"If my elder brother, the Crown Prince, hadn't died, he would have been a good emperor."
She had just sat down when she heard Jun Qiyu's voice.
Xie Sili raised an eyebrow and glanced at him, then poured himself some tea. "Jun Qiyu, you will also be a good emperor. I believe in you."
As she spoke, she picked up her cup and took a small sip. "How are the preparations for tonight going?"
Jun Qiyu gave her a look, "As expected, nothing can escape your eyes. How did you know?"
"I have my own brilliant plan." Xie Sili smiled and curled his lips.
Xie Sili sat in the pavilion chatting with Jun Qiyu for a while, when she saw Xie Jingche and Xie Jingyan walking towards her.
"What did Her Majesty the Empress say?" Xie Sili asked, his gaze falling on the two of them.
"Her Majesty the Empress instructed us to ask Mother whether Prince Yan will become a qualified emperor," Xie Jingche said directly to Jun Qiyu.
Upon hearing this, Xie Sili laughed and then turned his gaze to Jun Qiyu, "I wonder if His Highness the Prince of Yan will be able to become a good emperor in the future?"
Jun Qiyu turned his gaze to Xie Sili, who was wearing a red jacket today.
She seems to be born with a perfect match for the color red.
For some reason, the scene of her jumping off the building in her past life suddenly flashed into Jun Qiyu's mind. She was wearing a red wedding dress and jumped off the building resolutely so as not to become a burden to him.
But now, we can no longer see that Xie Sili, the Xie Sili who belonged only to him.
Jun Qiyu snapped out of his reverie and turned his gaze to Xie Sili. He rested his chin on his hand as he looked at her, half-jokingly and half-seriously asking, "Do you think I would be a qualified candidate?"
a long time.
He heard the other person's firm voice reply, "Of course."
He met Xie Sili's eyes, and at that moment, those eyes reflected only his image. Suddenly, the events of their wedding day flashed through his mind.
He put aside the many thoughts in his mind, lowered his head shyly, and said, "Then I will become a qualified emperor to show you."
Xie Sili didn't notice Jun Qiyu's little thoughts. After hearing Jun Qiyu say those words, she turned her gaze to Xie Jingche and Xie Jingyan.
"Did you hear the answer you wanted?"
After receiving nods from the two little ones, Xie Sili reached out and ruffled their hair. "Go, go tell the Empress my thoughts, and while you're at it, ask her what she plans to do."
Watching the two children walk away, Xie Sili turned her gaze to Jun Qiyu. "Jun Qiyu, I hope you won't be surprised no matter what happens, since we have the same goal."
Jun Qiyu looked at her and nodded. "Do you think Mother will make a choice?"
Xie Sili rested her chin on her hand, looked at Jun Qiyu with a smile, and said, "Jun Qiyu, don't overlook a mother's love for her child. I believe the Empress will make a choice after she learns the truth!"
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