On the twenty-eighth day of the first lunar month, everything goes well.

On this day, Crown Prince Pei Yan ascended the throne in the Golden Dragon Hall and changed the reign title to Yongning. "The 24th year of Zhaokang" became "The first year of Yongning".

Pei Yan in the front court was busy, and Tao Ti in the harem was also busy.

After the coronation ceremony, the harem was conferred titles. Although she was the only queen in the Eastern Palace, the necessary ceremonies were still very complicated.

In addition, she was busy moving from the Yaoguang Hall in the East Palace to the Weiyang Palace, which was very close to the Zichen Palace.

Pei Yan specially ordered people to redecorate the Weiyang Palace, making it look brand new from top to bottom. Even the plaque hanging in front of the main hall was written by him personally, with the three large characters "Weiyang Palace" written in a style like flying dragons and dancing phoenixes.

Compared to the Yaoguang Palace where Tao Ti lived before, the Weiyang Palace was extremely large and spacious, with a double-eaved hip roof and five-story white jade steps below. The eaves were painted with gold-painted dragons and phoenixes, and the house was even more magnificent. The bedroom was painted with pepper walls on three sides, and the pearl curtains in the palace were all round and shiny South China Sea pearls. There were five-foot-high red coral bonsai on both sides of the entrance, not to mention other precious and rare ornaments, calligraphy and paintings, flowers and plants, tables and chairs, etc., all of which were extremely gorgeous and exquisite.

"Ati, is the painting hanging on the wall the 'Lotus and Heron' by the famous artist Wu Min? This is a treasure that is hard to buy even if you have money."

"Wow, this brocade sandalwood screen with peony pattern is so beautiful. No wonder people say that an inch of brocade is worth an inch of gold. It's really amazing."

"Hey, here, the wall is covered with gold foil?! Oh my god, it's so beautiful with all the glittering gold. When I get rich, I'm going to do the same."

Xu Wenchan looked around at the magnificent Weiyang Palace, exclaiming in amazement the whole time.

After looking around, she smiled and said to Taoti, "Ati, His Majesty is really kind to you! Is this because he has moved all the treasures in the national treasury to you?"

Tao Ti lazily leaned on the couch, holding a bowl of longan and white fungus soup in her hand, and took a sip slowly. "Although this palace is spacious and magnificent, it has been very tiring for me to move these days. Tomorrow I have to ask someone to build a new bread kiln. And those fruit trees I planted behind Yaoguang Palace, alas, I could have eaten peaches this summer..."

"That's not difficult. Just find some more tree seeds to plant. As for the fruit, you are the queen now, so why worry about not having fruit to eat?"

Xu Wenchan sat down aside, twisted a piece of butter pine pulp roll cake and ate it, "Speaking of which, in a few days the main hall will be closed, are you nervous?"

"I'm not really nervous, but I feel tired just thinking about the ceremony of conferring titles and worshipping ancestors."

Xu Wenchan smiled, "Why do I feel like you've become more and more lazy recently?"

"Maybe my body is still hibernating. I'll be fine in the spring." Tao Ti said softly, and joked with Xu Wenchan again, "But your chin seems to be a little sharper. Is it because of lovesickness that people lose weight?"

Xu Wenchan's cheeks suddenly turned red, and he murmured shyly, "What do you mean by missing you?"

Tao Ti said, "The princess and her family have been gone for almost three days. I wonder where they are now."

Princess Jingyang and her family had originally planned to leave on the 18th day of the first lunar month, but because of Emperor Zhaokang's abdication, they stayed for a few more days and did not leave Chang'an until the coronation ceremony was over.

"We should have left Chang'an." Xu Wenchan responded. Fearing that Tao Ti would tease her again, she quickly changed the subject to the matter of opening a branch.

Zhang's branch in Luoyang was doing very well, so they decided to open branches in other states to expand their business.

When it comes to making money, both of them are very enthusiastic.

They chatted like this until the evening, when the sky darkened. Both of them were full of confidence and excited.

Before leaving, Xu Wenchan asked, "Your coronation ceremony is so important, Aunt Zhang should have rushed back from Luoyang, right?"

Thinking of Zhang's letter from two days ago, Tao Ti nodded and chuckled, "Well, it will arrive in two days."

…

The ceremony of crowning the empress was scheduled for the sixth day of the second lunar month. Zhang arrived in Chang'an two days earlier, and she was accompanied by Lu, whom she had not seen for a long time.

As soon as the two arrived at the Weiyang Palace, they bowed to Tao Ti very respectfully, wishing the Empress good health and longevity.

Tao Ti quickly helped them up and said happily, "Mother, Aunt Lu, we are all family, no need to be polite."

It has been a while since I last saw Zhang. This time when I saw her, her face was rosy and her eyes were relaxed. She no longer had that old-fashioned and dull look. It was obvious that leaving that bastard in time was an extremely wise decision.

As for Mrs. Lu, I haven't seen her for more than half a year, but she is still as gentle and kind as ever.

Seeing Tao Ti, she narrowed her eyes and looked at her, praising her, "I haven't seen you for half a year. The Empress is more beautiful, and her demeanor is different from before."

Too many people have praised Taoti these days, whether they are sincere or flattering, she feels a little overwhelmed by being praised every day.

After exchanging pleasantries, Tao Ti asked the kitchen to prepare a mutton hotpot, and the three of them sat around the stove, eating and chatting.

The steaming copper pot was filled with white mist, and the delicious aroma of mutton filled the dining room. On the small table on the side were various condiments, such as crushed peanuts, sesame sauce, chopped chili peppers, coriander, chopped green onions, chopped garlic, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, etc.

"It's best to eat mutton hotpot in winter. It warms the body and is nourishing." Tao Ti picked up a golden egg dumpling and put it in the bowl. The mutton soup was delicious, and the egg dumpling was cooked in it. The skin was full of soup. Take a bite, the outside is crispy and soft, and the water chestnut and celery filling inside is rich, salty and juicy. The soup in the filling flows warmly on the tip of the tongue, and it is so delicious that you want to bite off your tongue.

"This mutton is delicious, not smelly at all, and very tender."

"The stewed radish inside is also good, soft and sweet."

Zhang and Lu were no longer so reserved as they were at first, and started to eat heartily with their bowls in hand.

After a meal of mutton, the three of them sat on the warm couch with satisfied looks, drinking tea and chatting.

Mrs. Lu held the teacup and looked at the scene. Suddenly, she felt dazed and said lightly, "Just now, I seemed to have returned to many years ago..."

Zhang was slightly stunned, the smile between her eyebrows froze, and after a moment, she chuckled and said, "Yes."

In the past, they often sat around with Yuanyuan like this, chatting and laughing.

Tao Ti was stunned for a moment, then she reacted, are they thinking of Queen Gu?

Thinking of what Pei Yan had told her before, she began to feel some sympathy for Empress Gu.

With sympathy, she looked at Zhang and Lu across from her, hesitated for a moment, and said cautiously, "Mother, Aunt Lu, I have always had a question in my heart..."

The two mature and elegant women looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

Tao Ti dismissed the palace maids, pinched her fingers, and said seriously, "It's about the eldest prince..."

Zhang frowned and asked, "What happened to the eldest prince?"

Tao Ti bit her lip and asked doubtfully, "Is the eldest prince really not the child of the emperor?"

Zhang and Lu were startled, looked at each other, and their brows furrowed even more tightly.

Zhang's face turned pale and she stared at Tao Ti closely. "Who said that the eldest prince is not the child of the emperor? Where did you hear that?"

Tao Ti told her the exact story that Pei Yan had told her. Seeing that Zhang and Lu's faces gradually turned pale, Tao Ti felt uneasy and wondered if she should have asked the wrong question.

After she finished speaking, Zhang slapped the small rosewood table hard. Her hand was so strong and her emotions were so strong that even the cups and glasses on the table shook three times.

"That bitch Zhou Mingmiao!" Zhang gritted her teeth. Anyway, Zhou was no longer the empress, so she could curse her without any hesitation.

Mrs. Lu was always good-tempered and well-mannered, but now her lips were trembling as she cursed, "You are a venomous woman, you have no shame!"

Zhang snorted and breathed heavily, "I was wondering why Yuanyuan suddenly lost her mind and did such a decisive thing. It turns out that Zhou Mingmiao was trying to sow discord..."

Mrs. Lu had tears in her eyes. "Yuanyuan, how could she be so confused? She believed Zhou Mingmiao's words and she didn't even bother to ask the emperor."

Zhang was also angry about this, but thinking of the increasingly cold relationship between Gu Yuan and Emperor Zhaokang, as well as her own withered mental state, she couldn't bear to blame her and could only sigh deeply.

When she was young, she didn't understand why Yuanyuan had to make trouble with Emperor Zhaokang. Although Emperor Zhaokang's act of forcing her to enter the palace was disgraceful, she already had a child, became the empress, and Emperor Zhaokang was very tolerant and caring towards her. Why should she be stubborn? She might as well accept her fate and live a good life with Emperor Zhaokang.

Now, after all these years, she finally understood how Yuanyuan felt. Without freedom and nature, there was no such thing as "living well". It was just a matter of surviving.

Yuanyuan looks gentle and kind, but she has her own ideas in mind.

Seeing their reactions, Tao Ti came up with a bold guess, "Mother, Aunt Lu, the eldest prince... is the child of the retired emperor?"

Zhang and Lu said in unison, "Of course!"

Taoti:!!!

Hiss, what a huge misunderstanding!

She widened her eyes, like a civet choking on a melon, "Then how come the emperor doesn't know about it?"

Hearing this, Zhang and Lu also frowned and whispered, "Could it be that Yuanyuan didn't tell him the truth?"

Tao Ti said angrily, "It seems like, I don't know."

Zhang and Lu's expressions were a little hard to describe: given Yuanyuan and Emperor Zhaokang's tempers, it was possible that they were holding a grudge and not saying anything clearly.

One was too proud to explain, the other was furious but had to suppress his anger and accept the fact that he was cuckolded.

Two awkward people get together and torture each other.

With tears in her eyes, Mrs. Lu sighed deeply, "Why would they do that?"

"What's wrong with the emperor? How can a man be as confused as him? Doesn't he have any idea of ​​what he has done?"

Zhang clenched her fists and said angrily, "No, I have to go see him. Yuanyuan has suffered so much injustice! How can he be so affectionate!"

Having said that, she stood up angrily.

Tao Ti and Lu were startled, then came to their senses and hurried to persuade her to calm down.

Zhang snorted coldly, "No, this matter must be made clear. I want to let him know that Yuanyuan has never done anything wrong to him, and she doesn't owe him anything! Don't let him think that he is open-minded and tolerant of Yuanyuan because he can recognize the eldest prince. Why should he be so moved?"

Hearing this, Lu pursed her lips and stopped arguing, instead wanting to go with Zhang.

Mrs. Zhang patted her shoulder and said, "Your family is still an official in the court. If it offends the emperor and vents his anger on your family, it won't be worth it. I can do it alone. My daughter is the queen and my son-in-law is the emperor. Even if he wants to vent his anger, he has to weigh it carefully."

Without waiting for Lu's reaction, Zhang rushed out in a hurry.

Tao Ti looked at Zhang's elegant and neat back, her eyebrows moved slightly, and she turned to Lu and said, "Aunt Lu, I now believe what you said before. My mother is really hot-tempered and willful."

Mrs. Lu smiled helplessly and shook her head, "She is really getting worse and worse as she gets older."

Tao Ti chuckled and helped Lu sit down again.

——

Xingqing Palace.

Emperor Zhaokang was quite surprised by Zhang's sudden request for an audience.

He slowly put down the book in his hand and asked Li Gui to invite Zhang in.

A dark blue figure walked in quickly and bowed while suppressing his emotions.

Emperor Zhaokang said no need to be so polite and asked Li Gui to bring a crescent-shaped stool to her.

Zhang glanced at the stool but did not sit on it. She just lowered her head and said, "I came here today to explain an important matter to the Emperor. Please ask the Emperor to dismiss the palace maids."

After a pause, she added, "It's about the late... Empress Dowager."

Emperor Zhaokang narrowed his cold eyes and said to Li Gui in a deep voice, "Take everyone and go down."

Li Gui nodded and quickly retreated with a group of palace servants.

The hall fell silent. The dim afternoon light filtered through the carved windows, casting spots of light on the clean floor tiles.

Only then did Zhang slowly raise her head. When she saw the man sitting on the couch, her originally angry eyes were blank for a moment.

How come he is so old?

She was shocked. Was the gloomy and haggard man in front of her still the arrogant, cold and majestic emperor before?

Emperor Zhao Kang stared at her with his deep black eyes, and said indifferently, "Tell me, what is it about Yuan Yuan?"

Zhang came back to her senses, and with a solemn expression, she didn't say anything more roundabout, and said straight to the point, "The eldest prince is your son, did you know that?"

Emperor Zhaokang frowned, thinking that her question was stupid, "Of course I know."

"I mean, he is your and Yuanyuan's flesh and blood."

“………”

The hall suddenly became silent, with only the sound of two lonely cries of jackdaws coming from outside the house.

Emperor Zhaokang's facial muscles twitched, and he stared at Zhang closely. He spoke in a tight voice, "Say it again."

Although he has aged suddenly, the powerful aura of the emperor who has been in high power for a long time is still frightening.

Zhang suppressed her fear and spoke word by word, "The eldest prince is your and Yuanyuan's biological son."

Emperor Zhaokang pursed his thin lips tightly, his expression dark and difficult to discern.

Zhang asked anxiously, "Have you forgotten that during the Mid-Autumn Festival in the eighteenth year of Chang Zhao, you sneaked into Gu's house in the middle of the night, you, you..."

The rest of the words were hard for her to say.

Gu Yuan only told her and Mrs. Lu about this secret and embarrassing matter. After all, a man from another world sneaked into her room in the middle of the night, and such an unbearable thing happened. If it got out, she would have no chance of living as a human being.

Emperor Zhaokang's pupils shrank sharply and his shoulders trembled violently.

Wasn’t everything that happened that day just a beautiful dream?

Seeing his reaction, Zhang was so emotional that she didn't care about anything else. She sneered coldly, "Do you think Yuanyuan is the type to mess around with men before marriage? She and Wenmingyan are innocent and have always been well-behaved and polite, and have never crossed the line. But you, you... did that to Yuanyuan, how can you let her accept it? She hates you to death, she can't run away!"

Emperor Zhaokang was shocked and felt a buzzing in his head.

"Why, why didn't she tell me the truth..." His voice was hoarse and his eyes were red.

"Yuanyuan married you at the age of 16 and died at the age of 27. You and her have been married for ten years. Don't you know what kind of person she is?" What Zhang actually wanted to say was, you did all these things to Yuanyuan, do you think she was happy to care about you at that time? You don't have any idea in your heart.

Emperor Zhaokang clenched his fists, a gloomy and cold light appeared between his brows, and his chest rose and fell due to strong emotions.

Seeing his distraught look, Zhang felt very complicated.

Yuanyuan is a stubborn person, and Emperor Zhaokang didn't care about anything back then. It's really a sin to put these two people together!

But what could she say? Her marriage in this life was also a mess.

People always think that those in power are confused, while those who are watching can see clearly.

After pondering for a while, she sighed and said, "Yuanyuan is a person who would rather give in than give in. Perhaps, if you had not been so strong back then, you wouldn't have come to this point..."

After saying this, she bowed to Emperor Zhaokang and said, "That's all I have to say. I'll take my leave now."

She left slowly.

Li Gui and others were waiting at the door. When they saw her come out, they bowed to say goodbye.

Zhang had just stepped out of the threshold of Xingqing Palace when she suddenly heard a scream from inside the palace.

"Oh no! The emperor is vomiting blood. Hurry up and call a doctor!"