Chapter 74 Mountain Rain
Both father and son looked at her.
Zen Zhen's expression was cold. "I've had enough of you two. You keep saying you love me, but none of you has ever considered my wishes."
"Your Highness." Yun Yi's eyes lit up when he heard his name, but Chen Dingyao's face darkened.
Zen Zhen took a breath and continued, "My relationship with you ended long ago. I never accepted Your Majesty in my previous life, and I will never accept you in this life either."
She was just an ordinary person. She couldn't disregard ethics and morals like them, nor could she bear the condemnation of the whole world.
Yun Yi's eyes turned red and he wanted to go forward and grab her, but Chen Dingyao stopped him.
Chen Dingyao's eyes were fixed on Chan Zhen's face. Although his expression seemed calm, his heart was on the edge of a knife. He was just waiting for the verdict and then he would be taken to the execution ground and sentenced to death.
"Your Majesty..." Chan Zhen originally thought that she could be as calm and composed as when she rejected Yun Yi, but when she met his eyes, the beautiful scenes of traveling with him inevitably emerged in her mind. Only a month had passed since then, and they were still so vivid in her memory, without fading at all.
This person once held her in the palm of his hand, and also dragged her into hell with his own hands.
In the end, reason prevailed. Chan Zhen said in the same cold tone he used towards Yun Yi, "I have said everything I wanted to say to Your Majesty. From now on, the grudges between you and your son have nothing to do with me."
After saying this, she turned and left without even looking at the changes in the father and son's expressions.
The father and son followed her back with their eyes. After a long silence, they suddenly heard a low laugh.
"So, Father, you have the upper hand in this life, but in the end, you are no better than me."
"She loved me in this life, but she has no feelings for you at all." Chen Dingyao turned around, his face clear of anger, and said leisurely, "How dare you compare yourself to me?"
Yun Yi couldn't help but clench his fists, "In the end, she didn't want you."
"She loved me." Chen Dingyao said slowly.
"Your Majesty also said that he loved her. Didn't I, your son, ever receive her love?" Yun Yi said.
Chen Dingyao raised his eyebrows: "In her previous life, she only had some superficial feelings for you. How could it be considered love?"
Yun Yi held his breath in his chest: "She loves me."
"How come I didn't realize that you have learned to deceive yourself?" Chen Dingyao recalled the hesitation when Chan Zhen mentioned him, and a faint light flashed in his deep eyes.
He looked at Yun Yi. No matter in his past life or present life, Yun Yi's methods still seemed a little immature to him. He was following the same path he had taken when he was young.
"I can get her, but you can't." His expression was calm, yet it contained a hint of oppression and sarcasm. "As long as I live, you will never be able to surpass me."
As long as he lives, Zenzhen will be his legitimate queen, and all subsequent emperors will be their descendants. His name and Zenzhen's will be listed side by side in the history books and passed down through the ages, and no one can separate them.
It was late at night and the wind was strong. Yun Yi felt a chill that penetrated his bones. The man who was always majestic in his memory was looking down at him from above.
This man forced Mingyue from his arms, but turned around and mocked him for being wishful thinking and saying that he was not worthy of holding Mingyue in his arms.
"Then Father, just wait and see."
He will take the bright moon back.
…
After Chanzhen finished her confinement, Madam Wei sent a message to the palace to ask for a meeting.
Chan Zhen did not refuse. Although she had recovered her memories of her past life, she had never forgotten the care and love that Mrs. Wei had shown her.
In her previous life, the Song family became a prominent family under her protection, but in the end, those who were her blood relatives only knew how to suck her blood, and could not compare to the sincerity of Song Ge and Madam Wei, the two relatives she recognized.
She felt that her past life was a joke, without any relatives or love, full of stigma, and she couldn't even save her child, the only one who brought her some comfort.
Fortunately, God had mercy on her and allowed her to live a new life. Although she was inevitably involved with the father and son again, all other shortcomings had been made up for.
It seems nice to just go on like this, not seeing him or missing him, and grow old together without seeing him.
"Mother is here." As soon as Mrs. Wei entered the room, she took the initiative to greet her.
Madam Wei held her hand and looked at her face carefully before a smile appeared on her face. "I was worried when I heard that the Empress had been ill and was confined to the palace. Now that I see how healthy she is, I think she's recovered quite well."
Zen Zhen took her hand and sat her down: "I'm sorry to have worried you, mother. I just used the excuse of being sick because I didn't want to be disturbed by outsiders during my confinement period. Actually, I'm in good health."
After saying this, she asked Luzhu to bring Yuan Zhao over, and she took him in her arms to show Madam Wei, "You haven't seen Zhao'er yet."
Mrs. Wei looked into her arms. It was the first time Yuan Zhao saw her, and his round eyes rolled around her face.
"Your Highness looks so much like Your Highness." Madam Wei's eyes were gentle. Her biological son Song Ge had not yet married, and she didn't know when she would be able to hold her grandson. Although the little prince was not related to her by blood, he was no different from her grandson in terms of seniority.
Zen Zhen teased Yuan Zhao with his finger: "Everyone says the same thing when they see him. Zhao'er looks like me, but there's not much resemblance between him and Your Majesty."
After coming to his senses, Chan Zhen realized that he had unknowingly mentioned that person again, and the smile on his face suddenly faded a little.
Madam Wei noticed her change of mood and sighed, "Is there any rift between the Queen and His Majesty?"
The rumors that the Queen had fallen out of favor spread widely the day before yesterday. Unfortunately, not long after, His Majesty issued an imperial decree to appoint His Royal Highness Prince Rui as the crown prince, and the rumors were finally dispelled.
She had been relieved at first, but when she saw him just now, she realized that the rumor was not groundless.
"Mother, you're worrying too much," Chan Zhen immediately calmed down, "Your Majesty and I remain as usual."
To ordinary people, His Majesty treated her in every possible way, and her resistance seemed very ungrateful. However, such mysterious things as past and present lives could not be told to outsiders, so she simply did not explain it.
Madam Wei saw that she was uneasy and knew that she was hiding something. However, she did not expose her. She just sighed and smiled and said, "If you have been wronged in any way, please tell me. There is no need for the daughter of the Song family to be too wronged."
As Zenzhen listened to her words, he recalled the harsh words his father said before he passed away in his previous life. The comparison between the two made him even more moved.
"Don't worry, mother." Zen Zhen nodded to her.
In her previous life, she had lived with His Majesty for seven years. Although she resented his coercion, she also believed that he would absolutely protect her and Yuan Zhao. The only thing she couldn't get over was her own inner hurdle; she was not afraid of any external threats.
Seeing Madam Wei looking at Yuan Zhao with eyes full of love, she said, "You can hug him too."
"This... Your Highness is of noble status..." Mrs. Wei subconsciously wanted to refuse.
"You are his grandmother." Chan Zhen persuaded her, and then said to Yuan Zhao in his arms, "Zhao'er, do you want to be held by your grandmother?"
Although Yuan Zhao didn't understand, he opened his arms and grinned.
"Look, Zhao'er also wants you to hold him." She carefully handed Yuan Zhao over, and this time Mrs. Wei did not refuse.
"Your Highness is so handsome, much more handsome than Yue Ming when he was a child." Madam Wei couldn't help but praise Yuan Zhao as she looked at his fair and tender little face.
Zen Zhen smiled and said, "Brother will be very sad to hear this."
Madam Wei glanced at her and said, "Your brother has been summoned by His Majesty and is still in the Qinzheng Palace. He can't hear these words."
Zen Zhen's smile suddenly faded: "Mother, do you know why His Majesty summoned my brother?"
"How could I possibly know these secrets of state affairs?" Madam Wei held Yuan Zhao for only a moment before returning her to her. "I heard that Prince Yu and Prince Jin have been quite active in the court recently. I think it's because after Your Majesty appointed Prince Rui as Crown Prince, these two princes have become a little restless. Especially Prince Jin, who recently made military achievements at the border and has always been well-known in the court. I'm afraid he's very unwilling to accept this."
There was a hint of worry in her eyes. Even she felt that it was too early for His Majesty to appoint His Royal Highness Prince Rui as the crown prince. His Royal Highness Prince Rui was still young and inexperienced, and several of his brothers were eyeing him covetously. Such a rush to appoint a crown prince would suddenly focus everyone's attention on Prince Rui, and she was afraid that it would bring trouble to him.
Chan Zhen lowered her eyelashes. In her previous life, after she entered the palace, His Royal Highness Prince Jin seemed unable to withstand the blow and lost his fighting spirit. He suddenly disappeared from the court. She only occasionally heard some news about him hanging out in taverns.
However, he seems to have changed a lot in this life. Whether it is his actions before going to war or his current activeness in the court, he has revealed his great ambition.
She had a vague idea that Prince Jin's ambition for the throne was related to herself.
Thinking of this, she held Yuan Zhao's hand even tighter.
"Your Majesty will not let him go." She felt a little relieved when she thought of the man's possessiveness towards her.
Yes, Your Majesty is so powerful that he will definitely not allow Prince Jin to become too powerful, nor will he give him the opportunity to interfere with him.
Madam Wei, seeing the trust in her eyes, felt relieved and said to her with a smile, "Since Your Majesty has already appointed His Royal Highness Prince Rui as the Crown Prince, he must have made preparations."
Their Majesty was no softhearted man. When her husband was still young, he had just ascended the throne and had slaughtered the entire court with a swift and brutal force, earning him both awe and admiration, and endless praise. His Highness the Prince of Jin's skills were still somewhat lacking compared to what the Majesty had been able to do then. As long as the Majesty was around, the court wouldn't be able to stir up any more trouble.
"Yeah." Zen Zhen nodded, but the ominous premonition in his heart could not be dispelled.
…
In the Qinzheng Hall, the emperor and his minister stood facing each other.
Chen Dingyao looked at the man who had just returned from the battle, his whole body transformed, his aura as sharp as a cold spear, with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.
"Song Qing has grown a lot now."
Song Ge bowed and said, "I thank your majesty for the promotion."
Whether it was training him in the Xuanwu Army or supporting him to lead the army against all odds, His Majesty gave him more opportunities than others. Fortunately, he finally lived up to His Majesty's expectations.
"If Mr. Song has no ability, it will be useless even if I give him more chances." Chen Dingyao said.
He originally chose Song Ge because he valued his abilities, hoping that he could become another pillar of Chan Zhen and protect Chan Zhen from worry a hundred years later. Now it seems that Song Ge has done even better than he expected. I'm afraid Yun Yi has to be a little wary of him now.
Thinking of Yun Yi's actions today, his expression became even colder.
"Song Ge, I summoned you today just to tell you something." His tone became serious.
Seeing his solemn expression, Song Ge knelt on one knee and said in a resounding voice, "I will obey your Majesty's orders, even if it means death."
"Okay," Chen Dingyao nodded slightly, "I want you to protect the Queen and the Crown Prince at all costs if something happens to me."
"No matter who is in front of me, if they intend to harm the Queen and the Crown Prince, they will be killed without mercy!"
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