Chapter 102: I wish my aunt a bright future...
Zhao Changning held the queen in his arms and remained silent for a long time.
The queen fell asleep after crying herself tired, but her furrowed brows and the dried tear marks on her pale face showed that her heart was broken. She had poured all her efforts into this hard-earned son.
Chunyun came over and said, "Finally you've cried and shouted. Changning, the Queen is heartbroken and has no time to care about other things. I'm not good at managing things either. I'll have to ask you to take care of the affairs of the palace."
Zhao Changning nodded. "Who's in charge of the palace affairs now?"
"The Empress Shufei is in charge," Chunyun explained. "She was brought into the palace with the Empress when the Emperor was still a prince. She's quite clever."
Of course Zhao Changning knew that after two years of not coming back, these women had all risen in rank.
"I've received the Empress's decree to manage the harem's affairs. Is there a list of the newcomers to the palace in the past two years?"
Chunyun nodded, "Don't worry, I'll send someone to take it to you."
Zhao Changning sighed, "We still have to persuade her. This won't do any good to the Empress or the Zhou family."
When the emperor appointed the empress, the words he said were not empty words, but something to be done. Duty is above power. The third prince is gone, but the emperor still has a son.
Chunyun agreed with tears in her eyes, "Changning, I know you just came back and it's inappropriate to say this, but the Queen and you have always been close and have never had any disagreements. You have the most influence in front of the Emperor, so please help her..."
Zhao Changning pulled her out of the bedroom and asked softly, "Where are those two children now?"
Chunyun choked up and said, "It's in Yonghe Palace, but it's guarded by the Imperial Guards."
Zhao Changning's eyes were calm, and he tightened his grip on her shoulders slightly. "The people and things in the palace have always been dormant like cicadas. If they want to crawl out of the ground, they have to wait for the right time. Chunyun, you have to tell the queen that only after we get through this can we talk about the future. Do you understand?"
Chunyun's eyes, which were filled with sadness, showed a hint of clarity. She stared at Zhao Changning blankly, and suddenly realized that she had changed a lot. She was more resolute, more stable, and more reliable than before.
She heard a hint of meaning in her words and knew that she would not harm the Queen. These words were indeed for the Queen's own good, so she nodded vigorously, "I understand. I will try my best to persuade the Queen to cheer up."
Zhao Changning breathed a sigh of relief. She had just tried to persuade the queen a lot, but she was still immersed in grief and would not listen to anything.
When she returned to her residence, the first person to greet her was Xiaobai.
“Meow meow meow…”
Two years have passed. Xiaobai's chubby face has turned a little pale, his limping legs are not as agile as before, and he runs much slower. Only his barking remains the same, delicate and sticky, as if blaming her for being gone for so long.
"I'm sorry, Xiaobai, I'm back." Zhao Changning hugged the cat and hugged it affectionately. He felt very comfortable away from home in the past two years, but he only owed Xiaobai.
Xiaobai was the most obedient and kindest cat. He easily forgave her and rubbed against her for a long time.
Xiao Shun and the other two stood in a row, looking at their aunt with excitement. They had all grown up, and Xiao Bian, who was the youngest at the beginning, had become the tallest.
Zhao Changning asked the three people about their general situation and was relieved to learn that they had not suffered much.
Xiao Shun looked guilty, "Aunt, I'm sorry, we searched for Yunsheng for a long time but couldn't find him."
Zhao Changning patted her shoulder and said, "Don't blame you. It's my fault for not thinking it through."
Xiaozhi and Xiaobian hurriedly asked, "Can Yunsheng come back?"
Zhao Changning patted his head and said gently, "I will bring him back."
After giving some instructions, she didn't even bother to rest and left the palace again, holding Xiaobai who refused to let go.
In the twelfth lunar month, water turns to ice. The winter in Yujing is colder than in the south. The knee-deep snow and the streets without any greenery always make people tired, especially after the afternoon, when the north wind is as sharp as a knife.
Gao Cong opened the door carefully and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it was her.
Then he was pleasantly surprised again, "Xiaobai?"
Zhao Changning felt a headache from the cold, and his stomach began to churn. He stuffed Xiaobai into his arms and asked, "Is there anything to eat?"
When I was in the south, I always felt hungry and enjoyed eating. I don’t know why, but as soon as I returned to Yujing, especially after entering the palace, I felt like a wound-up spring, never tired or hungry.
Gao Cong saw her holding her stomach and nodded quickly, "I made some porridge, can you heat it up?"
Zhao Changning nodded casually, untied the bun that was pulling at his scalp, sat by the stove, drank porridge without saying a word, as if waiting for something.
Xiaobai caught a little mouse from somewhere and put it at Zhao Changning's feet to tease him as he did before. However, his hands and feet were not as flexible as before, and his body was sluggish, and he almost let the mouse escape several times.
Seeing Zhao Changning sitting there motionless and thinking about something, Gao Cong sighed and picked up the chubby Xiaobai.
"Okay, don't try to fool her with that trick. You might have to play with this mouse for several days. You can't perform until she comes. Aren't you tired, stupid cat? She can't see you right now. She's thinking of something big for her life, you know?"
Xiaobai seemed to understand, glared at him fiercely, and then scratched Zhao Changning with his claws unwillingly.
Zhao Changning finally came back to his senses, patted Xiaobai's head, and said perfunctorily, "That's amazing, Xiaobai."
Gao Cong touched his nose and thought to himself, "How strange! This cat is really smart."
Not long after, someone knocked on the door.
An He was so scared that her legs went weak when she saw her aunt as soon as she entered the door. "Aunt, aunt, you are back?"
Zhao Changning stood under the eaves, looking at him coldly, "Where's Yunsheng?"
An He was trembling, not sure if it was from the cold or fear, "Aunt, Yunsheng is still alive, but..."
Zhao Changning was not surprised and gathered his crane cloak closer. "Let's go. I want to see him with my own eyes."
Seeing that she was alone, Gao Cong was so anxious that he jumped up and down, "Are you crazy? How dare you go there alone at this time? Are you really not afraid of death?"
"I have to go." Zhao Changning looked at him calmly, "Yunsheng is in their hands. I can't abandon him."
Gao Cong stomped his feet and cursed in anger, but finally put Xiaobai down and followed.
An He drove the cart with a panicked look on his face. He tried to explain to his aunt along the way, but his aunt said nothing and ignored him completely. He could only shut up awkwardly.
I was regretting in my heart that I should have stopped Anyi at the beginning. What should I do in the current situation?
Gao Cong heard it all. Knowing that so many people were scared to death of her, she kept glancing at Zhao Changning and became increasingly uneasy.
Will this evil woman kill him to silence him in the future?
When they arrived at an alley, Zhao Changning raised his hand, lifted the car curtain and looked around. It didn't look familiar.
"Yun Sheng is here..." Before she could finish her words, an arrow brushed past her ear, and with a "whoosh", it penetrated the paper-pasted car window and hit the vermilion gate.
An He was terrified and quickly explained, "Aunt, it's not us, it's really not..."
Zhao Changning ignored him, pulled Gao Cong and rushed into the door, hid behind the door, and suddenly took out a bird gun from his wide crane cloak.
Under An He's shocked gaze, he fired a shot outside the door.
Zhao Changning touched the bird gun that he could control as easily as his arm, and felt that what the emperor said was actually true. Talent is really more important than hard work.
Along the way, the bird gun saved her life several times. Compared with arrows that were easily deflected in windy days, the bird gun was much more accurate.
This is also the reason why she dared to come alone.
An He became more obedient, fearing that this thing would make a hole in her body. "Auntie, over here, Yunsheng is over here..."
Zhao Changning followed all the way to a pavilion-like house. The bottom of the house was raised, revealing a little underground space.
She couldn't help but angrily asked, "You locked him up here in this weather?"
Anyi stood in front of the house, head lowered, and said unwillingly: "Aunt, please don't go too far. If it were you, you would only do more than me. What is there to blame? If you want to blame someone, blame this kid for being stubborn."
Zhao Changning snorted coldly, "You speak so confidently, it seems like I'm the one who said too much."
"Aunt, you don't have to be so proud..." An Yi pushed away An He who was pulling him, "It's not certain who will be able to stay with the emperor now."
Zhao Changning looked at him calmly and sneered, "An Yi, you're ridiculous. An emperor can favor or promote anyone he wants, no matter how hard he tries. The fact that he hasn't made any move only proves that the person is just so-so. It's taken you two years to get this far. What else do you think you can accomplish?"
Anyi was about to say something else but was stopped by An He.
"That's enough, brothers, stop talking. Let's just admit defeat. We don't have the brains to do that. Look, the emperor has been obsessed with my aunt for the past two years. It's not just because she's a woman. She's smarter than us, and her methods are more sophisticated than ours. In the court, she's more powerful than my godfather. Just admit it." An He pleaded, "I don't want to die yet. The son that woman brought me just called me dad. He will take care of me in my old age. I still have a long life to live."
An Yi gritted his teeth and pushed him away, "You're useless."
Yunsheng woke up again, and the piercing pain penetrated into his bones again. He tried hard to breathe in cold air in the hope of making himself feel more comfortable.
The room was pitch black, with only a small window, no bigger than a bronze mirror. Through the window, one could tell whether it was day or night. It must be snowing again, as one could see icicles as thick as arms hanging down, landing right in front of the window.
He sighed.
If he dies this time, can he leave his body intact? If not, I hope my aunt can help him plant a date tree. Even if no one worships him in the future, there will be people who will pick dates in front of his tomb. At least it will be lively.
Hearing the sound of chaotic footsteps, Yunsheng used up his last bit of strength to look up.
He must be hallucinating. Why would his aunt come to such a dirty place? She was most afraid of dirt. He was also a little worried that if he messed up this time, his aunt would definitely scold him again if she came back.
“Auntie, Auntie…”
Zhao Changning looked at Yunsheng who had fainted. There was nothing wrong with his body, and it seemed that there was something wrong with his throat. He couldn't tell with his eyes.
When beating a dog, you have to look at the owner first. She suppressed the anger in her heart and looked at Anyi.
"You're leaving Yujing now. I won't hold a grudge against you. It's a token of our mutual assistance over the years. The next time I see you, I'll definitely shoot you with my bird gun."
Anyi looked at An He and saw that he lowered his head and dared not speak. Finally, he nodded dejectedly and disappointedly, and the hope in his eyes vanished.
"Okay, I'm leaving."
In the palace fight, the winner becomes the king. Being able to keep one's life is a blessing from heaven.
After saying this, Anyi seemed to be unsteady on his feet and staggered back a step.
He was silent for a long time before he lowered his head and murmured, "Aunt, I don't know why it has come to this, but I never wanted to betray you. I seem to have been blinded by lard, and I just inexplicably..."
Looking at Zhao Changning's cold eyes, Anyi was at a loss for words. He could only laugh at himself with tears in his eyes, "Forget it. You won't believe me no matter how much I say. I'm leaving now. I wish my aunt a bright future."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Zhao Changning felt cold all over and cold sweat broke out on his back. This conversation was so familiar. It came from two different people, the people she had defeated, one as smart and sinister as Hu Gou'er, and the other as stupid and impulsive as Anyi, but they both said the same words at this moment.
What the hell is power? She loves it so much, willing to pay any price for it, that for a moment she couldn't quite put it into perspective.
The hand stirred it so gently, without even exerting much effort, yet most people just went along with it so obediently, including herself. Perhaps if she lost in the future, this would also be what she would say to someone.
She saw the frightened and panicked expressions on Gao Cong and An He's faces, as if she were some kind of monster, and they were afraid but also disgusted with her.
Just like when she looked at the emperor, helpless but dependent.
Zhao Changning was shocked, as if she saw the cycle of power. Even though she had figured it out long ago, she couldn't help but feel angry. At that moment, it seemed as if something in her body burst out, broke open, and took root.
She felt her heart was about to jump out of her chest, something was pounding her soul frantically, an inexplicable force forced her to suddenly shout, "Stop."
Anyi paused, turned around with a sad smile, and asked, "Auntie, can't you keep me?"
Zhao Changning narrowed his eyes and raised the bird gun in his hand...
When Yunsheng woke up again, the brightness in front of him made his eyes sore and sore, and tears flowed unconsciously. He closed his eyes for a long time before he realized that the pain in his body was even worse.
But he seemed to hear the voices of his aunt and Gao Cong, rustling and unclear, which made him anxious and he wondered if he was dreaming.
He tried to shake his neck, his eyes filled with expectation, but outside the carved window, there was only the rustling of bamboo leaves, and through the paper-covered window panes, there were only vague shadows of bamboo.
My heart moves with the shadows of bamboo, but I am afraid of being teased by the east wind.
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The author has something to say: [helpless] [helpless]
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