Chapter 331 Affection Between Children and Parents
Unexpectedly, after the fighting subsided, this man found her outside her tent and stubbornly knelt down.
He couldn't speak or understand the Central Plains dialect, but he looked at her with his emerald green eyes and clumsily gestured that he wanted to be her servant and repay her.
No matter how she tried to drive him away, he wouldn't leave, and eventually she just went along with it.
He stayed in her tent, serving her tea and water, leading her horse and whipping her, and taking care of her daily needs.
In a later battle, she was shot in the shoulder with an arrow, which caused a high fever and left her unconscious; her condition was critical.
He actually ran to the icy river outside the military camp and immersed his entire body in the bone-chilling water. After his body became stiff from the cold, he ran back to the tent, climbed onto her bed, and pressed his cold body tightly against her burning skin, again and again, to cool her down.
The biting coldness jolted her awake from her daze, and she saw it was him.
At that moment, all notions of social status and ethnic differences were cast to the winds.
All she knew was that she was determined to have this man.
She had previously married a woman, but he died of illness not long after their marriage.
Later, she never considered remarrying.
This time, however, she wanted to give him a proper status so that he would stay by her side.
After conquering the Xianbei and returning to the capital, she immediately went to the palace to see Li Yuanzhao and asked His Majesty to grant her a proper marriage, making him her husband.
She rose from the lowest of the Xianbei slaves, who didn't even deserve a name, to become the rightful Marquis's wife of the Duke of Wu of the Great Qi.
The year after her marriage, she gave birth to Ru Bai.
She didn't cry; instead, he cried his heart out, refusing to have any more children, afraid that she would suffer the pain of pregnancy again.
Therefore, she only has one child, Ru Bai.
Although he was a boy, His Majesty valued him highly and selected him as the Crown Prince's study companion at a young age, allowing him to stay by the Crown Prince's side every day, studying and practicing calligraphy together, and experiencing life together.
She was not unaware of His Majesty's intentions.
His Majesty probably favors Ru Bai, hoping she can marry into the Eastern Palace and become the Crown Prince's consort.
This was an honor bestowed upon the Ru family, and she deeply appreciated their kindness.
But now that her son is entangled with the second prince, she naturally cannot escape blame.
She immediately knelt on one knee and took the initiative to admit her mistake, "Your Majesty, this matter is due to my failure to properly educate my son. Ru Bai is young and ignorant, and his words and actions were improper. He offended His Highness Prince Yong and angered him. It is truly my fault. When I return, I will definitely discipline him strictly, order him to be careful in his words and actions, never cause any more trouble, and I will also make him... stay away from trouble and behave himself."
Li Yuanzhao held the teacup and gently blew away the foam.
Ru Mo and she grew up together and had a deep bond.
Not to mention that over the years, he has risked his life for her, fighting in the north and south, and making outstanding contributions.
She always remembered this loyalty, bravery, and merit.
Over the years, she has watched as Ru Mo finally fell in love and married a beautiful husband, whom she cherishes and protects like a precious treasure.
Nowadays, which female official in the capital doesn't have three husbands and four concubines, surrounded by male relatives?
It's quite rare to find someone like Ru Mo who only stayed with one man and had a son.
For this reason, she had already made up her mind that Ru Mo's son would marry the next emperor of the Great Qi.
Therefore, Ru Bai was chosen as the Crown Prince's study companion at a very early age.
Moreover, she raised her son exceptionally well.
She likes it very much!
Over the years, I've seen that the two children grew up together and are very close.
Now, this marriage is only a matter of her decree.
But how can matters of the heart be explained or calculated so clearly?
Now it seems that her second daughter also harbors some inappropriate thoughts towards the Ru family.
However, even Gan Xu himself probably doesn't understand what this thought is.
In some ways, Gan Xu is the child who is most like her.
He has a stubborn and ruthless streak; if he wants something, he will stop at nothing and use any means necessary to get it.
Moreover, she has always been at odds with her elder sister, the emperor.
Now that she sees Ru Bai is someone close to her elder sister, she has also developed a desire to compete with him.
If we don't put her in a good position in time and let Gan Xu continue to act recklessly, what if she really causes a scandal like "sisters fighting over each other and the younger sister stealing the older sister's husband"?
That's why she had to give them a heads-up beforehand.
Now that Li Yuanzhao saw that Ru Mo had fully understood his meaning, he said no more.
"Get up."
She took a sip of tea before slowly saying, "I know Gan Xu's temperament best. She's always been spoiled and arrogant. The root of today's events lies with her; what does it have to do with Ru Bai?"
She put down her teacup and looked at Ru Mo: "Ru Bai is a good child, with upright character and keen intellect. I have seen it all and know his worth over the years as his companion in the Eastern Palace."
Then, she changed the subject, "It's only been a short time, and the children have all grown up. Boys and girls are different, and they can no longer play and interact with each other without any restraint like before."
This couldn't be clearer: from now on, Ru Bai must keep his distance from the Second Prince to avoid suspicion and trouble.
Ru Mo's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly replied, "Your subject understands. When I return, I will certainly give my son a stern warning, urging him to always be mindful of his duties and etiquette, and never again to make mistakes or cause trouble."
"Hmm." Li Yuanzhao nodded slightly.
She picked up her teacup again, her tone no longer as calm as before, "Some fine Emei Snow Bud tea has been newly presented as tribute from Sichuan. I tasted it, and the flavor is exceptionally clear and mellow, quite different from the tributes of previous years. Take some back with you and let your husband try it."
Ru Mo felt a little relieved and thanked him again.
After Ru Mo left, Li Yuanzhao remained alone behind the imperial couch, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the thumb ring.
Just now, when speaking to Ru Mo, she naturally had to stand on the emperor's side and give him some advice and instructions.
Ultimately, however, it was my own child who was in the wrong.
Gan Xu is absolutely lawless!
He openly whipped and injured people in the Imperial Garden, and he was also the study companion of the Marquis of Wu'an's heir and the Crown Prince.
If this gets out to someone with ulterior motives, it could spark a lot of discussion.
What's the point of just reprimanding Ru Mo and asking her to discipline her son?
The root cause clearly lies with Gan Xu.
Even she herself was unsure whether Gan Xu's current thoughts stemmed from a competitive spirit with her elder sister, or from a quietly budding affection in his heart.
If this girl doesn't retract her thoughts, no matter how far Ru Bai hides, she'll probably find an excuse to approach him.
However, she was at a loss as to how to approach the innocent thoughts of a fifteen-year-old.
Gan Xu was stubborn by nature and would not respond to force but to gentle persuasion.
If she were to personally intervene and speak too bluntly, it might backfire if the girl suddenly realized something.
If we ignore it, who knows what kind of situation it will develop into?
Li Yuanzhao suddenly remembered his fifteen-year-old self.
Back then, she had to attend court before dawn every day to participate in government affairs, study with the Grand Tutor in the afternoon, and handle government affairs and study military strategy by lamplight at night.
With all his mind focused on scheming against court officials, how could he have time to ponder matters of the heart?
Although she had been served by several men and had tasted the pleasures of men, she never truly took them to heart.
Looking at her daughter now, born in a peaceful and prosperous era where "women hold power," she has been pampered and given whatever she wants since childhood, unlike her daughter who had to endure bloodshed and constant danger. Yet, she is instead disturbed by these "trivial" things, becoming restless and acting absurdly.
She rubbed her temples.
It seems each generation is worse than the last.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com