Chapter 332 Narcissus Turns into a "Widow"
Madam Lin cried her heart out.
Looking at Lin Niangzi, who was crying in despair, Shui Xian's eyes flashed with deep anger.
She held Lin Niangzi's shoulder and said calmly, "Lin Niangzi, don't be afraid. We'll figure out a way to deal with this slowly."
When Lin Niangzi met Shui Xian's gaze, for some reason, she felt that this equally gentle woman in front of her possessed a convincing and composed demeanor.
She gradually stopped crying and then nodded emphatically.
...
While dealing with Lin Niangzi's affairs, Shui Xian forgot one important thing.
After settling in Suzhou, she sent a letter to the palace to let them know she was safe and sound, and most importantly, to let them know she could bring her child over.
Before leaving the palace, she discussed with Emperor Zhaoheng that, with the child's safety guaranteed by the secret guards, Shui Xian would occasionally take the child out of the palace.
It not only broadens children's horizons, but also allows children in the palace to get closer to the people and understand their hardships.
On this day, while Shui Xian was still secretly working for Lin Niangzi, an inconspicuous blue-curtained carriage stopped outside the small courtyard on Tang Street.
When Narcissus heard the door open, she turned around and saw Yongning, who was being carried out of the carriage by the nanny and was wrapped up like a little pink dumpling.
"mother!"
Yongning spotted her immediately, struggled to get down, and with her short legs, rushed over with red eyes, burying her face in Shuixian's arms and bursting into tears.
In those cries, there was the grievance of a long journey, the longing of not seeing each other for months, and even more so, the most instinctive dependence of a child.
The narcissus's heart instantly turned into water.
She never expected that after she sent the letter, Yongning would be sent directly to her.
Emperor Zhaoheng genuinely believed her.
Shui Xian hugged her daughter's soft little body tightly, squatted down, letting her daughter's tears and snot soak her, and just kept patting her back gently, coaxing her softly: "Yongning, don't cry, Mother is here... Mother is here."
After crying for a long time, Yongning finally stopped sobbing, looked up at the narcissus with her tear-streaked face and wet eyes.
Then, she hiccuped, and suddenly burst into laughter through her tears.
"Mother, Yongning misses you."
Narcissus looked at her daughter and her heart softened completely.
She bent down and kissed her daughter's forehead, then smiled and said, "Mother misses Yongning too."
In the days that followed, Narcissus temporarily put the investigation into usury at night, and spent the daytime with her daughter, enjoying precious time together.
She temporarily shortened the business hours of Tingyun, closing it every afternoon to focus on spending time with her daughter.
She took Yongning to the bustling Tangjie Night Market to see dough figurines and sugar blowing, and bought her sweet pine nut candy and chewy osmanthus cake.
She taught Yongning to distinguish the feel of different fabrics and told her the difference between silk and satin.
Although Yongning only vaguely understood what he was hearing, he kept his eyes wide open and tried his best to remember.
They also went to Hanshan Temple outside the city to listen to the evening drum and morning bell, and to see the throngs of pilgrims.
At night, the mother and daughter squeezed together on the not-so-large bed.
Yongning needs to be close to her mother, with her little hands wrapped around her neck, to fall asleep.
Once, in a half-dreaming state, she muttered softly, "The bed in the palace is so big and soft, but it doesn't smell like my mother."
In the darkness, Narcissus listened to her daughter's even breathing and felt the warmth of the small body in her arms. Her heart was at peace, yet a slight pang of sorrow rose within her.
As a mother, I can't help but feel guilty and ashamed.
Narcissus gently kissed Yongning's soft little face and sighed softly in her heart.
When leaving Beijing, the only thing I was reluctant to leave behind was my child.
The Imperial City, the Qianqing Palace.
After Yongning left, Emperor Zhaoheng received daily secret reports from his bodyguards.
The secret reports didn't cover major military or national affairs, but rather trivial daily matters.
What did the princess eat today? How many times did she laugh? How many hours did she sleep?
Where did the Empress take the princess, and what did she say?
How does the Empress look? Are her brows relaxed?
He often picked up those thin pages and looked at them repeatedly during the breaks between reviewing memorials.
Those were his wife and daughter.
Now, in the misty Jiangnan region, she lives a simple yet warm life without him.
He gave her freedom, but in doing so, he also exiled himself into this longing...
......
Suzhou Prefecture.
Yongning's arrival shattered the low profile that Shuixian had deliberately maintained.
Although the nanny and the accompanying servants cautiously addressed Yongning as "Miss," a young and beautiful "widow" with a delicate and exquisite daughter was still an eye-catching topic of conversation in the bustling streets.
The news quickly reached Zhao Heng's ears.
Zhao Heng had always harbored lustful intentions towards Shui Xian, but due to her cold and unyielding attitude and inexplicably unsettling demeanor, he did not dare to force himself on her for the time being.
Now that she heard that her daughter had brought her along, her status as a "widow" was confirmed. All her previous fear vanished, and her evil thoughts flared up like wildfire fueled by oil.
A helpless orphan and widowed mother, isn't she at his mercy?
Deep winter.
Shui Xian took Yong Ning to a popular temple outside the city to offer incense and pray for blessings. On their way back, it was almost dusk.
The carriage slowed down as it approached a relatively bustling street corner.
Suddenly, several shouts came from the front of the carriage. The coachman yelled "Whoa!" and abruptly pulled on the reins.
The carriage lurched, and Yongning nearly fell, but Shuixian caught him in time.
"What happened?"
Narcissus lifted a corner of the carriage curtain.
The carriage was blocked in front of three or four tall and burly servants.
The leader was Zhao Heng, who was wearing a dark green silk robe with floral patterns.
He stood in the middle of the street, blocking the way, fanning himself with a folding fan and sporting a greasy smile. He was accompanied by several followers.
Passersby turned their heads to look, but no one dared to approach because of Zhao Heng's infamous reputation.
"Fairy Lady, what a coincidence!"
Zhao Heng approached with a grin and actually reached out to lift the carriage curtain.
Shui Xian's eyes turned cold, and she suddenly lifted the carriage curtain completely, standing in front of the carriage to protect Yong Ning behind her.
She looked calmly at Zhao Heng. "Young Master Zhao, what is the meaning of this?"
"Broad daylight, blocking the road and obstructing traffic—is there no law in Suzhou Prefecture?"
Zhao Heng felt a jolt in his heart when he saw her cold gaze, but his attention was immediately drawn to the lovely and adorable Yongning peeking out from behind her, and his wicked thoughts intensified.
He chuckled, his gaze sweeping over Shui Xian and Yong Ning, his words growing increasingly offensive: "Why must you be angry, Fairy Lady? I am only showing you tenderness."
"Look at you, a widow and her daughter, struggling to make ends meet with just a small shop. Why force yourself to stay? If you come with me, I'll guarantee you and your daughter a life of luxury, with plenty of fine silks and satins to choose from. And I might even arrange a good marriage for your daughter in the future. Wouldn't that be a hundred times better than you struggling and showing your face in public like this?"
The crude words reached Yongning's ears. Although the girl was young, she had grown up in the palace and was incredibly sensitive and precocious.
She instantly understood the insult, her face flushed red with anger, and she leaned halfway out from behind Narcissus, shouting, "You're talking nonsense! I have a father! My father is the most powerful, the most powerful person in the world!"
The child's innocent voice stood out clearly in the noisy street.
Zhao Heng was taken aback at first, then laughed as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. He pointed at Yongning and said to the onlookers, "Listen to this little brat, she's quite the dreamer!"
He scoffed, "If your father were truly so powerful, would he have left you and your mother to show your faces in this Suzhou Prefecture and suffer such poverty? He would probably be long gone, hiding somewhere!"
"you!"
Yongning's tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
Narcissus hugged her daughter tightly and covered her ears with her hands.
She looked up at Zhao Heng, her face devoid of any warmth, only a chilling coldness.
That gaze actually made Zhao Heng, a seasoned and ruthless man, feel an inexplicable pressure.
"Zhao Heng, I have remembered what you said and did today."
"Now, move aside."
Her tone wasn't fierce, but her undeniable authority made Zhao Heng inexplicably uneasy.
He instinctively took a half step back, then became furious, feeling that he had been intimidated by a widow and had lost all face.
But under the watchful eyes of everyone, he didn't dare to actually rob it by force. He could only reluctantly step aside to make way, but he was still sharp-tongued and made threats.
"Alright, Fairy Lady has backbone! That's the kind of temperament I like!"
The carriage restarted.
Shui Xian could sense that several figures were quietly following her in the crowd; they were the secret guards sent by Emperor Zhao Heng.
If Zhao Heng had done anything even more outrageous just now, he would probably be the one who ended up with blood on the spot.
Inside the carriage, Yongning held Shuixian tightly, burying his face in her arms, his shoulders trembling, but he stubbornly refused to cry out.
"Yongning, don't be afraid, your mother is here."
Narcissus gently patted her back, comforting her daughter who had never experienced anything like this before.
Thinking of Zhao Heng, who was vaguely connected to Lin Niangzi's usury, Shui Xian's eyes grew even colder.
Yongning stayed in Suzhou for more than a month before being escorted back to the capital by her nanny and secret guards.
Upon returning to the Forbidden City, Emperor Zhaoheng personally greeted his daughter outside the Qianqing Palace.
He picked up his daughter, who was noticeably tanned but looked even more lively and healthy, weighed her in his arms, and laughed, "Our Yongning has gotten heavier; the water and rice of Jiangnan nourish people."
Yongning hugged his father's neck, but instead of chattering away as usual, he seemed rather sullen.
During dinner, Emperor Zhaoheng noticed that his daughter was in a bad mood and patiently asked, "Yongning, did you not have a good time in Jiangnan? Or do you miss your mother?"
Yongning held a small silver spoon, poking at the grains of rice in the bowl, when suddenly she looked up, her big eyes filled with tears.
"Daddy! There's a bad guy! He's bullying Mommy!"
"Waaaaah, they even insulted Yongning, saying he has no father!"
Emperor Zhaoheng's smile froze instantly. Since Yongning settled in Suzhou, Emperor Zhaoheng did not want to pry into the lives of the mother and daughter, so he instructed his guards not to report unless their lives were in danger.
He slowly put down his chopsticks, lifted his daughter onto his lap, and gently wiped away her tears with his fingertips. His voice remained gentle, but his eyes held a deep, unfathomable storm.
"Yongning, tell Daddy, what bad guy was he? When? Where? How did he bully Mommy?"
Sobbing and breaking down, Yongning recounted how he had been stopped at the street corner that day and how Zhao Heng had spoken rudely to him.
She was young and couldn't remember some words, but she remembered the phrases "widow" and "your father died long ago" very clearly. Every time she said them, Emperor Zhaoheng would tighten his arms around her.
After Yongning finished speaking, she cried and hiccuped. Emperor Zhaoheng gently patted her back, his voice incredibly soft: "Yongning, don't be afraid, Father knows. Yongning was very brave to protect Mother. Let the nanny take you to wash up and go to bed, okay?"
He handed his daughter, who was crying herself to sleep, to the nanny and watched them walk away.
The gentleness on Emperor Zhaoheng's face vanished instantly, leaving only icy coldness.
He turned around and walked back to the Imperial Study.
"Bang!"
With a sharp crack, the Ru ware celadon tea cup on the imperial desk was slammed to the ground and shattered into pieces.
Feng Shunxiang trembled with fright and knelt down with a thud.
After a long silence, his icy voice rang out, "Summon the commander of the Dark Guards immediately."
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