"I understand."
"You can arrange things for your brother, but you also need to pay attention to your own affairs. The harem can't stay empty forever; Xiao Bao needs more brothers and sisters..."
Xiao Bao secretly glanced at his mother, who was eating with her head down and his expression was not visible.
Xiao Bao glanced at his father again. Hmph, his father had promised him that he wouldn't take concubines. If his father dared to do anything reckless, he would take his mother and run away from home, and see if his father would be anxious.
"Mother, there is something I have been keeping from you."
The Empress Dowager said, "Oh, what is it? Tell me."
Ning Yan: The Empress Dowager didn't notice that the Emperor referred to himself as "朕" (Zhen, the imperial "I") when speaking to her today.
In fact, when he first ascended the throne, Lu Chengwen was not comfortable using "朕" (zhen, meaning "I" or "I") to refer to himself. When he spoke to her, he would often say "我我我" (wo wo wo, meaning "I am I") and he liked to call her "夫人夫人" (furen furen, meaning "Madam Madam"). When he was with the Empress Dowager, he would either refer to himself as his son or as "我" (wo, meaning "I") and rarely referred to himself as "朕".
"The imperial physician examined my pulse and discovered that I had been drugged and would be unable to have children in the future. The head of the Imperial Hospital has already ordered me to abstain from sex."
Ning Yan glanced at the Emperor in surprise. Lu Chengwen gave her a look that said, "Figure it out yourself." Ning Yan immediately put on her dramatic act and slammed her chopsticks on the table. "So, you've always known that you can't have children, but you still want to blame it on me?"
"Your Majesty, it's not what you think."
"What do you mean? Just the other day you said you wanted me to give you two sons. Were you just trying to fool me?"
After saying that, Ning Yan got up and walked outside.
Upon seeing this, Xiao Bao quickly put down his chopsticks and followed his mother, saying, "Mother, Mother, wait for me."
The Empress Dowager extended Er Kang's hand, "..."
However, the empress had already left without looking back.
She could only withdraw her hand, looking at her eldest son with a conflicted expression, "Tell me the truth, is this true?"
Lu Chengwen: "Mother, do you think I would joke about such a thing?"
The Empress Dowager was somewhat convinced, her face filled with pain. A grown man could no longer have children, and judging from her son's words, he wouldn't even be able to sleep with women anymore. How painful it must be for her son to suffer such a disgraceful thing.
"Have you found out who poisoned you? Was it that bitch Cheng Yun?!"
The Empress would never drug the Emperor, after all, she didn't have a child yet.
The one who did this must be that bitch Cheng Yun.
Cheng Yun: ...
Lu Chengwen: ...This, although this is just an excuse he made up, if his ex-wife can take the blame, then let her take it.
Seeing that the emperor remained silent, the empress dowager understood everything. "Is it really her? You wretch, you wretch! I hereby issue an imperial decree ordering you to hand over the antidote."
"Mother, it's no use. There's no evidence that she was the one who put the medicine in. Besides, she is Xiaobao's biological mother after all."
Lu Chengwen: Sure enough, one lie requires countless lies to cover it up.
The Empress Dowager was heartbroken and cried for a long time while holding her son. In the end, she said that she would never allow the emperor to hold a selection of concubines again, since the fewer people who knew about this matter, the better.
If one woman doesn't have children, you can say it's the Empress's fault. But if a bunch of women come back and none of them have children, then who wouldn't know that the problem lies with the Emperor?
If word gets out, where will the Emperor's face be?
Well, the Empress is a good person. With only the Empress by the Emperor's side, she can feel more at ease.
After leaving Cining Palace, Lu Chengwen, unusually, did not return to the Imperial Study to review memorials, but instead went to Qifeng Palace.
The mother and daughter were still hungry and were waiting for noodles from the small kitchen.
"Xiao Bao, why aren't you in class?"
Ning Yan said, "How can he go to class if he hasn't even eaten anything?"
You too, let's eat some more together later.
Lu Chengwen agreed, sat down opposite Ning Yan, and asked with a smile, "Are you satisfied with what I said?"
“It’s a bit risky. After all, you only have one son, Xiaobao. If someone else becomes too ambitious, Xiaobao will be the one in the most danger.”
"That's perfect, let's catch the ambitious ones as soon as possible."
"We also need to make proper arrangements for the people around Xiao Bao."
Lu Chengwen: "I know you're worried about him. Don't worry, I'll make the arrangements."
Xiao Bao: ...He just doesn't say anything. Anyway, both his father and mother are genuinely good to him.
Within a few days, Xiao Bao's servants were all replaced. There were four head maids, one skilled in poison, one skilled in martial arts, and the other two looked like trained fighters, so dealing with several adult men would not be a problem.
All four eunuchs were skilled in martial arts, and one of them, Xiao Ming, was the most clever. Xiao Bao always kept Xiao Ming by his side.
Ning Yan was also quite curious about where Lu Chengwen had found these people, but she didn't ask too many questions. The more capable a man was, the more comfortable her life would be.
Since that day, the Empress Dowager never mentioned the matter of the Emperor selecting concubines again. The Emperor and Empress lived in perfect harmony. Ning Yan felt that it was quite rare that Lu Chengwen's attitude towards her remained the same after he ascended the throne.
By the end of the year, the deposed emperor finally made a move. The Cheng family actually contacted some of the Third Prince's loyal followers to try and rescue him.
Ning Yan heard Lu Chengwen say this with her own ears, and she was somewhat impressed by the Cheng family. They were always either courting death or on their way to doing so. Wouldn't it be better to just live a down-to-earth life?
Even though their status is awkward, with Xiao Bao around, no one would dare to do anything to them. But this time, they'll probably lose their lives.
On New Year's Eve, the deposed emperor was rescued from the Third Prince's residence, and his two sons were taken away with him.
At the same time, the Cheng family provided them with conveniences.
Chu Wuwang personally led a hundred elite soldiers to slaughter the people at Shili Pavilion.
Afterwards, the entire Cheng family was imprisoned, including the Duke of Li's mansion. Both families were eventually exiled by Lu Chengwen.
Anyone whose son is already a prince wouldn't get involved in this kind of thing, but Cheng Yun actually did. She did whatever her family told her to do, without considering the consequences at all.
Lu Chengwen even considered killing Cheng Yun outright, but in the end he arrested her and sentenced her to exile.
Even if she survives the three thousand li journey, once she arrives at her destination, the people of the Duke of Li's mansion will not let her off easily.
Out of sight, out of mind; she should just stay away.
As for Xiao Bao, perhaps because he ate the immortal peach and became healthy, the little guy's learning efficiency increased several times over. He was so engrossed in studying that he couldn't tear himself away and didn't care about his mother at all.
Ning Yan felt that Cheng Yun had really failed in her life because Xiao Bao truly considered her dead.
Although such behavior is quite heartless, Cheng Yun definitely brought it upon herself.
Time flies, and more than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye.
His Highness the Crown Prince also married the Crown Princess.
Nowadays, Lu Chengwen has left most of the court affairs to his son, and occasionally he will take Ning Yan out of the palace for a few days to play. He is living a very carefree life.
That evening, after the couple went to bed, Lu Chengwen said, "Your Majesty, I've heard that you can see golden eagles and herds of wild yaks on the grasslands. Would you like to go and see them?"
Ning Yan: "Going to the grasslands? How long do you plan to stay?"
Lu Chengwen pulled the man into his arms and pressed one hand under his head. "Xiao Bao is already twenty-one. He handles most of the government affairs, so it won't affect how long we stay."
"Tsk, are you planning to quit?"
"To be honest, it feels pretty good to have great power, but you are so much younger than me. I want to take you to see more places while I am still healthy, but the Crown Prince is the Crown Prince. As long as he does not ascend the throne, there will be two voices in the court, and Xiao Bao will be constrained in his actions."
"So, you still want to abdicate early?"
Lu Chengwen hadn't had enough of being emperor yet, but being emperor was truly tiring and restrictive. "Hmm."
"Have you thought it through?"
"Have you thought it through? Do you think he'll stop listening to his father just because I abdicate?"
Xiao Bao is filial, so it's impossible for him not to listen to them.
And so the matter of abdication was settled.
Crown Prince Lu Yu never expected his father, the Emperor, to pull such a stunt, suddenly announcing his abdication in court and issuing an imperial edict of abdication.
Because the dragon robe and other items had to be made on the spot, Lu Chengwen dropped a bombshell and then took Ning Yan to the grasslands, leaving a mess for Lu Yu.
The following year, the emperor and empress returned from the grasslands and moved into the imperial palace, where Xiao Bao officially ascended the throne.
The Great Qi Dynasty entered a period of rapid development.
Ning Yan left this world at the age of fifty-eight.
Lu Chengwen had eaten the immortal peach, so living to be a hundred years old wouldn't be a problem. She didn't like getting too old, so she simply disappeared. (End of Chapter)
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