Zhao Shu was stunned, but quickly understood. Zhao Yi had drugged him. Despite being his own father and bound by blood, he had actually done something to harm him.
However, born into an imperial family, did Emperor Mingde, as a father, ever reflect on his own faults? No, he only remembered that Zhao Yi had placed him under house arrest here, and that Zhao Yi had drugged him.
However, she doesn't remember how Zhao Yi was persecuted back then. Fortunately, Qiu Tong is pregnant now, otherwise Zhao Shu would be very worried about having no successor.
"Everything has a cause and effect. Uncle, please don't sow discord. Ah Jun is not an emperor, nor does he want to wield immense power. He just wants to live a peaceful life. If you remember the years of nurturing and support from your grandmother, then live a peaceful life as the retired emperor. Your brother the emperor will not do anything to you. After all, your biological father is like heaven, and he is not as ruthless as you."
If one is ruthless enough, one is already observing mourning for the country.
"Hehe, you can go now. We'll never see each other again. Whether I'm stupid or infatuated, out of sight, out of mind." After he finished speaking, he turned his head and stopped looking at Zhao Shu.
Unable to dissuade him, Zhao Shuzhi left his bedchamber and saw the Empress Dowager standing in the distance. She was thin, her eyes were sunken, and her face was haggard, which even makeup could not hide.
Upon seeing Zhao Shu, she forced a smile and said, "A-Jun," before choking back tears.
"Don't be sad. Your body is your own, and no one can suffer for you. If you don't take care of yourself, how can your brother the emperor handle state affairs with peace of mind?" Zhao Shu went over and helped her up.
"Is he still not listening to advice?" She didn't answer Zhao Shu's question, but asked directly.
Zhao Shu remained silent for a moment, but she understood. Her body stiffened, and she beckoned to the palace maids and eunuchs, "A-Jun, you should go back. This place is ominous. Do not come here again."
"Why are you making things difficult for yourself?" Zhao Shu didn't know what to say. Emperor Mingde was given drugs because he wanted to regain his power, but all drugs are harmful to the body. If Emperor Mingde continued to use them for a while, he might die.
Judging from his plump and healthy appearance, it was clear that if he continued to take medicine, he would not live much longer.
"I have never done anything for my son, so I will take care of this matter. Ah Jun, the emperor is young, so please take good care of him in the future." After saying this, she seemed to realize that she had misspoke, and then smiled self-deprecatingly, "Look at me, you are still too young yourself. In the future, you and your siblings must support each other and not let others cause discord. I have lived in a daze for more than 20 years, and now I must live more clearly."
She talked on and on, and Zhao Shu listened to her every word. The Empress Dowager didn't expect her to reply. They talked for a long time, and although it was extremely cold, neither of them felt it.
The Empress Dowager spoke at length, as if she were recounting decades of her thoughts, without any particular focus, only talking about her past experiences in the palace.
Finally, as she led Zhao Shu out of the palace gate, she said, "It's foolish to even reach for something you can't hold onto. Ah Jun, don't follow my example."
Zhao Shu pondered these words repeatedly, recalling her past life. Suddenly, a radiant smile appeared on her face. In this life, she had everything without having to lift a finger.
When she left, it was already dark. After returning to the Prince Yong's mansion, she bathed and changed her clothes, then curled up on the couch to read. She was reading a storybook that Green Ivy had bought from somewhere, which was about the tragic love between a young nobleman and a beautiful woman.
However, I always recall the relaxed smile on the Empress Dowager's face at the end. She had aged, but she was more profound than when she was young, like a book that had been written for a long time, slowly getting thicker.
He tried to read a few more lines, but he couldn't concentrate at all. He tossed and turned on the couch, his mind restless.
In the middle of the night, a bell suddenly rang, and her heart instantly plummeted into an icy abyss, trembling with cold.
She couldn't remember how many times the bell rang. As soon as the death knell sounded, the whole country mourned. Chu Chun and the others acted quickly and immediately found people dressed in white. Before long, Prince Yong also appeared in Qionghua Courtyard dressed in white.
His eyes were red, and his lips moved but he couldn't say anything.
"Father, don't be too sad," Zhao Shu comforted him, though her own heart was heavy.
Prince Yong nodded and reached out to touch her head. "Father knows. Don't be too sad, A-Jun. Just now, a report came from the palace saying that your royal uncle left with a smile on his face and was not tormented by illness."
It seemed that these were the only words that could offer comfort. Zhao Shu nodded emphatically, "Yes, let's go see the Empress Dowager."
“Alright.” Prince Yong walked ahead, and the father and daughter entered the palace.
All the civil and military officials had arrived. The two avoided the officials and went directly to Cining Palace. As soon as they arrived, they saw Zhao Yi and Qiu Tong there, and the imperial physicians were coming and going.
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