Chapter 648 The Emperor is a Wise Ruler
At this moment, Ah Chong stared intently at Zhao Jin upon hearing this. He remembered that when he was a child, he had always lived with farmers. Aunt Zhao would visit him from time to time, bringing him delicious food and even new clothes. She told him that she was his aunt and that he was just being fostered by farmers.
As he grew up, he stayed by Aunt Zhao's side. He only dared to call her "Aunt" in private, and in public he could only call her Aunt Zhao. But in his heart, Aunt Zhao was like his own mother.
"Mother!" Ah Chong suddenly called out.
Zhao Jin's heart trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes. "What did you call me?"
Assassins cannot have emotions or family ties; they cannot be weak-willed.
She works herself to the bone for others just to earn money, for...
Ah Chong continued, "My name is Zhao Chong. My aunt told me this when I was little: my adoptive parents didn't treat me well; they only wanted your money. But I feel like Aunt Zhao is my mother."
Jiang Fenghua said to Lin Feng, "Let them be alone for a while, let's go out first!"
She voluntarily left the meditation room, and Xie Shang and Jiang Jinyan followed her out.
Lin Feng closed the door himself, intending to eavesdrop for a while, but he was shocked to hear Zhao Jin crying her heart out. It really was mother and son. How did the Empress know they were mother and son?
Outside the door, the cold wind howled, rustling the withered leaves on the ground. Inside the temple, the monks chanted sutras in a low voice, their chanting like a surging tide.
Xie Shang walked towards Jiang Fenghua, "It's late, go and get some rest. Leave the rest to us."
Jiang Fenghua glanced inside the door. "Zhao Jin probably knows the answer the Emperor wants. If they haven't done anything heinous, spare their lives. A woman's heart becomes fragile after she becomes a mother."
Xie Shang nodded slightly, "Not all of the Su family's henchmen have been killed. Some escaped, and some were captured and enslaved. If they were merely misled by the Su family, I will make my own decision."
Just as Jiang Fenghua was about to leave, Xie Shang suddenly stepped forward and hugged her, "Ruan Ruan, I can sense that you are unhappy. Their deaths have nothing to do with you."
Jiang Fenghua smiled and said, "I know, Your Majesty, don't worry about me. It is Your Majesty's duty to find an antidote as soon as possible to cure the people's poisoning."
She didn't tell Xie Shang about secretly letting Helan Yanran go. Xie Shang didn't like her, and forcing a woman to stay in the palace for her entire life in order to control the court was the greatest torment for her.
Xie Shang thought she would care about his relationship with Su Tingwan, but she didn't expect her to not care. "Ruan Ruan, it is my blessing and the blessing of the people of our Great Zhou to have you by my side. This world is full of holes and needs the Emperor and Empress to repair it together. Is Ruan Ruan willing to accompany me?"
Jiang Fenghua pushed him away, the gloom in her eyes long since hidden. Her eyes were bright, and she smiled. "Why wouldn't I want to? Even if the Emperor wanted me to be Empress, I wouldn't want to. What else would I want to do? I'm not stupid."
“Since we returned to the palace, misfortunes have been constant, and nothing has gone smoothly. I even began to wonder if it was really the punishment from heaven, as the rumors in Qingzhou said, or if I, as emperor, had not done a good enough job.” He sighed, then added, “I went out for a while, ostensibly to find you, but I also traveled to many places to observe the people’s conditions. This world is truly devastated. Its tragedy cannot be seen with the naked eye; I must look carefully and diligently to see it clearly.”
I thought I had tried my best, but in reality, it was far from enough. There is too much darkness in places unseen by the eyes. I want to dispel the fog and illuminate those places, but I am alone…”
Jiang Fenghua held his hand and said earnestly, "With Ruan Ruan by your side, Your Majesty is not alone. One day, the world under Your Majesty's rule will no longer be shrouded in mystery. As long as Your Majesty does not allow his eyes to be blinded, they cannot blind Your Majesty's eyes. Your Majesty is a wise ruler."
She added, "Your Majesty, I will not leave you. As a mother, I have a responsibility that is more important than that of a father. I want to stay by my children's side and watch their father work for the people to live in peace and prosperity, and for the country to be peaceful and prosperous."
Xie Shang was worried that Jiang Fenghua would care about the concubines in the harem and about the past that Su Qingqing talked about. He said, "Ruan Ruan, the only woman I truly love is you."
"I understand, Your Majesty. Please don't let the other concubines hear what you said, or it will bring me hatred." She could already sense the deep hostility everyone harbored towards her.
Xie Shang paused for a moment, and Jiang Fenghua smiled slightly, then took Granny Wang's hand and walked towards the main hall.
Jiang Jinyan walked awkwardly to Xie Shang and said, "Your Majesty."
Xie Shang said in a deep voice, "What do you mean by Ruan Ruan? I was worried, but now I don't have to worry at all. She has accepted me and the concubines in the harem."
Jiang Jinyan naturally knew what his sister was thinking. What was the use of caring? Could she make a fuss, argue, or throw a tantrum? It was useless. Why bother taking it to heart and making trouble for yourself?
He said, "The most important thing right now is to find an antidote to save the people. What is the purpose of the person who helped Su Qingqing? Does the Empress Dowager know about this person's existence?"
Xie Shang said, "Since they are high-ranking officials, there will always be a way to find out."
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On the other side, Shang Hong also waited on the side. When Jiang Fenghua approached, he respectfully bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I thank you."
Jiang Fenghua said, "I hope I have done the right thing, and that Lord Shang will not let me down."
After saying that, she didn't say anything more to Shang Hong and went straight to the main hall. Everyone bowed to her when they saw her return.
Jiang Fenghua glanced at the concubines and said in a deep voice, "We will return to the palace first thing tomorrow morning. Everyone should go back to your rooms and rest early. I'm sorry to have worried you all about today's events. With the Imperial Guards and the Imperial Household Department on guard, something like what happened during the day won't happen again. Don't worry!"
She added, "Granny Wang, please make the arrangements!"
"Isn't Your Highness going to rest?" Gao Qingtong asked with concern, "Your Highness must have been frightened today!"
Jiang Fenghua knew that she and Gao Qingtong got along quite well and were close before she lost her memory, so she smiled and said, "Let's go together, Consort Gao!"
Upon hearing this, Song Qing joined in the fun, saying, "Your Majesty, I was also with you today. I was so scared today! Thankfully, Your Majesty has returned safely. It's truly a blessing from the Bodhisattva."
Granny Wang was worried all day. Although she knew the inside story, she was still very worried. She wondered if Consort Lan would regret her choice today since she left the palace in this way.
Granny Wang always harbored suspicion towards men. After Consort Lan left the palace, she would have no status, and her life would be even more difficult.
Just as everyone had left, Ao Xue suddenly appeared in the corridor, looking at Jiang Fenghua's back. Before the Empress's carriage fell off the cliff, she could clearly see a masked man in black escaping from the carriage. Was that the Noble Consort Lan?
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