Seeing that Empress Dowager Zhou's expression was not malicious, Qianqian relaxed her guard and looked at her mother.
You Ran sighed. It seemed there was no escaping it.
If Chu Heng came, she could still vent her anger, turn her face away, and keep running.
But this is the queen of a country, who went through great lengths to find her, which is probably unprecedented and will likely never be repeated.
If she and Chu Heng get back together in the future, they will be her parents-in-law. How can she run away then?
Furthermore, she was approaching twenty-one, and it was time for her to return to the capital and guard the City God Temple.
The answer to her last question from her past life is about to be revealed.
Thinking of this, she pushed her daughter forward and stood next to her son, saying, "Come on, these are your grandparents, kowtow to them."
Qianqian and Wanwan's eyes widened instantly, and they froze.
We were just saying yesterday, "Why don't they have any grandparents?" and now they've suddenly appeared!
The male shadow guard wept with joy; the county princess's words meant she had agreed to return to the capital!
He kowtowed three times frantically, "Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you, Your Highness!"
Then he ran frantically outside the door, and no one knows what he was saying, but a chorus of cries immediately erupted outside.
You Ran's lips twitched.
He then took a deep breath, stood up, and, holding one of his two children in each hand, knelt respectfully before the two men, saying, "Greetings to the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Dowager."
The two children knelt down, but they were stunned and didn't know what to say.
Just now, Mother said they were Grandpa and Grandma? How did they suddenly become some kind of retired emperor and empress dowager?
Seeing the two children frozen in shock, Empress Dowager Zhou couldn't bear to see them kneeling any longer. She quickly helped You Ran to her feet while smilingly pulling the two children closer. She tucked one into Emperor Shunqing's arms and hugged the other herself, exclaiming, "Oh, my dear grandson! You look exactly like your father when he was little!"
"Father?" Qianqian keenly grasped the title.
"Oh, it's your father," You Ran said guiltily.
Empress Dowager Zhou gave her a reproachful look, as if to say that she was a precious and noble prince and princess who had suffered for so many years. She deserved to be punished!
Emperor Shunqing looked at the baby girl in his arms with curiosity, "Quickly call him Grandpa!"
Wanwan tugged at his beard, "Grandpa's beard isn't long enough! It's not as long as the village chief's beard!"
"Hahahaha—" Emperor Shunqing laughed heartily.
Empress Dowager Zhou held Qianqian in her arms, tears welling in her eyes.
...
A few days later, two extremely luxurious carriages slowly made their way back to the capital.
A group of mounted guards followed in front and behind, but they could only move slowly to accommodate the speed of the carriage.
One of the shadow guards suddenly sighed, "Five years... I can finally go home. Waaah..."
In an instant, the shared sentiments of all the shadow guards were ignited, and they all began to sob on horseback.
Several of Emperor Shunqing's guards, seeing this, shouted, "What are you howling about?! Are you wailing at a funeral?!"
The crying stopped immediately.
The burly shadow guard, who was also the captain of the shadow guard team, shouted, "Brothers, let's sing 'The Ballad of Heroes'!"
The next second, the team erupted in a thunderous roar.
Inside the second carriage, You Ran's lips twitched wildly.
The first carriage carried a grandfather, his grandson, and his three children. Qianqian asked curiously, "Grandpa, have you been in such a noisy environment the whole way?"
Wanwan followed suit and covered her ears, "It's so noisy, so noisy!"
Empress Dowager Zhou smiled and said, "They are truly happy today, so let them be happy for a while. They won't be happy after that. They will be very quiet."
Along the way, Empress Dowager Zhou and You Ran talked about many things that had happened in the capital in recent years.
That year, Wu Wang went south and found the Youyou clan. He promised that the Great Zhou would send a large army to protect the Youyou clan for thirty years. He brought back the most powerful elder in the clan, who cured the Emperor, Empress Dowager Zhou, and Chu Heng of the Gu poison within a month.
After Emperor Shunqing recovered and resumed governing the country, Chu Heng embarked on a long journey to find his wife.
Empress Dowager Zhou learned from the messages sent back by the shadow guards that Chu Heng had traveled east, then north, and then west. He would rush to the destination no matter how small the clue, even if it meant staying up all night. Three years later, the shadow guards returned in tears, pleading for help. They said that His Highness was on the verge of collapse, emaciated beyond recognition, and frequently experiencing hallucinations. Clearly, his mental state was on the verge of a breakdown.
After discussing the matter with Emperor Shunqing, Empress Dowager Zhou immediately summoned Chu Heng back to the capital under the pretext of her serious illness.
As soon as he returned to the capital, Emperor Shunqing immediately issued an edict to abdicate, and under the pretext of recuperating, he left the palace with Empress Dowager Zhou.
Chu Heng was suddenly entrusted with the heavy responsibility of governing the country. A group of important officials refused to let him leave. After resting for a few days and recovering his strength, he could not abandon the responsibility and began to deal with the affairs of state. From then on, he was bound to the palace.
Emperor Shunqing and Empress Dowager Zhou observed from the shadows and were relieved to see their son gradually recover.
Empress Dowager Zhou was always worried about You Ran's situation, fearing that her son would run away again to look for his wife after they returned to the palace. After thinking about it, she decided to go sightseeing with Emperor Shunqing under the pretext of traveling around, but in reality, they were searching for You Ran's whereabouts.
As they walked, they arrived at Xiangnan Town, and unexpectedly, they actually found her.
You Ran felt both touched and guilty. She had thought it was just between her and Chu Heng, but she hadn't expected it to involve the Emperor and Empress, and cause the shadow guards to suffer...
Empress Dowager Zhou shook her head, "In fact, the Yun family has also sent many people to search for your whereabouts. Your mother has also received many clues and personally went out of the capital at least five or six times. Unfortunately, she has not been able to find the real you."
If the Duke of Yun were to relinquish his heavy responsibilities and accompany your mother on her travels, I think they would certainly take the opportunity to search for your whereabouts.
Your brother sent all the senior disciples from the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion out in all directions. For the first two years, he himself was away from the capital for more than half the year. He must have been out searching for you.”
You Ran was truly speechless and filled with remorse.
"However, there are quite a few happy events as well. I'm afraid you don't know yet, do you? Your third sister married into the royal family and became the Second Prince's consort. After Chu Heng ascended the throne, she was granted the title of Prince of Zhan and given a fief of six thousand households in Zhan Prefecture!"
You Ran gasped. "I remember that year... her and that handsome young man who had regained his sight..."
Empress Dowager Zhou nodded. "He is the Second Prince, Chu Xiao. He was blind from childhood, but gradually regained his sight after treatment at a medical clinic. In fact, we all have to thank him. On the day Empress Jiang forged the imperial edict, he happened to be in the palace attending to the ailing Empress. Empress Jiang thought he was blind, so she didn't avoid him and he saw her clearly. That's how the cabinet got a witness, seized the forged edict, and turned the tide."
You Ran was shocked. "He...he's really the Second Prince? The legendary medicine dispenser at the clinic?"
"Yes. He and your third sister were in love, but unfortunately his birth mother died early, and the palace was in chaos. It wasn't until the Emperor recovered and the Crown Prince left the palace that he told me his feelings."
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