Tianbao hid behind Xiaosi, hugged his arm tightly, and secretly looked at the woman not far away.
Her emaciated figure made her clothes look too bulky, and her sleeves and skirt were torn into strips that fluttered in the wind. Her cheeks were sunken, her eye sockets were scratched inward, and her face was covered with scratches, new ones covering old ones. Her hair was a mess, a mess like a chicken coop, and there was even a bald spot.
Zhong Cainu's eyes were dull, and she had to hold onto a pillar to steady herself, murmuring, "Xiaojiu, Xiaojiu..."
Xiao Si heard her breath was weak and couldn't help sobbing: "Mother."
Every time she called Xiaojiu, Xiaosi would call her mother.
An inexplicable feeling of desolation lingered in Tianbao's heart. She looked at Xiaosi uncomfortably and held his hand tighter and tighter.
After an unknown amount of time, Zhong Cainu's lifeless gaze finally fell on Xiao Si's face. Suddenly, she pointed at him and cursed fiercely, "Unfilial son, you unfilial son!"
She stumbled over, her exhausted body stumbling and it looked like she was about to fall with every step.
Xiao Si didn't see this and dodged, and was pounced on by Zhong Cainv.
"Didn't you say she was going to die?" Xiao Si's tone was cold, not like that of a seven-year-old child at all.
The old woman guarding the gate said four words indifferently and left: "Last breath of life."
Xiao Si's body shook violently.
"Pa!" Zhong Cainv used all her strength to slap Xiao Si in the face. Xiao Si didn't dodge. "I told you to take Xiao Jiu back, why didn't you want to? You're such a troublemaker! You don't bring honor to me at all!"
She yelled at the top of her lungs, causing Xiao Si to tremble.
I don’t know if it was because of fear or sadness.
Tian Bao's eyes welled up with tears of distress, and she revealed a pair of eyes from behind Xiao Si: "Don't hit Fourth Brother! You are his mother, you must love him and protect him!"
Zhong Cainv then saw Xiao Tianbao. After a moment of confusion, she suddenly reached out to her.
Tianbao was so scared that he screamed and turned around to run. The crazy Zhong Cainü was really scary.
Xiao Si came back to his senses and hurriedly blocked Tianbao from Zhong Cainü, but the two children were no match for the strength of a madman. Tianbao's clothes were soon torn loose, revealing the auspicious cloud warm jade around his neck.
Zhong Cainu grabbed Nuanyu and glared at Tianbao fiercely, "Why did you steal Si'er's jade? It's all your fault. You stole his good fortune. I prayed for Xiao Si, and it's been blessed! I told you not to steal it!"
She reached out to pinch Tianbao's neck, but before she could do so, Xiaosi grabbed her arm and bit it hard.
She screamed hoarsely in pain, finally let go of Tianbao, staggered backward, bumped into a pillar, slid down and never stood up again.
"Wow, wow, wow..." Tianbao was so scared that tears were streaming down his face, and the back of his head was hurt when he hit the ground.
Xiao Si held her and comforted her: "Tianbao, don't cry, Tianbao, don't cry."
He was also frightened, but if no one accompanied him, he would not dare to come alone to see a dying person.
He felt very guilty at the moment. He looked at Zhong Cainv stubbornly, pulled Tianbao and was about to go out.
Tears were about to flow out, and he raised his hand to wipe them away, not allowing himself to cry for this bad woman anymore.
After Tianbao took a few steps, he looked back and suddenly stopped: "Fourth brother."
Xiao Si looked at her with red eyes: "What's wrong?"
"Fourth brother, look." Tianbao pointed behind him.
Xiao Si gritted his teeth, his chest rising and falling violently. After calming down for a long time, he turned his head with a stern face.
The dying Zhong Cainü opened her arms towards him, her mouth moving silently, but no one knew what she was saying.
Xiao Si's defense was broken in an instant.
He hasn't been held by his mother for more than two years, and he will never be held by her again.
Tears fell like beads from a broken string, "Mother, Mother..."
Tianbao pulled out her little hand and pushed Xiaosi: "Fourth brother, go ahead."
With very little force, Xiao Si staggered back two steps, then quickly turned around and pounced on Zhong Cainv. The two arms finally dropped down, resting on his back, and finally slowly slid down.
Xiao Si buried her face in her smelly clothes and sobbed for a long time, her little body trembling.
Tianbao didn't dare to get close, but no matter how scared he was, he didn't run away. Instead, he covered his eyes with his little hands and stood there waiting for Xiaosi.
When the two walked out of the cold palace hand in hand, the two gatekeepers who were chatting came to their senses: there was no other little girl in the harem except Princess Yongle!
Their legs went weak and they quickly knelt down in front of the little princess.
Tian Bao glanced at Xiao Si, whose eyes were swollen from crying, and asked them, "The person inside is not moving, what should we do?"
The gatekeepers looked at each other in bewilderment. What could they do? Drag the remains to the mass grave and burn them.
The two of them didn't dare to say anything, so Tian Bao said in a baby voice: "Don't mess around."
She wanted to go back and beg the tyrant emperor to let Xiao Si bury his mother properly. She didn't feel sorry for this bad woman at all, but she felt sorry for Xiao Si.
Xiao Si glanced at her sideways, as if he had guessed what she was thinking: "Tian Bao, what do you want to do?"
The innocent baby said innocently, "Tianbao begs father to let fourth brother send her off."
Xiao Si blinked twice in confusion, not understanding what Tianbao meant by "send".
He sniffed his snot: "Didn't I just see her for the last time? Don't tell Father we were here, or he'll scold me again, and Mother too."
Tian Bao's face fell, and he lowered his head to reveal his cute double chin: "Okay."
When the two returned to Lewan Palace, Concubine Wan and Zhiqiu were searching frantically and were thinking of reporting to the Queen to search the entire harem.
Seeing the two of them return safe and sound, Concubine Wan wiped away her tears. She couldn't bear to blame them, so she examined Tianbao from head to toe with a distressed look on her face: "Where did you go? I was so worried. You can't play missing anymore, okay?"
When Concubine Wan touched the back of her head, she gasped in pain, but endured it so that Concubine Wan didn't notice.
Thinking of the situation in the cold palace, she buried herself in Concubine Wan's arms in fear and started crying: "Don't cry, mother, Tianbao will play hide-and-seek. Tianbao will be a good boy in the future."
Xiao Si felt very uncomfortable and bowed respectfully to Concubine Wan: "I was wrong. I will never let Tianbao play like this again. I'm sorry."
Imperial Concubine Wan wiped away her tears and choked up, "Okay, Your Highness and Tianbao are still children. They must have someone with them, just in case, right?"
Xiao Si nodded: "Yeah."
Tianbao knew he had nowhere to go, so he wiped his tears and pulled Xiaosi to teach her how to play pot throwing, play house, and use a slingshot...
The two children were playing and laughing, and Xiao Si quickly put his mother's death behind him.
However, Tianbao had nightmares twice during the night and woke up crying each time.
Concubine Wan was heartbroken and held her all night, but no matter what she asked, she shook her head and said she couldn't remember what she dreamed about.
The next day, when the emperor came to Lewan Palace to see his daughter, he saw Concubine Wan with a charming face. She looked so pitiful that he couldn't help but feel distressed.
He walked up to the stunned Concubine Wan, touched her eyes, and felt a slight heat in his heart: "Have you cried?"
Concubine Wan was delicate and gentle. She wanted to bow but was pulled into his arms. She couldn't help but choked with grievance and said, "Tianbao had a nightmare last night and woke up crying twice. I am so distressed."
The emperor's heart sank: "Why would I have a nightmare?"
Concubine Wan thought about it and didn't tell anyone that Xiao Si and Tian Bao had been missing for an incense stick of time.
At this time, Zhang Fujin stepped forward solemnly and said, "Your Majesty, there's news from the cold palace that Zhong Cainu passed away yesterday."
The foolish emperor was stunned for a long while before he remembered who Zhong Cainu was. Thinking of Prince Jing's suggestion yesterday, he pondered, "I think it's her ghost that's haunting Tianbao. Humph! My beloved concubine, please pack up and let Tianbao stay at Prince Jing's mansion for a few days to change her mood. I'll take this opportunity to send someone to exorcise the evil spirit."
Tian Bao just ran out and heard these words, and his eyes immediately lit up like stars: "Yeah! I can go out of the palace to play!"
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