Chapter 468 Around the Knees
Seeing the Empress Dowager raise her hand, Wen Woyu worried that her grandmother might actually hurt her mother in her anger, and hurriedly tried to stop her, but then saw Meng Lingge wink at her slyly.
Wen Woyu's figure, which had rushed forward, stopped, but she quickly squatted down, just like Meng Lingge, and hugged the Empress Dowager's other leg, pressing her small face against it.
Looking at the two faces squatting beside her legs, the Empress Dowager naturally thought of the phrase "surrounded by children and grandchildren."
His other hand naturally landed on Wen Woyu's face and gently patted it.
Meng Lingge and Wen Woyu both moved slightly upon seeing this, bringing their faces closer to the Empress Dowager's palm so that she could stroke them more comfortably.
The tense atmosphere instantly transformed into a warm and harmonious one.
After a long while, the Empress Dowager sighed helplessly.
"You, you really have me figured out. You know I can't bear to hit you, yet you've kept such a big plan a secret from me and still have the nerve to justify it. Let me ask you, is this palace really that bad that you and the Emperor were planning to leave three years ago? And have you never given up on this idea in these three years?"
"Is it still about the imperial heir? At worst, I won't force you anymore. If you don't want to have a child through a surrogate, and you still haven't conceived in a few years, you can adopt a child, or let the Princess Consort of Zhongqin adopt a child. There's no need to go down the path of abdication..."
Although Wen Zhiming was forced to ascend the throne, he has been a very competent emperor for the past few years, and no one has affected his position. There is absolutely no need for him to lose his position as the ruler of a country because of the issue of imperial heirs.
The Empress Dowager really didn't understand. Wen Zhiming was doing a smooth job as Emperor, and Meng Lingge, as Empress, didn't have to manage the concubines or have a difficult mother-in-law. What else could she not be satisfied with?
The couple did such a big thing without saying a word.
"Mother, it's not that the palace is bad, nor is it solely because of the issue of imperial succession." Meng Lingge looked up at the Empress Dowager earnestly.
“There are many reasons, but the most important one is that the current Empress of the Golden Moon Kingdom is not necessarily the Emperor and I. However, the Emperor and I have better options that can solve the problems we are currently facing and are more meaningful and valuable than continuing to stay in the palace.”
"Mother, just like you left Father and chose to be with me and the Emperor, others may not understand our choices, but as long as we believe it is right and that a different way can bring more happiness, we should boldly try it."
"Your Majesty, I no longer wish to be preoccupied with matters of court officials, imperial heirs, and the harem. I wish to ride horses across the grasslands, to see scenery different from that of the inner palace, and to do my part for the people on the border."
"..."
The Empress Dowager listened, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.
Sometimes she would feel bored in the deep palace, but when she thought about the luxurious clothes and fine silks in the palace, while the common people outside were still struggling to make a living, she could immediately convince herself that if she enjoyed the wealth that others did not enjoy, she would naturally have to sacrifice something else.
But she was getting on in years, while Wen Zhiming and Meng Lingge were still young. Her son was not a lecher, and her daughter-in-law was not greedy. The palace was a place of wealth and luxury, but to put it bluntly, it was a prison.
She wanted to nod, but then remembered that she had come to hold them accountable and to ask them to rescind their decision to abdicate, so she spoke earnestly.
"The northern frontier is a desolate wasteland, how can it compare to the comfort of the capital? You want to develop it, but how easy is that? On the contrary, the capital is now prosperous and stable, with fewer and fewer things to worry about. Why do you two want to run to that poor place?"
"You young people aren't afraid of hardship or fatigue, so should I, Woyu, suffer with you? Should this old woman like me also go through all this trouble with you?"
No, it won't.
Meng Lingge took the Empress Dowager's hand.
"His Majesty said that a secondary capital will be built in the northern border region, and a trade market will be opened. Before the local prince's residence is completed, we will stay in the residence of the local officials. Once the prince's residence is completed, we can move in. Moreover, we are going to the northern border region on a mission, so we can bring guards and palace maids. There will definitely be someone to take care of you and Woyu. At the very least, there is your concubine. Your concubine guarantees that she will take good care of you and Woyu."
Wen Woyu nodded earnestly from the side, "As long as Father, Mother and Grandmother are together, Woyu can take care of herself and help Mother take care of Grandmother."
The Empress Dowager remained silent for a moment, thinking to herself that her heart was becoming increasingly soft-hearted.
The child came running over in a fit of rage, but after being hugged by the two of them, one big and one small, and coaxed with a few words, all of their anger vanished.
She had originally intended to persuade Meng Lingge, but now she had been persuaded by Meng Lingge instead. She knew in her heart that if she couldn't even persuade Meng Lingge, she would have no chance of persuading Wen Zhiming.
After thinking for a moment, the Empress Dowager sighed.
"The children are grown up, and they are no longer under their mother's control. But I must remind you once again, once this matter is accomplished, you will not be allowed to go back on your word. Furthermore, although I have watched Wen Kehao grow up, and he and Mo'er are indeed brothers, you can't see into someone's heart, and people can change. In the future..."
At this point, she waved her hand and said, "Enough of this discouraging talk. The Emperor's decree has been issued, and you've made up your minds. Let's just take it one step at a time."
"I have remembered everything the Empress Dowager said. The Emperor said that he is prepared to deal with Lanyu Kingdom, Prince Zhong, or local corrupt officials and bandits. I trust the Emperor."
"That's good." The Empress Dowager nodded and helped Meng Lingge and Wen Woyu up. "It's tiring to talk while sitting down. Squatting all the time is too tiring."
She pointed to the few decorative items that Meng Lingge had just moved over, and said with a hint of helplessness.
"Didn't you say you had something for me? I'm so impatient. I haven't even seen the gift yet, and you've already fooled me."
"This isn't a gift; it's returning something to its rightful owner."
Meng Lingge smiled faintly as she stood up, walked to the ornaments, and lifted the soft silk to reveal the old but still dazzling items inside.
A glass lamp, hazy and elegant, ethereal and beautiful. Two begonia cups, their petals seemingly alive, exuding refinement. A vase with a lotus scroll design, uniquely shaped, its body translucent…
The last item was a display stand with more than a dozen pieces of jewelry laid out on it: hairpins, necklaces, hair ornaments, beaded combs, hairpins...
The Empress Dowager involuntarily raised her hand to touch it, saying in disbelief, "This is..."
“That’s right, these are the things you lost when the Prince of Anshun’s mansion was raided. These jewels were pawned by the Emperor when he was short of money leading the army. I’ve been searching for three years and only managed to find these few.”
When the Prince of Anshun's mansion was raided, the items that could be moved were confiscated and put into the national treasury. However, when Wen Zhiming ascended the throne, he saw that most of the confiscated items had not been touched, so he assumed that nothing was missing. It was not until the Empress Dowager took inventory that she discovered that some of the old items in her room were all gone.
Whether the items weren't particularly valuable and went unnoticed, leading to their being embezzled by the guards who raided the house, or were casually given away by the Emperor, the larger items remained, but many of the smaller, exquisite items were lost.
These were either left to her by her parents or acquired by her and her husband during their harmonious marriage. They were not very valuable, but they were very meaningful to her.
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