Chapter 128 Who is this? How dare they be so bold...?
Autumn is coming to an end.
But there was still no imperial edict.
Only faith.
It's been happening every month without fail, and it's becoming more and more frequent.
It looks like an attempt to appease.
Although Liu Shen was a seasoned and experienced man, he gradually became restless in the face of this situation.
"...What did those letters say? Can I take a look?"
Of course not.
Liu Min raised his head, his face full of confusion.
Are you still half asleep?
There's a saying, "It's like worrying about something that doesn't concern you."
If it weren't for his own good, who would bother with this? He's so oblivious to the situation, and when others kindly try to give him pointers, he just gets yelled at.
Even Liu Shen, a man with a mild temper, got angry.
"You seem quite calm and collected, but be careful not to let your guard down."
Upon hearing this, Liu Min laughed instead of getting angry. "Is the egg mine, or the bird? I'm someone who has nothing, what do I have to worry about? I'm just living off her charity, it's all up to her. If she's willing to give, I accept it with gratitude; if she's not, I still have to accept it. What's the use of being anxious? Besides, you're judging a gentleman by your own petty standards. Shan Lai isn't a hypocrite. If she really didn't want me anymore, she would just give me a farewell letter to settle things, she wouldn't bother with all this pretense. What are you really up to by stirring things up like this?"
Well, he's become a villain.
Is this really the attitude of a son? More like that of an ancestor!
Aren't they our ancestors?
We dare not provoke them.
"Fine, I was just being petty and judging you by my own standards. I'll shut up."
Shut up already.
Liu Shen stopped talking nonsense, so Liu Min ignored him and continued to read his book with his head down.
Liu Min was genuinely not in a hurry.
I was already too anxious.
Otherwise, where did those words come from? They are the true gold left after sifting through the sands of time and again to persuade oneself.
He was clear-headed; Shanlai wouldn't abandon him. Her feelings for him were truly genuine. If he still dared to have any doubts, he would truly deserve to die.
Isn't it just waiting?
I can wait as long as it takes.
He wasn't in a hurry at all.
He's not in a hurry, but Shanlai is in a very hurry.
Waiting for a result every day.
To be honest, this is not a kind of justice, because it is a deliberate attempt to wish someone dead.
But then again, I'd rather betray the world than let the world betray me.
Moreover, it's only against one person, not against the majority, and that person also thinks the same way, so it's best to strike first.
Tigers and leopards have already gathered on the steps; there's no need to discuss cause and effect, unless one truly wishes to be devoured by beasts.
Shanlai was unwilling to be a fish on the chopping block, and once he understood this, he felt no burden in his heart.
Good news has been coming in steadily, and it's been coming more and more frequently.
But she still felt the progress was too slow.
Pregnancy is hard work. She loves her child, the child of her and the one she loves. Because of love, she is not afraid of any difficulties. However, the physical hardship is not reduced just because she is not afraid.
I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. A person's belly can actually swell up like that, just like a perfectly round melon, with veins like the rind. And this melon is ripe; if you touch it, it will burst open with a bang, sending blood and flesh flying... I feel tired, listless, as if all my strength has been drained away. My back aches and feels sore. Each day is more painful than the last. I often wake up in the middle of the night, and if I stretch my legs even slightly, the muscles cramp up, making me scream in pain...
She gave birth to this child willingly.
But I still feel wronged.
Because her lover wasn't by her side, even though she was surrounded by many people who cared for her constantly, the absence of him still made her feel wronged.
This shouldn't be the case.
Sometimes I can't help but wonder, why care so much? I don't care about a good reputation, as long as he's by my side, only what I can see and touch is real.
He did write letters, and more than once.
But the letter that was sent out still didn't reveal a single word.
Because I truly love him, I can't be selfish.
All we can do is continue to wait in vain.
At this point, one starts to complain, complaining about everything that doesn't go their way, and might even have malicious thoughts.
Damn it, why isn't he dead yet?
Even my uncle was of no use.
Everyone and everything displeased her.
It's hard to feel good.
The weather was unpredictable, alternating between sunshine and rain, which tormented others and herself. However, because everyone was kind to her, tolerant of her, and did not hold any grudges against her, the only one who truly suffered was herself. She felt guilty, thinking that she had caused others too much unnecessary trouble.
Just keep enduring it like this.
Until Mid-Autumn Festival.
Several doctors said it was just around the corner.
Therefore, it's best not to move around. Just wait for the attack to occur, and once you're on the ground, you'll feel at ease.
But Aunt was a kind and respectable person. It was her birthday, a big day, and because she had only returned this year, it was a reunion that she had longed for for many years. So even Wei Xin rushed back from the southeast day and night, firstly to celebrate his sister's birthday, and secondly to have a family reunion dinner together to comfort the spirits of his relatives in heaven.
So Shanlai felt he had no choice but to go, and wouldn't listen to anyone's advice.
Even if it's not the Empress's birthday celebration, the Mid-Autumn Festival is still a joyous occasion, and the emperor and his subjects should celebrate together.
The celebration had a set procedure and was incredibly lively. Shanlai wanted to join in the fun, but given her current condition, it would be a miracle if she could simply avoid spoiling the celebration, let alone contribute to her aunt's good fortune.
Therefore, she only attends evening banquets.
When the heavens are kind to you, the whole day is a beautiful day.
The sun shines brightly during the day, and the moon shines brightly at night.
Round and smooth like a plate, bright as silver.
There's only one downside.
When the moon was high in the sky, a halo suddenly appeared around us.
No one knows who first noticed it at the table, but they didn't think much of it and just blurted it out, telling the people around them to go and see for themselves: what a bright halo, what a hazy moon.
As everyone looked up, a strong wind rose from the ground.
Flowers swayed wildly, trees swayed wildly, gauze curtains billowed, lamplight flickered, even people's clothes were blown about, and some even got their eyes dazzled, eliciting cries of panic...
Shanlai's heart inexplicably jumped up, and she couldn't sit still. She asked someone to help her up. The moment she stood up, she saw a eunuch wearing a bestowed robe and a smoke-stuffed hat, hunched over, running hurriedly from the end of her line of sight... She suddenly realized something, her heart stopped abruptly, and she stared at the eunuch who was getting closer and closer.
He stopped before the Empress, his face as red as moonlight. His voice trembled as he said, "Your Majesty, please move to the Yifeng Palace immediately..."
In an instant, it felt as if someone had squeezed Shan Lai's heart, crushing her and leaving her stiff and motionless like a corpse, her expression wooden...
The Empress, unaware of what had happened, was filled with resentment. She had been resentful for a long time, and now she unabashedly lashed out at the head eunuch: "What am I doing there? What day is it today? You all have no respect for me!"
You, all of you.
You are this eunuch, and you are this eunuch's master and his master.
What time is it? Why aren't you here yet? What are you trying to do? Are you trying to embarrass her like this?
That's what the Empress thought.
The eunuch suddenly knelt down with a loud thud.
"...Your Majesty, it's...it's His Majesty..."
The voice trembled so much it was almost incoherent.
A startled cry rang out.
The empress suddenly turned her head, her face still showing confusion.
Shanlai's face was also the color of moonlight, which illuminated the patch of water at her feet.
The Empress immediately shouted, "Guards! Guards, come quickly!"
Once they knew what had happened, chaos erupted at the table.
The women of the Gu family rushed over, and the Empress also tried to go over, but was grabbed by the hem of her robe by a kneeling eunuch. "...Your Majesty, please move aside..."
Although it hurt, it wasn't enough to make him lose his mind. So, panting heavily, Shanlai turned to the Empress and said, "...I'm fine. My aunt has something to attend to, so you don't need to worry about me for now..."
The empress was still hesitant.
The eunuchs on the ground were already crying, kowtowing repeatedly, "Please, Your Majesty, move your carriage, please, Your Majesty, move your carriage..."
"Auntie, hurry up and go!"
The Empress looked at this and then at that, still unable to make a decision.
Shanlai was extremely anxious, and a surge of energy welled up beneath him.
"Could my aunt stay and suffer in my place? If not, there's no point in her staying. Or does my aunt think that I'm doomed this time?"
The Empress hurriedly spat on the ground several times, yelling, "What nonsense are you spouting!"
That's what I said, but what I'm really afraid of is this.
I fear the worst, I fear we'll be separated forever...
"Since Aunt hasn't thought of that, then Aunt will go first. I'm really scared if you don't leave... Didn't you tell me before that nothing would happen and that I shouldn't be afraid? Were you just lying to me?"
"It's no lie! Oh dear!" The Empress stomped her foot angrily and said through gritted teeth to Old Madam Rong, "I entrust this to you, Old Madam!"
The Empress was escorted away, and Shanlai was carried off the table.
Giving birth is like entering the gates of hell for women. Although many women have come out of the gates of hell unharmed, they are still very nervous and anxious now that Shanlai is about to follow in their footsteps.
Not for any other reason than that Shanlai is Gu Fang's only daughter, and she also has a mother who died in childbirth. What if something happens to her too...
We cannot help but pray for the mercy of the gods and Buddhas.
Madam Rong even knelt down in the courtyard and kowtowed repeatedly...
First births are always difficult and require thorough preparation, especially since Shanlai looked excessively thin. Madam Mu even ordered someone to quickly slice ginseng, but it was completely unnecessary. Just over an hour later, the baby's loud cries came from inside the room.
It was incredibly fast.
When Shanlai's child was born, the ruler of the world, the supreme emperor Li Ning, still had a breath left in his chest, but it didn't last long.
The cause of the emperor's death was not something to be proud of, so it was simply said that he suffered a sudden and severe illness that could not be saved.
Good fortune smiled upon her; a woman who had just given birth did not need to mourn the king, so she could simply stay at home in mourning, fulfilling her duty to her subjects and juniors.
A month later, Crown Prince Li Hao ascended the throne and honored his birth mother, Empress Wei, as Empress Dowager.
After ascending the throne, the new emperor, amidst his busy schedule, issued an imperial edict. Since the emperor had no son for many years, he followed the common practice of adopting a son. By taking advantage of the emperor's good fortune, the emperor's first son was granted the imperial surname, enfeoffed as the Prince of Kangling, and given a fief of ten thousand households.
Although the official historians wrote that Emperor Yingzong died of a sudden illness, there are other versions circulating among the public.
It's said that the late emperor actually died of a debilitating illness, and that day was even the Empress Dowager's birthday. The late emperor disrespected his wife, refusing to appear in public, and only indulging in sensual pleasures with his concubines, leading to a deficiency of kidney qi beyond medical help. This isn't just hearsay; otherwise, why would the third master of the Le family have been imprisoned? He was the one who presented the beauties and offered the elixirs, causing such a huge scandal. How could the Empress Dowager forgive him? She only refrained from taking drastic action out of consideration for the late emperor's reputation. Poor Grand Secretary Le, his lifelong reputation ruined by his unfilial son, is clearly doomed…
For the sake of the late emperor's posthumous reputation, the new emperor could not accuse the Le family of regicide, so he had to find another pretext. Fortunately, the third master of the Le family had always acted as he pleased and had many flaws, so it was not difficult to find a solution.
With Master Le San imprisoned, Liu Min, who was harmed by Master Le San, can naturally be exonerated and his name cleared.
On a clear day, amidst the vast snow-covered landscape, Liu Min received the imperial edict he had long awaited.
The eunuch who came to deliver the imperial edict was quite old and had met Liu Shen, a former important minister, many times before. They were old acquaintances. At this meeting, he still greeted Liu warmly and congratulated him happily.
This joy was not unfounded; it had a real basis. Liu Shen was happy and treated people with exceptional kindness. Therefore, he warmly invited the guests into the house, wanting to personally brew tea for them.
Liu Min stood in the snow, clutching the imperial edict in his hand, his expression indifferent.
He doesn't seem as happy as his father.
Actually, I was so happy I didn't know what to do.
With this in hand, he could return to Xingdu, or Pingcheng, to take the exam, and then travel all the way to Xingdu. After the exam, he could go to the Duke of Jingguo's mansion to pay his respects...
That's great...
It was springtime, and flowers were in full bloom everywhere, with swallows chirping and orioles singing...
He was lost in his daydreams when a hard object suddenly hit his shoulder, interrupting his beautiful dream.
He was a little annoyed. Who was so despicable? They couldn't stand to see others doing well…
He absolutely had to return it.
Looking down to find something is a form of retaliation; they should be treated the same way they treat you.
They found it, and the person was stunned.
He recognized the purse.
What did she say at the time? She said she would keep it with her until she saw him again…
It was still winter, and winter here was very long, far from the time when the ice would thaw, yet he could clearly feel the vibrant signs of spring: the warm sunlight, the gentle breeze, the babbling brook… Standing under the blue sky, he was so captivated that he almost fainted, feeling as if he were floating on air…
Just as he was about to take flight, he felt another sharp pain in the same spot on his shoulder. It was this pain that brought him down and brought him back to his senses.
Then comes the third strike.
This time he saw where the thing was flying from.
I hadn't noticed before, but this carriage was so exquisitely crafted it was almost excessive.
It must be her.
He tried to lift his foot, but failed on the first attempt. Fortunately, he didn't embarrass himself on the second.
I walked over, initially quickly then slowly, until I reached the side window. I raised my hand and then lowered it again, because I hadn't yet decided what to say as the first thing to the person I met.
What are you saying?
Still not saying anything?
He didn't speak, he just stared at her face...
My heart tightened, so much so that it ached slightly.
He tried to raise his hand, but couldn't; it was trembling, limp and powerless...
At that moment, with a "whoosh," the curtain was forcefully opened.
A face she had longed for day and night, slightly annoyed, yet still quite charming.
He laughed so naturally that he didn't even realize it himself. If he had known, he probably wouldn't have laughed so openly.
That's a bit silly.
Just as he expected, he simply looked at her and smiled without saying a word.
He was so foolish; he ruined all of Shanlai's beautiful plans.
This person.
She was a little angry, so she widened her eyes and shouted, "Who is this? How dare you! You dare not bow to our Prince! The Prince will punish you for disrespect!"
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