Chapter 54 [54]
【54】/First release
After breakfast that morning, Lu Zhiwan decided that he could not wait any longer and had to take the initiative to go to the palace.
Otherwise, she and Xiao Jingting would feel embarrassed to eat, drink and live for free at Grandpa Sun's house all day long.
She finally managed to persuade Xiao Jingting to wait for her at home. She climbed onto the ox cart and hadn't traveled half a mile when she saw a group of Jinyiwei in flying fish uniforms and armed with swords searching the village.
When Lu Zhiwan saw those familiar outfits, she felt that all the hard work had paid off and she almost burst into tears.
For a moment, she didn't care about her manners. She grabbed the thick branch Yingying found for her as a walking stick, stood up shakily from the ox cart, and waved and shouted, "Here, here! I'm here!"
When this voice was shouted, several Jinyiwei came over in unison.
When they saw the young woman on the ox cart, who was wearing coarse cloth and hairpins but still had a beautiful face, they were all excited.
Although they had never seen Concubine Zhao's true appearance, in such a desolate countryside, who else could have such a beautiful and graceful woman except Concubine Zhao?
Several people quickly reported to the deputy captain, who hurried over upon hearing it.
When he saw Lu Zhiwan on the ox cart, he could not hide his excitement. This time he had really accomplished a great feat!
"Your humble servant, Xu Zhao, Deputy Captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, pays respects to Her Majesty Zhao Fei. May Your Majesty long live the emperor."
All the Jinyiwei also knelt down and kowtowed in unison.
This orderly display stunned both Grandpa Sun and the little girl Yingying. What? Concubine Zhao? The palace's favorite concubine?!
"Deputy Captain Xu, there's no need to be so polite." Lu Zhiwan raised his hand.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Xu Zhao lifted his robe and stood up, then asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, I wonder where His Majesty is now? Can he be with you?"
Lu Zhiwan nodded: "Your Majesty is with me."
He glanced at the people before him again. There were sixteen of them, more than enough to carry Xiao Jingting back. However, Xiao Jingting's wounds hadn't healed yet, so it would be more appropriate to have them bring an imperial physician and a sedan chair to retrieve him.
Thinking of this, she slowly stepped down from the oxcart and instructed Xu Zhao, "First, send someone back to inform the Queen Mother and reassure her. Then arrange for a sedan chair and imperial physicians to accompany her to welcome the emperor."
Xu Zhao responded repeatedly: "Your Majesty is right."
He quickly arranged for someone to go back and report the news. He was also very respectful to Grandpa Sun and Yingying, and took the initiative to push the ox cart back to the farmyard.
Lu Zhiwan was afraid that their large number would scare Xiao Jingting, so he asked them to guard outside while he went back into the house to give Xiao Jingting a heads-up.
Outside the courtyard, Aunt Sun looked at the officers with trepidation. She tugged at Uncle Sun's sleeve, unable to speak clearly, "Old man, what's going on?"
Grandpa Sun also seemed to be dreaming, and he mumbled, "It seems we have... saved a noble man."
Aunt Sun: "Ah?"
Grandpa Sun: "My dear, most honorable gentleman! Old lady, if you do good deeds, you will be rewarded. We are really lucky this time!"
Aunt Sun was still confused, but Yingying said with joy, "Sister Wanwan didn't lie to me. She really lives in the palace!"
Aunt Sun opened her eyes wide in shock and gasped, "Palace, palace?!"
I originally thought that Miss Lu and her husband were just wealthy businessmen, but I never expected that they had such a powerful background!
In the simple house, Xiao Jingting was lying on the bed with his eyes closed, but when he saw Lu Zhiwan, a hint of joy flashed in his black eyes.
"She's back!"
His heart was filled with joy, but his tone was indifferent: "Didn't you say you'd be back in the evening? Why are you back so soon?"
Lu Zhiwan didn't care about his hypocritical and arrogant behavior, and greeted him with a smile on her face: "What a coincidence, I just left the house and ran into the Jinyiwei who came looking for us. They are waiting outside now, and they have sent someone back to the palace to report the news. I estimate that someone will come to take us back to the palace in the afternoon!"
Compared to Lu Zhiwan's joy, Xiao Jingting's reaction seemed very cold. He just drooped his long eyelashes and nodded lightly.
Seeing this, Lu Zhiwan's eyes flickered slightly. He slowly walked to the edge of the couch and sat down, looking at his profile: "What's wrong?"
Xiao Jingting: "Nothing."
"You clearly look unhappy..." Lu Zhiwan said softly, and held his hand again. Feeling his momentary stiffness, she did not let go, but opened her five fingers and held it tighter: "A Yin, I told you that you can trust me at any time."
The man's thick, long eyelashes trembled slightly.
After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes and looked at the woman in front of him: "I don't want to go back to the palace."
"The palace is not a good place."
"I want to take Wanwan back to the mountains and see the moon reflected in the lake."
Lu Zhiwan's eyelids twitched slightly when he heard this. He looked at Xiao Jingting again, his eyes unconsciously softening. "I also know that the palace is not a good place, but A Yin... do you still remember what I told you before? You are the emperor now, and you have to shoulder the emperor's responsibilities..."
"I don't want to be emperor."
Xiao Jingting interrupted her, his eyes clear and stubborn: "No one has ever asked me if I want to be the emperor."
Just because he was the only descendant of the previous emperor, he was pushed into this position without any choice, shouldering the heavy responsibility of the country, the people, and the people.
Lu Zhiwan was choked by his words.
I wanted to tell him not to say such childish things, but then I thought, he is just a child now.
After a moment's silence, she held Xiao Jingting's hand and said softly, "I know you don't want to be the emperor, but someone wants to kill us now. Only by returning to the palace can we ensure our safety and find the murderer who harmed us. Ah Yin, are you going to let those who harmed us go?"
Xiao Jingting frowned.
"She's right."
Lu Zhiwan struck while the iron was hot and continued, "And that Zhao Wenshao is extremely difficult to deal with. We must eliminate him and Prince Yuzhang before we can be completely safe. Ah Yin, do you want me to be burned to death like in my dream?"
Xiao Jingting stared at her, and seeing the nervous worry between her furrowed brows, his heart sank.
After a moment, he raised one hand and patted her head soothingly: "Don't be afraid, I will go back to the palace with you."
These actions and words startled Lu Zhiwan.
A strange yet warm emotion spread in her chest, filling her heart. She looked at the man's handsome and calm face, her breathing rose and fell twice, and then she stepped forward and hugged him tightly.
"Ayin." She called him.
"Um?"
Xiao Jingting was also a little stunned.
"Wanwan hugged me."
"She's so soft and smells so good."
"I love so much."
Words of love echoed in his ears. Lu Zhiwan's eyes curved, and he hugged him, his voice choking slightly: "It's okay, I just suddenly realized something."
Xiao Jingting was puzzled: "What?"
Lu Zhiwan: “Secret.”
Xiao Jingting: “……?”
After hugging him for a while, Lu Zhiwan finally let go of the embrace. Her emotions had calmed down, and she smiled and said to him, "Okay, pack up and get ready to go back."
Xiao Jingting sat on the edge of the couch. The warmth in his arms suddenly disappeared, and he felt a little lost.
Seeing Lu Zhiwan about to go out, he raised his voice slightly: "That secret, won't you tell me?"
Lu Zhiwan paused, looked back at him, and winked cunningly: "I'll tell you after we return to the palace and your illness is cured."
Xiao Jingting: "..."
Lu Zhiwan didn't look at him again and turned to walk out.
Looking at the bright summer sun in the sky, her heart felt open and bright.
It turns out that I like him even more than I thought.
***
The welcoming procession arrived at the village in the afternoon.
Although Lu Zhiwan specifically instructed them to keep a low profile, the "low-key" ceremony still looked extraordinarily grand and majestic in this small rural village.
Everyone in the village knew that the Sun couple had saved the nobleman from the palace, and they all rushed to watch the fun.
In the farmyard, Lu Zhiwan thanked Grandpa Sun and Aunt Sun again and again, and gave them a box of gold ingots and a token: "If you need anything in the future, just bring the token to the palace to find me."
The two old men were very grateful and kowtowed repeatedly.
Lu Zhiwan took out an exquisitely crafted white jade butterfly hairpin from her hair and inserted it into the little girl Yingying's slightly sparse bun. He smiled faintly and said, "When I get back and settle down, I'll take you to my house to play, okay?"
Yingying was surprised and delighted, and readily agreed: "Okay! I'll wait for Sister Wanwan!"
Aunt Sun reminded her, "Yingying, don't be rude. You have to call her Empress Zhao."
Lu Zhiwan chuckled: "It's okay, it's more intimate to call me that."
After saying this, he thanked the three members of the Sun family. Seeing that it was getting late, he took Xiao Jingting to the sedan chair.
"Farewell, Your Majesty, and Empress Zhao—"
The grand procession left in a mighty procession under the bright afternoon sun.
When their shadows could no longer be seen, a group of villagers poured into the Sun family yard like a tide, and congratulated the two elders of the Sun family together. The previously deserted yard suddenly became more lively than ever.
**
On the carriage back to the palace, the imperial physician examined Xiao Jingting's wound and re-bandaged it with good medicine.
Because Lu Zhiwan was not familiar with this imperial physician, he did not dare to tell him that Xiao Jingting's intelligence had regressed to that of a five-year-old. He planned to ask the head of the Imperial Hospital to diagnose his pulse after returning to the palace.
After bandaging the wound, he asked the imperial physician to get off the car first.
The carriage was not too far from the palace. After swaying for about an hour, we could see the palace's towering towers and magnificent golden roof from the window.
"Your Majesty, do you remember what I just said to you?" Lu Zhiwan looked at Xiao Jingting who was lazily lying in the car. He was now wearing a dark purple brocade robe and his hair was tied up tightly with a crown. He looked completely different from the disheveled look he had in the countryside - as if he was still the cold-faced emperor who was moody and unpredictable.
But as soon as he opened his mouth, those close to him could still notice something different: "You've told me countless times that when you return to the palace, you must be quiet and call yourself "I". You must act like an adult and not let others find out that I don't remember anything from the past."
"I'm not stupid. It's such a simple thing, I remember it after hearing it once."
Lu Zhiwan: “…”
Yes, I know you are smart, okay, you little brat.
"But don't worry, there are the best imperial doctors when we return to the palace, and they will definitely be able to cure you." Lu Zhiwan said.
Xiao Jingting disagreed, looking at her with his dark eyes: "Wanwan, do you think it's not good for me to do this?"
Lu Zhiwan was stunned, and then he asked persistently, "You prefer the 23-year-old me to the 5-year-old me?"
Lu Zhiwan: “……?”
No way, this guy is even jealous of himself?
"How could that be?" She quickly forced a smile and said softly, "Whether you're five-year-old A Yin or twenty-three-year-old His Majesty, as long as you're you, I like you."
Xiao Jingting was obviously not satisfied with this answer.
He curled his thin lips slightly, stopped looking at her, turned his face away and closed his eyes, as if he was resting.
Lu Zhiwan heard his inner voice bubbling out one after another——
"She's a liar."
"She obviously prefers the 23-year-old Xiao Jingting, so she wants to cure me quickly."
"Am I that good when I grow up? Why can't she like me more now?"
"I hate that Xiao Jingting. He's trying to steal Wanwan from me."
Lu Zhiwan: “…”
Men have terrible jealousy.
***
In the summer palace, upon hearing the news that the emperor and Concubine Zhao had been found, Empress Dowager Gu cried with joy. She lit three incense sticks to the Bodhisattva in the small Buddhist temple and hurried to the emperor's palace.
Even the seriously injured Yu Mingjiang struggled to get up from the bed after hearing the news and asked the eunuch to carry him outside the hall to greet him.
“Here it comes—”
The eunuch who had been scouting ahead saw the magnificent sedan chair and returned with a beaming face to announce the good news. Instantly, the entire palace was cheered up, and the atmosphere that had been shrouded in gloom for days dissipated, filled with a burst of joy.
When they saw Concubine Zhao, dressed in gorgeous clothes, supporting the emperor, who was wearing a dark purple brocade robe, walking slowly towards them, all the palace servants knelt on the ground in salute and shouted "Long live the emperor".
The shout was so sincere and loud that it seemed to blow the roof off.
Lu Zhiwan subconsciously glanced at the man beside him, but saw that he was calm and composed, as if he was used to such scenes and did not show any fear at all.
It seemed that getting him to pretend that he had not lost his memory was much easier than she thought.
"Your Majesty, my master, you are finally back!" Yu Mingjiang couldn't stop crying when he saw the emperor. He crawled to Xiao Jingting and looked him up and down several times before he choked up and said, "May our ancestors protect you and make you safe. I can rest in peace even if I close my eyes now."
Xiao Jingting frowned slightly and subconsciously wanted to hide back, but thinking of Lu Zhiwan's instructions, he held back and turned his head to give Lu Zhiwan a puzzled look.
"who is he?"
Lu Zhiwan leaned close to his ear and whispered, "He's the Yu Dabaner I mentioned who has taken care of you since you were a child."
Xiao Jingting understood, and looking at the old eunuch with tears streaming down his face, he said calmly: "Don't cry, my dear friend, I'm fine."
Lu Zhiwan also hurriedly echoed: "Manager Yu, please get up quickly."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, and thank you, Your Majesty." Yu Mingjiang staggered to his feet with the help of the eunuchs on his left and right.
Lu Zhiwan watched him struggle to get up, and recalled the tragic scene when he was hacked to the ground by the assassin that day. He couldn't help but sigh: "Fortunately, God has saved your life."
"It's hard for the Empress to still think of me. I'm so grateful." Yu Mingjiang forced a smile, then looked at Xiao Jingting's thin face, his tone unable to hide his heartache: "Your Majesty and the Empress have also suffered a lot outside."
Lu Zhiwan sighed: "Fortunately, I'm back now."
After exchanging a few pleasantries outside the hall, Lu Zhiwan supported Xiao Jingting and went into the hall first, thinking that Empress Dowager Gu was still waiting inside.
The golden palace was filled with the aroma of agarwood and bright light.
Empress Dowager Gu rose from the couch upon hearing footsteps. When she saw the two familiar figures hanging with diaries, her eyes immediately turned red: "A Yin, Concubine Zhao, you are finally back!"
Xiao Jingting's expression didn't change much, but Lu Zhiwan couldn't help but be moved, and her eyes were a little moist: "Your servant pays respects to the Empress Dowager. Long live the Empress Dowager."
"Good boy, get up quickly!" Queen Mother Gu raised her hands repeatedly and ordered people to set up seats and serve tea.
Following Lu Zhiwan's eye hint, Xiao Jingting also saluted Queen Mother Gu.
But when he sat down, he refused to let go of Lu Zhiwan's hand and insisted that she sit next to him.
Lu Zhiwan tried to persuade him awkwardly, but he refused to listen.
After some tugging, Empress Dowager Gu finally said, "Zhao Fei, please sit with the Emperor."
Lu Zhiwan replied with an embarrassed "yes" and explained, "His Majesty... was frightened this time..."
"You've suffered so much," Empress Dowager Gu nodded, sighing with understanding. "When I heard Yu Mingjiang tell me about your assassination attempt that day, I nearly fainted. If anything had happened to you, what would I have done? Fortunately, God blesses you two, and you are blessed!"
Empress Dowager Gu hardly dared to hope that the person who fell off the cliff would survive. While sending guards out to search for the person, she also discussed with Prime Minister Gu, the Prince of Liaodong, and other important officials about holding funeral ceremonies, adopting a son from the royal family, and other subsequent matters...
Unexpectedly, there was a sudden turn of events. In the afternoon, the Jinyiwei came to report that the two of them were still alive!
"I told you, A Yin is a blessed man. He even survived a tiger den when he was young. Seeing that his life is getting better and better, how could God bear to let him die here?" Queen Mother Gu wiped her tears with joy as she spoke. The sadness and worry of the past few days had added several white hairs to her temples, and she had obviously lost weight.
Even Lu Zhiwan, an outsider, was deeply moved by the fact that his adoptive mother could do this.
Thinking about Xiao Jingting's current situation, she couldn't help but hesitate, should she tell the Queen Mother about this?
"Ayin, do you know who was responsible for this assassination?"
Queen Mother Gu wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and returned to her usual calm and loving demeanor, looking gently at Xiao Jingting who was sitting opposite her.
To Xiao Jingting, Yu Mingjiang was a stranger, and so was Empress Dowager Gu.
He pursed his lips uncomfortably, and subconsciously turned his eyes to look at Lu Zhiwan: "Wanwan?"
Lu Zhiwan patted the back of his hand soothingly, forcing a sheepish smile onto her fair face as she replied to Queen Mother Gu, "Those assassins arrived too suddenly, and we were completely unprepared. But judging by the direction of their attack, they were aiming for Your Majesty's life. As for their origins...it's too dark, and they were masked the entire time, so we have no clue. I wonder what clues the Queen Mother has found these past few days?"
Queen Mother Gu frowned slightly at the sight of the two men interacting. After calming herself down a bit, she said, "We caught him alive, but he's stubborn and refuses to let up even after all the punishments."
At this point, she sighed sadly, "This is the only clue we have right now."
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhiwan also frowned.
Seeing this, Xiao Jingting held her hand and said, "Don't worry, just throw him to the tiger."
Lu Zhiwan was stunned and looked at him in surprise.
Queen Mother Gu also looked at him in astonishment: "A Yin, this is the only clue. If we kill him, how can we investigate the mastermind behind this?"
"If he's not even afraid of death, he won't tell you even if you keep him."
Xiao Jingting said nonchalantly, "The palace is heavily guarded. If they were able to sneak in and assassinate us, there must be other loopholes. Besides..."
He turned to look at Lu Zhiwan: "Wanwan is suspicious of Zhao Wenshao and Prince Yuzhang? If you follow this direction, you will know if it is true."
Lu Zhiwan was speechless: "What if it's not..."
"That's right." Xiao Jingting said, "Just get rid of anything that bothers you."
Lu Zhiwan was stunned. Xiao Jingting didn't think there was anything wrong with what he said. He continued to talk to himself, "Since the assassin won't speak, we can just cut out his tongue and feed him to the tiger. Then, we can announce that he has confessed the identity of Prince Yuzhang. This will give us a reason to attack Yuzhang... What do you think, Wanwan?"
Lu Zhiwan: “…”
It sounds feasible, but how come you are so skilled at framing others?
Queen Mother Gu was confused by their conversation. How could this be related to Prince Yuzhang? In addition, the emperor's words and actions just now seemed a little strange.
The three of them had their own thoughts, and the hall fell into silence for a moment.
However, not long after, a eunuch came to report that Prime Minister Gu and several ministers of the King of Liaodong requested to see him.
When Lu Zhiwan heard this, his heart began to beat fast and he looked at Xiao Jingting beside him with concern.
It’s hard to deal with Yu Mingjiang and Queen Mother Gu. What if I get caught when facing those ministers later?
After much deliberation, Lu Zhiwan finally made up his mind and decided to tell the truth to Queen Mother Gu.
After all, Empress Dowager Gu had raised Xiao Jingting and ruled the country from behind the scenes for many years. She must have more experience in dealing with these things than she did.
She quickly told the truth about Xiao Jingting's situation. Empress Dowager Gu was shocked, but she finally understood what was going on with the emperor's strange behavior.
She looked at the tall and strong Xiao Jingting several times with worry, pondered for a long time, pulled Lu Zhiwan aside and whispered -
"Now is a crucial time for the implementation of the order to reduce the power of the feudal lords. The feudal lords in various places are already resentful and ready to make trouble. If they were to learn of Your Majesty's situation, they would definitely seize the opportunity to rise up and disrupt the court. Therefore, this matter must be kept secret. At the latest, wait until the beginning of next spring, when the order to reduce the power of the feudal lords is roughly finalized, and then you can breathe a sigh of relief and make further plans."
"After returning to the palace, I ordered the imperial physician to give A Yin thorough treatment to see if he could be restored to normal. If not..."
Queen Mother Gu's expression was solemn. She glanced at Lu Zhiwan's belly with anticipation and said solemnly, "Then you must hurry up and have His Majesty have an heir."
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