Chapter 347 Mother and Son United (First Update)
"I won't do it!"
"I won't listen!"
"no!"
"Unless I'm dead!"
Inside the sleeping quarters of Renshou Palace, Empress Dowager Zhuang rejected Gu Jiao's suggestion without hesitation, leaving no room for negotiation.
Gu Jiao gave a strange "hmm".
Having known my aunt for so long, this is the first time I've been rejected so thoroughly.
Actually, she didn't do much; she just relayed her great-uncle's message, asking her great-aunt to temporarily put aside her prejudices and cooperate with the emperor to bring out the person behind the scenes.
But it seems that my great-aunt is not very satisfied with my great-uncle's suggestion.
"Eat three more candied fruits every day?" Gu Jiao threw out a sugar-coated bullet.
"Hmph!" Empress Dowager Zhuang remained unmoved.
Four?
"Hmm... five?" Gu Jiao shook her five fingers.
Empress Dowager Zhuang held her ground, seemingly determined not to give Gu Jiao the chance to break down her defenses with sweet talk. She went to her study without looking back.
"Sigh." Gu Jiao sighed.
Gu Jiao slowly walked out and came to the courtyard of the front hall, where she plopped down on the lonely swing set.
This place is as lively as it was when Xiao Jingkong was here, and as deserted as it is when he is not.
The July nights weren't particularly cool; the heat was still intense. However, thanks to the continuous rain, it wasn't as muggy as it had been a while ago.
Gu Jiao sat on the swing set, swinging listlessly, sighing with each swing.
Eunuch Qin approached, whisk in hand: "Miss Gu."
Gu Jiao touched the ground with her toes, stopping the swing that was swinging back and forth.
"Eunuch Qin," she greeted.
Eunuch Qin stopped beside the swing set, glanced at Gu Jiao, and then looked out into the boundless night.
The scene in his mind was the first time he met Gu Jiao. He thought of her as a little girl who didn't know the rules and was arrogant. But after getting to know her, he realized that he was very wrong.
This girl isn't just ignorant of the rules or arrogant; she's clearly trampled the rules underfoot and created a huge mess.
She possesses a composure beyond that of girls her age, as well as a childlike innocence that girls her age have long since abandoned.
She doesn't have many ulterior motives or worldly burdens. When she wants to be good to someone, she does so wholeheartedly, without considering the cost, and without any reservations or doubts.
Regardless of whether that person is good or evil.
She has her own beliefs, and they are unwavering; no one can easily sway her.
Her slender, small body somehow seemed to contain boundless power—a power that brought peace of mind and made people want to get closer.
Eunuch Qin sometimes wondered if His Majesty had been as steadfast and unwavering as Miss Gu back then, would he and the Empress Dowager have ended up like this?
"His Majesty was very clingy when he was a child. He was very clingy to the Empress Dowager, even more so than Princess Ning'an."
As he spoke, it was as if he were recalling something amusing, and he chuckled to himself. "This old servant remembers one time... the Empress Dowager brought over a young master from a farming family. The young master didn't know the way and was frightened by Consort Liu's dog, so the Empress Dowager didn't want to carry him and just casually took his hand. Who knew His Majesty would get so jealous over this? He wouldn't eat properly that night, and he wouldn't sleep obediently either. He tossed and turned in bed, throwing a tantrum, but he wouldn't say what was wrong with him."
The Dowager Consort Jing asked him if he was feeling unwell, but he remained silent. Princess Ning'an also asked him, but he just sulked and wouldn't speak.
Gu Jiao's expression was indescribable; even Xiao Jingkong wasn't this childish.
"And then what happened?" Gu Jiao asked.
Eunuch Qin recalled with a smile: "Later, Consort Jing sent the person to the Empress Dowager's palace, which is now the Kunning Palace where Empress Xiao resides. His Majesty climbed into the Empress Dowager's bed and slept with her for one night. The next day, he was lively and energetic again."
Gu Jiao pouted, "So childish."
"How old was His Majesty then?" she asked.
Eunuch Qin thought for a moment and said, "He was about seven or eight years old, but I can't remember exactly. He was a little younger than the Seventh Prince now, and not as fat as the Seventh Prince either. Don't be fooled by His Majesty's tall stature now; when he was little, he was like a skinny little monkey. At seven years old, he looked only five. The Empress Dowager once thought that His Majesty would not grow tall."
Similar to Xiao Jingkong, it seems she doesn't need to worry too much about Xiao Jingkong's height. Some people do indeed start to grow taller as they get older.
"And then what happened?" Gu Jiao found the story quite interesting.
Eunuch Qin sighed: "Later on, His Majesty and the Empress Dowager gradually drifted apart. I don't know exactly when it started, but their relationship became increasingly strained, and Princess Ning'an was caught in the middle. After His Majesty ascended the throne, the Empress Dowager began ruling from behind the curtain, and she exiled Consort Jing to a nunnery. Their relationship was completely broken."
That sounds rather sad.
Gu Jiao couldn't understand overly complicated emotions, but she put herself in Xiao Jingkong's shoes. If one day Xiao Jingkong disliked her for someone else, she would be very sad, very sad too.
Feelings are the most wondrous thing in the world. They are not related by blood. Once you become family, you can't lose that person.
"Were your great-aunt and Consort Jing like this too?" Gu Jiao asked.
Eunuch Qin nodded. The Empress Dowager had genuinely considered Consort Jing a friend, but who hasn't made a mistake when they were young?
An enemy's attack is not terrible; betrayal from the person you trust most is the real, excruciating pain.
Gu Jiao paused, then asked, "Even someone as clever as my aunt couldn't win His Majesty back from that person?"
Eunuch Qin shook his head helplessly: "It's not that there's no way, it's that I don't want to think of a way. Once you lose heart, nothing else matters."
"Is it... that the greatest sorrow is a broken heart?" Gu Jiao asked, looking at Eunuch Qin.
Eunuch Qin nodded: "That's right, that makes sense."
Gu Jiao had probably experienced this feeling before, but she no longer remembered the taste of it. The memories of being abandoned by her parents in her childhood had long since been reduced to a few sounds and images, which she could calmly view without feeling any pain.
This is actually called numbness.
She became numb at a very young age, which is why she was able to become an agent within the organization and the most cold-blooded killer.
Empress Dowager Zhuang experienced these things in middle age, and she could not become completely numb; she could only try to make herself heartbroken.
Besides, she is Zhuang Jinse, the most powerful Empress Dowager in Zhao Kingdom. She has her own pride. When she was Empress, she disdained to compete for favor with the other concubines. Why would she compete with Consort Jing for a man now, even if that man is her adopted son?
Gu Jiao understood. She grasped the swing ropes and looked at Eunuch Qin: "I understand, thank you, Eunuch Qin."
She wouldn't force her aunt to do things she didn't want to do.
Since her great-uncle's method didn't work, she had to think of another way.
Eunuch Qin was secretly pleased. What a sensible child! Not to mention how much the Empress Dowager dotes on her, even he, an old man, can't help but want to dote on her.
Unfortunately, he was a eunuch, so he had no skills and couldn't care for her much.
Gu Jiao got off the swing set and went to Empress Dowager Zhuang's study.
Empress Dowager Zhuang was furious as she read the memorials—someone under her command had been caught red-handed for tampering with his own affairs. She was not a monarch who appointed people based on merit. After so many years of navigating the treacherous waters of the palace and the court, she deeply understood one principle: water that is too clear has no fish.
She always valued a person's abilities and believed in using people's strengths while tolerating their weaknesses. This did not mean that her subordinates could do whatever they wanted.
Everything has its limits. You can't actually kill or set fires, nor can you recklessly exploit the people to satisfy your own desires. Everything has its limits, and if you go too far, she won't tolerate or protect you.
"Of the one million taels of disaster relief funds, you embezzled ninety-five hundred thousand taels. If you're not killed, who is?"
Empress Dowager Zhuang snorted and threw the memorial into the pile on her left. These were memorials that could be presented to the emperor. Given the emperor's intolerant nature, he would definitely deal with this matter severely.
"Aunt?"
A round head poked its head in.
I can guess who it is without even looking.
Empress Dowager Zhuang responded indifferently, "What?"
Gu Jiao said, "It's getting late, I'll head back now. You should get some rest."
After saying that, she gently closed the door for her aunt.
"Wait a minute," Empress Dowager Zhuang called out to her calmly.
"Hmm?" Gu Jiao pushed the door open again, her eyes darting around, and stepped across the threshold, her phoenix eyes fixed on Empress Dowager Zhuang.
Empress Dowager Zhuang picked up a memorial and said casually, "Do you still stand by what you just said?"
"Which sentence?" Gu Jiao asked.
Empress Dowager Zhuang cleared her throat: "Just... the sentence about five!"
Gu Jiao stretched out her hand, looked at her five fingers, then looked at Empress Dowager Zhuang, her eyes sparkling: "It counts! But, Auntie, aren't you unwilling?"
Empress Dowager Zhuang angrily threw down the memorial in her heart. A successful empress dowager cannot afford to offend someone who loves candied fruit!
Empress Dowager Zhuang said coldly, "Let's start counting from today."
"Okay!" Gu Jiao didn't hesitate. Coincidentally, she had some newly candied fruit in her purse. She took out the candied fruit box, counted out five pieces and left them in the box, and stuffed the rest into her mouth.
Empress Dowager Zhuang: "..."
Empress Dowager Zhuang took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart: "Weren't there eight? How come there are only five?"
Originally, it was three pills a day, but they said they'd give me five more, so that's eight pills in total.
She managed to resist the urge today and hasn't eaten a single one.
With her mouth full of candied fruit, Gu Jiao mumbled, "It's five... Think about it again if you don't believe me..."
Empress Dowager Zhuang recalled her exact words in her mind.
"Eat three candied fruits every day?"
She didn't agree at the time.
Then the girl said—
Four?
"Hmm...five?"
The last two sentences do indeed seem to omit the phrase "eat more".
Empress Dowager Zhuang slammed her fist on the memorial!
...That was too hasty!
Gu Jiao was very gentle with her aunt, respecting her opinions and discussing the matter openly without hiding anything from her.
The emperor didn't receive the same treatment. The old chief priest dug pit after pit, making the emperor fall into them so many times that he couldn't get out.
The emperor clearly harbored strong resistance to cooperating with Empress Dowager Zhuang: "Anything else is fine, but this is not! I will not collude with that poisonous woman!"
He realized he had insulted himself after he finished speaking, and he coughed lightly.
The old chief priest pretended not to see it and said earnestly, "Your Majesty, now is not the time to act impulsively. It is more important to find out the real culprit. Is Your Majesty's face more important, or the life of the Empress Dowager? And what about Jiao Jiao's life? I won't even talk about Jiao Jiao's life, anyway, she's not anyone to Your Majesty."
How come the little miracle doctor isn't anyone to him?
So, only that poisonous woman Zhuang Jinse in the whole world would care about her, and she would ignore her completely?
"Your Majesty, I misspoke," the old chief minister apologized sheepishly. "What I meant was that Jiaojiao can at least protect herself, but the Dowager Consort suffered old injuries from the persecution she suffered at the hands of Consort Liu in her early years. If an assassin were to attack the Dowager Consort again, it would be impossible to guard against."
This was said by Consort Jing and her servants themselves; Consort Jing has old injuries and is very weak!
The emperor was eventually persuaded.
The following morning, a scene unfolded at the imperial court that left all the civil and military officials utterly astonished—the emperor actually entered the Golden Palace with Empress Dowager Zhuang.
Aren't these two supposed to dislike each other even when they're in the same courtyard? Why are they both here for court today? Usually, either Empress Dowager Zhuang or the Emperor arrives first; they never see each other.
The two arrived at the entrance of the Golden Palace. The emperor stopped, smiled slightly at Empress Dowager Zhuang, gestured for her to enter, and said, "Please, Mother."
Empress Dowager Zhuang was so shocked that she almost grabbed the sole of her shoe and smacked him on the back of the head!
Empress Dowager Zhuang had to exert a great deal of effort to restrain herself. She nodded and calmly stepped across the threshold.
Civil and military officials knelt on both sides, holding their official tablets in greeting.
Empress Dowager Zhuang took the lead and walked over. Just as she was about to go up the steps, Eunuch Qin cleared his throat. Empress Dowager Zhuang's lips twitched, she stopped, and stretched out her hand.
Now it was the emperor's turn to want to grab the sole of his shoe and knock himself out.
Is this even possible?
He didn't say anything about the person surnamed Huo!
The emperor suppressed a pang of emotion and held Empress Dowager Zhuang's wrist.
The mother and son, with a loving and filial demeanor, went up the steps and sat down in their respective places. Both of them then discreetly wiped their hands on their clothes.
Emperor: Disdain!
Empress Dowager Zhuang: Ha, who isn't!
Today's morning court session was exceptionally harmonious—the emperor punished a minister from Empress Dowager Zhuang's faction, and Empress Dowager Zhuang not only did not obstruct him, but also praised the emperor for his keen insight and excellent work.
Empress Dowager Zhuang said with concern that the emperor seemed to have lost some weight compared to before, and that he should take good care of his health and not ruin it by working tirelessly day and night for state affairs.
"Your Majesty is absolutely right, I have taken note of it," the Emperor said respectfully toward the beaded curtain.
The civil and military officials could hardly believe they were blind or deaf!
To witness the emperor and empress dowager reconcile in one's lifetime—are they insane, or are they simply mad?
The news was so shocking that even the officials from the two factions who should have been locked in a life-or-death struggle fell silent.
It's not enough to let the civil and military officials see it; the harem must also know about it.
Therefore, after court, the mother and son went for a stroll in the Imperial Garden, chatting and laughing all the way, enjoying themselves immensely.
"Your Majesty, it's time to smile," Eunuch Wei reminded him.
The emperor clenched his fist, then laughed heartlessly, looking up at the sky: "Hahaha!"
"Your Majesty, it's your turn," Eunuch Qin reminded her.
Empress Dowager Zhuang rolled her eyes, giving a forced smile: "Hehehe."
In less than a day, everyone in the palace heard that the two had reconciled.
Empress Xiao was the first to rush to Huaqing Palace to inquire about the news: "Your Majesty! I heard that you and the Empress Dowager..." She stopped mid-sentence, saw the person sitting next to the Emperor, and bowed slightly, "Your Highness the Imperial Concubine."
Consort Jing smiled slightly: "Empress, please come and sit down."
"yes."
In fact, given Empress Xiao's rank, she had no need to pay homage to a concubine, but since the emperor regarded her as his own mother, Empress Xiao had no choice but to be a dutiful daughter-in-law.
Empress Xiao sat down on the other side of Consort Jing.
Consort Jing asked with a smile, "What did the Empress want to ask His Majesty just now?"
Empress Xiao looked at the two of them, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I have heard some things about Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager, but I do not know if they are true or not, so I asked this question."
The emperor said frankly, "Since you all know, then I need not say more."
Empress Xiao could not hide her surprise: "So it's true? Why?"
It is indeed quite strange for people who have been at odds for more than ten or twenty years to suddenly reconcile. In order not to arouse suspicion, the old chief priest found a flawless explanation for the reconciliation between the two.
The emperor's memory was not bad, and he did not forget his words. He said, "Does the empress still remember the incident more than ten years ago when Xiao Heng was poisoned near Renshou Palace?"
Empress Xiao's eyes turned cold: "Of course I remember!"
Xiao Heng was her brother's legitimate son and her most beloved nephew. He was almost poisoned to death, and she would never forget this grudge in her life!
The emperor said, "The murderer has been found. It was not the Empress Dowager who instigated it; there was someone else behind it. I have misunderstood the Empress Dowager all these years, causing her to suffer an injustice. I am truly ashamed."
He found it difficult to say the last few words, but the old chief priest said that these were the soul lines, and not saying them would not be enough to gain people's trust.
He strongly suspected that the old chief priest was abusing his power for personal gain!
"What? Someone else? Who?" Empress Xiao asked the three questions in a row, seemingly out of nowhere!
Consort Jing lowered her eyes, picked up her teacup, and quietly took a sip of tea.
The Emperor said, "The person who poisoned Aheng was named Zhang Xiu. He used to work in the Shanggong Bureau and can be considered one of my people."
Empress Xiao: "Your Majesty..."
The emperor sighed with self-reproach: "I did not expect her to do such a thing. It was my oversight. Some time ago, she suddenly hanged herself. An old friend of hers took her belongings. It was only a few days ago that the old friend discovered a secret from many years ago in her belongings."
Empress Xiao stood up abruptly: "Your Majesty, I do not believe it!"
The old chief priest didn't tell the emperor that Zhang Xiu was really the murderer; he used it as an excuse to announce it to the emperor.
The emperor thought he was lying, and Empress Xiao thought the emperor had been deceived. But none of that mattered. What mattered was that the person who had instructed Zhang Xiu would realize that the matter was true.
As long as she believes, that's enough.
Thank you, thank you everyone.
(End of this chapter)
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