Chapter 457 Reunion (Second Update)
"What are you yelling about! Who's your aunt!" Eunuch Su scolded in a low voice. "Don't think that just because you look a bit like the young marquis, you can come here and claim relatives!"
What would happen if the palace servants heard these words?
Xiao Liulang looked at Empress Xiao, who had stopped in her tracks. Empress Xiao did not turn around. He swallowed hard and said with difficulty, "Has the sapling that Aheng planted in Aunt's bedroom grown tall?"
"Aheng, what are you doing?"
"I'm planting a tree. I want to plant a really big tree for my aunt! When spring comes, the tree will bloom with lots and lots of flowers! Peonies, herbaceous peonies, morning glories... When autumn comes, the tree will bear lots and lots of fruit! Dates, peaches, pears, and chestnuts!"
"Chestnuts? Who taught you to say that? And all those flowers and fruits, did they all grow on this one tree?"
"yes!"
"No, you can't."
"Other people's saplings are not allowed, but the trees that Aheng planted are!"
The little boy patted his chest with immense confidence and began planting trees in Kunning Palace, sweating profusely.
Xiao Liulang choked up and asked, "...Have the trees that Aheng planted for Auntie yielded dates, peaches, pears, and chestnuts yet?"
Ah Heng!
It's her Ah Heng!
Empress Xiao turned around abruptly, her eyes red and filled with disbelief as she looked at Xiao Liulang.
How could this be...?
Isn't Ah Heng already dead?
She saw the corpses...
If he is Ah Heng, why has his elder brother never mentioned him?
Why has he never come to see her despite entering the palace so many times?
What exactly happened?
Empress Xiao walked towards Xiao Liulang in a daze.
Eunuch Su glanced at his master with a complicated expression, then tactfully stepped aside and dismissed the unrelated palace servants to a distance of three zhang.
Empress Xiao came before Xiao Liulang, whose eyes were red-rimmed, but he held back his tears.
Empress Xiao raised her hand and carefully touched his cheek, tears welling up in her eyes as she said, "Are you really Aheng? You..."
Her fingertip landed under his right eye. "What about this beauty mark?"
“That’s all,” Xiao Liulang said.
Empress Xiao choked back tears and said, "How could it be gone? What exactly happened back then? Tell your aunt!"
Xiao Liulang didn't know how to begin.
He didn't know how the mole disappeared. When he woke up, he was lying in a dilapidated inn, with Xiao Liulang's elder brother, Xiao Su, beside him.
"Auntie, please let Long Yi go."
"Don't be angry with Long Yi."
"Aheng apologized to his aunt on behalf of Longyi."
Empress Xiao was so angry that she punched Xiao Liulang with her fist, tears streaming down her face: "You scoundrel! You won't acknowledge me unless you plead for him!"
The people on the other side had no idea what had happened. They saw Xiao Liulang say something to Empress Xiao, which made her cry and even hit him.
However, it's obvious to anyone with eyes that he didn't use much force.
Before everyone could figure out what had happened between Empress Xiao and Xiao Liulang, Empress Xiao's confidant, Eunuch Su, came over, brandishing his whisk.
He said to the imperial guards, "The Empress has ordered that this is no longer your business, and you may leave."
Imperial Guard: What?!
The Crown Princess panicked.
If others don't know what's going on, do you think she can't see it?
Xiao Heng had clearly reunited with Empress Xiao.
Having returned to the capital for so long without recognizing anyone from his past, he finally acknowledged Empress Xiao at this crucial juncture.
Why?
For this woman and this guard?
Just moments ago, she had falsely accused Gu Jiao of instigating Long Yi. Now, Gu Jiao had transformed into the wife of Empress Xiao's most beloved nephew. She dared not imagine how Empress Xiao would deal with her next.
The Crown Princess fainted on the spot, whether from weakness due to the miscarriage or from being frightened by the consequences she was about to face, it was unclear.
Empress Xiao brought Xiao Liulang back to Kunning Palace.
They were originally going to bring Gu Jiao along, but Gu Jiao was taken away by Long Yi.
Empress Xiao dismissed the servants and pulled Xiao Liulang to sit in her room to talk. The window was wide open, and from their angle, they could clearly see Xiao Liulang... no, it should be said that it was the sapling that Xiao Heng planted when he was a child.
It was an orange tree that couldn't bear dates, peaches, pears, or chestnuts, and the oranges it did bear didn't taste very good either.
Empress Xiao burst into laughter through her tears: "The oranges you grew are really awful!"
Empress Xiao desperately wanted to know what had happened back then, but Xiao Heng was unable to speak.
Empress Xiao's gaze then fell on the cane beside the chair: "What happened to your leg? Is it an injury from four years ago?"
"No." Xiao Liulang shook his head.
It was an injury sustained while saving Feng Lin.
One fire killed some people because of him; another fire gave birth to some people because of him.
His leg was lame, but it seemed as if his sins had been redeemed in some way.
Although he cannot wash away all his sins, he can slowly repay them in pain for the rest of his life.
Xiao Liulang: "Aunt, about this matter..."
Empress Xiao said, "I understand. Although I don't know why you did this, I think you must have your own reasons. Come back to me when you're ready to tell me."
Neither of them mentioned Wen Linlang.
Let bygones be bygones. The reason Empress Xiao agreed to the marriage was because she genuinely believed Xiao Heng was dead. Otherwise, she would have broken the Crown Prince's legs rather than allow him to compete with his cousin for his fiancée.
Empress Xiao patted the back of his hand: "Your aunt won't tell anyone about your affairs, so don't worry."
"Thank you, Auntie."
Xiao Liulang got up and left.
As soon as he left Kunning Palace, Empress Xiao summoned her trusted bodyguard: "Quickly inform my brother that Aheng is still alive!"
The trusted guard hesitated for a moment, then said, "Master, didn't you promise him you wouldn't tell anyone?"
Empress Xiao said righteously and sternly, "When has my brother ever been a human being?"
Trusted bodyguard: "..."
This is the worst time that Marquis Xuanping has ever been slandered...
...
Prince Ning must be dealt with, but the specific charges against him are up to the emperor's decision.
Family scandals should not be aired in public. The affair between Prince Ning and the Crown Princess was not disclosed, but the fact that Wen Yang and Xiao Heng had both been murdered by Prince Ning was made known to the world.
The stated motive was to strike at the Crown Prince. One was the Crown Prince's brother-in-law, and the other was his cousin. No matter how you look at it, Prince Ning was indeed trying to get rid of the people around the Crown Prince.
Wen Yang has a bad reputation, but the young marquis was once the most outstanding man in Zhaodu, famous throughout the world, and the white moonlight in the hearts of many.
It is said that he actually died at the hands of Prince Ning, and there is a great uproar among the people.
Of course, there were also those who defended Prince Ning, believing that the current emperor had been misled.
"How could someone as noble and virtuous as Prince Ning do such a vicious thing? Could it be that someone is targeting Prince Ning?"
"I hope Your Majesty will not listen to slander and cause Prince Ning to be wronged."
"Could it be the Crown Prince? Think about it, the Crown Prince married the young marquis's fiancée. If the young marquis hadn't died, would he have been able to marry Miss Wen? As for Wen Yang, he's ostensibly the Crown Princess's brother, but he's a complete scoundrel! Killing him is the only way to avenge the Crown Princess!"
More and more people are seeking justice for Prince Ning in the streets and alleys. Whether this is the will of the people or someone deliberately guiding them is unknown.
But one thing is certain: regardless of public opinion, the emperor had no intention of pardoning Prince Ning.
Grand Tutor Zhuang requested an audience with the emperor, but was refused.
Grand Tutor Zhuang went to Renshou Palace again, hoping that Empress Dowager Zhuang could order the emperor to pardon Prince Ning.
"Fate?" Empress Dowager Zhuang laughed in exasperation. "Since when have my words been able to command the Emperor?"
Grand Tutor Zhuang sneered, "Hasn't the Empress Dowager always done this? How many times has she gone against the Emperor over the years? Why is it that she's not effective against Prince Ning?"
Empress Dowager Zhuang looked at him with piercing eyes: "You know better than I how Prince Ning has fallen to this state."
Grand Tutor Zhuang said coldly, "Prince Ning has the ambition and the power of an emperor. What's wrong with me supporting him?"
Empress Dowager Zhuang looked at him coldly: "The imperial power you speak of is nothing more than seizing your brother's wife and disregarding human life?"
Grand Tutor Zhuang was, after all, Prince Ning's maternal grandfather. There were some things that the common people did not know, so how could he not know them?
He didn't defend Prince Ning, but clenched his fist and said, "Those who achieve great things don't concern themselves with trifles. Empress Dowager, you told me this, are you now going to contradict yourself?"
Empress Dowager Zhuang said nonchalantly, "So what if it is?"
Grand Tutor Zhuang choked.
Then, his eyes gradually turned to disappointment: "Empress Dowager, you've changed. From the moment you got close to Xiao Liulang, you no longer cared about the Zhuang family."
This attempt to provoke her had no effect on Empress Dowager Zhuang. She retorted sharply, "Don't keep bringing up Xiao Liulang with me! Do you want me to feel guilty or something? This trick won't work on me! Whom I choose to favor is my business! Whom I choose to ignore is also my business! Don't think that just because you criticize me a few times, I'm truly guilty and have let down the entire Zhuang family! I've done enough for the Zhuang family over the years! Besides, haven't I warned you long ago that behind your rising power lies the collapse of your empire, and that it's wise to retire gracefully? Yet you insisted on going your own way! Who emboldened Prince Ning? Who added to Prince Ning's power? And who was determined to push Prince Ning into the vortex of the succession struggle! Now you know to protect him, but when you pushed him to fight for the throne, didn't you think it would kill him?!"
"To put it bluntly, the Empress Dowager simply wants to ignore Prince Ning!" Grand Tutor Zhuang sneered. "I'd like to know, if it were Xiao Liulang who was demoted today, would the Empress Dowager have stood by and watched in the same way?"
Empress Dowager Zhuang said with an imposing and domineering air, "What a coincidence, I also want to know."
Grand Tutor Zhuang: "..."
Empress Dowager Zhuang, who never catches a joke properly.
As Grand Tutor Zhuang was leaving, he gave Empress Dowager Zhuang a deep look and said, "I hope that in the future, Your Majesty will not regret everything you have done."
Empress Dowager Zhuang's eyes narrowed: "I would like to offer you the same words."
(End of this chapter)
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