Chapter 99 The Prince Who Failed to Revolt
A trace of panic flashed in Concubine Xian's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by stubbornness: "Have you ever considered me? You forced the emperor not to pardon my brother, and you have been tracking him down."
Zhang Xiaojia roared, "But have you ever thought about how the Emperor will explain this to the soldiers and soldiers of the world? The orphan who died on the battlefield was poisoned, the only bloodline of the royal family died tragically. How will the Emperor face the accusations of the entire royal family?"
Zhang Xiaojia's gaze was like a knife, piercing the heart of Concubine Xian. "Do you think I don't know that you poisoned me? I thought you were upset and didn't hold it against you. I always treated you as a family member. But what about you? To stop me from getting involved in this, you didn't hesitate to poison me! Do you think you have everything you need in the cold palace? I was the princess who specifically instructed you to persuade the emperor to keep your son with him, and I asked your mother to take care of him personally. I sent people to deliver clothes and food every few days, fearing that you and your son would suffer any injustice. But you never appreciated it, and instead made it worse!"
The virtuous concubine's face finally turned completely pale, and the stubbornness in her eyes gradually collapsed, replaced by a trace of unconcealable fear. She opened her mouth, as if wanting to argue, but ultimately remained speechless.
Zhang Xiaojia took a deep breath, her voice filled with endless fatigue and disappointment. "Xian Fei, you were wrong after all. You chose hatred and revenge, but forgot our former friendship, the Emperor's painstaking efforts, and even more so, the righteousness of the world. You forced the Emperor to make a choice, and forced me to stand against you. What was all this for?"
Tears finally welled up in Concubine Xian's eyes. She lowered her head and spoke in a voice so weak that it was almost inaudible: "I... I just want to protect my child... Can we still go back?"
Zhang Xiaojia stood up and walked out: "I can't go back..."
Zhang Xiaojia didn't say the rest, the emperor will definitely kill you...
————
Zhang Xiaojia was in tears. When she walked out of the cold palace, she saw He Fei holding the second prince.
He Fei held Jia Jia's hand, and the second prince was waiting for her: "Aunt Jia'er, can't the mother and concubine live together?"
Zhang Xiaojia didn't say anything and agreed.
The Second Prince lowered his head, a hint of sadness flashing in his eyes. "Aunt Jia'er, I understand. Mother...she made an unforgivable mistake. This was her choice. I won't plead for her anymore, but I will grieve for her and never forget her. Is that okay? From now on, I just want to follow you and the Empress Dowager and live a good life."
Zhang Xiaojia gently patted the Second Prince's shoulder, her eyes full of pity: "Lin'er, I'm very pleased that you think this way. If you can't forget her, remember her kindness and learn from her mistakes."
He Fei stood aside, looking at Zhang Xiaojia and the Second Prince with gentle eyes, and said softly: "Jiajia, Lin'er, the emperor is still waiting for us."
Zhang Xiaojia nodded, took He Fei's hand, and followed He Fei out of the cold palace.
When I returned to the palace, the emperor had been waiting in the Chuigong Hall for a long time.
When he saw the second prince's hand, a complicated look flashed across his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.
"You are here." The emperor said softly, with a hint of fatigue in his tone.
Zhang Xiaojia stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "Brother, give me a son. I injured my uterus and can no longer have children. I want Lin'er, and I will take good care of him."
The emperor nodded, his eyes fell on the second prince, a trace of heartache flashed in his eyes: "Lin'er, you have suffered."
The Second Prince lowered his head, his voice choking with sobs. "Father, I am not suffering. I only hope... Father, you can forgive Mother's mistakes and let her pass away in peace."
The emperor was silent for a moment, then finally sighed, "Lin'er, I cannot forgive your mother's mistakes. But I promise you, I will give her a decent ending."
The Second Prince nodded, his eyes filled with gratitude: "Thank you, Father."
The emperor waved his hand, signaling the second prince to leave.
After the second prince left, the emperor looked at Zhang Xiaojia with a hint of guilt in his eyes: "Jiaer, I'm sorry..."
Zhang Xiaojia widened her eyes and said in a deliberately angry tone, "You promised me that you would let Mother and Concubine go out of the palace to play for a while."
The Emperor said, "You know exactly what I'm going to say." His tone was gentle, "I will never break my promise to you. When you're healed, I'll let you and mother go out of the palace and relax."
————
That night, the moonlight was as frosty as frost, and strings of wind chimes were hung under the eaves of the cold palace, ringing softly in the wind.
Eunuch Mai walked heavily into the cold palace, a glass of amber wine in his hand. His face was filled with helplessness and regret, and his eyes shone with a complex light.
"Empress Xianfei, please go and beg for mercy from the Emperor! The Emperor... has been waiting for you!" Eunuch Mai's voice trembled a little. He had witnessed the deep affection between the Emperor and Empress Xianfei with his own eyes, and he also knew the estrangement and pain they were feeling at the moment.
The virtuous concubine sat by the window, gazing blankly into the distance. Her face was still beautiful, but her eyes had lost their former brilliance.
She murmured to herself: "It's too late, too late..." Her voice revealed endless sadness and despair.
She suddenly grabbed the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. The wine flowed down the corner of her mouth, mixed with her tears, and dripped onto her gorgeous dress.
The emperor stood at the door with red eyes, watching all this silently. His heart was filled with pain and regret, but at this moment he could not recover what he had lost.
Once upon a time, they made a solemn vow that she would become his queen and their son would become the crown prince.
Now all of this has become a bubble, and their promises and vows have disappeared without a trace like dust in the wind.
The emperor finally ordered that Concubine Xian be buried with the ceremony of Concubine Chen, giving her the final dignity.
The second prince guarded the tomb of Concubine Xian as her son, and his heart was filled with grief and longing.
Under Zhang Xiaojia's careful care, the second prince gradually came out of the shadows and started a new life.
Grand Tutor's Mansion
Zhang Xiaojia sat in the carriage, waiting for Lin'er to finish class.
He Lin lowered his head and said, "Mother, Master, I asked you to come tomorrow. I don't want to see you today."
Zhang Xiaojia's mouth twitched as she looked at him, "What did you do? How could you make that old man want to find his family?"
He Lin whispered, "I just told Master that you've been looking at the lotus leaves and flowers in the sunroom these past few days..."
Zhang Xiaojia looked at him suspiciously. "Tell me the truth. That's not right! The old man especially likes lotus flowers. Was it him who inspired me to like lotus flowers?"
He Lin's voice became even quieter: "I told you that lotus flowers can be eaten. The fried lotus flowers with egg batter you made are super delicious. So I just asked if you could bring him some tomorrow for him to try~"
Zhang Xiaojia was filled with black lines when he heard this...
When she was little, she had to look for her parents when she went to class. When she looked for them, it was the emperor who was still the prince.
Now that the emperor's son has been adopted by her and his parents are being sought, she has to go...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
