The retired emperor knew that the emperor had something to say to him, so as soon as Consort Liu left, he said, "What is it? Speak."
The emperor did not speak immediately, but instead showed the retired emperor some evidence that Lu Baichuan had previously provided and a recent letter.
The Emperor Emeritus slowly read through the letters before speaking: “The Hui Consort’s family has been acting arrogantly all these years. I have already warned them several times, but the Marquis of Yong’an has not taken my warnings seriously. They are now going even further, even using a curse on Gou’er. The Bai Chuan couple will definitely not be able to swallow this insult. This time, Bai Chuan is back, and he will definitely seek revenge for Gou’er. Since they are all court officials, I am caught in the middle and it is really difficult for me. So I came to Father Emperor to ask for advice.”
As the emperor spoke, he observed the retired emperor's expression, fearing that the retired emperor would protect the Yong'an Marquis's residence.
Although the Emperor Emeritus now dotes on Consort Liu and the two live like an ordinary old couple, he used to dote on Consort Hui, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to fatten up the Yong'an Marquis's mansion so much.
Compared to the emperor's probing and tension, the retired emperor was much calmer. He put the letters in his hand on the table and asked in return, "Third son, you should know how much I like that child, Gou'er. The Duan family dares to lay a hand on Gou'er. You'd better deal with it."
The allure of the palace was dazzling, causing Consort Hui to lose herself. If she still had any sense of propriety, she could have the Gu worms removed from Gou'er's body and sent her to the mountains to live a life of seclusion with ancient lamps and Buddhist scriptures, as a way of praying for the people of Beiyan. If she remained obstinate, she would suffer the same fate as the Duan family.
The retired emperor knew that the emperor had always indulged Consort Hui mainly because of his own face, but now he was much more open-minded and no longer as stubborn as before. He could see right from wrong very clearly.
The emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners, let alone a mere Consort Hui.
Since the Duan family is not behaving honestly, let's just eliminate them. This can be seen as removing a cancerous tumor from the court and making room for a more suitable person.
The emperor hadn't expected the retired emperor to be so decisive, nor had he expected the retired emperor to be so fond of Gou'er. He immediately knew what to do.
"Your subject understands."
The emperor had come for this very matter, and after speaking, he was busy returning to deal with it, so he did not linger and wished to take his leave.
The retired emperor stopped him and said, "Third son, I have seen you are a good emperor who cares for the country and its people all these years since I handed the throne to you. In the future, if you encounter such a thing again, just deal with it directly. Don't worry about my face. To the people of Beiyan, I am a sinner. What face do I have left?"
"Father..."
Upon hearing this, the emperor was somewhat moved. His father had changed a lot in the past few years, and it was clear that he genuinely wanted to atone for his past actions.
The retired emperor waved his hand, stopping him from saying more: "Go."
"yes."
The emperor bowed and then turned to leave.
A moment later, Consort Liu brought in pastries. Without asking the Emperor's purpose for coming, she smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please try the pastries I just learned to make. They taste quite good!"
The retired emperor was very kind; he took a piece, tasted it, and praised, "It's really good."
He ate another piece and suddenly said, "Would my beloved consort like to come for a walk with me?"
Consort Liu did not understand the meaning behind his words, assuming it was just a stroll in the back garden, and immediately nodded: "Let's go!"
She got up to leave, but the Emperor Emeritus grabbed her arm and said, “What’s your hurry? I meant leaving the palace. I heard that Jiu Niang gave birth to a baby girl, and I want to go see her. After that, I’ll go to other places to see how ordinary people are living these days.”
Consort Liu's eyes lit up instantly. She had thought she would spend the rest of her life in the palace with the Emperor Emeritus, but she never expected to have the opportunity to travel outside the palace.
You have to understand, she's still young, not even a few years older than the current empress, so naturally she still longs for the outside world.
"Really? That's wonderful! Of course I'd love to!"
Before entering the palace, she often went on trips. However, her father later submitted to the faction of Prince Chen, and she was sent to the palace as a concubine as Prince Chen's inside man.
In her early years, she worked for Prince Chen with constant fear and trepidation. Later, when Prince Chen gained power and became emperor, she won the heart of the retired emperor and stayed by his side. Her family also received continuous promotion from the emperor. Now she has nothing to look forward to. If she could go out and travel, she would have no regrets in this life.
The Emperor Emeritus was delighted to see that Consort Liu was genuinely willing to travel with him, and immediately ordered preparations to be made.
"When you have free time, invite your mother to the palace for a visit and tell her about this matter to put her mind at ease. Keep it from the Emperor for now, and inform him after I have made all the necessary arrangements."
This is a plan to act first and report later, so that even the emperor won't be able to stop it.
Empress Dowager Liu was deeply moved to hear that he had even considered informing her family first, and nodded, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, I understand!"
Seeing that she didn't ask about anything else, the Emperor Emeritus knew that she truly trusted him, so he couldn't help but say a few more words: "We will travel light this time, with only two or three people to serve us. But don't worry, there will be a secret guard escort. I dare to take you out, so I will naturally ensure your safety."
Consort Liu was taken aback, not expecting him to be willing to explain so much to her. She sincerely said, "I am fortunate to be by Your Majesty's side, so I am not afraid of anything. I am willing to stay with Your Majesty forever."
The implication is that even if something happens, she is willing to die with him.
Anyway, she has no children, and after the Emperor Emeritus passes away, she will be all alone in this deep palace, which is meaningless.
The retired emperor had lived a life of self-will and thought he wouldn't have many true friends to accompany him in his later years, but he was still able to hear the heartfelt words of Consort Liu, and felt that he was a very lucky person.
He raised his hand to wipe away Consort Liu's tears and said, "Don't worry, I will certainly not wrong you. You are still young. After I am gone, you can leave the palace. If you meet someone you like, you can remarry and have a child. You won't be lonely when you get old."
Consort Liu stared wide-eyed, never expecting the Emperor Emeritus to say such a thing.
The thing a man fears most is his woman remarrying; some men even wish their women would die with them.
But the old emperor was able to say such things calmly. Was it because he was sincere, or was he testing him?
Empress Dowager Liu was quite frightened and hurriedly pledged her loyalty: "Your Majesty! You are the only one in my heart! I..."
"Alright, I know you are sincere now, but I am getting old and can't stay with you for many more years. Don't worry, I will arrange everything for you."
He patted Consort Liu's hand, his smile serene.
He was old, while Consort Liu was still young. He had been considering this issue ever since he reformed.
Therefore, he never got her pregnant.
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