Consort Liu never expected that the Emperor Emeritus could be so thoughtful.
The retired emperor may seem indifferent to the emperor's affairs, but in fact he has considered many things.
More importantly, he himself had once sat in that position and knew the helplessness of that position, so now he put himself in the emperor's shoes and was unwilling to cause trouble for him.
"If His Majesty finds out tonight that he is so considerate of the Emperor, he will surely be very happy."
Consort Liu patted the back of his hand with a faint smile on her face, giving him a sense of reassurance.
But he said, “Actually, I have always known that the third prince is very outstanding. But I did not want the former crown prince to go through the same hardships I had suffered in the past. So I thought I would let the crown prince inherit the throne. No matter how useless the crown prince is, I will always support and promote him. Therefore, I deliberately arranged some very difficult tasks for the third prince. But no matter how difficult it is, he always manages to do it well.”
“It’s not that I don’t know he’s excellent, it’s just that I don’t want him to surpass the Crown Prince, so I openly show a lot of favoritism towards the Crown Prince. Naturally, I owe him a lot. Now that he has finally taken that position, as someone who has been through it, I don’t want him to have to take care of me while facing so many problems. I said back then that I didn’t want him to worry about me, so I can’t go back on my word.”
That's what they say, but after so many years by his side, Consort Liu still understood his temperament. In the end, it was just that the old father felt guilty for what he had done wrong and didn't want to cause trouble for the child he had wronged in the past over some trivial matters.
She said, "Your Majesty was not free to do what you wanted back then. After all, your experiences in your youth were not good. You wanted to protect Prince Mao in your own way, but you did not expect that it would backfire."
“Your Majesty, this is not your fault. Being in the royal family involves countless dangers and consequences. You cannot predict every outcome. Afterwards, you did a lot for the Emperor, even relinquishing the court early on. This can be considered compensation. Please do not overthink it.”
These words struck a chord with the Emperor Emeritus. He tightened his grip on her hand, his voice choked with emotion: "It's just that you've suffered. You'll have to worry about these things with me from now on. The road ahead is long and arduous!"
Consort Liu said gently, "I am not afraid. I am doing this willingly. It is my honor to be able to come out with Your Majesty and do so many meaningful things."
The two embraced, cherishing this moment together.
At this moment, the two were unaware that by sending the person to the authorities, they had exposed their identities and were now facing imminent danger.
Unaware of the situation, Jiang Jiuniang and Lu Baichuan, on the other side, were out on the beach, dressed casually with their trousers rolled up.
Yes, they have arrived at Cangcheng, a city by the sea. Cangcheng has a warm climate, and even though it is late autumn, it is not cold at all. The people by the sea are wearing short jackets and searching for treasures on the beach, hoping to find good things to exchange for money.
"Mother! I've found another beautiful conch shell!"
The dog stood up straight, carrying a small shovel. In his hand was a beautiful conch shell, as big as his face, which seemed to shimmer in the sunlight.
"Great! Keep it up! We're having grilled seafood tonight. Whatever delicious dishes we make depends on you and your dad!"
Jiang Jiuniang gave a thumbs-up in praise, then continued digging for pretty stones and shells.
With her daughter on her back, she didn't worry about dinner. She would just find some seashells and stones to make wind chimes, and leave the task of finding seafood to the two men in the family. She trusted that they wouldn't let her down.
"good!"
Encouraged, the dog put the pretty conch shell into its basket and then continued searching for food.
Although they had always heard that the treasure's whereabouts were related to the sea, they hadn't heard anything similar since arriving in Cangcheng. The family had been here for seven or eight days, inquiring from all sides, but they had no clues. They figured the news was just hearsay and gave up.
Winter is just around the corner, and this city is perfect for spending the winter, so the family decided to stay here a little longer and then go see other places next spring.
Having been away for so long, they have been active within the territory of Beiyan. After the New Year and the beginning of spring, they will consider visiting other countries.
Jiang Jiuniang was particularly eager to experience the exotic atmosphere of Xiteng, which Lu Xiaoyang had described as so interesting.
I've been staying in guesthouses for a while now, and since I plan to stay here for a long time, I bought a small courtyard house. It's just been set up these past two days, and tonight I can enjoy grilled seafood in my own little courtyard.
Just imagining that scene is so pleasant.
"Sister, sister! Father, please don't sell sister. I won't cause trouble anymore. I'll earn money to pay back the money. Please don't sell sister, waaaaah..."
Jiang Jiuniang was picking out pretty seashells to make wind chimes when she suddenly heard a crying sound. She looked in the direction of the sound and saw a family pulling at each other not far away.
Walking in front was a middle-aged man, holding the hand of a girl who looked to be about ten years old, and they were walking very fast.
The scene then shows a young boy chasing after them, followed by a woman who is also anxious to catch up, but is probably not feeling well and is having difficulty keeping up with the others.
In the end, the young boy was faster and caught up with the middle-aged man in front, blocking his way. He said, "I caused this trouble, and I can't let my sister pay for it. Father, I beg you!"
With that, the young boy knelt down and said resolutely, "Father, if you're going to sell someone, then sell me!"
The girl next to him was being dragged around by her father and was almost out of breath. Seeing this scene, she felt a pang of sadness and couldn't help but sit on the beach and cry.
The middle-aged man looked at his children like this, and then at his wife who was lagging behind, and sighed helplessly.
“Mingzhu is also my daughter. If I hadn’t been forced to, how could I bear to sell her? But we’re already struggling to make ends meet, and you’ve caused such a huge mess. What can I do?”
If he doesn't sell his daughter to a wealthy family as a maid, the family his son offended will force him to take her as their ninth concubine. His daughter is still young, but the old man is over seventy. A concubine with no support is not even as good as an ordinary maid. He doesn't want to ruin his daughter's life like this.
Selling the daughter to a wealthy family is the best option right now. The family is kind-hearted, and the contract is flexible, meaning they have no say in the daughter's affairs. She can do some menial work and earn some money to alleviate the family's financial difficulties.
The boy still wouldn't get up. Tears streaming down his face, he said, "It's all my fault. If you're going to sell someone, sell me. I'm worth more than my sister!"
He knew very well that his father had been in a bad mood lately, often getting angry and irritable at home. Although the sale of his sister was a contract with flexible terms, nowadays, it was possible to sign such contracts. In the future, his father could easily turn the contract into a fixed one for money. He absolutely could not let his sister suffer for him.
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