With a considerate husband and a filial son, who would want to die if they could live? The Princess of Yan also felt a glimmer of hope.
But soon, she became worried about something else, "Qian'er, what do you think is His Majesty's real purpose in suddenly summoning you to the capital?"
We've behaved ourselves well all these years, never overstepping any boundaries. Could it be that this is an arranged marriage for you?
Her son is low-key but truly outstanding. She worries that the royal family is wary of him and therefore wants to use marriage to restrain him.
"Mother, the imperial decree says that with the help of the Great Wei, the people of Dayuan will not go hungry this year. The Regent of the Great Wei has come to Dayuan again, and His Majesty wants the princes from various places to come to the capital to personally thank him, so as to show Dayuan's sincerity."
The princes are all elderly, and their fiefdoms cannot do without them; therefore, His Majesty sent his sons to the capital in their place.
Xie Qian lowered his eyes. He had a guess about the real reason, but he would not tell his mother.
"As for the matter of the bestowed marriage, Mother Consort need not worry. If His Majesty has such an idea, there is no need for me to come to the capital; he can simply issue an imperial decree directly..."
After being comforted by her son, Princess Yan felt much more at ease.
The mother and son arrived at the Prince of Yan's residence in the capital. The Princess of Yan was exhausted and fell asleep shortly afterward.
Xie Qian then summoned his attendants and ordered, "Investigate whether Shi Wuxia was present at the Ten-Mile Pavilion."
The attendant asked, "Is Your Highness worried that she approached you intentionally?"
Xie Qian nodded slightly, "The capital is not like Yan, where we must be careful in everything we do. There is no need for your household to hire any more servants."
The Prince of Yan's mansion in the capital had been uninhabited for many years, with only a few people left to look after it. Now that the mother and son had returned, it was customary to hire more servants.
However, after receiving that letter, Xie Qian had to be cautious.
"Pass the word down, everyone work hard, we'll give you double the monthly silver later."
The news of the Prince of Yan's arrival in the capital quickly reached the Empress's ears. When the Emperor went to Fengyi Palace to accompany her, she grabbed the Emperor's hand and excitedly asked, "Your Majesty, has he really come to see me?"
Should I dress up a bit? I can't let him see me looking like this...?
She pleaded with the emperor, "Your Majesty, it has been twenty-one years. Now that my son and I are meeting again, I would like to present myself in a presentable manner. Would Your Majesty be so kind as to help me with my makeup?"
She is still thin, but her energy and spirits are slightly better than before. The palace servants said that it was because the emperor often accompanied her and personally fed her medicine, which made the empress feel good, and thus her health improved.
The emperor hoped for the empress's well-being, and upon hearing the palace maid's words, he did not doubt them and came even more frequently. The three women he had previously taken in had become mere decorations.
Seeing the Empress's agitation, he quickly reassured her, "He just arrived in the capital today, so we need to give him time to rest. Tomorrow, I will let him enter the palace."
However, according to seniority, he is now my cousin and also a subject, so it is inappropriate for him to stay in the Phoenix Palace for long.
(As mentioned earlier, the Prince of Yan was the emperor's uncle.)
"Your Majesty knows, Your Majesty will know how to behave. As long as I can see him, Your Majesty will cooperate."
She spoke so pitifully that the emperor felt guilty. If she hadn't married him, the empress wouldn't have had to exchange her son.
Little did he know that as soon as he left, the Empress had the Zheng family knock on the back door of the Prince of Yan's residence.
"Who are you? Why are you looking for me in the middle of the night?"
Xie Qian looked at the Zheng family man in front of him with a calm expression.
Zheng Laoda also sized up Xie Qian. Like Yun Wang, he had a gentle appearance, but Yun Wang never hid his ambition from the Zheng family. The man in front of him looked calm and collected, so Zheng Laoda couldn't see anything about him yet.
However, who doesn't crave power? Not showing it is simply because they are not familiar with them and don't trust them enough.
The eldest son, Zheng, stated his purpose directly: "My surname is Zheng. I am the Empress's nephew and His Highness's cousin. The Empress misses her son dearly and asked me to come and see His Highness on her behalf."
Xie Qian said calmly, "Young Master Zheng, please be careful with your words. I am the heir apparent of the Prince of Yan, not some prince."
Old Master Zheng frowned. Was it because he didn't want to admit it, or because he was afraid the emperor would find out and dared not admit it?
He offered a tempting offer: "The Empress has already explained your identity to His Highness in her letter. The Empress asked me to tell His Highness that she was forced to do so back then."
Over the years, Her Majesty has always felt guilty. She said that His Highness suffered greatly while wandering far from home and never received her care. Therefore, the only way she could make up for it was by giving His Highness this vast empire.
Xie Qian gave a soft "oh," and said, "The Eastern Palace has a Crown Prince who is favored by His Majesty, has many officials in the court supporting him, and also has the external power of the Great Wei. How does Your Majesty intend to take this empire from him and give it to me?"
Seeing that he was interested, Zheng Laoda laughed and said, "You must know about His Majesty's deep affection for the Empress. His Majesty never fails to grant any request the Empress may make."
The ministers obeyed the king's orders, and no matter how powerful the Great Wei was, it could not interfere in the internal affairs of the Great Yuan.
"Your Highness, please rest assured. Simply follow Her Majesty's orders, and Her Majesty will grant your wish."
Xie Qian nodded slightly, as if deep in thought.
Seeing this, Zheng Da spoke further about the Empress's concern for Xie Qian. Seeing that Xie Qian was moved, he left satisfied.
Shi Wuxia lay on the roof beam and heard everything clearly.
Just as she was pondering what the Empress should do, she heard Xie Qian say, "Have you heard enough, Miss?"
She had no time to lower her eyes. When she saw Xie Qian staring straight at her, their eyes met. She cursed inwardly, "Damn it, I've been caught!"
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