Chapter 88 Leaving Beijing
After the ceremony of crowning the empress came to an end, the newly appointed empress and the newly appointed crown prince saw off Rong Fei and her son at the palace gate.
"Sister, if you want to leave the capital, I won't force you to stay. But why can't you wait until next spring when it's warm? It's so cold and the New Year is approaching, and Yuan Xiu's health isn't great either. Why rush now? Why don't you stay here for now and leave when spring comes and the flowers bloom?"
Concubine Rong smiled calmly.
After taking off her phoenix crown and robe, she seemed to feel much more relaxed. The tiredness and sadness in her eyes softened at the Queen's sincere plea to stay.
"No more."
She turned her head and looked at her son who was saying goodbye to his brothers and sisters not far away, with a warm smile.
"Yuan Xiu's health is still good, and he wants to go to his fiefdom soon. Guangping Prefecture is the birthplace of the emperor, and we mother and son won't suffer any hardship there. Why force him to stay in the capital and make things more difficult for us?"
The Queen sighed.
"Thank you for your understanding, sister."
"I should be the one thanking you."
Concubine Rong bowed to the other party.
"I deeply thank the Queen for her kindness. I am willing to look after my mother and me out of our old friendship. Thank you again."
Without Qiao Yunshu's approval, Yuan Xiu's fiefdom wouldn't have been Guangping Prefecture. Zhao Yu'e knew this clearly. That was the Li family's foundation, and Yuan Xiu, the eldest son of the emperor, would surely not be wronged if he went to Guangping Prefecture.
"As long as you are satisfied. This fiefdom was not chosen by me, but by the Emperor."
"Well, I am also grateful to the emperor."
"Sister, he's watching from the city wall. Can he come over and give you a ride?"
"No."
Zhao Yu'e looked up and saluted from a distance towards the bright yellow figure.
"He's willing to let the Zhao family go, which is already a testament to our relationship as husband and wife. I can't ask for more. Yunniang, please tell him a message for me, saying that I appreciate your love."
"Sister, I'm sorry."
Guilt flashed in Qiao Yunshu's eyes, and he didn't know whether he was saying "I'm sorry" for himself or for Li Changhuai.
Zhao Yu'e smiled when she heard that.
"I don't blame you, and I don't blame him either. You've already fulfilled your promise and given me what the Zhao family owes me. It's my brother who didn't grasp this overwhelming wealth, so I can't blame anyone else.
I have fulfilled my duties as a daughter of the Zhao family, and he has fulfilled his responsibilities as a husband. Everything else is our own choice, so I don't blame anyone.
Actually, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. I can break away from the three of us later, which is good for all of us. Don't you think so? "
Qiao Yunshu didn't say anything, so Zhao Yu'e patted her hands gently, not knowing whether she was trying to comfort her or herself.
"Yunniang, the road of marriage is wide, a man can have many women. But the road of love is narrow, there is no room for three people to walk together. Don't you agree?"
Qiao Yunshu clenched her delicate hands back, and finally shed tears.
"Thank you, Sister."
Zhao Yunshu smiled with tears in his eyes.
"I'm not trying to help you, I'm trying to help myself. I've been so exhausted these past few years, and I want to be more compassionate to myself from now on. And you, you should also be more compassionate to yourself from now on, okay?"
"I know."
Two women who have been fighting for half their lives bid farewell to each other reluctantly.
On the other side, the atmosphere between the two brothers was obviously not as warm as that between their mothers.
"Ahem, ahem, third brother, you win in the end."
It was hard to tell what emotion was in Li Yuanxiu's eyes, a mixture of reluctance and relief.
But he knew that no matter what, his broken body could no longer support his former ambitions. Now, being able to safely leave the capital with his mother was already the best outcome.
Li Yanxiu's smile was still as charming as ever.
"Thank you for letting me do this, and thank you for your help, big brother."
Maybe it was because she was in high spirits because of good news. Her face, which was already as beautiful as a peach or plum and difficult to tell whether it was male or female, was even more beautiful at this moment, making people unable to take their eyes off it.
"Tsk, we're no match for each other. No need to act in front of me. Just laugh it off if you're happy. You've got the best of both worlds. If I were you, I'd laugh for three days and three nights too."
"Not really. I'll just secretly enjoy myself for a day and a half. Don't worry too much about me, brother. Maybe one day I'll have to go back to Guangping Prefecture to worship my ancestors, and then we brothers will be able to meet again."
"Third brother, you have been doing this since you were little and you still haven't changed. When you become the crown prince, don't do this again, or you will lose face as the prince of the Li family. Then I will be embarrassed along with you."
"That's impossible! With the fourth and fifth brothers here, it's not our turn to be embarrassed. Don't worry, big brother!"
"Haha, you'll be the crown prince in the future, so you should set a good example for your brothers. Don't act like this every day, and always remember the royal dignity!"
"Okay, I'll remember it! It's not like we won't see each other again in the future, so why keep telling me all this useless stuff?"
"Then what do I tell you? I ask you to return the throne to me, will you do it?"
"Do I look like a fool to you? The crown prince takes turns, and today is my turn. I, your brother, have a very heavy seat, and I won't get up once I sit down. Just stay as Prince An, and I'll make you a prince later."
"Bah, tell your father what you said, and see if he whips you or not, you're done for."
"Look, it's over if I say it or not."
The two brothers were engaged in a verbal battle, and the resentment that was difficult to express was gradually resolved through their mutual attacks.
"It's almost time. We have to go."
Li Yuanxiu looked up at the sky, then bowed to the crown prince.
"Your Highness, I bid you farewell."
Li Yanxiu returned the greeting.
"Take care, big brother, and have a safe journey."
Concubine Rong and her son stood before the carriage, took one last look at the man on the city wall, and then resolutely boarded the carriage to leave the capital. The long procession wound its way through the city, a song of farewell.
The winter breeze is also very powerful. When it blows on people's faces, it feels like a knife cutting, making it impossible for people standing in high places to open their eyes.
"Your Majesty, it's a cold winter day."
Chief Steward Wang gave a low word of advice in panic.
"Yeah, the wind is quite cold, it made my eyes squint."
The emperor's throat felt a little off and his eyes were very red.
"If she wants to go back to Guangping Prefecture, then let her go. It's better for her not to stay with me. I'm not a good person anyway, and I'll always let her down in this life."
Manager Wang knelt on the ground pretending to be dead. He shouldn't have heard a single word of this kind of talk.
"It's so cold, I wonder if they've brought enough winter clothes? The eldest is frail, so I need to get some good medicine to carry with me. Don't ask me to send my son off later..."
The emperor stood there and watched the convoy leave, muttering a few words. Only when the shadows were completely out of sight did he look away with a look of dejection.
"Let's go. It's better to go. At least I won't have to watch these two bastards strangle each other to death under my nose. Just don't do anything that will make your loved ones sad and your enemies happy..."
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