Chapter 135: Recall to Beijing [Two in One]
At the end of the year, when Shen Wangshu was still imagining how he would spend his first year in the Duke's Mansion after traveling through time, the imperial edict arrived from the capital at full speed.
The eunuch Sheng who announced the decree seemed to be very familiar with Duke Rong. After reading the decree aloud, he went on to explain the details of the capital to them: "Duke, you may not know that His Majesty is seriously ill now, and the Crown Prince and the Queen are regents. Except for you, all the princes outside the capital have been summoned to attend this year's palace banquet to pray for His Majesty's blessing."
Duke Rong and General Zhenguo have been stationed in the northern border for many years and have not returned to the capital without being summoned. Now that they are suddenly summoned, they naturally have to give an explanation.
Duke Rong nodded and said, "Thank you for telling me, I have learned about this matter and will set off soon."
Eunuch Sheng waved his hands repeatedly and said "I dare not", and then said: "The general is still at the border? Then wait until he defeats the Turks before returning."
......
After Eunuch Sheng left, the eldest lady asked anxiously, "Why did His Majesty suddenly become seriously ill? Did something happen in the capital again..."
Seeing that Duke Rong had a calm expression, she knew that he probably already knew about this.
Suddenly, they were about to return to the capital. Shen Wangshu quietly stood at the back and listened. As expected, he heard Duke Rong say, "A month ago, His Majesty suddenly vomited blood and fainted during the morning court session. Since then, he has been bedridden and has hardly been awake. The Crown Prince and the Queen have been regents for such a long time. The Shangguan family is already powerful, and now the entire court has become their one-man show. Others have temporarily avoided their limelight, and only the Fifth Prince is still confronting them without giving up."
Chen Zhi was bold and dared to interrupt when her elders were talking: "The emperor is so old, isn't it normal for him to be sick? He also takes all kinds of elixirs every day... Sister-in-law's gunpowder can be refined from it, who knows what other messed-up things those alchemists added in."
It was unknown whether Eunuch Sheng had gone far, and Duke Rong lightly rebuked his daughter: "Don't talk nonsense about His Majesty."
Chen Zhi shut her mouth obediently, but her look was disapproving - other people might have to rely on the royal family, but she was born and raised in the northern border, with a father and brothers around, how could anyone be higher than her?
After receiving the imperial edict, everyone returned to their respective courtyards. In winter, Chen Zhi seldom went out to play with her little sisters, but she was always unwilling to be lonely, so she often invited Shen Wangshu, who was also alone, to her courtyard to appreciate the snow and plum blossoms. Today was no exception.
As soon as Shen Wangshu raised his left foot, the little girl called him, "Sister-in-law, the bougainvillea in the yard is in full bloom today. I have a pot of osmanthus wine hidden here. Do you want to drink with me?"
She thought about it and since she had nothing to do anyway, she readily agreed: "Okay, last time you said you liked the side dishes made by Lvliu, I'll ask her to make some and bring them over."
Chen Zhi happily took her arm and led her to her own territory. She looked around with her clever eyes and whispered, "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about going to the capital."
Shen Wangshu couldn't help laughing: "What do you want to say?"
Arriving at Feiyu Pavilion, Chen Zhi was surrounded by her own people. She finally let go of her courage and said, "Sister-in-law, aren't you worried about the situation in the capital? We don't know much about that place... What if we get bullied?"
Her father had been exiled to Moyun City for more than ten years. Every time her brother won a battle, he had the opportunity to visit Shengjing, but she had never been there.
However, the girls from Beijing think that people from border areas are rude and unrestrained, while the girls from border areas look down on the girls from Beijing for being shy and petty. It is true that both sides look down on each other.
Chen Wangshu couldn't help laughing when he heard her rare lack of confidence. "Everyone knows that your brother is in charge of 500,000 northern troops. The combined forces of the others are not even half as many as his. Your father is a duke, and your mother and grandmother are both first-rank ladies. Who dares to bully you? Even if you go back to the capital, you can still walk sideways."
The eunuch Sheng just now was the prince's confidant, and he was specially asked to make this trip. It can be seen that the prince's attitude is to win over the Rongguo Mansion and the general who guards the country, so naturally, these female members will not be treated unfairly.
Chen Zhi thought about it carefully and it seemed to be true. She immediately became happy again: "Yes, but even if they don't bully openly, those people will definitely be sarcastic in secret..."
Before Shen Wangshu could say anything, he heard the eldest lady patting her chest and assuring: "Don't worry, since they are walking sideways, I will definitely not let them bully you. When we get there, we will be together all the time, and I will protect you for my brother."
Is this a quilt?
"Okay, okay." Shen Wangshu agreed happily: "Azhi, protect me."
"But we still don't know the division of power in the capital. I'll have to ask my mother later." Chen Zhi poured the warmed wine for the two of them. "I still have some brains. After all, this is not our territory. It's always better to be cautious."
Although my father and brother are in high positions and have great power, not everyone wants to win them over. What if someone is eyeing their mistakes? She couldn't let her temper get her into trouble.
Shen Wangshu nodded with satisfaction and praised her: “Azhi’s ideas are very clear.”
In the original novel, the only characteristic of Miss Chen is her arrogance and domineering. Without the title of general's wife, she could barely be considered a half flaw of the general guarding the country. It is very unexpected that she can be so considerate and humble now.
"Pei Xuan taught me all this." The little girl scratched her head and said, "I also think I am much smarter than before."
“I have a general idea of the situation in the capital. If there haven’t been any major changes in the past six months, it should still be the same,” Shen Wangshu said.
In addition to her original memories, she also has a God's perspective, which allows her to roughly analyze the current progress of the male and female protagonists' plans to ascend to power.
The old emperor is ill, so it won't be long before he is forced to abdicate. If he returns to Beijing at this time, there will be endless efforts from all sides to win over Chen Ting... Tsk tsk, he doesn't have to worry about that now that he is fighting a war, but the people in the Rongguo Mansion who went back first will start to get busy.
Chen Zhi didn't ask her how she knew so much, she just listened carefully: "Sister-in-law, tell me?"
"Let's start with the royal family." It is estimated that the royal family will be the one that they will deal with the most when they get there, so Shen Wangshu said: "The Crown Prince and the Queen have the support of the Shangguan clan behind them. Now they are the most powerful. If nothing unexpected happens, he will succeed to the throne after His Majesty passes away. However, the fifth prince born by Concubine Jia has been fighting with him for a long time. Before His Majesty fell ill, he valued him very much."
So now, on the surface, the supporters of the Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince are divided equally. As long as the position of the Crown Prince remains unchanged, the future heir apparent will not change.
The bad thing is that a piece of rumor spread out of nowhere - the Fifth Prince had recently overturned a major case that the Crown Prince had personally tried many years ago. The matter involves serious matters, and the Emperor has already blamed the Crown Prince, and the royal family's father and son are at odds... As for whether it has come to the point of deposing the Crown Prince, that's hard to say.
Therefore, the situation in Beijing is still very complicated. If you step into this chaotic vortex, it will be difficult to escape easily.
However, Chen Zhi is not very concerned about the situation of the princes at the moment. Who becomes the crown prince and who ascends the throne has nothing to do with her. What she has to deal with more realistically are the female relatives.
The women's words...
Shen Wangshu thought for a moment, "The Empress is firmly in the palace. After His Majesty fell ill, Concubine Li, who was once the favorite of the six palaces, and the biological mother of the Second Prince, became low-key. Concubine Jia often competed with the Empress because of the Fifth Prince."
"Concubine Jia dares to make such a fuss. It seems that the Fifth Prince was indeed very popular with the Emperor." Chen Zhi was amazed. This Concubine Jia is not even a noble concubine, yet she dares to challenge the master of the harem. How much confidence did the Fifth Prince give her?
She quickly thought of Concubine Li. As the only concubine in the harem, she was second only to the emperor and had a son... Why was it the Fifth Prince instead of the Second Prince who challenged the Crown Prince?
Doesn’t the emperor love his second child after his eldest son?
Chen Zhi was a little confused, but she didn't dwell on this question for too long: "What about other families in the capital?"
Shen Wangshu's memory of the division of forces other than the royal family was a little vague. She couldn't remember too much detail. Instead of guessing here, it would be better to ask the eldest lady directly, so she said: "Other aunts should know better than me. Tell me when you ask later."
Chen Zhi nodded: "Okay."
The two finished a pot of osmanthus wine. Before leaving, Chen Zhi asked the maid in the courtyard to pick a few bougainvilleas that were in full bloom for Shen Wangshu: "Sister-in-law, take a few back and put them in the house. They are fragrant and beautiful. Seeing these flowers every day will make you feel better."
Shen Wangshu accepted it with a smile: “Thank you, Azhi.”
She didn’t know if it was a psychological effect, but she had been losing her appetite and feeling low these past few days. The little dragon baby that Chen Ting had mentioned before he left kept lingering in her mind… This guy must have hinted at her, making her feel like she was really pregnant.
She wanted to feel her own pulse to calm her mind, but the time was too short and she couldn't find anything.
Never mind, just let it go. She hasn't figured out a grown dragon yet, so she can't just turn around and have another little dragon appear...
Xiaolong...wait, she finally remembered what she had forgotten some time ago!
She had promised Xiao Fuguang from Qingwu Mountain that she would go back to help him shed his scales, but she had been so busy during this period that she hadn't had that dream for a long time. Naturally, she had never seen the little golden dragon in the Dragon Valley again.
God, the time she entered the dream was irregular each time. She hadn’t been back for such a long time, so it must have been at least... one, two, three, or four years. Chen Fuguang’s shedding period had long passed. He wouldn’t still be waiting for her foolishly, right?
Just thinking about it, Shen Wangshu was about to be overwhelmed by his guilt.
But it was also strange. She had never had that dream when she was not busy. It was obvious that she could return to Qingwu Mountain just by thinking about it before.
That night, Shen Wangshu bathed and burned incense, and reverently placed the dragon horn next to his pillow. Before falling asleep, he whispered, "Please, please, please let me see Chen Fuguang tonight, okay?"
The dragon horn remained silent, only emitting golden light.
Shen Wangshu agreed to it, wrapped himself in the quilt and went to sleep.
However, this time the dragon horn, which had always worked, did not go as she wished. In her dream, she did not return to the Dragon Valley of Qingwu Mountain that she had always longed for - no, it should be said that she did not return to Qingwu Mountain, but came here from a God's perspective.
She saw the little golden dragon, who had been curled up in the dark Dragon Valley for who knows how long, walking out of the cave with wounds that had healed and scabbed over. His big eyes, which used to be shining with golden light, were now dim and absent-minded. She felt more and more distressed and guilty, and when she wanted to rush over to hug him, her hands went through his body.
"Fu Guang!" Shen Wangshu called him unwillingly, "I'm sorry, I'm late..."
Xiaolong didn't react at all, as if he couldn't hear her voice at all. He just walked out of the Dragon Valley by himself. When he came into the sunlight, Shen Wangshu saw the mess of his scales falling off - only half of them were neatly peeled off by himself, and the rest could be seen at a glance that they were violently rubbed off, with scratches all over the place.
However, the dragon's self-healing ability was apparently very strong. After the healing process, only embarrassing scars were left, and the rest seemed to be fine.
The last little dragon in the Dragon Valley walked out of its nest, and Shen Wangshu watched him walk step by step to the very edge of Qingwu Mountain - this was a vast ocean, and the other side of the ocean was probably the human continent.
"What are you going to do..." she muttered absentmindedly.
Is this how Chen Ting came to the human world from the sacred mountain?
Is he here to find me?
Apart from this reason, Shen Wangshu couldn't think of any other reason.
The young dragon's small wings were not strong enough to support his body to fly. When he wanted to leave Qingwu Mountain and go out to sea, the first thing she thought of was to build a ship.
Chen Fuguang obviously thought of these things without any guidance, but the materials he used to build the boat made Shen Wangshu's face change greatly - he pulled out all the golden scales he had grown back. Dragon scales are the strongest and toughest armor of the dragon clan. A young dragon without scales is very dangerous to an adult monster. Why did he...
The pain of having its scales pulled out made the little dragon roll on the ground, leaving only a body of fragile soft flesh. The little monster looked even uglier, but Shen Wangshu couldn't stop shedding tears. The golden scales formed a swaying dragon scale boat floating on the sea. Apart from this, anything else would sink to the bottom of the sea.
Nothing is allowed to leave Qingwu Mountain. If a powerful golden dragon wants to go to the human world, it must naturally accept the punishment of the laws of heaven.
Losing all scales, this is the price Chen Fuguang has to pay.
The dying little dragon fell on the golden dragon scale boat and drifted with the waves. It was unknown how long it drifted. When it landed, it had grown new black scales and turned into a five-year-old child. It fainted and was then picked up by the still young Chen couple.
The dragon of Qingwu Mountain was willing to lose all his memories and powers and come to this mortal world.
From the moment Shen Wangshu first entered his dream and gave him the name "Chen Fuguang", the bond of fate had tied the two together tightly, eventually forming a curse that he would pursue for the rest of his life.
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