Perhaps Li Zhu had paused for too long, because Nangong Qing couldn't help but look at him and ask.
Is there anything special about this person?
"I think it's because of this person that Father Emperor treated me differently from the other princes, and it's also the fundamental reason why you could only bestow the title of 'Cairen' upon me..."
Li Zhu slowly spoke.
Nangong Qing, standing beside her, was taken aback. She thought to herself, "Shouldn't I have requested this myself, since I'm a talented woman? What other reason could there be?"
However, as one of the earliest women to serve the emperor, the fact that she was only a concubine after things stabilized certainly raises many questions. It's just unexpected that even her own son would suspect there was a huge hidden story behind it…
"Is...is that so..."
Nangong Qing responded somewhat uncertainly, wondering who could possibly make Li Zhu have such thoughts!
"Mother, this person looks a bit like you, and he claims to be my younger brother..."
Li Zhu paused here. He needed to consider his mother's feelings, so he had to wait for her reaction after she had processed the news!
Nangong Qing was shocked and stood up in disbelief. This sudden movement startled Li Zhu, who was afraid that such news would upset her!
Are you sure?
Nangong Qing looked at Li Zhu and asked with difficulty, needing to confirm whether this matter was true or false!
"Really, he just suddenly appeared in front of me and told me he was my brother. I was skeptical, after all, we're royalty now, it's possible for someone to suddenly appear and claim kinship with someone else. That's why I came to my mother to confirm if I really have such a brother..."
Nangong Qing seemed to have lost all her strength all at once, and slumped down, her eyes instantly filled with tears!
Seeing his mother so heartbroken, Li Zhu quickly said...
"Mother, don't be sad. I just wanted to confirm his identity. If he's a fraud, I'll just ignore him from now on..."
"No, he is indeed your brother. Where is he? I need to see him..."
Even with Nangong Qing's calm and composed demeanor, he lost his composure at this moment, his mind a jumbled mess. He never imagined that the child was still alive...
“Mother, he was extremely skilled in martial arts, and he didn't want to reveal his identity, so after telling me who he was, he left…”
Li Zhu said helplessly, "From my mother's reaction, I can tell that this younger brother is real. I just can't figure out what happened back then that made my mother abandon her son."
"Then...then can you find him?"
Nangong Qing pressed on expectantly!
“Mother, I thought he was a fraud, so I didn’t get his address. Now I can only wait for him to come to me…”
Li Zhu said somewhat awkwardly, while feeling even more puzzled, wondering what his adopted younger brother had gone through to become so powerful...
"oh…"
Nangong Qing's eyes were filled with undisguised disappointment, and then she sighed and said...
"Xiao Zhu, do you think that your mother abandoned your younger brother?"
“Mother, how could I possibly think that way! I know you are the most sentimental person in the world, how could you abandon your own child? I think something unavoidable must have happened back then that caused my younger brother to be left behind. All these years, you must have lived with self-blame and guilt every moment. It's all my fault for not understanding your inner pain in time, which has left you to bear it all alone…”
Li Zhu said from the bottom of his heart!
"Xiao Zhu..."
Nangong Qing was deeply moved, and tears welled up in her eyes...
"Xiao Zhu, it's not your fault. Your mother wanted to keep all of this buried in her heart and didn't want to tell anyone, but fate is cruel, and I never expected him to reappear..."
As Nangong Qing finished speaking, he couldn't help but sob, opening his mouth but unable to utter the next words!
“Mother, if you don’t want to talk about it, then don’t. This is a matter between you and Father, I…”
"Xiao Zhu..."
Nangong Qing interrupted Li Zhu, then sighed and said...
“Xiao Zhu, you’ve grown up now, and there are some things I should tell you. I can only say that it was all fate’s cruel joke. Back then, your father was full of passion and vowed to bring peace to the world for the Tang Dynasty. But no one expected that the once glorious Tang Dynasty, where all nations paid tribute, would one day perish…”
Your father was heartbroken at that time and was unfortunately wounded in battle. I saved him while he was fleeing for his life. It was at that time that we developed feelings for each other. After your father recovered, I followed him to conquer the world. I became pregnant during the journey. However, at that time, the world was in chaos and the people were suffering. There was an urgent need for a strong person to unify the world and give the people a peaceful life!
Although your father is worried about me and the child in my womb, he still considers the well-being of the people his responsibility and intends to quell the rebellions in various places...
At that time, your father's strength was enough to make him stand out from the crowd. He planned to go to war after I gave birth to my child. However, things didn't go as planned. On the night I was about to give birth, the rebels crossed the defense line and launched a surprise attack on your father's camp!
Your father was frantic with worry, and I, unfortunately, suffered a difficult childbirth, my consciousness becoming increasingly clouded. Yet, I still managed to give birth to twins. During the relocation of the camp, one of the maids responsible for looking after the children got separated from us. That maid was holding your newborn brother. In the chaos of war, I thought your brother had perished in the fighting, but I never expected... never expected..."
At this point, Nangong Qing couldn't continue. Clearly, the loss of her child back then had been a huge blow to her. After all, it was her own flesh and blood, which she had carried for ten months; how could she not feel heartache?
It's all because of the critical situation at the time. Even if there had been a sliver of hope, she probably wouldn't have allowed her child to leave her sight. But by then, it was too late…
Now this child has reappeared, knows about his past, and most importantly, seems to have had a miraculous encounter, his strength reaching a level that is beyond human reach. This can be considered a blessing in disguise...
"Mother, his name is Nangong Niannian, and he looks just like you, like you were made from the same mold..."
At this point, Li Zhu paused for a moment. His mother had just mentioned twins, so they should look exactly alike. However, he and Nangong Niannian looked quite different. Even though they hadn't lived together since childhood, their appearances shouldn't be so different.
"That's good...it's good to know he's still alive..."
Nangong Qing was oblivious to Li Zhu's emotional shift, still reeling from the shock of her son's survival. So, after Li Zhu finished speaking, she immediately echoed his words...
"So, this younger brother isn't an illegitimate child?"
Li Zhu asked instinctively, feeling that something was off...
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