Chapter 151 Grandma Takes Action
Although Xiao Yuancheng had expected this, he was still caught off guard when this was the first thing he talked about.
"Aunt, let's talk about this later. Sit down and rest for now." Xiao Yuancheng greeted with a smile.
Xiao Yuluan stopped talking and followed her inside. Someone naturally brought her a chair and tea, which were placed one meter in front of the imperial desk. It was so close, and no one had sat there for more than ten years.
Seeing Xiao Yuluan sit down naturally with tea in her hand, Xiao Yuancheng started to greet her, "Aunt, how have you been doing these years away from home? Is your body still healthy?"
But no matter what Xiao Yuluan said, she would always bring it back to the matter of the deposed Crown Prince. She sighed deeply, "I've lived a free and easy life outside these years, but I'm old now. Your Majesty, you know that I have no children, and I just want my descendants to have a good life..."
Xiao Yuancheng couldn't help but be stunned. He had seen Xiao Yuluan when she was in power. The once powerful Princess Zhenguo now said this, as if she were an ordinary old lady who cared about her descendants. A trace of emotion flashed in his old eyes.
Especially the fact that she was childless greatly lowered Xiao Yuancheng's guard, making him feel a bit of pity and indescribable pride towards Xiao Yuluan. Why was she so competitive when she was young? She should have had more children... Unlike him, who now has children and grandchildren all around him.
"Aunt, don't sigh. My children and grandchildren are your children and grandchildren. Just live here peacefully and enjoy the happiness of family life."
Although she and his father had fought fiercely in the past, in the royal family, the final conclusion of the previous generation was not so easy to overturn. His biological father did not care about the fight with this sister, and Xiao Yuancheng, as her nephew, had even less right to care.
The main reason was that Xiao Yuluan was too difficult to move. The eldest princess and the old prince, who had been with her all her life, were still around. But who could compare to Xiao Yuluan's noble status? As the daughter of two emperors, Xiao Yuancheng was afraid of being criticized if he wasn't filial to her.
Xiao Yuluan, who was drinking tea with her head down, couldn't help but smile when she heard this. When she raised her head, she said with gratitude, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I returned to the capital this time hoping to spend my old age in peace. As I get older, I can't help but feel nostalgic... I don't want to get involved in the fight for the throne. I just think that the child is, after all, a descendant of the Yang family..."
Yang Gong is the nephew of the Queen Mother. I'm afraid he will pass away in a few years. I will also pass away. When he goes to the underworld, I will be too ashamed to face the Queen Mother..."
These words frightened everyone around them. Few people would dare to talk about "the struggle for the throne" directly in front of Xiao Yuancheng. But when these words came out of Xiao Yuluan's mouth, it seemed very ordinary, which made Xiao Yuancheng feel that she was honest. After all, she had really participated in it before.
His fingers unconsciously stroked the edge of the teacup, and his brows gradually relaxed. He looked at his aunt, who had once been a powerful figure in the court, now with white hair and sincere words, and a soft touch rose in his heart.
"Aunt is right..." He sighed softly, "I don't want to treat Linghui's child like this. I will have to see my grandmother sooner or later... But the child is too stubborn..."
Xiao Yuancheng recounted the entire situation, speaking from his perspective, like a child seeking justice from an adult. "Aunt, just tell me, how can I not punish him? He doesn't even take me, his father, seriously. As a father, I'm heartbroken..."
Fortunately, Xiao Yuluan heard what Xiao Ji said first. However, even if she hadn't heard what Xiao Ji said first, she would not be fooled by Xiao Yuancheng. But after listening to it twice, she felt even more that Xiao Ji was an honest child who was too sentimental. Such a child was not cruel enough to be an emperor, but it would be a great choice to be a grandson-in-law. The child was still young, and after a little teaching, he would be fine when he grew up.
But of course, she couldn't tell Xiao Yuancheng about this. Xiao Yuluan pretended to understand him and scolded Xiao Ji first, "How can this teacher compare to his father who gave birth to him? This child is..."
Then he changed the subject, "But Your Majesty is so kind. The deposed Crown Prince has been in the temporary palace for three months now, so he must have regretted it. That place is far inferior to the capital... To be honest, I dreamed of my mother, and she kept talking about her great-grandson in the dream, so I returned to the capital..."
Xiao Yuluan, a skilled and experienced person, immediately shocked Xiao Yuancheng with her acting skills. "Really...really? You really dreamed of your grandmother?"
These words struck a chord with Xiao Yuancheng. He had been feeling low on energy and worsening health lately. He'd been troubled by rumors of an unlucky star harming the country, and he'd been dreaming of the late emperor. Hearing Xiao Yuluan mention Emperor Yang, he felt even more strongly that there was some divine providence behind all this.
"Of course, it's true. Otherwise, why would I rashly mention this matter upon returning? I'm truly worried. What if I can't fulfill Mother's wish? I still want to live a few more years."
The implication of these words sounded terrifying. Could it be that if the Queen's wish could not be fulfilled, she would be taken away? In that case, who would be taken away, her or him?
At his age, Xiao Yuancheng has reached the point where he no longer cares about the common people but only about ghosts and gods. He hurriedly said, "Aunt, I can't tell you this. How can my grandmother bear to..."
"Why would I be reluctant? I'm already so old. If I follow the age of our Xiao family, then it's almost time." Xiao Yuluan waved her hand with a worried look on her face.
Xiao Yuancheng felt a chill in his heart at these words. The longest-lived emperor in their Xiao family was Taizu, who was only 65 years old. His grandfather Gaozong died in his 40s. Otherwise, how could the country have fallen into the hands of his grandmother? It almost became the Yang family's?
Of course, his grandmother lived a long life, reaching the age of seventy, and he hoped that he could live that long. However, thinking that Zhongzong and his biological mother, the empress dowager, had passed away in their fifties, Xiao Yuancheng became even more panicked, and he started coughing.
“Cough cough cough…”
The eunuch beside him immediately brought a spittoon. Bai De'an patted his back and poured water. Xiao Yuluan's eyes moved, and he stood up and walked over and said, "Your Majesty, how about I take a look at you?"
But how could Xiao Yuancheng dare? He waved his hand and said, "No need, no need. This is an old problem. It rained last night and there was a cold wind." The specifics of his physical condition could not be known to others.
The more he tried to cover it up, the more Xiao Yuluan was certain that her nephew's condition... was very bad. It would only take two or three years for him to die. If he encountered any major problems, he would probably get so angry that he would have a stroke.
"Eh? I've studied medicine for a few years, so I can't neglect minor illnesses..."
Seeing that she looked like she wanted to feel his pulse, Xiao Yuancheng had to change the subject, "Maybe this is really my grandmother's punishment for me... Oh, never mind, I'll listen to my aunt's advice and forgive that unfilial son!"
"But I cannot restore him to the position of Crown Prince. The Imperial Hospital Director said his legs will leave him lame. So, I can only restore him to his status as an imperial prince... I will confer the title of 'Zhao' upon him."
He spoke so fluently that he even blurted out the word "block the account". It was obvious that he had been thinking about this for a while.
Indeed, it was not just a matter of one or two days. On the day when Xiao Ji was deposed as the crown prince, Xiao Yuancheng had thought about reinstating Xiao Ji one day, but he did not expect it to be so soon. However, it was reasonable to use his aunt's persuasion as an excuse.
Xiao Yuancheng only believed three-quarters of what Xiao Yuluan said about Emperor Yang's dream. Two-quarters was due to his inner guilt, and the most important five-quarters was because of Prince An.
The rumor that Prince An's dark star would harm the country was obviously made by other good sons. Now that Prince An is really seriously ill and weak, he will re-employ Xiao Ji. In short, they should not think that they can get the position of crown prince so soon.
He was lost in thought and naturally didn't notice that Xiao Yuluan below him raised her head in an almost imperceptible arc.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
