Chapter 56 Falling into Memories
Nanny Xia was no fool either. She comforted Xi Qingmian and promised to help her ask Madam Zheng for instructions. Only then did Xi Qingmian give up temporarily.
After Miss Xi San was gone, Nanny Xia asked in a low voice, "But what did Madam say? Why didn't she allow Miss Xi San to go out?"
Who would have thought that Xiyu would actually start to hesitate and finally evade the question by saying, "You should ask the Madam first. She won't allow it anyway."
Nanny Xia frowned, a bad feeling forming in her heart. She was Madam Zheng's wet nurse, so she went straight to ask. Normally, when she asked harmless questions, Madam Zheng would answer them, but this time, Madam Zheng's face suddenly turned serious.
She put down the account book in her hand, turned around and asked in surprise, "You didn't let the third lady go, did you?"
Nanny Xia had never seen Madam Zheng react like this in all these years, so she nodded blankly.
Seeing her nod, Madam Zheng breathed a sigh of relief and gave another order: "From now on, the Third Lady is not allowed to go to the Song family. Make her schoolwork heavier so that she won't want to run around every day."
Nanny Xia subconsciously wondered, "Why is this? Isn't it good for sisters to be close..."
Before he could finish his words, Madam Zheng interrupted him harshly: "No need to say more, just do as you are told! And Qingfeng won't let him go!"
If others couldn't tell her two daughters apart, how could her family members not tell them apart? Before the master knew about it, no one else should let anyone know.
Nanny Xia was startled by the sudden loud voice and shrank her neck. She wanted to say something more but was intimidated by Madam Zheng's power, so she finally kept her mouth shut. However, this only deepened her doubts.
Could it be that the Second Lady has made Madam angry again these days?
No, I have to find a chance to go and take a look.
*
They worked until evening, only halfway through the palace's tidying up. Qingwu paid the villagers their daily wages, and they happily returned home. After the six people in the palace had dinner, it was time for them to wash up.
The weather in late spring is not too hot. The newly pruned sycamore branches sway gently in the night, rustling, soothing the day's restlessness and gradually calming people's hearts.
Xiao Ji sat alone in the corridor, looking at the full moon in the sky, without taking his eyes off it for a long time.
My mother once said, "The moon is full on the fifteenth day of the lunar month," but can some people and some things ever be more perfect?
He recalled the last time he went to the Purple Palace. That morning, the emperor said in person in the court that he wanted to depose him as the crown prince.
At that time, his wife cried and begged him to speak nicely to the emperor and not to anger him, but he knew that the outcome was already doomed.
As expected, the emperor on the dragon throne seemed to have been waiting for him for a long time. One person was on top, the other was below. Their eyes met for a long time before he lowered his head and whispered, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects. Please forgive me for not kneeling."
Xiao Yuancheng was instantly enraged when he heard the single word "minister." He sneered, "Now you don't even call me 'son' anymore. Do you not intend to acknowledge me as your father? Are you blaming me?"
The emperor's eyes were like those of an eagle, filled with the rage of being disobeyed - his own son actually openly contradicted him for an outsider.
Hearing the anger in the emperor's words, Xiao Ji's eyes instantly turned red. Could it be that he couldn't even complain? But he just lowered his head and whispered, "I dare not."
Xiao Ji thought he could control his emotions, but as soon as he opened his mouth, his eyes became sore and his heart was filled with turbulent emotions.
He told himself that he was not here to argue with the emperor again, but as soon as he saw the emperor, Xiao Ji's mind kept thinking of his former father. His father at that time taught him to read and play, and was extremely loving, but his current father was arrogant and glared at him.
Hearing this resentful question, the emperor sneered, "Don't dare? I think you dare! You even dare to contradict your father because of an outsider!"
"What's so good about Yao Chongchun? He was just your teacher for a few years! I was also your father for seventeen years!"
The corners of Xiao Ji's eyes grew redder. He suddenly raised his eyes and looked directly at the emperor sitting on the dragon throne. His Adam's apple rolled as he spoke loudly, "That's the teacher my mother personally asked for me!"
By then, Yao Chongchun had served three dynasties and had also served as prime minister. He wanted to retire while his career was at an end and preserve his reputation, so he retired. It was only through the Empress Dowager's personal visits that she persuaded this veteran of three dynasties to come out of retirement and teach the young crown prince.
But Xiao Yuancheng completely ignored the matter of becoming a disciple. His fingers, which were playing with the seal, suddenly tightened, and the dragon-patterned ring shone coldly in the candlelight: "Why mention your mother?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he realized that he had lost his composure. He quickly slammed his seal on the memorial, causing the inkstone on the desk to splash cinnabar liquid, red like blood.
"Don't think I'll soften my heart just because you mention the Queen. There's absolutely no room for maneuver in the matter of deposing the Crown Prince!"
But Xiao Ji, who was watching this scene below, could only sneer in his heart. Poor his father still thought that he mentioned his mother in order to gain his pity.
He didn't want pity, he wanted the truth...
A short laugh escaped Xiao Ji's throat, the emotions surging in his chest threatening to burst forth. His wheelchair couldn't help but rock back and forth, rolling over the cold, gold-like floor of Zichen Palace.
"I have never prayed for your Majesty to be soft-hearted."
He raised his head, revealing the flickering flames in his eyes to Xiao Yuancheng. "I just want to know why my mother died? Was it because of Concubine Gao, Concubine Shu, Concubine De, or was it because of... you?"
The last word had barely been uttered half a syllable when Xiao Yuancheng slammed the table and stood up. The memorial on the imperial desk shook, and the emperor's furious voice echoed throughout the hall!
"presumptuous!"
Veins bulged on Xiao Yuancheng's forehead, and his chest heaved violently under his dragon robe. "What did you say? Say it again!"
"How dare you suspect me of having the Queen killed? She is my Queen, your biological mother! Why would I harm her?"
However, sometimes, anger does not mean grievance, but means that the truth has been said. Xiao Ji was furious and humiliated. He stared at his father carefully for a long time and clearly saw the guilt hidden in his eyes. Everything seemed to be clear to him.
Many years later, the word "Yuan" that his mother drew on his palm before her death suddenly became hot.
At that time, he only thought that his mother was concerned about his father. Thinking about it now, how ridiculous is that?
The emperor above was still trying to justify himself, "Your mother's body was injured by a miscarriage and she is getting weaker and weaker..."
"Whose lies did you believe? How dare you doubt your father?"
"Don't you know? For a month before your mother died, I took care of her day and night without taking off my clothes. I fed her her medicine every night!"
Xiao Ji listened quietly, and finally couldn't help but shed tears when he heard this.
This is what the female doctor beside the Queen Mother said. She checked and tasted everything that came into her mouth. She ate and slept with the Queen Mother, except when the Emperor came and fed her.
Tears welled up in the boy's eyes under the moonlight.
As the tears fell, a playful and intimate voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Liu Lang has been walking around the garden for so long today, he must be tired. Let me wash his feet to relieve his fatigue~"
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