Extra 2: Mrs. Zheng, New Year
Madam Zheng just watched her daughter vomit blood, faint, and collapse to the ground. She didn't cry out, didn't rush over, and even her eyes didn't waver.
Six months of confinement in the courtyard had already worn away all her edges and spirit. That tiny courtyard was like a prison, where even the lowest-ranking housekeepers could come and go freely, but she alone could not.
She had learned the news before Xi Qingtong. When the attendants whispered about the grand ceremony of the coronation in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the majesty of the empress, and the newly appointed, brilliant Crown Princess, she was initially skeptical, and then, as she was today, she was shocked to the point of numbness.
That lost daughter she had never cared about had such a wonderful fortune? Instead of wandering in the countryside, she was raised by the former princess, now His Majesty?
She never needed charity from herself; everything she wanted was readily available to her.
And what did her biological mother ever do to her?
After she returned home, he treated her harshly and despised her. Then, when she was about to become the wife of the third place in the imperial examination, he forced her and kidnapped her with filial piety, exchanging her life with another daughter!
She threw the pearl into the valley with her own hands, but held the fish eye tightly in her hand, and thought she had planned a bright future for her family.
How ridiculous! How pathetic!
She didn't even have the energy to regret, feel jealous, or feel unwilling. The huge sense of absurdity and powerlessness completely overwhelmed her.
She knew that it was too late to do anything now, and she could never make amends. Even if her own daughter became the queen in the future, she would not enjoy any glory.
The "respect" and "honor" that Mrs. Zheng once longed for will no longer be available on this day.
The torment of the next few months turned her heart into a pool of stagnant water. When the Xi family sent someone to pick her up to celebrate the New Year, she was too numb to utter a word.
Watching these farces again now, Mrs. Zheng's mouth curled into a curve uglier than crying, and her eyes stared at the gray sky outside the hall with empty eyes.
She personally destroyed the mother-daughter relationship with the future mother of the nation, and also personally pushed herself and her two children into an abyss of no return.
The Xi family might become famous because of Qingwu, but that glory is destined to have nothing to do with her anymore.
Mrs. Zheng stood up slowly. She did not look at her unconscious daughter on the ground, nor did she look at her son with a dark face and complicated eyes, nor did she look at her husband who was now a stranger to her.
Like a puppet that had lost its soul, she staggered out of the suffocating hall step by step.
As soon as Mrs. Zheng stepped out of the eaves, the snow began to fall outside again. The white snow quickly covered her hair, hiding the white hair that had grown on her temples at some point in time.
No one cared about her leaving. Xi Qingbai knelt at Xi Jianan's feet and said, "Dad, go and plead with my sister. I... I..."
But he thought about it for a long time and couldn't come up with a good reason.
Xi Jianan rubbed his forehead tiredly, "Carry the Second Lady back. As for you..."
He looked at his son who was kneeling at his feet, "You must remember, that is the Crown Prince's Consort. You must never call her your sister again, and you are not allowed to do anything wrong outside of her name!"
The atmosphere at the Xi Mansion was chilly due to the delicious New Year's lunch, but in the Minghua Palace, there was a happy atmosphere. The fire in the warm room was burning brightly, dispelling the chill of the snowy day.
Xiao Yuluan disliked the fact that so many people had died in the Zichen Palace, so she simply continued to live in the Minghua Palace where she lived before she got married. The elegant decoration of this place added a touch of warmth.
On the Spring Festival, she wore only a casual brocade robe and sat around the table with Qingwu and Xiaoji.
"Come, try this. This is a hot pot from Shu. It's the best way to warm yourself up in winter."
Xiao Yuluan personally used the public chopsticks to pick up a piece of mutton and put it into Qingwu's bowl, her eyes full of love, which made the palace servants serving around secretly shocked. The more they saw, the more they understood the status of the Crown Princess in His Majesty's heart.
Qing Wu responded with a smile: "Thank you, grandma, you eat too." She also naturally served the dishes to Xiao Yuluan, with familiar movements, just like before.
Xiao Ji sat aside, watching this scene, with a smile on his lips, and silently poured warm wine for the grandfather and grandson.
He also took off his royal royal robes today and specially chose a dark casual suit, appearing more stable than before. In front of Xiao Yuluan, he always felt like he was meeting his mother-in-law.
"Don't just focus on us, sit down and have your meal." Xiao Yuluan turned her gaze to him and said with a smile, "You are the crown prince, so you look like the grandson-in-law."
"Yes, grandma." Xiao Ji followed suit and picked up some food for himself.
During the meal, Xiao Yuluan asked about some trivial matters of family life, Qingwu enthusiastically talked about the New Year arrangements prepared in the palace, and Xiao Ji occasionally added a few words, and the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.
Until Xiao Yuluan suddenly asked, "You two have been together for almost a year now, what are your plans?"
Qingwu and Xiaoji were both stunned. They subconsciously thought of the issue of offspring, which was also a topic of discussion in the court recently.
Qing Wu was still thinking about it, but before he could speak, Xiao Ji spoke first, "We are not in a hurry to have children. We are only nineteen years old after the New Year, so we are still very young. The situation in the court has just been determined, so we will come when the time is right."
But Xiao Yuluan glared at him. "Why would I care about such a thing? If you two weren't going to inherit the throne in the future, I, as your grandmother, would have hoped that Qingwu wouldn't have children. As a doctor, how could I not understand the pain of childbirth for women?"
Xiao Yuluan's words were so frank and sharp that both Qingwu and Xiao Ji were stunned, and then a warm feeling surged in their hearts.
Qingwu, in particular, felt a slight tingle in her nose. In this world, the only elder who would prioritize the pain of childbirth over the succession of an heir to the throne was probably her grandmother. Even her father, Xi Jianan, would urge her to bear a child as soon as possible.
"So what does grandma mean?" Qingwu put down his chopsticks and suppressed the emotion in his heart.
Xiao Yuluan also put down her chopsticks, her expression more serious, her eyes flickering between the two of them. "I'm asking you yourselves. Ji'er, your position as Crown Prince has been confirmed. Next, do you want to observe government affairs in the six ministries first, or do you want to gain experience in the army?"
"Qingwu, do you want to stay in the East Palace and take care of the internal affairs, or are you interested in the government? I am here to protect you, so do whatever you want."
She paused, looking at Qingwu with an encouraging look in her eyes. "Especially you, Qingwu. I once only taught you medicine and martial arts, because that was necessary for survival. Now that you have changed your status, you can also learn the classics, history, and statecraft. Emperor Yang and I have set a precedent for women to become emperors, and there will inevitably be women in the court in the future. As the Crown Prince's Consort, you naturally don't have to be confined to the harem."
The profound meaning in these words caused the palace attendants to lower their heads even further, their hearts awash with fear. Was His Majesty actually planning to train the Crown Princess to participate in government?!
Qingwu's heart pounded, her blood boiling. She looked at Xiao Yuluan, whose grandmother's eyes were filled with unconditional trust and expectation. She then looked at Xiao Ji, whose gaze was filled with complete support.
She took a deep breath, stood up, and said to Xiao Yuluan clearly and firmly, "Grandma, Qingwu doesn't want to stay in the backyard. I remember all the principles you taught me. I will always remember the path we walked together. I don't want to get involved in politics, but I am willing to fight for practical matters outside of government affairs."
This wasn't an impulsive statement, but a long-cherished wish. She'd witnessed the suffering of ordinary people and knew the injustices inflicted on women. Since fate had thrust her into this position, and she had the support of her grandmother and Xiao Ji, why couldn't she try to do more, to change the circumstances of countless women?
Xiao Ji also stood up and bowed solemnly to Xiao Yuluan: "Grandson, I will leave it to Grandma's arrangements. Whether it is the six ministries or the army, I am willing to learn and gain experience, and will never slack off. But I also have a wish, I want to start from the basics, I want to remain anonymous and start governing from one county."
Xiao Yuluan looked at the bright-eyed young couple standing side by side, a relieved smile on her face. She picked up the wine glass and said, "Great! That's more appropriate! Come, for your sincere devotion, drink this cup with me!"
The couple also raised their glasses, the wine in the glasses rippled, and the spicy taste when they drank it made their blood boil.
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