Only Li Wan and Madam Li were left in the hall.
Mrs. Li grabbed Li Wan's hand, a little nervous: "Wan'er, is there something wrong?"
Li Wan glanced outside the palace, then said to Madam Li, "You should know why the Queen Mother asked me to enter the palace."
Madam Li's expression changed slightly, and she also looked outside the hall, then looked at Li Wan, motioning her to continue.
Li Wan said: "The Queen Mother intends to rebel."
Madam Li was horrified: "Wan'er, you, you better be careful with your words!"
Li Wan was very calm. She held Madam Li's hand tightly and said, "I am just a chess piece that the Queen Mother has placed beside the Emperor. If anything goes wrong, you will be her hostages. The Queen Mother had already reminded me of this implicitly when I entered the palace."
Madam Li looked panicked: "That can't be said that the Queen Mother intended to rebel, that is a capital crime, once..."
Li Wan's tone was gentle and calm: "Mom, do you believe me?"
Mrs. Li looked at Li Wan in front of her. Her eyes were clear and firm, carrying a magical power that made people feel at ease and unable to help but believe.
Mrs. Li nodded.
In fact, she was vaguely aware of the ambitions of the Li family's direct descendants and the Queen Mother of Xiwu Palace.
Of course she knew that the Queen Mother allowed Li Wan to enter the palace to use her as a pawn, but she never dared to imagine that the Queen Mother actually had the intention of rebellion.
She was suddenly shocked: "If the Queen Mother really wants to rebel, then we..."
This is a heinous crime that will result in the extermination of nine generations of the clan!
The Queen Mother might just imprison them, but what about them?
Mrs. Li was so shocked that she almost stood up from the stool, but Li Wan held her knees down.
Li Wan held Madam Li down and asked, "Mother, what do you think of the Emperor?"
Mrs. Li's panicked eyes slowly calmed down in the face of Li Wan's exceptionally calm mood. She was a little confused, as if she didn't understand why Li Wan suddenly mentioned this. After a long while, she slowly replied: "The emperor ascended the throne at a young age and was assisted by three regents. Although he is still young now, he is diligent in government and loves the people, and is willing to accept advice... This is what your father told me at home. He said that the emperor is a young and heroic ruler, and in time, he will definitely become a wise ruler."
Li Wan smiled slightly and said, "I agree with my father's point of view, so I chose the emperor. Since I chose the emperor, the emperor will naturally protect my family's lives."
Madam Li said: "You and the Emperor..."
Li Wan gently took Madam Li's hand and smiled slightly, "I chose the emperor not for any other reason, but because I believe he is a good emperor."
Li Wan's words were not entirely selfish. She had heard her father talk about the wisdom of the young emperor when she was in the boudoir. When she entered the palace, she found that the emperor had to get up before dawn and sit on the dragon throne for several hours every day to listen to the debates of the court officials below. He also had to review memorials to the emperor, read books, practice calligraphy, and sometimes even practice boxing.
Li Wan believed that even if the emperor lived in modern times, he would still be the most outstanding model student.
Li Wan did not tell Madam Li that she and the Emperor had promised to be together forever. She told Madam Li about the Empress Dowager and her own position in order to warn her not to be used by the Empress Dowager and her party.
Mrs. Li is clear-headed and should know what to do.
After hearing what Li Wan said, Mrs. Li stopped asking questions. Knowing that Li Wan was living well in the palace, she felt relieved.
But Madam Li was still a little worried: "What about the Queen Mother?"
Li Wan said: "Don't worry, mother, I know what to do."
Mrs. Li felt a little sad, and her eyes turned red again: "When you were at home, you were still a little girl who knew nothing... You suffered a lot."
Li Wan smiled and changed the subject: "How is my brother?"
When talking about this, Madam Li's eyes were red again, but she smiled and said, "Your brother has changed his personality now! Since you entered the palace, he has started to study hard and even said that he wants to serve as an official in the court and be your backer in the future. Just wait for him."
Li Wan smiled when he heard this, and was touched: "Tell my brother that I will wait for him to become a high-ranking official and support me."
Li Wan successfully brought the topic to daily life.
The mother and daughter were talking affectionately.
Cuizhu came in happily again, saying that the emperor had given her lunch.
The palace servants from the imperial kitchen brought out the dishes one by one.
The waiter stood by the door and read out the names of the dishes one by one.
In the end, the table was filled with more than a dozen dishes.
Mrs. Li was flattered. Li Mu stood beside the table, like a child who had never seen the world, swallowing his saliva as he looked at the table full of dishes.
The Li couple have always been frugal. With five people in their family, they usually only have five or six side dishes for meals at home.
There was almost no room for all the food on the table.
Li Wan took a look and saw that all the dishes on the table were her favorites.
"Cuizhu, serve a bowl of crab paste porridge to the lady and the young master."
Mrs. Li took a sip and Li Wan asked how it tasted.
Madam Li sighed, "Of course it tastes much better than outside the palace. I never thought I would have the blessing to eat the food in the imperial kitchen." She turned to Li Mu who was wolfing down his food and said, "Eat slowly. There's such a big table. When you see the food, have you even forgotten the etiquette your parents taught you?"
Li Mu then felt embarrassed and slowed down his eating speed.
A family of three can't eat too much.
There were more than a dozen dishes, and I felt full after just one bite of each. It looked like no one on the table had touched the food.
After the three of them finished their meal, the palace servants came in and took the food away and put out some fruits and cakes.
Li Mu felt a little full. He sat on the stool and touched his stomach, his eyes still fixed on the pastries. He wanted to eat but didn't dare to.
The mother and daughter continued talking.
"Your Majesty?" Cuizhu's voice suddenly came from outside the palace: "Your servant greets Your Majesty."
Madam Li was shocked all over. She didn't expect the emperor to come! She subconsciously glanced at Li Wan, then hurriedly pulled Li Mu to stand up, and saw the emperor walking in from outside the palace.
Madam Li was at a loss, and hurriedly bowed and saluted: "Your Highness, I pay my respects to His Majesty."
Li Mu also hurriedly clasped his hands, lowered his head, and stared at the floor nervously.
The emperor said gently: "No need to be so polite, get up."
After saying that, her phoenix eyes fell on Li Wan's face.
Probably because Mrs. Li came, she put on some rouge, making her face look rosy and pretty.
Li Wan was also very surprised by the emperor's arrival: "Why is the emperor here?"
The emperor said, "I just came out for a walk after lunch."
Cao Yu, who was following behind him, couldn't help but complain in his heart.
As soon as he heard that Li Wan had lunch, he immediately came here, but now he is just taking a casual walk.
Mrs. Li didn't dare to say a word. She stood beside the table with her head lowered. This was her first time meeting the emperor and she was very nervous.
The emperor suddenly looked at Li Mu who was lowering his head and said, "Is this your brother? Raise your head so I can see."
Li Mu raised his head, his handsome little face full of nervousness.
The emperor looked at Li Mu, then at Li Wan: "Why doesn't he look like you at all?"
Li Mu became even more nervous.
Li Wan secretly glared at the emperor, then said, "He and my eldest brother are more like fathers, and I am more like a mother."
The emperor raised his lips and asked Li Mu, "What's your name?"
Li Mu said: "Your Majesty, my name is Li Mu."
The emperor said, "I heard that you are a good archer?" As he said that, he glanced at Li Wan.
It’s because Li Wan said last night that Li Mu is extremely talented in archery.
Li Mu said modestly: "Your Majesty, I only know a little bit, not very well."
The emperor glanced at Li Wan again and said, "Oh? That's not what your sister told me." Then he said, "I just want to go to the parade ground. Why don't you go to the parade ground and let me take a look?"
Li Mu subconsciously looked at Li Wan, and when he saw Li Wan nodded, he said, "Yes, sir."
The emperor said to Cao Yu, "Go to the West Parade Ground."
Cao Yu said something to the palace maid, and the palace maid hurried away to notify the West Parade Ground to prepare.
Mrs. Li and Li Wan would naturally go with them.
The West Parade Ground was specially built for the masters living in the palace to practice riding and archery. It was not far away and only took half a quarter of an hour to get there.
For children like Li Mu, there are special small bows prepared in the training ground.
The royal children all started learning horse riding and archery at the age of four.
When they arrived at the parade ground, the emperor asked Li Mu to pick a bow.
Mrs. Li accompanied him.
Li Wan said, "Why did you ask the palace maids from the Clothing Bureau to come and make riding clothes for me? I have been in poor health since I was a child and have never ridden a horse."
There were many women in the Yuan Dynasty who were good at riding, but Li Wan was weak, so she never learned and has never ridden a horse to this day.
When the emperor heard this, he sent for his horse.
The horse that the emperor rode was naturally extraordinary. From afar, a eunuch from the parade ground was leading a black horse over. It was obviously a horse, but Li Wan could still see the arrogant look on its face. Even though Li Wan was a layman, when he saw this horse, he couldn't help but exclaim that it was a good horse.
The emperor took the reins and stretched out his hand. The black horse seemed to recognize its master and lowered its proud head to rub lightly against the emperor's palm.
The emperor touched the horse's head, turned to Li Wan and said, "This is my horse. It has been with me for five years. Its name is Tornado."
Li Wan looked at it for a while and said, "Well, it's a good horse."
The emperor chuckled, then jumped onto the horse with such swiftness that Li Wan didn't even notice how he got on.
The emperor sat high on his horse, bent down and stretched out his hand to her.
Li Wan retreated a little.
The emperor raised his eyebrows and said, "Don't you know how to ride a horse? I will teach you, so that you won't embarrass me during the autumn hunt."
Li Wan smiled dryly and said, "I will just be a maidservant for Your Majesty. I don't need to ride a horse."
Emperor: "Hand."
Seeing that he couldn't escape, Li Wan gritted his teeth and put his hand into the emperor's.
A smile broke out on the emperor's handsome face. He grasped her hand tightly and then exerted force.
Li Wan felt that his body was suddenly lifted into the air, and before he could react, he was sitting on the horse.
Looking down from the horse, I felt dizzy and quickly grabbed the handle of the saddle, tensing my back.
The emperor held the reins with one hand and put his other hand around her waist. He put his lips close to her ear and said, "Don't be afraid, I'll protect you." After that, he squeezed the horse's belly and the horse trotted forward.
Li Wan's calves were weak from nervousness. She didn't dare look down, as she would feel dizzy if she did. She also didn't dare close her eyes, and stared straight ahead. However, the hand around her waist gave her a great sense of security.
"Are you so scared? You're shaking all over? Aren't you usually very brave?" The emperor teased her, but he pulled her close to him: "Relax, lean on me, don't worry, I won't let you fall."
Li Wan tried her best to relax her back and pressed closely against the emperor.
The emperor rode his horse and took Li Wan to run in circles in the parade ground. When his back was turned to everyone, he couldn't help but secretly kissed Li Wan on the ear.
Li Wan wanted to turn her head, but she didn't dare.
The emperor controlled his speed very well. After pacing around the parade ground a few times, Li Wan gradually relaxed and was not as tense as at the beginning. The cool breeze brushed across his cheeks, making him feel quite comfortable.
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