In Prince Jing's mansion, Yin Qianhua was also preparing her son's luggage. Yun Yichen looked at his mother, who was busy with his affairs, with a worried look on his face. He secretly wondered why General Xiao would come up with such a bad idea! This old man knew that his father was away and that he had to take care of his mother and sister, but he still had such an idea. Could he really not live without opposing him?
"You don't have to worry about mother and sister. There are only three of us, mother and son, in the entire palace now. There is no danger at all. Besides, you will only be away for a few days, so nothing will happen." Yin Qianhua comforted her son while sorting his clothes.
"I promised my father that I would protect you and my sister, so I will not go to the royal villa this time." Yun Yichen wanted to persuade his mother to let him stay.
"How can that be? When your father left, he assigned extra guards to mother and your sister, and many experts were added to the palace. If you are really worried about the two of us, then learn some skills well. In a few years, mother will no longer have to rely on others for protection." Yin Qianhua stopped what she was doing, looked up at her son, and said word by word.
"But, what if..." What should you do if the Royal Grandmother, Concubine Han, or the Han family attacks you?
"If someone were to murder Mother right now, would you be able to defeat them? Then what difference would it make whether you were there or not?"
After a moment of silence, Yun Yichen suddenly realized, "Son understands what mother means. Don't worry, son will not let you down."
"Young Master, someone else has come to the palace. Look..." Xiao Anzi reported from the corridor.
"Go to the palace and pay your respects to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor! Have you forgotten your father's instructions before he left? Their concern for you is sincere, and even your mother cannot deny it." Yin Qianhua advised her son.
Yun Yichen thought for a while and nodded in agreement.
After he entered the palace with familiarity, he realized that it was not only the Empress Dowager who was waiting for him.
"Grandson pays his respects to the Empress Dowager." Yun Yichen saluted Empress Dowager Han in a proper manner.
"If the Empress Dowager doesn't send someone to invite you, are you not going to set foot in Fengxiang Palace again?" Queen Mother Han scolded.
"My grandson doesn't dare."
"Aunt, don't be angry. Achen is just a child. Some things need to be taught slowly." Concubine Han spoke with understanding and persuaded the queen mother.
Yun Yichen somewhat regretted why he was so soft-hearted and took this trip. Looking at the people present, it was foreseeable that a Hongmen Banquet would be held in Fengxiang Palace today.
"Come here, Achen. Let me introduce you to your cousin Han Yueyan."
"Yueyan meets cousin." A shy voice sounded.
Yun Yichen nodded slightly in response. As for whether the other party saw it or not, it was not something he considered.
"Look, they are such a perfect match. They are of similar age and have similar family backgrounds..." Concubine Han praised them endlessly.
At this moment, Yun Yichen even suspected that Concubine Han might have been a matchmaker in her previous life.
"Let them talk, you just sit down and have some tea." I never realized my niece was so stupid before, but now it seems that it is not completely unreasonable for my son to dislike her. She spoke like a matchmaker, and it would be strange if she didn't scare people away!
"My grandson is not only here to pay his respects to the Imperial Grandmother today, but also to report my studies to the Imperial Uncle. I hope the Imperial Grandmother can understand." Yun Yichen ignored Concubine Han and the girl named Yueyan. In his opinion, the name "Yueyan" did not fit the person in front of him at all, and it was a waste of these two words.
"Cousin." Han Yueyan called out weakly.
"Miss Han, you and I are not familiar with each other, and we are both at the age when men and women should be careful with each other. It is better for us to be careful with each other." Yun Yichen suppressed his anger and reminded her. His words were not just for Miss Han to hear.
As Yun Yichen finished speaking, Empress Dowager Han's expression became increasingly gloomy. Her grandson had become so courageous that he had even learned to mock his grandmother. Well, well, he was now capable!
"Achen, please wait a minute before leaving. The Empress Dowager still has something to say!" Queen Mother Han stopped Yun Yichen who was about to leave.
"Grandmother, please speak."
"Should you unconditionally agree to whatever the Empress Dowager asks you to do?"
"My grandson is just a child, what can he do? My father has already arranged everything in the palace before he left. My grandson just needs to do as he is told. If anything else happens, I believe my uncle will take charge of the palace." Yun Yichen did not mention Queen Mother Han at all.
"Before he left, your father said that he would bring Concubine Han back to the palace in three months. Now that three months have passed, let the three of them, mother and daughter, go back with you today." The Queen Mother Han's tone did not sound like a negotiation, but rather an order.
"Please forgive me for not being able to obey your order on this matter. I clearly remember that my father said before he left that he would send someone to the Duke of Qing's Mansion to pick up the concubine, mother and daughter when he returned. Now that my father has not returned, my grandson has no right to make a decision on his own." Before my father comes back, the mother and daughter must not be allowed to return to the mansion. Who knows what they will do when my father is not at home.
"You...you...are very good. You are indeed a child raised by my good son and good daughter-in-law. It seems that the Empress Dowager has been loving the wrong person for so many years." Queen Mother Han said sadly.
"It's my grandson's fault for making the Empress Dowager sad. It has nothing to do with others. If the Empress Dowager is angry, just punish me." Yun Yichen knelt down neatly. Over the years, the Empress Dowager has indeed loved him very much, even more than some of the princes. He dare not forget these, and will not forget them. However, compared with the safety of his mother and sister, the latter is undoubtedly more important.
"Oh!" After all, he was her grandson whom she had loved for many years. Queen Mother Han couldn't bear to punish him. She would only blame all the mistakes on Yin Qianhua.
Is it true that people become more soft-hearted as they age? Has the resolute and ruthless Concubine Han of more than a decade ago been transformed by a comfortable and easy life, becoming a cautious, timid empress dowager who only cares about enjoying her retirement? Queen Dowager Han didn't want to think too deeply, nor did she dare to. Through today's events, she clearly realized that her influence on Tianyu and her children and grandchildren was diminishing.
"Your Majesty the Queen Mother, the Emperor has summoned Prince Jing to the Imperial Study to see him." A palace maid reported.
"Haha." Queen Mother Han laughed instead of getting angry. It seemed that the Emperor was very wary of his mother! He was afraid that Ah Chen would be wronged in Fengxiang Palace, so he refused to let him stay any longer.
"The Emperor and Achen are truly in tune with each other!" Empress Dowager Han spoke with sarcasm and a mocking expression, with sadness hidden in her eyes. This was the son she had worked so hard to support to ascend to the throne, and this was the grandson she had loved with all her heart for many years.
"Go ahead." Queen Mother Han waved her hand somewhat dejectedly. After so many years of fighting and arguing, what did she get in the end?
"Please take care of yourself, Grandmother. I'm taking my leave now." Yun Yichen couldn't bear to see the Queen Mother Han's lonely look, but he couldn't follow her wishes, so he had no choice but to leave.
"Aunt, how can you let him go so easily!" Concubine Han was a little anxious. She had been back to the Duke of Qing's Mansion for more than three months. Facing the increasingly strange looks from others, as well as the ridicule revealed intentionally or unintentionally in the words of her brothers, sisters-in-law, she was really fed up.
Concubine Han was looking forward to seizing this opportunity to return to the palace today, but she didn't expect her aunt to let Yun Yichen go so "easily", causing her to miss the opportunity.
"The emperor has already given the order. What can I do as your aunt? Do you hope that I will become the emperor's enemy after I have displeased my grandson? If that's the case, it will not just be a simple matter of you returning to the Duke of Qing's mansion to live for a few months. You may be divorced and sent home directly. Which result do you want to choose?" Queen Mother Han asked, looking directly into her niece's eyes.
"How is it possible? It will never be like that." Concubine Han knew in her heart that it was definitely possible, because in the palace, except for her two daughters and the people around her, no one cared about Jinxiuyuan and herself, the concubine.
How did things come to this point? It's all the fault of that woman surnamed Yin. I don't know what magic she used to seduce my cousin. Otherwise, in terms of appearance and family background, I should have the upper hand.
"If you still refuse to put your identity and status in perspective and still insist on doing things your own way, your aunt can't help you. You must know that the palace will be handed over to Achen sooner or later. If you still can't recognize the situation and always want to go against the woman surnamed Yin and your cousin, then you can think about the consequences yourself!
At this point, even if you don't think about yourself, you should at least think about Ruoqing and Ruoxing's future. A concubine's daughter from the royal family, without her father's love and her brothers' support, can't you imagine what kind of family she can marry into? "
"Ruoqing and Ruoxing are county princesses, the granddaughters of the Empress Dowager, and the granddaughters-in-law of Duke Qing. How could they not find a good family? When the time comes, shouldn't all the young men in Kyoto be allowed to be chosen by them first?" Concubine Han said as a matter of course.
Concubine Han has always been thinking about defeating Yin Qianhua and has never thought about her daughters' problems. She always feels that in Kyoto, only she and her daughters have the right to pick on others, and there is no possibility for others to say "no" or raise objections.
Now her own aunt, the most noble woman in Tianyu, had dealt her a heavy blow. The cruel facts were laid out before her. What should she choose and what should she do?
"Aunt is old now, and she doesn't have much time left to protect you. You can make your own choice about what to do next." Today, I must make my niece realize the situation, so as to avoid more unexpected consequences in the future.
Not to mention Concubine Han, even Queen Mother Han herself had a completely new understanding of the future and her children and grandchildren. In her heart, she had a vague feeling that the situation was hopeless.
"No, it's impossible..." Concubine Han kept muttering this sentence to herself.
Outside the magnificent palace was the setting sun. Queen Mother Han felt that she was just like that setting sun, with not much afterglow left for the earth.
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