Chapter 495 Father and Daughter Meet
The King of Southern Yunnan is still unaware of this.
The next day, he was summoned to the palace to meet Emperor Defeng.
He and Emperor Defeng were both meritorious officials who followed the emperor to the throne. They supported each other and went through difficult times before they achieved everything they have today.
Putting aside the relationship between the monarch and his subject, the two are old friends.
Now, both of them have hunched backs and gray hair.
The King of Southern Yunnan knelt solemnly and said, "Your Majesty, this old minister pays homage. May Your Majesty live long and your country be forever strong."
Emperor Defeng raised his hand to support him, "My dear minister, you have guarded the southern border for many years and have made great contributions. Please take a seat."
The King of Southern Yunnan quickly refused, but Emperor Defeng's tone left no room for doubt. "It's just a mere seat, and you deserve it."
The King of Southern Yunnan then sat down as he was told.
Emperor Defeng sat at the head of the table, his slightly cloudy eyes filled with emotion.
"In the blink of an eye, we have all grown old, and it is I who have grown old. I see that the King of Diannan is still in good health, and his sword is still sharp."
The King of Southern Yunnan smiled and stroked his knees, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes looked as if they were carved by a knife.
"Your Majesty, you're joking. This old minister's body has long been eaten away by the miasma of southern Xinjiang. Now, after riding a horse for only thirty miles, I have to drink ginseng soup to stay alive. Once you get old, you have to accept your age."
Having said that, Emperor Defeng looked at the still straight and strong body of the King of Southern Yunnan, his eyes still full of envy.
Even though he was the True Dragon Emperor, so what? He was still just a mortal body.
If he had not been tortured by that rebellious son, he might have been able to hold on for a few more years.
But now, no amount of regret is of any use.
It’s all because he didn’t know the person well at the beginning.
Emperor Defeng pointed to a plate of Ailao snow oranges on the table.
"I remember that Imperial Concubine Rou loved this dish the most and urged you to pay tribute every year. I want to try it too. Is it still the same taste as it was back then?"
This was brought into the capital by the King of Southern Yunnan. Although the small snow orange is inconspicuous, Emperor Defeng ordered people to place it in front of the imperial desk, which shows how much he values it.
Feng Youcai immediately peeled one for Emperor Defeng himself. The flesh was as crystal clear as ice, making people salivate at the sight of it.
Emperor Defeng took a bite and found it juicy and sweet without any residue.
He had been in a bad mood since he became ill, so this touch of sweetness touched his heart and brought back memories from many years ago.
"This snow orange tastes exactly the same as it did back then. It truly leaves me with an endless aftertaste."
The King of Southern Yunnan lowered his eyes and smiled:
"Your Majesty still remembers me. I am fortunate to have such an old minister."
Emperor Defeng laughed again and said, "Rou Guifei has been dreaming of this for a long time, so I will offer this plate of snow oranges to Rou Guifei. King of Diannan, thank you for making this trip for me."
Upon hearing this, the King of Southern Yunnan was stunned at first, but then he understood and a look of surprise immediately flashed in his eyes.
He kowtowed quickly, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."
After paying his respects, the King of Southern Yunnan stood up and walked out steadily. If you look closely, you can see that he walked with his hands and feet in sync during these few steps.
The eunuch was holding the plate of tangerines and leading the way. The King of Southern Yunnan was anxious, but he didn't dare to act rashly. He could only calm himself and follow behind.
In the Imperial Garden, in Lanxue Hall, Concubine Rou had been waiting for a long time.
This is a warm room for appreciating plum blossoms in winter. Vermilion plum trees are planted all around the room. It is in bloom now and the fragrance is wafting in the air.
The dragon in the warm room was burning very hot, agarwood was simmering in the copper charcoal basin, and Yunnan Pu'er was prepared on the table.
This is my father's favorite tea.
Ye Hanyi sat beside Concubine Rou and waited with her.
Compared to Concubine Rou's nervousness, Ye Hanyi seemed much calmer.
She comforted him, "Aunt, don't worry. Since the emperor has promised this, he will definitely not break his promise. Grandfather will definitely come soon."
Concubine Rou nodded.
Although she knew this in her heart, how could she remain calm after more than 20 years of separation between them?
Finally, two figures came around the corner ahead.
The King of Southern Yunnan came towards this side under the guidance of the eunuchs. He walked steadily and looked calm, but he staggered half a step at the threshold and barely managed to keep his balance.
“Puff—”
Ye Hanyi laughed out loud.
"Grandfather, please watch your step and don't break your old bones."
Ye Hanyi's interruption made the King of Southern Yunnan's homesickness disappear for the most part. He retorted with a fierce face, "What nonsense are you talking about, little girl? How am I old? It's just that the threshold is too high."
"Yes, yes, Grandpa is not old at all. You can still carry a 200-jin sword."
Ye Hanyi's jokes swept away the sad atmosphere that Concubine Rou had created, and a smile appeared on the corner of her lips.
"Father."
The King of Southern Yunnan lifted his robe and was about to kneel down to salute. Concubine Rou immediately raised her hand to help him up with a look of reproach on her face.
"Father, you are going to torture me."
The King of Southern Yunnan was about to say that etiquette must be abandoned, but Ye Hanyi interrupted directly, "Grandfather, don't be so pedantic. There are no outsiders here, and the emperor has specially allowed you to meet my aunt, so there is no need to pay attention to those empty formalities. You should seize the time to talk to my aunt more. You can't stay in the palace for too long."
These last words made the King of Southern Yunnan feel urgent, and he dared not waste time on useless arguments anymore.
The father and daughter sat down and looked at each other, with complex emotions in their eyes.
"Thinking back then, you were only Han Yi's age, and in the blink of an eye, you've grown up so much."
"Father has aged a lot, and you have a lot of white hair on your temples."
Looking at the white hair, she felt
The King of Southern Yunnan smiled and said, "Time makes us grow old, but fortunately, my old bones are still strong. You should take good care of yourself in the palace and don't worry about anything else."
Concubine Rou's eyes became hot again unconsciously.
"Is mother in good health?"
"She's fine, too, but she misses you constantly. Knowing you can't sew, she made you many clothes herself. You've got plenty of embroiderers around you, but these are your mother's gifts. I've brought them all with you; you can try them on later. But I see you're too thin, and I'm afraid the clothes won't fit."
Concubine Rou raised her hand and quickly wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes.
"My mother made it, so I have to wear it. It doesn't matter if it's too big. From now on, I'll eat more at every meal. When I gain weight, it will naturally fit me."
The King of Southern Yunnan smiled kindly, "That's good. You're too thin like this. You'd look better if you were fatter."
Only parents would think their children are too thin. Even if they gain weight, they would still think they are round and cute.
Although Concubine Rou was already a mother and would soon be a grandmother, she was still a child in front of the King of Southern Yunnan.
They talked a lot more, and the smiles on the faces of the father and daughter never faded.
At this time, Ye Hanyi shouted, "Huh? My cousin is here, and Zhiran is here too."
The two interrupted their conversation and looked out through the glass. It was indeed Xiao Yanci and Lu Zhiran.
Lu Zhiran sat in a sedan chair, carried by several strong palace maids. Xiao Yanci and Shuanghua protected her on both sides, keeping their eyes on her at all times.
This scene made Lu Zhiran feel that she was about to give birth.
But she was only six months pregnant, and although her belly was big, it was far from the point where she couldn't walk.
Especially since she was here to meet the King of Southern Yunnan, her appearance like this always gave people a feeling of being too arrogant.
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