Chapter 81 Confident
The mother, daughter and the two returned to the main hall. Hu Shanxiang saw Zhu Yuhuan looking thoughtful and asked, "What's wrong? Why haven't you said a word?"
Zhu Yuhuan came back to his senses, smiled at Hu Shanxiang, and said, "Nothing."
But when she thought of Sun Mengqiu's expression just now, and thought of her younger brother who was about to be born in the third year of Xuande and her mother who would be deposed, she couldn't help but start thinking about what to do next.
Seeing that she had already learned to only report good news and not bad news, Hu Shanxiang couldn't help but sigh inwardly and said, "It's my fault that I can't let you two live a stable life."
Zhu Yuhuan didn't take it seriously and said with a smile, "There's no such thing as an absolutely safe place in the world. Just like my mother, no matter how turbulent the outside world is, as long as I can keep my heart stable, that's enough."
Although Zhu Youtong didn't quite understand what he said, he nodded repeatedly and said, "Sister, you're right!"
Zhu Yuhuan reached out and pinched her nose, saying, "Do you understand what I mean? 'Sister is right' right here?"
Zhu Youtong didn't care about his sister's "reprimand". Instead, he said seriously, "I know. This is called speaking with a clear conscience!"
Zhu Yuhuan and Hu Shanxiang found her words funny, but they had no reason to refute her, so they just agreed with her and said, "Yes, yes, that's right."
Zhu Yuhuan then looked at his mother and asked, "Is there still no news about my father?"
Hu Shanxiang shook her head and said, "Even if there was news, it should have been passed on to the Empress Dowager and the Second Consort first. Why would they tell me first?"
Zhu Yuhuan naturally understood this, but she thought that her own mother was the Crown Princess after all, and Zhu Zhanji had to at least do what Zhu Gaochi did and take care of Hu Shanxiang's face on the surface.
Zhu Zhanji was young after all, and his emotions were distinct, which was completely different from the personality of Zhu Gaochi, who had been in the position of crown prince for too long.
Hu Shanxiang noticed Zhu Yuhuan's mood, smiled and touched her head, saying, "What did you just say? Have you forgotten? What's the big deal about these little things? But how have you been doing in the palace these past few days? Have you followed your grandmother's instructions?"
Zhu Yuhuan nodded obediently. Of course, she couldn't say that her grandmother took her to the Qianqing Palace to listen to the will, and asked her to watch the imperial concubine hang herself, arrest Huang Yan, etc. These were restricted contents.
Therefore, Zhu Yuhuan only briefly mentioned a few things, such as Empress Dowager Zhang strictly forbade palace servants to enter and leave at will, and let his fifth uncle govern the country, etc.
After listening to this, Hu Shanxiang seemed to be thinking about it, and then she said with some concern: "Your grandma let you participate in this..."
Naturally, she would not directly say that her mother-in-law was scheming and had dragged Zhu Yuhuan into the game, and who knows how she would use her.
Zhu Yuhuan understood what Hu Shanxiang meant, patted her hand, and said comfortingly, "Don't worry, mother. Although I'm not smart, I'm not stupid either. I can tell right from wrong."
Seeing her like this, Hu Shanxiang nodded with satisfaction and said, "That's good."
Although Zhu Youtong didn't quite understand what his mother and sister were saying, he still placed his hand on top of theirs and said stubbornly, "What about me? Mother and sister, don't leave me behind!"
Zhu Yuhuan said with a smile: "I will never forget you no matter who I forget."
After Zhu Youtong was relieved to go play, Zhu Yuhuan glanced at the palace servants standing guard outside the palace, then looked at his own mother and asked in a low voice: "Mother, can you guess what the concubine is thinking?"
Hu Shanxiang was of course fully aware of this and sighed, "Everyone knows what happened to Concubine Guo. For her and Miaosu, this is the best solution."
Zhu Yuhuan asked, "What about mother? What are your plans?"
Hu Shanxiang smiled and said, "What plans can I have? I'm just waiting to see what His Majesty thinks." She looked at Zhu Yuhuan and spoke after a long moment, "Huanhuan, I know that you've been with your grandmother in the palace, and your perspective on people and things has changed. I'm your mother, and I should be strong, not an incompetent mother like this..."
Zhu Yuhuan looked at her furrowed brow and understood the struggle and pain hidden beneath Hu Shanxiang's seemingly calm exterior. She said, "Mom, I followed Grandma because I had things I wanted to do. I wanted to realize my ideals through my own efforts, not because you weren't strong enough." She reached out and cupped Hu Shanxiang's face, saying, "You've already taken on your responsibilities as a mother. There's no need to force yourself to do more. Besides all this, Mom, is there anything else you want to do?"
Hu Shanxiang was slightly stunned and couldn't answer Zhu Yuhuan's question for a while.
Zhu Yuhuan curled her lips into a smile and said, "The music box I gave Mom wasn't just to entertain her when she was bored, but I also hoped it would help her rediscover her passion." Seeing Hu Shanxiang's surprised expression, she finally tilted her head with a hint of pride and said, "It took me a while to realize that every time Mom taught Tongtong music theory, I was watching from the side. Although Mom didn't smile, her tone was always relaxed. She didn't have to be as tense as she was in front of other people, and it made me happy to watch."
Seeing her expression that said, "I've caught my mother too," Hu Shanxiang couldn't help but smile, but she quickly put away the smile. She reached out and tapped Zhu Yuhuan's nose, saying, "Royal status is not something to be joked about. If you spend all day idling away your duties, and the palace maids follow your example, and the news spreads to the people, it will cause big trouble."
Zhu Yuhuan said confidently, "Grandpa Zeng is a connoisseur of music, so why can't mother compose and enjoy music? Men who are proficient in dance and music are considered romantic, while women who are proficient in music are considered shameless?" She then emphasized seriously, "If a person can focus on a skill, achieve some success, and enjoy it, it is already very impressive. Even if people today don't understand, people in the future will understand. Why should mother care about what people think today? People live in this world with their feet on the ground, living for themselves, not for others to see."
Hu Shanxiang was stunned after hearing her words. After a long moment, she spoke, "Dignity, chastity, and virtue—these are the qualities women are taught from birth. Which of our elders didn't grow up that way?"
Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but smile after hearing this. She took Hu Shanxiang's hand, looked at her for a long time, and asked, "Since coming here is the right thing to do, mother, why did you indulge me and let me grow up like this? If you want to control me, what can a daughter who can only respect her parents do?"
Hu Shanxiang was speechless after hearing her excuse, so she could only say, "During the Southern Tang Dynasty, Empress Zhou was proficient in music, which led to the emperor neglecting state affairs, leading to the fall of the Southern Tang Dynasty... Since I married into the royal family, I must strictly abide by the etiquette..."
Zhu Yuhuan raised his chin slightly and said, "That's because the emperor is useless. If a person can't even control himself and is unable to shoulder important responsibilities, it's only natural that he will be replaced."
Hu Shanxiang was startled by her and quickly reached out to cover her mouth, but Zhu Yuhuan had already shaken his head and said, "The palace maids are far away and can't hear it."
Hu Shanxiang couldn't help but sigh and said, "I thought you had entered the palace and followed your grandmother for a long time, so you learned to be cautious in your words and actions."
"Mother is a relative. In front of a relative, there's no need to be cautious about what you say and do." Zhu Yuhuan said confidently, "Besides, if the world is only bad because of women, then why are these emperors so reluctant to leave women for the sake of their country? It's clearly because they are too selfish, using women as a pretext for indulgence and then shirking the blame. How shameful!"
After hearing what her daughter said, Hu Shanxiang pondered for a long time and suddenly felt enlightened.
Zhu Yuhuan continued, "Besides, my father is not the last ruler of Southern Tang. If he knew that others viewed him this way, he would definitely want to shoot that person to death with an arrow."
After all, even Zhu Gaochi had a strongman break three of his ribs after reading Li Shimen's memorial. Zhu Zhanji, who had followed Zhu Di in military campaigns since he was a child, would probably not be easy to deal with if he really got angry.
Hu Shanxiang looked at Zhu Yuhuan and finally said with a mixture of laughter and tears, "You said I indulged you into this state, but where do all these perverse ideas come from? You grew up under my nose, how could you have such thoughts?"
Zhu Yuhuan was quite proud and pretended to be mysterious, saying, "Mother will know later."
Hu Shanxiang looked at her daughter in front of her for a long time before she said, "Actually, mother knows what you want to say."
Zhu Yuhuan blinked, but he had a vague idea of what Hu Shanxiang would say next.
Hu Shanxiang was born and raised in the Ming Dynasty. Everything Zhu Yuhuan said was too far away from her and too "unrealistic". It was inevitable that Hu Shanxiang could not accept it.
Unexpectedly, Hu Shanxiang said, "Huanhuan, can you wait for me..."
Hearing the hesitation in Hu Shanxiang's words, Zhu Yuhuan was slightly startled, and immediately said, "It's okay, mother, these things are meant to be done slowly, there's no need to rush." After she finished speaking, she felt a little embarrassed and whispered, "I thought mother would refuse..."
Hu Shanxiang patted her daughter's head and whispered, "Mom has never heard anyone say these words, and I haven't thought about these things in a long time." Her gaze swept into the distance, and the hand she held on Zhu Yuhuan unconsciously tightened. She began to speak, "From birth, everything before us is arranged by others. There are very few things we can truly choose. Even if we make our own choices, they are often for our family, for our parents, for our brothers and sisters... I have long been accustomed to this kind of life, living in silence on days like this. Huanhuan, you are the first person to say these words to me."
At this moment, her daughter is more like a good friend who can talk to her and understand her struggles than a daughter.
Zhu Yuhuan stared at her for a long time and said, "Mother, even if you really become the queen, it doesn't mean you have to lose yourself. Even if you're as shrewd as Grandma, she still has her own sense of self, because she has her own confidence... I am your confidence. With me here, you can rest assured."
Hu Shanxiang felt the warmth of her daughter's palm. She looked at her obviously tender little hand, then at her eyes that always revealed determination. She couldn't help but reach out and hug her daughter, saying, "It's mother who's holding you back."
Zhu Yuhuan patted her back comfortingly and said, "Mom, it's not your fault. You just have no choice." She felt drops of water sliding down her neck, and her arms around Hu Shanxiang tightened.
It was not easy for Hu Shanxiang to stick to herself in such an environment. As a woman in ancient times, she had no measures to avoid pregnancy. She had tried her best to be responsible for her two daughters, so why force her?
In fact, Zhu Yuhuan just hoped that his mother could relieve her stress. After all, her health was not good and she was always worried. Under the medical conditions in ancient times, she would inevitably have a short life.
Whether you will be useless or not is one thing, but it is always good to live longer.
During the past few days, Huang Yan was interrogated continuously. Empress Dowager Zhang often asked Zhu Yuhuan to go and listen, and she quickly uncovered many palace servants with ulterior motives. Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but sigh that the King of Han was really rich.
Money makes the world go round. If the Prince of Han didn't have some wealth, he wouldn't have been able to withstand such a loss... This was a joke, of course. Even if the Prince of Han truly had money, he couldn't have cram so many spies into the palace in such a short time. Concubine Guo wasn't a fool. She'd only been in charge of the palace for a little over a month. How could the Prince of Han have bribed so many workers to become his spies in such a short time? If he could have done it, he would have ascended the throne in the Forbidden City long ago. It's likely that Empress Zhang was exploiting this situation or taking the opportunity to silence many of these people. For example, Empress Zhang skipped even the interrogation of the palace maids around Tan, who had been buried alive with her. She simply imprisoned them.
The reasons behind this make people think more. Now that Zhu Zhanji is away, Empress Dowager Zhang and Zhu Zhanji, who is in charge of regent, are the two people with the highest power. Zhu Zhanji, as acting regent, has to ask Empress Dowager Zhang for her opinion. In other words, Empress Zhang is the person who currently holds the highest power in the Ming Dynasty.
After listening for a few days, Zhu Yuhuan found it boring. Fortunately, the palace restrictions were no longer as strict as before, and the intervals between funeral ceremonies were gradually relaxed. Zhu Yuhuan could study and practice martial arts as usual, and could continue to summon craftsmen into the palace. His life was finally not so boring.
Because of the funeral ceremony, the Jinyiwei also followed the martial law. Shi Lin hadn't seen Zhu Yuhuan for a long time. After greeting him, he couldn't help but exclaimed, "Why do you look thinner than before?"
Zhu Yuhuan patted his chest and said, "That's because he's grown taller. This is called the willow branches sprouting..."
Shi Lin laughed innocently, scratched his head and said, "I see."
Saihazhi was busy with official duties and had no time to see anyone, so Zhu Yuhuan practiced on her own. While shooting arrows, she said, "I don't know when my father will be back."
Shi Lin followed along as they practiced, teasing, "It turns out girls miss their dads too."
Zhu Yuhuan snorted and said, "Before, my father followed my great-grandfather to fight outside, and I didn't see him for half a year. Now it's only been two months, I don't miss him that much..."
"I didn't think so, but I still thought about it, didn't I?" Shi Lin chuckled and said, "Don't worry, young lady. With the Empress Dowager's guidance, the Imperial Guards escorting you, and the eunuchs providing support, you will be safe and sound."
"Of course, my father will definitely come back safely."
Zhu Yuhuan was very confident about this. Her only worry was Wu Miaosu.
If her identity was discovered by Zhu Zhanji, both families would be in trouble. After all, Hu Shanwei was Wu Miaosu's master, and Zhu Zhanji had a grudge against Hu Shanwei. If he knew about this, he would definitely take the opportunity to retaliate. Zhu Yuhuan felt a headache just thinking about it. Fortunately, Empress Dowager Zhang knew that Wu Miaosu could be used but would not cause any big trouble. In addition, she intended to protect Hu Shanxiang, so there would be no problem for a while.
It would be best if this matter could be kept secret for a lifetime so that everyone would have less worries.
While she was thinking about it, Huai En came over quickly with a happy look on his face, saying, "Princess, the Queen Mother sent a message saying that His Majesty has brought people back!"
Zhu Yuhuan immediately put down the bow and arrow in his hand, waved to Shilin, and without even saying a word, hurried to Kunning Palace with Huai En.
Her biological father is finally back!
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