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North Star - Polaris -
North Star - Polaris -
catching birds
no tags, no description just vibes. Maybe one day I will have the energy to actually render this, Jiumei my beloved (ˊ͈ ꒳ ˋ͈)♡
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i love the fanfics where naruto is a loser with a massive crush and freaks out over every little thing
Officespeak is just roleplaying a sassy Vulcan. Change my mind
Officespeak is
just roleplaying a sassy
Vulcan. Change my mind
Beep boop! I look for accidental haiku posts. Sometimes I mess up.
Chapter 129
Su Hai was tall and strong; after all, he was a labourer.
In the past few years at the border, he has been training horse racing every day and has become darker and stronger. Wearing a black light armour, he looks like a small mountain, but if you look closely, he is quite handsome, with a resolute and heroic temperament, like a completely different person from before.
Even if he squatted down, he was still taller than the two children.
But Wanyin was not afraid of him.
"I'm Wanyin, and he's Zongqin." Wanyu introduced herself in a serious tone and then added, "My brother and I are here to see you. You should be going to see the emperor, so we won't disturb you."
Su Hai was stunned by what the little girl in front of him said. She was obviously not very old, only about six or seven years old, but she spoke in a serious tone, as if the little girl who was looking up at him just now was his illusion.
He was born in the market, and after going to the border, he dealt with men. He had never seen the noble ladies in the capital, let alone the children in the palace. Naturally, he didn't know about Wanwu's status. Even though she was only six or seven years old, she was very sensible and had good manners.
He scratched his head and stood up: "Then you guys go back? Do you want me to take you back?"
"No need, we have palace maids and eunuchs." As she said that, Wanyin looked not far away. Su Hai looked over there and found that there were several palace maids and eunuchs standing there, obviously serving the two children.
He was relieved, hesitated for a moment, and said, "After I meet His Majesty... I brought you something, but I don't have it with me at the moment. I'll have someone deliver it to you another day or when I have time."
Apparently, Su Hai was not good at dealing with children, especially this kind of child with a young face but a very steady look, and his words were also incoherent. Another reason was that he was not familiar with the situation in the palace and did not know how to send gifts, whether it would be against the rules, etc.
Wanyin nodded and bowed gracefully: "Thank you, uncle."
After saying that, she took Zong Qin away. If you didn't look at the way she was holding her brother's wrist, she actually looked like a noble lady.
Su Hai looked at the backs of the two people, laughed, shook his head, and left.
"Sister, why don't you let me talk to my uncle more? He is so tall and strong, taller and stronger than Master Hong. He can fight, so he must be very powerful." Zong Qin said.
Wanyin held him tightly, "Alright, there's no rush. Don't you see where we are? We sneaked up to the palace road, which is already too much. This is your first time meeting your uncle, and you don't want to give him a good impression. Do you have to make him think you're a stupid dark man to be happy?"
This "silly, dark" was Wanyin's special comment to tease Zongqin, meaning that he was stupid, sunburnt, and tan. It was just a summer, and Zongqin always liked to run outside, so he was indeed quite tanned.
Once his sister reminded him, Zong Qin also realised it.
"You are right, but I still want to ask him if he is good at kung fu and if he can teach me."
"Don't worry, there's still a long way to go. Let's go back quickly. If Mom knew we sneaked out just to do this, she would definitely be angry."
Pan'er naturally didn't know that his daughter and younger son would not give up and secretly ran to the palace road to block Su Hai, just to see what he looked like.
She also received news that Su Hai had entered the palace.
But she thought she probably wouldn't be able to see Su Hai. After all, she was a member of the harem, and it was inappropriate for her to meet a man outside of her, even if he was her 'real brother.'.
Who knew that someone would come from the Qianqing Palace a while later and say that General Su would come to the Jingren Palace to visit the imperial concubine, and that this was specially authorised by His Majesty?
Soon, Su Hai was led to Jingren Palace.
He was brought here by Zhang Laishun and was accompanied by two imperial guards.
Pan'er met Su Hai in the main hall.
There was a man sitting on it, wearing gorgeous clothes, with pearls and jade on his head, looking extremely noble.
One was standing below, wearing light black armour; his demeanour had changed; he had become darker and more muscular.
It's all a bit dazed, perhaps because many past events are too hard to recall.
"Are you okay?" After saying this, Su Hai laughed and said, "Look at what I'm saying. You are, of course, very good. I just met Wanyin and Zong Qin. The two children are also very good and sensible. I didn't expect that in just a few years, you would already have children, and more than one."
"Wanyin and Zongqin secretly went to see you? I knew they couldn't hold back."
With this opening, the situation didn't seem so awkward. Su Hai sat down, and Pan'er had someone serve him tea.
However, the two did not say anything else. After all, they both knew the truth, and they both had their own concerns.
One feels that he was too absurd and did a lot of stupid things in the past; the other has complicated emotions because the person he thought he would never see again suddenly appeared in front of him and would become his "family" in the future. He always feels that there is something indescribably awkward about it.
So this conversation was not successful. Su Hai was the one who talked the most, and Pan Er mostly just listened silently. However, Su Hai only talked about his experience at the border in a light-hearted way, but he skipped the hardships and difficulties involved.
In fact, Pan'er knew without saying it that Zong Cong seemed to be thorough and proper in doing things, but to outsiders, he always seemed a bit cold.
He said he was only given one chance, and that was it; there wouldn't be any extras, and he didn't have the time to pay attention to such trivial matters.
It is conceivable that Su Hai, an ordinary person with no background at all, could be promoted to a guerrilla general in just six or seven years. This guerrilla general seems to be just a fifth-rank official. The title is not a general in the true sense at all, but just a vanity title.
But for Su Hai, it is extremely difficult to reach this level.
He may have put in countless hours of hard work and even survived several near-death experiences; after all, the battlefield is ruthless. However, he never reported good news but only bad news, and Pan Er knew this.
"I have sent people to the south to pick up my parents and my eldest brother and bring them to the capital. I have saved some money over the years, so it should be no problem to support them in the capital, especially since His Majesty has given them a lot of gifts this time."
Hearing this, Pan'er was stunned and then seemed to understand something.
It's time to put it on the agenda. After all, the Su family is not just Su Hai. Since Zong Cong has built up momentum for her, if she wants to completely block the Chen family, the Su family must appear in Beijing.
Pan'er guessed that Zong Cong might have reminded him of this before, which was why Su Hai said this.
"Don't worry, they won't come to disturb you. I'll go back to the border in a while and see what my parents think. If possible, I'll take them to the border. Although the climate over there is not as good as that in the south of the Yangtze River, it actually has its own advantages. After staying there for a long time, I feel that it is much more comfortable than the sticky rain in the south of the Yangtze River."
The whole paragraph has been reserved, and only the last sentence reveals Su Hai's true character.
Pan'er lowered his eyes and said, "Just because you feel comfortable doesn't mean your parents will feel comfortable too. If they don't want to go, it's fine for them to stay in Beijing."
Su Hai did not agree or disagree. He sat quietly for a while. He smiled and stood up: "It's getting late. I can't stay any longer. I'll leave first."
Pan'er nodded and asked Xiangpu to take him out.
After a while, Xiangpu came back and said that her uncle had something to give to the two princes and princess, but the things were outside the palace and she was afraid that it would be inconvenient, so she specially sent Xiao Tianzi and another eunuch to get them.
Soon, the things were moved back.
It's a medium size.
The box looked very ordinary, painted black and with a slightly embroidered lock.
When I opened it, what was inside was surprising.
There was a curved sword with a cowhide scabbard and some gemstones inlaid on the front, which was very foreign and should be something from outside the Great Wall. There were three red gold necklaces, which were of a very ordinary style and not inlaid with any gemstones, just made of gold, and looked heavy.
There were also two small ox-horn bows, which were the most inconspicuous and even extremely rough, as well as some gold and silver ingots and a small box of very bright and smooth white beads.
It was all so mixed up that if Pan'er didn't know Su Hai's current identity, he would have thought that he had robbed the warehouse of a wealthy businessman.
In the end, it was Xiao Tianzi who solved Pan'er's puzzle.
"These are all picked out by my uncle from his spoils of war in recent years. The collar, scimitar, and bow are for the young masters, and the others are for her highness. By the way, this bow was made by the uncle himself when he had nothing else to do."
Xiao Tianzi lowered his head when he spoke. He served in the palace and had seen too many good things. Naturally, he could tell that the things his uncle sent were just ordinary things, and they were so messy.
He was afraid that the queen would be angry, but when he glanced up, he saw the queen's expression was very complicated.
Xiangpu was standing nearby, and when she saw Pan'er's eyes fall on something, she quickly took one of the items and showed it to her.
"My uncle is really attentive. This collar is very heavy. It must have been made of a lot of gold."
Others may not know, but Xiangpu knows exactly what Su Hai was like back then and what the Su family's background was. It's already very good that they could come up with these things.
Pan'er looked more deeply and saw that the necklace was quite old and the golden colour had faded.
Of course, this is for the "nobles.". In fact, for ordinary people, gold is a good thing, very bright and shiny. The three identical collars are obviously not spoils of war. They must have been obtained by exchanging spoils for gold and then hunting for others.
Unfortunately, men have no taste and don’t care about style. They just think that heavy and bulky things are good.
"Put all these away and leave these behind. Zong Qin will definitely be very happy if he sees them. He likes these."
Xiang Pu quickly agreed, "That's right, the Third Prince has wanted a small bow for a long time."
Chapter 128
Chen Pingwu had long noticed that his wife's eyes were lingering on him, as if she had something to say.
But what could Liu want to say to him?
After returning home, he was planning to go back to Lingxuan, but he never expected Feicui to invite him, saying that the Second Madam wanted to discuss something with him.
Arriving at Yunxia Courtyard, Chen Pingwu waited for the Second Madam to speak, but instead of saying anything, she asked the maid to help her bathe and change clothes.
He thought to himself, could this be some new trick? However, he hasn't had any new concubines around him recently, and the backyard of the second house has been quite quiet. No one can compete with her, let alone replace her as the second wife. Why did she do this?
After all, she is old now. If it were in the past, Chen Pingwu would not have this patience, but now he has the patience to see what tricks she is up to.
The Second Lady was really nervous. She had been thinking over and over in her mind for a long time but couldn't find a perfect excuse.
If she tried to avoid the main issue and something went wrong, the Second Lady knew her husband's temper. He was the kind of person who responded best to soft words but not hard ones. It would be fine if you talked to him in a nice way, but if he found out that you were lying to him, he would never let her get her way.
She could only tell the truth, but how should she tell the truth, and to what extent?
When the second wife came out of the room, Chen Pingwu was already about to leave, so she hurried forward and held him back.
"Master, please don't leave yet. I really have something to tell you. How about you go take a bath first, and we can go into the inner room and talk?"
Chen Pingwu frowned and looked at her, then took his arm from her hand, with a look of alienation in his eyes.
"Let's talk about it right here."
The second wife felt a pang in her heart. He was always like this, but she was used to it. So she put aside all distractions and told him the general story.
She naturally wouldn't mention the old story but just said that the Empress accidentally found the picture that Bai Zhu asked Fu Xia to take out of the palace and recognised it as the Tenth Sister's. Later, Bai Zhu couldn't stand her questioning, so she told the truth and revealed the true identity of Concubine Su.
Chen Pingwu was a little stunned and also a little confused.
His actions really did not stand up to scrutiny. He could defend himself against outsiders, but not necessarily against his own people, especially the Empress. However, he did not think there was anything shameful about it.
He didn't say anything because he had his own considerations, but it doesn't mean that this matter cannot be made public.
The Second Madam pretended to sigh: "I thought that something like that happened back then, and the Tenth Girl was probably... I never thought that she would have such good fortune."
Chen Pingwu glanced at her and, for some reason, felt both amused and sad.
Maybe it was because he blamed himself too much. Maybe others could forget what happened more than ten years ago, but he could remember it vividly. He felt heartbroken when he thought about it, but he couldn't let it go.
He had not forgotten how much she disliked Liu back then and how she fought with her in all kinds of ways. Although she became obedient later on, it was probably because of a preconceived notion, so Chen Pingwu always felt that her obedience was deliberate.
He was still young at that time and could not see through the schemes. He just thought that his wife had finally learnt to be magnanimous. But later, because of certain things, because he could not control his self-destructive memories, his memories became more and more vivid, and some things that he did not understand before, he gradually understood later.
But he was already old by then; his children had grown up, married, had children, and were grandparents now. He couldn't divorce her just because he didn't like her, so he had to continue living like this.
Now, someone who hated Liu so much that she could not even spare his children was actually complaining to him.
The second wife did not notice the coldness in Chen Pingwu's eyes and was still immersed in her own emotions. She sighed a few times, so she brought out the queen's complicated mood after knowing it, as well as the current situation, and even the situation of having to confront each other.
She even helped the queen to promise that if the eldest prince could be made the crown prince, she would definitely treat this illegitimate sister well in the future. After all, the queen loved the tenth sister very much back then.
To this end, the second wife did not hesitate to give examples one by one, all of which were things that happened in previous years, and she spoke with great emotion.
How could she know that her true face had already been seen through? The reason for this was not because too many years had passed, but because the matter involved the old lady and even the third lady, and because of the consideration for each other's and even their children's faces... It did not mean that Chen Pingwu was a fool.
So what she thought was emotional became artificial and hypocritical in his eyes.
Chen Pingwu was the only exception among the men in the inner chamber of the Chen family. He was probably born with a disdain for worldly things and had no great ambition to become an official. Instead, he had a bit of a bookish air in his bones, which was what was called the kind of person who could not tolerate any grain of sand in his eyes.
He was able to endure something that had been bothering him for years, all for the Chen family's reputation and the overall situation. He even used up all his life's strength to endure and ignore it.
The weight of this tolerance and indifference aggravated his heart knot, causing him to never let go of the incident. He spent more than 20 years recalling and missing that woman, trying to use the good memories of the past to alleviate the self-blame in his heart. However, he never thought that it was completely useless. Instead, it made him even more unable to forget Liu Er and everything.
All this was like a gushing flood. His patience and bottom line were like a river embankment that was constantly being built up but was precarious. Now, because of the hypocrisy and affectation of the Second Lady, the river embankment collapsed and the flood poured in.
"You've said so much; what exactly do you want to say?"
The Second Lady's words were interrupted so that the emotions and feelings that she had been brewing could not be continued for a while, and there was a moment of stagnation.
"The empress was very worried. She was afraid that the identity of Concubine Su would be exposed at the critical moment of appointing the Crown Prince. It would be inappropriate for the first prince to be appointed the Crown Prince at that time, so..."
"So you said so much today just to tell me not to expose Yuan'er's identity?"
The Second Madam did not give a direct answer but changed the subject: "The Empress is in a difficult situation now. His Majesty does not like her in the first place and only favours Concubine Su. If this matter were known by others, His Majesty would not make Duo'er the Crown Prince. The Empress only has Duo'er to rely on, but Concubine Su is different. Not only is she favoured, but she also has two sons..."
"Why does His Majesty dislike the Empress? Doesn't the Empress know the answer?"
The second wife was stunned and looked into her husband's eyes, which were filled with coldness.
Some things can be hidden from others, but how can they be hidden from one's own people, especially from one's biological parents? Most of the people in the palace were handed over to Empress Chen by the Chen family through Chen Pingwu. After all, it is not appropriate for others to tell these private matters. Although they are elders, there is a difference between men and women, so the biological father is more appropriate.
Therefore, even if Chen Pingwu did not know all the details, he knew part of it, about what Empress Chen did when she first entered the Eastern Palace and why some people were killed.
What did he say to Liu at that time?
With the status of the Crown Princess, no one can surpass her. The most urgent task is that the Eastern Palace must have an heir so that the position of the Crown Prince can be secured. Don't let the Crown Princess destroy the love between husband and wife.
But what did Liu do?
Even if Chen Pingwu didn't see the whole process, he knew what she would say to the Crown Princess and how she would advise her, because she had said indignantly in front of him that a woman's position would be unstable if she didn't have a legitimate eldest son.
He had no choice but to discuss it with his elder brother and let his elder sister-in-law enter the palace in the future. His elder sister-in-law had a steady personality and could teach the Crown Princess some more principles. But because of this incident, she made a lot of noise in the mansion against her elder sister-in-law, and her elder sister-in-law felt resentful about it, so she simply gave up.
She is just a foolish woman, and she doesn't even know she is stupid!
The second wife felt a chill in her bones when she saw her husband's cold eyes. She murmured unconsciously, "Even if you don't do this for your daughter, don't you think about your son?"
Yes, son.
If this matter affects the empress and the appointment of the crown prince, how will the eldest son and the second son deal with it? What about the empress? As a father, he has already let down one person, so should he let down the others?
It doesn't help and affects the overall situation.
So he endured it again.
Just when he was enduring it, some people were smart enough to test him.
"Stay here and be quiet; otherwise, I can't guarantee that I can keep this matter secret." After saying that, Chen Pingwu turned away.
The second wife looked at his back, feeling mixed emotions of sadness and joy.
What makes me sad is his cold attitude, but what makes me happy is that he agrees.
Pan’er naturally didn't know what happened in the Chen family...
When Wanyin and Zongqin found out that she had a brother, they pestered her and asked her a lot of questions about Su Hai.
But what should she say?
This uncle is actually your cheap uncle. She is not too close to this uncle. To be more precise, they are quite hostile to each other. It was fine when she was a child, but when she grew up, she couldn't stand some of Su Hai's bad habits, especially since she rarely saw him. So whenever she finally saw him, she would always find fault with him, which always made things very unpleasant.
Pan'er could only talk about some things from their childhood.
For example, your mother was very beautiful when she was a child and was a famous little beauty far and wide. There were always some bad boys who liked to bully her, and your uncle would always lead your mother to fight back.
A picture would appear in Wanyin and Zongqin's minds—a little girl in a skirt was standing next to them, and two boys were fighting in the field, raising dust. The little girl was trembling with fear, and although the boy had a bruise on his face after winning the fight, he was smiling triumphantly.
For example, the Su family was poor before and couldn't afford cakes or maltose. Every time your grandpa secretly hid a few coins in his pocket, he would buy candy for your mother. Your uncle couldn't have any, and Grandpa said, "How can a boy compete with a girl?"
Then the two little ones would fight, then turn around and make peace. Occasionally your uncle would get some candy from somewhere and show it off to Mom, but he would also break off a big piece and give it to her, feeling pity.
There are many similar stories, and as a result, the image of their uncle in Wanyu and Zongqin's minds becomes more and more complete.
Zong Qin even told Wanyu from his own experience that when he grew up a little, if any bad boy bullied his sister, he would help her fight.
Wan Wu sneered at him, saying that he was not as good as her and that she could fight back on her own. The brother and sister had a quarrel for a bit, but then they made up.
Pan'er racked her brains to talk to the children about "uncle's affairs," and occasionally she would reflect. In fact, Su Hai was quite nice to her, so why did he always target her after she grew up?
Maybe because she was the only girl in the family and was sent to foster care by her mother, she suppressed a lot of resentment in her heart, thinking that all bad things had to be borne by girls. Su Jiang was much older than her, and the two were not very close since childhood. Instead, they were closer to Su Hai, who was close in age.
Su Hai would often visit her and bring her something from time to time, but she felt that it was compensation from her family and became more and more resentful, so Su Hai took the brunt of it.
Recalling the past always makes people sigh, and Pan'er didn't think too much about it.
Soon the day for surrendering the prisoners arrived.
As common people living under the emperor's feet, we are always the most well-informed, so the news that the war at the border is not going well has been circulating in the market recently.
At such times, it is, of course, necessary to stabilise the people's hearts, and therefore the ceremony of surrendering prisoners was made on a grand scale.
Pan'er was in the deep palace, so she naturally couldn't see it. However, Wanyin'er and Zong Qin wanted to go and see it, but Pan'er refused, saying that there would surely be a lot of people there and something could go wrong.
The brother and sister had no choice but to block Su Hai at the palace entrance when he entered the palace after offering the captives.
"Are you my uncle?"
Wanwu looked at the dark and strong man in front of her and thought he had nothing to do with her uncle.
Su Hai was suddenly blocked by two children. He scratched the back of his head and saw that the two children were dressed in gorgeous clothes and were obviously not ordinary people. How many children could run around in the Forbidden City and call him uncle?
There is only one result: this is Pan'er's child.
He couldn't help but sigh, but a smile appeared on his face, with his big white teeth shining brightly in the sunlight.
He squatted down and said, "You are the third prince, and you are the fifth princess, right?"
Chapter 127
In fact, in the palace, there is a big difference between whether the servants around you are capable or not.
Some people know how to deal appropriately with things, and some people don't.
For example, in this case, Zong Cong may have only told Fulu to report to Concubine Su about Su Hai's return. But Fulu would have wondered why his master had to report at this time. Even if he had just received good news, it would not be impossible to report it later.
In such a situation, there is a lot more to it than meets the eye.
A useless servant will just mindlessly follow orders, but a useful servant who understands the implied intention gets twice the result with half the effort.
So Fulu went to Jingren Palace and asked the servants there to announce the good news, and he specifically chose Xiao Tianzi. Could it be that Fulu who often frequented Jingren Palace didn't know that Xiao Tianzi was honest and straightforward, too much so, so why didn't he wait a while and let Xiao Dezi announce the news?
These considerations are naturally just conjecture.
So the day’s events turned out like that. There would be no need for a decree. Everyone who came to the palace for the banquet that day knew that Concubine Su actually had a maternal family. Her brother has just made a contribution and would be coming to the capital soon.
He has a sister who is a favoured noble concubine and has made achievements himself. It is no surprise that he would also join the scenes of the court soon. It seemed that there would be another big name family in the capital soon, a family with the surname Su.
Moreover, this matter was handled in a very honorable way. At least for Pan'er, it was both honorable and dignified.
However, there are still few servants like Fulu. In addition to having a delicate heart, it takes many years of practice to cultivate to the point of mastery. Only such people can be by the side of Emperor Jianping, since his time as a crown prince. After all, the environment in the palace is complicated. If a servant fails to live up to expectations, they will be replaced by someone who is better.
So even though Zong Cong sneered and cursed, he didn't seem to have any intention of blaming Fulu at all.
"When did you send Su Hai to the border?" At this point, Pan'er felt a little embarrassed, and her fingers were rubbing against Zong Cong's collar.
Zong Cong looked down at her and grabbed her distracting hand: "When I was in Yangzhou, before I met Pei Yongchang, Pei Yongchang came to him with other motives. I thought he still had some redeeming points, so I gave him a chance."
"Is there redeeming features then?"
Pan Er guessed that Pei Yongchang had no way to get in during that period, so he must have schemed, and it was predictable that he would go to the Su family. In other words, Pei Yongchang went to Su Hai, and Su Hai found out her and the prince's identities, but did not come to her, so in Zong Cong's eyes, he still had some merits.
"It's hard for anyone to resist this kind of temptation, especially someone of their status," he said lightly.
That much was true. Pan'er had always felt that although the Su family had many flaws, they were not actually bad people.
"Just an opportunity?" Obviously Pan'er didn't believe that the process was as casual as he said, because he was too good at hiding things, and maybe he even covertly supported Su Hai.
Moreover, Pan'er found it a little hard to believe that Su Hai could mature and be promoted to the point where he could take command on the battlefield that quickly on his own.
"It was just the opportunity. Do you think I have the leisure to deal with such trivial matters?"
..trivial matters?
Pan Er was a little unhappy after hearing this. It wasn't that the Su family was not a small matter, but how could it be a small matter when it was related to her? Why did this sound so unpleasant?
She didn't say anything, just turned away.
Obviously this was a sign of anger, which made Zong Cong embarrassed. He was a little confused as to why she was angry.
"What's wrong?"
She glanced at him sideways and said, "Have troubled you to make you to take care of such trivial matters. You might as well just ignore me and go to sleep in your Qianqing Palace."
How is taking care of Su Hai related to taking care of her?
Although Zong Cong didn't truly understand, it didn't mean he didn't have a sense that he had misstepped. Did she feel belittled? But how could she feel disrespected? He had just paved the way for her, and he was concerned about everything. Otherwise, would he have remembered to ask Fulu to pass on the message today?
Zong Cong was also a little annoyed, but he saw her fair face from the corner of his eye, and he didn't want to make trouble in bed late at night, so he cleared his throat and said, "Of course it's not a small matter, I was just making an analogy."
"Really...?" The person turned around and looked at him with shining eyes.
"Of course it's true. If it's really a small matter, why would I care so much about it?" Once he said this to show his weakness, the rest would be easier to say. Zong Cong blushed slightly, but the light was dim, so it was not obvious.
She didn't say anything, but just put her arms around his neck, with her eyes half-closed with shyness, and shook her head as if embarrassed, obviously like a puppy showing her belly.
Well, that's over.
But she was extremely beautiful like this. Zong Cong sighed in his heart, rubbed her back with his big hand helplessly, and said, "It's getting late, go to bed."
No words were spoken that night.
Even though Empress Chen was the empress, it was extremely difficult for her to find a chance to say a few words to her mother that could not be heard by outsiders in such an occasion in public.
It was only at the moon-viewing banquet that she found the opportunity.
The two of them found a secluded sideroom. Empress Chen ordered Fuxia to guard outside and Fuchun to guard inside the door before she sat down and talked to the Second Lady.
After hearing what her daughter said, the second wife sat as if frozen.
It was unbelievable, but she had no choice but to believe it, and felt as if she had choked on something.
"Are you saying that she is the daughter of that bitch? Have you investigated thoroughly? Is it certain?"
Empress Chen looked at the Second Madam with a complicated look in her eyes, especially examining her expression. She thought she must have felt the same way at the beginning.
"She has a jade pendant. I've seen it. It's the one with her name carved on it."
The second wife had also seen that piece of jade, and at that time she laughed at Aunt Wang for being so poor that she actually bought such a piece of jade for her daughter to wear. She didn't take the jade to heart at all, and the fact proved that even after many years, she still remembered it.
"Then what does she want to do? When did you find out? Why didn't you say it earlier, earlier..." The second wife was a little hysterical. She never spoke like this normally.
What would it matter if someone told her earlier? As if she could be sent away again? Besides, she herself had only just found out.
Empress Chen also knew that this was not a suitable place to talk, after all, it was not far from the moon-viewing banquet. She took a deep breath, put aside all distractions, and tried her best to comfort the Second Madam, reminding her that this was the palace and there was no room for misbehavior. At the same time, she recounted the whole story of how she had discovered the clues.
"Mom, please calm down. She has no intention of returning to the Chen family. Look at the commotion at today's banquet. It was either His Majesty or herself who was trying to build momentum for herself to elevate the Su family to sever ties with the Chen family. I'm not telling you this today to make you anxious, but to ask you to help me keep an eye on the family, especially father..."
Empress Chen paused and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. "Father hasn't told the family yet. If he hasn't told the family yet, then don't tell them. If he tells them, your daughter won't be able to survive."
Her actions actually calmed the Second Madam down.
Yes, how could the person who could set up such a heart-breaking trap be a fool? It’s just that Empress Chen’s words were too sudden, and what she said was too shocking.
How was this possible? Was this karma? Was retribution coming for her?
The Second Madam doesn't believe in retribution. If there is retribution, why haven't those people who have done so many evil things died and are still alive and well?
The most important thing at the moment was exactly as her daughter said. No matter what the reason is for Chen Pingwu not to say anything yet, he could not be allowed to say it at all.
Concubine Su was already so powerful and favoured. If the Chen family knew that she was actually a descendant of theirs, what would her father-in-law and uncles do?
Because she had been married into the Chen family for a long time, no one knew the Chen family better than the Second Madam.
On the surface, they act righteous, but in reality, they are driven by profit. They can easily be swayed by profit, especially such a major event that can affect the Chen family's century-old foundation. They might make other plans, and would stop making any effort to help her daughter establish her son as the crown prince.
If the position of crown prince did not end up in their hands, what would happen to her daughter? The second wife knew it without much thought.
Seeing her daughter crying anxiously and sadly, she hugged her, her face twitching with a ferocious look, and comforted her: "Don't panic, don't cry, mother was able to crush that mother and daughter to death back then, even if she survived till now, mother can still crush her to death again..."...
Empress Chen interrupted her and said angrily, "Mother, it's already at this point, and you're still talking about whether she should die or not? She is now a proper consort, and the most favored. Would you kill her, or would she kill you?"
"Don't mention these things now. I'm not competing with her for favor. This is all for the future. What you need to do now is make sure Dad does not tell the family about this, this is for me, for my son, and for you to become the proper authority of the Chen family in the future.
"Mother, haven't you always envied grandma? When Duo'er becomes the crown prince, no one in the Chen family will dare to look down on you. You are the crown prince's grandmother, the grandmother of the future emperor. He has your blood in his veins, and you are his closest person. Who in the Chen family would dare to treat you lightly?"
"Your father is not that stupid. After all, you are his biological child. Besides, you are the Empress." The Second Lady's eyes flickered. She seemed to remember something and felt a little lacking in confidence.
Empress Chen held her shoulders and looked at her straight in the eyes: "I might be the empress, but an empress can still be deposed. Mother, don't you see that His Majesty has only been on the throne for a year, and your daughter has almost no place to stand in this palace? That woman surnamed Su is a seductress, just like her mother, she was born to seduce men. Now only if Duo'er's position as the crown prince is confirmed, His Majesty will not easily touch me for the sake of the overall situation."
Maybe it was because Empress Chen's eyes were too deep, or maybe it was because her expression was too heavy, or maybe it was because she gritted her teeth and said "just like her mother", which made the Second Lady finally calm down completely.
"Okay, I understand. I'll go back and persuade your father with emotion and reason. Even if I have to beg him, I won't let him tell anyone."
Empress Chen nodded, her tense face relaxed and she revealed a gentle smile.
"If Duo'er can become the crown prince, it will all be thanks to mother."
"Why are you saying all this now? You are my daughter and Duo'er is my grandson. If mother doesn't help you, will she help outsiders? Don't worry. Even if your father doesn't care about us mother and daughter, he still has your elder brother and your younger brother. He has to take them into consideration." The Second Lady pursed her lips and said.
The mother and daughter chatted for a while longer, and then Empress Chen asked the Second Madam to leave first, and she would leave later to avoid being noticed.
After the second madam left, Fuchun looked at Empress Chen hesitantly.
"What's wrong? Just say it if you have something to say."
Fuchun thought about it and said it.
"Your Majesty, the master didn't know about this matter at first. Now that the Second Madam has taken the initiative to expose it, isn't it obvious that she is telling the master that there is something else going on?"
It would seem obvious there's some hidden scheme at the very least. It would be like her confessing to doing the deed herself. It all depends on whether her mother can make this matter sound clear without telling her of her own involvement.
However, Empress Chen couldn't care less about those things now. Only if her father gave up telling the matter, would the Chen family help her wholeheartedly.
As for her mother——
In the face of the overall situation, individuals always have to make concessions, just like she and her mother said, as long as Duo’er becomes the crown prince, who would dare not take them seriously?
Let’s not talk about it. After experiencing this, the Second Lady naturally had no time to about the subsequent moon-viewing banquet.
The eldest lady of the Chen family saw through the absent-mindedness of the second lady and wondered what had happened. However, she did not think much of it. Obviously, this occasion was not the time to be distracted.
After the moon-viewing banquet was over, the men and women of the Chen family went their separate ways and did not meet again until they met outside the palace gate.
This was not a good place to talk, so the Second Lady could only suppress her anxiety and think about how to talk to the Master when she got back so that he would agree to this matter and not be suspicious of her.
Obviously, her own daughter had given her a difficult problem today, but the Second Lady had no choice but to go ahead with it, as she understood the importance of the matter.
Even if it's not for her daughter but for their grandson, it was for his two sons and the future as well.
+Chocolates galaxy+
acryl-gouache on 12 x 16 art board
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ㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ⠀ ㅤㅤ 〝 Best to give me your loyalty
ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ⠀ ㅤ'Cause I'm takin' the world, you'll see
ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ⠀ ㅤ ⠀ They'll be callin' me, callin' me
ㅤㅤ ㅤ⠀⠀ㅤ ㅤ⠀⠀⠀They'll be callin' me royalty〞
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Royalty (feat. Maestro Chives & Neoni) by Egzod
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Prince Aemond Targaryen
ㅤ〝Mayhaps his forefathers hadn’t held a dark-haired newborn son, but neither had they a dragonlord wizard for a son, whose duality of blood was painted in his eyes.〞
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀Lady Hariel Potter.
ㅤ〝James had a tuft of dark hair that would grow into an unruly black mess. Eyes that would become as green as hers and the other purple.〞
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen of Crackclaw
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Little lord James of the Point and the Fang⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
ㅤㅤ 〝Jaehaerys was going to be a fine dragon rider. A proper prince of his father’s line.A wizard of his mother’s blood. He was the future of the Point. 〞⠀ ⠀
⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon by QuillQ
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Hello there! I'm back again and I'm here with A's from our favorite family and with its new addition. After reading the last two chapters, I had to give James an A's. He's a blank canvas that plays so much, by the way, so small but I'm already sacrificing myself for him. I just want to say that this child has the world in his little magic fingers.
I hope you like it and thanks for the tremendous chapters that you haven't brought. Take care and stay hydrated!!! @quill-q
Sweets with toppings :)
anyone crazy enough to want a print, you’re in luck
(Prints are here now!)
(敵襲に備えているだけの図。 オースティンパワーズのアレ | けいれん(松本痙) さんのマンガ | ツイコミ(仮)から)
Álfheimr 🌳✨