Hua Zhi was a little surprised that no one from the Zhu family came.
"Master Zhu is a wise man." Gu Yanxi leaned against the bed, and looked very energetic, perhaps because he had finally gotten rid of the burden and responsibility on his shoulders. "Things have come to this point. Others can still think of ways to distance themselves from the Hua family, but the Zhu family and the Hua family cannot be torn apart. Since this is the outcome anyway, why should I come to upset you on the first day of the new year?"
That makes sense. Hua Zhi nodded thoughtfully.
"Besides, you have to accompany your mother back to her parents' home tomorrow. Master Zhu still has the patience to wait for a day."
"I prefer to understand that my grandfather wants me to have a good New Year."
"That's not wrong." Gu Yanxi nodded with a smile. "The capital city is not that big. All the children of these aristocratic families with deep-rooted families have known each other since childhood, but in the end, most of them either became strangers or turned against each other for their own interests. Those who interact with each other are mostly bound by interests. If their own interests are really endangered, the first thing they think about is how to get themselves out of it. Master Zhu and Master Hua are the exceptions. Back then, Master Hua tried every means to help Master Zhu turn things around, and now Master Zhu is doing his best to protect the Hua family. The so-called good friends are nothing more than this. After many years, it will become a good story."
"That sounds like a wonderful thing." Hua Zhi blinked, "Do you want to go back to the Prince's Mansion?"
"I asked Chen Qing to move out all the things that belong to me. I want people to know that I am not just talking."
Hua Zhi opened her mouth but found that she didn't have anything constructive to say. Yan Xi was not an impulsive person. Every decision he made was carefully thought out. He didn't need anyone else to tell him what to do, including her.
She just had to support him.
Shaoyao came in with the medicine and found it extremely strange to see the two of them getting along like good friends. It was the first time for her to see a man and a woman getting along like this, but she also felt that it couldn't be better. Just seeing them like this, she felt that she had so much, so much in the whole world, that she wouldn't trade for anything.
"Are you going to drink it yourself?" Hua Zhi turned around and looked at her teasingly.
Shaoyao came back to her senses, ran over with a smile, stuffed the medicine into Brother Yan's hand, and then rubbed against Huahua.
Hua Zhi once again felt like she had raised a daughter, one who was two years older than this body.
Pulling him to sit down, Hua Zhi handed the candied fruit to the man who drank the medicine without changing his expression, "Is it okay if you don't return to the palace in a hurry?"
"We can't drag her to chop down the fruit." Gu Yanxi picked up a candied fruit and put it in her mouth. She didn't feel the bitterness of the medicine, but she could taste how sweet the candied fruit was.
"I won't go to the palace, not even if you give me an imperial decree." Shaoyao snorted. She didn't sit still either. She sat down next to Hua Zhi's legs and rested her head on her legs. She really liked this intimate and reliable posture.
"Mr. Yu should be back soon."
Shaoyao shrank her neck, feeling a little guilty. For others, it was the disciple who had to do the hard work, but for her, it was the master who had to do the hard work. The master would definitely beat her.
The atmosphere here was harmonious, but in the palace, the tension was so high that the palace servants had to walk on tiptoe, and those who wanted to sneeze or cough had to hold it in, for fear of making noise and bringing about fatal disaster.
Inside the Fushou Palace, the empress dowager was wearing a formal dress with her eyes closed. She had not changed out of it since her descendants came to pay their respects in the morning. As she was getting old, she needed to use this dress to suppress the evil spirits.
Yuxiang walked in quickly, "Your Majesty, Concubine Yue said she is not feeling well and wants to see the imperial physician."
"There are a few people in the palace who are feeling well, and it's a great time to celebrate, so let the imperial doctors have a peaceful year."
"yes."
Yuxiang went to make some tea. The empress dowager opened her eyes when she smelled the tea, then took the tea and put it to her nose to sniff.
Looking at the tea reminded her of the tea maker. The Queen Mother lowered her eyes to look at the tea leaves floating in the cup and asked, "Is Yan Xi still in the Hua Mansion?"
"Yes, he said he had never come out."
"That depends on him being able to come out and stab that spot. He must be so cruel." The empress dowager's hands trembled, and some tea spilled out. She seemed not to feel the heat. She avoided Yuxiang's hand that was about to take the teacup, picked it up and took two sips. However, no matter how hot the tea was, it could not warm her cold heart.
Whenever she thought of the time when her grandson stabbed her, and thought of two girls supporting him as he walked out of the winding corridors of the imperial palace, she would tremble all over. That was her grandson, the prince who had made many contributions to the Daqing Dynasty, and yet under such circumstances there was not even anyone to prepare a sedan chair for him. It was not just her heart that was chilled!
"I really want to cut that Haoyue into pieces!"
Yuxiang gently advised, "You will have plenty of opportunities to deal with her in the future, but not now. If not for the sake of the royal family's reputation, you should also be patient for the sake of the prince. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. We can't let others get away with it."
The Queen Mother closed her eyes, suppressing her urge to see blood. Just as she was about to speak, she heard a message from outside the door, "The Emperor has arrived."
Putting the cup down, the empress dowager took a long breath, stood up, straightened her clothes and took two steps forward to greet him. She was neither overly close nor distant, just the same as usual.
"Your son pays respect to your mother."
The emperor, with a pale face, bowed perfunctorily, and the empress dowager also gave him a perfunctory support. "Today is New Year's Day. Would the emperor like to have a meal with me here?"
The emperor's face warmed up, "It is my fault, I will follow what my mother says."
Yuxiang went downstairs immediately to make arrangements. Lai Fu looked up and took everyone else in the room away.
After a moment of silence, the Queen Mother broke the silence first, "If the Emperor comes to take Haoyue away, don't feel embarrassed, just take her away."
The emperor's eyes were obscure. "Do you suspect that this matter is related to Haoyue?"
"What is it? What if she is not? Since she is your favorite concubine, I will never take her away from you. Don't worry, I am just locking her up and not doing anything to her."
"The Queen Mother is blaming her son."
"I love my grandson so much, I think the emperor should understand." The Queen Mother smiled, "But I still want to stand on your side, I just say I love you."
The emperor's eyes fell on the empty space and repeated: "You are blaming your son."
The Queen Mother pinched her eyebrows, endured and endured, making her tone sound less sharp, "I have always thought that a breakup would not happen between you and Yan Xi. That child is tolerant, respects you and considers the overall situation. You have always been kind to him. Several princes combined cannot match him. How could it... come to this? Don't say that you were blinded by women. Even I know that you don't like Hua Zhi. Who gave you this idea?"
The Queen Mother raised her head, her eyes sharp as a knife, "Who instigated you to forget that the person who is most loyal to you in this world is Gu Yanxi, your eldest nephew?"
The emperor's face twitched and his mouth opened and closed, but not a single word came out.
He wanted to say that he had not forgotten, he just didn't expect that the royal family would have such a lovesick person.
There was a sudden noise outside, and the mother and son stopped talking and looked outside.