The ministers paid their respects and left. Hua Zhi lowered her brows and knelt before the emperor's bed.
The emperor's face was pale and he leaned heavily on Lai Fu. Even though Lai Fu was still sick, at this moment he carried the emperor's weight like a rock without moving at all.
"I don't like you, even now. It's you who caused my horse to be separated from me. But in just a few years, you have made Xiao Liuer so courageous and responsible. I admit that you have not brought shame to the reputation of the Hua family."
Hua Zhi did not bother with a dying man. She just lowered her head and listened, arguing silently in her heart. Love and family affection are never a choice. You can have both. If you have to choose one from the two, it must be because you don't love them enough.
The Queen Mother and Xiaoliu, who had been worried, were relieved after hearing this. Even though there had been many unpleasant things before, being able to reconcile in the end was the best outcome.
But before they could completely relax, they heard the emperor say, "I know that everything you did was to get the Hua family back, and Xiao Liu'er will definitely make this wish come true for you. But if I leave a will, the Hua family will never come back. You will be rich and prosperous in the capital, and they can only endure at the border."
The Queen Mother opened her mouth to speak, and Xiao Liu wanted to step forward. The Emperor raised his hand slightly and his eyes fell on Hua Zhi.
Hua Zhi sighed in her heart. She was not surprised at all. Since he didn't like her, how could he make her happy in the end? The emperor's dislike could still make you unhappy even if he is no longer around.
Looking up, Hua Zhi asked, "What does the emperor want me to do?"
The emperor smiled slightly. It was a pleasure to talk to a smart person. He could even save some energy. "Little Six is only twelve. I want you to get married after he gets married and has secured his throne."
"Your Majesty should know that my daughter's marriage partner is Yan Xi, your nephew, who is already 26 years old."
"I know."
"I'd like to ask, apart from treating him as the leader of the Seven Constellations and a minister you need to use, do you treat him with any affection?"
The emperor closed his eyes slightly, "Should you say yes or no?"
"I agree." Hua Zhi said without hesitation, "Xiao Liu came to me with nothing and blood all over his body. I taught him the truth, let him understand the people's livelihood, and took him to see the vast world outside the palace. To be honest, he is not much different from my younger brother. I will protect him and help him as much as I can. I will do these without you asking me to do so."
The emperor stopped talking and waved his hand slightly, imperceptibly.
Hua Zhi bowed her head, glanced at Xiao Liu, and retreated silently.
Only the emperor, the empress dowager, Xiaoliu, and two absolutely loyal servants, Lai Fu and Yuxiang, were left in the hall.
The emperor half opened his eyes with difficulty and looked at Xiaoliu, the child to whom he had not given much care or teaching. Hua Zhi was right, Xiaoliu's current situation had little to do with him, the father; it was Hua Zhi who taught him.
"Can you blame your father?"
Xiao Liu shook his head. "Mother said that you can favor whoever you like and treat whoever you like better. It is your right. If we ask you for favor, we are being too much. I am just not liked by you. How can I be resentful?"
The emperor looked a little dazed, and in a trance he seemed to see Concubine Zhen and Xiaoliu talking like this. Yes, Concubine Zhen was truly without ambition, without desire, unlike Haoyue...
Frowning in disgust, the emperor looked at his son, "After I leave, Hua Zhi's affairs cannot be changed. No matter how powerful she is, she is still a woman. If she gets married and has her own children early, she will not be able to assist you wholeheartedly. So she must do her best to help you secure your throne before she can be free. Promise me."
"…Yes, I will obey your order."
The emperor raised his body slightly and then put it back down, looking at the void and said leisurely: "The first wrong move I made in my life was to exile the Hua family, and the second was to separate from Yan Xi. Xiao Liu'er, I have never taught you anything. In the end, I will only remind you this: remember the love in our youth. Even when you are my age, you should not doubt Hua Zhi and Yan Xi. Yan Xi scratched his face to show his loyalty to me. You can find out what he has done over the years by looking through the files. As for Hua Zhi, her family is her weak spot. As long as there is one person from the Hua family still alive in Daqing, she can be used by you. If you use these two people well, your kingdom will be mostly stable."
His voice became visibly weaker, and Xiaoliu choked up and responded, "This is his father. Even if their feelings for him are distant and they only see each other a few times a year, he is still his father. When this person is gone, he will have no parents."
Thinking of this, Xiao Liu suddenly felt very sad. He didn't want to scheme against the people around him like his father did. He hoped that he could still get along with his master like before, hoped that brother Yan Xi would still be quiet but stand by him, hoped that Berlin would still be willing to sleep in the same bed with him, and they both had a tacit understanding in terms of knowledge, so he just hoped that they would not be left behind by the other.
He hopes that nothing will change, but he also knows that everything will change.
Because he is no longer Xiaoliu'er. From today on, he is no longer.
Xiao Liu knelt on the ground and discovered sadly that he didn't want to lose what he already had more than what he had gained. He didn't want to lose the warmth and tenderness in it for the rest of his life.
"Mother."
The Queen Mother came forward and sat on the edge of the couch, holding her son's hand and saying in a hoarse voice: "Don't worry, I'm here."
"Mother, I am an unfilial son. In the end, I will make you suffer and sad."
“You…” The Queen Mother turned her head away, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes.
The emperor's eyes were blurry. He knew that his time was up. He said with some regret, "It's a pity that I couldn't see Yan Xi for the last time. I'm sorry for him. Mother, please tell him a message from your son. Let him work hard for another three years. After three years, Xiao Liu'er will be able to get married. By then, the sky is high and the sea is wide. He can go wherever he wants. I will give him half of the things in my inner treasury. Xiao Liu'er, you must promise me."
"Yes, I've made note of it."
"Okay, okay..." The emperor opened his eyes forcefully, as if he saw again the chubby child hugging his thighs and calling him father. He had never felt such intimacy before. Only that kid was bold enough to reach out to him for a hug after knowing that he had called the wrong person. That was the first time he hugged a child, and the child was his nephew.
How could there be no feelings? From the time she crawled on his knees when she was so young, they had been uncle and nephew for more than 20 years. He was the one who hurt Yan Xi. If he had fulfilled Yan Xi's wish when she expressed her feelings for Hua Zhi, would he still be trusted? If he had not listened to Hao Yue's instigation and had not let Hua Zhi enter the palace on New Year's Eve, would everything have been different
What a pity, he made one wrong step after another.
Before he lost all consciousness, the emperor thought, I can't do anything else for you, so I'll use your three years to exchange for your lifetime of freedom, stay away from all these right and wrongs, and live the life you want most with the person you love. Your uncle hopes that you will be safe and happy, and have many children and grandchildren...
PS: My true lovers, please lend me your brain.