The discord between Prince Ling and his son was well known, but one had to see it with one's own eyes to know how bad it was. However, it was not difficult to understand when one thought of the lawsuit that Prince Ling and Princess Ling had been involved in. The hatred for killing one's mother was irreconcilable, and a spineless person might have endured it, but Prince Gu was not a spineless person. It was said that he had not recognized his father since then, and the only time he had been to the palace was when Prince Ling found an excuse to ask for an imperial decree from the Emperor.
The conflict between father and son had become so serious that even the late emperor and the empress dowager could not reconcile it, so it was no surprise that it had continued to this day.
Gu Yanxi came over to support her grandmother as if nothing had happened. Her tone was gentle, but her attitude was firm. "This place is filled with yin energy. You don't need to come over. Shaoyao, you take grandma back."
Shaoyao immediately got up, and then she squatted down beside the prince and whispered, "I brought you some delicious food. I'll give it to you later."
The prince did not remind her that he could not eat many things during the mourning period. He responded in a low voice like her, saying "OK", and asked her to send her grandmother back quickly.
The Queen Mother's eyes moved back and forth between her three grandchildren, and she felt relieved in her heart that God would not destroy Daqing and would leave a spark of life for Daqing. As long as the brothers could help each other, Daqing could be defended.
After watching the two leave the mourning hall, Gu Yanxi knelt down again, tore off a few pieces of paper money and threw them into the brazier, saying, "Your Highness, please forgive me for what happened just now."
The prince was stunned for a moment, then he looked up. Yes, he was now the prince, and his brother Yan Xi became the regent. When he ascended the throne, they would be monarch and subject.
The prince pursed his lips and lowered his head. No one could see his expression at this moment. After a moment, he said, "This will not happen again. Don't disturb my father."
"Yes." Gu Yanxi responded respectfully, as naturally as it should be. The others saw this and quietly adjusted their mindsets. The Sixth Prince was no longer the unappreciated prince, so they also needed to change their attitudes.
The rituals on the seventh day were extremely solemn and lasted until midnight. Everyone was exhausted.
After returning to his residence in the palace and seeing the lights on, Gu Yanxi stopped and looked for a moment before walking inside. He walked faster and faster, and when he pushed open the door, his heart was beating so fast that it seemed like it was going to jump out of his heart.
"Is it done?" Hua Zhi put down the book and stood up. The light made her look even softer. "The food is warming up in the kitchen. I'll have someone bring it up."
Gu Yanxi walked forward and gently held the person in his arms. At this moment, his heart seemed to have found a home.
Hua Zhi hugged him back without asking what had happened. A lot of things had happened to them, and they had supported each other through the past year.
After a while, Gu Yanxi calmed down, pulled the person aside to look at him, and sighed, "You've lost weight again. Blame me for always making you work twice as hard."
"My pleasure is worth more than gold." Hua Zhi pushed the person to sit down, walked to the door and ordered the palace servants: "Bring the food up, and send the other portion to the prince quickly."
"yes."
Sitting next to Yan Xi, Hua Zhi asked, "Where's Shaoyao?"
"I asked her to stay with her grandmother."
Hua Zhi understood in her heart that the empress dowager was now like a bow stretched to the limit, and she could only relax slowly. If she relaxed too quickly or too hard, the consequences would be unimaginable. Shaoyao was an expert in medicine and was originally a member of the royal family, so it was most appropriate for her to accompany him.
"I didn't tell her you were in the palace today, otherwise she would have sneaked over to find you. Tomorrow when she comes, remind her that the Crown Prince is not the Emperor. Tell her to be careful and not to act too casually."
"I think it's good that Shaoyao can act according to her nature. The prince is indeed not a prince, but he is still Xiaoliu in his heart. Before he decides to abandon us, we don't need to be so anxious to draw a clear line with him." Hua Zhi grabbed Yan Xi's hand, gently stroked the new wound on it and said, "A person with a rich heart will definitely be more tolerant than a person with a lonely heart. It's better for an emperor to be more tolerant. Besides, Shaoyao is not a person who is unsure of himself. Don't worry, just wait and see."
Gu Yanxi held her hand in return, and nodded after a moment's hesitation, "You are right. We don't need to rush him towards me. Let's see what path he decides to take."
Hua Zhi smiled and was about to speak when she saw a palace servant coming in with a wooden tray. She immediately shut up. What she had just said was inappropriate in this palace.
"It doesn't matter, we are all family here."
Several palace maids bowed to Hua Zhi together. Hua Zhi made a false gesture and then understood why her orders were carried out so thoroughly. It was probably because Yan Xi had given the order in advance and he treated her as a family member.
"Eat quickly."
Gu Yanxi was indeed hungry. He had been traveling outside for more than a month, eating and drinking very simply, and then he encountered a great funeral when he came back. He had only eaten in the morning, and he ate without even raising his head. Hua Zhi sat beside him with a pair of chopsticks and served him food. When she saw that his bowl was empty, she filled it with rice.
Looking at Azhi like this, Gu Yanxi suddenly understood what a peaceful life meant. He thought, it would be great if life could always be so peaceful. He didn't want anything, not even a regent or a prince. He just wanted Hua Zhi to be by his side.
"The will left by my uncle..."
Hua Zhi pushed the bowl towards him and signaled him to eat, "Don't talk about this while eating."
I don’t say it while I’m eating, but the meal will eventually be finished.
Looking at the tea leaves floating in the teacup, Gu Yanxi's heart also swayed up and down. Just when he didn't know how to start, Hua Zhi spoke first, "The marriage of a king can't be delayed. Xiaoliu should be married when she is fifteen or sixteen years old. It's only three or four years. I can wait. Whether she is an old maid or not is just what others say. I don't care."
The more Azhi said this, the more Gu Yanxi felt guilty. He had clearly made great contributions to the country, but in the end he was given the title of Taifu and was forced by his uncle the Emperor to accept such conditions. He didn't know what Azhi was thinking at the time, and he felt very sorry for Azhi.
Hua Zhi looked at him and smiled, "I really don't care. I'll only be 21 or 22 by then. As long as you don't mind my age, it won't bother others. No one will come up to me and point their fingers at me and call me an old girl. It's not easy to get into the Hua family. People like that will be kicked out if they get in."
"Let's see who dares!" Gu Yanxi touched her face, "I don't know how distressed Mr. Hua will be. I'm afraid it's hard to say whether he will be willing to marry you to me in the future."
"As the first female official of the Daqing Dynasty and the current prince's tutor, who else would dare to want me except you? But you have to coax my grandfather well, he will definitely feel sorry for me." Hua Zhi smiled, and her mood suddenly fell. "I finally look forward to my return, but how can I explain to my grandfather? My grandmother... is gone!"
Gu Yanxi leaned forward and hugged him, "He will be sad, but he will also be happy that you didn't let him down."
PS: I am slowly getting into the state. This plot is connected to the last big plot, and there is only the last big plot left in this book.