The summer is intense and the heat is hard to dissipate. Shen Xihe likes to stay in the Bi Bo Pavilion every day. The place is surrounded by green trees and there is ice inside the pavilion. A breeze blows, bringing a slight coolness, which is very refreshing.
He stood in front of her, his eyes and brows as gentle as the green waves outside the pavilion, his tall and straight body was elongated by the sun, as if he could really stand upright.
In the past, he always restrained himself in front of her, but since when did he start to be completely open in front of her, gradually revealing his dominance.
"How did Your Highness know the birth date of His Majesty?" Shen Xihe was very curious.
After hearing this, Xiao Huayong couldn't help but chuckle, "Youyou must be as surprised and suspicious as everyone else. You think I'm so all-powerful that I can even know such a secret matter."
"Isn't it?" Shen Xihe was puzzled.
"My grandmother and I have been together in the Taoist temple for twelve years. Although I am not often in the Taoist temple, I have been with my grandmother for a long time." Xiao Huayong whispered, "I learned about your majesty's birth date from my grandmother by chance."
When Emperor Youning was born, it was the most difficult time for the Empress Dowager. She was trapped in the harem and was bullied and trampled upon by the favorite concubine. Emperor Youning was born weak and almost could not be raised. He could not speak fluently when he was three years old. He was more disliked by the previous emperor and this became one of the charges for which the Empress Dowager was later demoted to the northwest.
After arriving in the northwest, with the secret protection and care of the Shen family, Emperor Youning gradually became stronger, but he was plagued by illness from time to time. The empress dowager happened to get guidance from a Taoist priest. On his birthday, she would personally draw talismans with blood and cinnabar and burn them to pray to heaven and earth, and his majesty would naturally not be plagued by illness.
The Empress Dowager was originally unable to do it, but she was desperate and tried every possible means. Coincidentally, since Emperor Youning was five years old, the Empress Dowager did so for the first time. Emperor Youning never became sick again. He fell ill every few days and gradually began to practice martial arts and read books. The Empress Dowager has retained this habit to this day.
During his twelfth year in the Taoist temple, there was one day when the talisman paper burned by the Empress Dowager was not completely burned out, and he accidentally caught a glimpse of it, and only then did he know the birth date of His Majesty.
After learning the whole story, Shen Xihe was shocked. She never thought that he knew the emperor's birth date so well.
Not only her, I'm afraid no one could have imagined that he knew it so simply.
After a brief shock, Shen Xihe regained her composure. She asked another question that had puzzled her for a long time, but she always felt that she was not qualified to ask it because of her status: "Your Highness, the Queen Mother must have protected you today. Why does the Queen Mother treat you differently?"
This difference truly surpasses that of all other princes, even... Your Majesty.
Xiao Huayong was the legitimate grandson, so it was reasonable for the empress dowager to favor him, but it was a little difficult to understand why he was favored over her own biological son.
Xiao Huayong went to the Taoist temple when he was eight years old. He was able to learn literature and martial arts and deceive His Majesty, but it would be impossible without the Queen Mother's cover. An eight-year-old child, no matter how powerful he is, cannot pick a famous teacher in a short time, even a master like Linghu Zheng.
Why did the Queen Mother help him hide the secret from His Majesty? On one side is his son and on the other is his grandson. There is no reason for her to go against her son for her grandson. The Queen Mother's love for Xiao Huayong can be seen from his words that she held a Spring Banquet to select concubines for the kings.
Moreover, the prince pretended to be sick several times, and Shen Xihe met the queen mother every time. The queen mother looked worried, but Shen Xihe always felt that she had the leisure to think about other things. She must be sure that the prince was fine. That means the queen mother knew that the prince was pretending to be sick, and going to the East Palace might be more to cover for the prince.