"I did this because of your eldest brother. What about you? Why?"
The queen came back to her senses and looked at the young man who looked as handsome as ever even when he was kneeling on the ground.
"Your Majesty the Queen has people she wants to protect, and so do I." Murong Kai replied with a gentle smile, but it frightened the Queen.
She was almost certain that the person he wanted to protect was not Concubine Jin.
"Your mother, indeed..." The Queen deliberately tested her by speaking softly of Concubine Jin. Her disappointment was hard to conceal in her words. She knew very well that if Concubine Jin knew what Murong Kai was thinking at this moment, she would probably be more sad than herself.
"Mother, I know you have a very good relationship with my mother, and you have taken good care of me over the years, but when I needed a mother, I had no mother."
Murong Kai naturally understood what the Queen meant by her words. He had some affection for Concubine Jin, but it was only a mother-son relationship. It was destined when Concubine Jin ignored his young age and locked him into the palace.
Even if the Empress Dowager and Empress tried their best to take care of her, they were never as meticulous as their mother. Moreover, the Grand Empress Dowager was not a meticulous person. In addition to supervising the eldest prince's homework, the Empress also had to deal with palace affairs, and Concubine Dong would cause trouble from time to time...
"It's my fault, it's me..." Murong Kai's words made the queen feel even more guilty.
"Dong Guifei has been very troublesome these years. She has been targeting me too much, both openly and covertly. I am tired of dealing with them. I even thought about letting her have her way. After all, no one would feel bad if I died. I didn't expect that someone would care. After knowing that Dong Guifei was targeting me, someone really went to avenge me. In order to keep me alive, she would do everything she could."
Murong Kai spoke softly, but his words were trembling. He could not forget those eyes that were as bright as stars a few nights ago, and he could not forget the way she protected him like an eagle protecting its chick.
“What are you talking about? This palace, the emperor, and your mother, who doesn’t love you? If anything happens to you…” Murong Kai’s words irritated the queen’s heart. Besides self-blame, she felt more distressed. She felt distressed for every day he spent in the harem. What kind of loneliness would make him feel that death was not a bad thing
"Mother, you have done enough for me. It's just that you are the queen and there are too many things you need to do. Now, there is someone willing to protect me." Murong Kai consoled softly, and at the end of his words, a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
"Is it Ah Man? She is such a good kid, but she is the darling of the Emperor Bei'an. It may not be easy to marry her."
The queen's face was full of kindness, and when she spoke of Ah Man, her words were full of praise.
How many people who live in the deep palace can be as bright and sunny as her? It is really a good choice to have a woman like that to stay with you, to lean on each other, and to protect each other.
"What the Emperor of Bei'an fears most is that she will leave her homeland. If he is reluctant, I will go to Bei'an."
The queen was shocked by Murong Kai's words. She couldn't help but look at him inquiringly. After a long while, she asked, "Marry into the wife's family?"
"Anyone who can marry her is not a son-in-law."
"But you are a prince, you can't..."
The Queen anxiously persuaded her that even if she approved of A'man as her daughter-in-law, she would never agree to let her children marry into Bei'an.
Besides, every prince of a country has his own mission. How could he easily abandon his country and responsibilities? How... If this were to be made public, he would be despised by others.
"If it weren't for her, I would have died. I wouldn't have fallen prey to Concubine Dong's scheme. When I was dragged to the mountains by the eunuchs, I thought that death would be a good thing. This life would be a way to repay my father and mother for giving birth to me."
The Queen couldn't help but shed tears. Even if Murong Kai didn't say anything, she already knew from his words that Murong Kai had experienced too many life-and-death situations in this deep palace.
All this eroded the little affection he had left for his father and mother.
(End of this chapter)