Zi'an looked at his back, feeling extremely angry. This regent always stopped talking halfway and then changed the subject to prevent anyone from asking further questions.
The most unbearable thing is that his words always seem true and false, and you can never tell the difference.
Scoundrel!
It was almost midnight when we finished dealing with Ni Rong's issue.
Chen Liuliu played with the maids for a whole day and was tired, so she lay down on the stone table in the yard and fell asleep.
During this period of time, there has been no progress between her and Xiao Tuo, and they haven't even spoken a word to each other. The only progress is that she can see him often.
Chen Liuliu told Zi'an that she would slowly penetrate Xiao Tuo's inner circle, so she was not in a hurry.
Zi'an admired her very much. He thought she would give up after two or three days of not being able to talk to Xiao Tuo. This kind of tenacity was not possessed by most young ladies.
Chen Liuliu deserves respect. If she applies this tenacity to other areas, she will definitely achieve success.
When they were leaving the house, the noble concubine happened to come back from outside the house.
She had just returned from the palace. On the first day of every month, she would go to the palace to pay her respects to the old empress dowager. She did not go yesterday because there were many people entering the palace yesterday, so she changed her plan to go today.
This was the first time that Zi'an had run into Concubine Dowager face to face during this period.
She pulled Chen Liuliu to salute, "Greetings to the noble concubine."
The noble concubine stopped and looked at Xia Zian. Her face was calm, her eyes were calm, but there seemed to be something strange about this calmness.
"Your father has invited me to attend the wedding tomorrow. Please tell your father that I am not feeling well and will not go. However, even if I can't go in person, I will always send my gifts." said the noble concubine.
"Yes, thank you, Noble Concubine. Take care." Zi'an said. Although she hated the person who had ordered her to be thrown into a mass grave and killed, she could not conflict with her.
"Xia Zian," the noble concubine had already taken a step forward, but stopped and said, "I have already asked the empress dowager for an order today, and the decree to grant the marriage will come down in the next two days."
Zi'an was startled, but still said respectfully: "Thank you, Queen Dowager."
The noble concubine smiled indifferently, "You will know later whether you should thank me today or not."
After saying that, he went in coldly.
Chen Liuliu helped Zi'an up and asked in confusion, "Why do you know whether you should thank her or not in the future? You didn't really thank her, didn't she know that?"
Zi'an smiled, "Yes, I didn't mean it, and she knows it. We are just saying polite words, but her polite words hinted at the dangers of me marrying her in the future."
Although Chen Liuliu was rude, she understood a lot. "If she wants to deal with you, there is really no better way than to use you as her daughter-in-law."
Murong Jie stood in front of the corridor and watched the two people meet.
The noble concubine walked past him and said coldly: "According to your request, I have already entered the palace to ask for your permission."
"Thank you for your hard work!" Murong Jie said with a half-smile on his face.
"Even if I don't go this time, she will issue an edict to grant the marriage sooner or later. Why are you in such a hurry?" The noble concubine was very unhappy.
Murong Jie leaned against the railing, a faint smile on his lips, looking a little cynical, "This is different. She is the daughter-in-law that my mother specially came to the palace to ask for permission. It is better than my mother issuing an order to force you to accept it, right?"
"I know you hate me, but I have never provoked her. Why do you have to humiliate your biological mother like this?" The noble concubine said with a gloomy face.
Murong Jie stared at her, his smile growing. "Look at what mother said. How can a son hate his mother? Unless this mother once cruelly wanted to kill her son, but that's impossible. Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs. What's more, mother is the imperial concubine that father loves. Do you remember what father said about you in the edict of enthronement? You are gentle, respectful, thrifty, elegant, dignified, and prudent. You are a role model for women all over the world."
The noble concubine was so angry that her face turned blue, and she stared at him like a poisonous arrow, but slowly calmed down, "You can say whatever you like, I have a clear conscience."
Murong Jie chuckled, "I just like how shameless my mother is when she deceives herself."
She said coldly, "Don't be complacent. I am still your mother. Even if I have done many wrong things, your father ruled the country with benevolence and filial piety. As long as I am still in this palace, you must abide by filial piety and not neglect it in the slightest."
"You are joking, mother. How can a son not be filial to you?" Murong Jie smiled and turned away. "Isn't this just showing filial piety? By the way, I have already issued an order that Prince Nan Huai is not allowed to enter the capital unless there is a major funeral."
The noble concubine's face was broken, and she asked desperately, "He is your own brother, are you so cruel?"
"Compared to what mother and him did, I have been very merciful. If I had used the same methods as you, mother would not be standing here talking to me today, and he would not be able to be the glorious King of Nan Huai in the Southern Kingdom."
The noble concubine sneered and turned to look at Aunt Sizhu, "You said that if I surrender, he would surrender. It seems that you misjudged him."
Aunt Sizhu said softly, "The noble concubine did not give in."
"Really?" The noble concubine's lips trembled with anger. "I came to the palace today to ask for your permission. Such a humiliating thing is not considered as surrendering?"
Aunt Sizhu shook her head and said, "Noble Concubine, as long as you still regard him as your own son, with time and effort, you will be able to wash away the past unhappiness."
"No need for that. I have no more mother-son relationship with him." The noble concubine turned around and left resolutely.
Aunt Sizhu hesitated for a moment and chased towards the defense line where Murong Jie disappeared.
"Your Majesty, wait a moment!"
Murong Jie turned around and asked, "Aunt, is there something wrong?"
Aunt Sizhu said softly: "My Lord, the noble concubine has admitted her mistake, can you..."
Aunt Sizhu was a little reluctant to say it, because in her opinion it was all forced, but she hoped that the situation would not develop in a direction she did not want.
Murong Jie stared at Aunt Sizhu, "Aunt seems to be over fifty this year, right?"
"Sixty years old." Aunt Sizhu smiled sadly, "My hair has turned completely white, so I dyed it black."
"Aunt is old, maybe it's time for her to return home." Murong Jie said lightly.
Aunt Sizhu shook her head and said, "I'm afraid I can't live without your concubine for the rest of my life. I'm used to having her by my side."
“People always have to learn to change.”
Aunt Sizhu looked a little confused. She had thought about leaving more than once, but could she really let it go
She had followed the young lady for her entire life, from being a maid to entering the palace, and until the late emperor passed away and left the palace to move into the mansion. This life was very long, but in her memories now, it seemed to pass by in an instant.
She still shook her head, "No, I will die in this palace. The sooner I die, the sooner I will be reborn."
She didn't expect that some of her words would come true.
She knelt down and said, "Aunt has never begged the prince in her life, but this time, I beg you, for she is still your mother. No matter what she has done, please do not harm her life. Aunt, please."
"What is she planning to do?" Murong Jie saw something from Aunt Sizhu's face.
"No, nothing." Aunt Sizhu smiled sadly, "Take care, Your Majesty!"
She stood up and looked at the extremely majestic Murong Jie in front of her. She remembered that when he was young, he always loved to be around her. She remembered that wrinkled smiling face when he was born, that once tender life, which she held in her arms. Now, the child has grown up and become the person she wanted.
"Aunt is proud of you in this life." After saying this, Aunt Sizhu looked at her deeply and turned away.
(End of this chapter)