Zi'an sighed softly, "I'm sorry for wronging you."
Zhuangzhuang shook his head. "If you were hurt by others, it would be considered wronged, but your family plotted against you. Why do you feel wronged? Who made me so deeply favored by the royal family? Who made me enjoy overwhelming wealth? This is what I deserve."
Zi'an didn't know whether she was being sarcastic or if she truly thought that this grievance was not really a grievance. Her tone was listless and without any resentment.
In fact, everyone knows that the hurt from family members is the most painful.
"The emperor has been on the throne for so many years. He has implemented new policies, abolished dross, reduced taxes, vigorously promoted farming, raised troops to pacify the barbarians, and recovered the territory. He is not a good nephew, but he is a good emperor. Being a good emperor, sometimes it is inevitable that you will be cruel to yourself and the people around you."
Zhuangzhuang's words seemed to be trying to convince herself rather than Zi'an.
"Now that you know, what are you going to do? As for Xiao Xiao, do you want to talk to him?" Zi'an asked.
Zhuangzhuang thought for a while and said, "I don't know. My mind is a little confused. Please let me think about it for a few days."
Zian held her hand and said, "Okay, think about it carefully. If you need me, come find me."
Zhuangzhuang looked at her and said, "Thank you!"
"It's too much to say thank you."
Zhuangzhuang smiled, and there was an indescribable silence on his pale, almost transparent face.
After Zi'an left, Zhuangzhuang went into the house and sat for a long time, then called Qinzhi in, "What has the emperor rewarded me with over the years?"
Qin Zhidao: "There are many, why are you asking this all of a sudden?"
When Zi'an was talking to Zhuangzhuang, Qinzhi was not around, so she didn't know what Zi'an and Zhuangzhuang said.
"Go and take inventory and see what's there." Zhuangzhuang said.
"Yes!" Qin Xixia went there. It was not difficult to count the items. She went to the accountant and found out that the emperor really doted on the princess over the years. All the good things were first sent to the princess's mansion.
Not long after, Qinzhi came with a pile of account books.
"Since the Emperor ascended the throne, he has granted fiefs to the princess five times. Now, the fiefdom has reached 1,000 households, 1,000 hectares of fertile land, 10,000 taels of gold, three sets of priceless gold and silver furniture, countless gold and silver jewelry, more than 300 pieces of top-quality jadeite, a gold mine, a coal mine, and two mines. Every year, the princess's mansion receives a huge income. In 11 years, the amount of silk and satin is as high as 2,000 pieces. There are three luminous pearls from foreign countries as tribute, East China Sea pearls, red corals, jade screens, etc. The warehouse is full of them. These are the big ones. There are also many small items that are written in five account books."
Murong Zhuangzhuang laughed, a smile full of misery, "If he uses these to exchange for Xiao Xiao, he will feel at ease."
But she doesn't want any of these. No matter how much you have, what's the point if you don't have the person you love the most
"What do you mean? Princess, what do you mean by this?" Qin Zhi asked.
Zhuangzhuang waved his hand, "It's nothing, I'm just expressing my feelings. Put the account book on the table. I'll have dinner tonight and take a good look at it."
"What's so good about it? Why don't I take you to see the real thing? Everything is in the warehouse." Qinzhi said with a smile.
"Okay, let's go and take a look." Zhuangzhuang said.
Zhuangzhuang sat in the warehouse for most of the night, surrounded by countless gold, silver and jewels. She laughed and cried, cried and laughed.
The next morning, she came out of the storeroom and said to Qin Zhi, "I'll go to the palace."
"Will you go to the palace to pay your respects to the Empress Dowager?" Qin Zhi asked
"No, I want to see the Emperor."
"I'm afraid the Empress Dowager won't grant your approval." Qin Zhidao.
Zhuangzhuang raised his head and said, "Go ask Zi'an to borrow Scar Rope and tell her that I can be of use to you, but don't tell her that I want to enter the palace."
"Yes!" Qin Zhi responded and left.
Scarlett Johansson was the same as the Empress Dowager herself, and the Empress Dowager would not stop her from seeing the Emperor.
When Zi'an heard Qin Zhi coming to borrow Scar's rope, he became suspicious, "What does the princess want to do here?"
Qin Zhi smiled and said, "The princess said she missed the Grand Empress Dowager, so she borrowed Scarlett to come and see her, and she met the Grand Empress Dowager."
Zi'an felt sad, "How was your master last night?"
Qin Zhidao: "Not very good. Since the princess left, she has been asking what rewards the emperor has given her over the years, and she has been sitting in the storeroom for most of the night."
Zi'an was dejected. It seemed that she was really sad. No wonder she missed the Grand Empress Dowager. The Grand Empress Dowager was her grandmother, the only living elder of her generation.
Zi'an trusted Qinzhi and gave the scar to her.
Zhuangzhuang dressed neatly and entered the palace with Scar Suo.
She first went to the Empress Dowager's palace. When the Empress Dowager heard that she was going to Xiwei Palace, she frowned and asked, "What are you going to do in Xiwei Palace?"
"I miss the emperor and want to see him," said Zhuangzhuang.
The Queen Mother saw that she was pale and looked strange, so she couldn't help asking, "What's wrong with you? Are you unhappy?"
Zhuangzhuang looked at her. She might have been involved in what happened back then, otherwise, she would not have arranged the marriage between Xiao Xiao and Han Qingqiu.
"It's okay. I'm just a little unhappy and want to say a few words to the emperor."
"Your Majesty can't hear you either. If you have anything to say that makes you unhappy, tell me." The Queen Mother held her hand, stared at her, and said earnestly, "Is it because of Xiao Xiao? After all these years, you haven't forgotten him, have you? Let it go, Zhuangzhuang. There are so many good men in the world. You really shouldn't think about such a heartless man."
Zhuangzhuang smiled, his eyes unusually clear, "Sister-in-law also thinks he is heartless?"
"Isn't it? What happened between him and Han Qingqiu broke your heart. If it wasn't for Duke Jingguo, why would I have issued an order to grant the marriage?" The Queen Mother said angrily.
"Why did the Empress Dowager issue an edict to grant the marriage? Even if Marquis Jingguo begged you to do so, you shouldn't have issued this decree!" Zhuangzhuang said.
The Queen Mother sighed softly, "That's because Marquis Jingguo said that Han Qingqiu's family background is not high, and he is afraid that she will bring disgrace to the family, so he asked me to grant her a marriage to raise her status. Marquis Jingguo promised me that the Xiao family will be loyal to the court for generations to come."
"Yes, the marquis back then was a powerful and influential person. If the Xiao family can promise their loyalty, the emperor will indeed have nothing to worry about." Zhuangzhuang said calmly.
The Queen Mother felt that her words were a bit weird. She looked at Zhuangzhuang and said, "Did you hear something? Did you misunderstand something?"
Zhuangzhuang laughed, "What could I have misunderstood?"
The Empress Dowager thought for a moment and said, "Don't go to Xiwei Palace. The Emperor is in a bad condition. If you go, it will scare you."
Zhuangzhuang took out the scar rope, wrapped it around his arm, and said clearly, "I want to go to Xiwei Palace."
The Queen Mother stared at her and stood up suddenly. "Zhuangzhuang, I don't know what rumors you have heard, or if you have misunderstood something, but I can swear to heaven that I have not treated you unfairly, and neither has the Emperor."
Zhuangzhuang raised his head and said, "The Queen Mother misunderstood. I didn't say anyone had wronged me. I just wanted to see the Emperor, that's all."
The Queen Mother felt uneasy and always felt that something had happened.
However, she took out Scarlett and couldn't stop her from going.
After thinking for a while, she said, "Go ahead."
Zhuangzhuang stood up and bowed to her, "Thank you, Queen Dowager!"
After saying that, he turned and left.
The Empress Dowager looked at her from behind for a long time, and then Eunuch Sun came over and said, "Go and call Xia Zian to the palace."
Scarlett was given to Zhuangzhuang by her, so she must know something.
(End of this chapter)