One day before the third prince's enthronement ceremony, Chang Gu Shan went into the palace to see Queen Yu.
Zhilan led Gu Shanchang into the palace, then quietly exited, guarding the door.
The moment he saw Empress Yu, Gu Shanchang was shocked. He was shocked and distressed. The words he had prepared were instantly forgotten: "Why is the empress so old and haggard?"
Chief Gu has no official position or title. Therefore, there is no need to go to the palace to kneel. Before Xie Mingxi gave birth to a daughter, Chief Gu had been staying at the Seventh Prince's Mansion. Counting on his fingers, he had not entered the palace for three or four months.
.
In just a few months, Empress Yu's wrinkles appeared on her forehead and around her eyes, and there were traces of white hair in her hair. She was dressed in plain palace clothes, with a dull complexion and deep eyebrows.
At first glance, he seems to have aged ten years.
On the other hand, Gu Shanchang still has long black hair and clear, free and easy eyes. If you don't look carefully, you can't see the fine wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. She looks like a woman in her thirties.
The two of them are obviously the same age, but standing together now, they seem to be a generation apart.
Empress Yu twitched her lips in a self-deprecating tone: "After the death of the late emperor, I have never had a good night's sleep. I have been working so hard, so how can I not grow tired and old?"
Worrying about hard work? Is it due to intrigues and power strife?
Gu Shanchang silently glanced at Queen Yu, swallowed these heart-wrenching words, and comforted him softly: "My queen will definitely be able to survive the pain of losing her husband."
Then, he whispered: "Tomorrow, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will be enthroned, and there will be a queen in the palace. The empress will be promoted to the queen mother. A new empress will move into this Jiaofang Palace. By then, someone will take care of all the palace affairs. The empress will be the queen.
But wouldn't it be nice to just let go, play with the grandchildren, and enjoy peace and happiness?"
Queen Yu: "..."
If anyone else had said such heart-wrenching words, Empress Yu would have been angry.
Facing her close friend whom she had grown up with since childhood, Empress Yu had no choice but to smile bitterly. Because she knew that Chief Gu did not mean to ridicule her, but sincerely hoped that she would put everything aside and live in peace.
How can it be?
All her hard work in this life was immersed in this palace. She cut off her love and hatred with her own hands, just to stand at the top.
Now, there is no way she would let go!
"Xianzhi," Queen Yu said with a hint of tiredness in her brows and eyes, "We haven't seen each other for several months. It's rare for you to enter the palace. Apart from this, don't you have anything else to say?"
Chief Gu seemed to be tough, but in fact he was soft-hearted. As soon as Queen Yu showed weakness, Chief Gu was defeated.
But when he thought of the rumors inside and outside the palace, Gu Shan's softened heart suddenly turned into anxiety and eagerness. Regardless of whether he had made a rash mistake or not, he took two steps forward and held Queen Yu's hand.
"Lianniang, you should know clearly that this world belongs to the new emperor after all."
"As the Queen Mother, it is okay for you to suppress the new emperor with your filial piety. No matter how much you want to do, it is extremely difficult. Those important ministers in the court will never sit back and watch you, the Queen Mother, interfere in the government affairs."
Speaking of the excitement, Gu Shanchang unconsciously squeezed Queen Yu's hand, his eyes became more urgent, and he spoke without any scruples: "Lianniang, you are the most intelligent and clear-minded, how can you not see that you can't think clearly?
How dangerous is this road? You are already the most noble and prominent woman in the world, why bother fighting with the new emperor for the sake of power?"
"You'd better stop earlier! It's still too late to stop now. As long as you give in a little, the new emperor will have to respect his own mother-in-law and respect you as the queen mother!"
Queen Yu's left hand ached vaguely, and her heart felt as if hot magma had been poured into her heart. The painful struggles and conflicts suppressed in her heart seemed to be melted by the magma.
However, this is just a moment of softness and wavering.
In the blink of an eye, Queen Yu calmed down again. She held Gu Shanchang's hand with her backhand and said in a low voice: "Xianzhi, I can't look back, and it's impossible to look back."
"In a few months, you can follow the Seventh Prince and his wife to join the feudal vassal! Leave the capital far away and go to a place with beautiful mountains and rivers. You can study, open a women's academy, and accompany Xie Mingxi and her daughter. Everything is fine!"
"As long as I'm here, no one will dare to treat you lightly, and no one will dare to make things difficult for you."
…
The hands are still held tightly.
Gu Shanchang's heart became cold.
Her passion and sincerity are so ridiculous.
In front of her was the supremely powerful and thoughtful Empress Yu. She was no longer the close friend Yu Lianniang she remembered. How could she naively think that she could make Empress Yu change her mind with just a little persuasion?
Gu Shanchang took a deep breath and withdrew his hand, but his expression was quite calm: "What you said is true. I do have this plan."
"I have never married. I have neither a husband nor children. Ming Xi is my only disciple. It would be appropriate for me to follow her to the feudal land for retirement."
"Since the Queen has agreed, I will go back and pack my bags."
After saying that, he took a few steps back, bowed and left.
A flash of pain flashed in Queen Yu's eyes: "Xianzhi..."
Chief Gu Shan seemed not to have heard anything. After bowing, he turned and left.
The door opened and was closed again.
Queen Yu stared silently at the closed and closed door, not moving for a long time.
I don't know how much time passed before Zhi Lan pushed the door in. She didn't dare to look up at Queen Yu's ugly face and lowered her head to report: "To inform the Queen, His Royal Highness and the Crown Princess have arrived at Jiaofang Hall, saying they were accompanying the Queen.
Dinner."
The third prince and his wife came to Jiaofang Hall every day to calm down in the morning and dusk and have meals with Queen Yu.
A biological son or daughter-in-law is nothing more than that.
A hint of sarcastic coldness flashed in Queen Yu's eyes, and she said calmly: "Let them wait for a while, I will come after freshening up."
…
This wait lasted for half an hour.
The third prince was sitting in the side hall, showing no sign of impatience.
A hundred forbearance turns into gold.
The third prince has often encouraged himself in his heart recently. No matter what, he must endure it. Tomorrow is the enthronement ceremony, and after tomorrow, he will be the new emperor...
When Sister Fu reached the age of toddling, she was a little unhappy being detained in the side hall. She made a fuss and babbling as she wanted to leave.
Xiao Yuhan coaxed patiently: "Sister Fu, be good, wait a little longer, and it's time to eat."
Sister Fu had been fussing for a long time, but her mother softened up and began to cry.
The third prince frowned and glared at Sister Fu: "Don't cry!"
Sister Fu was attacked once, and not only did she not stop crying, but she cried even harder. The third prince's head was as big as a bucket, and he felt a pain in his forehead, and his tone became more and more impatient: "Ms. Xiao, take care of Sister Fu.
"
The third prince kept silent and subdued all day long, feeling depressed and gloomy. He almost no longer smiled in private, and often lowered his face towards Xiao Yuhan.
Xiao Yuhan pursed her lips and responded softly. She held Sister Fu in her arms and patted her back gently.
Zhi Lan finally showed her face: "The Empress, please invite Her Royal Highness and Crown Princess to the main hall."
The third prince and his wife cheered up and agreed.
When they arrived at the main hall, the third prince was so angry that his nose was almost crooked!
