After reading my mind, Daddy, why don't you smile?

History of Chu: Chronicle of Emperor Xiaoren

...In the spring of the thirty-fourth year of Jianxi, the Empress Dowager Yuzhang suffered a stroke. Emperor Xiaoren served her closely without taking off his clothes. He was like a real son to her. All officials respected him and the people admired him. It rained in the capital and the sky showed mercy. On the eighteenth day, God took pity on her filial piety. The Empress Dowager was in good health and was like an ordinary person. She and Emperor Xiaoren put aside their past grudges and the love between mother and son was so deep that no blood relative could surpass it.

Three days later, the empress dowager was able to walk and sit, and suddenly appeared in the court in front of all the officials. Emperor Dai posthumously conferred the title of empress on his adoptive mother, Concubine Jin, and moved her tomb to be buried together with the late emperor. Emperor Xiaoren was moved to tears and kowtowed to his stepmother three times.

Five days later, the empress dowager revealed the crimes of her youngest son, Prince Shou, accusing him of misconduct, disloyalty, disrespect, unfilial piety, corruption, malfeasance, and the killing of his own nephew, among other unforgivable crimes. Emperor Xiaoren pardoned his death sentence out of brotherly love, but demoted him to a commoner, and sent his family members, the men, to serve in the army, and the women, to become nuns. Prince Shou bid farewell to his brother the emperor, cut off his flesh and blood, and severed ties with his mother, never to see them again in this life or death.

After more than a month, the empress dowager issued an edict of self-criticism, listing her numerous crimes. Everyone who heard about it was shocked. One of the crimes was that Dou had conspired with the crown prince of the previous emperor to rebel, but had not yet been arrested. After the edict of self-criticism was issued, the empress dowager asked to shave her head and become a nun, regretting her crime. The emperor tried to persuade her for a long time but she refused. She was heartbroken and fell ill. After she recovered, the emperor built a nunnery in the palace and kept her company. The dukedom of the Dou family was stripped, the men were beheaded, the women were exiled to Lingnan, and the children were made slaves. Only three of the four dukes of the Great Chu remained...

Emperor Xiaoren had many setbacks in his life, but he was strong-willed and his civil and military achievements brought peace to the world. His filial piety was outstanding and his reputation was praised by everyone. His filial piety was a model for emperors for all ages and his reputation spread throughout the country... Therefore, he was posthumously named Xiaoren. (PS: Jianxi was the reign title)

darkroom.

A porcelain vase with a human head and grey hair.

Close your eyes, red candle and tears of blood.

……

Zhao Ying was completely convinced by Emperor Jianxi. Why was he the father and she the son?

In addition to the Dou family, all the officials had to accept the advice and beg him, Your Majesty, the government is more important than the relationship between you and your son, you must not be partial to the Queen Mother... Your Majesty, I heard that the Queen Mother was not good to you and treated you harshly when you were a child. You don't have to be so tolerant, you are the emperor... Your Majesty, the Queen Mother herself feels that she has made a mistake, you should give her a chance to atone for her sins... Your Majesty...

During the period when Emperor Jianxi pretended to be ill, Zhao Ying served by his side and heard a lot of "treasonous" words from the mouths of these ministers who usually boasted of their virtues, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness. In particular, Yang Taifu, who was known for his filial piety and integrity, said, "The emperor is the son of heaven and has no mother. The womb is just a temporary residence. What's more, your majesty was not born by the queen mother!"

As soon as the words were spoken, all officials fell silent and fell into a strange silence.

why?

Because it was incredible that Taifu Yang could say such a thing. This person's life experience was very complicated. His father was a gambler, and his mother favored him. He was almost strangled to death by his mother when he was born. He was exploited by his mother for several years afterwards. He had to subsidize and support a large family. It was not easy for him to pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi. Just when Taifu Yang thought he had made it, his mother forced him to give his fame to his younger brother, and when he was not at home, she let his younger brother into the house and insulted Taifu Yang's wife. Because Taifu Yang's wife's family was prominent, his mother wanted to take this good marriage away and give it to her younger son.

Fortunately, Master Yang rushed home in time to avoid this tragedy.

With so many things piled up, even a person with a good temper would have rebelled, right? Who would have thought that Taifu Yang would repay evil with kindness, still carefully serving his mother and being filial to his father, whose father was addicted to gambling and had lost all his money, including Taifu Yang's wife's dowry. His children were pale and thin, and if his colleagues hadn't felt sorry for them and called them to eat a few meals from time to time, the children would have starved to death long ago.

Master Yang's famous saying: I was born by my parents. Without them, there would be no me. It is reasonable to give them everything I have...

So what Master Yang said...really has a lot of weight!

At this point, all members of the Queen Mother's lineage withdrew from the stage of history.

It was late at night when Zhao Ying returned to Guangming Palace.

On the table, there were three pieces of paper: Xian, Shou, and Empress Dowager...

Zhao Ying picked up the paper with the words "Shou" and "Empress Dowager" on it and burned it on the candlestick.

Hey……

She remembered a song her mother sang when she was a child, called "Only the Queen Mother is Good in the World". She wanted to sing it to her father now. A child with her father is like a treasure.

After the burning was over, Zhao Ying went to find Shangguan Shu.

It’s been almost two months, Shangguan Shu’s injury should have healed, and it’s time for him to leave!!

Sleeping hall.

Shangguan Shu saw Zhao Ying from afar, put down the book, and smiled faintly, "Ying'er, you're here..."

Zhao Ying nodded slightly, sat down, and waved away the palace maids.

Shangguan Shu saw this and asked, "Ying'er, do you have anything to say to me?"

Zhao Ying thought about it and decided to give him a sweet date first. He coughed lightly and said, "I have already asked my father to give some rewards to the brothers who died in the Black Mountain Village."

Shangguan Shu's smile faded when he heard this, and his brows darkened. Those people were people he had lived with day and night, and how could he remain indifferent to their sudden tragic deaths?

Shangguan Shu looked at Zhao Ying deeply, "Ying'er, thank you."

Zhao Ying shook her head. "This is what I should do. They saved me, but lost their lives. I can reward them, but I can't repay their lives."

"You don't need to mind. I am the one who owes them their lives. It has nothing to do with you."

Zhao Ying remained silent.

After a long silence, Zhao Ying spoke again, "I heard from my father that he wants to reinstate you..."

Shangguan Shu glanced at Zhao Ying lightly, and raised his lips slightly, "No need for that. You are worried about me being in power, and I don't want you to be worried."

"In the past, I seized power for Huai'an, and today I give up power for you. If you can be at ease, I would rather be a low-ranking guard in your palace, protecting you and our children."

He looked at Zhao Ying deeply, his eyes filled with infinite tenderness, which made Zhao Ying feel a little uncomfortable.

Shangguan Shu continued to talk to himself, "Recently I have discovered that you don't like to be forced. If I force you, I will only push you further away... Ying'er, I won't force you to forgive me, nor will I force you to be with me. As long as I can see you and live with you as a friend or a sibling, I will be satisfied."

Be friends first, then call her sister, and finally call her little babe.

Shangguan Shu thought so in his heart.

Zhao Ying's eyes flickered. Shangguan Shu was so reasonable that she was speechless. She also felt strange emotions in her heart because of his words. She suppressed them and changed her tone to a joking tone. "My palace is not short of guards," she raised her eyebrows, "but short of eunuchs."

Shangguan Shu was not angry. He stared at Zhao Ying and smiled playfully, "I am much more useful than a eunuch."

Zhao Ying sneered, "Where did you get that from?"

How shameless of him to say that he can actually serve others?

Yue'er said before that the black porridge made by her father was delicious. When she first heard it, she thought it was black rice porridge, but when she asked carefully, it turned out to be vegetable porridge...

Zhao Ying was looking at him with disdain, and the next second, she heard Shangguan Shu simply say, "You know!"

Zhao Ying understood instantly, her face flushed, she was so embarrassed that she said, "How shameless!"

Shangguan Shu's arrogance subsided after she yelled at him. He lowered his head slightly and muttered softly, "A woman who says one thing but means another, you obviously like her too..."