Return of the Pearl

After hearing what Qianlong said, the expression on the Empress Dowager's face became extremely complicated. It was an expression that was a mixture of worry, relief, doubt, emotion and many other emotions. Her eyes were fixed on Qianlong, and there seemed to be thousands of words in her eyes, but she didn't know where to start. She stared at Qianlong for a long time, as if she wanted to see through his appearance to the depths of his heart.

During this long gaze, the Queen Mother's mind was filled with a thousand thoughts, like a surging tide. She recalled every moment she had spent with the Twelfth Prince, and those happy times seemed to be still before her eyes; she also thought of the Twelfth Prince's future, and her heart was filled with worry and concern;.

After a long while, the empress dowager slowly said, "I understand, you can go back." There was a hint of imperceptible fatigue and helplessness in her voice, as if she had used up all her strength to say this. After Qianlong saluted respectfully, he turned and left. His steps were steady and firm, and every step was filled with respect for the empress dowager.

The Queen Mother then summoned the Twelfth Prince to the Cining Palace. A hint of anticipation and tenderness flashed in her eyes. She was secretly thinking about how to talk to the Twelfth Prince and how to make him give up the idea of leaving the palace.

In the solemn and dignified Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager and the Twelfth Prince sat quietly facing each other. The lights in the lampshades swayed gently, and the faint light cast the figures of the two on the wall, making the shadows hazy and adding a sense of solemnity.

The empress dowager's eyes were filled with love and worry. She leaned forward slightly, her posture full of concern for the twelfth prince. She said in a low voice so gentle that it seemed to melt ice and snow: "Yongji, the palace is your eternal home. Here you have your noble status and everything you can't bear to give up. Why do you want to leave so resolutely?" There was a slight tremor in her voice, and it seemed that every word was filled with her deep emotion.

The twelfth prince lowered his head slightly, a bitter smile quietly appearing on his face. That smile was like a withered flower destroyed by the biting cold wind in the winter, sad and beautiful, and it made people feel pity.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze as firm as a rock as he met the Empress Dowager's gaze. "Your Highness, do you know anything? I feel like a lonely wild goose, searching desperately in this vast palace, yet unable to find my own slice of sky. To me, the palace is nothing more than a cold and heartless cage, tightly fettering my freedom and imprisoning my soul, nearly suffocating me, unable to breathe freely."

The Queen Mother frowned slightly, the wrinkles between her brows seemed to be traces left by the years. A trace of heartache flashed in her eyes, like stars twinkling in her eyes. She gently held the Twelfth Prince's hand, the movement was so gentle as if she was afraid of disturbing him.

She said earnestly: "Yongji, you are a member of the royal family, shouldering the glory of the family and the sacred mission. You can't act so willfully. Do you know how many people will be sad and upset because of your departure?" Her voice was full of deep concern and worry, and every word seemed to carry endless emotion.

The twelfth prince slowly shook his head and resolutely broke free from the empress dowager's hand. There was a hint of determination in his action, as if he was breaking with something.

There was a hint of stubbornness in his voice, like a strong bamboo standing upright in the cold wind, and he said firmly: "I don't want to carry these heavy shackles anymore. I just want to pursue the life that I really desire. I have gone through untold hardships and finally asked the Emperor to agree to let me leave the palace. Please don't stop me, Your Majesty." There was a firm light flashing in his eyes, which was the persistent pursuit of freedom and the infinite longing for the future.

The Queen Mother fell into a long silence, as if time had stood still. Her eyes were filled with helplessness and reluctance, a gaze filled with so many complex emotions that it was deeply moving. Her face was filled with the vicissitudes of life, and the wrinkles seemed to tell stories of the past, revealing her deep concern for the Twelfth Prince.

After a long time, the Queen Mother spoke again, her voice filled with worry and concern, "Yongji, you must think carefully. Once you leave the palace, there will be many unknown difficulties and challenges waiting for you. Do you really think you can bear it?" Her voice trembled slightly, and every word was filled with her deep love and worry for the Twelfth Prince.

The Twelfth Prince smiled slightly, and that smile was as warm as the spring sun, full of determination and confidence. His eyes sparkled with hope, just like the stars shining in the night sky. "My Lord Buddha, I am not afraid. I believe that I have enough ability to deal with everything. My heart is eager for freedom and to explore the vast world outside. Even if the road ahead is full of bumps and thorns, I am not afraid." His voice was sonorous and powerful, and every word revealed a firm belief, as if it could break through all obstacles.

The Twelfth Prince was talking with the Queen Mother, their words were like the gurgling stream, endless. That night, time seemed to stand still, and every minute and every second was filled with their deep emotions. For them, it was so unforgettable. No matter how the Queen Mother tried to persuade him, the Twelfth Prince remained true to his original intention, and his determination was like a rock, unshakable.

The next day, at dawn, the empress dowager walked slowly and heavily to see the twelfth prince out personally. When the twelfth prince stepped out of the vermilion palace gate, the empress dowager's figure trembled slightly. Her eyes followed the twelfth prince's back closely, full of reluctance and nostalgia. There was endless affection in her eyes, as if she could travel through the barriers of time and space and follow the twelfth prince all the time.

The Queen Mother just stood there quietly, motionless, like a statue, her eyes filled with deep sorrow and longing, as if her gaze could penetrate everything as she followed the Twelfth Prince. She knew very well in her heart that this farewell might really be one forever.

The Empress Dowager closed her eyes slightly, but her mind was like a movie, with the scene of her conversation with the Twelfth Prince last night constantly flashing through her mind. The scenes were as clear as yesterday, as if they happened right before her eyes.

Recalling the twelfth prince's firm and resolute expression at that time, the empress dowager couldn't help but sigh slightly. She understood deeply that the twelfth prince was not forced to leave the palace this time by the emperor. On the contrary, it was his own initiative to ask the emperor for permission after careful consideration. Thinking of this, the empress dowager felt a pang of sadness in her heart again.

She naturally knew how difficult it was for the emperor to make this decision. In order to fulfill the wish of the twelfth prince, the emperor silently endured too many unknown grievances and pressures. The pain and torment he endured in his heart can be imagined.

The empress dowager slowly opened her eyes, and her gaze involuntarily turned to the direction where the twelfth prince had left. Although the twelfth prince was no longer there, the empress dowager's sight seemed to be firmly attracted by something and she could not move it away for a long time.

Her eyes revealed an indescribable complex emotion, including reluctance to part with the twelfth prince and heartache for the emperor. All these emotions intertwined together made the empress dowager's heart turbulent and difficult to calm down for a long time.