Repeatedly broken branches

"Mother, wake up! It's me, Xiaozhi..."

"Mother, Yu Yanjing will be here soon. Please hang in there. Okay?"

It was Xia Shi's voice that day when she brought the scriptures. Why was she here? Shouldn't she be in the Buddhist hall?

However, this is not a Buddhist temple.

Consort Jing slowly opened her eyes and confirmed once again that this was not a Buddhist hall, but her own bedroom.

When Xiao Mu saw that she was awake, she quickly helped her sit up against the headboard. Her voice was very soft as she asked, "Mother, you're finally awake. Is there anything else that's bothering you?"

Consort Jing stared blankly at Ru Meng beside her. Ru Meng's eyes were red, as if she had been crying.

Ru Meng choked back tears as she said, "The Buddhist hall caught fire. If it weren't for Her Majesty the Empress passing by and saving you... Ru Meng might never have seen Her Majesty again..."

Fire?

Consort Jing recalled that she suddenly felt dizzy and knocked over the oil lamp. That must be why the Buddhist hall was burned down and she had nowhere to go.

"Did you save me?" Her voice was weak as she looked at Xiao Mu standing to the side, her eyes filled with gratitude.

"Yes, Mother, I originally intended to bring you the osmanthus sugar I made today, but then I saw that the Buddhist hall was on fire. When I saw you lying on the ground, I quickly rescued you... Unfortunately, the palace servants who came to put out the fire arrived too late, and the Buddhist hall had already been burned to a pile of charcoal."

Sure enough, she was about to have nowhere to go. She had no identity, no palace, and now she had truly become an abandoned person.

Consort Jing smiled bitterly, "Thank you. If it weren't for you, I might be gone long ago. Now I have nowhere to go, so let me leave the palace to become a nun. You are the Empress, so you can make these decisions without reporting to the Emperor."

Xiao Mu held her hand, which was really cold. She smiled and said, "How could Mother have nowhere to go? You are the Empress Dowager of Chaoyang Kingdom, the mother of the Emperor and me. Your residence is Tai Ci Palace, and we are in Tai Ci Palace now."

"Tai Ci Palace?"

Consort Jing looked at Xiao Mu in fear and whispered, "This is the Empress Dowager's residence. Empress Xi is the Empress Dowager. How can I move in? Quick, Ru Meng, let's get out of here!" She was about to get up from the bed when, unexpectedly, her legs pulled painfully, as if her skin was about to split open.

"Your leg is injured, so you shouldn't move around too much, Mother."

Ru Meng also chimed in, "Yes, Your Highness, why don't you stay here for now? We'll go back once the Buddhist hall is rebuilt, okay?"

Consort Jing clutched the quilt tightly, her expression one of great pain. She looked at Xiao Mu and whispered, "Then let me stay in the palace servants' quarters. I really can't stand living in a place like this."

Xiao Mu asked, "Why not? The Emperor has already acknowledged you as the Empress Dowager, so you are the Empress Dowager, and this is your home."

Consort Jing wouldn't listen to reason. She felt guilty towards Empress Xi for not taking good care of Yu Yanjing, but Yu Yanjing had killed her only child. Consort Jing was extremely conflicted because she had once been so devoted to him. She was conflicted and in pain.

This place should have been the residence of Queen hope, but she is no longer here. How can I possibly take over her place?

You suddenly walked in and said to everyone, "The Emperor has arrived; he's right outside the door."

Xiao Mu smiled and said, "Why doesn't he come in?"

Consort Jing lost control of her emotions as if she were going mad. She looked at Xiao Mu in anguish, her eyes filled with pleading, and whispered, "I don't want to see him. Let him go, let him go!"

Consort Jing nearly went mad several times. Even Ru Meng had never seen her like this before. She looked at Consort Jing in fear, afraid that she would lose control and do something worrying.

Xiao Mu comforted her and asked You to go out and tell Yu Yanjing to go back. After watching You leave, Consort Jing slowly calmed down, looking at her hands like an empty shell.

Ru Meng suggested that Xiao Mu should also go back, as Consort Jing should rest well in her condition. Now that she was awake, there shouldn't be any more problems, and she would stay with her.

Xiao Mu walked out, her mind replaying Jingfei's frenzied state just now. Why was she like this? Just hearing Yu Yanjing's name made her turn into this. If the two of them really met face to face, what would happen?

Today was Empress Xi's birthday, and Yu Yanjing was already in a bad mood, but then Consort Jing's affair happened.

Upon receiving the news, he rushed here from the place of worship, but was turned away before he could even see Consort Jing.

To be honest, his impression of his mother, hope, was very shallow and faint. He had very few memories of her before he was five years old. He only knew that he didn't understand anything when she passed away and could only sit in front of her grave and cry.

Most of his memories are about Consort Jing. In his eyes and heart, Consort Jing is his mother, always has been.

Yet, he was the one who was hurt the most by Consort Jing.

The night sky was shrouded in a haze, making it feel gloomy and dark. Not a single star could be seen, but the moonlight seemed to be veiled in mist, and the sky was still somewhat bright.

“Yu Yanjing, I know you’re in a bad mood right now, but I still want to talk to you.” Xiao Mu sat down beside him, looking at him with eyes that seemed to sparkle like stars.

Yu Yanjing smiled faintly. He didn't know why, but seeing her made him feel at ease, and no matter how annoyed he was, it would relieve his worries.

"You tell me, I'll listen."

Yu Yanjing looked at her, making no attempt to hide the blatant love he had for her in his eyes.

"In fact, Consort Jing has always had a knot in her heart, a knot that you two share. I don't know much about your affairs, but I can sense that you still care about her as your mother, right?"

"I hate her."

Xiao Mu held his hand and said gently, "No, I know you don't hate him."

"How do you know?" Yu Yanjing's eyes were questioning. "I have never told you any of this. You heard it from other people. I also know that you have been trying to get close to her recently, but I am telling you that it is not necessary. If she does not want to acknowledge you as the empress, nothing you do will work."

Xiao Mu let go of his hand, somewhat annoyed, and said, "How do you know? How do you know I won't win her over?"

Yu Yanjing chuckled softly, looking up at the starless night sky. "I've lived with her for fifteen years. Do you think I don't understand her? ... Since I ascended the throne, I haven't even seen her face. Yes, I killed my third brother, but she deceived me for fifteen years. How could I not hate her?"

Xiao Mu looked at him, pursed her lips, and felt a pang of heartache. How painful and desperate he must have felt when he learned the truth.

"Do you know how I felt when I stood outside the door, overjoyed, wearing the hairpin I had given her, and overheard what she said to my third brother?"

"She said that I was only nice to him because I wanted to ruin him, to turn him into a useless person, so that you would be the crown prince."

"She was nice to me only because she wanted to raise me into a capricious, cruel, and useless piece of trash, and she succeeded."

After speaking, Yu Yanjing looked at the calm lake surface and recalled how he used to love boating on the lake with Consort Jing when he was a child. Consort Jing and he would sit in a small boat, floating on the lake, pretending that they were on a vast and boundless sea...

Xiao Mu smiled bitterly. She couldn't truly empathize with him; she could only feel sad for him in her heart because she hadn't experienced it herself. How could she truly empathize?

She pulled Yu Yanjing into her arms, gently patted his back, and said tenderly, "If you don't like me getting close to Consort Jing, then I won't. I'll only do what you like, okay?"

Yu Yanjing didn't speak, but quietly closed his eyes. He was enjoying the tenderness of the moment. Someone had been so gentle to him before, but she was no longer by his side. He was also afraid that Xiao Mu would leave him like that person.

"Is today Mother's birthday?"

The "mother" that Xiao Mu mentioned refers to Empress Xi.

Yu Yanjing nodded lightly and said, "Since you're not here, I've already gone to her grave to tell her about us. She'll be watching over us from heaven, and we'll never be apart."

The dark clouds dispersed, and gradually the stars became visible. Xiao Mu pointed to the brightest and largest star and said, "That's your mother. She's watching over us."

Yu Yanjing laughed, "You make it sound so real." He looked down at Xiao Mu's profile. At this moment, she was more beautiful than ever, as if she were enveloped in moonlight, shining brightly in his heart.

“It’s true.” Xiao Mu suddenly told him very seriously, “The stars in the sky are our deceased relatives. Everyone has told me that since I was little.”

"Hmm, that sounds reasonable." Yu Yanjing cupped her face in his hands, his eyes shimmering with love as he slowly moved closer.

Xiao Mu reached out and covered his lips, blinking her round, almond-shaped eyes, and said, "Mother is watching, do you want to kiss me too?"

"want."

Yu Yanjing kissed her without hesitation. Xiao Mu deeply felt that his kiss was so hot, so moving, filled with pity, tenderness, and even reluctance. Every time their lips parted, she could feel that reluctance.

Xiao Mu's heart was pounding, and a blush crept onto her face. As if by magic, she hooked her arms around Yu Yanjing's neck, gradually learning how to respond to his affections and slowly launching her offensive.

Still wanting more, Yu Yanjing released her.

Xiao Mu's eyes were filled with longing, her ears were bright red, and there was still a sweet taste on her tongue. She never expected that Yu Yanjing's lips would be so soft.

"Can you tell me why you said your name was Xiao Mu back then?"

Yu Yanjing looked at her, his expression puzzled.

Xiao Mu pursed her lips and looked at him with unusual seriousness. "If I said that I am Xia Yunzhi in the next life, and my consciousness is not her, but just my past life, would you believe me? I come from the future, would you believe me?"

"I believe."

"real or fake?"

Yu Yanjing said calmly, "Of course it's true. I believe everything you say. But is your love for me real?"

"That must be true."

"That's enough. No matter where you come from, no matter your identity, no matter your name, as long as your love for me is genuine, that's enough. Everything else is secondary." Yu Yanjing smiled.

Xiao Mu suddenly realized that Yu Yanjing definitely wouldn't believe it and thought she was joking, but he was right. No matter what, as long as you truly love each other, isn't that enough?

"What are your plans regarding Ruan Cifeng and Xiao Shao's marriage?"

Yu Yanjing suddenly spoke up, which surprised Xiao Mu. He actually remembered these things. Xiao Mu originally wanted to tell him, but he brought it up first.

"I want to take Xiao Shao as my younger sister and have her marry in Zi Ning Palace, as the younger sister of the Empress of Chaoyang Kingdom. Is that alright?"

Yu Yanjing frowned and said, "No."

Xiao Mu's heart was in her throat. She already knew that Yu Yanjing would definitely not agree, so why did she still bring it up?

“You are now a princess of the Western Regions and newly married. If you were to accept Xiaoshao, you would have to get your maternal grandfather’s permission, which would be too troublesome. It would be more respectable to be the sister of the emperor of Chaoyang Kingdom.”

Xiao Mu didn't immediately grasp the meaning behind Yu Yanjing's words. When she did, Yu Yanjing was staring at her in a daze.

"You mean, Xiao Shao will be your sister?" Xiao Mu looked back at Yu Yanjing in disbelief, and seeing that his expression remained unchanged, she confirmed her inner doubts.

Yu Yanjing remained silent, indicating his tacit agreement.

Xiao Mu asked with a blank look, "You don't mind? Xiao Shao is just my maid. Are you really willing to let him be your sister?"

Yu Yanjing smiled lazily, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Xiao Mu continued, "You really agreed? Wouldn't that make her the only princess of Chaoyang Kingdom? That's too prestigious, hahaha!"

Yu Yanjing shook his head, a lazy smile flashing across his face. "You're not the only princess. In the future, you'll have to give birth to several more princesses for me, so that Chaoyang Kingdom will have many princesses."

"Ah... what if I only give birth to princes?"

Yu Yanjing frowned slightly, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He said earnestly, "No, but whether it's a prince or a princess, as long as they are born to you, I will love them all."

Xiao Mu lowered her head shyly and said in a very soft voice, "I'm still young. I don't want to have children. Childbirth is very painful, and pregnancy is so hard."

"When do you want to have the baby?" Yu Yanjing couldn't help but chuckle. In his mind, Xiao Mu was just like a child, capable of being spoiled, throwing tantrums, making a fuss, and liking sweet things.

Xiao Mu pursed her lips and said, "Let nature take its course. If we get pregnant, we'll have the baby. You can raise it and take care of it, and I'll be responsible for eating, drinking, and having fun."

Yu Yanjing's face darkened, and he sneered, "Do you think the wet nurse is just for show?"

"I don't care, you're the child's father, so you have to take care of him."

"You're still the child's mother, why don't you take care of him?"

Xiao Mu pouted and stared straight at him, saying, "Because I have things to do, and besides, the child isn't just mine. Giving birth is already very painful and tiring, so why can't you share some of the burden with me?"

Yu Yanjing didn't understand what she meant, so he sighed and said, "You have a wet nurse, so you don't have to worry about anything. Just take good care of yourself."

"Actually, I just wanted to see you with a child. You'd definitely be more handsome then."

Yu Yanjing smiled, her peach-blossom eyes narrowing slightly, and quickly agreed, "Okay, I'll take it."

Xiao Mu rested her head on his shoulder and listened to Yu Yanjing speak.

"I might have to go to Jiuguang in a few days to handle some transactions with Deng Yizhi."

At this point, Xiao Mu was very curious about how Yu Yanjing and Deng Yizhi had become friends; she still found it incredible.

How exactly did you meet him?

Yu Yanjing's eyes flickered slightly, and he said calmly, "About two years ago, Deng Yizhi took the initiative to come to my door and asked if I would take on a business deal. At that time, I was still Ling, wandering around under the guise of doing business, which is why I met him. He looks like a bookworm, but he is actually very cunning in business. Cooperating with him is a sure thing. He now wants to withdraw from the court and focus on doing business."

"Why not delegate business matters to others?" Xiao Mu asked curiously.

He chuckled softly, "Because it's fun."

"Fun? What's fun about it?" Xiao Mu really didn't understand him. Wasn't being an emperor fun enough? Why did he have to want the fun things from the outside world?

Yu Yanjing turned to look at her. "Because meeting different people helps me to handle things more rationally, to avoid indecisiveness, and to temper my temperament. I always want to be a normal person and prove that I'm not a monster." His eyes were filled with starlight. In his eyes, Xiao Mu saw a longing. He longed to be like a normal person.

Everything will return to normal. He was normal to begin with; it's just that the blows he suffered over the years were too great, and he became irritable for a time.

If he is surrounded by lots and lots of love, he will definitely become normal.

Rather than saying it's abnormal, it's more accurate to say it's caused by emotional instability.

When he went to Jiuguang, Xiao Mu didn't want to go with him. Everyone has their own space, and getting married and becoming husband and wife shouldn't change that. On the contrary, Xiao Mu hoped that Yu Yanjing wouldn't be around when she was busy with her career, because that way she could better utilize her strengths. With her lover by her side, she might give up halfway and ask for help at the slightest problem. She didn't want that.