Chapter 116

By the light of the fire, Xiangmian saw his eyes, so gentle and lingering, through the light of the fire, as if returning to a beautiful place in the depths of memory.

That place she could never reach.

She did not even think about it, reached out and grabbed the burning handkerchief, threw it into the water, and then went to pick it back up, angry: “What’s the use of burning this dead thing?”

“I don’t know,” Zhou Xianyang spoke in a rare and feeble voice, “I don’t know how to keep you …… I have no way out. Xiangmian, what do I have to do so that you will not leave me?”

Rong Xiangmian is accustomed to him having a clear plan and a clear mind, but he has never seen him like this before, so he was a bit impatient: “Why force yourself to forget the people and things that you can’t get out of your mind? My proposal, you can really consider.”

Zhou Xian Yang’s eyes crossed a touch of disappointment, knowing that her mind is set, even if he burns himself now, it will only cause her to be disgusted.

He didn’t push her and handed her back the letter of separation, “If you really want to leave, I will let you. But even if we make peace, your third sister and I will not have any results.”

“Why?”

“Because she’s not the one I care about. The Third Maiden in my heart, so optimistic and kind, compassionate to others, even the most insignificant little courtesan, will be patiently concerned. Maybe all this about the third girl, is my in the desperate situation of a dream, I am relying on this dream to support, to come to today. In reality, people shouldn’t live according to my fantasies.”

Speaking here, Zhou Xian Yang revealed a hint of self-deprecation, “I regret that I didn’t figure this out earlier, suffering for my obsession, causing so many storms, and causing you even more grief.

But when we meet, I want you to know that I have never regretted our marriage, and that I am truly happy with you and want to be with you for the rest of my life. I know I don’t deserve to say this, but this is the last chance. If you feel that you will be happier if you leave me, I will fulfill you.”

These words did not move Rong Xiangmian, she smiled helplessly, “Your Highness, you are now telling me that the person in my heart is not Third Sister, it’s someone who is better and more perfect than her, someone who only exists in your memories and fantasies, how am I going to compete with such a person for a place in your heart? How can I compete with such a person for a place in your heart? Who am I to share your heart with such a person?”

Zhou Xian Yang could not answer, knowing that this statement was even more unfair to the crown princess. At the end, he sighed softly, “I’ve already stamped my seal on the peace treaty. You are now free and can leave me at any time. However, it has only been less than three months since we were married, and the palace will be furious if we publicize the divorce just after we receive the royal chariot. Can I wait until I find a suitable time to return to the palace before removing you from the royal family tree? Until then, if the palace summons you, you will still need to join me.”

Rong Xiangshi held the peace and separation letter tightly in her left hand, realizing that it was already a valid instrument. She did not expect it to go so smoothly and immediately nodded her head.

Looking at her eagerness to be relieved, Zhou Xian Yang struggled to conjure up a smile, “From now on, you will be the free and easy-going fourth girl of the Rong family. I hope you can find someone who will truly give you happiness. If there’s anything you need, send someone to find me at the Yuhuang Mansion.”

The smile he feigned made Xiangmian unable to bear to look at it, as the dark eyes were filled with sadness that she couldn’t hide. She lowered her eyelashes and pretended to be calm, “Please give me a few days, Your Highness, when I find a suitable house, I will move all my things.”

Zhou Xian Yang stood up and swept the scenery of the garden with a lingering glance, his back sparse.

“This garden is your father’s dowry to you, it originally belonged to you, the one who should leave is me.”

At this moment, two waterfowl happened to spread their wings from the lake and went their separate ways.

The two people looked out of their minds, silent for a while, only then did Xiangmian rest the book of peace and separation on his lap, shaking off the half burned paji: “This paji is all dirty, when I wash it, dry it, send it back to your house …….”

Before the words were finished, Rong Xiangmian froze. Because she saw that the handkerchief that was burned only half of the handkerchief was embroidered with a living black cat’s head.

Some past events that had long faded in her memory, silkily, floated to the surface of her mind.

She turned it over to the reverse side and saw that it was none other than a half-cluster of Jianlan flowers!

“What?” Zhou Xian Yang turned back to her, seeing her repeatedly looking at the handkerchief in detail, a hint of doubt arose.

Rong Xiangyang raised his eyes and asked incredulously, “Where did you get this handkerchief?”

“In the palace.”

“Near Yonghua Palace?”

“How did you know?” Zhou Xian Yang did not understand why he suddenly developed dry mouth tension.

Immediately afterward, he heard the sentence, “Isn’t this the handkerchief I lost when I first entered the palace? Why do you have it here?”

A moment of silence followed.

By the light of the lamp, Rong Xiangshi looked at Zhou Xianyang, who seemed to be struggling to sort out something he couldn’t figure out.

But in the blink of an eye he gave up thinking and hastily grabbed the handkerchief, flipped out the side of the Jianlan flower, and covered Rong Xiangmian’s face in vain.

Beside the stone lamp of the same style, those soulful and beautiful eyes were looking at him suspiciously. The black cat was lazily lying on the arm of the rocking chair, its expression as vivid as that on the handkerchief.

Zhou Xian Yang only felt his body tingling, his soul pinned in place.

He was back in the winter of the 12th year of Longzhi.

It was the coldest day in Zhou Xianyang’s life, a cold day and a snowy night.

He waited outside Longfu Gate with his head hanging down, his body so stiff in the winter clothes of the chamberlain that he had hurriedly changed into that he couldn’t even shiver.

Sister Qin’s estimate of the time was correct. Before long, a sound of cart wheels came from far away, and in the tunnel illuminated by palace lights, an old inner official with white hair drove a carriage slowly through the night.

Zhou Xian Yang’s eyes blurred instantly.

“Your Highness, get up there.” A few of the inner officials worked together to prop him up and shove him into the carriage that hadn’t stopped yet.

“Child.” In the darkened carriage, as soon as Zhou Xianyang heard his mother’s voice, he jumped into her arms, hugging her to death but not daring to cry out loud.

As usual, the Empress Mother stroked the back of his neck, “Good boy, I’m going now. From now on, listen to the words of His Majesty and Shufei, eat well, study ……”

“Take me with you, Mother ……”

Before Zhou Xian Yang finished a sentence, he might as well have been ruthlessly thrown a slap , hitting him so hard that his cheeks burned and he even forgot the words that followed.

“What mother empress? I am concubine Yu! Your mother is Empress Shufei …… remember?”

“No, I am not Shufei’s son! Mother is a concubine, and I followed mother as a concubine! If father doesn’t want mother, I don’t want father either!” Zhou Xian Yang stretched his neck and yelled in a low voice, this was the first time he had ever talked back to his mother in his entire life.

His son’s words made Yu feel like she was being crushed to pieces. She took Xian Yang into her arms, “You can’t be a concubine …… You are His Majesty’s son, the most honorable child of the dynasty. If Xian Yang is a good child to his mother, he should obediently stay in the palace and grow up safely ……”

Zhou Xian Yang sobbed, “Why did Father Emperor tell me to never see you …… He became bad when he had Concubine Li!”

“Shut up!” His mother covered his mouth, “Don’t ever say anything wrong about your father, remember?”

Zhou Xian Yang refused to agree, the two sides were at a standstill, behind him, the coachman shoved several food boxes in. He carried them over one by one, “Mother, these boxes of snacks are all your favorites, eat them slowly on the way. I will beg Lady Shufei to send them again later.”

“Good ……” Yu still had words to say, but was interrupted by the voice of a watchman guard outside the car, “Hurry up, someone is coming.”

Before the words fell, Zhou Xian Yang’s leg was grabbed by whoever he knew and was dragged out of the carriage with a hand, in his hustle and bustle, he only grabbed a heel of his mother’s finger, and then he couldn’t grab anything else.

The parting was so hasty that he didn’t even have time to say a farewell.

“Little ancestor! Take it quickly.”

A red porcelain vase with a bouquet of white plum blossoms was shoved into his hand.

He held the vase and lowered his head, hiding his face behind it.

Not even daring to glance at the carriage that drove past him, taking his mother out of his life.

He knew that for this side, Shufei and all of Yonghua Palace had gambled their lives.

When he went back, someone secretly came to pass on the message that the Duke of England’s wife and young lady had arrived at Yonghua Palace, and that His Highness should not return to the palace yet, and stay in the nearby garden until the lady left.

The small garden in front of Yonghua Palace, flowers and grasses have long been dead, only a few short pines remain, and in the darkness of the night, they open a strange posture. Xian Yang leaned against the back of a stone palace lamp in the corner, thinking about the parting scene, and couldn’t stop the tears from flowing down his face. On the last side, he didn’t even see his mother’s face.

“Why are you crying?”

From the short pines beside him came a clear voice, very soft. Zhou Xian Yang turned around sharply, “Who?”

Only to see a girl smaller than him burrow out from behind the short pines and squat in front of him. Her face was covered with a piece of cloth embroidered with Jianlan. Where the paddle didn’t cover, were watery eyes, bright under the palace lights. A red color, coupled with the fluffy snow-white collar, made Yang Xian feel that she was like a small animal with good fur, and inexplicably felt a trace of warmth in his heart.

“Who are you? Why is your face covered? Why are you here?” Seeing that her dress was not that of a palace maid, Xian Yang asked repeatedly.

“I came to Yonghua Palace to play. I’m on fire and my face has grown a bag, so I’m afraid to let people see me.” The little girl asked him back, “Why are you so sad?”

“I miss my mother.”

“Your mother died?”

“……” Xian Yang didn’t expect her to ask that and only shook his head, “No.”

That was the only thing he had to be happy about.

“Why are you crying if she didn’t die?”

“……”

“As long as a person is alive , there is always a chance you can see her ah.”

“Easy for you to say.”

“You know Shen and Liu, right?”

“Yes.” Yang Xian thought, who in the palace doesn’t know these two.

“They just came back from Binzhou a few days ago on an errand for His Majesty. I’ve heard that Binzhou is the southernmost part of the kingdom, and it takes most of the year to get there on horseback from the capital. You’re young now, naturally it’s hard to go out in the palace, but when you climb up step by step, the higher you stand, the farther you’ll be able to go, out of this palace city. When you become the most powerful inner official like Capital Shen, you will be able to go very far, and one day, you will be able to go to your mother’s side.”

Hearing this, Zhou Xian Yang first laughed – she was treating herself as an inner official, wanting her to become like Shen Du Zhi.

But on second thought, the highest place, when he stands to the highest place …… no one can no longer allow him to see his mother, he will be able to see his mother?

Zhou Xian Yang decadent mood, as if by a few words lit up, the clouds to see the sun in general.

He looked at the strange little girl and couldn’t utter a single word of gratitude. Seeing his appearance, the little girl also knew that her words had worked, and smiled in relief.

“I have a younger sister whose mother died a long time ago, died in front of her, and she could only watch, unable to do anything about it. If she was like you, and knew that her mother was still alive, and she just couldn’t see her anymore for a while, she wouldn’t have cried, she would have been grateful, full of hope, and held on until the day she saw her mother. So, you’re lucky, you know?”

Lucky? Zhou Xian Yang had never imagined that he could be considered lucky in this situation, compared to more unfortunate people. He couldn’t help but sympathize with the sister he’d never met, and asked, “Isn’t it sad for her to be without her mother?”

“Yes, but one can only be sad for a while, not for a lifetime. She still tries very hard and lives happily, because she knows that a mother’s greatest wish is for her child to grow up safely. You also need to grow up safely and walk well in front of your mother to make her happy ah.”

Grow up safely, that was what his mother had just said to him.

“Well, I will!” Yang Xian was solemn, and the little girl nodded in satisfaction, reaching out to touch his head. He never liked people touching his head, but this time he didn’t move, and even liked it when she did.

At the gate of Yonghua Palace, a farewell sound suddenly came out, it should be the State Duke’s wife who was leaving. Xian Yang subconsciously moved his feet a few steps into the darkness, and unexpectedly stepped on a broken branch, the sound was exceptionally loud in the quiet night.

This attracted attention, and one of the sisters in charge of transporting the ladies in and out of the house drank in this direction, “Who’s there!”

Said, called a few guards to this side to search, Xian Yang heart panicked, not yet thought of what to do, that little girl has already hid him toward the short pine, he stood up, walked over.

She stood up and walked over to him, only to hear her cry out, “Mother!”

The grandmother laughed, “It’s the daughter of the Duke of England’s residence. It’s alright, you all stand down.”

Mrs. Guo Gong was displeased, “What are you doing hiding there? This is the palace, you can’t be so unruly.”

It turned out that she was the daughter of the Duke of England’s residence.

When the State Duchess left with her people and the Sisters and guards left, Zhou Xian Yang walked out and found a handkerchief under the palace lamp.

On the front was Jianlan, but on the back was a black cat, with the word “Zhi” embroidered in the bottom right corner, which she had dropped.

He put away the handkerchief, back to Yonghua Palace, bright hall to see his face painted like a black cat, Shu Fei and heartbroken and feel cute, and hurriedly ordered people to get water to the Fourth Highness to wash.

Zhou Xian Yang hurriedly asked, “Who did the Duke of England’s wife bring into the palace?”

“Naturally, it’s her full-blooded third girl.”

“What is her name?”

“Called Xiang Zhi ah. Why are you meddling in this idle matter?” Shufei thought in the end is a child, a few days ago cried so much that the sky collapsed, do not eat or drink, and now gradually also put the mother’s matter to light.