Chapter 60 painstaking efforts

"Your Majesty, how have you been recently?" The Empress Dowager Li finally opened her mouth.

Zhuo Yuancan was slightly stunned. He didn't seem to expect that his mother would make such an opening remarks, because in his memory, the mother rarely seemed to ask him how he was doing. Zhuo Yuancan nodded silently.

"Just live a good life. Is life in the Cangzhi Palace much easier than before?" Empress Dowager Li continued, and her voice was so gentle that she could not hear a trace of anger.

"My family is not very good!" The Empress Dowager Li continued to talk, "Since the death of your father's illness, the mourning family has long had a foreboding that the mourning family will soon follow your father's emperor. It has never been lucky that the mourning family can still guard this country for you and your father for so long. The mourning family has been thinking about it, but life and death are fate. Now the fate of you and my son is also poor. I don't want to go to the end. I want to ask you, if I give you a chance, what is your greatest wish?

Zhuo Yuancan was stunned, his greatest wish? Is this a temptation or does the mother want to interfere with? The mother's words today are particularly strange. She said that fate has come to an end and that there is life and death. Is it true that the mother is completely disappointed in him and wants to threaten him with the decision of mother and son to do?

Zhuo Yuancan only felt a burst of sourness. In the past, he was also capricious and obedient and secretly resisted, but the mother has never been so ruthless as now. The mother has scolded and punished, and often made a plate of fragrant and crispy rolls by herself and sent them to him. Those crisp rolls are hot, with the richness that has just been cooked. The sweet fragrance always made him stretch out his hand. When he saw him eat the first mouthful of pastry, the mother smiled, which meant that the mother and son reconciled again. However, I don't know when, there were more and more scolding, cold eyes and ignored him more and more, and the pastry made by the mother herself was rarely eaten.

"Does the emperor not want to say anything to his family, or has he not thought about it?" The Empress Dowager Li looked at Yuan Can kindly, but her heart was full of unspeakable sadness. If you don't want to say it, forget it. If you don't think about it, the emperor can think about it carefully when he goes back, and then tell the family.

"Why did the Queen Mother suddenly ask her children about this?" Zhuo Yuancan finally opened his mouth.

"As a mother, can't you ask? Ai Jia heard from Jiaolan that you don't want to change your clothes. It's not the empress dowager, but your own mother, right? Since it's just our mother and son's private chat today, there's nothing unspeakable," Empress Dowager Li said slowly. "Maybe in your mind, the mourner has always been a less qualified mother, and she has never cared about what you like, what you don't like, what you want to do, or what you don't want to do. In fact, it's not that the mother doesn't care about you, but born in the emperor's family. How much can you choose by yourself? Now my family gives you a chance to choose. Make good use of it!"

"Is it really... No matter what wish, can the queen mother agree?" Zhuo Yuancan finally summoned up his courage.

"The mourning family has said so much, don't you still believe the mourning family?" Empress Dowager Li asked.

Zhuo Yuancan fell silent again. If in the past, his greatest wish was to stay with Huanxuan, then now, his heart has been completely cold, dim and tired. Born in the emperor's family, there is really no choice!

"I wish my mother a speedy recovery!" Zhuo Yuancan was cautious, even cautious, and chose a statement that would never go to the right place.

The Empress Dowager Li smiled bitterly and knew that the emperor did not want to tell her the truth. Empress Dowager Li suddenly felt that it was the saddest thing in the world that their mother and son came to this point.

"I know the body of the mourning family," the Empress Dowager Li sighed, "Your Majesty, your filial mother knows it. Thank you, but don't you have any wishes?"

Zhuo Yuancan hesitated for a moment and shook his head slowly.

"Well, how about the emperor drink more tea and chat with his family? You and I haven't chatted for a long time!" The Empress Dowager Li was half leaning against the head of the bed. At this time, she insisted that Jiaolan help her sit in the big chair in the outer hall. Jiaolan was helpless. The Empress Dowager Li sat down and put a warm quilt on the Empress Dowager Li's knee.

"I heard that the emperor hasn't been to the Yaohua Hall recently, right?" The Empress Dowager Li seemed to ask casually, which made Zhuo Yuancan have a familiar disgust again. When she was happy, her mother was also like this. She stared at whether he was staying in the Yaohua Hall, and the only place he could excuse to escape was the imperial study.

"The mourning family knows that the emperor has never liked Meier very much, so the mourning family asked Shuanger to accompany the emperor, but to be honest, it is not that her conduct is not bad and not enough. As for Shuanger, the mourning family wants to advise you that you have to go in and listen, just don't listen. Although she is the maidservant of the imperial concubine, she is not the concubine after all. , right? It's not impossible for the emperor to think about her, but you and Concubine have grown up together since childhood. Naturally, it's not ten days and a half a month to know her. What's cool? Sometimes it's hard to really see a person clearly!"

According to the mother's statement, only when you know a person can you believe her, but has the mother ever believed in Xuanfei? Even if you know a person for more than ten years and grew up together, didn't the mother find out that her father, Changsun Yi, had colluded with the king of Wu, and the evidence is conclusive? Shuang'er is very good. At least she is not as inexplicable as Zhen Mei. The sense of superiority, thinking that she is your distant nephew, who is more noble than others!" Zhuo Yuancan sneered.

The Empress Dowager Li smiled helplessly. Zhuo Yuancan has become very **. Even if it is really a kind reminder, it will be regarded by him as a sign of action. If he loses it once, he will naturally be worried about losing it again anytime and anywhere.

"Don't say anything about the mourning family. It's just a persuasion, and the emperor doesn't have to pay too much attention to it." The Empress Dowager Li pretended to be understated and wrote, "So that the emperor and the cool beauty have been getting along well recently?"

Zhuo Yuancan was speechless, but the flashing smile in his eyes said it all.

Empress Dowager Li slowly nods and said, "In this case, it's good for the emperor and the refreshing beauty. It's a rare leisurely comfort to live your little life, enjoy the afternoon sun, play chess, enjoy flowers, tea and study. You will enjoy it more than the mourning family. The weather will cool down soon. The winter in the capital has always been It's hard to deal with it. You have to cherish the time in front of you, your Majesty!"

"Thank you, mother, I know!"

Empress Dowager Li stared at Zhuo Yuancan for a long time, and her eyebrows were full of the love of a mother. "Isn't the emperor anything to say to the mourning family?"

Zhuo Yuancan was silent again. His silence made the Empress Dowager Li completely desperate. She gave up the last effort to ease the relationship between the emperor and herself. "Well, the mother is also tired. You go back and remember the words of mourning for it. That's it! In addition, although your teacher Qi Kang resigned and returned to his hometown, he heard that he did a good job in the countryside. He opened the court and taught the children nearby to study. As a result, many people did not leave the road and went away!"

Zhuo Yuancan frowned. His mother rarely mentioned these former ministers who resigned. Why did she suddenly talk to him about Qi Kang today?

"It's no wonder that Mr. Qi is an apcon of teaching and educating people, but his temper is a little strange. I can't imagine how he is so busy teaching so many children." Zhuo Yuan replied lightly, "Then please rest at ease, and my son will leave!"

Empress Dowager Li waved her hand and quietly saw Zhuo Yuancan withdraw from the Pearl Palace.

"Why didn't the Empress Dowager expose the bottom of the beautiful woman to the emperor? I don't think she has any other ability but to deal with trouble!" Jiaolan was dissatisfied and said, "And the emperor has nothing to do with the refreshing beauty in the palace every day. The Empress Dowager, you don't talk about the emperor."

"Can the emperor still listen to the words of mourning?" Empress Dowager Li lost her smile and looked sad.

"How do you reveal the bottom of a beautiful woman? We have no evidence. Everything is just speculation out of thin air, and Shuang'er's family made her close to the emperor. Originally, she hoped that she would not only bloom and bear fruit like Zhen Mei, but now it seems that maybe the family can't wait for that day. Jiaolan, tell the family that if everything is irreparable, you will be for yourself. What does your child do?"

Peo Lan shook her head, "I can't imagine it, but I don't know..."

"It's true!" The Empress Dowager Li said depressively, "You are still young. You haven't married a man, let alone had children. How can you feel the joys and sorrows of being a mother? But the mourning family thought about it and could do it for the emperor. The mourning family did it, which used to be, but still is. In the past, the mourning family was dedicated to the hope that the emperor could inherit the foundation of the former emperor. As soon as he ascended to the throne, the mourning family did it. Unfortunately, the emperor did not appreciate the mourning family. Now the mourning family asked the emperor his own wish. As long as he was willing to say that the mourning family could do it, he would definitely do it for him, but he added one more word and refused to talk to the mourning family!"

"Don't be too sad, Empress Dowager. The emperor is obviously still angry with the empress dowager. I dare to guess that the emperor's wish is to be with Yingfei, but how can he be resurrified after death? The emperor knew that there was no hope, so he didn't say anything," Jiaolan advised.

"What you said makes sense!" The Empress Dowager Li said coldly, "You know the temperament of the mourning family. You have been so strong for a lifetime. How can you tolerate the people on the side of the couch to have different intentions? The mourning family does not regret the execution of the eldest grandson's family, but the mourning family hates it. It hates that the emperor ignores the world for the sake of his children's private affairs. If the mourning family still has the previous spirit or energy, the mourning family will definitely teach this child a good lesson. However, everything is too late, too late..."

"Empress do you always say something desperate these two days? Haven't you reached that point yet?" Jiaolan came forward to help the Empress Dowager Li rest in bed and complained, "It was all from yesterday's military newspaper. If I had known that I would not have submitted that military report to the empress dowager for the time being."

Empress Dowager Li smiled bitterly, "You don't let the mourning family see it. Isn't the mourning family's heart more hanging? In fact, Aijia is not discouraged, nor is it entirely for the military newspaper. I don't know why, after waking up, Aijia always has an ominous foreboding. I'm afraid that Aijia can't keep this foundation of the former emperor for him!"

When Jiaolan heard the words, she felt sad. The Empress Dowager settled down again and said, "The situation is unknown now. Don't let yourself down first. You must hold on!"

Jiaolan was pulling the quilt to cover the Empress Dowager Li, but the Empress Dowager Li suddenly grabbed her wrist. "Jiaolan, I'm afraid Xiaoci can't come back. I don't know whether she is alive or dead. She has been with the mourning family for so long. I really regret it. Before she left the palace, she didn't ask about her family, otherwise even if we can't find her, we can give it to her. Take some money from home so that her family can end well, don't you think so?

Jiaolan was stunned, "Empress Dowager, why do you think of Xiaoci again? Although Zhongxinhou didn't find it for a while, it was also because the situation outside was too chaotic. I'm not sure when she suddenly appeared in front of you?

The Empress Dowager Li shook her head slowly. "In the past, Xiaoci sat in your position, the general manager of Zhuque Palace. After Zhen Mei married, I was afraid that Zhen Mei was not familiar with the rules of the palace and was not used to the life in the palace, so I sent Xiaoci to Yaohua Hall for help. At that time, the Ai family thought that there was always time, and the family could slowly reward. As long as she has been loyal to the royal family, the mourning family will definitely give her a good home. Unfortunately, before she has time for anything, she suddenly disappeared from the mourning family. Jiaolan, the mourning family doesn't want you to do the same. Remember the mourning family's words today. On the mourning family's bed, there is still a bag of mourning family's usually useless. In case of danger, take it away and go away!"

Jiaolan was shocked. She tremblingly pulled out the wrist that was grabbed by the Empress Dowager Li and knelt on the ground. "Jiaolan dares not ask for this. Jiaolan only wants to accompany the empress dowager and serve the empress dowager forever!"

"Silly girl, Ai's family didn't ask you to leave the palace now. Ai's family means that in case of danger, you have died for the family once. You don't need to repeat it again, but there are conditions for the family!"

"The Empress Dowager, please speak! I'm listening to you!"

"Get up and talk. You are crawling like this, and it's tiring to talk to you!"

Jiaolan stood up, but still knelt in front of the bed. The Empress Dowager Li did not insist any more. Zhao Jiaolan approached and said, "The first one is cool. Remember it for the mourning family. Don't hurt his heart in front of the emperor, otherwise the emperor will never spare you. The second one, do you know why I mentioned Qi Kang to the emperor? ? "

Jiaolan shook her head.

"Qi Kang is the emperor's Taifu. Qi Kang's influence among the old ministers in the dynasty is no less than that of Changsun Yi. The most important thing is that he is a very fair person and will not be biased towards people and things. When Zhuo Ruitong, Changsun Huanying and Yuan Can were under the family of Qi Kang, they begged the former emperor and let Qi Kang teach more in private. He taught Yuancan, but the former emperor refused. At that time, it was also said that Qi Kang was upright. If the mourning family did not believe it, they secretly went to Qi Kang. Who knew that he was rejected by him? After being rejected, the mourning family thought that he would dislike Yuancan, so the mourning family calculated that as long as he dared to embarras Yuancan, he would be held by the wai family and let the former emperor remove this. Taifu, I never thought that Qi Kang was still the same for Yuan Can, as if nothing had happened. He was neither biased nor indulgent, so the family knew that people like him would not count what the family did to Yuan Can. Do you understand, Jiaolan?"

Jiaolan was stunned for a moment and said doubtfully, "Empress do you mean that in case of danger, the emperor can think of who else can help him, right?"

The Empress Dowager Li smiled bitterly, "You are also a smart girl, but only half right!"

Half? Don't you understand?"

The Empress Dowager Li sighed, "In case of a critical situation, you must find a way to help the emperor get out of danger. Qi Kang's hometown is not far from the capital, but in the remote countryside, he resigned for a long time. It is estimated that no one will notice him for a while, and he opens the court widely, even if there are strangers in and out of his cottages. It's not strange, right? There is a place to stay, and then make plans, or listen to Qi Kang's opinions. It's always safer than staying in the capital. Therefore, the things that have collapsed are not all for you!"

Jiaolan listened and couldn't help crying, "Why the Empress Dowager, why do I always think you are arranging the afterth?"

"Stupid girl, why are you crying?" The Empress Dowager Li complained with Jiaolan, "You have to prepare for the worst in everything. This is also the reason why the mourning family can stand in today's position. Don't be afraid. You also said that things haven't come to an end yet. If you don't come, you will cry a lot! The Ai family told you a long time ago that God let the Ai family survive for a few days, that is, the Ai family still have time to arrange the afterlife. These days, no matter what I told you, you just remember it. Don't think too much about anything else. Can you agree to the Ai family?

Jiaolan held back her tears and nodded with sighs.

"That's right. The Ai family should sleep for a while. When the evening comes, you invite Li Hou to the Ai family, and he hasn't come to see the Ai family for many days!"

"Ouch, the maidservant wrote it down!"

When Empress Dowager Li fell asleep peacefully, Zhuo Yuancan's ears had a fever. The red ears are not because of shyness, not because of anger, not because of pain, but because of boredom, "Don't ask any more questions! The mother-in-law really didn't say anything to me, just a few gossips, asking me how I was doing and so on!"

"What didn't you say? Didn't you say why the emperor's ears are red? During the Empress Dowager's recuperation, no one was seen. How could she call you away and just chat? Shuang'er asked endlessly, and Zhuo Yuancan's eyes seemed to be on trial.

Zhuo Yuancan is even more depressed. His ears are red, and he hasn't been made red by you? He was secretly dissatisfied, but he didn't dare to say it, "Oh, what should I say before you believe it? What can we do when we meet and son? What on earth do you want her to say to me?

"Mother and son meet?" Shuang'er's voice was eight times higher than usual. "Is it that simple? You are the emperor and the empress dowager. Who believes that you went to the Pearl Palace for more than half an hour to chat with the empress dowager? Well, I'll take it as a gossip. Didn't the Empress Dowager mention when to let you go back to the court?

"No, no!" Zhuo Ruitong couldn't stand it anymore, and finally felt a little impatient. "Don't quarrel so loudly, okay? Let people hear how embarrassing it is!" Really not. I don't want to go to the court. People discuss the war situation all day round, but they are still defeated. What's good about this dynasty?