Hello Chang’an

 Chapter 561 The final blow

Ma Wan almost subconsciously wanted to put it away and explained: "This is what my mother... left me just now..."

"This was my mother's possession when she was young, and she has always kept it with her." Li Lu's hoarse voice contained a trace of sadness and regret: "My mother was also a noble daughter of the capital. She has been missing the capital since she followed her father to Yizhou. family.”

"It's a pity that all the relatives in my grandfather's family died one after another, and my mother was also lingering on the bedside, so she never had the opportunity to return to the capital to take a look..."

Li Lu looked at the golden lock and said, "Since mother has given this to you, if there is a chance in the future, you and I will bring it back to the capital... This will fulfill some of mother's wishes."

Ma Wan nodded, said "Okay", raised her hand to wipe her tears, and covered up the strange floating in her eyes.

In the next two days, Ma Wan was busy preparing for Princess Rong's funeral. She was so worried that she could hardly sleep day and night.

Occasionally when she was alone, she would always take out the safety lock and look at it carefully, repeatedly recalling Princess Rong's words before she died in her mind, but she still couldn't figure it out.

The back of the lock is engraved with Princess Rong's small characters and birth date, which shows that it is indeed a childhood object... But what does the phrase "announce it to the public" mean?

Why should a boudoir safety lock be "announced to the public"?

Or, as the prince suspected, the princess wanted to ask her to take this thing back to the capital to fulfill her homesickness wish... Those puzzling words were just the confused words of a person before death?

But…

Princess Rong's words urging her to leave would always come to Ma Wan's ears.

Are those words just nonsense?

On the evening of the third day, Ma Wan lay on the couch, still unable to close her eyes for a long time.

I don't know what time it was, but in the dim room after the lights were turned off, a concerned question suddenly sounded from the pillow: "Wan'er can't sleep yet?"

Ma Wan, who was lost in thought, was startled for a moment, her heartbeat calmed down, and then she asked: "Isn't the prince also unable to fall asleep?"

"Yes, I'm thinking about my mother's life... she lived a hard and lonely life." Li Lu's voice sounded especially gentle in the dark night, like a calm lake covered with a faint layer of loneliness and sadness: "Because in my mother's heart You have accumulated so much sadness that you would blame me like that on your deathbed."

"The Crown Prince said..." Ma Wan tried to ask: "Did mother have anything to blame against the Crown Prince before she left?"

Li Lu seemed to nodded lightly: "As a son of a human being, he has never been able to fulfill his filial piety by his mother's side. It's natural for my mother to feel resentful."

Ma Wan said with complicated emotions: "It is not easy for the prince to have been in Beijing for many years. There is no need to blame yourself for this anymore..."

"Furthermore, my mother has always known about Yi Cong's matter." Li Lu's voice was very soft, but there was a hint of confusion: "That's why my mother has a grudge against my father... but I have never understood the pain in her heart."

When Ma Wan heard this, she subconsciously thought - she blamed her husband for having a concubine and an heir outside, and blamed her son for not being with her... Perhaps this was the root of the puzzling words the princess said to her. ?

But the intuition of a fellow woman clearly told her that there was not only pain hidden in Princess Rong’s eyes, but also fear...

Ma Wan couldn't tell the difference for a moment.

"Wan'er, what did mother say before she left?"

Hearing this sad question, Ma Wan's eyes flickered in the night, trying her best to make her voice sound as normal as possible: "My mother's mouth was full of nonsense, and the maids were all crying, and I couldn't hear clearly."

Li Lu seemed a little disappointed. After a moment, he said: "It's okay. My mother has been suffering from illness for many years. This can be considered a relief..."

He looked at the top of the bed in the darkness and said in a low voice: "Wan'er, from now on, I have no mother."

"My mother passed away with depression...and Yi Cong's existence also made me realize that I have always overestimated my weight in the eyes of my father."

Speaking of this, Li Lu's tone was filled with a hint of uneasiness and self-blame: "I asked Wan'er to reveal Duan Shiang's identity to his father-in-law without telling the king, which led to Duan Shiang's death and defeat... At present, this move It's really rash, if my father notices it in the future, I'm afraid it will hurt you."

Li Lu looked quietly at the top of the bed. In the darkness, his expression did not waver at all.

Of course he knew that Duan Shiang's death could not be achieved by relying solely on the letter sent to Ma's house, but must have been the work of Chang Suining... But his wife would not know this.

In the view of his wife, it was he who hid the secret from his father and asked her to inform the Ma family and the court, which led to Duan Shiang's defeat in Luoyang.

In the eyes of his wife, he did this for her and the Ma family, and to stop his father's ambitious journey.

Sure enough, his soft-hearted wife quickly said: "The prince did this for the overall situation, and also indirectly helped his grandfather... How can the prince be said to be implicated? I know how much hardship the prince has endured, and I know it better than anyone else."

Li Lu slowly turned sideways, hugged Ma Wan, and rested his head on the crook of her neck.

Ma Wan only heard his hoarse and low voice: "Wan'er, I only have you now... The love between you and me is the only bond I have left in this world."

Ma Wan trembled slightly, and her eyelashes were also trembling.

His breath and words seemed to be broken, like a piece of broken jade. It seemed that only by being held in her hands could it not turn into powder and dissipate.

How could such a person be the heartless person the princess said?

How could a heartless person be so broken?

Ma Wan was confused, feeling a sharp pain in her heart, and her eyes became blurred in the mixed emotions.

"The Crown Prince..." She hugged Li Lu, her voice trembling: "I don't want the Crown Prince to take risks, and I don't want anything to happen to my grandfather and the others... Can Duan Shiang's death really stop everything?"

Li Lu did not answer her, but gently stroked the loose hair on the back of her head with his palm.

Ma Wan knew the answer in her heart: No.

Even though Duan Shiang's move was useless, he still couldn't stop King Rong.

The current situation is so huge, but what she and the prince can do is so small...

And her thoughts have changed compared to a few years ago. What she sees and hears now reminds her of the corruption of the current court... Sometimes she can't help but wonder, must King Rong be wrong? Are the imperial court and the emperor really not responsible for causing the current situation?

But she knew very well how important her grandfather regarded the way of a ruler and his ministers...

Ma Wan admitted that she did not understand the overall situation and could not say what was right or wrong. She was just a selfish person and the world had nothing to do with her. All she cared about was her family and the people she loved around her.

Everything she did from beginning to end was to find a way to have both ends of the world, but this was too difficult.

The people around her understood what she wanted and promised her: "Wan'er, I promise you that no matter what happens in the future, I will do my best to protect the Ma family... You have to believe me."

Tears rolled down Ma Wan's eyes.

In this difficult and crisis-ridden situation, how could she not be moved by a husband who understood what she wanted and protected her?

She hugged Li Lu tightly, trying to feel more warmth from him, but the sad and frightened voice of Princess Rong suddenly appeared in her mind: "I once thought that I was lucky enough to marry someone who was independent of the world. A kind and gentle husband...]

Ma Wan closed her eyes, trying to keep herself clear, but she was too tired, her thoughts were like dust floating in her mind, and she fell asleep quickly.

When she woke up the next day, Li Lu was no longer there. The maid told her: "The prince saw that Madam was tired, so he did not let the servants wake her up. The prince also said that Madam does not need to worry about the subsequent funeral of the princess, Madam can rest peacefully. A few days." Ma Wan nodded in a daze.

Not long after, Lan Ying came in with warm water and helped Ma Wan wash up.

After Ma Wan finished her breakfast, Lan Ying asked her to catch up on another half day's sleep, and Ma Wan nodded absently.

Lan Ying helped Ma Wan lie down on the couch, but did not leave in a hurry. Instead, she knelt down beside the couch and suddenly said, "Girl, let's go!"

Her voice was very low, but Ma Wan was startled: "Lanying..."

"Girl, Princess Rong is gone, and Prince Rong has such an illegitimate son... I don't know what kind of chaos this Prince Rong's palace will become in the future, I'm afraid it's simply not something we can handle."

Lan Ying's eyes were solemn, and she lowered her voice and said, "I have thought about it many times, Prince Rong and the Saint will definitely want you to fight to the death... If the girl stays here, it will also be a hindrance to the family."

She is now smarter and knows that the girl cannot listen to the bad things about Prince Rong, so she tries to persuade the Ma family from the perspective of the safety of the Ma family -

Sure enough, Ma Wan sat up and looked at her: "... hindering the family?"

She didn't hinder her grandfather in the slightest, she was even conveying news to him, wasn't she?

"My maid knows that the girl's heart is most inclined towards home." Lan Ying said seriously: "But as long as the girl stays here safely for one day, it means that Prince Rong's Mansion and the Ma family are still connected... At this juncture, it is difficult for the saint to be wrong. Mr. Xiang has a grudge!"

Lan Ying was just saying it casually, but as she said it, she suddenly felt... maybe this was the reason why the vixen prince still kept her girl by his side!

As long as the girl is around, Prince Rong's Mansion and the Ma family will have an unbreakable bond...

In such a sensitive situation, there is no need for the girl to do anything. As long as the girl stays here safely, it is enough to become a thorn in the saint's heart.

Lan Ying couldn't hold it back and continued: "Let's take a step back...one day, if King Rong really attacks the capital, they can still borrow a girl to negotiate terms with the Ma family!"

"Girl, and what else do you think..." Lan Ying grabbed Ma Wan's hand: "Since King Rong has other sons, there will inevitably be competition in the future. The prince will naturally need someone to support him. When the time comes, our Prime Minister will He is no longer the prime minister, but his prestige is still there, and there are so many students... If the servant girl were the prince, he would do his best to coax the girl to live her life at this time! "

This time, Ma Wan surprisingly did not interrupt or refute Lan Ying's words. She just listened in silence, her face getting paler.

Seeing this, Lan Ying slowed down her voice and said with red eyes: "If the prince treats the girl sincerely, I will have no reason to stop her from helping him... But I am worried that he will only be full of calculations from the beginning. How about this? As a person, if one day the girl is no longer of use, will he continue to treat the girl? If the girl and the Ma family refuse to obey him, will he treat the Ma family well? "

These words that Ma Wan could not listen to originally, now cleverly overlapped with Princess Rong's ravings before she died, and because they involved the Ma family, Ma Wan couldn't help but feel shaken.

"Girl, I thought about it over and over again..." Tears began to appear in Lan Ying's eyes: "When the situation was unclear before, the saint wanted to use the girl to monitor Prince Rong's palace, and the girl was a **** in the saint's eyes. But now the situation is clear, the girl is gone Instead, it will become a barrier to the Ma family in the eyes of the saint..."

"They all just want to use the girl..." Lan Ying cried: "Girl, as of today, we can only save ourselves."

As Ma Wan's emotions fluctuated, there was a violent buzzing in her head.

Seeing the strange look on her girl's face, Lan Ying hurriedly supported her and let her lean against the bed. Then she poured a cup of warm tea and brought it to Ma Wan's mouth.

Ma Wan was about to drink, but suddenly turned her head away and retched uncontrollably.

This was not the first time in recent days that she had retched.

Lan Ying suddenly thought of her girl's poor appetite recently, and her face couldn't help but change: "My girl's menstruation has been delayed for a while..."

Ma Wan, who finally stopped retching, clutched the quilt tightly, her expression fluctuating.

Lan Ying subconsciously wanted to call the doctor. She stood up and took two steps, but paused and looked back at Ma Wan: "Girl..."

If the girl is really pregnant and the prince and the people in Prince Rong's palace know about it...if she wants to leave again, it will be as difficult as going to heaven!

This is not just a child, this is clearly the closest blood connection between the Ma family and Prince Rong's palace.

Lan Ying looked at her girl's abdomen and was so angry that she almost cried - who made it happen at this time? Will you be able to read the road after reincarnation?

"Don't go yet..." Ma Wan said in a low voice, "Don't let anyone know."

In the past two years, like the prince, she had been looking forward to having a child, but she had never been able to achieve her wish.

At this moment, she raised her hand to caress the possible child in her belly, but her worry far outweighed her joy.

Before changing circumstances, she should have informed the prince of the good news immediately, but at this time...

Ma Wan decided to hide it temporarily.

She raised her eyes and looked at Lan Ying: "Lanying, let me think about it."

One thing after another came to her, and now her mind was very confused.

When it comes to leaving, she is more sober than Lan Ying. She knows that this is not something that can be decided impulsively. After leaving this Prince Rong's Mansion, it is Yizhou City, and even if she leaves Yizhou City, she will not be able to leave. It's still Jiannan Road... They are all under the tight control of Prince Rong's Mansion.

A great struggle is imminent, and under such current circumstances, she is afraid that it will be difficult to move even an inch.

With tears in her eyes, Ma Wan looked at all the furnishings in the room that were designed for her liking.

Now there is no real evidence for all the speculations about the prince. She has to think about it carefully...

Lan Ying rushed to the bedside and hugged Ma Wan with tears in her eyes. The girl finally tried to face the possible cruel truth... Anyway, this is a good thing.

"Don't be afraid, girl. I will definitely accompany you and protect you to the death..."

Ma Wan gently hugged back the maid who had grown up with her, and looked at the closed window lattice with red eyes.

The sky outside the window is clear and cloudless.

At the same moment, in the Imperial City of the Capital, in the Ganlu Hall, the prince, Ma Xingzhou and other important ministers were waiting here.

The emperor made an important decision - to take the initiative to send troops to the Shannan West Road to attack the rebellious ministers and eliminate the chaos in the west in one fell swoop.

This is an extremely important decision, and it is also the last blow that the imperial court can make to the outside world with all its strength.

The emperor chose to use this as a blade to point directly at Rong Wang Li Yin, using the power of drawing fuel from the bottom of the cauldron to preemptively destroy his foundation.

4200 words, good night in advance~