Empress Chu

what a pity.

The lovers eventually became uncles and nephews.

Chapter 31 Confession

When Xie Yanfang stepped into the hall, there was already a person sitting in the hall——

He is not the only one, Xie Yanfang thought this thought flashed in her mind, and she was amused by herself again.

"Master Tai Tuo." He saluted.

Deng Yi turned his head and nodded slightly: "The empress will come later."

Xie Yanfang nodded, and sat down opposite him without any further words.

Deng Yi looked at the smile on his face and asked, "Master Xie, why are you so happy?"

Xie Yanfang smiled: "Seeing His Majesty sitting side by side with Your Majesty today, I am very happy in my heart, whenever I think of it, I will laugh from the bottom of my heart."

Deng Yi twitched the corner of his mouth, looked away, and ignored Xie Yanfang's heartfelt smile.

When Chu Zhao came in, Deng Yi and Xie Yanfang were discussing a game of chess. Because drinking and singing were not allowed at the banquet earlier, everyone looked for other things to do. Old Mrs. Zhou, who hadn’t shown up for a long time, set up a chessboard and invited Deng Yi and Xie Yanfang to compete.

Chu Zhao didn't know about this. When she brought the female relatives over, the chess game had already been put away.

"Who won?" she asked curiously.

Xie Yanfang smiled and said: "No one has won, Mrs. Zhou killed all directions, and won hard and happily."

Chu Zhao sat down and said, "Old Master Zhou's granddaughter, Zhou Jiang is already very powerful, and she is very aggressive. It really is a family tradition. She gave me a few words, and my chess skills improved. I will ask Old Master Zhou next time. I said Maybe you can compete with Zhou Jiang."

Xie Yanfang smiled and said, "Old Master Zhou also mentioned that your chess skills are very spiritual, Madam Empress, if you concentrate, you will achieve success."

As a son of an aristocratic family, he knows every family and is well-known by them, while Chu Zhao, as a little girl, knows every family through the little girl, and the literary meeting of the little girls also made her well-known by the aristocratic families.

"I'm sure I can achieve something." Chu Zhao smiled mischievously, looked at Deng Yi and Xie Yanfang, and asked deliberately, "Who is better at chess, the grand master or the third son?"

Deng Yi, who had been silent all this time, answered first: "My chess skills are mediocre, and I can't compare with the third son."

Xie Yanfang smiled and said: "The ruler is short and the inch is strong, Master Taifu also has skills that I can't match."

Deng Yi turned to look at him, and asked with a half-smile, "For example?"

Xie Yanfang said: "For example, the speed of court decisions, adults are faster than me, I often can't react."

Deng Yi said indifferently: "Master Xie is being modest, no matter how quickly I make up my mind, if Master Xie doesn't speak, there will be no progress."

As the country returned to normal, Deng Yi and Xie Yanfang stood side by side in this brand-new court hall, indiscriminately, and the dark tide was raging.

Chu Zhao already felt it just by sitting in the court and listening to the government, not to mention that the two of them were facing each other at this moment.

"The two adults are both engaged in political affairs, so disputes are inevitable, but don't make a difference." She laughed.

Deng Yi corrected her: "The affairs of the state are not personal grievances, how can they be divided?"

Xie Yanfang smiled and said, "Don't worry, empress."

Chu Zhao also smiled, and said, "I'm not worried about the two lords' feelings for Guochao. I'm worried that the two lords will not agree to my request just because I see that you have no selfishness for Guochao."

Chu Zhao summoned them to come because of business, but since this girl was about to attend the court, her mind became more and more difficult to guess.

What is the unreasonable request this time?You don't want to review the memorials, do you?

Deng Yi didn't speak.

Xie Yanfang said with a smile: "Just say it, the difficulties and dangers have already been overcome, what else is there to worry about?"

Chu Zhaodao: "I want to leave the capital to visit my father in Border County."

Both Deng Yi and Xie Yanfang were a little surprised. She ascended the throne together with the emperor, and she attended the court with the emperor. She had just held a big banquet and stood in front of the dignitaries of the family. Not only that, she also pushed her cousin in front of others—— Menacing.

But in the next moment, he will leave the imperial city, the capital...

"Isn't it right at this time?" Deng Yi said, looking at Chu Zhao with disapproval in his eyes.

Xie Yanfang didn't speak, she was thoughtful.

"My father is not in good health." Chu Zhao looked at Deng Yi and Xie Yanfang, and said sincerely, "You guys know best how much I want to go back to Border County."

He knew her because the girl ran away from home to Bianjun privately. Deng Yi's frowning brows were slightly smoothed, and he really knew her sincerity in wanting to go back to Bianjun.

"I understand how you feel. The imperial court sent news to Bianjun immediately." He said in a calm voice, "Zhong Changrong also went back in person, and brought an imperial doctor with him. Master Xie also found a famous doctor to send along with Bianjun and you. Father’s reply letter has just arrived.”

He looked at Chu Zhao.

Whether it was the imperial doctor, the famous doctor of the Xie family, or Chu Ling's personal letter, they all indicated that although the health was indeed not good, at least there was nothing to worry about at the moment, and Chu Ling said that he would come to Beijing soon.

Chu Zhao himself also received a letter from his father.

Why did he not only not appease the girl when he got the news, but even went to Bianjun even more?

"Is there any news that we don't know?" Deng Yi asked.

Of course he didn't treat this girl as a child, and he also guessed that this girl had independence and court, manpower and sources of information that were not under his control.

Chu Zhao shook his head: "No, the news my father gave me is the same as what your lord knows."

she just-

"If you want to go, then go."

Xie Yanfang, who had been silent all this time, said suddenly.

Both Deng Yi and Chu Zhao looked at him.

Xie Yanfang looked at Chu Zhao with gentle eyes: "That's your father, you can go and see him if you want, no reason is needed."

The girl's eyes lit up.

"She doesn't need a reason! But!" Deng Yi stood up and said coldly, "The people and courtiers need it!"

"Chu Zhao, you are the queen now, not that naughty little girl of the Chu family. If you want to see your father, you can steal the family's money and go over the wall!"

"Your home now is the Great Xia Dynasty."

"When is it now? The turmoil will be over, the late emperor will be mourned, the young emperor will be in court, and the remnants of the three princes will not be exhausted. The king of Zhongshan will not say a word. He neither mourns the old emperor nor worships the new emperor."

"At this moment, are you going to see your father?"

"Yes, your father is seriously ill, but have you ever thought about it? Why did your father never go back to Beijing after being seriously ill for many years? Because he knows about eating the emperor's salary and being loyal to the emperor, and what is the responsibility of General Wei."

"If your father was in front of the battle and heard the bad news about your grandmother, would he also abandon the battle and return?"

"Loyalty and filial piety are difficult to balance. Your father understands the truth, but I don't believe you don't."

Taifu's cold voice echoed in the hall after every word.

Chu Zhao looked at the man standing in front of him, a little dazed, did he reprimand Xiao Xun like this in that life?

Will he raise his hand and slap himself?

The only maid standing in the hall was Xiaoman, she was standing casually at the side, but now she tightened her body and looked over with vigilant eyes.

Deng Yi didn't hit anyone, and he didn't speak any more. He raised his hand, turned around and strode away with a flick of his sleeve.

The hall fell silent, Xiaoman curled her lips and turned her head.

"Master Tai Tuo really has a big temper." Xie Yanfang said with a smile.

Chu Zhao smiled wryly: "I am so angry with the Grand Tutor, this is the first time I have seen him lose his temper like this."

She sighed.

"It's really wrong for me to say this at this moment."

Xie Yanfang shook her head: "No, there is nothing wrong with you. No matter what your status is at any time, it is not wrong to want to see your father."

Chu Zhao lowered his head and shoulders: "It's not wrong, but it's still inappropriate, isn't it?"

"It's not inappropriate." Xie Yanfang said, his voice was firm, "You go right away."

Chu Zhao looked up at him.

"Miss Ah Zhao, don't let yourself have any regrets." Xie Yanfang said softly, "It is worthwhile to achieve your wish."

Chu Zhao saluted him solemnly, and then looked at Young Master Pianpian sitting in front of him.

"It is God's mercy to me that I can get to know the third son in this life." She said sincerely.

……

……

She was glad to know him, grateful, and at ease.

Although it sounds weird, if you don't know him in this life or that life, what will God do to her?

Xie Yanfang didn't ask the girl what she didn't say, but said: "Ah Zhao, what you said is wrong."

He looked at the girl in front of him.

"You don't need to thank others, it's not God's pity, it's just you making yourself worth it."

It is worth him to thank Yanfang for getting acquainted, befriending, protecting each other, and liking her.

He can also make the girl happier, more grateful, more at ease, and, like.

Chapter 32 Ayu

The palace was brightly lit in the autumn night, and when Chu Zhao walked to the sleeping palace, he heard the laughter of the maids inside.

"Your Majesty draws really well!"

"Is this a cat?"

"No, it's a parrot!"

Chu Zhao stepped into the hall and asked with a smile, "What is Ah Yu playing?"

Xiao Yu, who was sitting in front of the table, immediately stood up and ran to Chu Zhao: "Sister!"

Chu Zhao reached out to catch him, and asked: "Is it the homework assigned by the master? Going to court, studying, having banquets, and painting at such a late hour, we Ayu are working too hard!"

She lowered herself and whispered to the child.

"Do you want me to tell Taifu to let you take a day off?"

Xiao Yu shook his head: "It's not hard! It's not the homework assigned by the master, but I wanted to draw it myself." He said while holding Chu Zhao's hand, "Sister, come and see."

Chu Zhao followed him to the table and looked at the spreading picture, on which a pattern was sketched in jerky handwriting.

"Has Yu just started learning to draw?" Chu Zhao didn't hide his smile, he didn't praise, but said with a bit of complacency, "I was better at drawing than you when I first started learning."

The child blushed slightly and said, "I will study hard." Then he whispered, "I saw the picture you drew, sister."

Only then did Chu Zhao see a volume of anthologies on the table, the anthology of Chu Yuan, and she couldn't help laughing: "You still read this."

Xiao Yu looked at her smile and nodded vigorously: "I asked Eunuch Qi to find it for me. My sister is so powerful and can do everything. I want to be like my sister."

Chu Zhao looked into the child's clear eyes, amused and disappointed.

She sat down and put Xiao Yuyi in front of her: "I'm not good at everything."

She stretched out her hand to look through the anthology, and found that all the places related to her were marked, and it was obvious that Xiao Yu only read hers.

Chu Zhao opened other people's places.

"Look, many people are better than me."

"I'm also studying hard."

Xiao Yu nodded: "Then I will study as hard as my sister."

Chu Zhao patted his forehead: "That's right, we all have to work hard!"

Xiao Yu smiled at her, although he quickly put it away.

The child seldom laughed, and Chu Zhao also understood that a six-year-old child would not be able to laugh when the adults couldn't stand the tragic death of their parents.

Although the child seemed to be back to normal without crying or fussing, in fact, he had to hold the bamboo tube every night when he went to bed—a gift that was supposed to be given to the prince, where father and son played.

Fortunately, these days, I won't wake up in the middle of the night.

Chu Zhao embraced him, and said softly, "Ayu, remember, your hard work is not for others, but for yourself."