Volume 3 Linglong Dice An Red Bean 147 Mother and Son

  In the fifth year of Emperor Hui's reign, in the spring of the third month, Yanmen Commandant Zhang He was sent from Wu King's secret residence to escort Wu State's Princess Liu Liu.

  In the early Han Dynasty, there was no custom of congratulating weddings. Among these newlyweds, Liu Ruyu was Emperor Hui of Han's cousin, while Zhang He was even more closely related to Empress Zhang as if they were siblings. On their wedding day, neither the emperor nor the empress came to congratulate them.

  On the fifth day, Zhang Yan took Xuanping Hou's son Zhang Yan to Lu Hou Fu to congratulate the newlyweds.

  "Yan Yin, today I'm celebrating our private friendship," she said with a bright smile as she presented the gift, "can we skip those formalities?"

  Zhang He was a straightforward person and smiled, saying, "In that case, let's go to the courtyard to talk."

  It has been three years since Zhang Heng went to the border and returned to Chang'an for his wedding. Although the Liu Hou Mansion had always kept the Swallow Garden for this second young master, the furnishings inside were already old-fashioned. Zhang Yan walked in all the way, seeing that the servants in the garden were cleaning up, and such a large garden was surprisingly desolate.

  "How," she asked unexpectedly, "are you planning to leave Chang'an again?"

  "Yes." Liu Liuying came out, took a glance at Zhang He, and smiled, "He is determined to go to the border, I married him, so I'll follow him wherever he goes. After some days, I will also go to Yanmen." The sweetness of understanding between husband and wife was all in that one glance.

  As a new bride, Liu wore a plain white blouse and yellow skirt, with her hair styled in a round bun. She had lost some of the simplicity and boldness of a young girl, and added some gentle elegance.

  Zhang Yan suddenly felt a little envious and said with downcast eyes, "The hardships of the Goose Gate are far from being as good as the wealth and nobility of Chang'an."

  "What's the relationship?" Liu Liu said, "As long as I can be with my brother, it's good to rely on each other. It's better than me being alone in Chang'an, and leaving him among those women who were sent out of the palace at Yanmen."

  "Ah." She suddenly reacted, looking at Zhang Yan's slightly dazed expression, and awkwardly said, "I didn't mean to..."

  In the Weiyang Palace, one of the eight consorts with the surname Wang was pregnant, and the news had already spread among the noble families of the Han Dynasty. Although the Emperor's spring was still in its prime, having an heir for the Han dynasty was a good thing. However, Liu Xiu always felt that this was a very sad thing for the young Empress in the Pepper Chamber.

  She remembered that year's spring outing in the garden, among the many noble young girls, she saw a young girl who was as beautiful as a snow doll, with a clear and refreshing expression between her eyebrows. But now, she has become somewhat melancholic.

  "It doesn't matter." Zhang Yan smiled carelessly, "I also think it's quite good this way." If possible, she would rather stay with Liu Zhen in a desolate place than face the daily chirping of the palace.

  Zhang Wan and a boy from a side branch of the Zhang family were playing in the garden. At this time, he ran along the corridor, shouting "Sister". The weather was already somewhat sultry in late March, and his forehead was covered with sweat.

  "Slow down." Zhang Yan smiled and took out a handkerchief to wipe away the sweat on his forehead.

  Zhang Huan and his wife saw them, and Zhang Huan politely called out, "Aunt, Uncle."

  Liu Liusheng was open and aboveboard. He didn't avoid or evade, pointing at Zhang Yan and laughing, "Why doesn't Ah Yan follow along and call me 'Sister-in-law' too?"

  "What's wrong?" Zhang Yan scolded, "You should clearly call me 'eldest sister-in-law'."

  It's indeed a bit strange. Counting from Lu Yuan's side, and counting from Liu Ying's side, there is exactly one generation difference. As for being able to raise her own generation because of this, Zhang Yan had some subtle pride.

  Liu Liu then pulled Zhang Yan's hand and smiled, "Yan'er, earlier our nephew released a brocade carp in the lake at home. It has five or six colors on its body. Do you want to go take a look?"

  Zhang Yan looked at her brother's back and smiled, suddenly the cool pavilion changed from extremely lively to extremely quiet, leaving only her and Zhang He.

  "Lu Yong is really careless." She smiled slyly, "I thought she would keep a close eye on me."

  Zhang Xie also smiled, "Liu Liu, although he has nodded in agreement on some things. But he's not an unreasonable person either." He coughed awkwardly and asked, "How are you and the Emperor, exactly?"

  Zhang Yan thought for a moment and said, "It's good and it's not good."

  She had not seen Zhang He for many years, and as a foreign minister and an empress, they should not have asked about such private matters. But for some reason, Zhang He asked easily, and she answered with empathy.

  "There have been and will be many problems between him and me in the past and future. However, he sincerely wishes me well, so I think there is still room for improvement."

  Zhang sighed and said, "If I were in Chang'an at that time, I would have advised you not to marry."

  Zhang Yan smiled and said, "Silly Yanyan, where in life are there so many ifs? Besides, I'm doing great now, aren't I?"

  Are there really so many ifs in this world?

  We were originally at every crossroads of life choosing our own path and then operating on our own choices.

  "A Yan." Zhang He suddenly called out.

  He gazed at her clear and distinct eyes, promising, "If, if you don't want to stay in Weiyang Palace anymore, feel free to come find me in Yancheng County. I will definitely do my best to help."

  Zhang Yan looked at her and suddenly burst out laughing, "Yan Yin isn't always boasting about being a loyal minister, how dare he take on this mess I've left behind?"

  Zhang He let out a soft sigh, "Your Majesty is not an unfeeling person. No matter what, he won't force you to the end of your rope."

  Zhang Yan sighed in her heart.

  "A Yan, look," Zhang Xie pointed east and said, "Every morning, the planet Venus will rise from that direction."

  "Hmm." Zhang Yan smiled and said, "What's this? Is Yanyi still studying astrology? Just speak your mind."

  Zhang Heng fell silent for a moment before solemnly saying, "I have observed the celestial phenomena and I fear that there will be a severe drought in Guanzhong this summer."

  Zhang Yan was taken aback and said, "Really?"

  Zhang He nodded and said, "Eight or nine out of ten."

  She frowned and said, "In that case, why didn't you speak to His Majesty in person on the day of the imperial audience?"

  "This time I'm taking leave to return to the capital is for personal matters." Zhang Xie smiled and said, "If it's about presenting a memorial, then the study of astrology is empty and vague. How can it be used as a fixed strategy on the imperial court? It can only rely on you to privately advise His Majesty, so that he has a sense of depth in his heart."

  Zhang Yan received the letter from Zhang Xiang, and was pondering in her heart, when suddenly she heard the steward of the Zhang household hurry over and say: "Your Majesty, there is a palace maid at the gate of the Marquis's residence, urgently requesting to see you." She was taken aback.

  "The young palace maid, a second-class palace maid in charge of drawing the curtains in the Pepper Chamber, curtsied and said, 'Lady Hehua sent me to find Her Majesty the Empress.'"

  "What's happened in the palace?" Zhang Yan hastily asked.

  "Hmm." The double-striped forehead nodded and said, "Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager have had a falling out."

  Liu Ying and Lü Hou's quarrel naturally originated from Wang Ba Zi and the unborn child in her belly.

  Zhang Yan hastily returned to the palace, and only then did she learn from He Huan and Mu Xi about the whole story.

  In this life, under her persuasion, Liu Ying finally did not indulge in wine and lust as spoken of in history, but instead stood up with his own strength under the heavy blow, taking control of the affairs of the great Han state.

  After all, the deceased is gone, and Empress Lü is her blood-related mother, who has been protecting herself with all her might for half her life. Therefore, he respects her, and although Empress Lü did not take power like in history, the Long乐 Palace also had extremely heavy authority in the Great Han.

  Lü Zhi has this confidence. As long as Wang Qu and her son are dead, Liu Ying will certainly be furious, but ultimately can only accept the fact. Just like when she poisoned Zhao King Ruyi under his nose back then.

  That morning, she knew that Liu Yun had gone to the riding and shooting range for a hunt, so she ordered her trusted attendants to go to the Qingliang Hall and give Wang Gong a bowl of medicinal soup.

  Wang Kong naturally refused to drink the bowl of "red flower soup". All her hopes and future reliance were on the child in her womb. Once she drank it, she would still be the inconspicuous eighth princess of the Weiyang Palace as before.

  The palace ladies of the Qingliang Hall did not dare to defy Empress Lü's authority in person, but after Zhao Wang Ruyi was poisoned to death that year, Liu Ying subsequently had all the palace ladies who were present and did nothing to save her thoroughly investigated. They feared a repeat of the incident, so they deliberately dragged out the time.

  Both sides were at a stalemate, but unexpectedly Liu Ying had learned that Empress Lü had taken advantage of his eastern tour to secretly deploy her people in the Weiyang Palace. Although he did not want to immediately dismiss them and hurt his mother's feelings, he secretly ordered someone to keep an eye on these people. When someone came flying to report the events at the Qingliang Hall, Liu Ying was shocked and rushed back. Just then, he saw the eunuch from the Changle Palace personally trying to force-feed medicine into Wang Zeng's mouth.

  He had not yet heard the child's first heartbeat, and he almost lost him. This feeling of being reborn from a disaster made him immediately order the eunuch to be thrown into the eternal alley, while he rushed straight to the Chang Le Palace to question his mother.

  Lü Hou was copying a book of "Tao Te Ching" when she learned that her efforts were about to come to naught, and after a moment of despair, she slightly came to her senses.

  If Liu Ying had arrived a little later at that moment, everything would have been settled.

  "The son does not understand," Liu Ying asked her mother in the Changle Palace, "Empress Dowager, you poisoned Zhao Yi Wang and slaughtered Qi Fu Ren back then, which can be said to be for defending my emperor position and avenging past personal grievances. But the fetus in Wang Zhen's belly is also your own grandson, I thought about it thousands of times, but I never expected that Empress Dowager would not tolerate him either. Why is that?"

  "What's this? Your Majesty intends to interrogate your mother for the sake of this unborn child?"

  Liu Ying clenched her fists and finally gritted her teeth to ask, "What does the Empress Dowager really want? The honor of the Empress Dowager, the wealth of Chang Le Palace, the marquis titles of the two uncles of the Lu family - I have given them all. Is it that the Empress Dowager wants me to offer this throne to her as well in order to be satisfied?"

  "Your Majesty is talking nonsense." Empress Lü was not bothered, "This throne is yours, no one in the world can question it. But your two uncles made great contributions to the Han Dynasty, you are their nephew, can't you just grant them a king title?"

  "Do not mention that the Emperor of old killed a white horse to make an oath, saying that no one with the surname Liu could be king." Liu Ying said angrily, "Even I myself had sworn in front of my father's sickbed that I would not establish any of the Lu family as kings. Does Mother really want to see me break my oath?"

  Lü Hou shook her head and sighed, "Your Majesty wants an imperial son, there are plenty of women from the Lü and Zhang families who can give birth to one for you. But our family doesn't have a grandson with such a lowly mother."

  Liu Ying was extremely indignant and said sternly, "Regardless of whether the Empress Dowager acknowledges it or not, the child in Wang Cong's belly is my own flesh and blood. The Empress Dowager does not want to recognize her grandson. Is it that I am not the Empress Dowager's own son?"

  "You?" Lv Hou suddenly stood up, his hands trembling with anger.

  In this life, how much heart and blood will Empress Lü pour into this son? She was forced by fate to retreat step by step, leaving only this one son. So she poured all her heart and blood into him, refusing to let Qi Yi bully and trample him.

  In the end, he suddenly said, "Am I not the Empress Dowager's own son?"

  Liu Ying looked at her mother, who suddenly showed her age in an instant, and felt some regret in her heart.

  Zhang Yan had always known that the Emperor, who was holding on to his power, and the Empress Dowager, who had a deep desire for power, would eventually clash. However, she did not expect that the spark that would ignite their conflict would be Wang Cong.

  Recently, due to dissatisfaction with the arrogance of Wang Bazi's children's shoes. The "Da Han Yan Hua" book club spontaneously formed the Yong Xiang Ji Sheng Ban organization. The policy is: the queen gives birth to excellent children; the concubines are infertile and do not give birth; His Majesty...

  Your Majesty married late and had children late.

  Support Zhang Yixing and vote for him.