Jiuxi

Chapter 1024 1022 [Her Story]

Outside Mingxuan Hall, Ruolan was in a state of anxiety and twisted her hands subconsciously.

The two people inside are undoubtedly the most noble people in the Da Qi world, but after all, it is inevitable that people will have impure thoughts when they are alone in a room.

Ruolan was not worried about this. Today, everyone inside and outside Zhuo Garden was the most trusted subordinates of the King of Qin, and the entourage that the Queen Mother brought out of the palace were all her carefully selected confidants. All of them kept their mouths shut and would not gossip behind her back.

What's more, Ruolan was the only one guarding outside Mingxuan Hall at the moment, so she was not worried about rumors spreading.

The reason why she was uneasy was that she knew very well the Queen Mother's gentle exterior but strong interior. The Queen Mother could keep giving in, but if she sensed real danger, she would not hesitate. And the King of Qin had always been decisive and ruthless, so when would he show mercy?

Once the two of them started fighting, Ruolan didn't dare to imagine what kind of horrible scene would occur.

She turned her head and saw no sound coming from inside. She just hoped that the banquet could end peacefully.

"Your Majesty, a female official as loyal as Ruolan is quite rare."

Inside the hall, Lu Chen was inspired.

Queen Mother Ning said with a half-smile, "Do you like her? If you don't mind, I will give her to you, how about that?"

Lu Chen smiled and said, "Your Majesty, the palace doesn't have any surplus food."

This was of course a joke. The Prince of Qin's Mansion was not so unable to support a female relative, but the background of this female relative was a bit complicated. Lu Chen had no interest in adding instability to his stable and harmonious harem.

Queen Dowager Ning smiled but said nothing.

Her face was like jade, her eyes were sparkling, and she looked a little tipsy, which made her particularly captivating.

Especially at this moment when no one was disturbing her, she seemed to have finally put down some of the heavy shackles and no longer maintained her elegant and luxurious posture all the time, thus gaining a bit of extremely rare charm.

Lu Chen looked straight ahead and continued to sit very steadily.

"Ai Jia——"

Empress Dowager Ning stroked the cup and recalled the past, "I was born in an ordinary family. The highest official my father ever held was the Director of the Ministry of Works, which was only a sixth-rank official. Two years ago, an official petitioned me to confer the title of Duke on my father. I handed it over to the Censorate for strict investigation, and no one has ever plotted against the status of the Ning family's children since then. I know very well that everyone in the Ning family, including my father, is not cut out to be an official. Once they end up like this, they will most likely become a knife in the hands of others. It is better to let them guard the family property and live a peaceful life."

Since ancient times, the royal family has been a force that cannot be ignored in the court. Moreover, the Empress Dowager Ning holds power. Whether the Ning family can soar to the sky depends entirely on her decision.

Lu Chen said sincerely: "Your Majesty is so virtuous and wise that it is rare in ancient and modern times."

This statement is obviously not flattery.

Queen Mother Ning understood this and smiled slightly, saying, "In the spring of twelve years ago, when I was only sixteen years old, a decree suddenly came from the palace one day, and the Saint decided to make me the Princess of Xiang. My family was ecstatic, but I was terrified. Do you know why?"

Lu Chen said succinctly: "Once you enter the family of marquis, it is as deep as the sea, let alone the royal family."

"Yes, the royal family is precious and extraordinary. We must follow the rules and not make any mistakes."

Queen Mother Ning shook her head and said with regret, "My family may not understand, or even if they do, they don't care. At the moment the imperial edict was delivered, it didn't matter whether Ning Shuwan's fate was good or bad. As long as she could be a daughter-in-law of the royal family and bring glory to the Ning family, it was enough. As for why I was worried and how difficult it was for more than ten years, no one would care about these things."

Lu Chen finally knew the Queen Mother's maiden name, but he did not feel the slightest bit of romance at this moment.

Looking at her face that showed almost no signs of aging, Lu Chen was thinking of that spring day twelve years ago when she cautiously left the Ning family and entered a completely unfamiliar and thrilling environment.

She was very lucky. She did not suffer in the intrigues of the palace. Instead, she took one step at a time and became one of the most noble women in the world.

She was also very unfortunate. Having come to this point, she was destined not to just enjoy honor, but to take on the responsibilities of the Empress Dowager of the Heavenly Family. No matter how difficult the situation was, she had no right to escape.

"Logically speaking, I really have no right to lament the injustice of fate. After all, for a woman of my background, unless I was lucky enough to be favored by Emperor Gaozong and chosen as the daughter-in-law of the royal family, my best fate would be to be married to an ordinary person with an unknown background. Ordinary people may also have a happy life, but they will not be able to enjoy the scenery on the top of the mountain like I am now."

Queen Mother Ning looked at Lu Chen steadily and said softly, "Between making choices and giving up, there are gains and losses."

Lu Chen listened quietly.

In fact, this is also a poor man.

It may sound ridiculous to say that the current empress dowager is a pitiful person, but one thing must be noted that Empress Dowager Ning is not the empress dowager in the traditional sense who stays in the harem and enjoys wealth and glory, but she is the actual ruler of the court and the umbrella of the young emperor. This means that she has to make unimaginable efforts to maintain the current situation.

There is a limit to the amount of pressure a person can endure. When she reaches that critical point, internal and external troubles are enough to crush her.

Therefore, Queen Mother Ning dismissed everyone, not because she wanted to discuss any secret topic with Lu Chen, but because she needed a chance to talk. Otherwise, she would be driven crazy by the tremendous pressure sooner or later.

With this in mind, Lu Chen said slowly: "Your Majesty, human power will always be limited. Sometimes learning to let go may not be a bad thing."

Hearing this, a strange look appeared in Empress Dowager Ning's eyes.

What to let go?
Of course, it refers to the responsibilities she has been carrying all these years.

This was the first time Lu Chen persuaded her in an almost explicit way.

Looking at the young prince who remained calm, Dowager Ning took a sip of wine from her cup, then changed the subject and asked, "Do you know what my hobbies are?"

Lu Chen shook his head.

Queen Mother Ning said in bewilderment, "The Ning family has a modest fortune, and can barely be considered a family of scholars, so I have been able to come into contact with the calligraphy of various great calligraphers since I was a child. The happiest time of my childhood was probably when I practiced calligraphy in front of the window in the quiet of the afternoon. Immersed in the world of calligraphy and painting, feeling the elegance of the paper left by the predecessors, it was as if I could talk to them through the pen and ink, without having to think about those tedious things."

"Since I married into the Prince Xiang's mansion, as a princess, I have to worry about all the big and small things in the mansion, and I have to be careful to guard against the cold eyes and conspiracies hidden in the dark. Especially after I have children, it is even more impossible for me to focus on my hobbies. Needless to say, becoming a crown princess is indeed glorious, but I often wake up in the middle of the night because I know that his position as the crown prince is not that easy to come by." "Lu Chen, I haven't written for a long time."

She drank the wine in her glass in one gulp.

Lu Chen looked to the right and saw writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone on the large desk by the window.

Queen Mother Ning followed his gaze and smiled. She asked, "Would you like to help me grind the ink?"

Lu Chen nodded and said, "Please."

Empress Dowager Ning got up and left as she felt like it.

Soon, two words appeared on the white paper.

The lines of his calligraphy are graceful and peaceful, elegant and graceful, which can be said to be a reflection of his personality.

She put down her pen, turned around and asked, "How is it?"

At this moment, the two were less than two feet apart. Lu Chen could even smell the faint fragrance beside him, but his eyes remained on the paper. After looking at it for a while, he said, "I don't understand calligraphy, but I think these two words are very beautiful. The only flaw is that they are too sad."

The word is: alone.

The feeling of loneliness and helplessness can almost be seen in every word.

Queen Mother Ning did not look miserable at all. Instead, she smiled and said, "Would you like to write two too?"

Lu Chen's handwriting could only be said to be barely readable, and was still a long way from being elegant. However, he did not refuse deliberately. He picked up the brush and started writing in one go.

Empress Dowager Ning noticed that the position of his pen holding overlapped with her previous movement, and her cheeks, which were already flushed due to the alcohol, became even hotter.

When she saw the two words written by Lu Chen clearly, she couldn't help but pursed her lips and looked at Lu Chen with mixed feelings.

The word is: Anzhi.

These two short words contain many interpretations. They can be understood as rationally accepting the current situation, or as words of comfort and peace of mind.

Queen Mother Ning thought for a moment and commented: "The two words have a profound meaning, which fits your scheming mind. However, this word..."

"Your Majesty, I will practice calligraphy when I have free time in the future."

Lu Chen's answer was brief and to the point, yet seemed to contain some profound meaning, which made Empress Dowager Ning smile slightly.

The conversation came to an end. When Empress Dowager Ning turned around, perhaps because of the alcohol and her weak body, her legs went limp and she fell to the side.

Before she could even utter a cry, a strong hand appeared out of nowhere and grasped her forearm. She felt a gentle force coming, and instantly the Queen Mother Ning stood firm.

Apart from that, the hand did not make any inappropriate movements, nor did it touch other parts of her body, such as her soft and slender waist.

Queen Mother Ning raised her head and looked at the young prince with her sparkling eyes.

It was the coldest time of winter outside, but there was a sense of spring inside the hall for no reason.

Lu Chen suddenly said, "Your Majesty, why is it so?"

What caught the eyes of Empress Dowager Ning was his still calm and gentle gaze.

She couldn't help but be stunned, and then her red cheeks gradually turned pale, and an unconcealable shame appeared on her face.

Lu Chen sighed softly, used a little force to help Empress Dowager Ning stand firmly, and then let go of her hand.

There was an extremely awkward silence.

He finally spoke up and said, "Are you worried that I will harm the emperor? Or do you want to find him a stepfather?"

Before today, he had never spoken such blunt and sharp words in front of her.

Queen Mother Ning couldn't help but glare at him.

If she had no other options, why would she deliberately create this kind of atmosphere? And why would she be so self-deprecating?
Because of this not-so-destructive glare, Lu Chen smiled slightly and continued, "No need to do that. I never took the initiative to hurt you and your son. In any case, he is the blood of Emperor Gaozong. Even if he inherited some of his father's personality, I now have a proper way to deal with it. As for you, don't worry that I will look down on you. What I see is a mother who is willing to give everything for her children, a great mother, so I will respect you as before."

He stepped back and bowed.

Empress Dowager Ning stared at him in a daze, with mixed feelings, a mixture of genuine relief and unexpected relief.

She felt that Lu Chen might not know what he had missed and what he had avoided.

After a long while, Queen Mother Ning said softly, "Thank you."

Lu Chen lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty, the food is getting cold."

Hearing that he immediately changed the title, how could the smart Queen Mother Ning not understand? She nodded and smiled, "Okay, we must not waste the King of Qin's kindness."

(End of this chapter)