good season

The retired emperor wanted to be a deadbeat, but Zhao Shiqing didn't want to indulge him. She came to pay her respects to him on time every day. He didn't want to see her, so he invited several princesses. While the retired emperor was refining elixirs inside, they played cards outside. Unfortunately, all of them had bad manners and made a lot of noise while playing cards. Princess Jia'an was also a romantic, so she not only came by herself but also brought her male concubines with her.

The noise outside was deafening, making it impossible for the retired emperor to concentrate on his cultivation. He realized that things couldn't continue like this. His grandson was indifferent, and his grandson was not in the capital. With nowhere to turn for help, the retired emperor finally had no choice but to clutch his chest and take out 350,000 taels of silver.

With the 350,000 taels of silver in hand, Zhao Shiqing and the Grand Princesses moved to another place to continue playing cards. Zhao Shiqing kept only half of the silver and used the other half to establish a girls' school.

As the wedding day of Yan Xia and Zhao Yunnuan drew closer, Yan Xia had not yet returned, while news of Xiao Zhen's triumphant return reached the capital.

With Shan Ye's confession, Xiao Zhen's trip went very smoothly. Back then, he and Zhao Shiqing had gone to great lengths to destroy a small stronghold of the mountain gate, but this time, he led his troops straight to the mountain gate's main camp.

The mountain gate was completely destroyed, and the last remaining descendants of the former Emperor Ai were all killed.

In addition, Xiao Zhen also found the mountain gate's treasure!
One of the treasures in this collection is an artifact belonging to Emperor Ai, namely the legendary Imperial Seal of the State.

When Emperor Taizu conquered the capital, Emperor Ai ascended the Fengyu Tower and committed suicide by burning himself. Emperor Taizu was unable to find the Imperial Seal of the State. The Imperial Seal passed down through the generations of Emperor Dayong was recarved by Emperor Taizu using precious jade.

This jade seal was kept by the eldest son's family and hidden away along with the treasures accumulated by the sect over the years. Later, the other two sons' families wiped out the eldest son's family, but they were unable to find this treasure.

Yang Shengqiu's mother was the only survivor of that tragedy, but she was just a young girl at the time. Although the other two families wanted to eliminate her completely, they did not believe that she would know the location of the treasure.

To everyone's surprise, Yang's mother not only knew about the treasure map, but also handed it to Yang's father when she left him.

After Yang's mother died, Yang's father committed suicide. Before he did, he entrusted Yang Shengqiu and the treasure map to his father.

Before going to the capital, the old physician Yang did not anticipate the dangers of the journey. However, being old and unaware of the future, he hid the treasure map in a letter.

The drawing was very simple. Zhao Shiqing and Xiao Zhen studied it for a long time and conducted on-site investigations, but they still couldn't reach a conclusion.

When Xiao Zhen showed the picture to Master Shan, Master Shan understood it perfectly.

It turns out that the picture contained a hidden code for the mountain gate. Not only Zhao Shiqing and Xiao Zhen couldn't understand it, but even Physician Yang and Yang Shengqiu were equally clueless!
Now that Master Shan has deciphered the code, Xiao Zhen easily found the location and retrieved the treasures.

When Xiao Zhen returned to the capital, he also brought back a knife. The owner of the knife had died during the last breakout of the mountain gate.

He handed the knife to Zhao Shiqing: "The original owner of this knife was the fourth-ranked assassin in the mountain sect, known as Ah Si. I have investigated and found that he participated in and committed the massacre of the Shi family in Zhuxitang. He was also responsible for the aftermath and was the last person to leave. The suspicious peddler that the villagers saw was him."

Zhao Shiqing took the knife. The scabbard was carved with patterns, and although it was old, its former splendor could still be seen.

Zhao Shiqing slowly closed her eyes, her slender fingers brushing across the scabbard, tracing the winding lines inch by inch. She remembered the bloodshed of that night, the wind and rain of that night.

This was no longer a dream; she had truly remembered.

When Zhao Shiqing opened her eyes again, they were clear, without tears or sorrow. She returned the knife to Xiao Zhen: "Destroy it."

The knife is destroyed, the resentment dissipates, the storm passes, and the sun paves the way.

Xiao Zhen brought the treasures into the palace, but the new emperor only kept the jade seal and gave everything else to Xiao Zhen.

Xiao Zhen took out a portion of the money and exchanged it for silver, which he distributed to the officers and soldiers who had accompanied him in suppressing the bandits. He also selected a few items to present to the Emperor Emeritus, and gave the rest to Zhao Shiqing as betrothal gifts.

Before they knew it, the time to meet Yan Xia had arrived, but Yan Xia had not returned, and there was no news from Northern Yan.

Inside the Liang Prince's residence, Madam Nie was chanting scriptures when the newly arrived Granny Ge entered joyfully: "Congratulations, Old Princess! Congratulations, Old Princess! The young master's fever has broken!"

Nie's lips twitched. This wicked old woman, is this some kind of happy event?

Ever since Princess Meng Xiaotang of Liang gave birth to the little prince, Madam Nie has disliked the child very much. A few days ago, the child had a high fever that wouldn't go down, and Madam Nie was so happy that she ate an extra bowl of rice. She thought the child was too fragile to raise and that it would be better if he died!
But now Granny Ge came to tell her that the child's fever had actually subsided.

Seeing her face grow increasingly pale, Granny Ge said with a smile, "The second young master went to look at the fortune teller today and was very happy when he came back. He rewarded every servant he encountered along the way."

Sure enough, as soon as these words were spoken, Madam Nie could no longer sit still.

The woman she had her eye on, Wei Ya'er, turned out to be short-lived. She died before even getting married, and her death was shrouded in mystery.

Originally, Lady Nie wanted Consort Qiao to find another noblewoman for Zhao Tingxuan, but Consort Qiao never gave a reply. Then, shocking news came!
The emperor was deposed, the third prince was executed by slow slicing, and Consort Qiao died in the cold palace!

After the eunuch who delivered the imperial decree left, Princess Consort Meng Xiaotang smiled and said to her, "Mother, I heard that the Fan family is also involved. Miss Fan Qiuyun was beaten to death by the Shenxing Division, and Master Fan went to the capital after hearing the news, but died on the way. Alas, the Nie family and the Fan family are related by marriage. I don't know if they will be implicated. If you are worried, Mother, I will send someone to take you back to Wu to visit your family."

Nie's expression changed drastically!

Back then, the Nie family wanted Fan Qiuyun to marry Zhao Tinghan. If it weren't for Zhao Yunnuan helping Meng Xiaotang marry into the Liang Prince's mansion, the position of Liang Prince's consort would have belonged to Fan Qiuyun.

The Nie and Fan families were not only related by marriage, but also had financial dealings. The two families shared both prosperity and adversity.

Although Fan Qiuyun's death did not seem to implicate the Fan family on the surface, the death of Master Fan alone speaks volumes.

The Nie family is now eager to sever ties with the Fan family, but Meng Xiaotang insists on sending her back to Wu to visit her relatives.

That's not a visit to relatives; it's clearly a plan to pack her up and send her away.

"I'm not leaving, I'm not going anywhere, and nobody can drive me away!"

From that day on, Lady Nie never left her palace again, fearing that if she went out, she would never be able to return.

She chanted sutras every day, praying for Zhao Tinghan's early death and for Zhao Tinghan's son to die young.

But it seemed as if fate was against her. Although Zhao Tinghan's body was still not strong, it was no different from that of an ordinary person. As for the child, although he was occasionally sick, it was only a common childhood illness. The Liang Prince's Mansion supported many imperial physicians, so treating children's illnesses was no problem for them.

On the contrary, Zhao Tingxuan, who used to obey her every word, became increasingly disobedient and would occasionally talk back to her.

For example, in this matchmaking, the woman's surname was Deng, and her name was Deng Xueying. Her grandfather was a retired military general, and Deng Xueying had been learning martial arts from her grandfather since childhood. She disliked music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and only liked wielding swords and staffs. Her brother served in the Imperial Guard. When she came to see her brother, she met Zhao Yunnuan. This matchmaking was arranged by Princess Meng Xiaotang of Liang.

When Madam Nie learned that the Deng family girl came from a military family, she was extremely opposed to the marriage. However, Zhao Tingxuan did not listen to her and went to meet her anyway.

Madam Nie was furious. When she finally met Zhao Tingxuan and heard him say the word "satisfied," she fell ill from anger.

Lying in her hospital bed, Nie Shi still couldn't forget the culprit, Zhao Yunnuan. It was all Zhao Yunnuan's fault. If it weren't for her, Meng Xiaotang wouldn't have known about Deng Xueying, and she wouldn't have let her second son go to find a match. Her second son wouldn't have been angry with her!
"Are the wedding procession from the Duke of Wei's mansion almost here?" Madam Nie asked weakly.

A few days ago, she heard that Yan Xia had gone out on business and had not yet returned to the capital. The wedding date might be postponed. She wished that Yan Xia would die outside. This was a marriage bestowed by the emperor. If Yan Xia died, Zhao Yun Nuan would have to hold Yan Xia's memorial tablet and perform the wedding ceremony. If she killed her husband before the wedding, Zhao Yun Nuan would be branded as a jinx.

She had heard that Madam Yu of the Duke of Wei's mansion was notoriously shrewish and prone to violence, and that Zhao Yunnuan had caused the death of her son. She probably wished she could kill Zhao Yunnuan.

While Lady Nie was lost in her own daydreams, she fell seriously ill. Then, Granny Ge came with more good news: "Congratulations, Your Highness! Congratulations, Your Highness! The imperial decree has arrived! Our young master is now the heir apparent! Moreover, the decree states that His Highness is frail and had a difficult time conceiving a son, so the young heir apparent will stay by His Highness's side to fulfill his filial duties. When he turns five, His Majesty will send a tutor to teach the young heir apparent. From then on, the young heir apparent will study and grow up in Liang, and there's no need to send him to the capital!"

Nie's eyes rolled back, and she fainted.

She fell ill for a few more days, and Granny Ge came over again. Now, Madam Nie was annoyed whenever she saw her: "Shut up, you don't need to announce good news, I don't want to hear it!"

Granny Ge kept her mouth shut and pointed towards the door.

Following the direction she was pointing, Nie looked and saw a lithe figure walk in against the light.

Nie couldn't see her face clearly, but she knew who it was.

Zhao Yun is so kind!
Zhao Yunnuan stepped forward and stood there, looking down at Nie Shi lying on the bed.

"Mother, I have come to bid you farewell. The wedding procession has arrived, and the heir of the Duke of Wei is outside the gate. He is of noble character, young and handsome, and strong and powerful. I am very satisfied with him."

Your daughter is grateful for the marriage you arranged for me, but unfortunately the heir of the Duke of Wei is very outstanding and has disappointed you.

In addition, His Majesty has already bestowed a marriage upon my younger sister and the Duke of Huguo. Their wedding is scheduled for next autumn. It's a pity you can't go to the capital to attend the wedding banquet, but my elder brother and sister-in-law will prepare a dowry for her on your behalf.

"Mother, your daughter is leaving Liangdu today. This parting will be the last time we see each other in this life. If there is an afterlife, it is best if we never meet again."

Zhao Yunnuan knelt down and respectfully kowtowed three times. She stood up, didn't look at Nie Shi again, and turned to leave without looking back.

Only then did Madam Nie awaken from her daze. Gazing at Zhao Yunnuan's resolute figure, she gritted her teeth and cried out, "You rebellious daughter!"

As Zhao Yunnuan walked out of Nie's palace, she saw Yan Xia kneeling outside, kowtowing towards the inside.

"Young Master? What brings you here?"

Yan Xia smiled憨厚ly: "You've come to bid farewell to your mother, but I've come to bid farewell to my mother-in-law."

Zhao Yunnuan looked at Yan Xia in front of her and couldn't help but smile. She had originally thought that the wedding would be postponed, but she didn't expect Yan Xia to arrive as scheduled.

It wasn't until she left Liang and was on her way to the capital that Zhao Yunnuan learned that after Yan Xia returned to the capital, he didn't even go back to the Duke's mansion. Instead, he went to the palace that very night to report to the new emperor, and at dawn, he took the betrothal gifts and headed to Liang.

Yan Xia left after completing his mission, but the capital was filled with a climate of fear and unease.

Han Song, the third son of the King of Northern Yan, along with his uncle and the Prince of Jin, secretly formed an alliance with the Dalu.

King Dalu agreed to send a gyrfalcon to assassinate Han Tai, the heir apparent of Northern Yan, who was being held hostage in the capital, and to frame the Dayong royal family, thus helping Han Song become the new heir apparent.

The King of Northern Yan never doubted Han Song, and even when Yan Xia presented the evidence to the King of Northern Yan, he still refused to believe it.

It wasn't until his newly acquired beauty confessed that she was Han Song's woman and had secretly poisoned the spices he served to the King of Northern Yan that the King realized he was surrounded by wolves.
After Zhao Yunnuan left Liang, Nie Shi's illness worsened.

When the Nie family learned of her serious illness, they sent several of their nephews to visit her. Because of the Fan family's affair, the Nie family's reputation was also affected, and the Nie family was in a difficult situation. Even poetry and literary gatherings no longer sent invitations to the Nie family's sons.

Having no other choice, the Nie family took advantage of the opportunity of visiting Nie Shi to send several male members to Liang.

This is the territory of the Liang Prince's Mansion, and the Nie family is the maternal family of the Liang Prince. We must give them this much face.

Unexpectedly, when Nie met her nephews, her condition not only did not improve, but worsened. She lost sensation in half of her body and her speech became slurred.

The nephews were startled, worried that the King of Liang would blame them. They were also frightened by the people sent by Meng Xiaotang, so they actually left Liangdu that very night and ran back to Wu!
When medicine proved ineffective against Nie's illness, Meng Xiaotang sought out various precious medicinal herbs and spent lavishly on Nie's treatment. Everyone in Liang praised the filial piety of the Liang King and his wife.

Meng Xiaotang couldn't wait for Nie Shi to die, but she couldn't die now. She could only wait until her younger sister, younger sister, and younger brother were all married. Her younger siblings were all getting old, and she couldn't let the mourning period delay their marriage.

As expected, Lady Nie lived for another three years.

Three years later, Zhao Yunnuan had just finished her postpartum confinement when she received news of Nie's death.

At this very moment, Zhao Shiqing and Xiao Zhen, who have been married for two years, are touring various places with Zhen Wuduo and Wan Ruyi to inspect the girls' schools that have been established. In the past three years, twelve girls' schools have been established with the help of the princesses, who have contributed their money.

Liang Du also opened one, which was started by Princess Meng Xiaotang and Second Madam Deng Xueying using their own private funds.

It is the best season of the year, with bright sunshine and lush grass.

Zhao Shiqing rode on his horse, looking towards Liangdi. It had been several years since he left; it was time to go back and take a look.

At this moment, Xiao Zhen spurred his horse to catch up and asked, "Shouldn't we be heading back to the capital now?"

Zhao Shiqing raised his riding whip and pointed ahead: "Next stop, Liangdi!"

(End of main text) (End of this chapter)