Too high to reach

Chapter 336 An Apology

The Empress Dowager was in her palace, her fingers twirling prayer beads, lost in thought.

Her face was solemn, her eyes were clear and sharp, and she looked shrewd, completely unlike her usual self...

Although now he is dressed in fine clothes and jewels and is respected by others.

But only she herself knew that her situation was truly awkward... not much better than it had been many years ago.

She had no one in the previous dynasty.

For example, regarding this matter, it took two days to learn some of the details, and even then, the true implications are still unclear. We can only analyze it from the Empress's behavior over the past two days… This must have been a significant blow to her and the Crown Prince.

Thinking about this made her feel quite comfortable.

The harem... she couldn't help but smile bitterly again: even she herself was so old. Almost all of her people were old too, or dead.

As for the new people... she was merely holding the title of Empress Dowager in name only. The Emperor wasn't her biological son; their relationship was purely superficial. Besides, the Emperor was ruthless when dealing with her own family.

With no one in the previous court and no one from his maternal family, the Empress controlled the harem, ensuring the Crown Prince's secure position.

...Who would stick close to me?
So, everything seems fine on the surface, but there's always a sword hanging over your head. Even if you hate the emperor, if the emperor were to die... you probably wouldn't survive either.

He sighed, remembering the past...

At that time, Empress Jiang was still a concubine who was bullied by Consort Dong and had no power to fight back. Her two children lived worse than palace maids and eunuchs. She faced life and death several times.

Jiang begged Empress Zhao for protection, but even the Empress herself struggled to protect herself. Even if she wanted to, she was powerless to do so.

Yes, who can stand against the sharp edge of Consort Dong and her son Li Zhen, that pair of perverted mother and son?
Thus, the Jiang family plotted against him...

At that time, she also harbored resentment towards the emperor because of her family's affairs, so the two of them conspired together.

In order to cut off their own escape route and demonstrate their determination to form an alliance, they each left something in the other's possession.

Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager slowly took a sip of tea...

At that time, Empress Jiang was not shrewd enough, and many of her people in the palace were deployed in unexpected places.

So, the things that Empress Jiang had written herself were found and destroyed by her.

The Empress Dowager suddenly burst into laughter... Poor thing, she hid it so well, no one even knew when she disappeared!
I was so angry when I found out.

Actually, she also wanted to find the copy she had written, but little did she know that her copy had already been sent out of the palace! No one knew that it was kept in Western Shu.

There, she also had a half-brother. It was a legacy of her father's philandering... Her mother was domineering, so her father had no choice but to leave them there. Little did they know, they had escaped the family's troubles.

That branch, though not large in number, has a rather promising grand-nephew who has already passed the imperial examination.

I'm going to Beijing at the end of this year to prepare for next year's imperial examinations.

That thing was meant for him to take to the capital.

All of this... Empress Dowager Qian came to her senses, her face contorted with rage, and Empress Jiang also realized how powerful she was, which is why she dared not make a move for so many years!

However... this is ultimately a case of "a stick trying to catch a wolf": afraid of both sides.

If the emperor dies, the crown prince will succeed him.

That item couldn't save his life. He would certainly follow the Emperor in death after "grieving for him"...

In previous years, she analyzed for a long time: if the Crown Prince comes to power, it won't work; if Li Jing comes to power... she'll probably die an even more miserable death!
So, she chose Xiao Shiwu...

Moreover, she knew that Prince Yong'an also intended to promote her.

I guess... he wants to be a regent...

……

Zhou Dong's men found out Feng Liniang's whereabouts.

But getting in touch with them is extremely difficult.

Firstly, at the mountain resort, almost no outsiders come.

It would be extremely difficult to climb over the mountain, and even if you got in, finding a way to reach her would be a problem.

Last time, I managed to find a shop in a nearby town that delivered rice, flour, and oil to the resort. I bribed the shop assistant to get me to come here twice. I found out...

Now, we need to deliver Zhou Dong's message...

Autumn is here, and the mountain resort has started its purchasing again. Many heavy items need to be prepared in advance. Otherwise, it will be difficult to transport them uphill after a snowfall in winter.

Some of the best charcoal was not available in town and had to be delivered by shops in the capital. So, he sneaked in again and finally made his way to Feng Liniang's courtyard.

The people on the estate were all quite simple and honest; they only kept an eye on Feng Liniang and no one made things difficult for her. They also knew she couldn't escape...

In these mountains, where could a noblewoman go even if she left the village?

After staying cooped up in her room for two days, Feng Liniang calmed down and treated those around her well. She carried silver and subtly maintained good relationships with several people through small favors.

She took some needle and thread and embroidered flowers, but all she thought about was how to turn things around.

She was certain that Zhou Dong would come looking for her, so she wrote him a letter in advance, ready for his arrival at any time.

So when this person came looking for her, Feng Liniang immediately threw it at him.

……

At Longquan Temple, Zhang Debao met the girl again.

The two had met once before.

Zhang Debao had his mother dress him up, but he still looked somewhat haggard, and the blisters on his lips hadn't healed.

The girl was indeed quite generous. Seeing his expression, she said with concern, "Pears are in season now. Boil some pear water with rock sugar to drink; it can help cool you down." She said gently.

Zhang Debao nodded slightly, and the two walked to a small slope, gazing at the woods and temple in the distance.

The sky is high and the clouds are light; the autumn scenery is like a painting.

The girl was smiling, but Zhang Debao suddenly felt very sad.

In his life, meeting Mo Yuan was like "meeting Zhou Lang and ruining his life."

The girl before him was steady, reliable, and gentle. In any way, she would be better than Mo Yuan as his wife.

But... at this moment, he kept thinking about that "excited" dead woman.

That's incredibly bold of her to even imagine her tragic end... I wonder if it might implicate her as well.

Turning to look down at the pond, I saw her parents sitting and talking to the girl's family.

My father's body was like a candle in the wind.

The mother loved the father and doted on her.

In those years, they were unwilling to let themselves suffer or strive for improvement, and always followed his wishes.

Fortunately, although he was a spoiled brat, under the influence of his parents, although he was a bit lazy and pleasure-seeking, he did not go too far astray.

So when he finally "got on the right track," one can imagine how happy his parents were.

If something happens to me... I doubt they'll be able to keep going either.

But these two legs are stuck in the mud...

How to do?
"Young Master Zhang?" The young woman noticed his red-rimmed eyes and agitated state. "What's wrong?"

“Miss Fang, my mother likes you very much. I know you are a good person. It's just…”

At first, Miss Fang was quite excited, but the word "only" touched her heart, and she looked at him seriously.

"It's my fault. Something has gotten me into a mess that I can't get out of. I thought I had resolved it before I started going on blind dates with girls. But now I realize that's not the case... I can't explain the situation to the girls."

I can't tell my mother either. So, until the situation becomes clearer, I'm afraid... I can't continue with the girl. She's innocent, and I can't bear to involve her."

It was not without reason that Madam Zhang took a liking to Miss Fang.

If it were an ordinary girl, she would definitely feel ashamed and angry, and would shed tears or turn away.

But Miss Fang took two deep breaths and said, "Since you say so, young master, I shouldn't ask any more questions. However, some things are unclear when you're in the thick of it, but others might understand them better. If all else fails, you can talk to Madam Zhang. She's smart and experienced; she'll surely find a way."

"Thank you so much, young lady... You are really kind. It's my fault. Please tell your family that I am an ordinary and uninteresting person, and I'm afraid I'll make things difficult for your husband."

The girl looked at him, gritting her teeth, and was also very excited.

It hasn't been easy for her along the way.

She thought she had finally found a good marriage: her mother-in-law valued him, the family was well-off, and there were few people in the household. Her husband was upright, and at his age, he was relatively clean.

But I didn't expect...

"Okay." Her voice choked slightly as she bowed, turned away, and two tears streamed down her face...

Zhang Debao stood there and said to her retreating figure, "I'm sorry."