The Prodigal Son

"call……"

Zhao Luan let out a long sigh of relief and couldn't help but stretch.

After a busy day, I finally finished dealing with all the backlogged tasks.

There shouldn't be anything major happening at tomorrow's court assembly. It'll just be a simple arrangement of the affairs that have been in place for the past few days since the court was closed, and some arrangements for the affairs that will begin after the new year.

After finishing tomorrow's work, I should take a good rest.

There were quite a few important matters to attend to by the imperial court this year, but fortunately, they were all handled well in the end.

The threat posed by the Prince of Chengyang has been completely eliminated!

If all goes well, the last wish of Emperor Xiaowu and the late emperor to destroy Yan should be fulfilled next year!

The Empress Dowager said a few days ago that the snow scenery of Diecui Mountain should be very beautiful after these few snowfalls.

If there is time, we should also accompany the Empress Dowager to Diecui Mountain to enjoy the snow.

Without the strong support of the Empress Dowager, Da Ning would never have achieved its current great success!

After pondering silently for a moment, Zhao Luan instructed Shangguan Youyi: "Summon Qin Yu and Yun Ying to have dinner with me!"

Just as Shangguan Youyi was about to accept the order and leave, the Empress Dowager's voice suddenly rang out at the door.

"No!"

The Empress Dowager stepped in and smiled, saying, "I have already sent Qin Yu back!"

"What?"

Zhao Luan's face stiffened. She stood up and walked towards the Empress Dowager. "Mother, why did you let him go back?"

"You silly girl, Qin Yu has made such a great contribution, why are you still tormenting him like this?"

As the Empress Dowager spoke, she waved to Shangguan Youyi, who quickly bowed and withdrew.

"My daughter didn't cause any trouble at all!"

Zhao Luan helped the Empress Dowager sit down. "If I really wanted to torment him, I'd give him dozens of lashes!"

The Empress Dowager smiled. "I know you're nurturing and training him, hoping he'll shoulder great responsibilities in the future and share the burdens of you and the court, right?"

Zhao Luan paused for a moment, then nodded gently.

"But you're being forced into this situation."

The Empress Dowager shook her head and smiled, then took out several folded sheets of paper from her sleeve and handed them to Zhao Luan, saying, "Take a look at these first!"

"good!"

Zhao Luan took it and examined it carefully.

Zhao Luan was engrossed in reading Qin Yu's unfinished manual.

However, when he saw Qin Yu's appointments of officials in Min and the reasons for those appointments, he only glanced at them briefly before slamming them on the table beside him. "Perfunctory! Utter nonsense!"

"That's utter nonsense!"

The Empress Dowager nodded and smiled. "However, in my opinion, this isn't just a perfunctory response; he genuinely doesn't understand politics!"

Zhao Luan was speechless for a moment, then nodded helplessly: "Indeed!"

"Actually, this is a good thing!"

The Empress Dowager suppressed her smile and said earnestly, "He doesn't need to understand politics, and it's best if he doesn't understand those messy things either. He can just offer advice when you need it! I've told you before that Qin Yu is a good match for you! Now that he's returned from Min, I'm even more convinced of this!"

"Mother..."

Zhao Luan pouted slightly, revealing a rare girlish demeanor.

Why are we bringing this up again?

"You react like this every time I bring this up."

The Empress Dowager sighed helplessly, "Think about it yourself, looking across the entire capital, is there anyone more suitable for you than Qin Yu?"

"Mother, this matter isn't as simple as you think," Zhao Luan said with a wry smile. "Even if I agree, have you considered Qin Yu's situation?"

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager was immediately displeased. "What's wrong? A tremendous stroke of good fortune has fallen into his lap, and he's still not happy?"

"This isn't a question of whether he's willing or not!"

Zhao Luan was both amused and exasperated. "Qin Yu already has Nan Que'er and Luo Qingyi by his side, and there's also Xu Wan who's eyeing him longingly! Mother thinks that if I marry him, as an emperor, how can I share a husband with other women? If I don't share a husband with them, what will happen to the women around him?"

"this……"

Zhao Luan's question caught the Empress Dowager off guard.

As an empress, how could Zhao Luan share a husband with another man?

Where is the dignity of the royal family?

Forget about sharing a husband, marrying into the Qin family is impossible!

She turned the tables and married Qin Yu!

Or rather, Qin Yu married into an imperial family!

If they can't share one husband, what will happen to Qin Yu's other women?

killed?

Or should they be ordered to leave Qin Yu directly?

The Empress Dowager looked worried, unsure of what to do next.

Hmm, it seems we need to think this over carefully!

When that old bastard Qin Fumeng returns, perhaps we can ask him what he thinks first.

Let's see what he's thinking first.

"I understand Mother's good intentions, but there are indeed too many things to consider regarding my marriage. Mother, please don't worry about me all the time!"

Zhao Luan took the Empress Dowager's hand and patted it gently. "Didn't Mother say before that the snow scenery at Diecui Mountain must be beautiful? After court is over, I'll accompany Mother to Diecui Mountain to enjoy the snow, how about it?"

"well!"

The Empress Dowager immediately became interested in enjoying the snow, "Let's invite Qin Yu along too!"

"..."

Zhao Luan was both amused and exasperated.

no……

How did this bring up Qin Yu again?

Could that bastard Qin Yu have secretly given the Empress Dowager some kind of bewitching potion?

"Take it with you!"

The Empress Dowager smiled, "I really didn't do this to matchmake you two! That scoundrel promised to make fireworks for me before the New Year. My idea is that we stay overnight at Diecui Mountain, and then he can set off fireworks for me tonight! Just imagine, fireworks in the sky and snow on the ground, the scenery will be absolutely breathtaking..."

The Empress Dowager grew increasingly expectant as she spoke, her face revealing a deep longing.

Hearing the Empress Dowager say this, Zhao Luan couldn't help but feel a little fascinated.

I must say, just thinking about that scene is beautiful!

Zhao Luan pondered silently for a moment, then nodded in agreement: "Then let it be as Mother does! However, it will probably take him some time to set up those fireworks, so the snow scene might not be perfect by then..."

"It's okay, we'll see!"

The Empress Dowager smiled casually, "If the snow scene is pleasant, we'll go for a walk; if the snow has melted, we won't go! Besides, it's already snowed several times this winter, so we might just happen to catch it snowing!"

"Too!"

Zhao Luan smiled, "Then let's settle on that for now!"

"good!"

The Empress Dowager nodded and stroked Zhao Luan's hand. "You've been busy all year, and our Great Ning has finally achieved something great this year! You should take a good rest! After the new year begins, all sorts of things will come one after another, and you probably won't have time to rest then."

Seeing Da Ning in this state, the Empress Dowager was greatly pleased.

Although he took a step back, he gained a much better situation in Da Ning today.

Even if Da Ning were to merely preserve its current assets, let alone destroy Bei Qi and Yan, it would still give it the face to meet Emperor Xiaowu and the late emperor in the afterlife.

"Um."

Zhao Luan nodded and smiled, "Has Mother had dinner yet?"

"Not yet!"

"Then the daughter will have dinner with her mother."

"good!"

The mother and daughter chatted and laughed.

The past barriers seem to have completely disappeared...