Three Kingdoms, at the beginning of the game, recognize the thief as the father, hit the spectacle,

While Zhang Rang was still looking around at the interior of the Eastern Palace, a somewhat abrupt voice came from his side, which immediately attracted Zhang Rang's attention.

"Empress Dong, long time no see."

With his hands folded in front of him, Zhang Rang bowed slightly to the thin figure not far away, with a hint of respect evident in his every move.

……

"Well, long time no see."

……

I saw that thin figure turning around, it was Dong Shi, the empress dowager of the big man and the biological mother of the previous emperor Liu Hong.

Seeing Zhang Rang, Mrs. Dong didn't say much, just looked calmly at the garden not far away, looked at the lake next to the garden, and waved to Zhang Rang after a while, signaling Zhang Rang to come over to him around.

It was different from most of the situations in the palace, and even different from how he behaved in front of Liu Hong at the beginning. Facing Dong, the woman with the highest status in the entire Han Dynasty, Zhang Rang seemed to have a special feeling. There is subconscious respect in every movement.

Walking slowly to Dong's side, Zhang Rang bowed, looking at the gracefully dressed woman with a calm expression in front of him, he didn't know where to start.

……

"Your son is dead."

That is definitely not the case.

Silently writing the manuscript in his heart, for some reason, Zhang Rang felt that the Dong family at this time was almost the same as it was 20 years ago, and there was a sense of indifference to the world in every move.

Even the news of Liu Hong's death didn't seem to have any impact on her.

Just thinking about it, Zhang Rang felt that this was reasonable.

After all, this woman has been like this ever since.

Neither her husband, Liu Chang, Marquis of Jieduting, nor Queen Dou, who was so powerful at the time, could affect her mood in the slightest.

Even her own son Liu Hong couldn't.

……

To be honest, Zhang Rang's respect for this woman is not only out of respect for her own ability or status, but more because of Zhang Rang's unreasonable indifference to her.

As the saying goes, companionship with a king is like companionship with a tiger.Zhang Rang has been the Zhongchang servant for so many years, and has served by Liu Hong's side for so many years. It stands to reason that he should have been a courtier with an extremely exquisite grasp of human nature.

But the fact is that he still can't see through Dong Shi, and he can't even understand the reason for her indifference.

……

Perhaps because of the misfortune encountered in childhood?

Or maybe it was because the premature marriage brought too much pressure on her?

Chihiro: 8⑥5㈤[-]з

Zhang Rang did not know the answer to this matter.

All he knew was that although Dong had shown a certain desire for power and wealth during the process of seizing power in the harem... or in other words, the Eastern Palace, this desire was more derived from protecting himself than from Dong's desire.

This woman is like a clay figurine who has no desires or needs. She only behaves in line with the expectations of others when others need her, and then when others don't need her, she is like a plant or even a piece of adobe. Doesn't attract attention at all.

If not, after so many years in power in the imperial palace, the He family would not let the other party take charge of the East Palace as if he hadn't seen the other party, and he would try his best to do nothing wrong with him.

……

"Don't hesitate, Zhang Rang, just speak up if you have something to say."

"I know your nature, if you don't have to, you won't come looking for me."

"Why, but I encountered something that needs me to help you solve it? Is it inside the palace or outside the palace?"

"In order to find a job for my family members, I once asked you for help, and I promised you that if you need my help in the future, just say it, and I will not refuse."

……

Looking at the distant lake expressionlessly, Zhang Rang could only hear Dong whispering to him as if without emotion.

Her voice was not dry and hoarse in the slightest, but when it reached Zhang Rang's ears, it gave him a dry and cold feeling like counting nine cold days.

Looking up again at the Queen Mother Dong, this woman in her 40s gave Zhang Rang a very strange feeling, as if the other party was not in the same world as him, and everything that happened on his side was different. It cannot affect the other party's mentality.

Swallowing secretly, Zhang Rang sighed, and then his expression became firmer instead of hesitant.

……

"Reporting to the Queen Mother, our family really has something to ask for when we come here today."

"This matter is related to the fate of the Han Dynasty, and I hope the Queen Mother can help me."

……

"National luck? Hehe..."

Turning his head casually to look at Zhang Rang beside him, Dong's slender eyebrows raised slightly, as if making an expression in front of Zhang Rang for the first time,

It's just a pity that Zhang Rang was lowering his head at this time, and didn't see the extremely subtle expression change on Dong's face.

After a short while, Dong Shi seemed to have returned to the original state, and his expression became cold again.

"Hmm... I see. Is there something wrong with Hong'er?"

"Calculate the time... Hehe, it's time."

"Thinking about it, it's really sad. A few days ago, Kuigu thought he could break through this evil barrier, but he didn't expect that Hong'er finally fell into it..."

Muttering something that Zhang Rang half understood, Mrs. Dong looked up at the sky as if she could see something. After a long time, she looked away, turned around and walked towards the palace beside her.

……

"Zhang Rang... come with me. Come into the room and talk."

"No... needless to say too much is useless."

"You just need to tell me how I can help you."

There was no trace of anger in his eyes. At this moment, in Zhang Rang's eyes, Dong was not so much a living person, but a prop that Zhang Rang could manipulate.

Although Zhang Rang was a little curious about why the other party was a little indifferent to the news of his son's death, after all, it had been so many years, and he was already familiar with Dong's style.

Respectfully bowing his hands to Dong Shi, Zhang Rang took a deep breath, recalled the drafts on the way when he came, and then whispered to Dong Shi.

……

"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, yesterday...the late emperor unfortunately passed away yesterday, and after our family's investigation, if there is no accident, the matter must be done by the current general He Jin."

"He colluded with the He family of the former empress's palace and used the three elixir to poison the first emperor. The evidence is convincing. We will only wait for the new emperor to ascend the throne and put him in prison for a strict trial."

……

"It's a pity... due to He Jin's great power and a large number of elite soldiers in his hands, it is difficult for us officials to confront him head-on. Even if the various ministries of the Xiyuan Imperial Army were summoned, because of the mutual distrust among the officials, it was easy It’s going to fall apart internally, it’s not stable.”

"A family cannot be without an owner for a day, and a country cannot be without a king for a day. For the sake of our society and future, our family hopes that you will help us, the Queen Mother, to invite He Jin into the palace... until I take him Next, you can return the big man to a bright future."

Zhang Rang said with some melancholy.

Chapter 72 The Thread of Fate

"This day...is it finally here?"

In Yongle Palace, Empress Dowager Dong looked at Zhang Rang who was not far in front of her, and couldn't help being a little dazed.

……

She is in her 40s and almost 50 years old this year. For people in ancient times, even the pampered royal family, this age is already half a foot in the grave.

At this moment, listening to Zhang Rang constantly accusing her of the crimes of General He Jin, Dong seems to feel that she should be sad, angry, and show some unusual emotions.

But when she really faced such a fate, she was a little surprised to find that she seemed to be used to such things.

Picking up the teacup on the table, Mrs. Dong didn't raise it either, but just stared blankly at the mouth of the cup, subconsciously recalling what had happened in her mind.

……

That was four or fifty years ago.

……

Like most aristocratic women, Dong was born in a rather wealthy family in Hejian County.

Her father treated her like a jewel in the palm of her hand when she was very young, and her mother was also extremely kind to her, so Dong's childhood was actually more perfect than most women in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

It was only when she was twelve or thirteen years old that a man in a gauze cloth robe came to her home, and immediately fell in love with her who was still very young at the time. She vowed to her father that in the future, Dong Shi will be more precious than mother and child, and may even become the queen of a big man, so Dong Shi's father can carefully train her.

Regarding such nonsense, to be honest, neither Dong herself nor her family members believed it at the beginning.

Just looking at the Taoist priest's swearing, everyone made extra preparations.

……

Sure enough, within two or three years, she was chosen as the wife of Liu Chang, Marquis of Xieduting at that time, because of her knowledge and good looks, so the so-called "Queen" and "Mother Yitianxia" and other words were not true. The attack was self-defeating, and was gradually forgotten by everyone in the depths of their minds.

But what they didn't expect was that not long after, Mrs. Dong, who had just given birth to a son for Liu Chang, learned from Luoyang that her son Liu Hong had been selected as the next Son of Heaven, just as the Taoist priest had said earlier. Words match.

What made her feel even more terrified was that whether it was Liu Hong's succession, the struggle between her and the Queen Mother Dou at that time, or even He's entry into the palace, the Taoist priest had expected it, and even told the old man about it. When she was young, she herself played a vital role in the inheritance of the "national fortune" of the entire Han Dynasty.

After learning that this series of things were true, Mrs. Dong didn't feel the slightest joy, but felt a chill down her spine.

……

Just imagine, when a stranger saw you the first time, he actually told you everything you will experience in the future. What does this mean to a child who has not yet grown up?

It's not my own uniqueness, it's not my longing for mothers who are more precious than their sons, and the beauty of the world, or even my curiosity about that Taoist priest.

When she found out that everything the other party said had been realized, all Dong felt was the deep fear of her own fate.

Is my fate already programmed?

Are things going in a certain direction no matter what I do?

Could it be... everything in my life has already been predestined by others?

For Dong Shi, what she felt in such a thing when she was young was by no means a good thing.

What made her even more desperate was that no matter what she did later, she was unable to rebel against her existing destiny.

……

She also gave up on herself.