Chapter 253 - 236: Sour Stomach (Second Update)

Chapter 253: Chapter 236: Sour Stomach (Second Update)

Imperial City, Shou’an Palace.

After being removed from the Royal Jade Scroll, Zhao Xunyin ceased to exist in this world. She now took her mother’s surname Mei and was known by her childhood name, Fanghua.

This was the first true family reunion in two decades, though not everyone was present. Only Empress Dowager Renyi, Emperor Guangxi, Fanghua, and Lu Xingzhou were there.

Even when she was a Princess, Fanghua disliked extravagant adornments. Now, having shed her silken attire for simple cloth clothing, she didn’t look much different. Her beauty remained, though her expression showed weariness, likely from worrying about Lu Yanqing these days.

The midday meal had been laid out for a while, yet no one moved their chopsticks.

The Empress Dowager occasionally glanced at her daughter across from her. Before, when her heart was full of vengeance, she hadn’t noticed, but now she saw the vulnerable side of an ordinary daughter beneath the cold exterior.

She could argue, she could oppose her, but she could also ache, cry, and feel remorse for her mistakes.

Set aside her Princess status, she was just a pitiful woman. As a youth, she couldn’t be with her love due to her birth mother’s obstruction and, by tragic circumstance, ended up pregnant, personally witnessing her love ride a grand horse to marry someone else. In despair, she ran away with the child in her womb.

The Empress Dowager had reflected on it; if she hadn’t brought her daughter back and remarried her for the sake of those two hundred thousand soldiers, these years in the countryside, even if challenging, would have at least brought peace of mind. They perhaps were just ill-fated with Lu Xingzhou. Time could have healed things, and not too many would have been wronged.

But in this world, there aren’t so many "ifs." From the day Fanghua remarried Lu Xingzhou while pregnant with another’s child, tragedy’s seeds were sown.

Reunion with her love was no longer purely mutual affection; a layer of "betrayal" lay between them.

Lu Xingzhou’s deep feelings and the existence of Lu Yanqing became the sharpest conflict in this "betrayal," burning daily, tormenting Fanghua.

Humans aren’t sages; when caught in circumstances, confusion is inevitable and it’s difficult to handle everything perfectly.

Undeniably, as a woman, even as the Empress Dowager, placing herself in her daughter’s shoes, she couldn’t maintain reason in such a situation unless she didn’t care about the child or the man at all.

If there’s no care, there’s no guilt; without guilt, there’s no conflict; without conflict, it won’t end in tragedy.

...

"When do you two plan to leave?"

The decision had been made, and the Empress Dowager knew she couldn’t keep them.

"After seeing off Yanqing, we’ll head south."

While speaking, Fanghua glanced at Lu Xingzhou beside her. Though her face showed no smile, her tone clearly conveyed a release of burden.

The Empress Dowager thought that perhaps this was Fanghua’s least burdened moment in twenty years.

As her birth mother, she couldn’t help but smile along, "Leaving might truly be a relief for you both."

Meeting her mother’s gaze, Fanghua didn’t hide her true feelings, "Mother is right. Leaving behind the past and shedding the Princess’s halo, I feel reborn. I’m no longer trapped, unable to move on due to past confusions. Now, nothing is as important to me as family. Yanqing’s repentance before leaving is my greatest comfort. We and my husband still have years to wait; one day our family can reunite."

Thinking about today’s purpose for entering the palace, she continued, "I came into the palace to ask a favor from mother and brother."

Emperor Guangxi, hearing his sister acknowledge him after sitting awkwardly for half the day, spoke up eagerly before the Empress Dowager could, "Speak."

Fanghua hesitated for a moment, "Last year, the third-place scholar, the Hanlin official Song Wei, he’s my son-in-law. The Capital is tumultuous, and on his way up, he’ll inevitably have to deal with all kinds of people. Unless he makes a grave mistake, I hope mother and brother can shield him a little."

Emperor Guangxi thought of this unexpected situation at an inopportune moment—it should have been a warm family reunion meal, yet due to that rascal, he felt he couldn’t swallow a bite.

"Are you saying, Fanghua, that you have a daughter?"

Emperor Guangxi hadn’t known about this.

Now, hearing his sister mention it, he vaguely recalled the young lady in Song Wei’s family but couldn’t clearly picture her.

He had seen her before, but his focus was always on Song Wei. He wouldn’t have stared at the young lady, so didn’t remember her.

"She is my husband and my first child." Fanghua lowered her head slightly, "Shamefully, when I returned to the Capital years ago, I left her in the countryside, intending to keep her away from Royal troubles. Unexpectedly, Song Wei would end up passing his exams and become an official in the Capital, perhaps destiny indeed. My husband and I have no power left and are going to Ningzhou for mourning duty. Even though we left a Hidden Guard for her, not seeing her safe and well with my own eyes leaves my conscience uneasy. For over a decade, I’ve been an unfit mother, and I refuse to ignore her for the next decades."

Emperor Guangxi asked, "You haven’t acknowledged your niece?"

"How could I show such a face?" Fanghua smiled bitterly, then added, "Song Wei treats her well, and her in-laws aren’t harsh. Wanwan lives comfortably—that is the home she deserves. Beyond bearing her, I’ve done nothing for her. Why should I destroy her future under the guise of a mother’s name?"

As long as Wanwan can live well, I’d rather she think of me as someone who’s long gone, so in her mind, she once had a kindly mother, rather than having a living mother who only brings her trouble."

Emperor Guangxi thought of the last time he sent Song Wei to the Princess Mansion with gifts, no wonder it went unexpectedly well—her son-in-law meeting his mother-in-law. "Since you haven’t acknowledged her, I’ll pretend to be unaware, going forward."

Fanghua nodded, "I hope Wanwan can have the simplest happiness. Sometimes a noble status doesn’t equate to prosperity. I am a living example and don’t want my daughter following in my footsteps."

The Empress Dowager sighed, "That child is also sadly fated."

Fanghua replied, "Wanwan indeed arrived at an inopportune time back then. I had no choice but to have her born and grow up in the countryside. Seeing Song Wei’s kindness to her now, I believe most women don’t have such good fortune. It proves she is a child blessed with great fortune."

"It’s also because you didn’t choose the wrong son-in-law back then." Lu Xingzhou said with a smile, looking at her.

Fanghua gave a faint smile.

The Empress Dowager glanced at the untouched food before them and urged, "Since it’s a reunion meal, at least make an effort; let’s stop talking and quietly eat!"

Lu Xingzhou served a bowl of soup for Fanghua, who took it. However, as she brought it to her mouth and caught the scent, a wave of nausea surged up her throat, and she couldn’t hold back, retching on the spot.