Hearing this, the Empress Dowager looked up at Chaoyan rather sluggishly before continuing, "But in this world, sometimes it's better to be muddled." "Rather than having her know the truth, I'd rather she stay in the dark all her life."
As the Empress Dowager spoke, her tone was full of heaviness. Her eyes welled up with tears as she stared intently at the woman in the bronze mirror in front of her.
"Your Ladyship!"
Chaoyan could no longer hide her anger. She said to the Empress Dowager, "I've watched Mingzhu and Mingjia grow up. You know what kind of person Mingzhu is. If you don't tell her, how long will she struggle?"
Chaoyan truly regarded Shen Mingzhu and Shen Mingjia as her own children. When she was rescued by the Empress Dowager back then, she had already injured her body and could never give birth in this lifetime.
The Empress Dowager quietly looked at her haggard face in the bronze mirror. Suddenly, she let out a soft laugh and said, "It's better to know later. It would be best if she never knows."
Seeing the look in her eyes, Chaoyan suddenly couldn't tell whether the Empress Dowager was sober or lost in confusion again. So she tentatively said, "What's so bad about knowing? We can't let Mingzhu waste all her energy on this."
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager looked deeply at Chaoyan. Her face was filled with boundless grief. Tears streamed down her eyes as she looked at Chaoyan and said, "No, it's still better not to know."
"Your Ladyship!"
Chaoyan was extremely angry and tears welled up in her eyes too. Looking at the white hair at the Empress Dowager's temples, she suddenly burst into tears.
What on earth had happened? Why was Her Ladyship so stubborn!
The Empress Dowager quietly watched Chaoyan cry. After a while, she reached out to wipe the tears from the corner of her eyes. Suddenly, she said in surprise, "Chaoyan, how come you've got wrinkles in such a short time!"
Chaoyan looked up. Her eyes were full of pain and her heart felt like it was sinking. But she still managed to force a smile and said, "What are you talking about, Your Ladyship? Maybe you're mistaken. Where would I get wrinkles?"
As she spoke, she distanced herself from the Empress Dowager, afraid of showing any flaws.
The Empress Dowager frowned and looked at her for a few moments. Finally, she sighed and said to Chaoyan, "Were you crying for the Zhang family again last night? Look, your tears have even dripped onto my hand."
Chaoyan nodded. After a moment of silence, she lowered her eyebrows and said, "Your Ladyship, I haven't cried for a long time. My name is Chaoyan now. I'm no longer that concubine daughter of the Zhang family."
"You're right." The Empress Dowager let out a long sigh and said to Chaoyan, "I took a fancy to your determination back then and that's why I rescued you. It's good that you're so open - minded now."
Chaoyan looked at the expression in the Empress Dowager's eyes and was confused again. So she smiled and said, "I'm glad Your Ladyship is satisfied."
Who knows what's really the best?
Chaoyan looked up at the palace gate.
...
When Shen Mingzhu came out, she saw that the place where Xie Lang had been standing was empty. So she subconsciously frowned and was about to stop a maid to ask where he had gone.
Before she could speak, Shen Mingzhu suddenly heard a soft call from behind, "Sister."
Shen Mingzhu paused for a moment. Then the expression on her face suddenly faded. She turned around and said to Shen Mingyuan, "I pay my respects to Your Majesty."
Hearing this, a hint of unhidden bitterness flashed across Shen Mingyuan's eyes. He said in a deep voice, "Must Sister be so distant from me?"
Shen Mingzhu ignored his words and continued, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for coming to visit Mother some days ago and sending those night pearls to her. I'll have someone return the things to Your Majesty later."
Did Shen Mingzhu even not want to accept her own things now?
Shen Mingyuan stared fixedly at her. He stepped forward and asked her, "Sister, I..."
"Your Majesty." Shen Mingzhu's expression was calm. She spoke politely, "I'm looking for my husband now. I wonder if Your Majesty knows where he is?"
Where on earth had Xie Lang gone? With his wits, he shouldn't be out - schemed by Shen Mingyuan, that little fox. He had even said a few words to her before she entered the palace. Why was he gone when she came out?
Shen Mingyuan looked at the aloof look in Shen Mingzhu's eyes. The dull feeling in his heart gradually spread. There was even a hint of long - absent grievance in his eyes. He looked more like a younger brother looking at his elder sister than a noble emperor.
The eunuchs and maids waiting on the side had already wisely lowered their eyes and closed them, not daring to see the Emperor in such a state.
"Sister."
Shen Mingyuan spoke. Looking at Shen Mingzhu, he said, "You won't forgive me."
Shen Mingzhu always thought the person in front of her was simply unreasonable. Hearing this, there was even a hint of mockery on her face. She said, "What are you talking about, Your Majesty? Who in this world can bear such words from you? Your Majesty, please stop making it hard for me."
Shen Mingzhu's tone was extremely cold. Her eyes looking at Shen Mingyuan were full of alertness, without the original gentleness and with a hint of boredom.
The atmosphere instantly cooled down. It was deathly quiet. The palace servants around all lowered their heads, wishing they could disappear. Shen Mingyuan stubbornly looked at Shen Mingzhu, as if waiting for the person in front of him to say something else to him.
But Shen Mingzhu calmly looked at the senior eunuch in front of Shen Mingyuan and said, "Where's my husband?"
The senior eunuch wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. But he could only smile obsequiously under Shen Mingyuan's cold and sharp gaze and say, "Your Highness Mingzhu is joking. When I accompanied His Majesty here, I didn't see Young Master Xie."
Hearing this, Shen Mingzhu let out a soft scoff. She coldly glanced at him and said, "Young Master Xie?"
The senior eunuch's face instantly turned pale. He looked up at Shen Mingyuan tremblingly before saying, "Yes!"
Then he slapped himself hard on the side of his face and said, "It was my slip of the tongue."
After that, he slapped himself again. After standing there for a while, his face gradually swelled up.
But he still didn't call Xie Lang the prince consort.
Shen Mingzhu laughed again and coldly said, "There's no need to put on a show in front of me."
Where on earth had Xie Lang gone!
At this moment, Shen Mingzhu didn't even realize the coldness in her eyes and the hint of unhidden annoyance.
Shen Mingyuan opened his mouth but couldn't say a word. After a long while, he finally said in Shen Mingzhu's cold expression, "Sister, the adjacent place is where I lived before I ascended the throne. Do you remember?"
Shen Mingzhu turned to look. There was no special emotion in her eyes. Looking at Shen Mingyuan, she said, "How could I forget?"
After saying that, she fell silent again. Standing there straight, she continued to ask the others, "Where's my husband?"
Shen Mingyuan closed his eyes. His gaze was obscure. Looking at Shen Mingzhu bitterly, he said, "If I say I really don't know where Young Master Xie is, will Sister believe me?"
Shen Mingyuan wasn't so stubborn. So Shen Mingzhu was a bit annoyed.
That bastard Xie Lang didn't even tell her what he was doing. Where on earth had he gone!
"Your Highness?"
Xie Lang's voice came, with a hint of cynical laughter.
Shen Mingzhu turned around and saw Xie Lang walking out from somewhere. He skillfully took her hand.