ATPnovel Chapter 113 Even if they're not blood-related, there's always a layer between them.
Chapter 113 Even if they're not blood-related, there's always a layer between them.
Zhu Gaoxi's words proved prophetic; they were indeed blocked from entering the capital.
The eunuch in charge of the Eastern Palace stood at the door, seemingly waiting there specifically to prevent the Princess Consort and her son from entering.
Zhu Gaoxi sensibly looked down at the ground, pretending not to notice his stepmother's disheveled and humiliating appearance.
However, they were unable to escape their fate.
"Fourth brother, you jinx!"
Xu Miaoyun grabbed her son's chubby hand, turned around and went back, scolding him in a low voice.
"Mother, let's go back to the vegetable garden and rest for a while."
"And to calm my temper," Zhu Gaoxi thought to himself.
"Why go back?!" Xu Miaoyun retorted defiantly. After a moment's thought, she made a decision: "Let's go for a stroll in the Imperial Garden. The peonies are in full bloom in April. Let's go admire the flowers."
Zhu Gaoxi had no choice but to obey.
Like mother, like son.
Zhu Gaoxi now understood the true source of his second brother's fiery temper.
In the Imperial Garden, the blooming peonies are like fairies descended to earth, dressed in red dancing skirts, swaying gracefully in the wind.
Smelling the delightful fragrance, Xu Miaoyun relaxed, temporarily forgetting the unpleasantness from before.
"Xi'er, come here and have a chat with your mother," Xu Miaoyun said, sitting on a wooden chair and beckoning Zhu Gaoxi to sit down.
"Are you disappointed that your mother didn't come?" Xu Miaoyun affectionately stroked Zhu Gaoxi's head.
Such a sensitive issue!
Zhu Gaoxi quickly thought of an answer: "Grandfather made the decision to send Father and Mother back to the capital at the last minute, so he was not particularly disappointed. I am very happy to see Mother."
Just as Xu Miaoyun was about to offer a word of comfort, Madam Lü's indifferent voice suddenly rang out, "Even if you treat someone who isn't your biological child well, there will always be a barrier between you."
Turning around in the direction of the sound, they saw Lady Lü accompanying the Crown Prince's wife as they slowly walked towards them.
Zhu Yunwen's principal wife, Ma Jiahui, was heavily pregnant and moved slowly. Lady Lü carefully reminded her to watch her step.
It seems that Madam Xia's medical skills have been effective; otherwise, Madam Ma would never have had the strength to travel such a long distance.
Upon hearing this, Xu Miaoyun bowed respectfully without being humble, and retorted without any politeness: "No wonder Yun Tong is not making progress in his studies, it turns out it's because he's not her biological son."
"you?!……"
Lady Lü's eyes widened in anger, and she trembled with rage, unable to utter a word for a moment.
"Princess Consort Yan is being insolent!" Ma Jiahui's voice was not loud, but it was firm and resolute.
A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. There's no need to compete in front of a pregnant woman, as it concerns the safety of the imperial heir. If something unexpected happens, you won't be able to explain yourself no matter how hard you try.
Zhu Gaoxi mustered all his strength and pulled his furious stepmother away as quickly as possible.
Back in the vegetable garden, Xu Miaoyun vented her anger: "What business is it of hers what we're having?! Deliberately trying to sow discord, harboring ill intentions, being sarcastic and insinuating... I think..."
Fearing that she might say something taboo in a fit of anger, Zhu Gaoxi, in a moment of panic, lunged into his stepmother's arms and covered her mouth.
"I think she's up to no good," Xu Miaoyun said with a slight smile, full of relief. She gave him a light glare, removed his chubby hand, and slowly uttered the second half of her sentence.
"Look how scared you are! Do you think your mother is so timid?"
Xu Miaoyun affectionately pinched Zhu Gaoxi's chubby cheek, "A gentleman doesn't hold grudges against a child. I know to be accommodating and not stoop to her level."
"If Chang Lin were still here, Yun Tong would never have been spoiled like this," Xu Miaoyun said with deep sadness, thinking of her best friend who died young.
Zhu Gaoxi nodded very seriously, strongly agreeing with his stepmother's insightful opinion.
"You brat, if you dare to act like that again, I'll beat you up!" Xu Miaoyun laughed in anger and raised her hand as if to hit him.
Zhu Gaoxi immediately begged for mercy.
"Fourth brother, at this point, you should run away as fast as you can. Second brother has experience with getting beaten up, I'll teach you a couple of tricks when I come down," Zhu Gaoxu said with a grin as he walked into the vegetable garden.
Upon seeing the second son, Xu Miaoyun immediately stood up and quickly walked to the woodpile to select a suitable stick.
"Second brother, run!" Zhu Gaoxi mouthed a silent warning to Zhu Gaoxu.
"Mother, it's midday, and if I get a good beating, how am I supposed to go to school in the main hall later?"
Zhu Gaoxu gave Xu Miaoyun a "it's okay" look, then moved closer and pleaded shamelessly.
Xu Miaoyun thought about it again and realized that her second brother was right. She could save the beating for later that night.
Zhu Gaoxu, having escaped this ordeal for the time being, cast a smug glance at Zhu Gaoxi, as if to say, "Fourth brother, learn from this."
Zhu Gaoxi warmly pulled Mu Xin, who was new to the area, and led him to the backyard to see the sweet potatoes and the mimeograph machine.
When they returned after making their rounds, Yunfei and his men had already brought the food to the table. Xu Miaoyun greeted them warmly, "Muxin, come and eat."
"The vegetable garden is Lao Si's territory, so let's treat this place as our own home," Zhu Gaoxu handed the bowl and chopsticks to Mu Xin, and without thinking twice, sat down and started eating.
The stepmother and the second brother did indeed treat the vegetable garden as their own property.
Xu Miaoyun, as the hostess, busied herself with making arrangements. Yunfei, Yunqing, Yunjing, and Yunlu were the four people she had personally trained, and they were quite adept at being managed.
After informing him, Youdun quietly left the palace and returned to the Prince of Zhou's residence to begin preparations for the wedding.
Zhu Gaoxi had a strange, uneasy feeling that things were spiraling out of control.
However, he didn't have time to think about these things right now. The Crown Prince was eyeing him covetously and wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible. He couldn't afford to worry about internal family conflicts in the short term.
After the meal, Zhu Gaoxu and Mu Xin went to Dabentang to attend school, and the vegetable garden suddenly became quiet.
Xu Miaoyun summoned Zhu Gaoxi into the room and dismissed the palace servants.
"Although Xuezhu is clever, her medical skills are not good. This time she brought three female guards to you. Tomorrow you will go with your mother to Princess Ningguo's residence and send the three of them there to learn the rules and regulations. As for arranging their entry into the East Palace, you can't ask Li Jinglong for help anymore. Leave it to your second aunt. We have a good relationship."
Princess Ningguo, Zhu Jingwei, was the second daughter of the old emperor and the eldest daughter of Empress Ma. Princess Yan, Xu Miaoyun, entered the palace at a young age, served Empress Ma, listened to her teachings, and spent a lot of time with Zhu Jingwei, developing a deep and close relationship.
Zhu Gaoxi trusted his stepmother's judgment and gladly accepted her arrangement.
After seeing his stepmother off, Zhu Gaoxi returned to the vegetable garden and saw You Dun wolfing down braised beef.
"When will Fifth Uncle arrive in Beijing?"
Zhu Gaoxi walked over and sat down next to Youdun.
"I've been busy all day and haven't even had time to eat, but I've finally finished most of it," Youdun said, taking a sip of hot tea. He roughly estimated, "It should arrive in a day or two."
Zhu Gaoxi repeated his stepmother's plan to Zhu Youdun.
"That's good, it's better to be prepared. Fourth Uncle is very thoughtful," Zhu Youdun said with deep approval.
Even so, Zhu Gaoxi still had some vague worries.
Historically, Princess Ningguo's husband, Mei Yin, was a staunch supporter of Emperor Jianwen.
After Zhu Di ascended the throne, Mei Yin continued to command troops and guard Huai'an. In order to force Mei Yin to return to the capital, Zhu Di made Princess Ningguo write a letter in blood.
Upon receiving the letter, Mei Yin wept bitterly. When he went to court to pay his respects, Zhu Di personally greeted him and took the initiative to show goodwill, saying, "You have worked hard, son-in-law."
"Toil in vain," Mei Yin replied bluntly.
Zhu Di remained silent after hearing this, becoming even more wary. It is said that he repeatedly sent people to infiltrate the princess's residence to investigate. Mei Yin became increasingly furious after discovering this, and the relationship between the two became increasingly irreconcilable.
Three years later, when Mei Yin was on his way to court, he was pushed into the water by Zhu Di's confidants and drowned.
Upon hearing the news, Princess Ningguo rushed to the palace, grabbed Zhu Di's clothes, and cried uncontrollably, begging her brother to uphold justice.
Left with no other choice, Zhu Di issued an edict to behead the instigator, confiscate his property, and appoint official positions to both of Mei Yin's sons.