books44 Chapter 204: Returning to the Palace
Chapter 204: Returning to the Palace
Chapter 204: Returning to the Palace
It was snowing heavily.
Shangguan Yuzhe's carriage also arrived in the capital. After entering the city gate, he saw the sparsely populated Zhuque Avenue. The wide street was deserted, like a dead city. He sat in the carriage with his eyes closed, seemingly lost in thought.
The carriages and horses quickly arrived at the gates of the imperial city. Beyond that lay the lifeblood of the entire nation. According to regulations, carriages and horses were not allowed to enter the Xuanwu Gate.
He had to get down and undergo a thorough inspection before entering the palace gate.
The people in the palace already knew he was returning to the city today, and the palace was much more bustling and lively than the outside world.
After removing her cloak, she followed the welcoming eunuch into the imperial study.
After exchanging greetings, there was a brief exchange of pleasantries. The emperor slightly raised his eyelids, and someone came over to replace the tea on the table.
"Now the country is prosperous and the people live in peace and contentment. I hope this can continue forever." He spoke very slowly, as if an old machine without lubrication was squeezing out these few words dryly.
Shangguan Yuzhe leaned down and continued listening to him speak.
"Now that you're back, go and visit your mother's spirit tablet. It's been over ten years since you last saw her; she must miss you terribly."
Shangguan Yuzhe lowered his head and said slowly, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."
“I know what you’re thinking, but she is, after all, your mother. Even with a thousand reasons not to, she risked her life to bring you into this world.” The emperor lifted his eyelids, his cloudy eyes looking at him with a bright light.
Shangguan Yuzhe was taken aback and quickly agreed. After chatting for a while, he left.
I walked again on the same ground I had walked more than a decade ago, and then went to familiar places. My mind was filled with memories of the past, of her and my past.
After his father's death, his mother also passed away, leaving him all alone. If it weren't for the imperial decree he was entrusted with and being the legitimate son of the royal family, he wouldn't have survived until now.
Now, he has been granted the title of Marquis. Inheriting his father's mantle and managing the entire Marquis's estate seems incredibly prestigious, but he is not a prince with real power.
The title of "Prince" was merely a name, and most of the time it was meaningless. He understood this perfectly well, which was why he was determined to win the Empress Dowager's favor on her birthday.
"Young master, now that you've seen the Princess Consort, would you like to visit the Empress Dowager?" the young page asked, pressing him for an answer. Shangguan Yuzhe thought for a moment, then agreed, deciding that he should go see her.
The young page also went to prepare.
Upon entering the temple, he found it eerily quiet, with the air thick with the scent of sandalwood. He found his mother's seat, gazed at it for a while, but found no trace of sorrow in his heart.
It was like being a complete stranger.
"If you saw your son like this, I wonder if you would regret it?" he murmured, knowing there would be no answer, but he still asked.
After watching for a while, a person came in from outside. Upon seeing him, the person simply bowed slightly and then went about their own business.
Shangguan Yuzhe looked at the person; she did look young, not even as old as him. It was strange that such a young girl would be here. Thinking this, he couldn't help but smile.
"What are you laughing at, Your Highness?" she asked softly, her tone like a feather brushing against his heart, sending shivers down his spine and giving him a slightly stimulating feeling.
Shangguan Yuzhe couldn't recall any princesses or noblewomen in the palace he didn't recognize, so he could only smile curiously and say, "It's quite strange that a young girl like you would come here to eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures."
"I eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist prayers for peace and quiet. It's just like how Your Highness looks at a dead person's nameplate and feels only hatred instead of sadness."
She made two sarcastic remarks, then took two steps forward, lit the incense on the altar, and bowed, as if praying for something.
Shangguan Yuzhe became interested, turned from kneeling to sitting, and looked at her with great interest.
"Which palace maid are you from? What do you want? Tell me, and perhaps I can help you achieve your wish."
The girl gave him a strange look, but didn't say anything. She simply placed the incense stick in her hand on it and then bowed three times.
Just when he thought she wouldn't answer him, she spoke again, saying, "I am Xuan Ning's person."
“Xuan Ning Palace…” he repeated several times, then looked at her again, as if asking for her final name.
The girl was too lazy to pay him any more attention. After burning incense and praying to Buddha, she left.
Shangguan Yuzhe, however, stubbornly followed her, gazing at her persistently. The girl, on the other hand, remained calm, not uttering a single word, and led her through a maze of twists and turns directly to Xuan Ning Palace.
He stood frozen in front of the palace gate. The desolate palace before him was just as he remembered it, only the people inside had changed time and again, and he could no longer recognize who was who.
Xuan Ning Palace was a cold palace; he should remember that. It's just that he hadn't been back for several years, and the place had faded from his memory.
"It's best if you don't know my name. It will only cause trouble for the Prince." She said this calmly and walked in. The palace gate closed tightly, as if it had never been opened.
He stood there for a long time before he came to his senses, and then walked away dejectedly.
He visited Changning Palace, where many concubines and princesses had already arrived. Upon seeing him, they merely chuckled twice and then informed the person behind the beaded curtain, saying, "Empress Dowager, the Prince has arrived."
He immediately knelt on the ground and performed a deep bow. Then, two words slowly came from inside: "Get up."
He then got up and gave up.
"Come here, let me take a good look at you." Her tone was slow, as if she were dragging something heavy, struggling to breathe. Shangguan Yuzhe walked up to her and, through the curtain, made her look at him carefully.
After a long while, she slowly exclaimed, "It's been so many years since we last met. You've grown so much."
He didn't say anything, but waited for him to finish reading before rolling back to his original spot.
"Good child, you've worked so hard all these years. I will speak to the Emperor and ask him to let you stay in the capital instead of there."
Shangguan Yuzhe's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly rejected her suggestion. The Empress Dowager, separated by a beaded curtain, was also separated by a wall. So many years had passed; even she no longer trusted him.
Even if her request were granted, the Emperor would not agree. Letting him return would be like hanging a sharp blade over the Emperor's head, which could fall at any moment and injure him.
After observing the scene for a while, he left. The evening banquet was about to begin, so he quickened his pace to leave this forbidden area of the inner palace.
A large crowd had already gathered in the front hall, all there to watch the spectacle. As soon as he sat down, his neighbors rushed over to offer him wine, each one trying to comfort him, appearing quite attentive.