$491: Finale

Li was shocked and angry, but she had no choice. The previous emperor had passed away, and there was no one to protect her anymore. Moreover, her son was not ambitious and could not protect her as a mother. What else could she expect?

Li had been proud all her life. Since she entered the palace, she had been competing with the Queen Mother. The two had been fighting for their whole lives. Although they were evenly matched, if they really calculated it, Li always thought that she was slightly better.

Everything was going very smoothly, and the path she planned for her son was also going smoothly. When did it start to go wrong?

Yes, it started when her brother got into trouble.

Why did it go wrong?

It was the prince who checked the salt permits, and Su Xinyi was also involved in it. Later, Su Xinyi became the Crown Princess. Since then, every time she faced her, she would vomit three liters of blood and retreat a step.

Yes, and Fuyun...

Prince Yi...

One thing after another, all the things that happened over the years flashed through her mind. Li really regretted it. If she had known this would happen, she would have been a little more tolerant of Fuyun, and maybe her son would not have been stuck in the affairs of the harem.

On the contrary, since Prince Rong clung to the prince's thigh, the road has been getting smoother and smoother. The queen mother is a shrewd person. She is willing to bend over backwards and show goodwill to Su Xinyi for her son...

She couldn't let go of her pride and couldn't swallow that breath. She always thought she could do it and pave a splendid road for her son...

Li covered her face and cried, not only for her deceased father, but also for herself and her son. In the future, she will spend the long years under the eyes of the queen mother.

The queen mother saw Li crying so miserably, and she didn't feel particularly happy for a moment. She looked at her solemnly and turned to walk out.

"Queen Mother, are you okay?" Zhao Ma Ma came out with the queen mother. Seeing that the queen mother looked not very good, she asked worriedly.

The Queen Mother slowed down her pace and walked out slowly, saying as she walked: "Do you still remember that when I was pregnant with Prince Rong, Li schemed against me and I almost had a miscarriage?"

"How could I not remember?" Aunt Zhao was still very angry when she mentioned this. Fortunately, the baby was saved, otherwise the Queen would have been extinct in her lifetime. "Back then, Li relied on your majesty's favor and was very rude to you. She pretended to fall and hit you, causing your miscarriage. But you pretended to be so pretentious in front of your majesty and let her get away."

The queen mother listened to Zhao Ma's angry words and sighed: "Yes, I really hated her back then, but we are the same. I didn't let her have an easy time when she was pregnant with Prince Xiang. She knew it was me who did it, but she couldn't punish me in front of your majesty."

Zhao Ma listened to the queen mother's words and explained: "How are they the same? It was Li who attacked first, and you just fought back."

"For so many years, I have fought Li on equal terms. If we really have the upper hand, it is still Prince Rong who follows the prince."

"Your majesty is right. His Royal Highness Prince Rong is very smart."

The queen mother chuckled, "What smart or not, he is just a fool I'm so lucky. I had a grudge with Su Xinyi in the hunting grounds, but I gave her a bad look and sent two boxes of things to slap her in the face. Thinking about it now, I feel a little embarrassed. "

"The Queen Mother also loved her son dearly at that time, and the Queen Mother knew it in her heart."

"Yes, I am not as broad-minded as the Queen Mother in this regard. However, the Queen Mother is more fortunate than me. She is the only one around His Majesty. She doesn't have to be as cautious as me in the harem. So she can see things and let go."

"Queen Mother, please don't say that. Later, the Queen Mother entered the East Palace. It was you who took care of her and supported her. The Queen Mother, who was the Crown Princess at the time, could live a comfortable life. You took care of her first, and the Queen Mother reported back later. This is a give and take, and good people get good rewards."

Good person?

The Queen Mother doesn't think she is a good person. She has killed people in her life, so there is nothing she can do. If she doesn't do it, others will do it to her.

She wanted to live, live gloriously, and protect her son, so she had to not give up an inch.

Now, she is satisfied with this position. She suffered a lot in the first half of her life, and she can enjoy the blessing of her children and grandchildren in the second half of her life.

His Majesty quickly made a decision on the treatment of the Li family. Li Taishi was a veteran of three dynasties and should be enshrined in the imperial temple after his death. However, because the murder of the prince was too bad, he could not be sent to the imperial temple again. However, considering that Li Taishi had done a lot of good things for Southern Qi in his life, the prince was finally safe and sound, so the merits and demerits were offset and no further investigation was carried out.

As for Li Cairen, the queen mother came forward to punish her and demoted her from the position of noble concubine to talented person. Now Ruan Mingfei and Qi Xianfei have become proper concubines, while she only has the title of talented person and is not even qualified to stay in the palace. The queen mother ordered Li to go to the imperial mausoleum to guard the tomb of the late emperor.

King Xiang naturally had to plead for Li, and he knelt outside the Purple Palace for a long time. His Majesty hadn't seen him yet, and King Rong jumped out like crazy and scolded King Xiang.

"The crime of murdering the prince should be punished, but Your Majesty, considering the brotherhood, showed mercy outside the law and allowed the Li family to bury Li Taishi safely. As for Li, considering what she did, not imprisoning her and executing her is already a leniency. How dare you come to plead for mercy? Tell me yourself, what is the crime of murdering the prince?"

King Xiang looked at the furious King Rong and wanted to say that the prince was safe and sound.

But in the end, he didn't say this, because he knew that if he said it, he would probably anger His Majesty.

King Xiang has been on the receiving end of a fire these days. He couldn't save either the Li family or his mother. It was not until this moment that he remembered what his mother had said to him. He realized that his lack of progress in the past had led to his hopeless and helpless situation today.

It was all because of his incompetence. He harmed his grandfather and mother.

If it weren't for him, why would they take such a risk?

King Xiang seemed to have lost his energy and spirit. When he left the palace, his shoulders were hunched, as if he had aged a dozen years in an instant.

It was the twelfth lunar month, and the New Year was coming in a flash. Because the late emperor passed away this year, the New Year was not as lively as in previous years. The court officials were also very tactful at this time and did not say anything to upset the emperor.

After the Lantern Festival, the New Year was over. After the court opened, the first thing was the selection of the Spring Festival, so it became lively all of a sudden.

Whether it was the six cabinet ministers or the Imperial Censor, everyone submitted memorials, which was really lively like a cluster of flowers and brocade.

Su Xinyi picked a bunch of winter jasmine flowers, trimmed them, and put them in a thin-necked suet jade bottle. She listened to Lian Qiao talking about things outside, with a slight smile on her lips.

"… Madam, you don't know, His Majesty said that he and the late emperor had a deep father-son relationship, and he would follow the folk custom to observe the three-year mourning for the late emperor, so there would be no selection within three years." Lian Qiao couldn't help getting excited when she said this. This was really a great thing. "I didn't see it, but I heard from Zhan Qiao that the court was about to quarrel, and the faces of those ministers were as green as a layer of watermelon peel."

Su Xinyi paused. No selection for three years?

Su Xinyi was happy. Following the folk custom of observing the three-year mourning was a way to have the best of both worlds.

Just when she thought of this, she suddenly heard familiar footsteps. She turned her head and saw the tall figure of Yan Junchu walking in.

Lian Qiao hurriedly stepped forward to greet, then bowed and retreated.

Su Xinyi came forward, "Your Majesty, have you left the court?"

Yan Junchu stood in front of Xinyi, lowered his head and looked into her eyes.

Su Xinyi's heart skipped a beat, she pursed her lips, and suddenly became a little nervous.

Yan Junchu was happy all of a sudden, and gently hugged her into his arms, "You know everything, right?"

Su Xinyi leaned on Yan Junchu's chest and nodded slightly, "I know, Your Majesty will observe mourning for the late emperor for three years and decline the selection this spring."

Yan Junchu smiled and said nothing.

Su Xinyi tightened her arms around him and said softly, "I still remember the promise Your Majesty made to me back then, and you didn't break your word."

"It's only been three years, and you're so relieved?" Yan Junchu said softly.

"Even if it's only three years, I don't know how many women envy me." Su Xinyi smiled, "Besides, I believe you, there will be countless three years after the first three years."

"Countless three years?" Yan Junchu smiled lightly, "You mean, we will have many, many three years in the future."

Su Xinyi didn't say anything. At this moment, in this man's arms, she just felt at ease.

"Ayuan..."

"I'm here."

"Spring comes and summer goes, autumn harvests and winter stores, morning and night, year after year, this life is as you wish, we will have countless three years. You believe me, that's enough."

"Me too."

The text ends.