Третий брак - Глава 72
After the two calmed down, Zhao Gou asked Qin Zhen, "What do you plan to do with Yi'er? You can keep her in the palace, but you need to find a suitable identity for her."
Qin Zhen interrupted him, saying, "No, he can't stay in the palace. First, he's too much of a threat to you. Second, I promised my sister that I would give him a new and happy life."
So what are your plans...?
Qin Zhen said, "I've already made up my mind. How about I entrust him to my senior brother?"
Zhao Gou nodded hastily. Fan Tianxiang was a very good person, and he and Li Shishi had no children. Sending Zhao Yi to them to raise was the best thing to do.
"You don't know yet, do you? Our eldest brother is in the capital right now, here specifically for our wedding. He's quite unhappy that he can't find you. Go to the Tianxing Inn to see them after you leave the palace."
Upon learning this news, Qin Zhen naturally couldn't stay in the palace any longer and immediately took Zhao Yi to leave. Zhao Gou had originally wanted to see Zhao Yi, but Qin Zhen refused, saying that it was best for him, dressed as the emperor, not to appear before Zhao Yi at all.
Zhao Gou sent someone to take the two directly to the Tianxing Inn in the capital. On the way, Qin Zhen briefly told Zhao Yi about his plan to find him a pair of adoptive parents. Zhao Yi silently nodded in agreement and did not make any protest.
Qin Zhen said worriedly, "If you disagree with anything, just tell your aunt, okay?"
Zhao Yi said in a low voice, "These things were told to me by my mother before she left. I know that, Aunt, you don't need to worry about me."
Listening to what he said, Qin Zhen felt that the child was so sensible that it broke her heart.
Upon arriving at Tianxing Inn, Qin Zhen was greeted by Fan Tianxiang, Li Shishi, Ji Wushuang, and Ji Wuhuan. The four were surprised to see Qin Zhen. Fan Tianxiang stood up with a smile and beckoned to her, saying, "We were just wondering why you hadn't returned yet, and here you are! Come on, come on."
Seeing so many strangers all at once, Zhao Yi was a little overwhelmed, but he wasn't afraid of strangers. He just stayed silently by Qin Zhen's side.
Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky, Chapter 135: A Rare Moment of Joy
Shishi took a closer look at the little boy, who resembled a dumpling, and her first words were, "Whose child is this? Why is he with you?"
Before Qin Zhen could even exchange pleasantries, he said, "I have something to ask of you, elder brother and sister-in-law. This child is currently an orphan. Would you be willing to adopt him as your son?"
The four were initially surprised, then delighted. Fan Tianxiang and Li Shishi were especially excited, hurriedly saying, "Yes, yes, of course we're willing!" Li Shishi then cautiously asked Zhao Yi, "Would you... be willing to live with us?"
Zhao Yi nodded obediently, which made Li Shishi extremely fond of him. She then asked, "What's your name?"
Qin Zhen spoke first: "Since I've become your adopted son, I'll naturally take your surname." She looked at Zhao Yi and said, "From now on, your surname will be Fan, remember that?"
Zhao Yi nodded and said, "Okay, from now on I will take the surname Fan. My name is Fan Nianjing."
Nianjing...Does he miss Little Mirror Lake? I didn't expect him to have even thought of his own name.
Fan Tianxiang misunderstood the meaning of the name and only praised it, saying, "A good name. It means to keep in mind the clear mirror in one's heart and to constantly examine and check oneself. Not bad, not bad."
The two of them never expected that coming to celebrate Qin Zhenhe's wedding would also result in them getting a son as a bonus. They were overjoyed and kept talking to Zhao Yi, no, Fan Nianjing.
Qin Zhen sat down and took a sip of tea, only then noticing the two people silently smiling beside him, Ji Wushuang and Ji Wuhuan.
Ji Wushuang hadn't seen Qin Zhen since losing her memory. She hugged her brother's arm and asked in a low voice, "Big brother, is this your junior sister?"
Qin Zhen smiled at Ji Wushuang and sweetly greeted her, "Hello, Sister Wushuang."
Ji Wushuang lowered her head shyly and smiled. Qin Zhen, seeing her like this, sighed inwardly, "She really has changed completely." But that's good, her new life must be much happier now. Ji Wuhuan still had that indifferent look, but her eyes were much softer than they had a few years ago.
Qin Zhen asked, "Fifth Senior Brother, did you come to the capital with Eldest Senior Brother?"
Ji Wuhuan nodded and said, "I opened a clinic in Lin'an with Wushuang before, and also helped my sister-in-law detoxify. After receiving your wedding invitation, we came together."
Qin Zhen looked at everyone enjoying themselves. She had never felt so happy before. Everyone was living a comfortable and happy life. That was truly wonderful!
After leaving Fan Nianjing with Fan Tianxiang, Qin Zhen returned to the Qin residence that night, finally giving Qin Hui, who was on the verge of a breakdown, a chance to breathe.
For the first time in over a decade, Qin Hui roared at his daughter, "Why did you come back after leaving? Running away from home. Is this something a girl should do? I've spoiled you too much before!"
Qin Zhen lowered her head and remained silent, her good mood from the inn completely gone. However, with a little empathy, she could understand Qin Hui's feelings. His daughter, who was about to become empress, had suddenly disappeared for a month without a trace, which was indeed enough to make him anxious.
Despite her illness, Madam Wang rushed to the scene of the father-daughter argument and advised Qin Hui, "Master, it's good that she's back. Don't be angry anymore. Look how tired Zhen'er looks. Let her rest for the night. We can talk about it tomorrow."
"Madam, why did you come out? You've just recovered from your cold, please go back inside."
Qin Zhen was deeply moved by this aspect of Qin Hui: he had treated Wang Shi very well for over a decade, even when his mother was bedridden with illness. He never complained. This rekindled some of the joy that Qin Zhen had just lost.
Wang secretly gestured to Qin Zhen to leave quickly, so Qin Zhen, under her mother's cover, hurriedly ran back to her room with a smile, looking for Liang Hongyu, who had taken the blame for her many times.
Upon hearing this, Liang Hongyu exclaimed, "My dear sister, you're finally back! The imperial palace is coming to our mansion tomorrow to demand your return. What would I have done if you hadn't come back!"
Qin Zhen calculated the days; tomorrow was the seventh day of the sixth lunar month, a full month before the wedding. According to regulations, the empress had to enter the palace for training a month before marrying into it. Although she had forgotten about this, she had coincidentally made it back in time.
During the month she was missing, the Qin family announced that Qin Zhen had suddenly fallen ill and was bedridden, which made some ministers with ulterior motives wishful thinking, hoping that Qin Zhen would be unable to hold her wedding.
Only their daughters had a chance to rise to power. However, this was just wishful thinking on their part; even if the position remained vacant, Zhao Gou would not want their daughters.
The next day, someone from the palace came to escort Qin Zhen to the palace for etiquette training. She only brought one unassuming maid, Wanqiu, with her. Wanqiu came from the Blowing Flowers Society and was one of the maids assigned to Qin Hui. Since Qin Zhen was entering the palace and needed someone by her side, she was brought along as well.
Qin Zhen had spent a few years in the palace in her early years, so she didn't need much instruction in etiquette, and her life was quite leisurely. On the contrary, Wan Qiu had a much heavier workload, having to memorize some rules and regulations with several nannies every day. Fortunately, she was patient and not stupid, so she wasn't afraid.
Although Zhao Gou had been busy these past few days, he was overjoyed. Qin Zhen had been unusually obedient today, and none of the things he had worried about had happened. Just as he was feeling happy, Qin Zhen appeared before him.
Qin Zhen, dressed in palace attire, stood gracefully before Zhao Gou, causing his heart to pound. He extended his hand to Qin Zhen as she approached, inviting her to sit with him on the bench. Qin Zhen had clearly come to see him today for something, but her hesitant manner suggested she had something difficult to say.
Zhao Gou asked with concern, "Is something wrong? Did any of the maids give you trouble?"
Qin Zhen quickly shook his head and whispered, "Empress Dowager Wei summoned me yesterday..."
"Your mother?" Zhao Gou asked in surprise, "What did she say to you?"
"It's nothing, it's just... I mean..." Qin Zhen's voice grew softer and softer, almost swallowed. Zhao Gou took the opportunity to move closer and teased her, "If you speak any softer, I won't be able to hear you even if I'm in your arms."
Qin Zhen blushed deeply, nudged Zhao Gou, and then told him what Empress Dowager Wei had said.
Empress Dowager Wei was simply telling Qin Zhen that Zhao Gou's heart belonged only to her, and with the harem empty, the responsibility of continuing the family line fell solely on her shoulders. She urged them to act quickly after their wedding. Otherwise, if they waited a year or two without any progress, the old scholars in the court would become difficult to deal with.
Zhao Gou was stunned at first, then burst into laughter, making Qin Zhen wish he could crawl under the table.
"You...you stop laughing!"
Seeing Qin Zhen's embarrassed and angry expression, Zhao Gou touched his nose, suppressing a laugh, and said, "Mother Empress, you really think things through. Hmm... we really need to hurry..."
Qin Zhen playfully punched Zhao Gou in the chest and scolded, "What are you saying? The wedding hasn't even started yet, are you dreaming!"
Zhao Gou took her hand and said with a smile, "Okay, okay, I'm not in a hurry, I'll listen to you."
"Actually, I came here today to ask you... if we don't have children after three to five years of marriage... you would definitely take a concubine, right?"
Zhao Gou raised an eyebrow and asked in return, "Are you very worried?"
Qin Zhen turned her head away from him, muttering, "I was just asking..."
Zhao Gou pressed further: "What difference does it make whether we accept it or not?"
When he said "So what if I accept it?", Qin Zhen turned and glared at him, thinking, "How dare you harbor such thoughts!" Before Qin Zhen could get angry, Zhao Gou wisely changed his tune and said, "I've already said, I'll listen to you completely. Whatever you say goes!"
Qin Zhen thought to herself, "This is not bad."
But she still had some worries in her heart, because she vaguely remembered that historical records stated that Zhao Gou had no children. Could it be true? So she said, "Don't even think about taking a concubine. If you dare to seduce other women, see how I deal with you. But... but what if we really don't have any children?"
Seeing her sorrowful face, Zhao Gou tapped her nose, embraced her, and said, "We're both so young, how can we not have children? Even if all else fails, I have so many brothers, we can adopt one from them. Besides, we can exchange the throne for Yi'er later. In short, I will only marry you."
Seeing that Zhao Gou's thoughts were so clear and firm, Qin Zhen hugged him tightly and whispered, "You've been so good to me..."
Zhao Gou was overjoyed and couldn't wait to get married. He was so impatient.
Volume Two: Soaring Eagle 136 Visiting Empress Dowager Yuanyou
In this palace, besides Empress Dowager Wei, Zhao Gou's birth mother, there were two other empress dowagers.
The most senior among them was Empress Dowager Meng, the daughter of Emperor Zhezong. She was nearly fifty years old and was granted the title of Xiwei Yuantong and Miaojing Immortal Master. She lived in Yaohua Palace and did not concern herself with external affairs.
Secondly, Empress Dowager Zheng, who was the successor to Emperor Huizong, lived in Ningde Palace and was on good terms with Empress Dowager Wei. Empress Dowager Wei was Zhao Gou's birth mother. Although she was not the empress during Emperor Huizong's reign, her fortunes had now reversed, and she had become the most powerful person in the palace.
Qin Zhen stayed in the palace for nearly half a month. She met Empress Dowager Wei and Empress Dowager Zheng, but she never met Empress Dowager Meng, who lived a secluded life. So, on this day, she asked Wanqiu to bring some nourishing medicinal herbs and they went together to the remote Yaohua Palace.
She had never been to Yaohua Palace before, so today she asked Wanqiu to inquire about the route from the other nannies before heading out. The inner palace was too vast, and after wandering around for a long time, even though they were all women who had practiced martial arts, they gradually felt tired.
"Wanqiu, are we sure we're not in the wrong place?"
Wanqiu looked around and said, "According to what Granny Fang said before, this is indeed the way. After passing through two more palace paths, we will arrive."
Granny Fang was an old nanny who taught palace maids etiquette and manners. She had spent her whole life in the palace, so she was probably right.
Looking at the increasingly remote area, Qin Zhen said worriedly, "How does Empress Dowager Meng manage to live in such a remote place?"
Wanqiu did not answer. She didn't know either, but she imagined that Empress Dowager Meng's life must be very difficult.
After walking for a long time, Qin Zhen finally saw the gates of Yaohua Palace and breathed a sigh of relief. They had finally arrived. Qin Zhen quickened her pace, but Wan Qiu suddenly grabbed her arm and whispered, "Miss, there are experts inside!"
Qin Zhen was surprised. She didn't doubt the Flower Blowing Society members' ability to detect people and objects. She just hadn't expected that Empress Dowager Meng would have such skilled protectors by her side.
"It's alright, we mean no harm. We'll just visit carefully."
Wanqiu followed Qin Zhen nervously, walking step by step towards Yaohua Palace. The closer she got, the more clearly she could feel the powerful aura of the expert, and a layer of fine sweat appeared on her forehead.
Qin Zhen knocked on the tiger-mouth door knocker on the palace gate, and instantly, the powerful aura vanished. A moment later, an old palace maid came to open the door, looking at Qin Zhen with a probing gaze.
Qin Zhen was about to introduce herself, but then she froze. She and Zhao Gou were not getting married for another half month. In what capacity should she visit Empress Dowager Meng? As her granddaughter-in-law? Or a curious stranger?
The old palace maid looked her up and down for a while, then bowed and asked, "Are you Miss Qin from the Qin family?"
"You know me?"
The old palace maid shook her head and said, "I've never seen her before. Aside from the palace maids, the only young woman one can see in this palace is the future empress. Who else could it be but her?"