Ci Jinzhi

It was already dark, and there were almost no people on the street except officers and soldiers. Although it was summer, there was still the chill of midwinter.

Xin You walked back to Xin's house. Walking beside He Qingxiao, her feet felt like stepping on cotton, and she felt an unreal feeling of dizziness.

The ups and downs of this day, the narrow escape from death, the loss and recovery, undoubtedly have a huge psychological impact on people.

Her hands were shaking until the man's big hand stretched out and took hers.

 She turned her head and looked up at him quietly.

 “Ayou, I’m back.”

Xin You pursed her lips tightly and nodded.

"Sorry, I didn't come back in time..." Staring at the much thinner girl in the moonlight, He Qingxiao felt heartbroken and couldn't help but raise his hand and gently touched her cheek.

Xinyou felt a tremor where his fingers touched her, and it instantly swept through her body.

 She threw herself into his arms and hugged him hard.

He put his arms around her and gently pressed his chin against her forehead.

 He felt her fear, and she felt his. And no amount of words can make people feel as at ease as this solid hug.

It was in the entangled breath of each other and the warmth transmitted by the skin that their panicked hearts were soothed and they confirmed that the person they loved deeply was still well.

This hug was short, but it calmed the two tortured people.

They held her hand all the way until they came to Xin's house and let go.

Jiang Shuang stood outside the door with a lantern and saw Xin You running over.

“Girl, you are back!” The little maid looked at the safe and sound girl with tears streaming down her face.

 She didn't know that something had happened to the girl at first. When she got the news, it was already too late. She ran to the eldest princess's mansion to ask for help, but was told that the eldest princess was not in the mansion.

At that moment, she was thinking, if Sister Xiaolian was here, would she be able to think of a solution?

 But she could only wait like a headless fly.

“Stop crying, go and get me and—” Xin You looked at the people around her, “get some food for me and Mr. Hou, we haven’t eaten for a long time.”

"My maid will go to the kitchen right now." Jiang Shuang wiped away her tears and smiled through her tears.

Xinyou took He Qingxiao into the flower hall, washed his hands, wiped his face, and drank tea to soothe his throat.

 The hall is brightly lit by candles and quiet.

 “Ayou, you have lost a lot of weight.”

Xin You held the tea cup, and after a slight silence, she said softly: "Because I am worried about you all the time."

"Me too." He Qingxiao responded, feeling more guilty than Xin You's calmness.

He was worried about her, but he couldn't save her at all costs. He puts her in the most important position in his heart, but in reality, the most important thing may not always get the first response.

 They live under the imperial power and have many forced circumstances in the secular world.

This often makes him feel guilty and inferior, feeling that he is not worthy of Ayou's affection.

Xin You asked about what happened after he fell into the water. As expected, Emperor Xingyuan was rescued by He Qingxiao and concealed his identity all the way back to the capital.

He Qingxiao also asked Xinyou about her experience in the palace today, and was frightened after hearing this.

Outside the door, Jiang Shuang's voice came: "Girl, the food is ready."

 “Bring it in.”

 The door opened, Jiang Shuang came in with a tray and put down the food.

The two of them stopped talking and had dinner quietly, as if it was time to return to the farm in the south.

Emperor Xingyuan was not in the mood for a meal after their visit, so he headed to Cining Palace.

The Queen Mother was not in the mood to eat, and was waiting for her son.

“Emperor, have you settled everything?”

Emperor Xingyuan nodded: "We have figured out the identity of the person pretending to be his son. Almost all the people who should be detained will be detained. After that, we will interrogate carefully to see if there are any fish that slipped through the net." "Who is the fake emperor?" The Queen Mother was the most curious. this.

 “It’s Kou Qingqing’s father, Kou Tianming.”

Because of Xin You, the Queen Mother was deeply impressed by the name "Kou Qingqing" and was immediately surprised: "Isn't her father dead?"

Emperor Xingyuan told what happened to Kou Tianming.

“It’s amazing that there is someone who looks so much like you.” After hearing this, the Queen Mother felt frightened.

If the son doesn't come back and lets the fake Jiu occupy the magpie's nest, I'm afraid it won't be long after I kill Xin You that she, the Queen Mother, will have to be eliminated.

Thinking of Xin You, the Queen Mother's mentality quietly changed.

 Speaking of which, my smooth escape today was thanks to that girl...

“My son also found it incredible, so he ordered someone to go to Kou Tianming’s hometown to investigate.”

 “What to check?”

“Let’s check if there is anything fishy about his origins.” Emperor Xingyuan looked at the Queen Mother, “Mother, do we have any close relatives who have been separated?”

 “No—” the Queen Mother said, stunned for a moment.

 There are no close relatives who have been separated, but there is one dead son.

The child's life was not good and he died not long after he was born. The child's father was afraid that she would be sad, so he quickly disposed of the child's body.

Later she asked and said that she put it in a wooden basin and threw it into the river.

 In the local area, infants and young children who died in infancy are either buried in the water or thrown into the ravine. In short, they cannot be buried in ancestral graves.

Because she was born with twins, she didn’t want to listen to outsiders’ comments. The elders were mean and gave Wenpo some money and only said that she had given birth to one child.

 Could it be that the child was not dead? Thinking of this possibility, the Queen Mother's old heart beat rapidly.

“Mother, did you remember something?”

The Queen Mother came back to her senses, looked at her son with concerned eyes, and slowly shook her head: "It's been too long, shouldn't the Ai family take a good look at it? We really don't have any close relatives who have been separated."

"Then you should rest early. I will ask the imperial doctor to prescribe a soothing medicine. Don't let today's events affect you."

"The emperor should also take a good rest. The troublemakers have been arrested. We will take our time from now on. Don't be in a hurry."

 The mother was kind and the son was filial, so Emperor Xingyuan left.

 “Queen Mother, let’s have a meal.”

The Queen Mother waved her hand: "I'm too lazy to eat today, and I want to go to bed early."

 After washing and changing clothes, the Queen Mother lay down on the soft and comfortable bed.

 When she closed her eyes, what the old lady was thinking about was not the thrilling experience in Fangning Palace, but the child who died at birth.

That child, just like Erbao, is a very beautiful child.

The Queen Mother couldn't sleep, so she opened her eyes and stared at the bed curtain.

No one in this world except her knew that the child had ever existed. It had been so long that she could no longer imagine what it would be like to have another son.

She already has the most filial and capable son in the world, so why would she have another son?

Especially if they look exactly the same, what should I do if someone else pretends to be a second treasure in the future?

 Er Bao is the emperor and does not need to have a brother who is exactly like him.

 The Queen Mother felt a little uncomfortable, but only a little, and her determination to bury this secret forever did not waver.

In this world, who hasn’t had a few children die in infancy? To her, that child died fifty years ago.

The next day, Emperor Xingyuan, who had not been to court for many days, sat upright on the dragon chair. He glanced condescendingly at the large hall with many empty seats, and began to make arrangements for the day.

 A group of officials should be arrested, and those who contributed to this turmoil should be rewarded based on their merits.

 (End of this chapter)