69novels Chapter 1751 Somewhat Wary
Chapter 1751 Somewhat Wary
The Empress Dowager was terrified that if she closed her eyes and fell asleep, she would dream of the Emperor Emeritus again, as that would be a truly painful experience. So even when she was extremely tired, the Empress Dowager forced herself to keep her eyelids open and her eyes wide open.
The Crown Prince also came out today, and the Empress rode in the same carriage as him. The Empress was in even worse condition.
She didn't put as much effort into dressing up as the Empress Dowager; she wore simple, plain clothes.
Seeing her like this, the Crown Prince felt conflicted and didn't know what to say for a moment.
Like the Empress Dowager, the Empress dared not fall asleep.
Even though the Crown Prince noticed that she was not in good spirits and told her that she could close her eyes and rest for a while, and that he would wake her up when they arrived at the ancestral temple, the Empress kept her eyes open and showed no intention of dozing off.
She even harbored some resentment, looking at the Crown Prince and asking in a harsh tone, "Haven't you dreamt of your imperial grandfather?"
Her question surprised the Crown Prince. "Did Mother dream of the Emperor?"
The Crown Prince only knew that the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and his mother seemed to be in poor spirits after returning to the palace on the day of the Imperial Uncle's wedding. However, he did not know that all three of them had been summoned to the same dream by the Retired Emperor, and that all three of them had been subjected to a barrage of insults.
Now, when the Empress suddenly asked him if he had dreamed of his grandfather, the Crown Prince felt a little strange. But seeing his mother's expression, he suddenly guessed the truth of the matter.
Hearing the Crown Prince's question, the Empress felt even worse; she truly felt wronged.
"I believe that I have never done anything to betray the royal family since I married into the royal family, and I also gave birth to you on behalf of your father."
"Moreover, although your father kept welcoming concubines into the harem, and although I was angry, I did not cause any trouble in the harem or make a mess of the palace. Instead, I took a step back and hid in the Buddhist temple, where I have remained secluded for more than ten years, observing the ancient Buddha and remaining indifferent to worldly affairs."
"If I were to apologize, I would say that I have failed in my responsibilities as a mother."
Upon hearing her words, the Crown Prince's expression turned somewhat cold.
The Empress, unaware of the Crown Prince's feelings, continued, "Although I haven't been by your side to take care of you personally, you should know that your status as the Crown Prince is extraordinary. Even if it were someone else or another mother and child in this position, they couldn't possibly take care of the child personally like mothers in the common people."
"So if you say I didn't fulfill my responsibilities as a mother, the blame isn't that great, is it? Besides, it was I who asked your uncle to take care of you back then, so I didn't really ignore you."
"The reason I left the Buddhist temple this time, and why I came to talk to you about those things, wasn't it because I cared about you?"
“I know you have no choice in the matter as the crown prince, but as a mother, I still hope my son can have what I can’t have myself. I just want you to have the woman you like. Can’t you understand that?”
Hearing her say these words, the Crown Prince felt utterly exhausted. He was so disappointed in the Empress that he was speechless, as if saying anything to her would be useless.
"Mother, let's not talk about these things anymore. It's all in the past. I just want to look forward. I won't hold any grudges or resentment against you for what you did in the past."
"As for Mother saying she's doing this for my own good and hopes I can marry a girl I like, I can tell Mother the truth now. I already have a girl I like. I think she's very good and very suitable to be the Crown Princess, but she's definitely not the one Mother is thinking of."
The Crown Prince now genuinely feels that Miss Qin is wonderful and truly a perfect match for him. He is confident that after marrying Miss Qin, the two of them can walk hand in hand through thick and thin, which would already be wonderful. The Crown Prince even feels that he is already happy to have married a Crown Princess like Miss Qin.
"If Mother really wants what's best for me, then from now on, just like for the past ten years or so, don't ask about anything or interfere in anything, okay?"
Upon hearing this, the Empress swayed and looked at the Crown Prince in disbelief.
"Zhou Ze, are you finding me too meddlesome now?"
"Mother, that's not what I meant. I just hope you can be happier and more relaxed."
“I don’t know how your royal uncle has raised you all these years. But now I feel like you’re a complete stranger. I don’t think the son I want is someone like you.”
The Empress looked at the Crown Prince's disappointed expression, and that expression stung him.
The Crown Prince gave a wry smile and asked her, "Then what kind of son does Mother Empress want?"
The Empress was taken aback by his question, then pondered for a moment. She recalled the time when she first met the Emperor, when her heart had just been given to him, and how she had imagined what their future children would be like.
But looking at the Crown Prince in front of her now, the Empress felt that his expression was very cold and distant, and he seemed somewhat estranged from her, and there were also traces of Zhou Shiyue on his body.
She murmured, "I think my child should be cheerful, enthusiastic, daring to fight for what he wants, and able to love and hate freely."
The crown prince couldn't help but laugh out loud upon hearing this.
Does the Empress Dowager even know that he is the Crown Prince? Does she even know what his current situation is?
He talks about being cheerful and enthusiastic, about being passionate and decisive. But is that really something he's supposed to do in his position?
The Crown Prince suddenly realized that the Empress's neglect of him over the years might not have been a bad thing for him. If the Empress had truly raised him herself, he might not have lived to this age.
He also felt that it was a good thing for the Empress to have been hiding in the Buddhist temple for so many years. Otherwise, if she had really dared to love and hate and made a ruckus in the harem, she might not have survived to this day.
The crown prince sighed and said, "Everything is predestined."
The Empress was exhausted and feeling unwell. She found the Crown Prince's condition rather unpleasant and didn't want to talk to him anymore.
Seeing his tired expression, the Crown Prince did not want to say anything more, but simply said softly, "Mother may close her eyes and rest."
Inside the ancestral temple, Sizhen and Jiechi were also waiting for the royal family to arrive.
Meanwhile, from all directions of the capital, black mist was quietly rising from the ground in some dark places, gradually converging in one direction along the ground.
If someone were to stand atop the imperial city and witness this scene, they would discover that all the black mist is converging towards the ancestral temple.
In the cold palace of the imperial palace, a tree that was living well suddenly turned black little by little from the roots. When the blackness spread to the branches, the leaves suddenly fell and covered the ground in the blink of an eye.