In the courtyard of FengZao Palace, a large number of servants wearing mourning dress were kneeling down, and the eldest princess Li Xian and the crown prince Li Zhu were kneeling down in the mourning hall. The brazier was placed in front of the golden-silk-wood coffin, with Li Xian and Li Zhu putting some “ghost money” into the brazier from time to time. Li Xian looked at the brazier in a daze, just like recalling something…
“Chu Wang(a title) and PingYang Hou(a title) ShiZi(address for the son of the nobility) have come to mourn the Empress!”
“Royal Sister!” Li Zhu skillfully lifted Li Xian up from the ground. After a while, Chu Wang, Li Xuan, and PingYang Hou ShiZi, Li Zhong, stepped into the hall.
“XianEr is glad to see brother Chu Wang.”
“Li Xuan come to meet your Royal Highness crown prince.”
“Li Zhong come to meet your Royal Highness crown prince and eldest princess.”
Chu Wang, Li Xuan, the son of Liang Fei(an imperial concubine), was 25 years old. After meeting, Li Xuan in black robe no longer looked at Li Xian and Li Zhu, directly came in front of Li QingCheng’s coffin to give an etiquette and scattered some “ghost money” into the brazier, and returned in front of Li Xian, saying coldly: “Everyone has his fate, royal sister do not need to be too sad. I have to deal with something else now.” Then he turned to Li Zhong and said: “After a while, you come to Hua Qing Palace to meet with me.” And then, he strode away from the hall.
“Princess.” Li Zhong could not take his eyes off Li Xian all the time after entering the hall. From the first time when he saw the 12-year-old Li Xian while entering the palace at the age of 14, he had a crush on Li Xian.
At the moment, Li Xian’s eyes were somewhat swollen, but it did not affect her charm. In the view of Li Zhong, she looked a little more fascinating.
“Princess! Please don’t be too sad! Here your are!” Li Zhong handed out a handkerchief to Li Xian.
Li Xian did not pay any attention to Li Zhong’s gallantry. Li Xian had already realized that this guy’s line of sight had been sticking to herself since he entered the palace. At this time, Li Xian just quietly stood in front of Li Zhong, did not take the handkerchief, and calmly looked at Li Zhong’s eyes, saying softly: “ShiZi don’t need to be so polite, but why don’t you give etiquette to my mother empress first?”
Li Xian’s voice was like the music of heaven into Li Zhong’s heart. He stared at Li Xian for a long time without reaction, finally went in front of Li QingCheng’s coffin, gave a kind of respectful etiquette, and put some “ghost money” to the brazier before returning to the side of Li Xian.
However, at this time, Li Xian had took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the corners of her eyes.
Seeing this, Li Zhong could only take his handkerchief back into his pocket awkwardly.
“PingYang Shizi and Chu Wangxiong have come all the way. The palace has been thanked here first, and we must ask the world to understand that the palace is not well received.”
“No no, princess… the empress had gone to heaven, and I hope princess do not be too sad, just take care of yourself.”
“Thanks for your care, Shi Zi(address of the son of PingYang Hou).”
Li Wei stood rooted to the spot, watching Li Zhong quietly, as if she was patiently waiting for Li Zhong to continue to say something, but Li Zhong suddenly had nothing to say. He was obsessed with Li Wei, so when he heard that the empress had died, he actively requested that he would follow Chu Wang to see Li Xian, but now Li Xian was standing in front of him with a soft smile, why did he feel an unspeakable feeling within himself?
As Li Zhong felt upset, Li Xian softly said: “You must be tired, how about taking a break with Chu Wang?”
Hearing what Li Xian said, Li Zhong actually felt relaxed, and said to Li Wei: “So then I’ll back off!.”
“Qi Wang(a title), WuShuang Hou(a title) has come to mourn the Queen Empress!”
After Li Zhong left, Qi Wang and WuShuang Hou came in. 26-year-old Qi Wang, son of Xian Fei(an imperial concubine), was different from all other princes. He had made a lot of meritorious feats when he was still a prince. When he reached adulthood, he actively requested the fief in the border, so Qi Wang became the only lord who was awarded the military power. WuShuang Hou was once one of the generals of the Qi Wang, and then Qi Wang was also awarded a title of nobility due to his military feats.
Thinking this, Li Xian just sighed in her heart: Chu Wang gained favor with the emperor; Qi Wang had the military power; the crown prince was still young without dependence, and her uncle preferred war to power…
“XianEr is glad to see brother Qi Wang.”
“Chen(a common self-address of official), Li Zhen come to meet your Royal Highness crown prince.”
“Chen, XiaHou WuShuang come to meet your Royal Highness crown prince and eldest princess.”
Li Xian held Li Zhen’s arms and said: “Brother Qi Wang don’t need to be so polite!”
Li Zhen smiled gently, stopped saluting, and said: “The etiquette cannot be abolished, for the crown prince was the heir to the throne, and I’m just the official.”
Li Xian said with a smile: “We have the same ancestry, so we may also follow the etiquette of siblings, and there were no outsiders here. If brother Qi Wang insisted on etiquette, it should be my turn.”
Then Li Xian touched Li Zhu; the latter immediately got it and respectfully gave Li Zhen a etiquette: “ZhuEr is glad to see brother Qi Wang.”
Li Zhen quickly raised saluting Li Zhu, and then looked at Li Wei with a smile: “I haven’t seen you for two years, and you are really growing up.”
Li Xian also raised the corners of her mouth with two shallow dimples.
Li Zhen came in front of Li QingCheng’s coffin to reverently give a etiquette and scattered some “hell money”, followed by WuShuang Hou.
After that, Li Zhen came in front of Li Xian and whispered: “I couldn’t stay long today. When all these things finish, we could meet with each other again.”
“Brother Qi Wang, watch your step!” Li Xian gave a curtsy to Li Zhen, who just smiled and walked out of the hall with the WuShuang Hou.
Li Xian saw that Li Zhen and XiaHou WuShuang walked out of FengZao Palace and then whispered to Li Zhu: “What do you think of Qi Wang and Chu Wang?”
Li Zhu tilted his head sideways and replied: “Chu Wang was arrogant, and Qi Wang was a good person.”
Li Zhu’s answer made Li Xian smile, but when thinking of her mother, she felt mournful, and then she raised her delicate hands to stroke Li Zhu’s shoulders and said: “ZhuEr, remember what I tell you now. Never mention it again and never ask why. Just remember if anyone asks you the same question, no matter who they are, including our father, your entourage, and even TaiFu(a title), you have to say : Chu Wang is a good person, and Qi Wang is also a good person, they are both of the royal descent of our country, your brothers of the common ancestry. However, you should always remember it in your mind: no matter how they treat you in the future, both Qi Wang and Chu Wang are bad guys.”
The 8-year-old Li Zhu felt a bit puzzled, pop-eyed, after hearing Li Xian’s words. However, in Li Xian’s gaze, Li Zhu spent a short time to simply digest the words, nodded, and replied compliantly: “I’ve remembered it.”
Li Xian stood straight up and held the younger brother, looking at her mother’s coffin wordlessly for a long time.
In the courtyard of FengZao Palace, a large number of servants wearing mourning dress were kneeling down, and the eldest princess Li Xian and the crown prince Li Zhu were kneeling down in the mourning hall. The brazier was placed in front of the golden-silk-wood coffin, with Li Xian and Li Zhu putting some “ghost money” into the brazier from time to time. Li Xian looked at the brazier in a daze, just like recalling something…
“Chu Wang(a title) and PingYang Hou(a title) ShiZi(address for the son of the nobility) have come to mourn the Empress!”
“Royal Sister!” Li Zhu skillfully lifted Li Xian up from the ground. After a while, Chu Wang, Li Xuan, and PingYang Hou ShiZi, Li Zhong, stepped into the hall.
“XianEr is glad to see brother Chu Wang.”
“Li Xuan come to meet your Royal Highness crown prince.”
“Li Zhong come to meet your Royal Highness crown prince and eldest princess.”
Chu Wang, Li Xuan, the son of Liang Fei(an imperial concubine), was 25 years old. After meeting, Li Xuan in black robe no longer looked at Li Xian and Li Zhu, directly came in front of Li QingCheng’s coffin to give an etiquette and scattered some “ghost money” into the brazier, and returned in front of Li Xian, saying coldly: “Everyone has his fate, royal sister do not need to be too sad. I have to deal with something else now.” Then he turned to Li Zhong and said: “After a while, you come to Hua Qing Palace to meet with me.” And then, he strode away from the hall.
“Princess.” Li Zhong could not take his eyes off Li Xian all the time after entering the hall. From the first time when he saw the 12-year-old Li Xian while entering the palace at the age of 14, he had a crush on Li Xian.
At the moment, Li Xian’s eyes were somewhat swollen, but it did not affect her charm. In the view of Li Zhong, she looked a little more fascinating.
“Princess! Please don’t be too sad! Here your are!” Li Zhong handed out a handkerchief to Li Xian.
Li Xian did not pay any attention to Li Zhong’s gallantry. Li Xian had already realized that this guy’s line of sight had been sticking to herself since he entered the palace. At this time, Li Xian just quietly stood in front of Li Zhong, did not take the handkerchief, and calmly looked at Li Zhong’s eyes, saying softly: “ShiZi don’t need to be so polite, but why don’t you give etiquette to my mother empress first?”
Li Xian’s voice was like the music of heaven into Li Zhong’s heart. He stared at Li Xian for a long time without reaction, finally went in front of Li QingCheng’s coffin, gave a kind of respectful etiquette, and put some “ghost money” to the brazier before returning to the side of Li Xian.
However, at this time, Li Xian had took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the corners of her eyes.
Seeing this, Li Zhong could only take his handkerchief back into his pocket awkwardly.
“PingYang Shizi and Chu Wangxiong have come all the way. The palace has been thanked here first, and we must ask the world to understand that the palace is not well received.”
“No no, princess… the empress had gone to heaven, and I hope princess do not be too sad, just take care of yourself.”
“Thanks for your care, Shi Zi(address of the son of PingYang Hou).”
Li Wei stood rooted to the spot, watching Li Zhong quietly, as if she was patiently waiting for Li Zhong to continue to say something, but Li Zhong suddenly had nothing to say. He was obsessed with Li Wei, so when he heard that the empress had died, he actively requested that he would follow Chu Wang to see Li Xian, but now Li Xian was standing in front of him with a soft smile, why did he feel an unspeakable feeling within himself?
As Li Zhong felt upset, Li Xian softly said: “You must be tired, how about taking a break with Chu Wang?”
Hearing what Li Xian said, Li Zhong actually felt relaxed, and said to Li Wei: “So then I’ll back off!.”
“Qi Wang(a title), WuShuang Hou(a title) has come to mourn the Queen Empress!”
After Li Zhong left, Qi Wang and WuShuang Hou came in. 26-year-old Qi Wang, son of Xian Fei(an imperial concubine), was different from all other princes. He had made a lot of meritorious feats when he was still a prince. When he reached adulthood, he actively requested the fief in the border, so Qi Wang became the only lord who was awarded the military power. WuShuang Hou was once one of the generals of the Qi Wang, and then Qi Wang was also awarded a title of nobility due to his military feats.
Thinking this, Li Xian just sighed in her heart: Chu Wang gained favor with the emperor; Qi Wang had the military power; the crown prince was still young without dependence, and her uncle preferred war to power…
“XianEr is glad to see brother Qi Wang.”
“Chen(a common self-address of official), Li Zhen come to meet your Royal Highness crown prince.”
“Chen, XiaHou WuShuang come to meet your Royal Highness crown prince and eldest princess.”
Li Xian held Li Zhen’s arms and said: “Brother Qi Wang don’t need to be so polite!”
Li Zhen smiled gently, stopped saluting, and said: “The etiquette cannot be abolished, for the crown prince was the heir to the throne, and I’m just the official.”
Li Xian said with a smile: “We have the same ancestry, so we may also follow the etiquette of siblings, and there were no outsiders here. If brother Qi Wang insisted on etiquette, it should be my turn.”
Then Li Xian touched Li Zhu; the latter immediately got it and respectfully gave Li Zhen a etiquette: “ZhuEr is glad to see brother Qi Wang.”
Li Zhen quickly raised saluting Li Zhu, and then looked at Li Wei with a smile: “I haven’t seen you for two years, and you are really growing up.”
Li Xian also raised the corners of her mouth with two shallow dimples.
Li Zhen came in front of Li QingCheng’s coffin to reverently give a etiquette and scattered some “hell money”, followed by WuShuang Hou.
After that, Li Zhen came in front of Li Xian and whispered: “I couldn’t stay long today. When all these things finish, we could meet with each other again.”
“Brother Qi Wang, watch your step!” Li Xian gave a curtsy to Li Zhen, who just smiled and walked out of the hall with the WuShuang Hou.
Li Xian saw that Li Zhen and XiaHou WuShuang walked out of FengZao Palace and then whispered to Li Zhu: “What do you think of Qi Wang and Chu Wang?”
Li Zhu tilted his head sideways and replied: “Chu Wang was arrogant, and Qi Wang was a good person.”
Li Zhu’s answer made Li Xian smile, but when thinking of her mother, she felt mournful, and then she raised her delicate hands to stroke Li Zhu’s shoulders and said: “ZhuEr, remember what I tell you now. Never mention it again and never ask why. Just remember if anyone asks you the same question, no matter who they are, including our father, your entourage, and even TaiFu(a title), you have to say : Chu Wang is a good person, and Qi Wang is also a good person, they are both of the royal descent of our country, your brothers of the common ancestry. However, you should always remember it in your mind: no matter how they treat you in the future, both Qi Wang and Chu Wang are bad guys.”
The 8-year-old Li Zhu felt a bit puzzled, pop-eyed, after hearing Li Xian’s words. However, in Li Xian’s gaze, Li Zhu spent a short time to simply digest the words, nodded, and replied compliantly: “I’ve remembered it.”
Li Xian stood straight up and held the younger brother, looking at her mother’s coffin wordlessly for a long time.
