The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 354 Suddenly Spring Arrives

If the royal family hadn't been so cleaned up by Yuan Jia, Consort Shu would never have been able to call the Eighth Prince back.

Consort Shu sighed softly, made room for the Eighth Prince to sit next to her.

The Eighth Prince obediently sat down: "How did Mother know I was here? I thought this place was very secluded..."

No wonder he was surprised; this was a quiet place he had carefully chosen, precisely because it was a secluded spot, far from any human presence.

Consort Shu recalled the past, her expression somewhat subtle: "You, when you were little, loved to run around here. As your mother, I couldn't possibly not know where my own child went. But this place is indeed hidden. During the late emperor's time, more than a dozen skeletons were buried here without being discovered, and that's only what I know."

Eighth Prince: ...

His back slowly straightened. He had initially thought this place was a quiet and secluded courtyard, but now he felt a chill in the air.

Not wanting to appear weak, he could only keep a straight face and say dryly, "How could such a place exist in the imperial palace?"

Consort Shu rested her chin on her hand and said softly, "That's because this is a secret shared by everyone in the palace."

The Eighth Prince gasped.

He couldn't stand this godforsaken place for another second.

"Mother, you really are my mother. You know this isn't a mortal place, yet you still let a little kid like me stay here for so long..."

"What's there to be afraid of? Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt has its debtor. Even if there really are ghosts, it's not our place to be afraid, since we haven't done anything wrong."

"That makes sense, but I'm just not used to it."

"Those things happened during the late emperor's time. With Your Highness here, those sordid affairs in the palace are long gone."

The Eighth Prince remained silent.

He turned his head to look at the evergreen tree in the yard.

It was winter, yet the tree canopy was still green. Although it wasn't lush, a fleeting glimpse in the bleak season gave it a stunning, almost spring-like quality.

"Mother, I...I'm sorry, Qingyu..."

His voice was as soft as falling snow.

"Xiao Ba, why are you apologizing to me? I am your mother. You are the child I carried for ten months and watched grow up. Taking out the jade is the expectation of everyone, including me, for you. But, as I said before, I am your mother, so I allow you to disappoint me. Xiao Ba, relax, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Even if you fail, it's okay."

At worst, she could find a reason to take the blame and criticism for him.

The Eighth Prince turned his head in astonishment.

Consort Shu did not look at him, but lowered her head and idly fiddled with the jade bracelet on her wrist.

At this moment, even the profile of her face was gentle.

Beneath her calm expression, the Eighth Prince glimpsed a torrent of emotions within her.

"mother……"

"Ok?"

"Are you possessed by Aunt Xuan?"

Consort Shu looked at him expressionlessly: "Don't force me to slap you."

The Eighth Prince shuddered: "No, no, no, I was just being cheeky. Actually, I was so moved I was almost in tears!"

That's more like it, that's how a fierce mother should be.

His mother usually looks delicate and sweet, but she actually has a bad temper and a cold heart. It's just that with Aunt Xuan around, she can freely show her softest side.

On the contrary, Aunt Xuan, who looks indifferent, is actually the most gentle and patient.

Consort Shu snorted lightly: "In short, your mother is still alive. Even if the sky falls, it's not your place to hold it up. You just need to follow your heart. Little Eight, just think about it, what would you and Yuan Jia be like if Qingyu didn't exist?"

After saying this, Consort Shu left.

The Eighth Prince sat alone in the courtyard for a while, but then felt a chill down his spine. He grabbed his cloak from the ground and quickly slipped away.

A few days after this conversation between mother and son, the Eighth Prince delivered the jade to Zheng Xun.

This piece of jade actually enhanced Zheng Xun's superpowers to a higher level, and also greatly reduced the burden of using the system.

Another twenty days or so passed, during which Zhu Xuan entered the palace twice.

Every time they met, Zhu Xuan would try her best to reason with her and appeal to her emotions, but Cai Min listened without expressing any opinion.

The people of Dayong who were watching her persuasion had even started betting on when she would succeed.

After the emperor learned of the gambling, he severely reprimanded the ministers involved, mainly accusing them of not including him in the game.

Then, amidst everyone's attention and anticipation, the light screen appeared.

Zheng Xun touched his chin, inexplicably feeling like he had become a tool for the live stream.

It doesn't really matter. Da Yong is their Da Yong. She is just a passerby who has entered this world. Because of a little empathy and her unwillingness to be inferior to others, she has taken on some responsibility.

While she was pondering, Zhu Xuan in the light screen lost control of her emotions and loudly questioned Cai Min: "Your Majesty, are you taking what I said as a story?"

Cai Min wasn't angry. She elegantly smoothed her sleeve and said, "Oh? You're already losing your temper?"

Zhu Xuan looked away and said, "Since Her Majesty the Empress is willing to put up with the humiliation of that bastard Qi Yongji's generation, then this humble subject cannot dissuade her."

Why do you dislike Qi Yongji?

Zhu Xuan kept her lips tightly closed and did not utter a word.

Cai Min said seriously, "What a coincidence, I also dislike him."

"Are you trying to trick me into telling me something?"

“These are clearly heartfelt words,” Cai Min’s expression and tone darkened considerably at the mere mention of Qi Yongji’s name. “Besides, if it weren’t for the certainty that I and Qi Yongji are at odds, why would you come to persuade me to cooperate with you?”

"Isn't he your husband...?"

Cai Min's brows furrowed instantly: "What husband?"

Zhu Xuan was rather strange.

Qi Yongji is powerful, influential, skilled in martial arts, physically strong, and good-looking. Why is it that Cai Min avoids him like the plague?

These two don't have any grudge against each other, right?

Could it be that he has some kind of shady hobby?

Zhu Xuan's thoughts drifted further and further away, but Cai Min's words brought her back to reality.

When talking about people she dislikes, Cai Min loses all composure and doesn't care about her image. She slams her hand on the table and curses viciously: "I've never been able to get along with petty people since I was a child. Whenever I come into contact with them, I feel uncontrollably itchy all over, and my mood plummets to rock bottom."

Qi Yongji may have a handsome appearance, but she could see the despicable soul beneath it.

"Did you know that in order to escape the late emperor's suspicion, he personally sent his good brother, with whom he had shared life and death, to the guillotine?"

Coincidentally, Qi Yongji's brother was her close friend.

Sharing a bed with Qi Yongji, she dared not sleep too soundly at night, and she had to carefully hide her hatred. Over time, this repression turned into disgust.

Zhu Xuan sneered, "He's always been like this. Just to win people over, he set his sights on my only sister and directly betrothed her to one of his violent widowers. My poor sister died young, brutally beaten to death... Today is the anniversary of my sister's death, and I can do nothing..."