This sudden good news made Zhao Hua unable to conceal her delight. She immediately got up to welcome them.
She stood at the palace gate, craning her neck in anticipation.
Before long, she saw Xiao Jingheng leading a little person, walking towards her.
Cheng Yu was even more handsome than he looked in the painting she had seen before.
Zhao Hua took just one glance and her eyes reddened.
She almost jogged over to welcome them, but her gaze was fixed only on Cheng Yu.
Xiao Jingheng knew she was delighted. He hurriedly held her hand and Cheng Yu's little hand together,
"My dear, our son has returned."
Cheng Yu stared at Zhao Hua without moving his eyes.
He felt somewhat familiar with Zhao Hua, but could no longer recognize her.
But from Zhao Hua's attire he could easily see,
this was the Empress of Qichao, the Empress who had carried him in her womb for ten months before giving birth to him.
So he observed etiquette and respectfully greeted Zhao Hua,
"Your son pays respects to the Empress Mother."
Your son...
These two words were like hooks, subtly and ceaselessly pricking the softest place in Zhao Hua's heart.
In front of her, Chenghuan called himself son, Ruo Xin called herself daughter,
Chenghuan called her Empress Mother, Ruo Xin called her Mother.
But Cheng Yu, faced her and observed full etiquette, calling himself your son.
Zhao Hua felt desolate, thinking that she owed the child too much...
But Xiao Jingheng said with a smile, "Our son has been raised very well and understands etiquette very much."
Yes, understands etiquette very much...
But this etiquette was between monarch and subject, it should not have been between mother and son.
Zhao Hua had complex feelings, but still had to force out a smile without cracks, and gently stroked Cheng Yu's bangs,
"Cheng Yu has grown into a young man now."
That afternoon, Xiao Jingheng sat in Zhao Hua's palace for a while.
When it was time for dinner, he said:
"Today I feel delighted in my heart. I have agreed with the Prince of An to drink tonight to celebrate our joy. My dear, come along too?"
Zhao Hua smiled lightly and shook her head, "Cheng Yu has just returned. I want to spend more time with him. Later when Ruo Xin returns she will meet her elder brother too, so it's not good for me to leave."
So Xiao Jingheng said, "Alright then, I will come see you all tomorrow."
With those words, he lovingly touched Cheng Yu's cheek, then planted a kiss on Zhao Hua's forehead before leaving, his eyes and brows full of joy.
After mother and son had seen him out of the palace gate, Zhao Hua took Cheng Yu's hand and led him to the east wing.
Everything in this side palace had been carefully arranged by Zhao Hua these past days.
She didn't know what Cheng Yu's preferences were, so she said:
"My son, if there is anything here not to your liking, tell Mother and I will rearrange it for you."
Cheng Yu obediently said: "Everything is good, thank you Empress Mother."
He fully accepted Zhao Hua's thoughts,
Whether it was the layout of the room, arrangement of the palace maids, style of the clothes, or the night clothes Zhao Hua had personally made,
Whatever Zhao Hua asked, he consistently said it was good.
It is said mother and child are connected at heart. Even if Cheng Yu refused to say anything, Zhao Hua could clearly sense his loss.
So afterwards, Zhao Hua simply stopped asking him these things,
Instead, she dismissed her attendants and held Cheng Yu alone in the side hall, hugging him as she gently asked:
"Cheng Yu, tell Mother, aren't you still very concerned about your father and mother?"
At these words, an expression of being moved finally appeared on Cheng Yu's face.
He didn't speak, but forcefully nodded his head.
Zhao Hua hugged him even tighter, gently saying:
"My good child, Mother knows that since you became aware, the Chen family have been carefully looking after you, and you are deeply affectionate with them. Now suddenly parted from them, even though you have entered the palace full of riches and honor, it still cannot match your feelings for them."
Cheng Yu looked up at Zhao Hua.
After a long pause, he finally dropped etiquette and timidly said: "But Imperial Uncle said I am Father Emperor and Empress Mother's son. After entering the palace, I can no longer mention my foster father and foster mother. Won't Empress Mother blame me for talking about missing them?"
"My silly child", Zhao Hua rubbed Cheng Yu's bangs, unable to hold back an indulgent smile, "If you don't miss your father and mother who have been with you day and night, treating you like their own flesh and blood, that would be unfilial. A child who is unfilial, no matter how well they observe etiquette or etiquette, cannot be considered a good child."
Cheng Yu nodded in confusion, and said again: "I feel Empress Mother and Father Emperor are very different. Seeing Empress Mother, I somehow feel close. But seeing Father Emperor makes me feel..."
"There are still many days ahead, there is no rush," Zhao Hua interrupted the child's next words, instead saying:
"Mother promises you, in future if there is an opportunity, I will definitely let you meet your foster father and mother, alright?"
Cheng Yu nodded again and again, stars shimmering in his eyes. His voice even unconsciously went up an octave, "Alright!"
As he spoke, he smiled with understanding.
This was the first smile Cheng Yu had shown since entering the palace.
However,
this was also the first lie Zhao Hua had told Cheng Yu.
The next day, when Xiao Jingyan was going to secretly take Jiang Muye's head in Candle Shade Valley, he learned of a piece of news from the imperial court.
Originally, ever since Xiao Jingheng had sent Xiao Jingyan to bring Cheng Yu back from Hengzhou, Xiao Jingheng had already sent dark guards to make a move against Jiang Muye in Candle Shade Valley.
He couldn't wait a single day longer before immediately separating Jiang Muye's head from his neck.
On the second day after Crown Prince Chenghuan's one month celebration,
Jiang Muye's severed head was also placed in a gilt wooden box, and sent to the imperial court.
It happened to be the day of the First Farmer ceremony. Xiao Jingheng was going to lead the princes and ministers out of the palace to Mount Li to the First Farmer Altar, to make offerings to the First Farmer and perform the ceremonial plowing and sowing.
This round trip would at least take three to five days.
If they waited until his return to the palace before dealing with Shang Yang, even keeping Jiang Muye's severed head iced, it would likely spoil by then.
Also, Shang Yang had made things very difficult for Zhao Hua, so Xiao Jingheng wanted Zhao Hua to be able to personally take out her anger.
Therefore, before leaving the palace, Xiao Jingheng gave this box to Zhao Hua, and told her to 'gift' it to Shang Yang, and send her on her way when she was in her most desperate straits.
No matter whether Shang Yang was an enemy spy or not, as long as she entered the palace gates she would always be a female dependent of the inner palace. Zhao Hua was in charge afterwards, so naturally it was her responsibility to deal with convicted imperial consorts.
And so, on that afternoon when the imperial carriage left the capital, Zhao Hua had already sent people to bring Shang Yang back from the cruel prison to Zhao Chun Palace earlier, and given her a set of clean clothes to change into.
Later, when she went to Zhao Chun Palace, she saw Shang Yang had already changed into new clothes and was lifeless, sitting limply on the heated seats. Her vacant eyes dully looked out at the crimson clouds at sunset.
She wore an embroidered coral dress, setting off her fair complexion whiter than snow, but the injuries all over her body and the despair on her face made it completely impossible to glimpse her former innocence.
Hearing the door open, Shang Yang lazily glanced back.
The moment their eyes met, she froze for a moment, then silently laughed, murmuring almost inaudibly:
"Song Zhao, you've won."
