The Return of the King: A Generation of Prodigies

Chapter 151 Lady Du’s Request

Shen Tianjiao looked at Ruan Yuhu's expression and smiled. How could she not know what Ruan Yuhu was thinking?

But there is no way now. Her son wants to study and make progress, and as a mother, she can't stop him.

In order to prevent Ruan Yuhu from disturbing Li Muyang later, Shen Tianjiao quickly changed the subject.

"I'm going to Taihe Hall later." As soon as Shen Tianjiao said this, everyone in the room understood what she meant.

"Go, go soon, so she can be free sooner." Ruan Yuhu sighed and said, "Given all the evil she has done, it's a pity to let her die so easily."

Feng Yuanyuan had bullied Shen Tianjiao and Qiong Niang a lot in the past. Ruan Yuhu felt uncomfortable when he thought about it. He always felt that killing Feng Yuanyuan with a glass of poisoned wine was too easy for her.

"Forget it. Death is like the extinguishing of a light. What's the point of fussing over a dead person?" Shen Tianjiao smiled and comforted Ruan Yuhu. "She's a pitiful person, too. Let's settle our grudge today. Let's all go back to our respective places and live in peace."

"That's right." Ruan Yuhu nodded. "From today on, we'll go our separate ways."

"This is a very good ending for her. It's better than her wasting her will in the cold palace and driving herself crazy."

"Jiaojiao, when should we announce the death of Empress Dowager Liu?"

Although Ruan Yuhu was very reluctant to care about Empress Dowager Liu's affairs, she had to consider the overall situation. No matter how hateful Empress Dowager Liu was, she was the empress dowager of a country after all. She could not die in such an unclear way. She had to give an explanation to the people of the world.

"Just tell it today. The person is already dead. There is no need to hide it anymore." Shen Tianjiao looked cold. She was very busy now and had no time to worry about this matter.

"As for whether to have a grand funeral or a hasty one, that's up to the Emperor. The Queen Mother is his mother after all. After all, they've been together for so many years, so there's probably still some mother-son bond between them."

Although Li Rui was the adopted son of Empress Dowager Liu, they were mother and son in name only. It was most appropriate for Li Rui to arrange the burial of Empress Dowager Liu.

"Yes, that's right. After all, they are mother and son. It is most appropriate for the emperor to handle this matter."

It was better to let Li Rui, the unlucky guy, do this kind of unpleasant task. Ruan Yuhu had no mood or time to care about this thankless and disgusting thing that made her feel upset.

"Master, Lady Du comes to see you."

A few people were talking when Chunchao came in and reported.

"Madam Du?" Shen Tianjiao frowned and thought for a long time before she remembered who the Madam Du Chunchao was talking about.

This Lady Du was originally the daughter of an unknown minor official. According to her status, she was not qualified to enter the palace.

But unfortunately, she has a very important relative, she is the cousin of Concubine Fang Xue Yuqin. Although Concubine Fang does not have a high status in the palace, her family is very powerful.

Fangpin's father was the great-nephew of the late Empress Dowager. Although he was only granted the title of Viscount in his generation, he was a relative of the Empress Dowager's mother, so he had a certain status among the royal relatives and nobles in the capital.

The reason why Concubine Du was able to enter the palace was undoubtedly because Concubine Fang had been in the palace for many years but had never received the emperor's favor and had no children, so she needed someone like this to enter the palace to help her win favor.

However, this Concubine Du was also very capable. In the second year after entering the palace, she gave birth to Li Rui's only daughter.

Just because her biological mother had a low status, this only daughter has not yet been given a title and has been raised in Fangpin's Fanghua Pavilion.

"What is she here for?" Shen Tianjiao really couldn't figure out why this invisible lady Du suddenly came to ask to see her.

"I don't know. She didn't tell me. She just said she wanted to see you for something." Chunchao hesitated for a moment and said, "She looks haggard. It seems she has encountered some difficulties."

Although Shen Tianjiao is not a nosy person, she is the master of the harem after all. The women in the harem are all Li Rui's, but they are all under the control of her as the queen.

"Let her in." Shen Tianjiao calmed herself down and gave the order.

Soon, Lady Du was brought in. After greeting Shen Tianjiao, she knelt there with her head down, waiting for Shen Tianjiao to speak.

Shen Tianjiao stared at Lady Du who was kneeling before her for a long time before she said, "Lady Du, please stand up and take a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace." Concubine Du stood up tremblingly.

The moment Lady Du raised her head, Shen Tianjiao was really shocked.

Although she had no impression of this Miss Du, she had met her several times.

The woman in front of me has a dark yellow complexion and looks haggard, like an old woman. How can she be the stunning beauty with a charming smile and beautiful eyes two years ago?

Who can tell her what happened?

Shen Tianjiao looked at Lady Du in front of her and couldn't help but feel pity for her. Even her voice softened a bit. "Lady Du, what brings you to see me today?"

"Empress." Concubine Du burst into tears before she could say anything. She stood up from her chair and knelt in front of Shen Tianjiao again, saying, "I beg the Empress to have mercy and save my daughter."

Shen Tianjiao raised her eyebrows and asked, "What's wrong with the child? Is he sick? Lady Du, don't worry. I'll have the imperial physician go to Fanghua Pavilion later."

Lady Du shook her head and said, "Your Majesty, I have come here today to ask you to save the life of my poor child. She is dying, not from any disease, but from torture. Please have mercy on her and save her."

"What did you say?" Shen Tianjiao looked at Concubine Du in disbelief. Although her daughter was not favored, she was still the biological daughter of the current emperor Li Rui.

Who in this palace is so blind that he dares to torture the emperor's daughter? He really doesn't want to live.

"Lady Du, don't be afraid. Talk slowly. I'll take care of everything for you!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great kindness." Lady Du kowtowed heavily to Shen Tianjiao.

"Your Majesty, the one who wanted to kill my daughter was none other than Concubine Fang."

Shen Tianjiao was shocked and looked up at Lady Du, but after a moment, she figured out the twists and turns.

Shen Tianjiao didn't know much about Concubine Du, but she knew a little about Concubine Fang Xue Yuqin.

Xue Yuqin has been in the palace for many years. Back then, relying on the power of the late Empress Dowager, she was domineering and arrogant in the palace, second only to Feng Yuanyuan.

How could such an arrogant and domineering person be a good person?

After entering the palace for many years, her position was limited to that of a concubine. She had no favor and no children, and became a hopeless person.

For their own benefit, the family sent Concubine Du into the palace.

Concubine Du had no family support and could only rely on Xue Yuqin and her family. However, such a woman actually won the emperor's favor and gave birth to the emperor's only daughter.

Although she is still just a beauty and her daughter has no status, she has hope for the rest of her life. In the future, she will not have to be sent to a nunnery to live out her life in loneliness like Xue Yuqin, a concubine without children.

Xue Yuqin naturally found it difficult to accept such a gap. People cannot bear to see others living better than themselves, so torturing Concubine Du and her daughter became Xue Yuqin's pleasure.

Shen Tianjiao frowned. She despised the behavior of taking out anger on children and taking pleasure in torturing them.

What does the fight between adults have to do with innocent children?

"Go, Fanghuayuan, bring the child over, and ask Fangpin to come over as well."

Shen Tianjiao did not doubt what Lady Du said because she knew what kind of person Xue Yuqin was. She asked Xue Yuqin to come along just to confront her face to face so that Xue Yuqin could not deny it.

After sending Chunchao to Fanghua Garden, Shen Tianjiao looked at Lady Du who was still kneeling on the ground and said, "I will do justice for you in this matter. You can get up first."

"I bow to thank the Empress for her great kindness." Lady Du did not stand up. She remained kneeling on the ground and said, "I have one more request to make. I hope the Empress will grant it."

"Tell me what you have to say, I'm here to hear it." Shen Tianjiao looked at Lady Du who was kneeling on the ground. Her experience was really distressing. If it wasn't an excessive request, Shen Tianjiao would still be willing to help.

"I would like to ask the Queen to place my daughter in your care and let her be your daughter."

"I swear to you that I have absolutely no intention of overstepping my bounds by doing this. I simply want the child to live and grow up safely."

"If Your Majesty agrees, I promise you that from now on I will never see that child again. From now on, she will be your child, Your Majesty, and will have nothing to do with me anymore."

"If Your Majesty is still worried, I am willing to disappear."

Lady Du really risked her life for her daughter. This is what is called the compassionate love of parents in the world.

But when Shen Tianjiao heard what Lady Du said, it took on a different meaning.

"Lady Du, don't worry. I will uphold justice for you today. No one in this palace will dare to bully you and your daughter again."

"It's better to raise your own child yourself. I will never take her away by force."

"No, no, no, Your Majesty, you have misunderstood." Concubine Du knelt on the ground and shook her head desperately, "That is not what I meant. I sincerely beg you to adopt the child."

After saying this, Lady Du raised her head and hands, rolling up her sleeves. Her fair arms were covered with shocking scars.

Even Shen Tianjiao, who had seen mountains of swords and seas of fire and crawled out of a pile of corpses, couldn't help but feel terrified. How could someone be so cruel as to be so brutal to a weak woman like Lady Du?

Shen Tianjiao couldn't bear to look at Lady Du's arm any longer, so she told Xia He, who was standing nearby, "Xia He, go help Lady Du sit up."

After hearing what Shen Tianjiao said, Xia He walked over to help Lady Du up.

Unexpectedly, Lady Du gently pushed Xia He away and refused. She kowtowed heavily to Shen Tianjiao and said, "I asked Her Majesty to see my injuries, not because I wanted Her Majesty to pity me."

"I did this to tell you, the Queen, that I can't protect that child. Today it's Fangpin, tomorrow it will be someone else."

"A person like Xiangpinqie, who has no power and no one to support her, has no way of protecting her daughter and raising her to adulthood."

"There is no one in this world who can protect that child and raise him up except you, the Queen. So I beg you, the Queen, to agree to my request. I will repay your kindness in my next life by tying a grass ring and holding a handkerchief."

Shen Tianjiao looked at the poor woman in front of her, and how could she not be moved? They were all women. Although she had never given birth to a child, Li Muyang had raised her for these days, and she knew what a loving mother's heart was.

"Madam Du, please get up first. Let's talk it over." Although Shen Tianjiao could understand Madam Du's deep love for her child as a mother, she was also unwilling to be the evil person who separated the mother and daughter.

"No, Your Majesty, if you do not agree to this, I will kneel and die here today."

Lady Du came here today with the determination to die. As a mother, she is willing to do anything for her daughter.

"Your Majesty knows that I am of humble origin, the daughter of a minor official of low rank. But what you don't know is that I am also the daughter of a concubine."

"My biological mother was just a concubine that my father kept outside. She died of complications during childbirth. I was raised outside with my own wet nurse."

"After I came of age, my father sent me to the palace as a tool to win favor."

"I beg Your Majesty to have mercy on me. I cannot and do not want my child to be like me. Please have mercy on me and agree to my request."

Lady Du didn't say how pitiful she was or how hard her life was, but she expressed everything she needed to say.

She was right. There were many people in the palace who had higher positions than her and whose families were powerful. Of course, there were also many who had no children.

Under such circumstances, Lady Du really could not protect her own child.

It seems that in the entire harem, apart from Shen Tianjiao, there is indeed no one else who can protect Concubine Du's child and let her grow up safely.

After all, there is really no one in the harem who dares to go against Queen Shen Tianjiao.

Ever since Shen Tianjiao came to power, no one in the harem has been so blind as to dare to go against her.

If Shen Tianjiao agreed to raise Lady Du's daughter by her side, then the child would definitely grow up safely.

Lady Du was a smart person. She knew who to look for as a backer and who to entrust her daughter to so that she could be protected and grow up safely.

Shen Tianjiao looked at the poor woman in front of her and couldn't bear to say no.

At worst, she could just agree to it first, and after this matter was settled, she could let Concubine Du move into Yuxiu Palace as well, so that the mother and daughter wouldn't have to be separated.