The Return of the King: A Generation of Prodigies

Chapter 166 Princess Pingyang

An An, who had been quiet all the way, suddenly lit up her eyes when she saw Shen Tianjiao after returning to Yuxiu Palace.

She stretched out her hands and waved them back and forth, howling at Shen Tianjiao.

Shen Tianjiao put down the bowl in her hand and took her delicate and soft little daughter from Qiong Niang's arms. Before she could hold her firmly, An An put her mouth close to her and gave her a sweet kiss.

This scene made Qiong Niang's jaw drop. How could this little girl change her expression so quickly?

I held her in my arms for most of the day, so it was okay that she ignored me. Just now, she was extremely quiet at her mother's place. Why was she so enthusiastic and cheerful when she came back and saw her mother?

Looking at Shen Tianjiao who was being intimate with An An, Ruan Yuhu smiled and pulled Qiong Niang to sit next to him, and also served her a bowl of bird's nest soup.

"No, it's really the old ancestor, this girl." Qiong Niang looked at An An who was being intimate with Shen Tianjiao, and was speechless and didn't know what to say.

"Okay, hurry up and eat this bird's nest soup. You must admit that the bird's nest soup stewed by Chunchao is really delicious. In the future, we should ask her to stew more from time to time, and we can also get some."

Ruan Yuhu deliberately changed the subject, not wanting to disturb the intimate interaction between Shen Tianjiao and An An, mother and daughter.

She had told Shen Tianjiao a long time ago that Li Muyang and An An were Shen Tianjiao's children, but they were born from someone else's womb. Now it seems to be true.

However, she could say this to Shen Tianjiao, but not to Qiong Niang. First, she was afraid that Qiong Niang would be sad, and second, she was afraid that these words would cause a rift between Qiong Niang and Shen Tianjiao. After all, Qiong Niang really loved these two children and treated them as her own children.

Everyone has jealousy in their heart. It is always uncomfortable to see the child you have been taking care of getting close to others.

Shen Tianjiao, who was being affectionate with her daughter, felt Qiong Niang's gaze and asked with a smile, "You've been staring at us since you came in. What's wrong? Who offended you? It couldn't be me, could it? I didn't do anything."

"It's not you, it's this heartless little thing in your arms." Qiong Niang looked at An An angrily and said, "This girl, I've been with her for so long today, let alone kissing or hugging, she didn't even give me a glance."

"And just now when I went to Fanghua Garden and saw Lady Du, she was also very calm and composed."

"But when I got here, you see, not only is he smiling, but he's also kissing and hugging me. What's wrong? Is it because Miss Du and I are not a good match?"

Shen Tianjiao listened to Qiong Niang's complaints and smiled without saying a word. She could now truly feel the meaning behind what Ruan Yuhu had said that day: both children were hers, but they were born in other people's wombs.

Although Li Muyang and the little one in her arms were not born from her belly, this did not affect the relationship between the three of them at all.

Not only do the two children like to stick to her on a daily basis, but she herself also has a natural sense of closeness to these two children. The longer they spend together, the more she feels that these are her children.

"Your jealousy is totally unfounded." Ruan Yuhu reached out and patted Qiong Niang on the back, saying, "Is there anything wrong with this child liking his own mother?"

"In the future, you should take care of her more often and spend more time with her. The longer she spends with you, the closer she will become to you."

Qiong Niang had no doubt that Ruan Yuhu's words of persuasion were meant to fool her. This child was not close to her own mother, so it would be strange if she could be close to her.

Shen Tianjiao held An An in her arms, looked at Qiong Niang and asked, "How is Lady Du doing?"

"Her complexion was very bad, as pale as paper." Speaking of Lady Du, Qiong Niang couldn't help but sigh, "I brought An An to see her. I originally wanted to comfort her and let her know that An An had been canonized as Princess Pingyang. I wanted her to stop worrying about An An and could happily recover from her illness."

"But who knows, it would have been better if I hadn't told her. After I told her, she was so excited that she almost fainted from tears."

"How could I dare to stay any longer? I immediately said goodbye and went back with the little girl in my arms."

Shen Tianjiao looked at An An, who was smiling at her in her arms, and said, "You should take good care of her in the future. If she needs anything, make up for it. If she has any requests, satisfy her."

"Have the imperial physician come over every day to take my pulse. If I need any herbs, I can get them from the Imperial Hospital. If they don't have them, I can use my private storehouse."

"Okay, I understand." Qiong Niang thought of Concubine Du's pale face, and she felt very uncomfortable. Although the imperial physician said that Concubine Du's body was in good condition, as long as she took good care of herself, she could live more years.

But judging from Lady Du's appearance, even if she is well taken care of, she may not live long.

"Master, the eunuch is here to announce the decree." Chunchao came in hurriedly from outside.

"Yes." Shen Tianjiao nodded, handed An An to Qiong Niang, and said, "You carry An An and go to receive the imperial edict. Prime Minister Wang has been waiting for so long, he must be getting impatient by now."

"Okay." Qiong Niang stood up and went out with An An in her arms.

Ruan Yuhu looked at Shen Tianjiao and said, "He's here? Didn't the eunuch come to announce him?"

"Hmph!" Shen Tianjiao snorted coldly and said, "He should still be wandering outside the Zhenghe Palace. Logically, he should be more active than anyone else in this matter, but I don't know what happened that made him hesitate."

Ruan Yuhu's heart sank. She knew that Li Chaohui's ambition had never died out because of her imprisonment. If Shen Tianjiao released her this time, her desires that had been suppressed for many years would be released, and the consequences might even destroy the Yunli Kingdom.

Perhaps Wang Yunzhi was hesitant because he knew Li Chaohui's intention.

Thinking of this, Ruan Yuhu turned around and looked at Shen Tianjiao, and said nervously: "Jiaojiao, Li Zhaohui can't be let go."

"It's too late." Shen Tianjiao smiled helplessly and shook her head, saying, "From the moment she decided to help, she had already calculated it all. We are all in her trap."

"Even if I don't order her release now, she will find a way to escape. She hasn't stayed in her cage all these years."

"She's waiting for my order to release her. She just wants a legitimate identity."

"You can't prevent it. What's coming will come. There's no way to avoid it."

"If this hidden danger of hers is not resolved, it will eventually become a disaster. It's good to have it. We can stop the enemy with soldiers and cover the water with earth."

"Aunt, it's time for us to start moving. We need to take the initiative and not just let her lead us."

"Wang Yunzhi is hesitant today. No matter what the reason is, I think we can fight for it. People change, and even the strongest love cannot withstand the passage of time."

"Similarly, it can't compare to his own and his family's interests. As the head of the Wang family, he now has to take care of more than just himself. He has to protect the lives of 853 members of his Wang clan."

"Even if he's obsessed and unrepentant, completely disregarding his own life and the lives of his Wang family, and can't be used by me, that doesn't matter. I gave him a chance, but he didn't want it."

"Then you can't blame me for being so cruel. Let him and the rest of the Wang family follow Li Zhaohui to hell."

Ruan Yuhu looked at Shen Tianjiao and felt her determination and courage, which made Ruan Yuhu feel at ease.

She was ashamed of her weakness and fear just now. She should now support Shen Tianjiao instead of shaking Shen Tianjiao's heart.

"Alright, we should act now." Ruan Yuhu, having adjusted his mindset, took a sip of tea from the table and said, "Her daughter will be sent to the palace today. How about I arrange for her to stay at the Waterside Flower City?"

"Well, okay, aunt, you can do whatever you think is appropriate to arrange her, but you must protect her well." This is the only person Shen Tianjiao can control Li Chaohui, and nothing can happen to her.

"Don't worry, all the people in Shuixie Huadu have been replaced by our people. We guarantee nothing will happen."

The people going to Shuixie Huadu were all trained by Ju Ruo herself, so Ruan Yuhu was still confident that they would be fine.

"Jiaojiao, I've already met Prime Minister Wang's wife. She's a dignified and quiet lady from a noble family. It would be a shame for her to marry Wang Yunzhi."

Ruan Yuhu shook her head. In this world, women are weak after all. From the queen Shen Tianjiao to the girls from ordinary families, their situations are all very difficult in this era where men are respected.

"I plan to invite her to the palace and let her meet Zuo Beichen. By the way, we can also get to know each other better. What do you think?"

"Aunt, you don't need to ask me about this matter. Just do it yourself."

Speaking of Zuo Beichen, Shen Tianjiao smiled a little embarrassedly. She had been so busy with so many things recently that she had forgotten about Zuo Beichen.

Now that Zuo Beichen was mentioned, Shen Tianjiao couldn't help but think of the trade plan again. Now it was time for Zuo Beichen and Qiu Tong to set off together.

"Aunt, I plan to have Zuo Beichen and Qiu Tong lead the caravan out in the next few days. Please use this as an excuse to invite Madam Wang to the palace for a chat."

"Well, that's great. I don't have to think of any other reasons." Ruan Yuhu nodded with satisfaction. The reason given by Shen Tianjiao was very good. It was reasonable and not too eye-catching.

"Aunt, there is one more thing. Prince Cheng and his children and grandchildren who are about to be banished from the capital all need to be supervised."

"Especially Prince Cheng's grandson, Li Chen, must be kept under strict watch. His every move must not be overlooked."

In the previous life, it was this Li Chen who became the emperor of Yunli Kingdom after the death of Li Muyang and Li Rui.

Emperor Li Chen did not do a good job. Although he was not a cruel person, he was extremely licentious. He was emperor for more than ten years, but the time he spent in court to handle state affairs was less than one year in total.

Such a person is not worthy and qualified to be the emperor of Yunli Kingdom.

Many things and events have changed in this life, but Li Chen is still there after all. As long as Li Chen exists, there will be uncontrollable factors.

Shen Tianjiao must take precautions in advance and avoid anything that may affect Li Muyang in advance.

"Is this Li Chen a dangerous person?" Although Ruan Yuhu didn't understand why Shen Tianjiao cared so much about this man named Li Chen, she intuitively felt that this Li Chen was not simple.

"I guess so. Li Chen's father, Li Ji's youngest son, died of a heart attack a few years ago. If Li Ji had any ill intentions, Li Chen would become his ideal puppet."

"After all, a child without a father is easy to control and is the most ideal choice."

Shen Tianjiao couldn't explain Li Chen's matter to Ruan Yuhu, so she could only use this excuse to get away with it.

"I see. I'll have someone keep an eye out for it."

Ruan Yuhu didn't know much about Li Ji, but in her impression, this person was not a good person either.

Now that she heard Shen Tianjiao say this, she naturally believed it.

In the yard, Qiong Niang held Li Muyan and led everyone to kneel in the yard to receive the imperial edict of enthronement.

This process was a bit long and boring, but Li Muyan in Qiong Niang's arms was extremely quiet without crying or making a fuss.

Qiong Niang looked down at the sweet baby in her arms and felt incredible. It seemed as if this little girl knew by nature what she should do in what occasion.

After waiting for a long time for the angel to deliver the imperial edict, she read the extremely long imperial edict, accepted the order, thanked the grace, and stood up. Qiong Niang's legs were numb.

Qiong Niang asked Chunchao to take the imperial edict, and then ordered people to reward the angels and other people who came to announce the edict with money, and then she took Li Muyan back to the house.

When Qiong Niang brought Li Muyan back to the house, Ruan Yuhu was the only one left in the room.

"Yeah, I'm back." Seeing Qiong Niang carrying Li Muyan in, Ruan Yuhu stretched out his hand and teased Li Muyan with a smile, saying, "Come, An An, come here."

Li Muyan looked at Ruan Yuhu quietly, without extending her hand or moving, just looking at her quietly.

"Oh, this girl, apart from responding enthusiastically to her mother, she is indifferent to others."

Qiong Niang placed Li Muyan in Ruan Yuhu's arms and then continued, "But this little girl is really smart. She was very quiet when she received the imperial edict just now."

"If it were any other child, they would have burst into tears, but this little girl just stayed quiet."

"Really?" Ruan Yuhu looked at Li Muyan in his arms and said with a smile, "Our An An is not a mean kid. Our An An is the smartest kid, isn't he?"

Li Muyan looked up curiously at Ruan Yuhu who was talking to her. She stretched out her little hand and touched Ruan Yuhu's face.

"Oh, our little cutie." Ruan Yuhu was extremely happy when Li Muyan touched her face. After all, apart from Shen Tianjiao, she was the only one who received this treatment.