mtl008 Chapter 257 Godson
Chapter 257 Godson
"Hongzhan, it's late at night, why don't you go back to your room and rest?"
Hongzhan, who was supposed to go to bed at that time, kept following her around. An Lingrong was not used to this kind of clinginess.
"Mother, I heard that my grandfather passed away. I'm worried that you must be sad, and I want to be by your side."
Before leaving, the emperor told him to accompany his mother well.
The worst blow young Hongzhan ever experienced was when Hua E'niang took advantage of her height and strength to steal his food.
He thought that his mother's grief over losing her grandfather must be far greater than this.
Hongzhan walked forward, hugged An Lingrong's calf, and patted it gently to comfort her.
"Hongzhan, my mother's good son."
An Lingrong excitedly held the little person in her arms, with tears welling up in her eyes.
"Hongzhan, can you accompany mother tonight?"
This is the person who worries about her wholeheartedly, apart from her mother, Mrs. Lin.
An Lingrong felt that all the efforts were worth it.
After sending away the palace servants, An Lingrong carefully placed her son on the soft bed and meticulously tucked in the quilt for him.
"Hongzhan, do you want to know about my mother's past?"
Hongzhan, who had been drooping, suddenly perked up after hearing this.
"Mother, I once heard Mother Hua mention that your success today is inseparable from the careful guidance of my grandfather. I would like to hear more stories about my grandfather."
An Lingrong smiled as she stroked her son's half-bald head and gently poked his chubby cheek. "Okay, I'll tell you everything. Let's listen to a story first."
"Many years ago, there was a spice merchant in Anyang County, Chuzhou... His wife donated money to become an official with the money she earned through embroidery."
"The spice merchant transformed himself into a county magistrate... His true nature was revealed, and he imprisoned his wife and only legitimate daughter in the backyard..."
"If the imperial court hadn't held a general election, I wonder where that legitimate daughter would have been sent to in exchange for benefits."
An Lingrong spoke softly about the past, as if she was telling someone else's story.
Hongzhan initially listened to it as a story, but gradually he connected the characters in it with his maternal grandfather's family.
"Mother, you...how could there be someone like my grandfather in this world?"
His voice trembled as he stretched out his chubby little hand to wipe away his mother's tears.
Hongzhan has enjoyed the best life since he was born. He never imagined that his mother had experienced such hardships. He was so heartbroken that tears welled up in his eyes.
"Hongzhan, it's been a long time since I've thought about those past events. Now that I have you and my younger brothers and sisters, all those hardships seem insignificant."
"Don't be sad, mother, this is the end of all hardship and happiness."
An Lingrong gently wiped away Hongzhan's tears and took the opportunity to teach her son.
"Hongzhan, I'm not mentioning this to complain, but to make you understand that what you hear may not be true. You must learn to distinguish right from wrong."
"Everyone thinks that your grandfather is responsible for my mother's current situation, but in reality, everything they know is what my mother proactively shared with others."
"As long as you don't open your mouth, outsiders will have no idea how you're doing."
An Lingrong stared intently into her son's pure eyes.
"Hongzhan, you must remember that Tibet is something you will have to learn throughout your life."
"Mother, I will keep this in mind."
Hongzhan crawled out of the bed and bowed respectfully to An Lingrong.
"Go back to sleep quickly to avoid catching a cold."
An Lingrong gently tucked the little fat boy back into the quilt and covered him tightly again.
"If you have anything you want to know, just ask. Mother will tell you everything tonight."
Of course, the two biggest secrets are her rebirth and the system.
"Mother, the palace maids around Lan E Niang all say that I am the prince most beloved by the Emperor, and I will definitely have a bright future."
Hongzhan glanced at her cautiously and continued to add.
"Madam Liu said that as long as you have a powerful family, a higher position will be within your reach."
An Lingrong secretly remembered Concubine Lan in her heart. This was how Hongshi, the commoner of Qi, was flattered to death.
"Hongzhan, what do you think?"
she asked softly.
"Mother, you once analyzed the situation in the harem for me. Most of the concubines in my father's harem are from the Han Army Banner. I suspect that my father relies more on the Han Army Banner."
"It doesn't matter which banner the princes in the palace come from, it makes no difference to the emperor."
"Having a powerful in-law isn't necessarily a blessing. Mother Hua is a lesson learned."
"Mother, your background may seem like a fatal weakness to outsiders, but it is precisely because you don't have a powerful family that the Emperor is confident in letting you rise to higher positions."
If no other princes are born in the harem, it would only take a word for the emperor to raise the banner for my mother's family.
Hongzhan knew that it was a difficult thing to raise the flag, but he would work hard for it.
After his fourth birthday, he felt much clearer. Thinking back to the days of eating, drinking, and having fun, Hongzhan was so embarrassed that he almost didn't want to go out.
Mother said that he had to learn to hide, so Hongzhan decided to keep the matter secret.
Listening to Hongzhan's well-reasoned analysis, An Lingrong silently marveled at the transformative power of the magical pill on the fetus.
"Hongzhan, you have really grown up."
"Hongyao and Zhaohua are still young. They like to imitate other people's speech. You must be careful with your words and actions in front of them."
"As for your Royal Father, you should moderate your edge appropriately. You can grow in the direction he expects, but the speed of growth cannot far exceed his expectations."
After all, it seemed that no one in this world except herself hoped that her children would get better.
No matter how smart Hongzhan was, he was still a child who admired his father.
He thought for a moment and spoke weakly.
"The Emperor has just instructed me to stay with you. He is clearly worried about you."
"Mother, I see that the Emperor treats Yonghe Palace very seriously, I..."
Hongzhan stared at An Lingrong in confusion, hoping to get an explanation.
"Your Royal Father is indeed treating you well right now. But you are the Sixth Prince, so Mother will tell you in detail about your elder brothers."
Since her son was tight-lipped, An Lingrong started the story from when the deposed empress entered Prince Yong's mansion, and recounted the past events of the mansion.
She had heard the initial story from hearsay, but when Concubine Hua was bored, she told her many past events, and she was able to piece together the general idea by unraveling them.
More than half an hour passed, and the spark in Hongzhan's heart that wanted to show off his intelligence was completely extinguished by the fate of his previous brothers.
Seeing that he was lost in thought, An Lingrong began to talk about the difficult journey of the current emperor fighting his way through his brothers.
At the same time, he did not forget to tell him the current situation of several princes one by one.
"Your father was not the emperor that the Queen Mother had hoped for. When he first ascended the throne, the Queen Mother gave him many embarrassments."
"A few days ago, the Queen Mother went to the Erlang Temple under the pretext of leaving the palace to worship Buddha and privately met with the Fourteenth Prince, who was imprisoned in the Imperial Mausoleum."
"You know what happened next. Concubine Lan had an argument with the Queen Mother. Then, the Queen Mother, who never took her grandchildren seriously, had you all gathered at Shoukang Palace. You stood out from the crowd and won the Queen Mother's favor."
Hongzhan quietly sorted out everything his mother had said, and after a long time he spoke with certainty.
"Mother, my grandfather must have passed away a long time ago, right?"
"Yes, your grandfather has been gone for some time. The emperor didn't want us to have any contact with Shoukang Palace, so he thought of this matter."
An Lingrong gently stroked his warm cheek, giving him silent comfort.
The emperor is first a king who weighs the pros and cons, and then the father of many princes and princesses.