Yun Shu had already expected the Child Emperor to say this.
Her voice suddenly turned cold, carrying a touch of harshness that stemmed from deep disappointment. “I thought that after all these years, you would have made some progress. I never expected you to be just like your imperial father—as foolish as a pig!”
“Do you think that if you return to the capital now to continue being a puppet emperor in name only, letting the State Preceptor and his lackeys manipulate you as they please, they will spare your life? Utterly foolish!”
The Child Emperor had not expected his mother to suddenly fly into a rage, and he trembled all over from this sudden scolding.
Memories of his childhood flooded his mind. The mother in his memories had been just like this—fickle and prone to sudden outbursts of anger, beating and scolding him at the slightest displeasure.
Thinking of this, he could not help but feel a sense of relief. Fortunately, his mother could not physically appear before him; otherwise, he would surely be beaten again.
When she was alive, she had frequently used a wooden ruler to strike his palms.
He instinctively lowered his head like a child who had done something wrong, muttering, “Empress Mother, I was only...”
“Only afraid?” Yun Shu cut him off, her voice laced with deep disappointment. “A'yue, you were once the master of this vast realm! How can you be so cowardly?”
The Child Emperor's eyes welled with tears. He tightly gripped the hem of his robe, his knuckles turning white. “But Empress Mother, the State Preceptor wields monstrous power. More than half the court consists of his people, and Grandfather's entire family has already been killed by him. I do not have a single soldier under my command. If I do not bow my head and play the submissive fool, what else can I do?”
As he spoke, his voice grew softer and softer, carrying a sense of helpless self-deprecation.
Yun Shu fell silent for a moment.
When she spoke again, her tone had softened slightly.
“A'yue, do you know what breaks my heart the most beyond the grave? It is not that you cannot defeat the State Preceptor and his faction, but that you have never truly tried to fight back.”
“You say you do not have a single soldier under your command.”
She paused. “Then let me ask you: have the Marquis of Ningyuan and the other court ministers defected to the State Preceptor?”
The Child Emperor quickly replied, “The Marquis of Ningyuan is a man of noble character. Naturally, he would never associate with a treacherous villain like the State Preceptor!”
Yun Shu sighed. “Since you knew the Marquis of Ningyuan was loyal and righteous, why did you not use his strength earlier to eliminate the State Preceptor and his faction?”
“I...” The Child Emperor lowered his head in shame.
When his mother passed away, she had instructed him to listen to the advice of loyal veteran ministers like the Marquis of Ningyuan. Yet, he had treated his maternal grandfather's family as his sole reliance.
However, his grandfather was advanced in years, and the younger generation of the family was of mixed caliber, making them no match for the State Preceptor and his faction.
Later, his grandfather's family was framed by the State Preceptor, and he lost his freedom entirely, confined to the palace.
“It was my foolishness. Not only did I miss the opportunity, but I also brought ruin upon Grandfather's family.” He fell to his knees with a thud.
Seeing that the Child Emperor was completely convinced, Yun Shu curled her lips slightly, though her tone remained unchanged. “Everyone has their own destiny. There is no use in speaking of these things now.”
“What you must do now is find a way to preserve your life, so that I can peacefully depart for reincarnation.”
The Child Emperor pleaded, “Please guide me, Empress Mother.”
Yun Shu took the opportunity to state her ultimate goal. “Since the State Preceptor wants you to propose to the Divine Lady, you might as well go with the flow. Make a grand spectacle of this matter and let them reap what they sow.”
The Child Emperor raised his head and hesitated. “Empress Mother, the Divine Lady is a true deity. If I go with the flow and head to Zhenbei Prefecture to propose to her, I fear I will also anger her.”
“That will depend on your fortune.” Yun Shu pointed out his current situation. “The State Preceptor is already preparing to install a new emperor who is more obedient than you. He will not allow you to return to the capital alive.”
“Heading to Zhenbei Prefecture is your final chance.”
“The Marquis of Ningyuan and his daughter are just ahead. Go and save them now. If the Divine Lady decides to punish you in the future, the Marquis of Ningyuan's two sons might plead with her on your behalf out of gratitude for saving their father and sister, sparing you from death.”
The Child Emperor bowed deeply. “I understand.”
His mother was right. He had long since had no way out. He might as well take a gamble; perhaps things could still take a turn for the better.
“Go.”
Yun Shu looked down at the kneeling Child Emperor. “I have already made arrangements for you. You only need to find the Marquis of Ningyuan and his daughter, and find a way to head to Zhenbei Prefecture with them.”
“Remember, you must not tell a soul that I am secretly helping you. Otherwise, even I will not be able to assist you.”
Hearing this, the Child Emperor's resolve solidified. Wiping the tears from his face, he gritted his teeth and dashed into the depths of the dense forest.
Thorns tore at his sleeves, but he was completely oblivious, his mind consumed by a single thought.
Find the Marquis of Ningyuan and his daughter, and survive!
After walking about a few hundred paces and pushing through a thicket of wild shrubs, his field of vision suddenly opened up.
Immediately after, the Child Emperor saw them.
Seven or eight armored soldiers wielding swords and sabers had surrounded the Marquis of Ningyuan and Shen Ying.
The Marquis of Ningyuan shielded his daughter with his body, a tear in the shoulder of his robe seeping dark red blood.
Shen Ying tightly gripped her spear, her palms slick with cold sweat. Her face was filled with stubborn defiance, refusing to show even a hint of fear.
“Marquis of Ningyuan, if you refuse to hand over His Majesty, then I will have no choice but to send you and your daughter to the Yellow Springs!” the leading general threatened, stepping forward with his blade raised.
“Stop!” Not knowing where his strength came from, the Child Emperor screamed hoarsely. He rushed out from behind the trees and stumbled to a halt in front of the Marquis of Ningyuan and his daughter. “The one you want is me! Why trouble the Marquis of Ningyuan and Third Miss Shen?”
The clearing fell dead silent.
The Marquis of Ningyuan stared at the Child Emperor. He had clearly left the island by boat, yet he had returned. The Marquis's brow furrowed deeply.
“Your Majesty, why are you here?”
The Child Emperor had no time to explain to the Marquis of Ningyuan. He glared at the surrounding soldiers. “Why do you not kneel upon seeing me? Could it be that in your eyes, I am no longer the Emperor of Great Yong?”
The State Preceptor's men exchanged looks, somewhat at a loss. They clearly had not expected the Child Emperor to deliver himself right to them.
The leading general stepped forward and bowed. “Your Majesty, when the State Preceptor heard that you were stranded on an isolated island, he was sick with worry. He specifically ordered us to come and escort you back to the capital.”
The Marquis of Ningyuan warned, “Your Majesty, these men have long been bought by the State Preceptor. You must not believe them!”
Recalling his mother's words, the Child Emperor forced himself to look calm as he stared at the general. “General Wang, the State Preceptor did not send you to bring me back, did he? He wants my signed abdication decree, doesn't he?”
General Wang said in a heavy voice, “Your Majesty, I am merely acting on the State Preceptor's orders. I hope Your Majesty will not make things difficult for me.”
“I can write the abdication decree for you,” the Child Emperor said, his voice raspy. “But have you considered that the oldest of my imperial brothers is only nine years old? If you kill me at this critical juncture, it will inevitably delay the proposal to the Divine Lady, and you will lose the opportunity to turn swords into plowshares.”
Though his heart was in his throat, he did not show it on his face. “General Wang, you are a clever man. You should know that if we cannot forge an alliance with the northern Divine Lady through marriage, Guo Rong will likely not be able to hold onto his position as State Preceptor for much longer.”
“Conversely, if you escort me to Zhenbei Prefecture to propose to the northern Divine Lady and secure this marital alliance, you will not only resolve the State Preceptor's urgent crisis, but you will also rise to greatness because of it.”
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