sbdcsierra Chapter 1257 The Road to Rejuvenation
Chapter 1257 The Road to Rejuvenation
“I was on guard day and night. There were more wolves in the palace than in the countryside. I never expected that Your Majesty’s great strategy and wisdom would surpass those people by countless means. None of them were a match for Your Majesty. Your Majesty has overcome countless difficulties and dangers along the way. It is only right that you enjoy some comfortable days.”
To Liang Chongyue's surprise, her mother's words did not last long and ended there.
Liang Chongyue remained silent and did not respond to her mother.
Xiang Huayue saw His Majesty's hesitant expression through the bronze mirror.
He waved away Chun Chan, who was serving him, and turned to look at His Majesty:
What is Your Majesty thinking?
Liang Chongyue kept watching her mother's back. After her mother turned around, they looked at each other and Liang Chongyue said, "I wasn't thinking about anything."
The brief hesitation Liang Chongyue had before speaking had already given him the answer; asking some questions so clearly was pointless.
Why add to your troubles?
The situation is now settled, and the dead cannot be brought back to life. She and her mother should both look forward.
As Xiang Huayue was worried about His Majesty and wanted to ask him for clarification, His Majesty had already walked behind her and reached out to tidy up her hair.
"I will have someone inform Aunt Li about this matter. This time, Mother, you can enjoy yourself without worrying about others."
Liang Chongyue interrupted Xiang Huayue's thoughts. After she had styled her mother's hair into a simple bun, Liang Chongyue stared intently at the row of hairpins on the dressing table.
"What color clothes will Mother wear today? I'll take a look and see if I can match them."
Xiang Huayue personally selected a few and had Liang Chongyue put them on.
In the bronze mirror, the Empress Dowager was already sixty years old, but thanks to her careful care over the years, as well as the beauty and health-preserving elixirs produced by the system's store, she looked radiant.
The Empress Dowager looked like she was around forty years old. She wore a royal blue dress and jewels of the same color. Anyone who saw her would stop and admire her, wondering whose beautiful and noble lady she was.
Liang Chongyue stood aside, carefully observing her mother. She loved watching her mother dressed up beautifully and stride confidently down the road.
Like a proud phoenix, though it has unfortunately fallen to the mortal world, its noble air remains, an elegance etched into its very bones.
"Isn't this color a bit too bright? I'm not in my thirties or forties anymore."
This outfit was made in Jiangnan during the summer, and it was brought here immediately after it was finished.
This is the first time the Empress has worn this.
The royal blue dress with a light pink collar is absolutely gorgeous.
"No, the royal blue is noble and the pink is delicate. Mother is at the perfect age to wear this."
Xiang Huayue's slight unease was completely dispelled by His Majesty's words. She looked at herself in the bronze mirror again and again, and couldn't be more satisfied with her reflection.
"Does Your Majesty think what I said is correct?"
Liang Chongyue walked to his mother's side, reached out with both hands to tie the belt around her waist.
"What Your Majesty says is certainly correct."
The two smiled at each other in the bronze mirror. Their two extremely similar faces looked as beautiful as a painting when they were together.
When Liang Chongyue took her mother out, the system was still lying under the tree in the courtyard, watching her mother come out with its little eyes fixed on her.
He even gave a long, enthusiastic roar, but it was so awful that Liang Chongyue interrupted him.
“When we get back to the capital, go to the hunting grounds and find this wolf cub to learn a thing or two. Now, stop howling.”
The system was slightly annoyed by its host, but it didn't take it to heart. It liked these noisy days the most; they were much more comfortable than when its host was angry.
It was just a couple of scoldings, nothing serious.
Aunt Chun Chan packed her things very quickly. After the Empress Dowager dismissed her, she received the news from Yun Ling.
Aunt Chunxiang quickly packed enough things for the Empress Dowager to use for two months and loaded them all onto the carriage.
There's even less need to worry about Liang Chongyue's side.
Li Yu'an and Fei He took care of things. When Liang Chongyue was leading her mother out, they ran into Li Furong bringing Li Shanyan back.
Liang Chongyue noticed Li Furong's red eyes from crying, but didn't ask anything. She simply told her that she was taking her mother away from Qiyang to stay elsewhere for a month.
"Aunt Li can stay in the courtyard next door as she pleases. If she's not in a hurry to leave, she can wait for us to come back."
Li Furong responded repeatedly, understanding His Majesty's meaning.
She still lives in the same courtyard as the Empress Dowager. Back when the Empress Dowager was alive, she continued to live there out of consideration for their past friendship.
She could stay there, but now that the Empress Dowager is leaving, she can no longer shamelessly stay.
Seeing that the Empress Dowager and Aunt Li still had things to discuss, Liang Chongyue left the small courtyard first.
Li Shanyan bowed and withdrew, then followed His Majesty out of the courtyard.
"Your Majesty, I have something to ask for forgiveness."
Liang Chongyue was listening to Fei He talk about the situation at the clinic when she was stopped by a voice from behind.
Liang Chongyue stopped and turned to look at Li Shanyan.
"What's the matter?"
Li Shanyan strode up to His Majesty and stopped, then knelt directly before Liang Chongyue.
"After I met Xie Hong, I don't know what I said that provoked him. Xie Hong jumped from the second floor of the clinic and landed right on the rack where herbs were drying in the clinic's courtyard. He... is gone."
"I have treated human life with contempt, and I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
When Li Shanyan confessed, he kept his head down the whole time, and did not see the knowing look in Liang Chongyue's eyes, nor the smile when he looked at Fei He.
"You are indeed guilty of this matter. Although Xie Hong has committed a serious crime, I have kept him alive until today because he still has other uses. Let me think of a way to punish you."
Upon hearing this, Li Shanyan straightened his back even more as he knelt.
He confessed and accepted the punishment, but some people just don't deserve to live in this world.
Whether he was truly insane or feigning madness, it was not a reason for him to survive on the corpses of ordinary people and the suffering of his aunt.
Such a person deserves to endure all kinds of torture by the Ministry of Justice while alive, and then go to the eighteenth level of hell after death.
Some people are simply disgusting to be alive.
"I remember the achievements you made when you were stationed in the provinces. Now that you have finally returned to the capital with your family, I know you bear a heavy responsibility. But Xie Hong was ultimately driven to his death by your words..."
His Majesty's voice was like the wind in the hollow of the mountains, rushing towards him from all directions, leaving him no time to react.
After a moment's pause, Liang Chongyue continued:
"Alright then, I don't want you to bring your family to build Qiyang anymore. After all, this is a place of sorrow for your whole family. You will stay here and temporarily serve as the Provincial Governor until the officials sent from the capital arrive, and manage all affairs in Qiyang."
Someone like Xie Hong, who should have died a hundred times over, is at least somewhat valuable that she left someone to do things for her after her death.
Even if Li Shanyan manages to maintain Qiyang well during this period, he will have no excuse to stay.
Everything in Qiyang is developing slowly, and she will never allow another Xie family to emerge on the road to Qiyang's revitalization.