sbdcsierra Chapter 393 is about her.
Chapter 393 is about her.
At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), Xiao Han slowly opened his eyes from his deep sleep. He subconsciously reached out to the side, but only touched the cold brocade quilt. Long Chuqing was no longer beside him.
"Chu Qing?" he murmured softly.
He, who was always vigilant, never expected to sleep so soundly last night, and was completely unaware of when she quietly left.
But he didn't think much of it, assuming that Long Chuqing had slipped away early to avoid being seen by Qing Tong and the others.
Before long, Qingying entered the room and lit the candlesticks one by one.
As usual, he got up briskly, changed his clothes, washed up, and went to court in the morning.
At the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), in the imperial court.
Xiao Han remained calm, seemingly listening attentively to the ministers' discussion, but he didn't seem to take in much of what they were saying, his mind preoccupied with other matters.
After the court session, he went straight to Shaoyang Palace.
As soon as they arrived at the palace gate, palace servants came forward and bowed respectfully: "This servant greets Your Highness."
"Your Highness, Her Majesty is not in the palace right now. She went to the garden earlier and has not returned yet! Please wait in the palace for a while, and I will go and inform Her Majesty immediately."
"No need," Xiao Han said, stopping the palace servant who was about to leave. "I will go myself."
After saying that, he turned and walked towards the garden.
Xiao Han saw from afar that Consort Shu was standing under a magnolia tree, her brows slightly furrowed, as if she was lamenting the withering flowers.
"After two days of rain, many of the flowers in the garden have withered."
Consort Shu sighed softly, her gaze falling on the petals that had been broken by the rain.
In the spring garden, where hundreds of flowers were in full bloom and the scene was thriving, the garden appeared somewhat desolate due to the spring rain of the previous two days.
"Your Majesty, please don't be sad. Look, there are still many buds on this branch! In a couple of days, it will surely be in full bloom again," Aunt Yu comforted her with a smile.
Consort Shu looked up at the branches and saw that there were still many buds waiting to bloom next to the damaged flowers.
"Yes! Spring is full of life, how can it be defeated by a storm?"
On the contrary, these plants can only thrive when they receive sufficient sunlight and rain.
"Your Highness, look, it's His Highness!" Aunt Yu quickly reminded him when she saw Xiao Han walking in this direction.
"Your subject greets Your Majesty."
Xiao Han walked up to Consort Shu and bowed respectfully.
"No need for formalities," Consort Shu said with a gentle smile. "Did you go to your mother's palace first before coming here?"
Xiao Han nodded slightly: "Yes, I came here as soon as I learned you were in the garden."
"The weather is nice today. I was getting a bit bored staying in the palace, so I came out for a walk."
"Then shall I accompany Mother for a stroll?" he suggested.
“Alright, it’s been a long time since you’ve accompanied your mother to stroll in the garden.” Consort Shu readily agreed.
The two walked slowly forward, with Aunt Yu and several palace servants following behind at a distance.
Consort Shu gazed at the flowers and trees filling the garden and felt a surge of emotion.
"I still remember that when you were little, you often accompanied your mother to stroll in the garden. As you grew up, you preferred to chase after your brothers and accompanied me to stroll in the garden less and less."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Han felt a pang of guilt.
In recent days, he has indeed neglected his mother.
When he was a child, whenever he saw a new or unusual flower or plant, he would excitedly ask his mother about it, and she would always patiently explain it to him.
Now that he has grown up, he has moved out of the palace, leaving his mother alone.
Life in the palace was monotonous and boring, and the Empress Dowager was not always accompanied by the Emperor.
Although he was surrounded by palace servants, their social statuses were too different, and he ultimately found it difficult to find someone he could truly confide in.
"Mother, I will definitely visit you more often when I have time in the future."
Consort Shu stopped and looked at Xiao Han, her brows furrowing slightly.
This kid, could it be that he's overthinking things because of what she just said?
"Alright, go about your business. You don't need to worry about me too much. I'm only in my thirties. I don't need you to visit me every day. The way you spoke just now made your mother sound like a lonely old woman."
As she spoke, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle softly.
Xiao Han smiled helplessly after hearing this.
"I'm just worried that you'll be lonely."
"Don't think nonsense. With so many sisters in the palace, how could I be lonely? It would take me several days to visit just one of them!" Consort Shu said half-jokingly.
Xiao Han was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this: Although the palace was vast, to his mother, it was ultimately just a small world, and no matter where she went, she was still confined within the palace walls.
"I'm glad you don't find life boring," he said softly.
"I have people serving me every day, and I can eat and dress myself without lifting a finger. What more could I ask for?" Consort Shu said calmly.
Compared to many people, her life is already quite good.
Life inside the palace walls was simple, but there was no worry about food or clothing, and nothing was unsatisfactory.
Consort Shu suddenly asked, "Speak! What brings you to see your mother today?"
"Nothing more than wanting to come and keep Mother company."
Consort Shu narrowed her eyes slightly, scrutinizing her son with keen eyes, clearly not entirely believing his story.
“You are my mother’s son. Do you think I wouldn’t be able to tell whether something is wrong or not?”
Even though he could keep his emotions hidden in front of outsiders, Xiao Han made no attempt to conceal his true feelings in front of his mother.
All expressions were written on his face.
"Speak!" Consort Shu said gently.
The person who came to talk to her was definitely not discussing any important national affairs. On the contrary, his somewhat awkward appearance today... reminded me a bit of him when he did something wrong as a child.
So, what is it that he's embarrassed to say now?
Consort Shu, on the other hand, became quite interested and looked forward to it.
"Ahem..." Xiao Han coughed lightly, then smiled slightly: "Nothing can be hidden from Mother Consort."
Consort Shu smiled knowingly, "I knew you had something on your mind."
"It's like this..." Xiao Han said shyly, "Mother, I would like to introduce a friend to you another day. Would you be willing to host him?"
Xiao Han felt a mixture of trepidation and anticipation.
Upon hearing this, Consort Shu's heart stirred, but her expression remained calm.
A friend? I suppose this friend must be a girl?
No wonder he was so hesitant.
"Is your friend a girl?"
Xiao Han nodded, his ears turning slightly red.
He still seemed somewhat reserved when talking about this with his mother.
Consort Shu raised an eyebrow and stared directly at him, making him increasingly uneasy.
"Mother..."
"Oh my, I've never seen you so shy before!" Consort Shu couldn't help but laugh. "Is this the girl you told me about before?"
The silly boy's expression is rather amusing. Is he afraid she won't agree?
"Yes." Xiao Han nodded gently and said, "It's her."
Consort Shu readily agreed: "Alright, you set a time, and then send someone to inform your mother so that she can prepare for the reception in advance. We can also invite your father, the Emperor."
"By the way, does your father know about this?"
Xiao Han shook his head, "I haven't told Father Emperor, but... Father Emperor has seen her before."
"Oh, your father has already met her?" Consort Shu asked in surprise. "Which family's daughter is she? May I tell my mother first..."
……