allonlinenovel Chapter 303 Summoning
Chapter 303 Summoning
The carriage stopped at the foot of Phoenix Mountain, and Zhao Yi was the first to get off.
He then lifted the carriage curtain and helped Emperor Jing'an down from the carriage. The accompanying eunuch, Cao, stood discreetly to the side, not wanting to disturb the uncle and nephew.
The uncle and nephew stood at the entrance to the mountain path, looking at each other in silence.
Emperor Jing'an did not arrange for Zhao Yi to go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple today because he did not want people to look at Zhao Yi with strange eyes when he personally revealed the truth.
Because Zhao Yi's true identity had just been revealed, the court officials would not accept him immediately. Emperor Jing'an was worried that those unfriendly glances would hurt Zhao Yi.
They walked from the palace to Phoenix Hill without saying a word.
No one made a point of mentioning their background.
Emperor Jing'an looked at Zhao Yi's unusually calm expression, as if no matter what happened, he remained calm, restrained, and composed.
He collected his thoughts and took a step forward: "Let's go."
Zhao Yi gazed at the quiet path paved with bluestone slabs, clean and tidy, with only a few fallen leaves.
Two rows of guards stood in a circle on either side of the path.
He slowly followed behind Emperor Jing'an and arrived at the gate of a villa.
The courtyard has white walls and gray tiles, simple and clean.
Zhao Yi pushed open the courtyard gate, and the scene inside came into view.
The courtyard was filled with autumn chrysanthemums, blooming in profusion, while vines climbed the trellis and covered the walls, bearing plump gourds.
The midday sun shines on the roof tiles, wisps of smoke rise from the chimneys, and the aroma of food fills the air, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Emperor Jing'an said, "Yi Zhen said she doesn't like quiet and deserted places. She prefers the atmosphere of everyday life in the city to the hostage's quarters."
Therefore, the guards who watch over the villa live normal lives in the villa, making the villa full of life.
Zhao Yi's fingers curled slightly. Life in the city was free, open, unrestrained, and full of human warmth.
She didn't like the life of ordinary people; rather, she longed for the freedom and comfort it offered.
Emperor Jing'an stepped into the courtyard, walking on the smooth, colored stone slabs, and arrived at the backyard.
Zhao Yi immediately noticed the lush pine and cypress trees standing in the backyard, surrounding a solitary grave with a half-person-high stone tablet.
The tombstone is inscribed with "Epitaph of the Late Princess Yizhen of the Great Zhou Dynasty". Below it is a large blank space with no inscription. Only her name is engraved in a corner.
At that moment, Zhao Yi suddenly understood why Emperor Jing'an was anxious when Prince Rui's men investigated Fengxing Mountain.
Once someone breaks into the villa and discovers this tomb, their true identity will be revealed.
Emperor Jing'an followed Zhao Yi's gaze and saw Zhao Yi's name on the tombstone. He slowly stepped forward, stood in front of the tombstone, and brushed away the fallen leaves on it.
"Before this, you and your son cannot recognize each other, and you may never even know of her existence in your entire life."
A hint of sadness appeared in Emperor Jing'an's eyes: "I thought to myself that Yizhen still cared about you, so I had some selfish intentions and engraved your name on her tombstone."
Zhao Yi had never seen his birth mother, nor had he ever seen a portrait of her, and he could not imagine what she looked like.
He did not stay in the Hall of Mental Cultivation today, but went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and stood outside the temple, listening to the entire speech of Emperor Jing'an.
After hearing about Princess Yizhen's deeds, strangely enough, her image appeared in his mind.
A person who cherishes national righteousness and is willing to sacrifice his life.
Even covered in mud, her integrity remained undiminished.
Zhao Yi took an incense stick from Eunuch Cao, knelt before the tomb, inserted the incense into the incense burner, then took a wine cup and offered a cup of wine from left to right.
As Emperor Jing'an watched Zhao Yi kowtow to Yi Zhen, a heavy feeling welled up inside him. He had waited more than twenty years for this scene.
"This is a cenotaph I erected for your mother; her remains are still in Northern Qi." Emperor Jing'an helped Zhao Yi up. "The people of Great Zhou are very indignant and unwilling to maintain friendly relations between the two countries. If nothing unexpected happens, Northern Qi will send someone to bring you back."
He placed his hand on Zhao Yi's shoulder: "When the time comes, you should go to Northern Qi in person and bring your mother's remains back to her homeland."
Zhao Yi nodded. Whether as a son, a citizen of the Great Zhou, or a court official, this was what he should do.
Before leaving, Emperor Jing'an went into the house, took out a small bundle, and handed it to Zhao Yi.
Zhao Yi held the bundle in his hands; it was heavy and had considerable weight.
Before leaving the villa, he glanced back at the direction of the lonely grave, paused for a moment, and then looked away and left.
On the way back, Zhao Yi and Emperor Jing'an each rode in a carriage.
Zhao Yi sat in the carriage, looking down at the bundle on his lap. After a while, he finally opened it, revealing a square wooden box.
He opened the wooden box and found a rattle drum and a pair of tiger shoes inside.
Zhao Yi paused, then suddenly realized that these two items were prepared for him by his birth mother.
He took out a pair of tiger shoes, which were very small, smaller than his palm.
The tiger on the shoe is lifelike, with very lively and realistic eyes.
However, on the left shoe, only half an eye was embroidered.
She must have passed away before she could finish embroidering.
Zhao Yi looked at the tiger shoes in his hand, feeling a tightness in his chest.
Each stitch holds a mother's love for her child.
He was lucky in his life; even though he was plagued by illness, he never lacked love.
His parents gave him a warm home and showered him with all their love.
His uncle doted on him even more.
Even now, his birth mother's love for him remains as strong as ever.
-
Zhao Yi returned to Lanxue Garden and hid the tiger shoes and rattle drum in the sealed cabinet.
He half-squatted on the ground, staring blankly at the wardrobe. It wasn't until his legs went numb that he came to his senses, slowly stood up, and immediately saw Shen Qingtan standing behind the screen.
"You're back." Shen Qingtan's gaze fell on Zhao Yi's robe, where mud clung to his knees. "Shall we change your clothes first?"
Zhao Yi looked down and saw that his robe was dirty. He gave a soft "hmm" and followed Shen Qingtan into the inner room.
Shen Qingtan took out a clean set of clothes and placed it on the cabinet next to her, then freed her hand to untie Zhao Yi's belt.
Seeing that Shen Qingtan was taking care of him, Zhao Yi didn't ask where he had gone or what he had done that day.
But the moment he saw her, he wanted to say something to her.
"I went to Fengxing Mountain today to pay respects to my birth mother."
Shen Qingtan looked up at him, as if to tell him that she was listening.
Zhao Yi had a lot to say, but when the time came to speak, she didn't know which words to pick out.
He put his arm around Shen Qingtan's waist and rested his chin on her head: "Manman, let me hug you for a while."
-
The letter from Vice Envoy Gao was delivered to the Northern Qi imperial palace by express courier.
After reading it, the Emperor of Northern Qi hurriedly summoned the Imperial Tutor.