"It seems that I have really become a useless piece of waste!"

In the end, I had to face this cruel truth with frustration and pessimism.

Wan'er looked at my depressed and depressed face, her heart softened, and she suddenly felt a little sad. Gently caressing my face, meeting my eyes, with a gentle softening in his eyes.

She smiled slightly and whispered with relief:

"Fool, thinking nonsense again, asking for trouble. Don't they all say that each has its own duties, each in its own position, you have become an official, this is already an undeniable fact, and why is it useless. ”

"Besides, even if you don't become an official in the future, it's not useless, you are rich and knowledgeable, even if you can't lift your hands, you can't carry it on your shoulders, you don't have much craftsmanship, you don't know how to do business, you can still be a great teacher, teach and educate people, and you can help people, isn't it also good?"

Hearing this, I suddenly realized, there was a glimmer of dawn in my eyes, and I said with some excitement:

"Yes, I can still be a teacher......!

As soon as I was happy, I began to wonder if I would mistake people's children, and I was a little depressed.

Wan'er saw my thoughts at a glance, and then said:

"Didn't you teach Cong'er very well? Cong'er likes you very much!"

In the end, I don't know if I will be wrong, but I heard a little jealousy, which really makes my heart feel inexplicably tight, what kind of vinegar is my daughter-in-law eating?

Eat my vinegar? or the little emperor's?

I coughed, and said with half emotion and half explanation:

"Heh, this, the emperor and the teacher are different. Moreover, Xiao Majesty is very smart and generous, especially the gentle treatment of others, which is very much like you!"

After speaking, I smiled a little dumbfounded, and Wan'er's face was also inexplicably red.

"You think I'm gentle?"

Wan'er blushed, looked charming and moving, and asked in such a soft voice in my ear.

"Hmm. ”

I nodded firmly, my cheeks already crimson.

Wan'er smiled, then the smile dissipated, her expression tense, and then she replied, saying:

"That's because you haven't seen when I'm ruthless......"

I looked into her eyes quietly, no joy or sorrow, no anger or anger, and suddenly there was nothing in it.

It is precisely because there is nothing that it will seem a little lonely and terrible!

I know what the meaning behind Wan'er's words is, how the hundreds of rebellious troops in Yong'an Temple were wiped out, and the good news said that Rong Xun, the deputy commander of the Royal Forest Army who was responsible for guarding the north gate, commanded Ruoding, and made good arrangements, and used the only remaining more than 100 Royal Forest Army troops to save the situation in an instant and save the emperor from fire and water.

I haven't met this General Rong Xun, let alone know this person, but I know that this kind of aura and conspiracy, such a kingly style, can never be seen in ordinary generals.

In the capital, there are even fewer such people. And among the people who were in Yong'an Temple at that time, such a decisive general, who commanded and had the demeanor of a king, if he was not the empress dowager, there was only Wan'er!

If Wan'er had gone, the rebels would have been wiped out, which was to be expected......

It's true that I've never seen Wan'er like that, and I don't know how I would feel if I saw her go into battle one day, but just thinking about it now, I can't stop my heart from trembling.

I'm scared, I'm scared she's going to get hurt, no matter how brave she is, I can't help but worry and be afraid. I must not be able to face the scene of her fighting, I can't do it, and I don't want to see it......

I shook my head, took her hand and touched my heart, and said softly:

"The gentleness I am talking about is not only in words and deeds, but also in ...... Here. ”

Wan'er was slightly stunned, her eyes flashed with a sad look, the hand that was caressing my heart broke free on its own, and there was a little more indifference in her tone, and she said lightly:

"If the heart is too tender, it is weak!"

Yes, she must not be weak, because weakness is synonymous with weakness.

"No, no, the tenderness hidden deep in your heart will never be weakness, it is a treasure, it is the most precious treasure left to you by the person who loves you the most in this world, it is a priceless treasure that no treasure can replace!"

I was anxious, took her hand back tightly, and blurted out these words with tears in my eyes, I don't want to see Wan'er who keeps pushing herself and goes against the truest will of her heart.

Wan'er's face showed a contradictory and painful expression, her heart was extremely struggling, and I was distressed to see me, I didn't expect that when this topic was mentioned, Wan'er's feelings would fluctuate so much.

Under my comfort, Wan'er's feelings calmed down a little, her eyes revealed a little tiredness, and she asked a little sadly:

"My Queen Mother...... You've seen her, haven't you?"

I nodded, remembering the past when I was a child, and said:

"Well, when I was nine years old and entered the palace for the first time to meet the Empress Dowager......"

That was when I was brought to the Gao family in the capital after the death of Gao Zhen and his wife, when I was only nine years old, unaccompanied, lonely, and my temperament became a little withdrawn, and I didn't like to talk to people very much.

When the elders of the Gao family saw me, they all looked at me, and they all sighed that I was still young, but I had no father and mother, and I was lonely and pitiful. Although he was quite tolerant of me, he was still less intimate after all.

I was stubborn, and I just wanted to try not to cause trouble to the elders, so I urged myself to grow up quickly.

After staying in the Gao family for almost a month and getting familiar with some etiquette and rules, someone came to the palace and said that they would take me into the palace to meet the Queen Mother, and the person who took me into the palace at that time was Aunt Luo Xia......

I still remember the panic and uneasiness when I first entered the palace, I was like a frightened little beast, always afraid that my every move would offend the etiquette rules of the palace, and the whole person shrank into a ball with trepidation, but stubbornly raised my head not to let myself lose the face of the children of the Gao family.

But no matter how cautious I trodden on thin ice, I was blocked by a wide and tall threshold at the entrance of the main hall, which was a difficult barrier for a nine-year-old child to cross.

Aunt Luo Xia stood aside and didn't help me, and the ridicule and pursed smile in the eyes of the palace people around me made me feel particularly scorching and piercing, at that moment I was resentful and aggrieved in my heart, my eyes were red, and tears were about to fall uncontrollably.

I secretly told myself in my heart:

Gao Chen, you are not allowed to cry, you have no right to cry. Don't expect others to help you, the only one who can help you is yourself. And this threshold, even if you die, you have to climb over it yourself!

The thin body and small arms climbed the wide threshold in this way, and at this moment there was no pride and dignity of the so-called gate lord clan, and some were just a child moving his body with difficulty, desperately trying to climb over the threshold that blocked his way.

The moment my foot crossed the threshold, I didn't even have time to experience the joy of overcoming the odds, and as soon as I stepped on the air, I fell off the threshold......

It was an unprecedented shame and wolf, and all I could hear was the unbridled laughter of the palace people, and the whole person got up on his own and knelt alone, his face indifferent, and his heart was indifferent, and he could not even feel the pain caused by the abrasions on his palms and knees.

I will never forget the figure of the gentle person who appeared in front of me like a god, the loving smile on her face, the gentle and comforting words, and the warmth transmitted by the hands that caressed my face, so that at that moment, I seemed to have found the long-lost family love.

At that moment, I could no longer suppress the tears in my eyes, threw myself into the arms of that person, and for the first time vented my tears like a child, without scruples......

The gentle and loving gaze of that person, as if through the gap of time, is so miraculously more than ten years later, with the inseparable bond of blood and family, overlapping with the appearance of the person I love, and then, I found my own figure in that same gentle gaze.

Wan'er is so similar to her mother......

So much so that I don't know how to say to Wan'er, in fact, the first time I met her in the Imperial Garden, I vaguely felt a sense of déjà vu in my heart, why would I pay more attention to her, why would I want to take care of her more, this inexplicable obsession, and even the love for her later, it turned out that this qiē, it seems that here, can find the answer.

"Wan'er, your queen mother, I really love you......"

Because almost every word that man said to me could not be separated from her daughter.

She said: She has a daughter who is the same age as me, and because she is not in good health, she can't take her daughter with her, let alone take good care of her.

She smiled and said she wished the two of us could get to know each other and let me help take care of her daughter......

Today, Her Royal Highness the eldest princess of the Northern Wei Dynasty married Gao Chen, the eldest son of the Gao family, and that sentence of care has become a lifetime of mutual support and spending this life together.

I don't know if the queen would accept me as a 'son-in-law' if she knew the truth that I was a woman.

But I really want to tell her, I really love her daughter very much, I want to take care of Wan'er for the rest of my life, with this unrepentant original intention, will the queen be willing to entrust her favorite daughter to such a me?

......

My words touched the softest place in Wan'er's heart, she leaned over and leaned on my shoulder, it was rare to see Wan'er so weak, I gently took her into my arms, wanting a warm embrace, dissolving the cold that had been deposited in her heart for many years.

"I know, and I ...... I love my mother very much, but after my mother passed away, my grandmother didn't want me to talk to her about my mother, and my grandmother said that my mother was weak, and she would never allow me to be as weak as my mother, I ......"

Speaking of this, Wan'er's tone was a little choked.

I gently placed a kiss between her brows, and said with great sincerity:

"You've done a good job, Wan'er, your efforts over the years are enough to prove that you are not a weak person, and your queen mother is not a ......"

Wan'er was extremely happy and relieved at this moment, and her efforts seemed to have their own unique meaning at this moment. After so many years, she has worked hard for so many years, just to prove to others that she is not weak, she is the daughter of the queen mother, so the queen mother is by no means a weak woman!

Her many years of obsession can be forgiven and understood by the person she loves, she finally waited for someone who understands herself, there is really nothing more emotional and moving than this.

"Thank you, Chen, for being the first person to say these things to me in so many years. ”

Hearing this, I happily held her in my arms tighter, at least at this moment, Wan'er was willing to explain her heart to me.

"Wan'er, can you wait for me a little longer? I will try to be your solid support, you are tired, tired, just rely on me, even if you are occasionally weak, it doesn't matter, don't forget, I am behind you. ”

Gently pushing Wan'er away, I hung my chest, looking quite responsible, so that Wan'er knew that this was not a lie.

When Wan'er heard this, her heart was filled with sweetness, but she was also amused by my sworn appearance, pursed her lips and smiled, and said:

"Why, don't you complain that you're a useless scholar now?"

I grinned awkwardly, and the pessimism that had been before was swept away, and I said with confidence:

"You're right, I shouldn't be bothered by mediocrity here, now that I'm an official, then I'll be an official. In the future, even if I don't become an official, whether it is a farmer or a businessman or something else, I can go to study, thinking that I am so smart as Gao Chen, I don't believe that I can't even support my daughter-in-law?"

Speaking of this, I took Wan'er's hand seriously and said:

"Wan'er, if you believe me, I will definitely be able to support you!"

Wan'er was so amused by me that she couldn't cry or laugh, and the only person who dared to be so immodest and boastful in front of her was this wrongdoer, knowing that this wrongdoer likes to be stupid, but sometimes she will be moved by her stupidity, just because there is a sincerity of this wrongdoer in this stupidity......

"Well, I believe you ......"

Wan'er's gentle words echoed in my ears, and I smiled and was full of energy. And what she said next with a shy expression on her face made me so happy that I just wanted to jump up and down.

Then I heard her say in a soft voice:

"I ...... too Waiting for you. ”

I immediately blushed and scratched my cheeks in embarrassment, then met her eyes and nodded firmly.

"Hmm!"

I will definitely try my best to become Wan'er's most solid support!

......

Seeing that it was not early now, and my five visceral temples were about to raise objections, I hurriedly said coquettishly:

"Daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law, I'm hungry!"

Wan'er helped me tidy up my clothes a little and said:

"Okay, you can go back to the room and change out of your official clothes later. What would you like to eat for dinner today?"

I thought for a moment, and then said:

"As long as you make it, I love it. ”

"Flim Flam ......"

I stuck out my tongue and said:

"My daughter-in-law cooks herself, how dare I choose?"

When Wan'er heard this, she raised her eyebrows.

"Huh?"

I hurriedly explained:

"I mean, this family is only lively when they eat around the table, as long as the family is together, no matter what they eat, I like it tightly. ”

Thinking that some time ago, I ate alone, even if I ate delicacies from the mountains and seas, I had no appetite.

Wan'er looked at me a little lost, and only said that I must have been wronged in my heart, and I didn't feel good in my heart, so she deliberately changed the topic, urged me, and said:

"Okay, let's go and change out of the official uniform first. ”

"Hmm. ”

I nodded, and was about to obediently go back to the room to change into official clothes, but before I got up, I remembered something, and hurriedly asked:

"Daughter-in-law, is the painting competition between Mingyi's girl and Wei Xian's edict scheduled for two days later?"

When Wan'er heard that I would suddenly mention Wei Mingyi, she knew that I must have sensed the stakes, leaned on my shoulder, smiled with interest, and said:

"Looks like you're very concerned about Mingyi, what's the matter, you're worried that she'll lose that game?"

I smiled and said:

"I treat her as a younger sister, although she is talented and skilled in painting, but Wei Xian's life experience and painting skills should not be underestimated, so the final result of this competition is difficult to determine. ”

"Do you want her to win?"

If this girl wins, she may have a chance to control her own destiny.

I nodded and said:

"Well, it's just...... The Empress Dowager, do you hope she can win?"

The purpose of the Empress Dowager to use Wei Mingyi, who is a woman, to become the imperial painter despite the opposition of the ministers is to use Wei Mingyi to convey a message to the old ministers in the court......

"You're right, that kid is indeed talented, if she can, I don't want her to be involved in this whirlpool of power in the court......"

"She can be so favored by Wan'er, that is also her blessing. ”

Listening to Wan'er's words, there is also a meaning to protect her, and I am really happy for Mingyi.

What we want to do but can't, maybe the kid can do......

"Don't be too happy, it's up to her to see if she can beat that Wei Xian. ”

Opportunities, as expected, are all won by themselves.

"The Empress Dowager is most worried about the selection of the household secretary recently, because of the strategy of checks and balances, in order to ensure the balance of power in the court, the Empress Dowager will never choose the person recommended by the noble lords in the court, and the only people who can be used except for the scholars of the poor family are the 'royalist clan' who have been excluded from the court regime. ”

The so-called 'royalist clan', like the current gate lord clan, is a former family, and they also entrenched in the center of the imperial court's political power, controlling the state power, and the power is leaning towards the government and the opposition, and the scenery is unlimited.

The reason for this divide is due to the palace coup d'état that took place decades ago. In that coup d'état, the royal lineage of the Northern Wei Dynasty was ousted from the emperor's throne, and the royal family who controlled the government and the opposition at that time seized the supreme power.

The 'royalist clan' was the family that swore to defend the lineage and support the orthodox retrospective family at that time, and this group of people was ruthlessly driven out of the court by the new rulers, and was excluded from state power, and the new clan rose and quickly replaced the former 'royalist clan'.

And the 'royalist clan' has also declined since then, and the prosperity and glory of the family are no longer what they used to be.

The Empress Dowager will never use the Hanmen scholars, so the only ones who can use it are the 'royalist clan'.

Now that the clan has finally grasped the power in their hands, how can they tolerate the former family clan returning to the court to share power with them?

The pressure faced by the Empress Dowager can be imagined, so she will use the name of helping Wei Mingyi to become a royal painter, and use the legitimate reason of 'selecting and appointing talents, meritocracy', to recall the 'royalist clan', who have been left out of the regime for decades, back to the center of state power, and become a new force to balance the clan of the gate lords.

This is the real intention behind the Empress Dowager agreeing to this seemingly ridiculous competition......

Women can be selected as officials in the court because of their talents, let alone the 'royalist clan'?

......