On that day, Yu Zeng met his mother, his biological mother.

He realized that his mother was still alive.

But his mother, whose legs were all crippled, seemed to have gone through many unimaginable tortures, and was not in good spirits, but she still recognized him, and when she saw him, she was surprised to call out his name at the first moment.

He was afraid, but he couldn't refuse to recognize his mother, he owed her so much, much more than just kindness.

That day, in that dim room, there were only the mother and son who hugged each other and cried bitterly, and Li Yin, the king of Rong.

"At that time, I was very glad that my mother was still alive, but I was more afraid of the fact that the identity of the son of a sinner was exposed......"

Yu Zeng's tone of recollection no longer had the joy and fear he had at that time, he seemed to be a bystander, and said a little numbly: "But King Rong told me that when he traveled through the mountains and rivers a few years ago, he once visited Yanzhou and met my father Pingshui, and he fell in love...... He also thought that my father was too virtuous to be corrupt, even if he could not find evidence of my father's innocence. ”

It was also then that he learned that Princess Rong's father was one of the officials responsible for investigating the Yanzhou corruption case, and it was because of this that King Rong happened to see the wanted portrait of him and his mother.

"King Rong told me at that time that he was soft-spoken and did not want to get involved in the troubled waters of officialdom, so he could not overturn the case for my father, but he could keep the secret for me and take care of my mother."

Many years later, he couldn't help but wonder, was what King Rong said at that time really true? Did King Rong and his father really know each other?

He couldn't trace it back to him.

But at the age of nine, he was convinced and grateful.

Chang Suining listened to this past, and said in a tone that could not be emotional: "Therefore, he treated you as a favor at first, not coercion. ”

No one knows whether King Rong had a different heart at that time, but what she knew was that she, Uncle Wang, was indeed very good at "being kind to others".

He also taught her with a smile that it was important to have a good relationship with people.

She remembered it very well, and he did it himself very well.

"Yes......" Yu Zeng lowered his eyes and said, "At first, the slave was also a little uneasy, but he never let the slave do anything, not even to hear the news. ”

Year after year, King Rong was still free and undisputed, and his mother was also well taken care of, so he slowly let go of his anxiety and regarded King Rong as a kind and respectable benefactor.

"Until that year, I thought I was going to find your relatives." Chang Suining's eyes were a little distant: "And you still choose to keep it a secret." ”

"His Royal Highness's kindness to the slave makes the slave very grateful and frightened......" Yu Zeng clearly remembered that he was in the army that year, His Royal Highness was only thirteen years old, and there were just a few more people around him who were willing to follow, and when he first grew meager wings, he was worried about finding his mother and younger brother for him.

He was very flustered, so he reasoned that after so many years, he may have long since died.

But His Highness smiled and said to him, always give it a try.

So, he could only hand over the woodcarved peace lock that he had been carrying on his body to His Highness with both hands.

Afterwards, he asked His Highness about the progress several times, and His Highness said that there was no news yet.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, but suddenly one day, His Royal Highness left the barracks for something, and Chang Kuo, who was only a small military general at that time, found him with a smile and told him that the person had been found.

He also told him that he was not sure before, and that His Highness was afraid that he would be disappointed, so he said that there was no news yet.

Unprepared, he saw the mother and son.

The woman's sideburns grew gray hair early, and although she had deliberately changed her clothes, she could still see that life was very hard.

The boy she was holding in her hand was very thin, but eight or nine years old, so when they were separated, the boy obviously didn't remember anything, and when he first saw the "brother" he could rely on, he didn't hesitate to pounce on him and shout "brother", and took out the identical woodcut safety lock to prove his identity.

The woman obviously hesitated, and asked in a daze in Yanzhou, "Ah Zeng, is it you?" You've grown so big, A-Niang won't recognize ......]

But her son's name is Yu Zeng, and the peace lock will not go wrong.

[Eight years old and fourteen years old, of course they look different! Chang Kuohaha smiled and said: [I have checked, there will be no mistake, you mothers and sisters can speak! ] 】

Chang Kuo left, and only the "mother and son" of the Yu family were left in the tent.

The woman stepped forward, grabbed Yu Zeng's arm, and in a panic, lifted Yu Zeng's sleeve and looked at his left arm.

There are no birthmarks there......

The woman's tears fell like a rain.

The second son was still shouting "brother" earnestly.

"Yu Zeng" knew that the woman already knew that he was not the original Yu Zeng, and could even guess that her real eldest son was dead.

But to his surprise, when the woman looked up, she cautiously asked him if he remembered his childhood.

"Yu Zeng" understood her thoughts.

This woman who survived with her little son was too bitter and afraid.

[When fleeing, there was a high fever, and I can't remember many things clearly......] He temporarily made a mistake and said ambiguously: [I only have this wooden lock on my body, I only remember the name.] 】

The tears in the woman's eyes were even more raging, but she broke into tears and laughed, and hugged him like a life-saving straw: [It can't be wrong...... You're my mother's son! My poor son! 】

He didn't want to keep it a secret.

But he was only fourteen years old at the time, and he didn't know what the real importance was, and when he returned to Beijing with the army the following year, when he went to see his mother, he asked his benefactor if he should confess all this to His Highness—

At that time, King Rong sighed and said to him: [Ah Shang is young and vigorous, he has just been contaminated with the morale of the army, he loves and hates clearly, and he is the most taboo and deceitful...... Wait a minute, and wait until the time is right. 】

He chose to "wait" a little longer, and in the process of waiting, he became more and more loyal and diligent because of guilt and anxiety, so His Highness treated him more and more seriously.

After that, His Royal Highness became the prince, and he was the most important attendant around the prince.

He began to think that maybe he could continue like this, he didn't have any disagreement with His Highness, he just kept a secret about his life with King Rong, and His Highness was so close to King Rong...... All of this can be interexistent.

It's all just in the middle of this thought.

After a long time, he thought that if King Rong had even shown the slightest hint of a threat to His Highness in those years, he would never dare to leave it to chance......

"The slave was self-righteous and stupid back then, and he never had half a defense against King Rong......" Yu Zeng burst into tears, remorseful and tormented: "At that time, the slave was full of thoughts, His Royal Highness treated the slave too well, so good that the slave did not dare to risk telling the truth, lest His Highness be disappointed and ......disgusted in the slave at all."

"But you have invisibly taken the biggest risk in the world." There was no joy or anger in Chang Suining's voice.

The rest is already easy to imagine.

The mother and son of the Yu family in Jingshi are indeed Yu Zeng's family, and she never made a mistake back then-the fake one was Yu Zeng beside her.

Therefore, over the years, Yu Zeng can accept that the mother and son are under the guise of being at the feet of the Son of Heaven, so that the Son of Heaven mistakenly thinks that he controls everything, this is the truth of human nature.

And the weakness he really cares about is always in Li Yin's hands.

"That year, King Rong found the slave and asked the slave to write a letter to the jade dust, and the letter wrote that the jade dust was secretly drugged in order to help His Royal Highness leave the Beidi ......"

Yu Zeng was not stupid, he immediately realized that this plan was ridiculous.

After a moment, he reacted again, this was not to save His Highness, but to kill His Highness.

But he was convinced of King Rong, and he subconsciously asked: [Lord Wang...... Who will put His Highness to death? Which officials are they? Or the mother of Her Highness? 】

Don't you want His Highness to become a hostage of Beidi during the war? Spare His Highness from humiliation? In case it affects the morale of the military? So you want Your Highness to die?!

Or does someone know His Highness's secrets, so he doesn't want His Highness back?

[Those officials, indeed, were afraid that Ah Shang would become a hostage, and in the early dynasty, they had euphemistically explained their worries. At that time, Li Yin speculated in a bystander's tone: [As for the Empress Ming, she shouldn't want Ah Shang to have an accident, Ah Shang is a sharp blade, and she is the only person in this world who can control this sharp blade in her hands. 】

He said frankly: "It's that I don't want Ah Shang to come back. 】

At that moment, Yu Zeng almost froze.

The conversion of the benefactor, without warning, without transition.

Even at this time, he still spoke in a calm tone: [I didn't expect Ah Shang to last until today, she is so proud...... I didn't think she would last long. 】

Li Yin even brought some sincere pity: [In the past three years, a thousand days and nights, I can't imagine how she has survived, but because even I can't imagine ......]

[If she can come out of the desperate situation in the eyes of the world alive, she will no longer be a mortal. 】

[If she is not broken, she will be better than before, such Ashan, I think it is respectable, but I also feel terrible. 】

[I don't want to have a confrontation with her, so let her stay in Beidi as Chongyue. 】

Yu Zeng couldn't remember what he said at that time, probably some incomprehensible questions with very confusing words, and weak pleading.

When Li Yin got up and wanted to leave, he said to him: [Ah Shang has been very bitter in this life, you should only help her to be free. 】

Extrication?

How can it be liberating? His Highness has supported it for so long, how can it be such a relief that he wants?

He grabbed King Rong's robe in a hurry: [Your Highness is willing to be peaceful and pro-Beidi for the stability of the country, this time before the battle, I will definitely try my last strength to help our dynasty win a big victory, you can't ......]

[Can't I despise her so much and think she's going to escape?] King Rong did not look back, and said: [I have never underestimated her ambition, but she is not an ordinary person, she has more loyal subordinates than you, and in the past three years in Beidi, she will not be without arrangements. Treat extraordinary people, naturally you have to ask for more security in order to feel at ease. 】

In other words, he knew that Li Shang might be martyred, but he still had to do it.

King Rong left, leaving the place to be held.

Yu Zeng did not eat for two days, and on the third day, King Rong sent his mother to "persuade" him.

His crippled mother, crying and holding him, was only half conscious, and she said, "You have to live," "Those people eat people," "Listen to your benefactor," ......

For the next two days, the mother only cried out that she was hungry.

It was this "hunger" that finally crushed him.

He thought of all the things he had done when he fled, he could die, but he couldn't leave his mother behind.

He couldn't remember how he had put pen to paper, he was unusually awake and nervous, but he was in a state of confusion.

After the letter was sent away, he hoped that the jade shavings would not obey the arrangement, and it was best to denounce him in front of His Highness!

But...... How can he demand of others if he himself has not been able to fulfill his loyalty?

On the contrary, his betrayal will only encourage the betrayal of the jade shavings, right?

He waited in horror until the news of His Highness's death.

His Highness killed himself......

He suddenly had a sickly sense of happiness - so, could His Highness not drink poison at all? Then he is not a betrayal!

Until he heard that the jade shavings were still alive...... The jade shavings shouldn't be alive, but she survived, and His Highness secretly made arrangements, and it was His Highness's arrangement that saved the jade shavings.

Jade crumbs survived, but they also went crazy.

He had seen the jade shavings once, but the jade shavings didn't dare to look at him, and they didn't mention his letter at all...... At that moment, he understood that the jade shavings had betrayed.

The betrayal of the jade shavings also confirmed his betrayal.

His delusions of trying to deceive himself were shattered.

He fell ill with a terrible illness, and ironically, the old people thought that he had been devastated by the death of His Highness, and his temperament had changed drastically, so no one criticized him for his indifference and pathology.

Only he knows that he has gone mad.

He once hated everyone, hated Li Yin, hated Empress Ming, and hated himself even more.

But his mother is still alive......

He's going to have to keep going crazy.

That year, the defeat of the Beidi Iron Cavalry greatly deterred the forces that were about to move, and also made the Ming clan, who held the Xuance Army, further tighten the political scepter in her hands.

She began to purge the opposition and purge dissidents, and even seemingly idlers such as King Rong left for Yizhou and took his mother with her.

The empress chose to use him, after all, to employ people, at least their ability and loyalty have been tested by His Highness.

He became the head of Sigongtai, a confidant by the side of the Son of Heaven, and a puppet of King Rong's Mansion in Yizhou.

The breeze ruffled the water, and the fish's tail rippled in circles.

"Until last autumn...... Nudo's sick mother died. Yu Zeng's voice was hoarse and slow: "King Rong didn't tell me, but I already know." ”

To say something vicious, the moment he learned the news, he felt that the shackles on his body were gone.

He could finally do something...... What can he do?

No matter what he does, His Highness will not be able to return.

But now......

Yu Zeng finally mustered up the courage, raised his hand and grabbed the corner of a soft light gauze coat, he knelt there, as if he was not in charge of the palace above 10,000 people, but still the little chamberlain back then, and still called in his mouth: "Your Highness......"

He wanted to say, "It's the luckiest thing in my life for you to be back," but he knew he wasn't worthy of it.

"I've listened to your story." Chang Sui Ning lowered his eyes and looked at him: "I think I should thank you for two things." ”

"I want to thank you for all these years, no matter what, at least you have not exposed the existence of Dengtailou and Menglie, so that they can survive in peace."

"I also want to thank you for choosing your mother in a dilemma, so that I don't have to bear such a heavy human favor when I don't know it."

"You have not done anything wrong in this matter, and I may not have done better than you." Chang Sui Ning said: "But this is the death of human nature, even if I can understand it, I can't forgive it." ”

Yu Zeng shook his head with tears: "How dare a slave ask His Highness for forgiveness......

"But Ah Zeng, I only feel sorry when I hear this." Chang Suining looked at him and said, "This dead end was originally unnecessary. ”

She asked, "For more than ten years, you have never thought of confessing your identity to me?" ”

"The slave thought about it...... Thought about it a hundred times. Yu Zeng's eyes were full of tears of self-deprecation: "But His Highness treats the slave too well, the slave is too greedy, too afraid......"

With that experience, he got so much good, so he became the most timid person in the world.

He didn't want His Highness to be disappointed in him in the slightest, and he didn't want any flaws in the trust he had so luckily earned......

However, if he could have foreseen that these minor imperfections would one day become a mountain weighing down between him and His Highness, he would never have ......

"Although I was young at that time, I should have dared to explore whether there is a real courage under the lie." Chang Suining also fell into this "what if" for a moment: "If you could have told me earlier who you are and your mother's existence, although I would still go to Beidi, or I would still die in Beidi——"

"But today, when you and I meet again, it doesn't have to be like this."

That's what she regrets.

Yu Zeng also followed her words and imagined that this assumption was so beautiful that it completely crushed him.

He loosened the corner of his coat and fell to the ground, putting his forehead on the ground, weeping silently.

Time seems to freeze in this pavilion.

I don't know how long it took, Yu Zeng heard a voice above his head and asked, "So, what's your name?" Original name. ”

Vaguely, this voice seemed to overlap with the voice of the eight-year-old girl in the side hall of the elephant garden many years ago.

And he wanted to replace the little chamberlain back then, so he replied: "The slave's name is Liu Mingke, a native of Yanzhou, the son of the sinner Liu Shen, who was separated from his mother on the way to escape......

The years don't turn back, he answered too late.

"Liu Mingke-" Chang Suining said: "I won't kill you today, you can go first." ”

Yu Zeng raised his head slowly and in a daze.

"I'm going to kill someone else." The girl no longer looked at him, she changed her sitting position, her legs hanging outside the pavilion railing, facing the water, and said calmly: "Besides, I don't need to admit her affection, and act according to her arrangement stroke by stroke." ”

Chang Suining never said who "she" was, but Yu Zeng could understand it.

"You should have also thought that you came to Jiangdu because she was already suspicious of you." Chang Sui Ning said: "But she was just suspicious and couldn't confirm it." She sent me a secret letter, and she must have also managed to 'remind' the Rongwang Mansion, she wants to use Li Yin's hand to verify your authenticity, if you are Li Yin's person, and there is chaos today, Li Yin will definitely choose to abandon you and try to kill you on your way back to Beijing, in case you confide in secrets that you should not confide. ”

"But why did she even tell me?" Chang Suining analyzed: "In addition to showing friendship with me, in addition to making me suspicious of Rongwangfu, there is probably another thought-she must be able to think that even if you are innocent, Li Yin may kill you." ”

Push the boat along the river, so as to confuse the line of sight and protect the real internal response of the Rongwang Mansion in Beijing.

"That's where I come in handy." Chang Sui Ning said: "She reminded me, with my temperament, I will definitely confirm to you whether you have colluded with King Rong, as the former master and servant, you are now trapped in Jiangdu, it will be much easier for me to verify with you in person." ”

"If you are really a traitor, you don't have to be killed by King Rong, and I can't tolerate you."

"If you are misunderstood and wronged, I will do my best to protect you from King Rong's men—if I meet King Rong's men and soldiers because of this, I will probably be able to make a feud with King Rong's Mansion in Yizhou by the way."

"There are other things to think about...... But no matter what it is. Chang Sui Ning didn't bother to say any more, but said: "Right now, I am the one who knows the most about the whole picture, and there is no reason to act according to the expectations of others." ”

The empress only suspected that Yu Zeng was King Rong's eyeliner, but she didn't know that King Rong had poisoned her back then.

King Rong knew everything, but he didn't know who she was.

In this case, she should do the opposite, how to do what is beneficial to herself.

Yu Zeng listened, and tried to ask: "I wonder if the slave is still of some use......

"It's unpredictable." Chang Sui Ning got up noncommittally and walked outside the pavilion: "In short, you should leave Jiangdu as soon as possible." Right now, I'm not going to let you die and let others get their wish. ”

Yu Zeng responded with tears: "Yes, thank you Your Highness for ......", and knelt down to see her off.

When Chang Suining walked down the wooden bridge, he paused slightly, looked back, and saw that Yu Zeng was still kneeling in the pavilion, motionless.

The spring in the garden is noisy, the flowers and plants are fragrant, and the new butterflies pass through.

Chang Suining walked on the path, walked under a camphor tree, stopped at his feet, and looked at the bright sky through the gap between the branches and leaves, not knowing what he was thinking.

After a while, Ah Dian ran over along the path.

Ah Dian called out to her, but she didn't answer.

Ah Dian looked up at the sky like her, looked at it for a while, and then asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, why are you unhappy?" ”

"Ah Dian is a puppy." Chang Suining retracted his gaze, turned his head to look at the tall Ah Dian, and asked curiously, "Otherwise, how can I always smell the smell of unhappiness?" ”

Ah Dian looked proud, forgot to explore for a while, picked up the wreath in his hand, and handed it to her: "Don't be unhappy, this is for you!" ”

Chang Suining looked at it, only to see that it was made of delicate willow branches, and there were goose-yellow spring flowers.

Seeing that she didn't answer, Ah Dian raised his hand, simply helped her put it on, and nodded appreciatively: "Good-looking!" ”

Chang Suining raised his hand to help him, and said with a smile: "It turns out that Ah Dian can not only smell it, but also prescribe medicine." ”

Ah Dian scratched his head and smirked: "Then I'm the little dog!" ”

He doesn't like to be called a puppy, but in order to make Chang Sui Ning happy, he is willing to call himself a puppy.

He even pretended to be clever and rolled his eyes, "I still know a better prescription!" ”

"Tell me about it."

"Delicious!" Ah Dian said seriously: "It can also cure unhappiness!" ”

"Hmm...... It's time for luncheon. ”

Chang Suining nodded in agreement, finally raised his foot, and walked forward.

The answer she wants is clear, and everything she wants to say has been said, so she can no longer be trapped in the past and regrets, and there are still many things waiting for her to do.

It is precisely because I don't want more regrets to happen that I have to take the road ahead.

The world is unpredictable, and there are losses and gains.

Just like this one afternoon, after the reception banquet set up by Jiangdu officials for Chang Suining, Chang Suining waited for someone she had been looking forward to for a long time.

6,000 words,Daily updates and additional 2,000 words were sent together.,No chapters.,You can read it in one go.。

(When I was tweaking the plot, I looked back at chapter 418 and found that I missed the empress's action logic, which was made up in the early morning of the day before yesterday, so that the empress's logic of Yu Zeng's coming to Jiangdu was more complete and smooth.) (But you don't have to look back, here I borrowed Ningning's perspective to roughly say) from time to time will fix the small flaws in front, but they will not affect the reading as a whole, and the genuine channels will be updated accordingly) Thank you here for supporting the original genuine reading.

Good night! Sweet dreams~