The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 163 Mother and son reunited

However, Liao Hongsheng's happiness was short-lived. Soon, he heard Zheng Xun's thoughts.

[It must be said that this Right Vice Minister is quite a talent. It's amazing that Liao Hongsheng and Duan Yunfeng, with their similar appearances, can actually be paired together. Moreover, in the book, one is outwardly gentle but actually ruthless, while the other is cold-faced and sarcastic but passionate. It's actually quite exciting to see them together.]

Liao Hongsheng: What the hell is that?

Does he have a wife? Can't he just stay out of the picture with Duan Yunfeng and the like?

He glanced at his friend, and the smile on his face gradually disappeared.

What if the Right Vice Minister sees through his true nature? What if Duan Yunfeng really has feelings for him?

As a good friend, he couldn't let Duan Yunfeng go down the wrong path.

So he moved closer and jokingly patted the other person on the shoulder: "Don't get obsessed with me, it won't lead anywhere."

Duan Yunfeng: ...

His lips twitched: "Stop messing around."

He shook off his hand, put his hands behind his back, and continued watching the commotion.

We've been friends for so many years, who doesn't know who?

Others may have doubts, but they all know that their relationship is purely fraternal.

[It's one thing to include Liao Hongsheng and Duan Yunfeng, but the Right Vice Minister even included the Grand Tutor and Grand Preceptor Qin. The Grand Tutor is the protagonist's mother, and Grand Preceptor Qin is the protagonist's unforgettable white moonlight.]

The old Grand Tutor has been ill for a long time and is now lying in bed doing nothing, but Qin Yue is here today.

The crown prince looked at his teacher, his expression unusually distorted.

Qin Yue remained calm, as if Zheng Xun's thoughts had no effect on him whatsoever.

The protagonist's mother treated him as her possession from a young age, so she was extremely possessive of him. She not only didn't want him to have contact with other people, but she also often beat and kicked him.

The court officials all had a somewhat subtle expression when they thought of the late Empress Dowager, but the Empress Dowager had no desire to possess the emperor, only aversion to him.

Li Xiaojun kept his head down, not daring to look at the emperor's expression.

The Emperor disliked hearing people mention the late Empress Dowager. Last time, because it was Zheng Xun who mentioned it, he didn't react. But this time, it was the Right Vice Minister stroking his beard.

Look at him, even the Right Vice Minister himself knows the seriousness of the matter, and he's already trembling with fear.

However, the emperor himself was not as angry as they thought.

He truly regarded the Empress Dowager as his mother, and the repeated disappointments were not pleasant, which is why he was so angry.

In Zheng Xun's words, he broke through his defenses.

But wounds always heal eventually. Now he's busier and busier, so he hasn't thought about those sad days in a long time.

He was even thinking about Liao Hongsheng and Duan Yunfeng, and a faint smile unconsciously appeared on his face.

Later, in order to gain power, the protagonist went through countless hardships to climb the legendary immortal mountain, where he encountered a mountain god modeled after Qin Yue.

Under his guidance, the protagonist grows rapidly and finally breaks free from his mother's control.

Zheng Xun put it simply, but those who had actually read "The Book of Love and Lust" were so eager that they couldn't help but tell others how wonderful the book was.

What should have been a proper court assembly turned into a book recommendation session.

The Right Vice Minister blushed slightly upon hearing the praise from those around him.

Only the Left Vice Minister was both angry and anxious; the world where only he was injured had been achieved.

Zheng Xun did not continue speaking after that.

In this matter, what she cared about most was Xu Zhen, a nobody who had been transferred from the Ministry of Revenue to the Ministry of Personnel.

With Zheng Xun and Xu Ru's endorsement, his promotion was exceptionally fast.

However, Zheng Xun didn't want a useless person who could only rely on others. Xu Zhen's experience was too limited, and Zheng Xun hoped that he could go to the grassroots level to gain experience.

It seems we should find an opportunity to send him out on assignment later.

As for where he'll go... of course, he'll go wherever the conditions are tough. If the mission isn't difficult, how can he stand out quickly? How can he climb the ranks as fast as possible?

Having made up her mind, she then turned on her live stream.

While the others were still whispering about the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," they were all a little taken aback when they suddenly saw the unfolding light screen.

The scene inside the light screen is an empty palace.

As dawn broke later and later, the single lamp in the hall flickered dimly, creating an atmosphere of inexplicable coldness and loneliness.

Beside the only oil lamp was a Buddhist scripture written in gold ink. The tiny characters were neatly arranged on the paper. It should have been solemn and dignified, but for some reason, looking at it always gave people a chill.

The light screen shifted its perspective to outside the hall, and a familiar figure came into view.

The emperor's eyes flickered slightly; it was the fifth prince.

He stood outside the hall, neither going in nor leaving.

Ever since Zheng Xun stripped him naked last time, he's become somewhat reckless and given up on himself.

He was waiting for his father to take action against him, but he waited and waited, and the result never came. His heart, which was hanging in the air, could never settle down.

The ministers in the court thought he was doomed, but the Fifth Prince is still perfectly fine.

It wasn't that no one suspected the emperor might treat the fifth prince differently.

However, the fourth prince who was involved in the incident last time was not the emperor's child, so they couldn't make a comparison to see where the difference lay.

Meanwhile, the Fifth Prince stood outside the door in a daze. A few rooms away, Consort Duan knelt on a prayer mat in front of a small Buddha statue, her eyes closed, silently chanting something.

The incense burner beside her emitted wisps of sandalwood incense, and the mist swirled around her, making her appear somewhat dignified and solemn.

To be honest, the system actually understands a bit of camera language, and seeing this scene evoked a complex feeling in people's hearts.

In the harem, the empress was not harsh and preferred peace and quiet, so except for the first and fifteenth of the month, she did not allow the concubines to pay their respects.

Therefore, apart from a few concubines who were rolled up, most of the others slept until dawn.

But Consort Duan was different.

She was always unusually harsh on herself.

Not only does he eat vegetarian food year-round, but his daily routine and lifestyle are also very much like those of an ascetic monk.

She copied scriptures every day, from dawn till dusk. Even if she had to attend banquets in the palace that she couldn't avoid, she would still complete her daily practice after returning home.

However, it wouldn't be entirely accurate to say that she was a devout Buddhist.

She memorized many Buddhist scriptures, but her understanding of them was not thorough. When asked to share her insights, she couldn't articulate them clearly.

On the surface, she seemed to be chanting Buddhist prayers, but in essence, she was punishing herself.

She lived in guilt, torturing herself day after day.

Zheng Xun's thoughts about Consort Duan were always fleeting, which is why no one could glean the reason from her innermost thoughts.

It's the same this time.

Finally, the person in the light screen made a move.

The Fifth Prince raised his hand and knocked on the door.

Something moved in a dimly lit corner of the room.

Then, a sleepy-eyed palace maid patted her face to make sure she was awake before opening the door.

Upon opening the door and seeing the Fifth Prince, she bowed in surprise.

She bowed, but her body remained firmly blocked from the doorway, showing no intention of moving aside.

The Fifth Prince seemed used to this scene, and he calmly ordered, "Get out of the way."

The palace maid lowered her head awkwardly: "Consort Duan instructed that no one should disturb us."

"You've never actually stopped me, so why bother?"

The palace maid was somewhat surprised by his calmness today. In the past, at this time, he would make a threat and then barge into the palace, not stopping until he had caused a great commotion.

"Please forgive me, Fifth Prince!" the palace maid pleaded, but she still did not move.

I bet she's internally criticizing the Fifth Prince right now.

Zheng Xun expressed his inner thoughts in an exaggerated tone, mimicking the sarcastic tone of a palace maid:

"Oh dear, in the past, if you forced your way in, I could pretend I couldn't stop you. But if you're this polite and I let you pass, what if you blame me later?"

The Fifth Prince frowned slightly, seemingly having figured things out, and ordered sternly, "Get out of the way, or I'll take your head!"

The palace maid quickly turned aside, lifted her skirt, and ran towards the small Buddhist hall: "It's terrible! Consort Duan! The Fifth Prince has come to cause trouble again."

Consort Duan didn't even lift her eyelids: "Yes, you may leave."

Her voice had an ethereal quality in the empty Buddhist hall, as if it were the voice of a deity, yet it was also somewhat eerie because it was so ethereal.

"Yes, ma'am."

The palace maid unconsciously lowered her voice considerably and respectfully retreated with small steps. Her steps were small, but her legs moved quickly, making her appear as if she were floating on the ground.

The fifth prince, walking slowly, bumped into a palace maid who was fleeing in panic. Even though he was prepared, he was still startled and his pupils contracted slightly.

After the palace maid left, he touched his forehead and shook his head helplessly.

After a moment, he picked up his feet again and walked towards the small Buddhist shrine.

As he reached the doorway, he prepared to step inside, but suddenly the sound of prayer beads tapping on the table echoed from within.

The sound wasn't loud, but it made the Fifth Prince stop all his movements.

[Well, to some extent, the Fifth Prince is actually quite obedient to Consort Duan. If Consort Duan were to throw him a bone, he would stay quiet for a while.]

However, Consort Duan was a stubborn person and never tried to coax him.

Consort Duan hadn't held back when she slapped him last time; the Fifth Prince still had the handprint on his face. He maintained his stiff posture and threatened, "If you don't come out, I'll come in, okay? Then I'll defile your peaceful place, and you'll be crying again."

The rustling of fabric and light footsteps gradually rose in the air. A moment later, Consort Duan walked up to the Fifth Prince: "What are you doing here again?"

The Fifth Prince withdrew his foot, seemingly casually leaning against the door, but the more he tried to appear relaxed, the more stiff he seemed: "I'm dying, and I want to know why... you hate me so much?"

Zheng Xun: ?

[No, it's just that Consort Duan didn't like him and slapped him, right? How could he not live? What did I miss?]

Zheng Xun solemnly opened the system. Although everyone in the hall believed in the system's ability to fabricate stories, they were still somewhat nervous.

[Oh~ So the Fifth Prince's collusion with the Brown Kingdom has been exposed.]

Who discovered it? If they had this ability, why didn't anyone discover it in the original future?

Ministers:…

Exciting, really exciting.

System! Explain yourself! Explain yourself now!

They were all so anxious that their bodies were stiff, wishing they could take the place of the system and cover up its lies.