Long live Emperor Wu!

Wu Rou sighed and said:

"Of course I'm nervous. I haven't seen her for many years... Before entering the palace at the age of 14, she was two years older than me. Now more than ten years have passed, and we have different identities."

She paused, raised her hand to caress her belly, lowered her eyes and whispered:

"I don't know what she thinks of me now."

At this moment, Xiaoqu from outside came in and announced:
"Mother, the Li family girl is here and is waiting outside."

Wu Rou quickly stretched out her hand to Cai Yi: "Quickly, pull me up. Let her come in quickly."

She held Cai Yi's hand and stood next to the desk, keeping her eyes looking outside. After a while, a woman wearing a dark blue long outer robe and an underskirt came in, her head lowered all the time. He walked up to her, bowed down to her, and shouted:

"Li Ji's daughter, Li Xiangyun, has met Empress Zhaoyi."

Wu Rou kept looking at her, trying to see her face clearly, because this person was very different from the girl in his impression.

Unfortunately, she never raised her head. It was not until she made a sound that Wu Rou suddenly felt a sense of familiarity and said quickly:

"Please get up quickly! Caiyi, help Sister Xiangyun up quickly."

Caiyi hurried over and helped Li Xiangyun up with his arms. Only then did Li Xiangyun dare to raise his head slightly and glance at Wu Rou.

Just one glance, the two people looked at each other, and then smiled.

Wu Rou stretched out her hand to her. Li Xiangyun glanced at Caiyi next to him hesitantly and asked cautiously:

"Would it be disrespectful if I go there?"

When Wu Rou heard this, she immediately waved her hands excitedly and said:
"Go, go, go down, let me talk to my sister for a while. Don't hang around here."

"Yes." Caiyi responded, leading more than a dozen maids in the palace to retreat.

There were only two of them left in the room. Li Xiangyun walked over boldly, reached out to hold her hand, and asked happily:
"Arou, I didn't expect to see you again in this life. It's really like a dream."

Wu Rou held her with one hand and supported the couch next to her with the other. She slowly sat down and said with tears in her eyes:
"I never thought that this day would come... I haven't seen anyone since I entered the palace. If it weren't for Zhaoyi who became the second grade today, I'm afraid we would never have the chance to see each other in our lifetime."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangyun glanced at her belly subconsciously, and then looked away. He seemed a little embarrassed and didn't know what to say, so he just wanted to change the topic.

Wu Rou tightened her grip and asked:
"Sister, what do you think of me now? Do you think I'm shameless?"

Li Xiangyun looked up at her, as if he had thought of something, his face suddenly turned red, and he stammered:
"No... no."

Seeing the sadness on Wu Rou's face, she seemed to be very sad and sad, so she quickly comforted her and said:

"Even if there is any fault, it is the man's fault. How can you, a weak woman, stand up to the powerful emperor? I know you must have your own reasons."

Unexpectedly, Wu Rou said firmly:

"It's not your Majesty's fault, and I have no hard reasons. I did it voluntarily, and I forced him..."

Li Xiangyun looked at her in shock, and then Wu Rou told how she asked Duke Kui to speak to her, how she entered the palace, and how Emperor Taizong helped her and gave her a title, giving outsiders the illusion that she was very favored.

How did he work as a talented person for more than ten years, and became acquainted with the then crown prince Li Shan, but he stopped at etiquette and never went beyond the boundaries? How did he go to Ganye Temple, and was picked up by him from Ganye Temple and became a Second grade Zhaoyi.

After she finished speaking, she looked at Li Xiangyun and asked, "...sister, can you trust me?"

Li Xiangyun thought seriously for a while and said:

"Believe it, why don't you believe it? It all makes sense since then... I said you are obviously very favored, how come you haven't had a child for more than ten years? You are obviously very favored, how come you have always been a talented person and have not been promoted? That’s what it is.”

She held Wu Rou's hand again and sighed:

"This is really a mistake. Emperor Taizong originally wanted to help you, but now it has become a setback. You don't know what's going on outside..."

"What's going on outside?" Wu Rou asked.

Li Xiangyun lowered his eyes with guilt and whispered:

"Recently, the outside world has just learned that you have entered the new emperor's harem again. There are a lot of rumors in the world...but since they are rumors, you must not take them to heart and leave them alone!"

When Wu Rou heard this, she sneered confidently and said:
"I won't take it to heart. Just think about it and I know what they will say. It's nothing more than slander."

"That's good. You are pregnant now, so be careful." Li Xiangyun said.

Wu Rou looked at her gently again.

Although the girl at the beginning has now become a woman, with an elegant and simple bun on her head, and looks much older than her, her heart is still the same kind and chivalrous heart as before.

"Where's my sister, how have you been these past few years?" Wu Rou asked gently.

Li Xiangyun sighed and said:

"I am a widow. When I was sixteen, I married Yi Yajiang, my father's subordinate, and gave birth to two sons. When Emperor Taizong conquered Korea, my father was the general manager of the march to Liaodong Road, and my husband also went with him. He died in battle. Later he became disheartened and did not remarry, so he took his two children and lived with his father."

Wu Rou looked her up and down again, her eyes filled with distress, she held her hand and said:

"My sister is suffering. How come such a good person has a harder life than me?"

She burst into tears as she spoke, crying profusely.Li Xiangyun had already had enough tears. She shook her hand and said, dumbfounded.
"Stop crying. This happened so many years ago. It's not worth it. I'm doing well now. Those two children are becoming more and more like them as they grow older. They are sensible and studious. I'm relieved to see them. Nothing bad."

Wu Rou heard this and took out her handkerchief to wipe her tears, but she couldn't stop her tears and said angrily:
"No, I want to ask His Majesty to give my sister a royal title."

When Li Xiangyun heard this, he quickly stopped her and said:

"Don't do it. My deceased husband died in the war, and the court has already given him courtesy. If he didn't give me a royal decree, he is not qualified. If you ask for it, wouldn't it be embarrassing for His Majesty? Don't do it. I live next to my father. Who can You can still bully me."

Wu Rou was very determined and said:
"Sister, don't be afraid. It's just a royal title. It's not like you want to be an official. Just because your father and your husband are loyal to the Tang Dynasty and have outstanding military achievements, it is reasonable to get a royal title.

Besides, His Majesty often praises General Li in front of me, saying that he is the pillar of the country. He is a rare noble character, humble and self-restrained. There is no other such good person in the world.

I said, why don't you praise people in front of them? He said it's embarrassing to praise people in front of them.Ha ha ha ha……"

Wu Rou said, covering her mouth with a handkerchief and laughing again. Her eyes were still filled with tears, but she smiled crookedly and said:

"You don't know, Your Majesty, he is thin-skinned and doesn't seem to like getting close to others, but he is actually soft-hearted on the inside."