Queen Sun

Chapter 14 Li Yuan
Just when the entire palace was busy arranging the upcoming New Year's feast, the Supreme Emperor, who had already lived in the deep palace and didn't care about worldly affairs, suddenly found the emperor's son and wanted to hold a family banquet in the Da'an Palace where he lived. lively.

Li Shimin has always been reluctant to disobey his father's wishes now. He is very clear that after the Xuanwu Gate change, the history books of later generations will definitely slander him, so when his father is still alive, the filial piety he should fulfill is also indispensable.

Although the Supreme Emperor no longer has any actual power, on the surface, he is still the most honorable person in the world.Not many people were actually invited to this banquet, but most of them were very important.Below the Son of Heaven, among the ministers, Chen Shuda and Xiao Yu, veterans of the Wude and Zhenguan dynasties, are undoubtedly the most respected people. The other ministers are only Gao Shilian and Changsun Wuji, who are naturally related to the royal family. It also highlights the color of the family banquet.Due to the absence of the empress, the daughter-in-law only came to the throne, the first among the four wives, Concubine Wei Gui and Concubine Yanxian, while the grandchildren only had three highnesses who were born by the empress.

Everyone sat around together, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious. After all, since Li Shimin ascended the throne in the ninth year of Wude, Li Yuan didn't like to see this only son.

Halfway through the family banquet, Li Yuan stopped his chopsticks, looked carefully at Ming Yao who was sitting next to Li Tai, then smiled and stretched out his hand and said, "Come on, Yaoer, come to the emperor's grandfather."

Mingyao obediently walked to Li Yuan's side. Although her grandfather was not very old, but since he came to Chang'an, his grandfather seemed to be getting older. Most of the time, the supreme imperial power did not bring people happiness. She always remembered what her mother said past this sentence.

Li Yuan hugged his granddaughter on his lap, and asked kindly, "How is your mother's health recently?"

As soon as the words fell, Chengqian and Li Tai broke into a cold sweat for their younger sister, only to see that Mingyao was silent for a moment, and when she raised her head again, her eyes were red: "The mother has been lying on the bed, and she can't be with you. Yao'er went out for a walk."

Hearing this, Li Yuan hurriedly coaxed: "Your mother has a kind heart, and with the protection of Bodhisattva, she will be able to take a walk with Yao'er in a while."

Li Shimin suddenly seemed quite surprised, not because of his daughter's answer, but because his father rarely seemed to have such a loving appearance.

Just thinking about it, Li Yuan asked a group of people in his ears: "You see, Yao'er looks very much like a person?"

Li Shimin said without thinking, "It's not like her mother's queen."

Li Yuan smiled and said: "The emperor really misses the queen so much, tell me the rest of you."

Immediately, all kinds of answers came out, some guessed the emperor, some guessed the grandson Wuji, only when it came to Empress Taimu, Li Yuan nodded slightly, but still said no.

At this time, Ming Yao turned her head and said to Li Yuan: "Grandfather, I know, mother has told me."

Li Yuan couldn't hide his surprise: "Oh? Who is it?"

"Is it Aunt Xiuning?"

Mingyao's answer made the whole table fall into dead silence, until Li Yuan stroked his granddaughter's hair and sighed: "Yes, now only your queen mother wants to get it, your imperial grandmother only got such a daughter, but she doesn't want to... Fortunately, She left earlier than anyone else, if you live up to now like your grandfather, and see only your father left, you don't know how sad you will be."

Li Shimin's eyes dimmed all of a sudden, and then he knelt down in front of Li Yuan, saying: "My child is not filial." Others immediately followed suit and knelt down.

Li Yuan looked at his son, then at his granddaughter, and smiled miserably: "Get up, you're only halfway through your meal."

The atmosphere present was tense and depressing. At this time, only Ming Yao's delicate voice could be heard in everyone's ears: "Grandfather, the queen mother also told me that the emperor's father is the one who loves her the most. Is it true?"

In an instant, Li Yuan's expression became a little strange, but he nodded in the end, but said to the emperor, "Yes, Shimin, you are the one your mother loved the most since she was a child."

"Is that because father is the most handsome?" Ming Yao asked affectionately, shaking Li Yuan's arm.

Li Yuan let out a "poof" laugh: "That's right, back then your fourth uncle was not good-looking when he was young, and your imperial grandmother still lost her temper."

Li Shimin also laughed, as if the father and son hadn't laughed together so easily for a long time, he glanced at his daughter with a smile on his face, and said, "Come on, Yao'er, the grandpa is tired of holding you for so long." Now, come to the father's side."

"Emperor, don't grab Yao'er from me. I hugged Xiuning just like that when you were young." Li Yuan said pretending to be angry.

Li Shimin nodded with an apologetic smile and said, "I remember that the father was only willing to hold his younger sister, and Yuan Ji was still crying."

After a moment of silence, Li Yuan took a deep look at his son, then lowered his head and asked his granddaughter, "Yaoer, what did your mother tell you about your aunt?"

"Mother said, Aunt Xiuning is a heroine, a woman who does not give way to a man."

Li Yuan smiled and asked with great interest: "Does Yao'er know what it means to be a woman who does not give way to a man?"

Ming Yao nodded vigorously, "I know, Grandfather, just like Hua Mulan, mother taught me to recite "Mulan Poetry"."

The emperor saw that his father was very interested, and his voice was full of rare ease: "Yao'er, if you can memorize it verbatim, the emperor will grant you a wish, how about it?"

"Grandpa, maybe you have a wish."

Immediately, Mingyao walked between her father and grandfather, stood up straight, and recited each word clearly, until "I have been together for 12 years, but I don't know Mulan is a girl. The male rabbit's feet are fluttering, and the female rabbit's eyes are blurred; The rabbit walked beside me, and An Neng could tell if I was male or female." Then she stopped and looked at the two people in front of her with a smile.

Dressed in a pink dress, with two cute buns on her hair, and two naughty dimples on her white and tender face, Li Yuan seemed to see Xiu Ning standing in front of him with a smile like this more than 30 years ago, Immediately, she was overjoyed with joy, took her granddaughter's hand and said, "Tell the emperor's grandfather, what does Yao'er want?"

Ming Yao tilted her head and thought for a while, then said, "Yao'er wants Grandfather to be as happy as he is today."

"Okay, as long as Yao'er often comes to look for the imperial grandfather, then the imperial grandfather will be happy every day." Li Yuan said comfortingly.

"Father still owes Yao'er a wish."

Ming Yao suddenly glanced at her father timidly, and said in a low voice, "Yao'er wants a queen mother."

Li Shimin was taken aback for a moment, then put his arms around his daughter and held her in his arms, but he didn't answer for a long time.

After the banquet, Li Yuan and Li Shimin and his son stayed alone in the inner room, and they were silent for a long time.

Suddenly, Li Yuan said, "Do you know that Madam Changsun's preferred marriage partner was not you, but Yuan Ji?"

Li Shimin raised his head suddenly, and said after a long time: "I don't know."

"Hey," Li Yuan sighed, "Your mother is partial to you. Knowing that she is going to die soon, she insists on betrotting Ruoshui to you, and she must see you get married while she is alive. I have no choice but to marry you." Gao Shilian discussed and asked him to persuade Mrs. Changsun again, but Mrs. Changsun did not object any more, but after that, she ate fast and recited Buddhism in the nunnery at home all day long until she died. Shimin, you are sorry for her."

Li Shimin listened quietly to his father's words, and only said one sentence: "Father, I will not be like you, and I will regret it until I lose it."

Li Yuan felt all kinds of emotions in his heart for a moment, and sighed: "It turns out that you are... Shimin, your mother and Ruoshui seem to have very different temperaments, but in the end, they may end up on the same road, do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand, but what should be grasped, I will never let go." After speaking, he turned around and walked out.

Li Yuan slowly retreated to a chair. His son was still too young to believe that the power of fate could not be shaken even as a human emperor. Just like in the past, the picture of Ruxia appeared in his mind. With a face as bright as a flower, now, your favorite son is about to experience such pain.

In the imperial palace late at night, there was a hint of a deeper chill.

Flickering candles, blurred figures, it seems that the sky is about to change.

(End of this chapter)