Song Ran only felt that the road to the palace was so long.
It looks like it has been through several cold winters.
When she saw the palace walls of red bricks and green tiles, she hoped that the carriage would not stop. If you keep walking forward, you may be able to see many of your childhood playmates. Just like when he was a child, he pulled her and ran to the imperial garden together.
The Empress Dowager would still sit in the pavilion of the Royal Garden, holding her favorite pastries and calling her.
Song Ran's legs were almost paralyzed, and she was helped out of the carriage by Hong Hao.
She clutched Hongyao's arm in fear.
Before he even got close, he could hear the sound of crying in Changning Palace.
The maids and father-in-law all had red eyes and burst into tears.
The lanterns, which also have the character longevity, have been changed from red for birthday banquets to white.
Rows of white lanterns hang on the beams, swaying in the autumn wind.
There was a heavy atmosphere in the air, and Song Ran moved her feet towards the inner hall with difficulty.
Recalling the scene on the day he first came to the capital, the graceful old man took her and the princess's hands and caressed them lovingly over and over again. Her eyes were full of love, as if looking at her own granddaughter.
The past is vivid in my mind, every picture in my mind is so clear, and then gradually blurred.
She slowly couldn't see their appearance anymore. She felt her eyes were soaked with tears and her heart was shaking in the wind.
Tears couldn't stop pouring out of my eyes, and my whole body was filled with bone-chilling pain.
The princess was exhausted because she had been looking after the Queen Mother's bed day and night for the past few days without sleeping a wink. Now, coupled with excessive sadness, tears and tears, his face is even more haggard.
When Song Ran entered the room, the princess fell down beside the bed, sobbing.
Zhaohua fell into her mother's arms and burst into tears. Chen Chaoci, on the other hand, stood aside with the Queen with a heavy look on his face without saying a word.
Chen Chaobai came in together with Song Ran. His demeanor was slightly calmer than before, but he still kept his head down and didn't say much.
When Chen Chaoci saw them coming in, he sighed and said, "Go over and take another look at the Empress Dowager."
To the Empress Dowager, Chen Chaoci and Chen Chaobai were not close great-grandsons. In the early years, they were each raised in the palaces of other concubines, and they could not visit them without being summoned.
And they also have no deep feelings for this grandmother other than respect.
The Empress Dowager lay peacefully on the jade bed, her eyes closed tightly, as if she was asleep.
Song Ran knelt beside the Queen Mother's bed and kowtowed deeply to her three times. She thanked the Queen Mother for taking care of her during the years she was raised in the palace.
After kowtowing, she moved to the bed again, lowered her head to her hand, and felt her warmth for the last time.
The back of the hand had lost its warmth, just like Song Ran's heart was now bone-chillingly cold.
This old man has lived through three dynasties. At last, except for Zhaohua, a great-granddaughter, the ones crying beside her bed were actually juniors like them with a foreign surname.
Song Ran thought that if the prince's brother was still here, he would not be so cold.
She recalled that the Empress Dowager mentioned his name that day, and the vague place name behind it.
A guess popped up in her mind. This guess made her uneasy, but she quickly suppressed the guess in her heart. She knew very well that if it was true, then this secret must be buried for a long time.
"Sister Ran, grandma is gone, gone." Zhaohua cried and threw herself next to Song Ran, her clothes already wet with tears.
Song Ran stretched out her hand to try to wipe away the tears on her face, but she didn't want her unsatisfactory tears to drip on her hands instead.
For a time, the sad atmosphere could no longer be suppressed, and she hugged Zhaohua and cried together.
"Don't be too sad. The Queen Mother will know your filial piety." No matter how cold-hearted Chen Chaoci was, he could not help but be infected by such an atmosphere. He squeezed the Queen's hand hard, his sadness was self-evident.
Only Chen Chaobai still stood there numbly, with his head lowered. Song Ran didn't know whether he was overly sad or whether everything was out of his plan. She was elusive about Chen Chaobai.
The empress dowager and the emperor were buried together in the imperial mausoleum.
On the day of the funeral, the princess's overstretched body suddenly couldn't hold up and she fell to the ground. Fortunately, she woke up soon. Although the person was awake, his face was pale and his lips had no trace of blood.
"The Princess has been exhausted these past few days, so why not go back to her bedroom and rest first." The Queen couldn't help but feel a little worried when she looked at the Princess.
"I understand the Queen Mother's wishes. But I want to send the Queen Mother on her last journey." The princess' voice was weak, leaning against Song Ran's side, but her eyes were extremely firm.
Everyone tried to persuade her when they saw this, but she still insisted on being supported by Song Ran until the ceremony was over.
From that day on, Princess Nanjun became ill.
The imperial doctors sent by Chen Chaoci changed one after another, but the condition of the princess did not improve.
He said he was heartbroken and his energy was damaged. Need to calm down and recuperate.
There were quite a few people visiting the doctor, and Song Ran was getting annoyed.
He simply borrowed the words from the imperial doctor who needed to rest, and announced to the outside world that the princess was ill, and the Song family's old residence was closed to visitors.
Chen Chaobai came several times, but Princess Jun dismissed him on the grounds that he was not feeling well and was afraid of passing on the illness to him.
At first, Song Ran thought that the princess's illness would be cured in a few days. Later, when she saw that he had not improved, she became a little worried.
Until that day when she saw the princess secretly throwing away the medicinal food prepared by the imperial doctor, she still understood the princess's good intentions.
"Concubine, what are you doing?" Song Ran hurriedly pushed the door open and grabbed the medicine bowl from the princess.
Most of the medicine in the bowl has been poured out.
"Princess, please be gentle." Suqin, who was beside the princess, looked nervous. She walked to the door and looked outside before closing the door again.
Song Ran looked at the two of them in confusion, frowning in displeasure.
Princess Songran sat beside her and said softly: "As long as you survive this month, you will have room for maneuver in your marriage."
Song Ran's eyes lit up when she heard this. Has the mother-in-law thought of a solution? Could it be that the Empress Dowager left any edict before her death?
That shouldn't be the case. When she entered the palace that day, the Empress Dowager was already unconscious and delirious.
Song Ran took the princess's hand and asked impatiently: "Have you found a solution?"
"As long as I'm sick, they have no reason to come to discuss marriage with you at this time."
Song Ran curled her lips and asked, "What do you mean, concubine mother, by saying this?"
"It will be three years if you survive this month. The Empress Dowager is gifted. If you don't get married in this month, you will have to observe mourning for three years. But these three years may leave you alone in the capital, hovering among various rights. between."
"Why did the mother-in-law suddenly change her mind?"
"I have been thinking a lot these days since I came to the capital. Is it right to push you into the den of wolves and tigers in the capital? In addition, your attitude towards King Xuan is also seen by my mother. And -" Princess Jun said protectively. There was a sudden pause and his expression became strange.
"What else?" Song Ran asked.
The princess shook her head and did not continue. He just took her hand and sighed deeply.
"But mother-in-law, if you don't take medicine, your body will collapse. When the disease is cured, can't we pretend to the public that we have not recovered from the long-term illness?"
"Silly boy, the emperor sent so many imperial doctors here, how could you keep it a secret?"
Song Ran burst into tears immediately after asking. I really want to beat myself up. She actually let her mother-in-law risk her own body for the sake of her marriage. She was really rebellious.
