Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Consort Ning had been confined in the cold palace for ten years, and her demeanor was completely transformed. Coupled with the emotional toll of searching for Zhou Yunning over the past few months, her beauty was a far cry from its prime.

Even so, the moment she stepped out of the carriage, she captivated everyone present. From this, it was easy to discern the ethereal grace Consort Ning possessed when she was the most favored consort in the imperial harem.

Consort Ning’s surname was Lin, and her given name was Caiying. She was the legitimate daughter of Lin Min, the former Minister of Revenue. Renowned for her exceptional beauty, she was taken as a consort by the late emperor and doted on excessively. This was a widely celebrated tale across the nation. However, very few knew that Lin Caiying’s mother had died from difficult labor shortly after giving birth to her. She was initially nursed by a wet nurse and later raised by her stepmother.

As for General Hua Xun, the General of the Southern Garrison, he was the elder brother of Lin Caiying’s ill-fated mother. After his younger sister’s death, he severed all ties with Minister Lin.

This happened so long ago that few remembered it. Later, when the Lin clan was eradicated by the Zhao family, even fewer recalled the connection.

However, those present were all Hua Xun’s trusted aides, so they naturally knew that Hua Xun had only one niece—Lin Caiying, the once highly favored consort. After the fall of the Lin family, she was stripped of her consort title and confined to the cold palace. It seemed now that the old general had rescued her.

Hearing Lin Caiying address Hua Xun as "Uncle," the generals’ hearts skipped a beat.

After all, under the heavens, the only person who could call Hua Xun "Uncle" was Lin Caiying. She was the late emperor’s woman, far beyond the reach of mere soldiers like themselves. The generals quickly lowered their heads even further, not daring to take another glance, for they truly were unworthy of gazing upon the late emperor’s consort.

Hu Huo broke out in a cold sweat, never expecting Consort Ning to personally visit his garrison headquarters. For a moment, he was so overwhelmed by the honor that he hardly knew how to react. But he quickly composed himself, remembering the portrait General Hua had given him, which depicted Consort Ning’s son, Ninth Prince Zhou Yunning. And now, right in his courtyard, there was a restaurant owner who was the spitting image of the person in the portrait.

If it really was the Ninth Prince, then—

Hu Huo almost immediately sensed an opportunity to distinguish himself and quickly said, "Reporting to Marshal Hua, today I saw the owner of Zhenyun Pavilion, who bears a striking resemblance to the person in the portrait, so I detained him. He is inside at this moment."

Consort Ning: "!"

She stepped forward. "What did you say?"

Hu Huo hurriedly replied, "The owner of Zhenyun Pavilion looks very much like—" Before he could finish, Consort Ning had already gathered up her skirts and rushed inside.

After passing through just one gate, Consort Ning caught sight of Zhou Yunning at once. Seeing him surrounded by soldiers with drawn swords, her brows immediately furrowed. She shouted sharply, "My son is here! How dare you show such disrespect?!"

The soldiers froze in unison and turned to look behind them.

But Consort Ning had eyes only for Zhou Yunning. She called out, "Ning’er."

Tears streamed down her face as she spoke, tears of overwhelming joy.

Hearing that call, Zhou Yunning was also stunned. He turned his head in disbelief and saw, beyond the crowd, a woman with a weary face, smiling through her tears.

It was his mother.

She looked just as he remembered from his childhood, only much thinner.

"Mother…"

Zhou Yunning’s face was full of disbelief. His cry also startled Gao Zhen.

Consort Ning is here?

Gao Zhen wanted to look, but his view was blocked by the tall soldiers. Just as he rose on tiptoe, a stern shout came from the entrance: "Hurry and apologize to the Ninth Prince!"

Hu Huo’s shout was both a warning to the soldiers and a quick attempt to save face. He had ordered the soldiers to surround Zhou Yunning to prevent his escape, but if this person really was the Ninth Prince, then his actions constituted grave disrespect. If the prince chose to pursue the matter, losing his head would be the least of his worries.

So, it was best to throw himself at the prince's feet immediately.

Seeing Hu Huo kneel, the soldiers also quickly dropped their weapons and knelt in salute.

Hu Huo cried, "I beg Your Highness for forgiveness!" The soldiers followed in unison: "We beg Your Highness for forgiveness!"

Zhou Yunning stared at them for a moment before waving his hand. "All of you, withdraw."

The soldiers obediently retreated.

Once they were gone, the view was no longer blocked, and Gao Zhen finally caught sight of Consort Ning. Meanwhile, Zhou Yunning walked up to Lin Caiying, dropped to one knee, and said solemnly, "Your son pays respects to Mother."

Gao Zhen and Qi You also hurriedly bowed in salute.

Lin Caiying’s gaze swept over the three of them. In this joyous moment of reunion, she temporarily set aside minor details and simply said, "Rise, all of you." As she spoke, she personally helped her son to his feet.

After ten years without meeting face-to-face, she could finally see him without having to peer through a crack in the door. Overwhelmed with emotion, Lin Caiying choked up several times, unable to speak.

In contrast, the Ninth Prince appeared mature and steady, comforting her: "It is your son’s fault for making Mother worry and fear for my safety all these days. From today onward, I will mend my ways completely and ensure Mother never suffers such hardships again." When Zhou Yunning had initially decided not to reunite with Consort Ning, he had considered many factors, but the main reason was his desire to prevent Gao Zhen from suffering any indignities in front of her.

But today, seeing his mother in tears, he could not bear it. Apologizing to her was also his way of confronting the problem head-on to seek a resolution.

"You child…" Consort Ning was coaxed into a smile by his words. She wiped her tears and said, "It’s only been a few months since we last met, yet you’ve already learned to become such a smooth-talker." As she spoke, her gaze drifted almost imperceptibly toward Gao Zhen.

Gao Zhen quickly lowered his head, the tips of his ears instantly turning red. He had been the most direct witness to the Ninth Prince’s changes over the past few months. Often, a casual remark from His Highness would leave him blushing and flustered, unable to respond.

The Ninth Prince quickly took half a step to the side, using his tall frame to block his mother’s view of Gao Zhen. Lin Caiying was both annoyed and amused but decided not to make an issue of it so soon after their reunion, pretending not to notice.

She took his hand and led him to Hua Xun, saying, "This is my uncle, your great-uncle, General of the Southern Garrison Hua Xun. I never told you about him, but it was for your own good."

"Greetings, Great-Uncle." The Ninth Prince showed not the slightest air of superiority. Hua Xun dared not accept such courtesy and quickly stopped him, saying, "This is not appropriate!"

"Great-Uncle traveled thousands of miles to the capital to rescue my mother. Your grandson is endlessly grateful and should bow to you." He finished with a deep bow, but Hua Xun caught him and held him up.

The old general had never seen a prince so devoid of arrogance. He felt both sorrow and relief—such humility and respect for talent were essential qualities of a wise ruler. The Ninth Prince had lived alone in the cold palace all his life, with no one to teach him these things; it must have been innate.

Thinking this, Hua Xun felt deeply comforted and said, "Your Highness is of imperial blood, and I am a subject of the emperor. Protecting Her Majesty is my duty. Your Highness must not lower your status."

With things put so plainly, the Ninth Prince naturally did not press the thanks, merely nodding and saying, "Great-Uncle speaks rightly. It was inconsiderate of me."

"Your Highness need not be so modest. This is an ancient rite, one all should follow." Hua Xun refused Zhou Yunning’s bow and made his reasons clear because he did not want his subordinates to look down on the prince. If he had accepted the bow, what would his men think? They would surely say, "So what if he’s a prince? He still has to rely on our general."

Since Hua Xun intended to support the Ninth Prince, he would never allow him to fall into such a predicament. He said, "Rather than thanking me, Your Highness should spend more time with your mother. These past days, she has been so worried about finding you that she could neither eat nor sleep. You must not cause her any more anxiety."

"Yes."

The reunion of Ninth Prince Zhou Yunning and Consort Ning was a momentous occasion for the entire Hua army.

After all, they had traveled all the way to the capital not merely to protect the emperor but to become Consort Ning’s greatest asset in her struggle for power. Previously, with the Ninth Prince’s whereabouts unknown, this plan could not advance. But now that the Ninth Prince had been found, it was time to put the plan into motion.

Since ancient times, the shift of power has always followed the flow of fortune. In his youth, Hua Xun had studied under Daoist Master Jinming and thus had his own insights into such mystical arts. Otherwise, he would not have mobilized his troops and marched north on such a large scale.

Though it was their first meeting, Hua Xun greatly admired Zhou Yunning.

…

The food and wine were already prepared. When the banquet commenced, Hua Xun personally escorted the Ninth Prince to the seat of honor and took his place beside him. Consort Ning sat on the other side, while the other generals arranged themselves along the sides.

Gao Zhen and Qi You, having arrived with the Ninth Prince, were also treated as guests and seated at the far end of the banquet. Consort Ning observed Gao Zhen’s reaction to this and was slightly surprised to see that he did not seem to mind. She nodded imperceptibly, thinking that Gao Zhen knew his place and did not presume on the prince’s favor to demand a seat beside him.

She gave Gao Zhen a faint glance but said nothing more.

During the banquet, the dishes were so delicious that Consort Ning could not help but ask Zhou Yunning quietly, "Where did you find a chef who cooks so well?"

Zhou Yunning smiled but did not answer immediately. Instead, he asked, "Does Mother like it?"

Consort Ning nodded and said, "This refreshing scent is hard for anyone to dislike, isn't it?"

Zhou Yunning murmured in agreement before replying, "Mother, this is A Zhen's handiwork. He's quite skilled."

Seeing her son's proud expression, Consort Ning didn't need to guess—it was clear he was completely smitten.

To be fair, she had never been particularly fond of Gao Zhen, always feeling that the person Zhao Chenglan sent over was "unsavory." In her mind, this Gao family lad had merely seized an opportunity, taking advantage of their confinement in the cold palace with no means to select a proper consort, and dominated her son's view. Now, however, things were different.

Consort Ning said nothing, the smile on her face gradually fading.

Zhou Yunning noticed it all and sighed inwardly, realizing once again that it would likely take "some" time for his mother to accept A Zhen. With this thought, his gaze drifted over the long dining table and settled on Gao Zhen's face at the far end.

Gao Zhen sensed his gaze almost instantly and immediately looked up, meeting his eyes. Their glances locked, lingering and intimate enough to make anyone blush.

*Clatter!* A crisp sound rang out as one of Consort Ning's chopsticks fell to the ground.

Everyone turned to look in their direction.

Only Gao Zhen kept his head down, staring at the rice in his bowl, the tips of his ears burning red.

He knew Consort Ning had probably noticed him looking at Ninth Prince and disapproved of such flirtatious behavior, thinking it improper or perhaps even feeling that he was seducing her son. It seemed that in Consort Ning's presence from now on, he would have to be more careful to avoid being labeled a seducer and blacklisted by her, which would make future interactions awkward.

With this in mind, Gao Zhen did not look at Ninth Prince again for the rest of the banquet.

After the meal, Consort Ning requested that Ninth Prince return to the main camp with her. Since Gao Zhen and Qi You were not permitted to follow, they prepared to return by carriage to the shop.

Gao Zhen followed Qi You's example and bowed to Consort Ning, Ninth Prince, and Old General Hua. Just as he turned to board the carriage, he suddenly heard Ninth Prince call out, "A Zhen, come here. I have something to give you."

Gao Zhen: ?

Not understanding why, he walked over, only to see Consort Ning's face immediately darken.

Gao Zhen made his way past Consort Ning under intense pressure and finally reached the Ninth Prince, only to hear him say, "Come with me."

Gao Zhen followed the Ninth Prince into a nearby alley. Before he could utter a word, he was pulled into a hug.

"Your Highness!" Gao Zhen was startled, but then heard the Ninth Prince mutter discontentedly, "Why didn’t you look at me even once during the banquet?"

"Your mother seemed angry, I didn’t want to—"

"Then what if I'm angry? What will you do about it?" The Ninth Prince said leisurely, "You'll need to make it up to me."

"Huh?"

Gao Zhen thought he had misheard and froze completely.

However, he only had time to hear the words, "It'll take a kiss to make it better," before his lips were pressed against the Ninth Prince's.

The Ninth Prince kissed him intensely.

...

Gao Zhen’s legs were so weak he couldn’t move for a while. Leaning against the wall, he gasped for breath, feeling as though he had almost been overwhelmed by the Ninth Prince.

The sensation of the Ninth Prince’s thumb brushing his lips still lingered, and the words "Wait for me to return" still echoed in his ears.