Chapter 137 Ending (Part )

Bai Shuang's sudden question stunned Su Ci.

She didn't know how to answer this question. She couldn't tell Bai Shuang that she suddenly stopped liking Zhao Shizhu because she had figured out the secret.

Who would have thought that at the end of this opportunity, she still married Zhao Shizhu, and she fell in love with Zhao Shizhu again.

"Is my question so difficult to answer?" Bai Shuang was puzzled.

Su Ci came back to her senses and looked up to see Zhao Shizhu standing not far away. Looking at his expression, he might also want to know her answer.

But she felt that she would never be able to solve Zhao Shizhu's doubts in her lifetime.

Bai Shuang also saw Zhao Shizhu at this time, so she didn't ask any more questions. After greeting Zhao Shizhu, she left Kunning Palace.

This time Bai Shuang did not look back.

She knew that she could never return to this place. She had wasted so many years of her youth on Zhao Shizhu. Now that she had finally given up and left, perhaps it was not too late.

She had thought about dying, but she was unwilling to die at such a young age without having seen any scenery.

All these years, all her thoughts have been on a man who doesn't love her. It would be too depressing if her life ended like this.

Zhao Shizhu chased her away, so she left without looking back. She would always be freer outside the palace than inside...

Su Ci looked away only after Bai Shuang had walked away. She suddenly said with emotion, "Everyone I know is gone, and we are the only old couple left in this harem. If you look at me for too long, will you get bored one day?"

Zhao Shizhu laughed and helped her sit down: "There won't be such a day. I will never get enough of your face!"

Su Ci thought of the plot in the original novel, and suddenly remembered a detail. It seemed that in the original novel, no audience mentioned that Zhao Shizhu favored other women, such as Su Hua, or his white moonlight.

The most bizarre thing is that she still doesn’t know whether his white moonlight is Bai Shuang.

Now that Su Hua has become a living dead and Bai Shuang is gone, she may never know the answer to this mystery, right?
"You suddenly stopped liking me because you discovered that my motives for marrying you were not pure, right?" Zhao Shizhu did not avoid the question.

Although Su Ci accepted him and decided to stay in the palace, and she was pregnant with his child, he still felt that this girl's heart was not completely close to him.

If her knot has not been resolved yet, he has to find a way to solve this problem.

Su Ci avoided Zhao Shizhu's gaze: "It's all in the past, there's no need to bring it up again."

Zhao Shizhu felt bitter when he saw that she was unwilling to say more.

If he had known this would happen, why did he do it in the first place? It was because of his false feelings that she was hurt and sad, and he took back all his love. Who could he blame?
"You also know that you are the only one in my harem. You can't abandon me and leave alone." Zhao Shizhu said, and thought of Empress Dowager Gao in Ci'an Palace. "How do you think we should deal with my mother?"

Su Ci is the victim, and he must give Su Ci an explanation no matter what.

Su Ci turned around and asked Zhao Shizhu: "How do you want to punish me? After all, if the Queen Mother hadn't adopted you, you wouldn't be where you are today."

She knew that although Zhao Shizhu was cruel and ruthless, he was also a man who valued love.

He will protect those he cares about.

Now there are only two people he cares about the most, one is her, and the other is Queen Mother Gao.

Although Empress Dowager Gao was not Zhao Shizhu's biological mother, she extended a helping hand to him when he was most desperate and helpless, helping him out of his suffering and giving him the opportunity to stand on his own. Such kindness cannot be expressed in a few words.

"Even if my mother put people into my harem, I can easily punish those beauties. This is within the range of what I can tolerate. The only thing I cannot tolerate is that my mother has poisoned you..." Zhao Shizhu's voice gradually faded.

The person he cared about most was Su Ci, but his respected mother poisoned the person he cared about.

Su Ci knew how vengeful Zhao Shizhu was, but the fact that Empress Dowager Gao could remain unscathed after repeatedly challenging Zhao Shizhu's bottom line only showed that Empress Dowager Gao held a special position in Zhao Shizhu's heart.

Su Ci approached Zhao Shizhu and said with a smile, "I am fine, am I not? From the moment you left Qixi by my side, you were worried that the Queen Mother would attack me, right? Now that I am unharmed, why should we be aggressive? She is your adoptive mother, and you have only been on the throne for a short time. If you attack the Queen Mother, the people of the world will think you are unfilial. I have an idea. From now on, you can stay away from Ci'an Palace, but you must have a doctor to check your pulse every day. At least you have to do it for the world to see. You, the new emperor, are still a filial son, but this is all you can do. This will be considered as helping me to avenge myself."

She was not pleading for Empress Dowager Gao, nor was she a magnanimous person, but she knew where Empress Dowager Gao's weak spot was.

Zhao Shizhu's neglect was enough to break down Empress Dowager Gao's psychological defenses. Besides, Nanny Ning, who was beside Empress Dowager Gao, had died, and the concubines in the harem were all people who changed their minds according to the wind. Seeing that Zhao Shizhu no longer went to Ci'an Palace, how could they not know that it was Empress Dowager Gao who angered Zhao Shizhu?
Such a heart-breaking punishment is far more effective than killing Queen Mother Gao directly.

Zhao Shizhu thought Su Ci's suggestion was good, but he still felt that Su Ci was wronged: "Isn't this unfair to you?"

She was almost killed for no reason, and this was while she was pregnant with the royal heir.

"Just listen to me, let's do this." Su Ci said with a smile, "I don't feel wronged at all."

Seeing that she didn't seem to be forcing a smile, Zhao Shizhu still followed her advice.

From that day on, Zhao Shizhu sent imperial doctors to Cihe Palace to check Empress Dowager Gao's pulse every day. There was never a shortage of food and clothing in Cihe Palace, but Zhao Shizhu never went to pay his respects to Empress Dowager Gao again.

Empress Dowager Gao was feeling depressed, and without Nanny Ning to keep her company and relieve her boredom, she was unable to sleep or eat, and her health was not good.

That day she got angry again and ordered someone to invite Zhao Shizhu.

She had raised the emperor as her own son over the years and placed all her hopes on him. Suddenly, the emperor ignored her, leaving her without spiritual support. She was naturally unable to bear it.

The servants knelt on the ground, but no one dared to accept the order. After Empress Dowager Gao got angry again, a maid stood up and volunteered to invite Zhao Shizhu.

The result can be imagined.

This nanny had been there for an hour and knelt for an hour, but she couldn't even see Zhao Shizhu, let alone invite him over?

So, Empress Dowager Gao fell ill again, and this time she was really ill for a long time, but Zhao Shizhu still did not go to Ci'an Palace to pay her respects. Even the rumor that Empress Dowager Gao was plotting to murder the royal heir spread quietly.

Only then did everyone understand why the new emperor did not want to see Empress Dowager Gao. It turned out that it was because Empress Dowager Gao was too vicious.

Under such circumstances, the new emperor still cared about the grace of raising his daughter, and sent imperial doctors and medicines to Ci'an Palace every day, which was the utmost he could do.

Empress Dowager Gao herself had also heard these rumors, and probably guessed that it was Su Ci who spread the accusation that she was plotting to murder the royal heir, otherwise it would not have been such a coincidence that it spread at this time.

As for the fact that the emperor never came to Ci'an Palace to visit her, it must have been Su Ci who whispered in the emperor's ear.

If it were in the past, she would have been so angry that her head would hurt. But now her health is really poor, and there is no one close to her to serve her.

Zhao Shizhu had ordered people to take care of her in these years, and she almost forgot that he was just her adopted son. Zhao Shizhu was able to do this, and did not punish him after she killed Su Ci. This was indeed a great kindness.

She had raised Zhao Shizhu for so many years, so how could she not know that he would take revenge? He also took Su Ci to heart and spoiled her.

Zhao Shizhu treated her coldly for some time, and since no one said anything bad about Su Ci in front of her, she suddenly realized that Zhao Shizhu had actually been tolerant of her all these years.

But she became even worse and regarded his beloved woman as a thorn in her side.

When Su Ci first entered Prince Duan's Mansion, she actually didn't dislike Su Ci that much. It was later when she saw Su Ci becoming more and more favored that she began to dislike Su Ci more and more.

Ultimately, it was because she was jealous of Su Ci.

She followed a powerful man, but she got nothing in her life. She was not loved by her husband, nor was she treated well by the sisters in the backyard. She didn't even have the chance to give birth to her own children.

Su Ci easily won the emperor's full love, which was a precious emotion she had longed for all her life. She was jealous that Su Ci had snatched all of Zhao Shizhu's attention away, so she drifted further and further away, unable to turn back.

That day, Su Ci was eating and drinking in Kunning Palace when he heard that Queen Gao had arrived.

Su Ci had heard that Empress Dowager Gao had been ill for almost two months and had only recently recovered.

Why did you run to Kunning Palace to find her as soon as you felt better?

When Si Xue heard that Queen Mother Gao had arrived, she immediately became nervous: "The Queen Mother is not going to harm the Queen again, is she?"

"Not really. I am pregnant with the royal heir now. If she dares to do that, she must be possessed by a demon."

Having said that, she was still on high alert, fearing that Empress Dowager Gao would have to get rid of her.

When Empress Dowager Gao came in, she saw that the servants in Kunning Palace were on high alert, probably because they were worried that she would harm Su Ci.

Su Ci also felt that the number of people serving her was too exaggerated, and she was afraid that Empress Dowager Gao didn't know that everyone was on guard against her.

She coughed lightly to remind everyone to be careful.

Everyone looked at Su Ci at the same time, only to realize that they had been too obvious.

Su Ci led the crowd forward and saluted Empress Dowager Gao.

"Okay, you are pregnant with the royal heir, so take good care of him and don't be so formal." Empress Dowager Gao found a seat and sat down.

Su Ci ordered someone to serve tea, and she asked for a glass of boiled water.

Just as she was wondering why the Queen Mother Gao came, the Queen Mother Gao broke the silence and said, "I was ill a few days ago and have only recently recovered. I have been in the palace for a long time and I feel bored. I suddenly miss the days in Liangzhou."

Su Ci glanced sideways upon hearing this, and his eyes met those of Empress Dowager Gao.

"The older you get, the more you like to reminisce about the past, and I am the same. I am thinking of returning to my residence in Liangzhou to live for a few days, and I will set off tomorrow." Empress Dowager Gao stated her purpose without further ado.

Su Ci didn't know what to say for a moment.

Whether from the barrage or from Zhao Shizhu's words, she knew that Empress Dowager Gao, her adoptive mother, treated Zhao Shizhu with kindness from the bottom of her heart and regarded him as her own son.

And Queen Mother Gao was the noble person who pulled Zhao Shizhu out of the quagmire...

"During the years since I adopted the emperor, he has been very hardworking and has never let me down. Perhaps because of this, I have become greedy. Even though he has married, I still want to control him, but he is no longer the helpless little prince. He has grown up and is very promising. Considering his experience, it is a blessing for him to meet you, but I have interfered in his affairs in the backyard more than once. He is unwilling to come to see me because my actions have disappointed him." After taking a sip of tea, Empress Dowager Gao continued, "After I return to Liangzhou, please help me take care of the emperor. He is a stubborn person and will not listen to anyone but you..."

Su Ci listened quietly and nodded silently: "I can save myself the trouble."

Empress Dowager Gao looked at Su Ci's plump appearance and knew that Su Ci was very good at taking care of herself: "Whether your baby is a princess or a prince, it is always the emperor's first child. Don't just focus on eating. Be careful that the baby is too big and it will be difficult to give birth."

Su Ci was depressed after hearing this: "My son is not that fat, right?"

Why does everyone tell her not to be so greedy?
Empress Dowager Gao was too lazy to talk to Su Ci anymore. She stood up and said, "Okay, I'm leaving now. You should take good care of your pregnancy."

Su Ci stood up and said, "Her Majesty, take care."

Empress Dowager Gao naturally heard the alienation in her tone.

She had intended to kill Su Ci, but Su Ci was a vengeful person, and only such a woman could stay in the harem for a long time. However, the emperor only had Su Ci as a woman, so naturally no one would dare to deal with Su Ci again.

Empress Dowager Gao said nothing more and walked away without looking back.

Sixue and Sanmei both found it incredible. Sixue whispered, "The Queen Mother, who loves power so much, is really going back to Liangzhou? Is the Queen Mother willing to give up the wealth of the harem?"

Su Ci curled his lips slightly: "What's so good about the palace? If it were me, I would also like to go back to Liangzhou to have some fun."

Once Empress Dowager Gao left, there was really no one left in the harem.

Empress Dowager Gao's return to Liangzhou was a big deal, so she specially sent someone to tell Zhao Shizhu about it.

After Zhao Shizhu learned the news, he sat for a long time before going to Ci'an Palace.

Empress Dowager Gao was waiting in the main hall. Seeing Zhao Shizhu coming, she smiled and said, "The emperor is still the same as when he was little. He is obviously heartless, but sometimes he is particularly affectionate."

Zhao Shizhu felt uncomfortable.

He was born a lonely man. He was abandoned by his biological father when he was young and his biological mother was nowhere to be found. Although he was a prince, he lived a life worse than a dog.

The appearance of Empress Dowager Gao finally allowed him to live like a human being with human dignity. He once told himself that no matter what happened, he would be filial to Empress Dowager Gao.

He hesitated for a long time, but finally did not move his biological mother's grave into the imperial mausoleum. He knew that his mother must not like all the dirty things in the harem, so why should he let her return to this place?

Another reason was to take into account the feelings of Empress Dowager Gao.

"It was my son who failed to reconcile the conflict between mother and A-Ci." Zhao Shizhu said in a hoarse voice.

"It's my own greed that has nothing to do with you. The reason I returned to Liangzhou is to give you two a peaceful life, otherwise I might make a comeback here."

The two chapters are combined together.