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  When Ming Xuan arrived at Baiyun An, the sky suddenly darkened and a drizzle of rain started to fall.

  Yuan Hui heard the noise and came out to check, seeing it was Ming Xuan, she quickly handed over the large umbrella that had been covering her from the rain to welcome her in. Her face however, was filled with a sighing expression, repeatedly saying "Shifu had said these past few days that you would come, I didn't believe it, your body is almost seven months pregnant now, this mountain road is bumpy, staying at the Wang Fu to nourish the fetus would be much better. Who would have thought that you actually came, indeed Shifu's predictions are like a god."

  Ming Xuan was about to follow Yuan Hui into the inner courtyard when she turned her head and saw Yan Niangniang and Dan Hongdang standing still at the door. The coachman, Zhang Rong, was staring at him with a dull expression on his face. Ming Xuan smiled lightly and said, "Niangniang and Dan Hong, please come in with me. This is an extraordinary time, and I had no choice but to bring you two in. Shifu will be understanding and won't mind. However, the nunnery has its own rules, and the two of you must follow me in wearing mourning clothes and eating vegetarian meals."

  She turned her head and said to Zhang Rong, "Stop the carriage at the west gate. I remember that there is a vacant low house near the west gate. Later, I will ask Shifu to rest there. It's close to the nunnery and can protect us, but we don't have to enter from the courtyard."

  Yu Zhen Shitai is strict and stern, except for Pei Jingchen, no strangers, let alone men, are allowed to enter Baiyun An, not even ordinary women.

  Yuan Hui listened and said, "The Abbess has instructed that if there are still male guests, they should go to the small house at the west side door to stay, and Xia Shami Ni has already cleaned it up."

  Ming Xuan's eyes flickered slightly, thinking that although Shifu was far away in the secular world, she couldn't be deceived by these things in the red dust. What he and Pei Jingxun could think of, Shifu had already figured out long ago, and even thought more deeply and saw further than they did. This was a political sensitivity that must be possessed when living in the imperial palace, or perhaps, it was also because Shifu had a deep-seated sorrow...

  Actually, when she learned that the master was willing to shelter the child born in the underground palace after all, she knew that the master's vegetarian Buddhist practice for most of her life was just a self-protection out of helplessness.

  The Shifu's generation is too high, and her prestige is too great. If she doesn't force herself to leave the power center of the Zhou Dynasty's imperial court, these emperors sitting in the Golden Hall will probably not be at ease. However, this child born in the underground palace gave her a different hope. She lent him a helping hand when his life was in danger, saving him, protecting him, and nurturing him. He would inevitably trust her, rely on her, and lean on her. And he is only three years old now. By the time he has thoughts of consideration for her in ten or so years, she may have already passed away.

  What's there to be ashamed of?

  A woman born in the imperial palace, cradled in the palm of her hand. She once had the deepest favor of the emperor father, and tasted the sweetness of the peak of power. If not for self-protection, why would she be willing to spend her good youth in a temple, wearing simple clothes and eating vegetarian food? Even if she has been outside the red dust for decades, she is still unwilling.

  Yu Zhen's mood can actually be understood by Ming Xuan, and she also thinks that under the current circumstances, the child can get Yu Zhen's protection, which is also a great fortune.

  That child's birth mother, Yuè Hé, was just a low-ranking maid serving by the side of the first wife. Her social status is too low and her vision is limited. If he has the opportunity to acknowledge his ancestors in the future, she will not have the ability to protect him or teach him properly, and she won't even be able to keep him. Yuè Hé came from the Yǒng Níng Hóu Fǔ (Duke of Yongning's Manor), so it is likely that her parents or brothers are still serving there. Therefore, this child will most likely be registered under the name of Guì Fēi (Noble Consort Gui) and become her son in the future. At that time, the one who will use the emperor to control the vassals will be Yǒng Níng Hóu (Duke of Yongning), Guī Zhǎng Qǐ (Gui Zhangqi).

  If he were raised by Imperial Noble Consort Shu, then it would be a different story. As the eldest princess of the Zhou imperial family, she has prestige and is respected by her clan, and she also has unique and sensitive insights into politics. With her guidance and protection, this child would have a place in the palace, strong enough to rival the sons of Empress Yu. If they were to compete, he would have a great advantage.

  If that child ascends to the throne, although he is young, within the imperial family, they will necessarily maintain him to the utmost. Shifu's years are already advanced, she won't dominate for too long, until he grows up and can unfold his great ambitions, Shifu will be approaching old age. She has never married, nor had children, naturally she wouldn't harbor any improper private thoughts, in the future when he takes personal control of government, he will be able to obtain a complete and peaceful Great Zhou.

  It is obvious that the royal family and officials of the Zhou Dynasty would rather support the son of Yuè Huì Fēi than the eldest prince. Behind Yuè Huì Fēi was the entire Dingguo Gong Fu, if the eldest prince ascended to the throne, it would inevitably lead to the reuse of the Yuè family, everyone in their hearts coveted power and did not want to be a stepping stone for others, only when the emperor without external relatives came to power would they have more opportunities to gain the power they desired.

  Of course, the premise of all these ideas is that Lin Nan Wang will win surprisingly and occupy Zhou Gong with a swift and decisive momentum. Later, Pei Jing Chen's northern army and Han Xiu's rescue troops from Anzhou can return to Beijing in time to destroy the rebellious traitor Lin Nan Wang. Although this seems a bit too idealistic, according to the current situation, the probability of achieving it is about 70-80%. From Lin Nan Wang's announcement of rebellion, the silence of Dongping King, Yingguo King, Qingping King and other marquises can be seen.

  The only exceptions were Cheng'en Marquis Manor and Dingguo Duke Manor.

  Everyone has their own private thoughts, and Ming Xuan admits that she also has her own private thoughts.

  Zhou is the emperor, heaven and earth are his relatives and teachers, looking up to heaven and earth, the emperor is placed at the top of human relationships, even if she has a lot of dissatisfaction with him in her heart, under the pressure of etiquette and law, she cannot have any disrespectful behavior towards the emperor, except for obedience, still obedience.

  Ming Xuan acknowledges that she is not a "fierce woman" who can recklessly attack the emperor, and even if she could, she would not do so to avenge her deceased parents and sister. She understands that killing the emperor is no small matter, and the price to be paid is the destruction of "nine clans". Now that she has a family, a husband, and a child on the way in September, she will not jeopardize her current happiness for past hatred, nor would she put Tie Xin and his loyal servants in harm's way.

  So, if revenge can be taken in such a way, it is not necessarily the best outcome.

  Ming Xuan followed Yuan Hui into the master's Zen temple, and before they entered the door, they heard a burst of children's crying. Immediately after, it was Master's soft voice comforting them. Through the sound of the rain, she couldn't hear clearly what Master was saying, but soon after, she heard the child's sobbing turn to laughter. Upon entering the house, she saw Master embracing a thin boy with a kind face, speaking softly to him. The tear stains were still on the child's eyes, but his face was radiant with a bright smile.

  She felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

  The mistress is about the same age as her own grandmother, but while her grandmother has children and grandchildren around her knees, the mistress is a solitary figure. She has renounced worldly desires and cut off all emotional attachments, yet surely she must have once yearned for the warmth of family life? Looking at her gentle expression now, with its hint of happiness and contentment, it seems that she truly cares for this child.

  The child who grew up in the underground palace, has been living in darkness since birth. He was only three years old when Moon Lotus secretly raised him, and it was already extremely difficult to escape people's attention, let alone have time to play with him. Now that Shifu is willing to treat him this way, be genuinely good to him, he naturally wants to get close to her and trust her.

  The mistress lifted her head, smiled and beckoned to Ming Xuan, then lowered her head and said to the child, "Daye, that's your aunt."

  As for their age difference, this child called You Er is about the same age as Pei Jing Chen, so Shifu made him address Ming Xuan as "Sister".

  The child looked at Ming Huan with a timid expression, and after a long time suddenly shook his head firmly and said in a low voice, "Not sister, but mother, the mother in the painting."

  Ming Xuan was slightly stunned, she didn't know what Yang Ye was saying. His mother wasn't Yue He? She and Yue He didn't look alike at all, so why did he think she looked like his mother? And what about the portrait of his mother? The naive words of a three-year-old child left her momentarily bewildered, unsure of how to respond.

  Shifu sighed and said, "Daye's mother was indeed her sister Yuan Fei, Yuehe is a sensible person..."

  She didn't say much more, but Ming Xuan understood what she meant by those words.

  Yuè Hé is the personal maid of Yuán Fēi, and any children she bears will be recorded under Yuán Fēi's name. She is very sensible and intelligent, knowing her humble origins and lack of backing, so from the moment the child was born, she pointed to the portrait of Yuán Fēi in Yǒng Hé Palace and had Ròu ér call her "mother", while she herself willingly took on the role of a slave to care for him.

  After a long time, the young master only recognized the person in the painting as his mother. Ming Xuan and Ming Rong were biological sisters with 70-80% similar appearance, so he thought Ming Xuan was the person in the painting.

  Ming Xuan's heart ached as she thought of the child in Yuanyi's womb. If Yuanyi hadn't died, that child would be even older than Ye Er now.

  It was clear that he wanted to fulfill his promise to Pei Xiang, but did not want the world to accuse him of abandoning his wife and being unfaithful. So he thought of this way to cover up his mistakes and maintain his reputation as a wise emperor. However, the consequences would be borne by the three houses of the Gu family. Although it can be said that someone deliberately stirred up trouble, in the end, the emperor cannot shirk his responsibility. If he were a responsible man, Yuan Fei and her unborn child would not have died...

  Thinking of this, the thoughts that had been flashing in his mind before became more and more determined.

  The mistress spoke in a soft voice to Xiao Er, "The one in the painting is your mother. This lady is your aunt. They look alike but are not the same person. You're the smartest, you won't get it wrong, will you?"

  Dayou looked at Ming Xuan carefully for a long time, and finally nodded and said, "This is my sister-in-law, not my mother. My mother has a mole at the corner of her eye, but my sister-in-law doesn't. I've taken a good look, so I won't make the mistake again in the future."

  He hesitated for a moment, then suddenly stepped forward and grasped Ming Xuan's collar, looking up at her with a whisper, "Sister-in-law... can I touch your face? I've never seen my mother before, you look just like her, I want to know what my mother's face feels like..."

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