The three members of the Pei family, both young and old, were waiting outside the courtyard for the Empress.
The Empress looked at them, took a deep breath, and said, "Zhen Er persuaded me to come here, was it because of King Yan?"
Fu Zhen looked down at the ground, then said with shame, "The matter concerns His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness King Yan. I did not dare to act rashly and could only take this last resort."
Pei Yu and his wife also spoke kindly, "Zhen Er is young and ignorant, we beg Your Majesty to forgive her."
The Empress sighed, "I do not blame her." After speaking, she looked at Fu Zhen, "Since you know most about this matter, you shall come back to the palace with me now."
Pei Yu was puzzled, "It is already late, does Your Majesty have an order to give? Why not stay and have an evening meal, since it’s a reunion with His Highness, it would only be right to spend more time together."
The Empress said, "Do not be verbose. I will take this girl to the palace with me, and not a hair on her head will be harmed."
Pei Yu quickly acknowledged respectfully.
The Empress continued, "Yi Er is willing to stay at Wanbin Building, which is good. I cannot leave too many people here with him, so you should first send someone for his safety. I have already given some instructions, and he temporarily will not leave the capital, promising to look for a residence tomorrow. You two need not worry about this, just assist him in settling it.
"I know that although he promised to stay for now, the future is uncertain. It’s merely an effort to retain him.
"Zhen Er knows well about his past, please follow his wishes and do not reveal him without his consent, nor mention him to the Emperor. As long as he remains safe and sound, I will be at ease."
Pei Yu and his wife, along with Fu Zhen, all knelt to receive the orders.
The Empress let out a long breath, turned around, and looked at Yang Yi standing silently in the tranquil entrance hall, then left with tears in her eyes.
The Empress traveled by carriage. After Fu Zhen got into the carriage with her, she was silent for a moment, then turned to instruct a middle-aged guard outside the carriage, "Xiao Yun, do you remember He Zhao and Chen Song?"
Xiao Yun nodded, "I remember."
The Empress said, "He Zhao is right here. You stay, find him, and then stay with him to work."
Xiao Yun’s composed face showed shock. He stared at her for a moment, received her hand signal of "Go ahead," and quickly entered the Pei Mansion to receive the order.
Fu Zhen watched all this, then withdrew her gaze, "Congratulations to Your Majesty for fulfilling your long-cherished wish, reuniting with His Highness, relieving your worries, henceforth all matters shall be smooth."
The Empress took a deep breath, did not reply, but her serene expression clearly endorsed the sentiment.
Fu Zhen added, "This Commander Xiao is Your Majesty’s top capable aide, truly Your Majesty put in much thought."
She did not know why the Empress was taking her to the palace so late at night, and she dared not ask, so she just exchanged a few words to ease the tension.
The Empress lowered the carriage curtain, the dim light of the Luminous Pearl softly illuminated her eyes, "Aren’t your words intentionally making me feel ashamed?
"If he had followed the army into the capital, even if he weren’t the Crown Prince, he would have achieved great success and glory.
"That incident left me no choice but to let him hide among the people for over twenty years, losing valuable time. To avoid raising suspicion, I can only leave Xiao Yun to protect him on my behalf. What kind of thoughtfulness is this?"
Fu Zhen could not bear to see her blame herself, and was about to comfort her a bit more, but seeing her sitting upright, reminiscent of her vigorous state from years ago, she knew the Empress had truly seen her son, and her vitality had returned. Hence, even if there’s self-blame, it was of no matter. Besides, anyone who heard Yang Yi’s story would feel sympathy for him, how could a mother not feel guilty?
So she remained silent.
After the carriage journeyed some distance, she suddenly looked at the Empress again.
The Empress was lost in thought, but looked as though she had recovered from the emotional pain of seeing Yang Yi, her expression was solemn.
"If you want to say something, say it. After you speak, I have something to say as well." The Empress did not look at her but had sensed her demeanor and gently lowered her gaze, resting her left elbow lightly on the kang table beside her.
Fu Zhen said, "There is indeed something I’d like Your Majesty’s guidance on, His Highness called my mother his elder sister that day, so I called His Highness an uncle. However, I later heard that His Highness addressed my father-in-law as ’uncle’, and my father-in-law did consider themselves peers with Prince Rong before. This way, His Highness indeed is of the same generation as Ming Zhi, making the relationships rather complex. How should I properly address His Highness in the future?"
The Empress contemplated and said, "If he is willing to enter the palace as a Prince, then there would be no problem with discussing his generation with you all."