novelaction Chapter 1030 The Li family goes first
Chapter 1030 The Li family goes first
There are no real secrets in the capital, especially since the Li and Zhang families are related. Zhuzhu didn't deliberately hide her whereabouts. When Zhang Ping'an learned of the Li family's decision, he was first taken aback, but then he understood.
He instructed the steward: "Zhuzhu is my niece. I watched her grow up since she was a child. It's not necessarily a bad thing for her to take her child away from the troublesome capital. Besides, Li Yue is a capable and decisive man who can protect her and her child. Have someone take some things that might be useful on the road to the Li residence. It's just a token of my appreciation. As for the rest, I'm sure the Li family has already made all the necessary arrangements."
After saying that, she couldn't help but sigh softly, "Alas, who knows when we'll meet again after this parting."
Xiao Yu'er was still young and didn't feel much sadness about the separation. Instead, he admired and was wary of the Li family's vigilance.
"I didn't expect them to move so quickly. It seems they're targeting the northwest. Fortunately, their objectives don't align with ours, otherwise, a conflict would be quite difficult to handle."
"Yes, thankfully there's no conflict. This is one of Li Chong's cleverness. But this is only temporary. Who knows, one day in the future our two families might clash."
"If that day ever comes, we'll all have to rely on our own abilities!" Little Fish said matter-of-factly and with certainty.
"I hope that day never comes," Zhang Ping'an said calmly, then added, "News has come from the palace that Zheng Ping has met with His Majesty in private. When he came out, His Majesty seemed to be in a good mood, so our result should be acceptable. Tell Li Shi to take good care of the two children and not to let Heng'er go to the clan school again recently. Once the transfer order is issued, we will set off immediately."
"Understood!" Little Fish nodded.
While the father and son waited in secret, Zhuzhu, along with her children and bodyguards, set off for Guazhou on a bright summer morning.
This time, she left very discreetly. Apart from Zhuzhu personally bringing her eldest son, who was already quite sensible, to visit Zhang Lao Er and Xu Shi before she left, she basically did not deliberately reveal the news to other families.
Zhang Lao Er and Xu Shi were unaware of the situation. When they learned that their granddaughter was going to visit their eldest daughter and son-in-law, they were actually happy for them.
She held the pig's hand and talked for a while, then took out a lot of snacks from a small box in her room for the child to eat. Her face was smiling kindly and benevolently, and the dark brown age spots on her face and hands were clearly visible in the sun.
Zhuzhu knew that this parting might mean she wouldn't be able to pay her respects when the two elderly people passed away. She couldn't help but sob as she finished speaking: "Grandpa and Grandma, please take good care of yourselves. I won't be able to visit you often anymore."
As Mrs. Xu grew older, her heart softened considerably. In her youth, she had been rather fiery and strong-willed, but as she aged, she became more tolerant of her grandchildren, especially her beloved granddaughter.
"Alright, stop crying. You're going to visit your parents. You haven't seen them for so many years. It's only right and proper. It's a good thing you can go. Besides, you'll have guards with you and servants to take care of you. You don't need to worry about anything. If you don't take advantage of your youth and go see them now, you won't be able to get away when your children are older."
As for your maternal grandfather and me, we know our own lives well. We're already very content to have lived this long, so don't worry about us. Your uncle and cousins are here for you. Go in peace, and let us know you've arrived safely!
"Yes, I'll write to my uncle when I get there," Zhuzhu replied, wiping away her tears.
Not long after Zhuzhu left with the children, the long-debated matter of choosing an empress was finally settled and announced to the world. As expected, the position of empress ultimately fell to Cui Rong.
Although some dissenting voices still emerged, the matter was settled thanks to Cui Ling's intervention and Zhou Pu's strong support.
The ceremony for the enthronement of the empress was scheduled for a month and a half later.
As soon as the official document was issued, people flocked to the Cui residence to offer their congratulations.
The saying "When one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven" probably describes this situation.
However, Cui Ling is not the kind of person who suddenly becomes rich. He has climbed to where he is today step by step, and he has put in a lot of effort and hard work. Only he knows how many times he almost lost his life and how many things he did against his conscience.
Although his daughter is about to become the new empress and the mother of the nation, he is very clear that he must not hold her back at this time. Therefore, he not only closed his doors to visitors under the pretext of poor health, but also acted more discreetly than before, ordering his subordinates to strictly prohibit disturbing the people and causing trouble, and to never let anyone off lightly if they were found to be disturbing the people.
As time went on, Zhang Ping'an's desire to be transferred to another region to serve as a military governor was no longer a secret within the Privy Council, causing a stir among its members.
With the boss leaving, logically, everyone should try to move up to a higher position. No one would be unenthusiastic about getting a promotion.
This commotion quickly reached Zhou Pu's ears through the efforts of those with ulterior motives, indirectly forcing him to finalize the transfer as soon as possible. Instability among the people in such an important institution as the Privy Council was a major taboo.
Little did people know that the reason things had dragged on until today was not because Zhou Pu didn't want to make a decision, but because he was really hesitant and didn't know where to place the Zhang family in the end.
Hesitation led to repeated delays.
Before the matter of choosing an empress was settled, Cui Rong had already taken the initiative to reconcile with Zhou Pu, and she had also seen Zhou Pu's struggles during this period.
Her original intention was to subtly influence the Zhang family to move to some remote, desolate place in Lingnan, the southeast corner, or even the northwest corner. However, she was stopped by Zhou Pu with a headache as soon as she mentioned it.
"My beloved consort, what I value most about you is your understanding, your sense of propriety, and your ability to know when to advance and retreat. No matter how beautiful a woman is, she becomes repulsive once she gets involved with power."
Upon hearing this, Cui Rong composed herself and then smiled sweetly, "Your Majesty, I understand. I misspoke just now. May I light your cigarette for you now?"
Zhou Pu gave a somewhat weary "hmm" and casually waved his hand: "I really have a headache right now, and I feel terrible all over. Light it up!"
Before long, Zhou Pu was immersed in the ethereal smoke, feeling completely relaxed.
Seeing his expression, Cui Rong secretly reminded herself not to rush things; time is the best weapon, and there's plenty of time.
Without any legitimate reason, it is indeed unreasonable and unacceptable to transfer the Zhang family to such a remote place. After all, they are veterans of two dynasties and founding heroes, and their seniority is undeniable.