After Rebirth, She Becomes the Revenge Queen-Chapter 539 - 354: Familiar Handwriting_2

Chapter 539: Chapter 354: Familiar Handwriting_2
Moreover, Yang Yi has not lived well all these years, and if not recognizing his parents is indeed his inner plea, then revealing his whereabouts would only be a harm to him, wouldn’t it?
The Empress paused, then instantly said, "Then why do you choose to break your promise? Why did you decide to tell me?"
"Your Majesty," Fu Zhen lifted her head, "I only want to put your mind at ease. Back then, my life hung by a thread; my mother almost lost me. I know the feeling of a mother facing the loss of her child! At the very least, I want you to know whether he is alive or dead.
"In fact, even if I don’t tell, you will eventually find Li Yi, right? You will eventually learn that the one you are waiting for is still alive."
The Empress bent her body, gazed at her for a while, and then withdrew.
The grand hall fell silent again, but the Empress’s tears could no longer be hidden, flowing down silently, and the cries of a mother could no longer be concealed.
Fu Zhen stepped forward and kneeled at her knees: "As long as the green hills remain, there won’t be a shortage of firewood. I ask Your Majesty to take care of your health."
Fu Zhen’s move today was also a gamble with herself. From the information obtained earlier from Mrs. Feng, Yang Yi’s disappearance years ago and his absence all these years were mostly due to the Emperor.
If what Yang Yi minded was some action by the Emperor back then, then it would be a pity for the once deeply affectionate mother and son to never meet because of it, wouldn’t it?
Of course, this is a family matter, and outsiders should not interfere easily.
However, the Emperor’s family affairs are national affairs. Yang Yi is of imperial blood, and legally, he should not be left outside; it poses a hidden threat to the succession to the throne.
Meanwhile, Yang Yi, though unwilling to recognize his parents, still cares for the people. He is driven by a sense of righteousness. Whether he is willing to return to the Imperial Family or not, based on his years spent beyond the border and his friendship with the King of Dongzi, he can bring considerable benefits to pacifying the Northwest turmoil.
Thus, if this knot is to be untied, it relies solely on the Empress.
"A good saying, ’As long as the green hills remain, there won’t be a shortage of firewood’, but I’ve been waiting for over twenty years. This mountain of mine can’t stay green for long." The Empress stopped crying, yet tears still flowed silently, "What did he tell you all?"
Fu Zhen remained silent.
The Empress laughed bitterly, "I know, he’s been determined since he was young. Just being able to show himself before you is already remarkable.
"You did the right thing; I don’t blame you. Please rise."
Fu Zhen also felt deeply distressed in her heart. She sat down on the footrest beside her, "The Prince has endured much suffering all these years. After leaving Huzhou, somehow he ended up in Dayue, where he was imprisoned by King Duan Ruo of Dayue for five years. It was Jin Xu, who was then the Prince of Dongzi, who saved him, and later, they developed a friendship."
"Then he—"
"Your Majesty," Fu Zhen held her withered hand, "He only told me this much, concerning what actually happened, the Prince did not utter a single word.
"Disclosing this to you is to make you aware of this letter’s origin. Ming Zhi has already gone to Qianqing Palace to military intelligence to the Emperor, but due to insufficient evidence, he cannot explain the details to the Emperor and the Ministry of War officials, so we could only first gain your understanding."
The Empress’s tears flowed incessantly, and her hands, clenched into fists, pressed tightly against her chest. She inhaled deeply, then spoke with effort: "A prisoner... He is the eldest son of my Great Zhou. If not for that accident, he would have achieved great accomplishments long ago and become the highly respected Crown Prince of our Great Zhou, yet he became a prisoner under the Duan Family!"
"Duan Ruo is like this due to his ambition to dominate the Central Plains. Even after his death, he left a hidden trouble. Xu Yin and that Lian Rong by his side currently seem to be part of his conspiracy. Considering how many of our Great Zhou soldiers sacrificed on the Northwest Battlefield, if the evil roots of Dayue are not eradicated, how could the heroic spirits of our Great Zhou soldiers rest in peace?"
The Empress flipped her hand to grab her arm: "Girl, tell me, what does he look like now? I won’t force him to enter the palace; I can pretend not to know he is still living. I only want to know what these twenty-some years away from my side have been like for him."
Fu Zhen pursed her lips, her gaze shifting to the paper and brush on the nearby table. She stood up, walked over, dipped the brush in ink, and without hesitation began to draw.
The Empress walked over at the sight, her eyes glued to every stroke of the brush. With each stroke Fu Zhen completed, the Empress shed a line of tears.
By the time the portrait was finished, the Empress was trembling all over. She moved to the front and carefully scrutinized the portrait, her eyes filled with heart-wrenching pain.