“Because the Empress isn’t my birth mother?” Chu Zhaoyou scratched his head.

“Ah, you shouldn’t say such things.” Eunuch Xue became even more cautious.

Chu Zhaoyou wanted to ask more, but Eunuch Xue looked anxious and said, “Your Majesty has a close bond with the Empress. It’s best not to inquire about Lady Zhao. She wasn’t good to you or the Empress.”

This was a rather disrespectful thing to say.

Chu Zhaoyou could tell that Eunuch Xue was genuinely anxious, seemingly trying to protect Lady Zhao. He seemed to have grasped something and decisively said, “The bond between the Empress and me has long been diminished. I have gained insights from my recent outing. Eunuch Xue, if there are hidden truths, feel free to share. If it’s inappropriate, I will forget it tonight.”

Eunuch Xue hesitated for a moment, glanced at Chu Zhaoyou, and noticed that His Majesty, at some point, had stopped cowering in fear and dared to question the Empress’s authority, with bright eyes and a straight posture.

The two happened to be walking in the spacious front courtyard, and it was clear that there was no place to hide, making it suitable for a private conversation.

Feeling tired, Chu Zhaoyou squatted down to rest for a while. Eunuch Xue joined him, and they huddled together outside the hall, leaning in to listen to the story.

“His Majesty was originally raised by his birth mother, but Lady Rong, who was a low-ranking palace maid in the Imperial Study, had little fortune and low status. Her Majesty passed away shortly after her first month. As the Empress had no sons, she took His Majesty under her care,” Eunuch Xue said, pausing for a moment.

Chu Zhaoyou’s mind raced, speculating that Empress Wei might have been involved in the death of his birth mother, or used improper means to take the original owner under her care.

Isn’t this just palace intrigue?

“Lady Zhao is Lady Rong’s sister and occasionally visited His Majesty secretly. As His Majesty grew closer to the Empress, Lady Zhao and His Majesty had some differences in opinion. When His Majesty turned ten and was about to leave the palace, Lady Zhao married and left the palace, never to be heard from again,” Eunuch Xue continued.

Chu Zhaoyou suddenly realized that the Empress wasn’t his birth mother, and the person he was close to might be  his mother’s murderer. The estrangement from his biological mother and aunt, Lady Zhao, was likely due to the Empress’s influence. Lady Zhao probably couldn’t understand why the young Emperor was distant from her, and since she couldn’t challenge the Empress, she chose to leave the palace and cut ties with her nephew.

Eunuch Xue stopped there.

Chu Zhaoyou had no choice but to ask straightforwardly, “Where is my aunt, and who is my uncle?”

Just now, it was said that it wasn’t appropriate to ask too much, but it was clear that Eunuch Xue knew Lady Zhao’s whereabouts.

Chu Zhaoyou had to recount the incident of encountering the person with black boots who had tried to harm him outside the palace.

Eunuch Xue was shocked. At this point, he understood His Majesty’s intentions.

“Lady Zhao married a small soldier from Youzhou, Zhao Cheng, who is now the renowned Governor of Liangzhou, in charge of the military affairs in Liangzhou!” he exclaimed.

Chu Zhaoyou was astonished. His aunt had a keen eye for men. How did he not inherit that trait?

In the past, when Empress Wei was domineering in the palace, none of the concubines bore a royal heir. After Lady Rong unexpectedly became pregnant, she felt that her position was precarious and, to prevent her sister from being implicated, she distanced herself from her sister.

Eunuch Xue had accidentally learned about their relationship. He had kept it from Empress Wei, allowing the young Emperor and Lady Zhao to meet.

Eunuch Xue had watched Zhao Cheng rise to power, but he dared not reveal any hint of it. He feared that if the Empress or the Regent Prince found out, they might inadvertently expose themselves. If the Empress learned, she would surely send someone to kill the couple, and the Regent Prince would suppress the military affairs of Liangzhou.

Upon returning to the sleeping quarters, Chu Zhaoyou, under the pretext of practicing calligraphy, wrote a letter to Lady Zhao.

However, he didn’t know what Lady Zhao’s thoughts were after all these years. Empress Wei had been so cunning, and no one knew of the young Emperor’s hardships and pain. Both the original owner and the Empress had always appeared to be affectionate and filial in public.

Under the premise of Zhao Cheng’s loyalty to the Regent Prince, would Lady Zhao still recognize him as her nephew? Would she be willing to protect him regardless of past grievances and get involved in the court’s disputes?

Lu Huai had suggested that he could find Lady Zhao. Did this mean that, for the past nineteen years, Lady Zhao had never given up on seeking revenge for her sister?

It was too difficult.

After much contemplation, Chu Zhaoyou wrote just two words on the yellowed paper.

The rest was left to fate.

The original owner had already caused harm to Lady Zhao. Whether it was due to Empress Wei’s cunning or not, he would bear the consequences of his mistakes. Hardship in life was not a bargaining chip.

He collapsed onto the dragon bed, barely moving, and fell into a deep sleep.

If he slept during court, his neck would be wrung. Why was the Regent Prince more severe than a headmaster?

Chu Zhaoyou slept nervously, and the next day, he overslept.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the Regent Prince is waiting outside,” Eunuch Xue said, wishing he could just shovel Chu Zhaoyou out of bed.

Eunuch Xue was anxious. Why did the Regent Prince suddenly want to accompany His Majesty to court? Did something happen on the way?

Xiao Heng patiently waited and then walked in, looking as composed as if he were entering his own room.

He immediately lifted Chu Zhaoyou’s blanket with one hand. “Get him changed into his court attire right away.”

The air suddenly chilled, and Chu Zhaoyou, upon opening his eyes, saw a familiar black fabric. Rubbing his eyes, he grumbled, “Xiao Hei, you’re being unreasonable—mmph!”

Xiao Heng’s attire was mostly black. He lowered his gaze to his own robe and, with a stern expression, grasped Chu Zhaoyou’s chin. “Who are you calling?”

Who gave this young puppet the audacity to insult him and give him a nickname at the same time?

Had he not mentioned usurping the throne for too long?