Chapter 14 — The Sister Who Stealed the Merit to Save People, I Smiled and Conceded Even to the Crown Prince

One year later, Jiangnan is in the rainy season again. Early in the morning, steam covered the green tiled roof, each willow branch on the riverbank drooped down, soft like a watercolor painting that had not yet dried. I sat by the window, listening to the sound of rain falling on the porch, feeling so peaceful in my heart that sometimes it seemed like the events in the capital were a far away dream. After returning to Giang Nam, Ly Thanh Du and I lived in a small house by the river. There are no towering walls. There were no courtiers coming and going. There were also no calculating eyes hidden under a layer of respect. Every morning he reads books in the study, I handle the Co family's books, and sometimes we go to the wharf to buy fresh fish. On a nice day, he will take us for a walk through the old streets. On rainy days, we sit on the porch, make a pot of tea, and listen to the rain fall until the afternoon. I thought my life had been pushed into cold water a long time ago. I didn't expect that after the resurrection, God would give me such a peaceful period of years. The child was born on a light rainy night. Is the eldest son. When the first cry rang out, Ly Thanh Du stood outside the delivery room, barely able to stand. The midwife later told me that his face was whiter than mine, his hands were clenched so tightly that his nails were almost dug into his palms. It was midnight when I woke up. The lights in the room are very warm. The baby was lying next to me, small and soft, his eyes not yet fully open. Ly Thanh Du sat next to the bed. Seeing me awake, he immediately bent down and grabbed my hand.

“Lang Suong.”

Just call my name once. His voice was hoarse. I looked at his appearance and couldn't help but laugh.

“What's wrong with you?”

He bowed his head. Place your forehead on the back of my hand. A man who had calmly walked through wind and rain, who had come alone from Jiangnan to the capital, who had stood before the Queen and the entire court without chaos, yet now he said he was afraid. My eye sockets suddenly became hot. I gently squeezed his hand.

“I'm okay.”

“The child is okay.”

Ly Thanh Du was silent for a long time, then finally replied softly:

“From now on, I will protect you and your mother.”

The child was named Ly Truong An. Don't expect it to be powerful. I just hope he has a peaceful life. I thought days like this would continue for a long time. But when Truong An was full month old, people from the palace came. The leader is Thanh Vu. She still wore the same dark blue dress as before, her cold aura remained the same, but her eyes when looking at me were much softer. I hugged Truong An and stood in the yard. Suddenly there was a premonition in my heart. Thanh Vu performed the ceremony.

“Your Majesty.”

“Your Majesty has instructions.”

I stopped. After the imperial situation stabilized, the Queen followed the wishes of the people and officials and was crowned Queen. She is not a person who likes to hesitate. Once she sat in that position, she immediately used strong means to reorganize the court situation, causing Dai Chu to return to peace in a short time. I still call her Queen in my heart. But people now call her Your Majesty. Thanh Vu pointed out the saint. The content is not long. The female emperor wanted to welcome Truong An back to the capital. Personally raised. The future will be Dai Chu's successor. When I heard the end of the decree, my hand unconsciously hugged the child tightly in my heart. Truong An is still so young. It's only a month old. Even the crying was still weak. As a mother, how can I bear to let him leave me? Thanh Vu looked at me. No pressure. Just say softly:

“Your Majesty said, if the Princess cannot bear it, it is possible wait a few more months.”

“But the capital needs a legitimate successor.”

“This child was born in Jiangnan, but his bloodline belongs to the royal family of Dai Zhou.”

I said nothing. After Thanh Vu left, I hugged Truong An and sat on the porch for a long time. Ly Thanh Du sat next to me. Not in a hurry to advise. The rain outside the yard fell drop by drop. Fall on banana leaves. Fall into a small lake. Fall into my heart. After a while, I quietly asked:

“How dare you?”

Ly Thanh Du looked at the child in my arms. His eyes were full of gentleness.

“I can't bear it.”

I turned my head to look at him. He raised his hand to gently adjust the small blanket that wrapped Truong An.

“But Lang Suong, perhaps the mother is right.”

“Every person is born with their own path.”

"We can't decide everything for him because we don't want to."

I lowered my head to look at Truong An's small face. Heart aching.

“But it's too young.”

Ly Thanh Du hugged my shoulders.

“Then let's take it back to the capital.”

“When he gets a little older, if he wants to stay in the capital, we will respect him.”

“If he wants to return to Jiangnan, we will take him back.”

I leaned on his shoulder. After a long time, he nodded. I spent my whole life learning how to escape other people's arrangements. Therefore, we should not use love to bind our children. Three months later, we brought Truong An back to the capital. The female emperor held the child in her arms, her eyes were rarely so soft.

“This child will not become a monarch who only enjoys power.”

“I will teach him to love the people, to keep the religion, and to know that power is not to oppress people, but to protect the weak.”

Hearing that sentence, I finally let go of the unwilling part in my heart. After staying in the capital for a while, Ly Thanh Du and I returned to Giang Nam. The day he left the capital, Truong An was still too young, he only knew how to hold my finger and not let go. I cried for a long time. Ly Thanh Du hugged me in the carriage. Say nothing. Just let me cry all the tears I can't bear as a mother. When the carriage entered Jiangnan, it rained again. The rain is as thin as silk. Much warmer than the lake water in my previous life. I lifted the curtain and looked outside. On the riverbank, the willows are as green as ever. Ly Thanh Du held my hand. His hand was still as warm as that year at the dock. I suddenly felt my heart at peace again. In my previous life, I died in cold water. In this life, I live in the warm rain of Giang Nam. It turns out that life really can begin again. Just this time, I won't disappoint myself.