Long Yue smiled slightly, "She must have co to take out for a stroll again. They’ve been quite considerate these past three months."
After speaking, Long Yue glanced apologetically at Duanmu Nan.
Duanmu Nan said, "You don’t need to worry about , your teacher just ca to check on your health. Now that you are well, your teacher is at ease. So, I will take my leave now."
"Greetings, Mr. Duanmu."
The two won ca in just as Duanmu Nan was leaving. After greeting him, they hurried over to Long Yue.
"Yue’er, the lotus flowers on Jinming Lake have blood beautifully recently. Shall we go out for a walk?"
"Where’s Rui’er? Where has your Rui’er run off to?"
The two won spoke simultaneously.
Long Yue had a gentle smile on her face. She served them a cup of tea and handed over chilled grapes and oranges.
"Rui’er is in the palace with the Supre Emperor, while I am enjoying leisure."
"Yue’er, you’ve been wronged!"
Yang Zhuoya saw things more clearly than Chai Qiao’er. Although Long Yue held the title of Princess Consort Mu, she was, after all, a widow and needed to find a support for herself.
She harbored resentnt toward Qi Yun because he refused to release Li Qingmu, bringing about the tragedy. However, Qi Yun must also hate himself.
After all, he was Li Qingmu’s father and loved this son. With his departure, he must be feeling just as pained.
Moreover, with Long Yue in a constant daze, she realized that soone wanted to harm Li Qingmu. Even if he escaped one calamity, he might not escape the next.
Gradually, she ca to terms with it. Since Qi Yun liked Rui’er, she would let Rui’er spend more ti with him. One day, these childhood mories would beco his future leverage.
But Rui’er is still so young, and it is not feasible for Long Yue to take him frequently. Isn’t this cruel to a mother, too?
"Wronged?" Long Yue chuckled softly, shaking her head slightly, "It’s not about being wronged. Rui’er, after all, is a scion of the Imperial Family. Letting him spend more ti with the Supre Emperor is good. It’s just..."
"Just what?"
"There’s a saying that grandfathers spoil their grandsons the most. I just hope he doesn’t beco a little tyrant!"
"Pfft!" Yang Zhuoya burst into laughter, covering her mouth as she said, "If you don’t say it, there’s indeed that possibility!"
"Very possible indeed!"
"Since Rui’er isn’t here, you must be quite bored. Why not go boating on the lake with us?"
There aren’t many places to play these days, especially for a married woman. Going boating on the lake is a nice activity, and Long Yue gladly agreed.
Yang Zhuoya and Chai Qiao’er were delighted to see this. Long Yue’s attitude and complexion had improved a lot compared to before, indicating that her grief was gradually fading.
Indeed, ti is the best healer of all wounds.
Ti will wash everything away.
The next morning, Long Yue donned a simple light blue dress and went out with Yang Zhuoya and Chai Qiao’er.
On Jinming Lake, people were coming and going.
The weather wasn’t particularly hot yet, and it was the perfect season for lotus blooms. On Jinming Lake, small boats bobbed gently, creating ripples below.
On the small boats, people laughed and talked about various amusing topics.
The lake was cooler than the land, and as the boats swayed, a refreshing breeze blew over. It was very comfortable, so Long Yue also hired a boat to enjoy the trip.
The boats ranged from carrying two to three people up to over a dozen. As a princess consort, Long Yue naturally couldn’t ride in a two or three-person boat, which would be beneath her status, so she hired a ten-person boat.
This made the boat spacious and also stable.
"Yue’er, want sothing to eat?"
Yang Zhuoya handed over a box of hazelnut pastries.
Long Yue glanced at the box of hazelnut pastries, her gaze darkening montarily.
Chai Qiao’er quickly snatched the box away, laughing, "This isn’t tasty; better not eat it. Let’s have so mung bean cakes instead, they’re perfect for this ti of year!"
Not understanding Long Yue’s change in expression or Chai Qiao’er’s overreaction, Yang Zhuoya instinctively felt sothing and hastily put the hazelnut pastries away.
"They used to be Prince Mu’s favorite..."
As she put them away, Chai Qiao’er whispered to Yang Zhuoya.
Yang Zhuoya looked apologetically at Long Yue, "Yue’er, I’m sorry..."
Long Yue smiled slightly, "There’s nothing to apologize for. It’s not as if you did it on purpose. Anyway, what has passed is past. We can’t live in the past forever. Our eyes face forward, don’t they, to look ahead?"
"Well said, Princess Consort Mu!"
Suddenly, a large boat appeared in front, looking grander and more luxurious than Long Yue’s. Onboard stood a noblewoman, gracefully smiling at them.
Long Yue raised her head and smiled faintly at her, "Lady Xiang, long ti no see."
Lady Xiang was the favored concubine of the Seventh Prince, Qi Junchen. Having experienced much, Long Yue was good at reading people and imdiately saw the hostility in the lady’s eyes.
She understood this hostility well, as they had tried to win her and her husband over but failed. Now, with the support of Li Qingmu, Qi Junlian had beco emperor, leaving Qi Junchen resentful.
The seventh prince, Qi Junchen, was obstinate, believing that if it hadn’t been for Li Qingmu’s interference, he could have been the one on the throne.
Qi Junlian was now the emperor, giving him no outlet for his frustrations, so he targeted Long Yue, the widow!
Because you are weak, you are guilty!
Long Yue pursed her lips, revealing a faint smile tinged with coldness.
Lady Xiang waved her hand, and the boat moved closer to Long Yue’s.
"Princess Consort Mu looks quite well these days. I thought of visiting you, but considering the grief of your husband’s passing, I didn’t want to disturb your rest. Seeing you today, my heart is at ease."
Lady Xiang’s words sounded comforting on the surface, but each one seed to sprinkle salt on Long Yue’s wounds.
How long had Li Qingmu been gone?
Not even four months, and these disgusting jesters had already started leaping around, trying to bully her, the widow.
The problem was, these were passive-aggressive words. Even if Long Yue found them uncomfortable, what could she do?
"Thank you for your concern, Lady Xiang. When Prince Mu left, I was indeed heartbroken. Fortunately, I had good sisters to look after , and the Supre Emperor also took pity on us in our hardship, often having Rui’er brought back to be cared for. That’s why the princess consort has ti to go boating today. Lady Xiang, don’t you agree?"
As Long Yue finished, Lady Xiang’s face turned deathly pale!
The words "Supre Emperor" were like a mountain, pressing her down, unable to move.
She realized she might have beco too careless. That emperor of formidable presence was still alive!
Lady Xiang almost gritted her teeth as she smiled, "The princess consort is right..."
"Bang!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Almost simultaneously, blasts erupted across the lake, and a dozen or so water spouts appeared, from which black-clad figures erged!
As soon as they appeared, the black-clad figures charged toward Long Yue’s boat!
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