Li An rambled on.
Emperor Chongwen pieced together the truth of the matter.
He did have a son living outside the palace, but it wasn't Li An.
His son had died at the age of two.
He had died with his mother.
How they died, Li An did not say.
"Your Majesty, if you pardon me, I will tell you where they are buried," Li An said, looking directly at Emperor Chongwen. "Although I have sinned, I have also done many good deeds for the people. As for my actions against those ministers, they ultimately suffered no harm, did they? I was also helping Your Majesty test their loyalty, wasn't I?"
Emperor Chongwen stared intently at Li An.
"What I want to investigate, I will find out."
"Yes, Your Majesty can find out if you set your mind to it. After all, the people who buried them, mother and son, were neighbors. However, I later moved their remains."
He had moved them in the dead of night.
Only he knew where they were buried.
Therefore, if Emperor Chongwen truly wanted to know where his son, who had died shortly after birth, was buried, he could only ask him.
Emperor Chongwen took a deep breath and waved his hand, "Take him away."
After that, Emperor Chongwen went to Zhaoyang Palace.
"A'le."
Consort An put down the brush she was using to copy scriptures.
Emperor Chongwen had not asked for advance notice. When he arrived at Zhaoyang Palace, he had also instructed the palace staff to remain silent.
Therefore, Consort An did not know Emperor Chongwen was coming.
"Your Majesty," Consort An walked out from behind the desk and bowed to Emperor Chongwen.
"A'le, sit with me for a while," Emperor Chongwen said.
"This concubine shall wash her hands first."
Consort An had gotten some ink on her hands.
A palace attendant brought warm water and then quickly took the basin away.
Emperor Chongwen waved his hand, and all the attending palace staff filed out.
"Your Majesty, what is wrong?" Consort An's voice was soft. She walked behind Emperor Chongwen and gently placed her fingers on his temples, massaging them with moderate pressure.
Emperor Chongwen closed his eyes, his breathing softening considerably.
"Li An is not my son," Emperor Chongwen said.
Consort An already knew about this matter.
However, in front of Emperor Chongwen, she still had to feign shock.
"I did not expect this either," Emperor Chongwen said dejectedly. "That child died long ago. I have failed them, mother and son. I caused their deaths."
I did not kill伯仁, but伯仁 died because of me.
Their affection might not have been deep, but regret was certainly real.
"A'le, they are all dead. What use are any further honors I bestow upon them?"
Emperor Chongwen spoke to himself.
"But I must still give them a proper burial, mustn't I?"
Consort An nodded gently.
Beyond nodding, Consort An did not know how to comfort Emperor Chongwen.
Moreover, even if she had known how to comfort him, she wouldn't have wanted to.
Chronologically, that child was a year younger than His Imperial Highness.
Consort An maintained a gentle demeanor on her face, but her heart was as cold as ice.
Empress Lu had acted out of desperation.
Although she was saddened, she had accepted it.
That woman, nameless and without status from beginning to end, was pitiable.
In contrast, Emperor Chongwen was detestable.
He might have been a good emperor, but he was certainly not a good man.
Emperor Chongwen continued to ramble on, and Consort An listened quietly, acting as a perfect listener.
Perhaps having poured out his heart, Emperor Chongwen's expression had softened considerably when he left Zhaoyang Palace. Afterward, he even sent many gifts. Consort An did not even glance at them, directly instructing people to store them in the storeroom.
She was no longer the young girl of the past, whose emotions were easily revealed and whose eyes were filled with her beloved.