The Grand Secretary’s Pampered Wife

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An hour had passed since Empress Dowager Zhuang came out of the west room. She looked tired, with red blood vessels appearing in her eyes.

She stumbled slightly as she crossed the threshold.

Gu Jiao, who was sweeping the hall, quickly went forward to support her, ”Grandaunt!”

Empress Dowager Zhuang waved her hand, ”Iʼm fine, I’m just getting old. Iʼll go back to my room for a bit of rest.”

With that, she walked slowly towards her small room.

Her hair was graying, and she seemed enveloped in immense weariness. Her figure even appeared slightly hunched, as if she had aged ten years in just one day.

Her life had been too bitter, too harsh. She had safeguarded the State of Zhaoʼs sovereignty, preserved the Emperorʼs throne, and maintained the glory of the Zhuang Family. But the people she had raised, not a single one remained.

The Ningʼan she longed to see would never return.

Empress Dowager Zhuang slowly lay down on her bed. The room was devoid of light.

Creak——

The door was pushed open.

Another creak, and the door was closed.

A small figure dashed to the edge of the bed and plopped down, ”Grandaunt!”

Empress Dowager Zhuang asked lightly, ”What is it?”

Little Jing Kong asked in a cute tone, ”Are you going to sleep?”

Empress Dowager Zhuang rolled her eyes, ”No, Iʼm here to sprout.”

Little Jing Kong widened his eyes and asked, ”Oh, then shall I water you?”

Empress Dowager Zhuang: “...”

Little Jing Kong continued, ”Grandaunt, you still owe me some candied fruits.”

Empress Dowager Zhuang: ”The jar is on the table, take it yourself.”

Little Jing Kong exclaimed, ”Grandaunt, why arenʼt you being mischievous today?”

Empress Dowager Zhuangʼs expression remained unchanged, ”Youʼre too noisy today.”

Tilting his head, Little Jing Kong asked, ”Was I not very noisy before?”

Empress Dowager Zhuang felt like tearing her hair out. All she wanted was to be left alone to quietly mourn for a while, but why did this little monk always keep chattering?

”Dinnerʼs ready——”

Gu Xiaoshunʼs loud call echoed in the courtyard.

Little Jing Kong tugged at Empress Dowager Zhuangʼs sleeve, ”Grandaunt, letʼs go eat!”

”Iʼm not hungry.”

”Granduncle made brown sugar cakes.”

”Iʼm not——”

”He also made honey bean rolls.”

”I——”

”And sweetened eggs.”

Empress Dowager Zhuangʼs face darkened, and she swallowed hard.

Canʼt she just be allowed to grieve in peace?

Huangfu Xian was a patient, so when he lay down to rest, Gu Jiao didnʼt wake him up. She heated some millet porridge for him in the pot, which he could eat when he woke up later.

But unexpectedly, when night came, Huangfu Xian still hadnʼt woken up.

”Why isnʼt little big brother waking up?” The puzzled Little Jing Kong asked.

”Let me check.” Gu Jiao felt Huangfu Xianʼs pulse and touched his forehead. His pulse was normal, and his temperature was fine. ”Heʼs probably just asleep.”

Indeed, Huangfu Xian was simply asleep.

He dreamt that he had gone back to when he was five years old.

That year, the snow on the border was particularly heavy, and many people froze or starved to death in their homes.

Princess Ningʼan, with servants in tow, intended to distribute porridge at the vegetable market in Ye City.

The five-year-old him ran over, panting, and hugged Princess Ningʼanʼs legs, saying, ”Mother! Xianʼer wants to go too!”

Princess Ningʼan looked at the heavy snow outside and gently touched his head, smiling as she said, ”The snow is too heavy. Xianʼer will get cold if he goes out. Will Xianʼer be good and wait at home for mother to come back?”

The five-year-old him shook his head, ”But mother will get cold too!”

Princess Ningʼan said softly, ”Mother wonʼt. Mother is wearing many, many clothes.”

With his little chest puffed up, he said, ”Xianʼer can wear many, many clothes too!”

Princess Ningʼan laughed gently, hugged him, and kissed his little cheeks and forehead, ”Good boy, mother will be back soon.”

After that, Princess Ningʼan put him down, put on her cloak, and left.

He chased after her with his short legs to the door but was inevitably stopped by the servants.

He had dreamt of this scene many times before. The next scene was him pretending to nap, waiting for an opportunity to sneak under a carriage bench, and secretly following the carriage his mother was in out of the princess mansion.

But as a young child, he didnʼt understand that not all carriages would go to his motherʼs porridge shed.

The carriage stopped at an unfamiliar place.

By now, it was already dark, and the coachman went off to do his business, leaving him to step down from the carriage alone.

The unfamiliar streets and unfamiliar crowds made him feel anxious.

He began calling out for his mother.

He didnʼt know how long he had been calling or how far he had walked, but the sense of despair and helplessness of not finding his mother always woke him up from this nightmare.

But this time was different.

He continued to wander aimlessly in the streets like a headless fly.

The snowstorm grew stronger, he lost his direction, and unconsciously found himself on an empty official road, with endless stretches of white snow on both sides.

He had no strength left, he fell into the snow, unable to get up again.

Just as he was about to lose consciousness, a gentle and anxious voice sounded above him, and then he was lifted up by gentle arms.

”Xianʼer!”

It was his mother.

He weakly opened his eyes and saw a face full of tears.

”Mother finally found you!”

Princess Ningʼan held him tightly in her arms.

He wanted to hug his mother too, but he was frozen stiff.

Princess Ningʼan carried him on her back, braving the biting wind and snow, taking one step at a time.

Princess Ningʼan fell countless times in the snow but got up countless times.

”Mother, Iʼm so cold.”

Princess Ningʼan took off her padded jacket and covered him with it.

”So sleepy...” He murmured, lying on his motherʼs back.

Princess Ningʼan gasped for breath and said, ”Xianʼer, donʼt sleep, mother will take you home.”

Finally, she couldnʼt walk anymore. She lay down in the icy snow.

He lay on her back, with heavy snow falling all around.

Princess Ningʼan dug a small pit in the snow beneath her with her bare hands, digging until her fingers were bloody, until bones were visible.

She took off her cloak and wrapped him in it, then carefully placed him inside.

Then she used her weak and frail body to cover the snow pit, shielding him from the raging snowstorm.

The piercing cold wind tortured her body, and she gradually stiffened.

With her last strength, she said to him, ”Xianʼer, you must survive...” [T/N: 😢😢😢😢]

……

Before dawn, Gu Jiao emerged from the east room. Huangfu Xian had been staying in the west room for the past few days, and Xiao Heng and Little Jing Kong were supposed to stay in the east room, but were instead dragged to the room next door by Granduncle.

Voices of argument, one adult and one child, could already be heard from next door, indicating that they were up.

Gu Jiao went to the backyard to wash up. Just as she was wiping her face, she noticed a shadow cast on the ground by the lantern hanging under the eaves.

Turning around, she saw Huangfu Xian pushing his wheelchair out from the study.

The study had no doorstep, allowing the wheelchair easy access.

But how did he manage to come out from the west room?

”Have you been awake for long?” Gu Jiao asked.

”Not too long. Your dark guard helped me a bit.” He replied.

He was referring to Dark Guard A helping him and his wheelchair out from the west room.

This kid is now ordering around the dark guards at home too.

Gu Jiao said, ”Wait a moment, Iʼll make breakfast after I finish washing my face.”

Huangfu Xian gazed at her steadily, ”I heard the little mushroom say you have a way to make me stand up?”

Little... mushroom?

Gu Jiao blinked in confusion, only realizing after a moment that he was referring to Little Jing Kong.

Gu Jiao glanced at him, ”Youʼve thought it over?”

Huangfu Xian lowered his eyes, pinching his cold fingertips, ”I have.”

He wanted to live, not like a walking corpse, but like a real person, standing tall even without legs.

He intended to travel all over the lands of the State of Zhao, measuring its territory with his steps. He would carry his motherʼs hopes and strive and persevere to live on and on.

”Itʼs going to be very difficult.”

”Iʼm not afraid.”

”And painful, more painful than grinding your bones.”

”Iʼm not afraid of pain.”

Gu Jiao scratched her head. It wasnʼt a matter of whether he was afraid or not, it was that she didnʼt have the materials for making prosthetics here.

Fine. She would go collect tree resin when spring comes.

Gu Jiao finished washing her face and returned to the east room. She took out her little medicine chest to prepare the medicine and bandages to change Huangfu Xianʼs dressing, only to be surprised by its weight.

Opening it, she found, atop the emergency medicines, a pair of brand-new prosthetic sockets.

Raz P.ʼs Thoughts

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