Chapter 498: Nuannuan Extra_1


    Dongchen Vige has be famous across the country as a vige of immortals. It is adorned with blooming flowers and abundant fruit trees. Each household cultivates special crops. My mother said that these are spiritual rice, wheat and sorghum, which can prolong life when eaten by mortals.


    By the way, my mother is a bona fide immortal. With a wave of her hand, flowers bloom and fruit trees mature.


    Our whole family has learned magic from her.


    Because mother has opened the spiritual veins for each of us and taught us how to cultivate.


    But then, many people came to Dongchen Vige to seek immortality, which annoyed the locals. So my mother set up an array inside and outside the vige. Only foreigners who reported in advance could enter and exit freely.


    This stirred up a ho’s nest. Somehow, the Emperor found out and came to Dongchen Vige personally. After that, he simply refused to leave, even abdicating the throne to his son, Zhou Wuyang.


    His consorts and their families were unhappy about this and began to make a fuss. Especially the old men and women. They insisted on living in Dongchen Vige with the retired Emperor, iming they would protect his safety.


    Humph! The Retired Emperor is safe in the vige, safer than in the Imperial Pce, where would he need a group of old men and women to protect him?


    What’s even more irritating is that the Imperial Army in Beijing also wants to protect the Retired Emperor.


    Dongchen Vige is only so big. If we let them all in, wouldn’t it be as cramped as sardines?


    However, nothing can stand in the way of people’s desire to seek immortality. Everyone is rushing to Dongchen Vige, causing trouble for the surrounding countryside. This has prevented them from farming peacefully, so my mother had to surround the entire Qinchuan County and Zhouhe County with an array.


    But then, the neighbouring county became dissatisfied, crying out from outside the constraints. Both the County Magistrate and Provincial Government officersined to the new Emperor about my mother, using her of caring only for her ownnd and disregarding the livelihood of the neighbouring county.


    I was really puzzled. My mother merely set up a boundary for her own territory. It did not obstruct traffic at all. Moreover, she left routes for people to pass through, specifically leaving pathways and waterways for carriages and boats.


    We only realizedter that the reason was that crops grew rapidly within the boundary, birds and beasts were flocking in, people living inside appeared younger and healthier, and life was very prosperous. As a result, people flocked to these two counties and once allowed in, they wouldn’t leave, dead or alive.


    This caused a severe poption drain in the surrounding counties and local officials were extremely displeased.


    Fortunately, my mother noticed this situation and reformed the array rules, stipting that only locals were permitted to settle.


    That year, we went back to the vige with my parents to visit the Retired Emperor and his consorts.


    As fate would have it, we met the Emperor and his son.


    It turns out that the Emperor’s eldest son was already fifteen. He hade with his son to tell his father that he wished to abdicate to his son.


    Of course, the Retired Emperor refused. He scolded his son for shirking his responsibilities and wanting to retire. The only way he would agree is if he was dead.


    The Emperor looked at the increasingly youthful retired Emperor and said faintly, “Didn’t you hand over the reins to your son too, Father? I’m already in my thirties and I don’t want to waver anymore.”


    The Retired Emperor’s beard bristled with anger as he pointed at the Emperor and said, “When I abdicated to you, I was already in my sixties. How old are you now that you want to retire?”


    The Emperor said expressionlessly, “At that time, you promised your son that as long as his son had an heir, I could do whatever I wanted afterwards. Now I have fulfilled my duty, having raised the heir of the Zhou family to be fifteen years old.”


    He paused, giving his son a nce before he continued, “Yi has been attending court with me since he was seven. In the past eight years, he has be fullypetent in the affairs of the state. Father, you needn’t worry about him being young. After all, I was also fifteen when I started handling court affairs.”


    Zhou Yi, at fifteen, was still very naive. He nced at his father, then at his grandfather, and did not dare to refute him.


    Zhou Wuchang’s face turned dark, he had nothing to say.


    Indeed, he did say those words before. He didn’t expect his son to use his casual words from back then against him.


    Let him do what he wants then.


    Zhou Wuchang asked indifferently, “You’re abdicating at such a young age, what do you n to do afterwards?”


    The Emperor replied, casting his eyes down, “I wish to travel with my aunt and Nuannuan.”


    Zhou Wuchang snorted, “Just because you want to doesn’t mean you can.” He wanted to go too. But before he had the chance to say anything, Yingbao left. And once she left, she was away for a good half year.


    Just at this moment, an eunuch reported that the Commandery Princess Chuanhe hade to visit along with her daughter.


    So, when my mother and I entered the hall of the Retired Emperor, we saw my brother Wuyang, who looked pleasantly surprised, along with a teenage boy.