C210 Arling

When the carriage reached the entrance of the palace, everyone had to get off the carriage to be inspected before they were allowed to enter and ride on the palanquin.

Qu Ling and Xiao Jingyue headed towards the Empress Palace together. Unexpectedly, Yi Fei was also there, so the two could only carry Little Prince to the side hall and wait.

The child grew up extremely fast, and after a period of absence, he had a completely different appearance.

Qu Ling pinched Little Prince's small face and said smilingly, "Our Mu Er is getting more and more beautiful."

"How many times have I said it? You're not allowed to pinch my face." Little Prince slapped Qu Ling's hand away in dissatisfaction.

"Alright." Qu Ling loosened her hands, moved closer and kissed his white and tender cheeks, "Then I'll kiss you, that should be fine, right?"

Little Prince blushed as she glared at Qu Ling shyly, before struggling free from Qu Ling's devil claws and running to hide behind his back.

Xiao Jingyue lowered his head, and looked at the little fellow who was as tall as his knees, and raised his eyebrows.

He bent his body and picked up the little guy. He weighed him in a serious manner and said, "It's quite heavy."

Little Prince knew that she was a little fat. Hearing Xiao Jingyue's words, her little face immediately blushed again, and she retorted in a small voice, "Mother said I'm not heavy."

Qu Ling immediately replied, "That's because Aunt's strength is great."

His grandfather had said that his aunt was born with great strength. Before she even left the pavilion, she had used her own strength to pick up her father. One could imagine just how strong she was.

The Little Prince said unhappily, "That means Brother-in-law's strength is not as great as muhou's."

Xiao Jingyue, "..."

Qu Ling grinned, gloating while laughing.

Afterwards, in order to prove that he was stronger, in the next fifteen minutes, Xiao Jingyue threw the little fellow into the air, and then reached out to catch it.

After repeating this over and over again, the little guy was extremely happy to play around with it.

Sweat trickled down from his forehead as he continuously praised Brother-in-law's strength to continue playing.

Qu Ling sat by the side and chewed on a fruit as he thought gloomily: This child's willpower is too weak.

A quarter of an hour later, the empress finally returned.

The empress's eyes softened as she looked at her smiling son.

"Muhou." Seeing her mother, Little Prince immediately threw himself at her.

The Empress threw a handkerchief to Little Prince, allowing him to wipe his sweat. He looked at Qu Ling and Xiao Jingyue, and asked warmly, "Why are you here so early?"

"Ah Ling missed his aunt, so he came here earlier." Qu Ling said sweetly.

She had been back for so long, but the empress didn't believe her until she was attacked and came to see her. "Don't try to coax me, just have a good time outside."

Xiao Jingyue looked at the uncle and nephew duo, and said to Little Prince: "Brother-in-law is bringing you out for a walk?"

Little Prince's eyes lit up, he was ready to make a move.

However, before he agreed, he first looked towards the empress and asked for his mother's opinion.

The Queen looked at Xiao Jingyue and nodded lightly, "Go."

After Xiao Jingyue led the Little Prince out, the Queen walked to Qu Ling's side and sat down, "I heard about the Soul Borrowing Gu."

Qu Ling was startled for a moment, and then nodded his head. "Mn, Uncle Emperor has already passed down the forbidden Gu order."

The Queen looked at her only niece, and said in a low voice: "Other people's aunts don't care, but Ah Ling you have to protect yourself."

No matter what, it was still too late. She was afraid that those infected with the Gu would find her niece, bringing danger to her niece.

Qu Ling sighed, "Because of this, I didn't even dare to come out from the General Mansion gate."

How strange it was for someone like her who couldn't stay idle.

The empress patted Qu Ling's shoulders lovingly and said, "I'll tell your uncle the emperor about this. I won't let anyone disturb you."

Qu Ling didn't even come out of his door, so he wasn't afraid of being disturbed while hiding within the General Mansion.

However, since the empress had made the request, she accepted the good intentions and said obediently, "Thank you, aunt."

"What are you thanking your aunt for?" The empress glared at her niece in dissatisfaction.

After pausing for a moment, the empress thought of something and her expression turned subtle. "I heard that your grandmother came to the capital?"

Qu Ling nodded his head, "Yes, he is currently living in the General Mansion."

Mentioning her grandmother, Qu Ling thought of what Qu Ci had said yesterday. After hesitating for a moment, he probingly asked: "Aunt, do you know how my mother died?"

The empress's expression changed, and she asked calmly, "Why do you suddenly ask?"

Qu Ling kept staring at the Empress's face. Seeing her surprised expression, he knew that there really was an inside story behind it, and his heart skipped a beat.

Under the empress's questioning gaze, it was only after a long while that she finally said in a low voice, "Grandma said that there was another cause for my mother's death. Grandma told me to come and ask you."

The empress lowered her eyes and fell silent.

When Qu Ling looked at her again, she saw that her eyes were red.

Qu Ling was shocked, he hurriedly walked to the front of the empress and said, "Aunt, you … Don't cry, Ah Ling doesn't ask. "

She was only curious about her mother's death, and did not intend to make her aunt cry.

Unexpectedly, the tears in the empress's eyes fell without any warning.

The empress held Qu Ling's hand, her eyes full of guilt and regret, and said in a hoarse voice, "Ah Ling, your aunt has let you down, let your father down."

"Aunty." Hearing the empress's words, Qu Ling did not know what to say anymore.

If his mother's death really had something to do with his beloved aunt, how would she face her aunt in the future?

They said that life is hard to understand, at this moment, Qu Ling suddenly didn't want to know the reason behind his mother's death.

This might be unfilial, but if it changed her life, she would be more than willing to be unfilial.

After all, the past was already in the past. There was no need to torture the living for the sake of the dead.

Moreover, she had been so good to her ever since she was a little girl. She had completely treated him as her own daughter, and he felt as if he could give her anything he wanted.

Qu Ling looked at his aunt with a complicated expression and threw himself into her embrace.

Just like when she was young, she held onto the front of her aunt's clothes and said softly, "Ah Ling likes my aunt the most."

The Queen also embraced Qu Ling and sobbed as she said in a low voice, "Aunt loves Ah Ling the most."

Because of the empress's cry, the atmosphere grew stifling.

Only after a while did he calm down.

The Queen caressed Qu Ling's back and suddenly asked, "Ah Ling, do you know the origin of your name?"

Qu Ling shook his head, "I don't know."

No one had ever said a name to her.

The empress gently pushed Qu Ling away, and her eyes that were filled with sadness met Qu Ling's, as if she was looking at someone through Qu Ling.

After a long time, he said hoarsely, "Aunt used to have a daughter."

Qu Ling was startled, and looked at the Queen in shock.

The Empress continued, "At that time, out of all the princes and consorts, I was the only one who was pregnant. After the Emperor found out, he invited the Godly Doctor Gu to take my pulse, and the Godly Doctor Gu said that I was carrying a daughter in my womb. The Emperor took the word 'Ling' for the child in my womb, but unfortunately …"

Unfortunately, what? The Queen did not continue, but Qu Ling already understood what she meant.

As the Queen thought about it, she suddenly smiled and looked at Qu Ling gently. Then she continued, "After the child is gone, brother is afraid that I will keep it in mind, so he promised me that when he has a child in the future, no matter if he is male or female, he will call Ah Ling."

Qu Ling did not expect his name to have such a origin, and he fell silent for a moment.

Then, he recalled that the empress had mentioned the Godly Doctor Gu just now, and muttered to himself, "So aunty knows the Godly Doctor Gu."

"Godly Doctor Gu and Old Southern Guarding Prince, which is to say, the current Southern Guarding Prince's father is his junior brother. He has a very deep relationship with the Southern Guarding Prince Palace."

Mentioning the Southern Guarding Prince Palace, Qu Ling once again thought about his and Xiao Jingyue's engagement, and asked: "Aunt, do you know why uncle is betrothed to Xiao Jingyue to me?"

He had only been suspicious and had taken the opportunity to ask, but the empress's expression immediately turned even uglier.

The blood drained from his face, and his eyes were filled with fear, unwillingness, resentment, and regret.