What did Grandmother mean? Huangfu Yue’s eyes showed a hint of confusion.
Though she considered herself clever, she couldn’t quite grasp her grandmother’s words at that moment.
Grandmother’s statement, "We must be proud of our identity," was easy enough to understand. Judging by her grandmother’s previous words and actions, it was clear she took great pride in being a woman of the Huangfu family, a woman of the imperial household.
Considering her status as a former woman of the late emperor, holding the esteemed title of Grand Consort, it was natural for her to have such thoughts.
However, Grandmother’s assertion that "we must cherish and protect this identity, only then will we have a chance to rise again" was beyond her comprehension.
Seeing her granddaughter’s gaze, Zheng Taifei’s lips curved slightly. She smiled and uttered two sentences: “The Huangfu family’s reign continues, and though we are criminals, we still bear the Huangfu name!”
Upon hearing this, the usually astute Huangfu Yue instantly understood the meaning behind her grandmother's earlier words.
The image of her young nephew, Huangfu Xuan, flashed in her mind, along with the nonsensical things she had previously told Leng Yusheng.
She inwardly chuckled at the thought that her own nonsensical words had… Huangfu Yue laughed internally.
“I understand what you mean, Grandmother. You’re referring to Xuan’er!” Huangfu Yue nodded towards her grandmother.
“Yue’er, you truly are exceptionally intelligent; you grasp things instantly!” Zheng Taifei beamed with admiration and relief.
“In fact, whether Xuan’er can be our hope for resurgence rests entirely on you!” Zheng Taifei once again gazed directly into her granddaughter’s eyes.
“Me?” Huangfu Yue pointed a finger at herself.
Zheng Taifei nodded. “You are our greatest reliance now. Whether we can rise again through Xuan’er, return to our former position, or even reach greater heights, it all depends on you!” She clasped her granddaughter’s small hand tightly.
“When I first heard the news from the palace that the emperor intended to raid the Prince of Dai’s manor and exile us, I felt as if the world was collapsing; our Prince of Dai’s manor was finished,” Zheng Taifei suddenly sighed.
“Your father and brother all perished in battle, leaving only us, a group of old and weak women and children. The only male in the Prince of Dai’s manor was Xuan’er, and he was only a few years old, incapable of achieving anything.
Before Xuan’er could be cultivated into a talent and lead us to rise again, we would likely have perished on the road of exile. Even if we miraculously survived to the place of exile, we would eventually die there.
At that time, all I thought was that I absolutely had to find a way to preserve the lives of you juniors, to let you live, to prevent you from being exiled. I racked my brains to devise a plan for you to escape before the raid, to order the manor to be set ablaze, feigning our deaths in the fire to achieve a ‘golden cicada sheds its shell’ escape.
However, I never expected the raiders to arrive so quickly, giving me no opportunity to implement the golden cicada strategy… At that moment, just like when I heard of your father and brother’s deaths, my vision turned black, and I nearly fainted…
But thinking of you, I told myself I had to hold on, not to collapse. If I fell, what would happen to you juniors…
I could only force myself to remain calm and endure, but in my heart, I was already despairing, holding no hope, because I saw no hope. I thought we could only take things one step at a time…
To my surprise, you child hid your true abilities and possessed vast capabilities, reigniting my hope!” As she spoke, Zheng Taifei’s eyes began to gleam.
“The emperor has only one son, the current Crown Prince. The Crown Prince is sickly, his health is very poor, and he often falls ill. He has not yet had any children.
People in the palace and in the court secretly whisper that the Crown Prince will not live long. If the Crown Prince were to unfortunately pass away one day, the emperor would have no heir and would have to find an heir from among the close relatives in the imperial clan.
The late emperor also had few sons, only three: your father, the current emperor, and Prince Yu, who passed away in his youth and only left behind two sons. By seniority, your father was the second son. If the emperor were to adopt an heir from the imperial clan and enfeille him as Crown Prince, he should first look among your father’s descendants…
However, given how the emperor has treated us, he would surely not dare to seek an heir from your father’s lineage, fearing that if your father’s descendants ascended the throne, they might seek revenge. Therefore, he will bypass Xuan’er and look among Prince Yu’s descendants. But Xuan’er still has a chance!”
Upon hearing this, although Huangfu Yue had already guessed how her nephew might still have a chance, she still asked, “Grandmother, what do you mean by that?”
“Xuan’er’s chance lies with you!”
Hearing this, Huangfu Yue inwardly smiled, realizing it was exactly as she had thought.
“What does Grandmother want me to do?” Huangfu Yue inquired.
“To create an opportunity for Xuan’er.”
“How should I create it?” Huangfu Yue asked again.
“Wait for the opportune moment,” Zheng Taifei replied. “When the time is right, act according to the circumstances!”
“Yue’er, you are so capable and resourceful; I believe you can definitely help Xuan’er seize this opportunity, and I will do my best to assist you!
Although I am now an old hag, and the slightest exertion causes aches and pains, I learned much about court matters from your grandfather in my youth. I can still offer advice to you juniors.
With your abilities and my strategies, I am confident that when the time comes, our Prince of Dai’s manor, relying on Xuan’er, will surely be able to rise again, return to the capital, and regain our former glory and wealth, perhaps even reaching greater heights.” Zheng Taifei’s face was filled with confidence and certainty.