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The Empress thought she was still asleep and dreaming when she saw her second son standing in front of her estate. This unprecedented action caught her off-guard. 

The last time he was anywhere near her estate was nearly a decade and a half ago. 

Back then, Yu Zhen was just a small boy, eager for the love of his mother. She still remembered his desperate expression, the wobble of his split lips, and the pain in his eyes. He had reached out for a hug, but at that time, the Empress had been busy comforting the First Prince, who had also been beaten by the Emperor.

"Yu Zhen," the Empress breathed out in shock. He was much taller than her now, and the little boy of the past no longer existed. She might as well have believed he died that day.