slim waist

Chapter 1: The Imperial Marriage [Bug Fix]

In the depths of winter, a heavy snowfall covered the golden glazed tiles of the palace, making the majestic palace appear even more solemn.

A young eunuch hurried through the many vermilion gates and through the narrow passageway toward the emperor's bedchamber. His steps were so fast that he broke out in a sweat in the freezing cold. He stopped only when he reached the palace gate, wiped the sweat from his forehead, tidied his appearance, and, after being announced, bowed his head and went inside.

"Your Majesty, the Prince of Qin has arrived at Wa'angou and will soon arrive in the capital."

He entered the room and spoke in a low voice, his eyes lowered as he looked at his toes, seemingly oblivious to the stench of decay in the air.

That special scent, which can only be smelled on the very old and dying, cannot be masked even by the finest ambergris.

"Wa'an Valley..."

The man, half-leaning on the dragon bed, murmured something, his eyes cloudy and sunken. His clothes could not hide his emaciated body, and his hands hanging at his sides were withered and covered with brown spots.

This was Wei Feng, the fourth emperor of the Liang Dynasty, who reigned for only five years.

Wei Feng is only 45 years old this year, but he looks like he's in his seventies or eighties.

Perhaps because he ascended the throne at the age of forty, he was afraid that he would not live as long as the previous emperor. So after ascending the throne, he devoted himself to two things: first, to try every means to get rid of his brothers who were young and strong and threatening him; and second, to seek the way to immortality so that he could really live ten thousand years.

But the elixir concocted by the so-called "celestial master" not only failed to prolong his life, but also made his body increasingly weak, and a serious illness a year ago almost cost him his life.

Even though he eventually realized his mistake and stopped taking pills indiscriminately, and even killed the Heavenly Master and the others, his frail body was beyond saving. No matter how hard the imperial physicians tried, they could only extend his life by one year. Now, he simply couldn't hold on any longer.

He glanced out the window, as if recalling something, and his cloudy eyes gradually brightened.

Wa'angou wasn't originally called Wa'angou. It was named after the late emperor who was nearly usurped by his brother. This brother had colluded with the Western Camp garrison stationed not far from Wa'an City, which nearly led to their capture of the capital's city gates.

Later, the late emperor suppressed the rebels and had the prince's body torn apart by five horses and burned in five different places in Wa'an City. He didn't even allow anyone to collect the ashes, but let thousands of people trample on them. He renamed the city Wa'an Gou, meaning "a rat in the gutter should die in the gutter."

Later, the Great Liang Dynasty added a rule that all vassal kings must pass through Wa'angou when returning to the capital, so that they would remember how the prince whose body was never found died, and be kept in mind so as not to have any improper thoughts.

"At the speed of fourteen, it should arrive in about two or three days."

Wei Feng spoke slowly from the bed.

The Crown Prince Wei Chi, who was serving nearby, nodded: "Your Fourteenth Uncle has always been close to you. He would have come immediately upon learning of your serious illness."

Upon hearing this, Wei Feng seemed to want to laugh, but he choked on a mouthful of phlegm, making it difficult to breathe. A sound like a broken bellows came from his throat, and his face turned red.

Wei Chi personally carried the spittoon over and patted his back until he coughed up phlegm and caught his breath. Only then did he hand the spittoon back to the servants so they could take it away.

Having caught his breath, Wei Feng twitched the corners of his mouth and leaned back on the pillow. For some reason, he suddenly said out of the blue, "Your fourteenth uncle is not young anymore. He has not married since the eldest daughter of the Ji family passed away. I have always been concerned about this matter, so I thought of arranging a marriage for him."

Standing to the side, Wei Chi remained silent, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Wei Feng continued, "Grand Tutor Yao has an only daughter, beautiful and talented, of marriageable age. I think..."

"Father!"

Wei Chi's expression changed when he mentioned Grand Tutor Yao, and when he finished speaking, he could no longer restrain himself and knelt down with a thud.

"Father, your son..."

“I know,” Wei Feng interrupted, not giving him a chance to continue. “I know you have a special affection for that Miss Yao. Back then, Cheng Lan specifically requested Miss Yao to enter the palace as a companion, also to help you, her brother, meet Miss Yao more often. That’s why she chose such a girl who doesn’t understand social etiquette to enter the palace.”

"I also know that you've always been hoping for my death..."

"Your subject wouldn't dare!"

Wei Chi hurriedly kowtowed, his forehead hitting the floor heavily with a dull thud.

Wei Feng coughed a few more times, then took a breath and said, "Whether I dare to or not is a different matter from whether I want to or not, and I know that very well. Just like when your grandfather was seriously ill, I didn't dare to, but I did want to."

He chuckled again, the drooping flesh at the corners of his mouth twitching, wrinkled like dry tree bark: "How can I not think about it? If he doesn't die, how can I ascend the throne?"

After these words, everyone in the hall shivered, their lowered eyes revealing fear and despair.

Those who served the emperor were ultimately destined to either be buried alive with him or guard the imperial tombs.

Now it seems... there's only one way out: death. Otherwise, Wei Feng wouldn't have said such a thing in front of them.

Only when you treat them all as if they were dead can you say whatever you want without restraint.

Wei Feng did not look at the servants and continued, "Although Miss Yao is virtuous and kind, she is too weak-willed and too compliant. I would never agree to your appointment of her as the Crown Princess."

"But Grand Tutor Yao has lost two sons in succession, and now he only has this one daughter left. He cherishes her like the apple of his eye. If he were to make her a concubine, it would inevitably displease Grand Tutor Yao, and there would be discord between the emperor and his subject in the future."

"So... only after I die can you make Miss Yao your principal wife. That's why you haven't made her a concubine all these years, isn't that right?"

"Your subject wouldn't dare!"

Wei Chi remained kneeling on the ground, his forehead pressed against the floor, as if he would never say anything else except this sentence.

Wei Feng chuckled and raised his hand: "Alright, get up."

Wei Chi then stood up and remained respectfully standing beside him.

Wei Feng had spoken a lot in one breath and was a little tired. He sat on the bed to rest for a while, but then he started to doze off again. Just as his eyelids were about to close, he woke up with a start, as if he had forgotten where he was in the conversation and started over.

"Looking at all the civil and military officials in the court, there is no one more suitable for your fourteenth uncle than Grand Tutor Yao's daughter."

“Your fourteenth uncle is brave and skilled in battle, a pillar of the nation. He must be a noblewoman from a high-ranking family. If his family is too low-ranking, people will inevitably say that I, as his elder brother, have mistreated him.”

"But many high-ranking officials in the court form cliques and pursue their own interests. Who doesn't have their own selfish motives? If... he forms a marriage alliance with someone else, it will inevitably be detrimental to you."

“Only Grand Tutor Yao has no sons, is extremely loyal, and has a long-standing grudge against the Fourteenth Prince. Even if they become related by marriage, he would never betray his master and commit theft or plot anything untoward for his own selfish gain.”

"Moreover," he smiled, coughed twice, and continued, "the Fourteenth Prince has been wary of me all these years. He will not treat any woman I have betrothed to well, much less be close to her. Because of h

……