Having experienced that period of separation and fear, he now cherishes the quiet companionship and peaceful, smooth life. Life is unpredictable; even he has moments when he simply wants to live peacefully, and thus has become this kind of person.
However, some things from that time are still a hidden danger. If someone uses them to make a big fuss... Zhang Yu thought to himself, if someone really jumps out to do evil and dredges up these old grievances that have been turned over, then don't blame him for killing one to warn a hundred.
Song Shuhao understood, nodded, and said, "I hope everything goes well."
·
Zhang Xin and Xia Mingzhe named their first child Xia Yucheng. When Xia Yucheng was a month old, he was no longer the reddish-purple-skinned child he was when he was born, but had become fair and chubby.
None of them—the Eldest Princess, Zhang Yu, or Prince Ning—had children of their own, so they were especially fond of Zhang Xin's child. On the day of the full moon celebration, Xia Yucheng received many gifts, each one quite valuable.
Xia Yucheng is extremely cute. Although he sleeps most of the time, he is quite well-behaved when awake and easy to coax. He doesn't make much noise at night either. Perhaps because he is good-looking, even when he is playing by himself, blowing bubbles and his mouth is full of drool, no one can bear to complain.
Zhang Jin set off from Lin'an City on the third day after Zhang Xin finished her postpartum confinement. The guards and accompanying officials were all arranged by Zhang Yu, while she herself only brought two personal maids.
The sun rose higher, and the morning breeze carried a refreshing scent. Zhang Jin said she didn't want to witness any partings, so she didn't let anyone see her off. After everything was settled, she set off from the Princess's residence in a carriage, having already dismissed the male concubines in the residence.
Although they did not appear in person, Zhang Yu, Prince Ning, and Zhang Xin all went to the city tower to see Zhang Jin off. She was their eldest sister, a close relative, and they could not truly not see her off.
As the carriage receded into the distance, embarking on the journey to Dayuan, whether one was reluctant or not, it gradually disappeared from everyone's sight...
Zhang Xin was heartbroken, but Xia Mingzhe comforted her and helped her down from the city wall. She then hid in the carriage from Zhang Yu and Prince Ning and cried for a while. Only after returning home and seeing her child did her mood truly improve. In contrast, Zhang Yu and Prince Ning remained composed, watching Zhang Xin's carriage depart before going about their own business.
Prince Ning and Ling Xiao returned to their residences for the time being, while Zhang Yu and Song Shuhao went back to the palace. They both woke up earlier than usual today. On the way, Song Shuhao couldn't resist falling asleep, and upon returning, she immediately went to bed and slept again. Zhang Yu suppressed a laugh and went to the main hall to review memorials.
Empress Dowager Feng sent people to "question her," saying that Zhang Jin shouldn't have been sent to such a far place to suffer hardship, but Zhang Yu ignored them. If it weren't for wanting to achieve some merit so that he could plead for Empress Dowager Feng in the future, why would his elder sister leave her comfortable life to go to Dayuan?
Zhang Yu agreed, partly on behalf of Zhang Jin, who had spoken on her behalf. She had said that as the eldest princess, she had enjoyed wealth and luxury and couldn't simply refuse to do nothing. What Zhang Jin didn't say was that her actions also amounted to support for many of the policies Zhang Yu was currently implementing.
Secondly, Empress Dowager Feng's ambitions remain unresolved, and Nie Shaoguang's actions have already caught her eye; she will likely take action sooner or later. If that's the case, Zhang Jin will undoubtedly be caught in the middle, making things extremely difficult; it would be better to let her stay out of it.
Finally, there was the personal reason for Zhang Jin's situation. Since her husband's death, she had grown old. Although Zhang Jin had never spoken of it, Zhang Yu was certainly aware of the events surrounding her husband's affair with her personal maid, which culminated in their suicide pact upon being exposed. This had undoubtedly had some impact on her. Being able to go out and see the world now was beneficial in broadening her perspective.
It's time to move on from what happened so many years ago.
Zhang Yu was momentarily lost in thought, recalling past events, when someone embraced him from behind, as if wanting to cling to him. He turned his head slightly and saw that Song Shuhao's eyes were still closed, her face pressed against his neck, rubbing against him lazily, which made him chuckle.
He brushed Song Shuhao's hand away and pulled her in front of him. Song Shuhao simply took the opportunity to sit on Zhang Yu's lap, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and snuggled into his arms. Her eyes were still closed. No one knew why she was clinging to him; she should have been sleeping, but she suddenly became so close.
"Weren't you sleeping? Why did you run out?" Zhang Yu patted her back gently and asked in a low voice in her ear, as if afraid of startling the person in his arms who was obviously still asleep.
Song Shuhao didn't open her eyes, still lazily nestled against Zhang Yu, responding in a spoiled manner, "Sleepy, can't sleep, want Your Majesty to hold me to sleep..." After she finished speaking, she finally lifted her eyelids to steal a glance at Zhang Yu, and knew that something bad had happened when she met his eyes.
Knowing Zhang Yu was busy, Song Shuhao's teasing was intentional, but mostly meant as a joke. Feeling sleepy but unable to sleep was really unpleasant, so Song Shuhao inexplicably felt playful and wanted to tease Zhang Yu, but without any intention of flirting, provoking, or teasing.
Having stolen a glance at Zhang Yu, Song Shuhao immediately conceded defeat, shrinking back and pulling her arms away, trying to get off him. Zhang Yu, always quick-witted and agile, easily pressed her down, stopping her movements, and Song Shuhao couldn't escape as she wished.
Zhang Yu raised an eyebrow at Song Shuhao, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Would you like me to sleep with you?" Song Shuhao pursed her lips and shook her head, quickly replying, "Your Majesty is busy, I'll sleep by myself."
Since Song Shuhao became pregnant, Zhang Yu had refrained from touching her. Now, more than two months later, even the strongest self-control would crumble easily in the face of certain people and certain things. Zhang Yu didn't say anything more, picked Song Shuhao up in his arms, and strode towards the next room.
Even knowing that Zhang Yu wouldn't hurt her, she instinctively reached out and grabbed his arm tightly when he suddenly picked her up. She was pregnant, and Zhang Yu hadn't touched her or made things difficult for her, but being forced to use his hands and mouth instead was devastating for Song Shuhao.
An unintentional mistake turned into this mess; if it had been intentional, wouldn't she have been exploited to the end? After cleaning up, seeing Zhang Yu with a satisfied look on his face, reaching out to hug her and coax her to sleep, looking so serious, Song Shuhao was speechless. But she was even more afraid of provoking him again, so she silently closed her eyes and lay quietly, not daring to move. In the quiet, this time she truly fell asleep…
·
Nie Shaoguang invited Chen Yifei out for tea. Chen Yifei initially didn't want to go, but then thought it best to be upfront, so she went anyway. When they reached the second floor of the teahouse and entered a private room, Nie Shaoguang had already been there for quite some time. The view from the window was pleasant, with the sounds of the street drifting in.
Chen Yifei sat down opposite Nie Shaoguang. Nie Shaoguang noticed she was even more radiant and beautiful than in the palace, dressed in a silver-red and white blouse with gardenia patterns. Nie Shaoguang's eyes flickered, and she curled her lip, feeling a little disdainful. She couldn't understand how quickly this person had changed. Back in the palace, she had certainly been adept at vying for favor, yet now that she was out of the palace, she seemed so carefree…
Nie Shaoguang didn't reveal his thoughts and even offered to pour tea for Chen Yifei. Unfortunately, Chen Yifei didn't appreciate it. She didn't bother to touch the tea and said to Nie Shaoguang, "I've never had anything to say to you. It was like that when we were in the palace, and it's even more so now that we're out of the palace. You'd better not look for me in the future."
Author's Note: My social media feed has been flooded with gossip about Baoqiang's divorce all day...
Yesterday I saw a reader comment that said they were drunk, and I was a little confused... mainly because I didn't know what they meant.
Hmm, I'd like to discuss the consequences of the emperor dismissing his concubines from various angles. Many people believe that the emperor's true love was unfair to the other concubines. It certainly is unfair, but I also think that the harem environment is inherently unfair.
Chapter 104 Update
Chen Yifei's words were blunt, and her tone wasn't exactly friendly, causing Nie Shaoguang's face to turn ashen. She had invited Chen Yifei out mainly to have tea and chat, hoping to discuss other matters. She had assumed they were on the same side, but Chen Yifei's attitude was completely unexpected.
"What do you mean by this? Are you just going to accept this?"
Her mood plummeted, and Nie Shaoguang barely managed to control her temper, preventing her tone from becoming extremely harsh. She couldn't understand how Chen Yifei could remain calm after hearing all that, and even say such things to her.
Chen Yifei remained indifferent, seemingly unmoved by the two questions. She rested her chin on her hand, revealing a glimpse of her slender, pale wrist; her long, white fingers complemented her fair complexion, making her elegant and captivating. She lightly tapped the table with her other hand, as if deep in thought.
After a while, Chen Yifei smiled gently, a faint pink blush rising on her face, making her even more radiant, like a flower blooming in the spring, extremely splendid.
As Nie Shaoguang watched, she found Chen Yifei's appearance increasingly irritating. She immediately turned her gaze away, focusing on the teacup in her hand. The tea in the cup was shallow, with no tea leaves floating or sinking, and the bottom was clearly visible. Hearing Chen Yifei speak, she narrowed her eyes, feeling that she didn't quite understand.
Chen Yifei said to her, "Well, I'm getting married, and I don't have the mind to think about anything else. You're the one who's unwilling, not me. You probably don't even want to drink at the wedding, so I won't send you a special invitation. But what's the point? If it's not yours, no matter how much you struggle, it's not yours."
What kind of talk is this? Nie Shaoguang thought, how dare she get married? Isn't she afraid of being laughed at? At this moment, Chen Yifei, sitting opposite Nie Shaoguang, was thinking that she hadn't expected him to still be waiting for her... After all the twists and turns, she still had such a home. God had been kind to her.
"Just because it's not mine doesn't mean it can belong to someone else?" Nie Shaoguang couldn't control herself, her eyes flashing with resentment. She stared intently at Chen Yifei, then suddenly smiled, softening her tone and expression.
"You actually think you can get married... Who knows what people will think, how they'll insult you behind your back, and you still have such thoughts. Aren't you afraid? Maybe that family accepts you on the surface, but who knows how much they despise you inside? Do you still think of yourself as a fifteen-year-old unmarried girl?"
Chen Yifei disliked hearing this. What was the point of forcing her own ideas onto someone else? Now that she was out of the palace and wouldn't be going back, wasn't she allowed a new life? No matter how good a person is, if they're not yours, they might not be good. And no matter how bad a person is, if they're irrelevant to you, they won't bother you.
Well, the emperor is the good one, and the person in front of her is the bad one, so it doesn't really matter to her anymore.
Chen Yifei smiled, seemingly unconcerned. "Remarriage is not uncommon, so why can't it work for me? If I suffer any injustice later, my parents will take care of it for me. Why should you worry about something you can't control?"
She had conveyed her message: she didn't want to talk to Nie Shaoguang anymore. With that, she stood up, bid him farewell, and left. From beginning to end, Chen Yifei never touched the cup of tea that Nie Shaoguang had poured for her.