Dragon and phoenix candles illuminate the room with beauty, splendor, springtime charm, and light.
·
The next day, Ahao was woken up by Zhang Yu's kiss. Even though they had slept together, she was still groggy and had great difficulty opening her eyes, while the mischievous man was already full of energy.
Zhang Yu was really too much of a handful, she was scared. Worried that he would come again so early in the morning, Ahao quickly forced herself to wake up and asked, "Is Your Majesty awake yet? I'm still so sleepy..." she mumbled, trying to go back to sleep.
Seeing that she was trying hard to open her eyes for a long time but still only squinted, she was really so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyelids open. She was already drowsy but was pretending to be confused, which was extremely cute. He played with a strand of Ah Hao's hair and recited a crooked poem beside her, "The spring night is short and the sun rises high, from then on the king no longer holds morning court."
Ah Hao: "..." My head hurts so much, I feel like I'm going to faint.
Forced to open her eyes again, Ah Hao composed herself, becoming more alert, and said with a pained expression, "Your Majesty, shall we get up?" Zhang Yu nodded, grunted, touched her rosy cheek, and explained, "Those ministers have probably been waiting outside for almost two hours..."
Ah Hao: "...?!" Why didn't they say they wanted to see the minister sooner...? She remembered asking, but Zhang Yu clearly said he said three words, "It's okay." It was obviously very important!
The shock and trauma were too great; all her drowsiness vanished. Ah Hao struggled to get up, looking down at the red marks covering her body—a sight she couldn't bear to look at—and dressed almost with her eyes closed. Zhang Yu got up with her, becoming well-behaved and ceasing his antics.
After they finished washing and grooming together, to buy more time, when Zhang Yu asked her to tie her hair up, A-Hao agreed without hesitation. Zhang Yu, however, was being mischievous. He somehow produced a pair of golden scissors, first deftly cutting off a lock of her hair, then, taking advantage of her momentary surprise, cutting off a lock of his own hair as well.
Ah Hao watched as he decisively tied the two strands of hair together, a smile playing on his lips. As he tied the hair, he murmured, "Tying this knot with my wife, we'll stay together until the end." Ah Hao was speechless, yet delighted. She smiled, put down the jade comb, and went to fetch a sachet, instructing him to put the knotted hair inside and then put it away.
"You still care about this?" Ah Hao returned to Zhang Yu's side and continued to style his hair, saying, "You speak so confidently, as if you're not worried about anything. However, Your Majesty is like this... I really like it."
As they spoke, Ah Hao hugged Zhang Yu from behind, then quickly let go. Zhang Yu's smiling face was reflected in the bronze mirror, and she smiled back.
We walk on like this day after day. A lifetime, whether long or short, will eventually come to an end. At least during the time we've spent together, happiness has outweighed sorrow, joy outweighed grief. What then constitutes worthwhile and unworthiness?
After tidying himself up, Zhang Yu led Ahao out of the hall. The officials immediately knelt to greet him, offering their respects in a grand display. Contrary to Zhang Yu's claim of waiting for many hours, they only waited for less than half an hour.
This was actually Song Shuhao's first formal meeting with officials of the court; the one at Jingyun Nunnery was really nothing special. Nowadays, regardless of whether anyone had any opinions about this Empress, no one dared to say anything more.
With Zhang Yu's help, Song Shuhao now enjoys an excellent reputation. She has made great contributions in the war, killing traitors, and has also amazed the court with her strategic arguments. Her words are insightful, her thinking is quick, and she is low-key, humble, and modest.
Although she couldn't put on airs, a stern face could still be intimidating. She was naturally poised and elegant, and with her phoenix robes, she exuded an air of imperial majesty. The Emperor and Empress stood side-by-side on the steps, their beauty unparalleled and pleasing to the eye.
Zhang Yu whispered to Song Shuhao, instructing her to read the instructions aloud. After the routine address to the officials, she was to rise and dismount. Once this was completed and the crowd had dispersed, Zhang Yu led her back into the palace to wait for breakfast, adding that she had performed well and deserved a reward.
"Can I pay you back first?" As she sat down at the table and waited for breakfast to be served, she heard Zhang Yu's words and met his meaningful gaze. Knowing all too well his usual way of rewarding her, A-Hao subconsciously trembled and asked cautiously.
Zhang Yu was surprisingly generous, nodding and saying, "Okay." Before Ahao could even feel happy, he added, "I'll deliver it to you half a day later."
Ah Hao: "..." It seems there isn't much difference.
Author's Note: Laughs, suddenly a random thought came to mind.
The male lead's hands are always warm... Hmm, why is that...?
Because frequently having cold hands is often a sign of kidney deficiency.
Chapter 100 Good News
After the wedding, back in the palace, Song Shuhao entered into an unusually routine. Every day, she would first see Zhang Yu off to court, then sleep for an hour before getting up, having breakfast, and heading to the government office to report for duty. Working under Ling Xiao, she didn't find anything wrong with it.
In the evening, Zhang Yu would usually come to pick her up and take her back to the palace if he had time. The two would then have dinner together, take a walk to digest their food, and then wash up and rest later in the night. Or, when Zhang Yu was not attending the morning court session, the two could sleep in a little longer, have breakfast together, and then go about their own business.
But Zhang Yu never spoke of, not even a single word, about another crucial reason for his strong support of Ling Xiao. In the past, this reason didn't need explaining to anyone, and now it's even less necessary. Now, everything is on track, following the expected path.
Since Empress Dowager Feng was sent to Hanshan Palace to recuperate, Zhang Yu has not visited her even once for various reasons. More than a year has passed, and Princess Zhang Jin has secretly advised him several times. Recently, Empress Dowager Feng's health has not been good, so she brought it up with Zhang Yu again.
Zhang Yu had his own considerations, so he set aside a day without Song Shuhao, told her his whereabouts, and rode alone with his entourage to Hanshan Palace. They set off from the palace at sunrise, riding at breakneck speed, and by the time Zhang Yu arrived, it was nearly noon. Empress Dowager Feng had received the news first and ordered lunch to be prepared.
There is a large peach grove in Hanshan Imperial Palace, where the flowers are in full bloom in the spring breeze of March. This peach grove in the palace seems to have some history. According to unofficial history, it was planted by Empress Duanxian when she recuperated at Hanshan Imperial Palace. The time is too long to be verified now.
Having not seen Zhang Yu for a long time, Empress Dowager Feng was visibly pleased, as if she no longer cared about the past or that he had kept her under house arrest for over a year without showing up. Zhang Yu remained expressionless, observing Empress Dowager Feng's complexion, which did indeed show signs of recovering from a serious illness, but he said nothing.
The two sat down at the table, but the atmosphere was awkward and somber. There was no one else in the dining hall. Empress Dowager Feng invited Zhang Yu to eat, presumably trying to ease the tension, but Zhang Yu didn't accept her offer. Empress Dowager Feng then frowned, put down her chopsticks, and sat down to watch him.
"What does Your Majesty mean by this?" Empress Dowager Feng asked irritably.
Zhang Yu slightly raised his eyes, a smile playing on his lips. "I've only come to see you, what else could it be?" His sarcastic words made the atmosphere even more tense. He paused briefly before continuing, "Or perhaps Mother wishes to catch up with me? To talk about how Third Brother died? Do you remember how old he was when he died?"
The conversation abruptly shifted to her first child, and Empress Dowager Feng's expression changed instantly, a sharp gasp escaping her lips. Closing her eyes to conceal her emotions, she opened them again, her voice unsteady, "Why bring up such wretched old matters... Why reopen my wounds?!"
Her face seemed to contort with pain, and she was reluctant to speak, clearly distressed, yet inwardly shocked. For so many years, she had never heard of this matter again from the Emperor. She had assumed he… Empress Dowager Feng felt a pang of melancholy. He was only five years old then; how could he know so much? And how could he have kept it a secret until now? He had indeed been filial to her before!
"I thought that Mother Empress had forgotten," he said emotionlessly, ignoring the drastic change in Empress Dowager Feng's expression. "You must be thinking that I was only five years old at the time, how could I know the inside story? But have you also forgotten why I was imprisoned and confined in the Imperial Library for several years by Father Emperor?"
Empress Dowager Feng's expression turned solemn. When he was five years old, he attempted to kill his mother. Although he failed, it enraged the late emperor... But she knew that although the late emperor seemed furious and imprisoned him, he actually liked his ruthlessness. The imprisonment was ostensibly for protection, allowing him to smoothly overcome that crisis.
But back then, she had carefully explained to him that those things had nothing to do with her, and he clearly believed her. Now, why is he saying such things? If he had always known and remembered those things, why did he... Empress Dowager Feng couldn't fathom Zhang Yu's thoughts.
“You were too young then, you didn’t understand anything, and you made a mistake. I don’t blame you.” Empress Dowager Feng composed herself, pretending not to understand the meaning behind Zhang Yu’s words. Zhang Yu chuckled, and Empress Dowager Feng felt slightly embarrassed. Then she heard him say coolly, “Your Majesty treats me well as always.”
Empress Dowager Feng remained silent. Zhang Yu changed the subject again, but quickly brought up something else. "Mother doesn't seem to want to reminisce with me. We can talk about recent events, such as Mother's initiative to contact Prince Rong. I am quite interested in that."
One item, two items… Empress Dowager Feng narrowed her eyes slightly and chuckled, “What does Your Majesty mean by this? Prince Rong has recently had another daughter, so what’s wrong with me showing some concern? Your Majesty still has no heir, and I am truly anxious about it.”
"Hmm... do you mean by showing concern for someone from a young lady to military power? Mother's way of showing concern is truly unique." Zhang Yu teased her with one sentence after another, not letting her get away with anything.
Zhang Yu looked at the person before him, feeling a sense of irony. If it were just about what happened back then, considering all aspects—that she was his birth mother and his elder sister—he would never have deliberately made things difficult for her. But she grew more and more insatiable each day, unable to control him, the emperor, or satisfy her own desires, and now she even intended to support someone else to ascend the throne. It was truly laughable.
"I don't understand what Your Majesty is saying," Empress Dowager Feng denied vehemently, her expression remaining unchanged yet seemingly righteous and awe-inspiring.
Thinking of Zhang Yu's disobedience, the embarrassment he caused her, and his intention to harm the Feng family, Empress Dowager Feng felt as if a thorn had been stuck in her heart, and pulling it out would leave her with blood and flesh.
He has truly forgotten that without his mother, how could he have ascended to this throne? He was only fourteen years old then; how could he have caught the late emperor's eye? Wasn't it all thanks to her?! But now that he has secured his position, he has forgotten all of that and treats his mother like this.
Don't be surprised. It's understandable that such a heartless and ungrateful person would commit matricide as a child. Any normal person would absolutely trust their mother and would never do such a rebellious act!