Путешествие безумки по династии Сун

Глава 113

"Mother, I didn't say I wouldn't drink it." Leng Jie hurriedly took the bowl, interrupting Madam Leng, and downed the soup in one gulp. In both her past and present lives, no one had ever cared for her like this, nagging her so attentively. Although Leng Jie appeared extremely impatient, her heart was warmed.

"Rui'er, I'm used to calling you Rui'er!" Madam Leng said softly.

"Mother, call me whatever you like. As long as you know you're calling me," Leng Jie replied casually, handing the empty bowl to Madam Leng. Now that her identity had been revealed and she had already accepted the role of the foolish empress, what difference did it make if she accepted another name?

Leng Jie quickly dressed, took the hot towel handed to her by Madam Leng, and casually wiped her face.

"Rui'er, does the Emperor know that you are the Empress?" Madam Leng suddenly asked with concern.

"Thump!" Leng Jie, who had just stood up, slumped back onto the bed. How could she have overlooked something so important? She had always thought she was passively accepting his love. She never regretted what she had done, nor did she think she was wrong. She had never considered Xuan Yuan's feelings. But from the moment she learned he might never wake up again, she realized she was wrong, terribly wrong. He had already quietly entered her heart, leaving a deep imprint. She realized how much she cared for him—so much that she was willing to share his grave. Suddenly, her heart pounded like a drum, "Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Madam Leng immediately gave a "I knew it!" look and shook her head helplessly, sighing:

"Don't worry, I can tell he's sincere towards you. He shouldn't blame you when he finds out."

“But I lied to him about more than just this!” Leng Jie murmured, head bowed. “He still doesn’t know the child in my belly is his, nor does he know that I already received the secret letter from his father to his secret service, and that I took over his secret service.” Leng Jie suddenly looked up, her eyes wide, and asked Madam Leng:

"Mother! Do you think he'll be angry if I do this?"

Madam Leng was stunned by Leng Jie's second sentence. She hadn't noticed Leng Jie's emotions at all, nor had she heard what she said afterward. When she finally came to her senses, she roared in a fit of rage:

"How could he not know the child was his? Is he trying to renege on his debt?"

Uh! She was the one who wanted to renege on the debt in the first place! Leng Jie lowered her head in embarrassment.

But Leng Jie's sweaty expression, in the eyes of Madam Leng, who loved her daughter dearly, became an act of humiliation and submission. Heartbroken, she pulled Xiao Jie into her arms and said with unwavering conviction:

"Don't worry, Ruier, if he dares to renege on his debt, even if he were the emperor, I would still seek justice for you!"

"Mother! You should just wait for him to seek justice from your daughter!" Leng Jie said helplessly.

"How dare he! You're already carrying his child. What right does he have to demand justice from you? He's with you every day and doesn't even know you're his wife. It shows how much of a failure he is as a husband. Humph! If you were still as naive as before, he would have already sent you home. Now, if he dares to blame you for concealing your identity, I'll demand my daughter back from him!" Madam Leng became increasingly agitated, unleashing all her pent-up resentment towards the Emperor. She even made a move to get up and confront him.

"Mother, please don't rush. Let me finish speaking before you go and settle accounts with him, okay?" Leng Jie quickly pulled on Madam Leng's hand and said.

Madam Leng looked at Leng Jie with pity. Once a woman gives her heart to a man, it means she has to give up her own identity. Just like her. She knew her daughter's heart had already been stolen by that emperor. She could only sigh helplessly for her.

"Mother, listen to me, you speak!"

Leng Jie knew that people of this era would never accept her ideas. She was truly worried that her hard-won mother would be angered to the point of illness. Leng Jie secretly glanced at Madam Leng. Seeing that she seemed to be in good spirits, Leng Jie gritted her teeth and said awkwardly:

"Actually, it's not that Xuanyuan wants to renege on the debt, it's that your daughter wants to renege!" After saying this, she cautiously glanced at Madam Leng, and unsurprisingly saw Madam Leng's face suddenly turn green. Leng Jie quickly explained:

"Mother, please don't be angry. I wasn't confused at the time. I didn't expect to get pregnant just once. Besides, I wasn't sure about his feelings for me, and I didn't know that I had feelings for him too! I thought it would just be a one-night stand. Anyway, it was our first time, so neither of us would lose out. So, I sealed away that memory of him afterward."

"Bang!" Madam Leng collapsed onto Leng Jie's bed.

"Mother! Are you alright?" Leng Jie reached out to pinch Madam Leng's philtrum.

Madam Leng shoved Leng Jie's hand away and suddenly sat up. Shaking Leng Jie's shoulders, she said excitedly:

"Rui'er, you are truly my good daughter! You have accomplished what I could not do back then. You are so wonderful, I am so proud of you!"

Leng Jie stared at Madam Leng, her eyes wide, and unconsciously reached out to touch her forehead. No fever! Good heavens! Had she scared her beautiful mother half to death? It can't be that serious, can it? Leng Jie cautiously exclaimed:

"Mother! Do you feel a tightness in your chest?"

"No, Mother's breathing is perfectly smooth right now! How could it be blocked!" Madam Leng shook her head and said. Seeing that Leng Jie still looked bewildered, she explained further:

“Rui’er! You have no idea! Back then, your mother took advantage of your father by accident. As a result, he kept pestering me and clinging to me.”

"Mother!" Leng Jie's gaze inadvertently fell upon the figure at the door, and she quickly gave Madam Leng a meaningful look. However, Madam Leng, engrossed in her lively conversation, was completely oblivious. She continued:

"This dragged on for over twenty years. Not only did it shatter my dreams of wandering the martial world, it also turned me, a chivalrous woman, into a devoted wife and mother constantly revolving around my husband and children. Every time I think about it, I feel like I made a mistake! I always thought, if only I had woken up before him and secretly slipped away. Alas! But there's no going back in this world, is there? However, Rui'er is much smarter than her mother..."

Suddenly, a gentle yet dangerous voice came from outside the door, interrupting Madam Leng's words.

"So, my wife has always regretted marrying me!"

Upon hearing the sound, Madam Leng's excited expression froze abruptly. Her entire body trembled involuntarily.

Leng Jie turned her gaze to the person at the door with a dangerous smile on their face and called out in a daze:

"father!"

"Oh! My dear daughter. Go and see the Emperor. He just woke up and wanted to come see you, but Young Master Qingfeng stopped him," the cold prime minister replied kindly.

"Oh! I'll be right there." Leng Jie replied, then turned back and congratulated Madam Leng with her eyes:

"Mother, I've already warned you. You'd better watch yourself!"

"You heartless little brat, are you just going to abandon your mother like this?" Madam Leng glared angrily back at Xiao Jie.

"Father, Mother, you two can chat! I'm going to go see Xuanyuan now." Leng Jie winked at Madam Leng and ran out with her shoes on.

"Rui'er, slow down, Mother will go with you." Madam Leng also wanted to slip away, but as soon as she turned around, she was blocked by a tall figure.

"Is my wife very unwilling to see her husband...?"

"Haha..." After running out, Leng Jie finally couldn't help but burst into laughter, clutching her stomach. She never imagined that the Leng couple had such a funny past. Now she finally understood why the Leng Prime Minister was always so accommodating to Madam Leng.

As soon as Eunuch Fu entered Qingfeng Residence, he saw the Empress laughing uncontrollably. He quickly stepped forward and asked worriedly...

"Your Majesty, what's wrong? The Emperor has woken up and wants to see you!"

"Uh!" Leng Jie abruptly stopped speaking. It was time to face her own troubles. She straightened up, supporting her back with her hand, and nodded to Eunuch Fu, saying:

"I was just about to go! Has His Majesty taken his medicine?"

"The Empress Dowager and Young Master Qingfeng are feeding the Emperor his medicine," Eunuch Fu replied respectfully.

"Eunuch Fu, does the Emperor know that I am the Empress?" Leng Jie began to understand the situation.

After a moment of stunned silence, Eunuch Fu replied timidly:

"Well, Young Master Qingfeng said it would be best for you to explain this to the Emperor yourself. So this old servant dares not say anything more!"

"Eunuch Fu seems to be afraid of me?" Leng Jie said with a smile, "I beg you, please don't always pretend to be so timid. Can you call me Your Highness this and Your Highness that? I still prefer you to call me Xiao Jie or Miss, just like before."

"Your Majesty! That won't do. This old servant has offended you many times before, please forgive me!" Eunuch Fu said as he knelt down on the ground.

Leng Jie quickly reached out to support him, saying, "Seriously? Are you serious? I've already told you I don't like this kind of formality. Have you ever seen me kneel before anyone?"

Just then, a familiar, slightly sarcastic voice suddenly rang out from behind Leng Jie:

"You are the Phoenix Goddess, the Empress of Heaven's Mandate. Who in the world would dare to kneel before you?"

Leng Jie turned around abruptly, then stammered out a loud cry:

"Stone jade?"

"Your humble servant, Xuanyuan Xiuyu, pays respects to Your Majesty the Empress!" Shi Yu bowed deeply to Xiao Jie, offering a sour greeting.

"Smack!" Leng Jie slapped his head and laughed heartily:

"Are you asking for a beating, kid? Don't play dumb with me. Tell me, why are you back? Where's Xingchen? Is he back too?" At this point, Leng Jie's voice suddenly trembled, then she said with relief:

"Fortunately, I didn't expect you to retrieve the antidote. Otherwise, Xuanyuan would have..." Leng Jie couldn't help but shiver, and naturally stopped speaking.

Her expression remained completely absorbed in the wounded depths of Shi Yu's eyes.

"Xiao Jie..." Shi Yu called out sadly.

"This old servant greets Prince Ying!" Eunuch Fu had already noticed the ambiguous look in Prince Ying's eyes. He couldn't let the Emperor and Empress cause any more trouble, so he interrupted Shi Yu and urged, "Your Majesty, the Emperor is waiting for you!"

"Shi Yu, have you seen Xuanyuan since you came back? Let's go together!"

People say women become foolish once they fall in love, and it seems that's absolutely true. Even Eunuch Fu could see the pain in Shi Yu's eyes, but she, with her sharp eyes, stubbornly ignored it. Because right now, her heart and soul were completely focused on Xuanyuan.

"You go first. I need to talk to Prime Minister Leng about something," Shi Yu replied sadly.

“Yes, my father is in the middle room. He can hear you as soon as you call him.” Leng Jie pointed to her room and said, “Come to the medicine hut later and we’ll hear about your and Xingchen’s glorious deeds on the battlefield. I’ll head over now.”

After saying that, Leng Jie waved to Shi Yu and hurriedly followed Eunuch Fu towards the medicine hut. Shi Yu, his face gloomy, was left staring blankly at her retreating figure.

"Your Majesty, please go in! This old servant will prepare tea for you." As soon as they entered the medicine shed, Eunuch Fu stopped and said. He truly didn't know how to address the Empress in front of the Emperor.

"Alright!" Leng Jie replied helplessly. She'd have to face him alone sooner or later, so be it! Leng Jie mustered her strength and, like a hero going to his death, strode step by step towards the medicine hut. But her heart was already pounding wildly in rebellion.

Sixty meters seemed like a long, arduous journey, yet she suddenly wished it could stretch to sixty li (approximately 30 kilometers). That way, she would have enough time to devise a plan. But her mind was already more tangled than a jumbled mess. She couldn't think straight, her heart pounding ever harder. To prevent it from bursting out of her chest, Leng Jie pressed her hands firmly against her heart. Finally, she reached the doorway. But that small threshold became, for the first time in her life, something that filled Leng Jie with dread.

At this moment, Xuanyuan's anxious voice came from inside:

"Where's Xiaojie? Did something happen to her? Why do you all have such strange expressions when you mention her?"

"Xiao Jie treated your wound very well. This time you don't need to stay here for ten days like last time," Qingfeng replied, seemingly unrelated to the question.

"Qingfeng, what happened to Xiaojie? Is something wrong with the child?" Xuanyuan pressed for an answer.

“I’m fine, and the baby is fine too,” Leng Jie blurted out.

"Xiao Jie!"

"Xiao Jie!"

Xuanyuan and Qingfeng both turned their surprised gazes toward the doorway.

Leng Jie finally stepped across that threshold, and her heart miraculously returned to normal. It turned out it was all just her imagination playing tricks on her; she hadn't done anything heinous, so why should she feel guilty? Naturally, she asked with concern:

"Senior brother, is Xuanyuan's left arm alright?"

"Don't worry! Nothing's wrong. You did a great job. It seems I should pass on my title of miracle doctor to you," Qingfeng replied with a smile.

Leng Jie walked over and naturally sat down on the edge of Xuan Yuan's bed. She jokingly said:

"Hehe, I'm just a student who has surpassed his teacher. Aren't you afraid I'll steal your job?"

"When did Qingfeng start relying on his reputation as a divine doctor to make a living?" Xuanyuan also teased with a smile.

"By the way, how did things go with Senior Brother Beifeng? Why did you all come back so quickly? Who will be the emperor if you leave?" Leng Jie suddenly asked seriously.

Qingfeng stood up and laughed, "You've asked me so many questions all at once, how am I supposed to answer them? Besides, your senior brother hasn't slept for three days and three nights. Let me go get some sleep, and then I'll answer your questions slowly!" As he spoke, he even yawned in a cooperative manner.

This prompted Leng Jie to chuckle:

"Alright, I know you've worked hard, senior brother! Go wash up and go to bed! When you wake up, you can eat the meal that your junior sister made for you."

"Haha, that's exactly what I've been waiting for. Ever since you all left, Ying has been complaining every day that she's not getting enough to eat." Qingfeng laughed as he left the medicine hut.

"Xiao Jie, you've never cooked for me." Xuan Yuan stretched out his only movable right hand and held Xiao Jie's soft hand, complaining softly.

Leng Jie raised her eyes to meet Xuan Yuan's deep, affectionate phoenix eyes, and said with a half-smile:

"What would you like to eat, Xuanyuan? Would you like me to brew you a jar of vinegar?"

"Can Xiao Jie make vinegar?" Xuan Yuan blurted out, only to see Leng Jie burst out laughing. Realizing his mistake, and wanting to save face, he pretended not to understand and continued, "Then I'll be waiting to drink the vinegar you make, Xiao Jie."

"Hehehe, Xuanyuan, stop teasing me. I can't laugh anymore, my mother already made me laugh so hard my stomach hurts. Haha, I think if I keep laughing, my intestines will definitely get knotted up. Hehe..." Leng Jie clutched her stomach and laughed so hard she leaned into Xuanyuan's arms.