Chapter 94: Start of Winter (3)

Chapter 94: Start of Winter (3)

It was indeed a good idea to bestow an imperial favor upon the Empress's mother—it was the greatest affirmation of the Empress herself.

Yingming knew that he wanted to elevate the Qi family and also show goodwill towards her mother. He was a straightforward man who didn't know how to please his mother-in-law, so he decided to confer a title on her directly. However, while it was easy to issue an imperial decree, there were also many hidden dangers.

She sat on the footrest, her hands clasping his calves as she gently massaged them. She said, "It's not good for everything to happen at once. The Xue family has just been turned upside down, and we're about to get married. Many eyes are watching the Qi family right now. If my mother is bestowed a title at this critical juncture, it will be too much honor. Listen to me, too much good fortune can easily lead to disaster. It's better to have a steady stream of blessings than to have them all at once. Furthermore, our Fu Jin holds the rank of First Class Imperial Noble Consort. If you bestow another title on my birth mother, it would put the primary and secondary consorts on equal footing. What would the Fu Jin think? My grandmother never cared about these empty titles. She had no rank before, but she still lived well. Our family has been harmonious for the past twenty years. There's no need to stir things up and cause chaos. What do you think?"

The Emperor listened to her speak in such a gentle manner, full of wisdom and propriety. No wonder the Empress Dowager had praised her. She was different from those who fought over every little thing, fearing to fall behind others. She didn't demand the stars and the moon just because she was currently favored. Indeed, good fortune could not be used too much; it needed to be spread out. Like burning firewood on a cold night, if one threw it all in for temporary warmth, how could they last until dawn? One must slowly add more wood, ensuring it didn't get too hot or run out later on. That was the best way.

The Emperor looked down at her, his gaze falling on her delicate hands as they carefully kneaded through his trousers. Every touch landed on his heart. Suddenly, he discovered her irresistible charm beyond her mischief—a clear mind when facing major issues. When Xue Shangzhang's matter arose, she locked herself in the room and cried. When Hai Tang delivered the news to him, he felt a moment of helplessness, fearing she wouldn't understand his predicament. Before rushing to comfort her, he even prepared himself for a possible tantrum. But it didn't happen. She said, "When you came in to talk to me, I knew I shouldn't cry anymore." It wasn't because she was afraid or compromising, but because she understood what was important. Such a girl, why did he waste so long before falling in love with her? Now, thinking back, he had wasted too much time, it was truly regrettable.

He agreed, "I'll do as you wish." He reached out to touch her cheek, then tucked the hair that had fallen beside her cheek behind her ear.

She was probably surprised, wondering why someone who usually barked orders would suddenly have such gentle gestures. So she raised her large, deer-like eyes and looked at him curiously.

One looking up, the other looking down, their gazes met. This meeting sparked lightning, a shocking sensation.

Yingming felt embarrassed, but also captivated, unable to extricate herself from it. Perhaps girls perceived love more strongly than men. She didn't know what he was thinking, but right now, she thought everything about him was perfect, even his domineeringness and lack of romance had its unique charm.

This person had incredibly beautiful eyes. His long eyelashes drooped slightly, his pupils like a misty landscape, reserved yet vast. She had never seen such eyes before. They were arrogant without anger, and peaceful with the most exquisite gentleness. As long as he didn't open his mouth, everything was impeccable.

But who could stop him from speaking? After staring at her for a long time, he suddenly said, "Empress, are your eyeballs bigger than others? Those pupils look like pigeon eggs. Could it be that you have double pupils?"

Pigeon egg-sized pupils, wouldn't they fill up the entire eye socket? Yingming smiled without joy. "Are you trying to make me uncomfortable? I'm not Li Houzhu, what double pupils? It's quite scary."

He asked if that was true, clearly not believing it. A hand quietly reached over and pinched her chin, as if ready to study her closely.

Forced to raise her face high, Yingming forgot her actions. He lowered his head, almost face-to-face with her. Two people, four pupils, stared straight at each other. Yingming said, "The golden ring in your eyes is really beautiful."

The Emperor apparently didn't care about his own beauty. He hummed. "Our ancestors had Sibe and Xianbei blood, and the direct descendants all have golden rings in their eyes. It's nothing special." But she, her eyes held a vast and profound sea. He had only just discovered that human eyes could be so beautiful.

Because he looked too closely, he couldn't help but lean closer. When their breaths touched, every inhale and exhale was abnormally clear. Suddenly, he realized how ambiguous this position was, so ambiguous that it almost set him ablaze. His gaze slowly moved down from her eyes to her lips... These red lips were fresh and inviting, and he began to feel a stirring desire. He wanted to kiss her. In the years since, the palace had filled with many concubines, some of whom had given birth after his visits, but he had never wanted to kiss a woman. Mouth-to-mouth kissing, such an intimate act, could only be done with the person he liked the most. Although those concubines were all sickeningly fragrant, he didn't love them, and the process of visiting them was half-hearted. It was more about reproduction than enjoyment, a primitive mission that served the greater good rather than him personally.

But now he had met the right person. Things he previously found unacceptable suddenly became a powerful longing. He felt he wanted to do this. Their wedding was the day after tomorrow. To avoid making her panic during the ceremony, practicing now seemed acceptable...

His hand, holding her delicate jaw, was treated with great care, as if holding a delicate porcelain. It was the first time he planned to kiss someone. His mind had made up to do it, but the process from plan to action was relatively long.

Yingming remembered the "bottom-of-the-box" her mother had brought earlier. The album recorded various soul-stirring postures in detail. She vaguely had a premonition that this foolish tyrant was going to kiss her.

She hadn't rinsed her mouth after eating candied fruit, leaving a faint sweetness between her teeth and cheeks. If they kissed now, it would be quite awkward! Her mind was in a mess, but if he came at her fiercely and acted immediately, she could only submit.

In fact, she was still eager for him to take action. When she liked someone, she felt it was never enough to be entangled with them. If he acted rashly now, she wouldn't blame him. So she waited with her face raised, but her neck grew sore waiting for any sign from him. She became impatient and glanced at him. His expression was blank. She began to doubt if she was overthinking it. Frustrated, she reached out and picked up the round fan on the cushion.

Every time the Emperor made a major decision, he needed to carefully and prudently build up his emotions. Finally, when he was almost ready, he was about to kiss those plump red lips when a fan suddenly rose between their faces, completely disrupting his carefully rehearsed plan. The image of her face behind the silk gauze became blurred and soft. She told him it was time for him to leave. "Their banquet should be over soon. If you don't leave now, you'll have to hide in the cabinet for the night. Your legs will be finished then, and you won't be able to consummate the marriage the day after tomorrow."

The first few sentences weren't very intimidating, but the last sentence was a fatal blow. He immediately stood up. "Indeed, I've been here for a while. It's time to go back." Urgently, he walked towards the door. After a few steps, he stopped and looked back at her. Seeing her sitting on the footrest without moving, he asked curiously, "Aren't you going to see Me off?"

Yingming had no choice but to get up and escort him. Although the courtyard was currently empty, there was no telling if someone might barge in recklessly. If they caught them together, and someone who hadn't seen the Emperor shouted out, it would be disastrous.

"You follow me, I'll clear the way for you," she said, patting her chest. She strode out of the threshold. Standing outside, she looked around and saw no one moving. Only then did she turn back and wave him over, leading him towards the east wall.

The broken banana leaf lay pitifully on the ground, a testament to the Emperor's misfortune. Yingming smiled at him. "Your luck is pretty good. Good thing it wasn't a cactus here."

This assumption made his legs ache. The Emperor glanced at her indifferently. "Rest assured, I never suffer in silence."

After saying that, he lightly leaped over the wall without even saying goodbye, and left just like that. Yingming looked at the wall mournfully. Was there a man less romantic than him in this world? She actually didn't like him because of his tyranny, which was strange. Originally, the type of person she admired wasn't like this. Was this hitting rock bottom? It seemed that a woman's perspective and her environment were crucial. If she had met him outside the palace, there would have been no possibility of anything happening besides passing by!

On the other side, the Emperor unleashed a merciless attack on his younger brother-in-law. He looked kindly at Magnolia officinalis. "Do you know that there's a banana tree on the other side of the courtyard wall?"

Magnolia officinalis blinked his honest eyes, exuding a rustic simplicity. He said, "Ah, how could I forget that! Please forgive me, Your Majesty. It's mainly because the rules at home are strict. I wasn't allowed to wander into my sister's courtyard after I turned eight. You see, five years ago, that banana tree was only as tall as my calf... You can't blame me for this, can you?"

The Emperor chuckled. Indeed, they were Na Xin's children, one more skilled than the other at smoothing things over. This kid was clearly dissatisfied with being arranged a marriage at such a young age, hence intentionally causing trouble. The Qi siblings were indeed born of the same mother. On the surface, they pretended to be simpletons, but in reality, they were full of mischief. Did they think he didn't know?

The Emperor slowly undid his buttons, took off his yellow coat, and threw it to San Qing. Before getting into the carriage, he turned and smiled at Magnolia officinalis. "You've done well today. I'm your brother-in-law, I can't just be happy myself and forget about you." Saying this, he instructed De Lu, "Find the Astronomer Royal tomorrow and arrange a good date for the Duke of the State and Lady Tong Er. The Empress Dowager originally said they were too young and should wait two more years, but I think striking while the iron is hot is better. Getting married early means taking up official duties early, which is a good thing for the Duke of the State."

De Lu responded with a "Yes," seeing Magnolia officinalis frozen in place. He hurriedly bowed and said, "Duke of the State, aren't you thanking the Emperor?" He said, "The Emperor has thought of everything for you. Looking throughout the entire Great Britain, who has such good fortune as you?"

Magnolia officinalis came to his senses and swept his sleeves, kneeling slightly to say, "This slave thanks the Emperor for his boundless grace."

The Emperor lifted his finger and smiled meaningfully. He thought, brat, your retribution has come. You haven't even grown any feathers, let's see how you consummate the marriage!

After sending off the Emperor, Magnolia officinalis staggered back to the front courtyard. His mother was looking for him everywhere. Seeing him, she pulled a face and scolded, "Where have you been wild tonight?"

The Duke of the State was too upset to speak. After a long while, he gave his mother a bow. "Grandmother, congratulations. Your daughter is getting married the day after tomorrow, and your son will also be getting married under imperial command at most next month. Are you happy?" This completely stunned the secondary consort.

With two children getting married in quick succession, the Qi family was thrown into chaos. Duke Na had previously been able to manage his affairs smoothly, but now he was so busy that he couldn't handle everything.

While they were bustling about, the Xue family was deserted. Three members of the family had died this year, and those who had previously relied on the Xue family dared not associate with them anymore. Everyone in the court was on edge, and the Emperor's wedding could not dispel the pervasive fear in the capital.

The white candles in the mourning hall trembled. After lighting incense, Empress Xue came out and happened to see her second son, Fuko, entering through the waist gate.

Fuko came forward and called out to his mother, Enie. With a troubled expression, he shook his head and said, "I went to several houses, but I couldn't even see anyone, let alone discuss matters. When the wall falls, everyone pushes. They all say the Xue family is in decline, who would want to get involved in this mess!"

Empress Xue's face became even more frighteningly pale. "What can we do? Doesn't anyone know where the third son is?"

The Xue family had three sons. The eldest was dead, and his body was buried on the spot. Only the armor he wore at the time was sent back, which was already the greatest favor. The third son also went to war, but he led the reserve troops of the three banners on another route. His life and death were unknown now. Fuko had searched everywhere but received no news of him. Actually, if one thought about it carefully, there was no need to inquire widely. Most likely, the outcome was grim. If Fuko hadn't stayed in the capital, he would probably be gone by now.

To reassure his mother, Fuko said, "Mother, don't worry. Your son will look for people from the Jian Rui Camp again. Duolong is Third Brother's childhood friend. He's likely willing to help find out some information."

However, his mother weakly waved her hand. "We're worse than the plague right now. Who in this world likes us? There's no need to look for this person or that person. They're all the same. Haven't we had enough of closed doors?" She paused and asked, "How is the Qi family now?"

At the mention of the Qi family, Fuko was filled with indignation. "Na Xin is so proud now. His daughter has become the Empress, and they're starting to arrange the marriage of their second son. This old bastard, wasn't he just Father's dog before? He dared not go west when told to go east. Now, he's risen from a dung beetle to a bird, soaring high in the sky. He doesn't see anyone else. Father has encountered such a big incident, but he hasn't even shown his face. Does he think his wealth and status are firmly established?"

Empress Xue snorted. "His daughter becoming the Empress was recommended by us. She filled the vacancy left by our aunt. What's so great about that? A secondary Empress, walking through the Qianqing Gate... Hmph, flowers don't bloom for a hundred days, how long can she be proud for? As for Na Xin's destiny, I calculated it long ago. His death is imminent, but he doesn't even know it."

Fuko guessed that his mother had a plan and hesitated to ask, "Mother, how do you intend to deal with it?"

Empress Xue's gaze fell on the clouds in the distance, murmuring, "This new Duke of the State is eager to establish military merit. The court is rectifying the banner system, and he eagerly proposed a list of those receiving pay for nonexistent soldiers, offending a sea of elders. Right now, when he's in the limelight, everyone is enduring it. But wait two more months, and you'll see. I really don't believe that they won't bring him down.

Foge still wasn't confident. "Although we have the accounts in hand, they concern Father's reputation. It might not be appropriate to bring them out."

Indeed, the weakness lay here. The young emperor was meticulous in his thoughts and had secretly dealt with the duke, yet the Xue family's meritorious service remained intact. On the day of the duke's coffin's entry into the capital, he even bestowed the grace of enshrinement in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, thus appeasing the Xue faction while setting an example for the whole world of repaying grievances with virtue. It was truly well done! Now, if they wanted to move against Na Xin, to preserve the honor after the duke's death, they would first need to clean up the Xue family. Consort Xue sneered. "The number of Na Xin's corrupt accounts is uncountable. During the previous disaster relief and flood control, how much silver flowed into his pockets? Just taking one or two pieces of evidence to those banner lords who hold the standards for impeachment would be enough to cost him his head. Once the Qi family is finished, the Empress Dowager will also fall from power. I don't believe that a queen without her family can stand her ground. Even if the Emperor can tolerate her, the old mistresses of the harem probably won't."

So who could they blame for this? When one acted too ruthlessly, didn't they inevitably end up in such a situation? Yingming did send condolences, but now, maintaining her status, she didn't even come to pour a cup of wine in remembrance, acting like a goddaughter who merely contributed a portion of the funeral expenses, writing a couplet of mourning, which was considered proper etiquette?

Consort Xue had the silver taken outside and distributed to beggars, while the pair of mourning couplets were burned in the fire basin in front of the spirit tablet. Staring at the blue flames, she gritted her teeth and said, "Old man, this is the Empress's heartfelt sentiment. I'm afraid you couldn't see it, so I specially sent it to you for your perusal."

Yingming could only sigh when she heard about it. She told her secondary consort, "I've shown my respect. If she doesn't appreciate it, there's nothing I can do. Last time she came to the palace, I advised her, but unfortunately, she wouldn't listen. With the Xue family still having offspring, if things continue like this, they're likely to uproot that seedling as well."

The secondary consort was busy beautifying her, applying a layer of powder to her temples and hairline, twisting the silk thread in her hand. "Great compassion does not save those who cut themselves off from others. Today is your happy day, why bother with all that! Remember my words, the most important thing is harmony between husband and wife. No matter how great the difficulty, as long as the master cares for you, you can survive. Remember that?"

Before Yingming could respond, the secondary consort's thread swept across her face like autumn wind sweeping away leaves, causing her to shed tears from the pain.