92 First Snow

◎Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am here◎

"You agreed?" Xue Ji was extremely angry when he knew about this, and started arguing with Rong Qianyu about it.

Rong Qianyu nodded, "Yes."

Xue Ji's expression changed upon hearing this. He had been tentative just now, but now that he knew she was truly going to die, he instantly flew into a rage. "Are you crazy? With your body and identity, why would you agree to this?"

The sound was so loud that Rong Pan and Qingyun who were standing outside could hear it.

"You've seen what's happened this year. Do you really want to watch people become displaced?"

Everyone could see that Fu Hua was trying to make things difficult for her, which was why she was so embarrassed. There was no need for him to fight so hard.

"What does this have to do with you!?" he demanded.

"I am the queen!" she said.

Rong Qianyu is a stubborn person. Once she makes up her mind, she won't change it easily. This time is no exception. She is even more stubborn than Xue Ji.

Xue Ji paced back and forth helplessly in the room, not knowing what to say. "The harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs. You could have stayed out of these trivial matters, but you were humiliated like this. You favored your concubine over your wife. Fu Hua deserves to be struck by lightning!"

She stood up and scolded, "This is not a trivial matter! I am the queen and it is my duty to advise!"

A trace of panic immediately crossed Xue Ji's indifferent face. He felt as if a knife was cutting into his heart. "What if you die? What should I do?"

The two of them had no essential disagreement, they were just worried about her. Xue Ji knew Rong Qianyu's physical condition very well, and she herself knew that she might not be able to kneel in the snow for a few hours, let alone kowtow and move forward in the snow in just one piece of clothing.

This is clearly murder, but when people are anxious they always speak in a bad tone to those around them, and they are no exception.

"I just don't want what happened to you to happen to others. I don't want to see more people separated from their families because they can't afford food, and even commit suicide and become eunuchs!"

“…”

Rong Qianyu was angry that Xue Ji could not understand her original intention. Xue Ji was worried about her safety and they were about to start arguing again.

"What is trivial and what is important? Family affairs, national affairs, world affairs. As the Queen, I cannot stand idly by! You've come this far with such difficulty. You too have had times when you were struggling and looked down upon. Don't you know the suffering of the common people?!"

"That's not what I meant." Xue Ji became more and more anxious as he spoke, completely losing his usual calmness.

Rong Qianyu angrily said, "There's no room for negotiation on this matter. I'll take care of it. You can come and watch the ceremony together!"

Outside the house, Qingyun was like a curious child, lying on the crack of the door and listening to the adults quarreling, always worried about who he should talk to when his parents quarreled.

"What are you looking at!" Rong Pan patted her from behind and scared him.

"Sister Pan'er, I hope the master and the queen are not in trouble!"

Rong Pan calmly shook his head, "No."

"Really?" Qingyun asked with wide eyes.

Rong Pan: "We are all miserable people, and we suffer together."

Half a month later, the first snow fell in Dazhou.

In the early morning, snowflakes were pattering in the air and the sky was foggy. After the snow, the sky cleared up and a layer of white frost covered the glazed tiles on the roof.

The snow has cleared and the sky is clear. The clouds have dispersed and the mist has dissipated. Looking up, I see the vast earth covered in white snow.

The winter sun poured down, and the corridor was covered with patches of snow. A thick layer of soft snow accumulated in half a day.

The weather turned cloudy again in the afternoon. In the gray sky, lead-gray clouds floated, hanging low and unevenly, looking heavy and depressing.

Gusts of cold air swept in, and snowflakes filled the sky, fluttering and interweaving into a white curtain, dyeing the sky and the earth white.

Rong Qianyu stood quietly in the snow for a long time, and her black coat was almost dyed white.

A gust of wind blew, and her hair fluttered slightly, trembling a little, but her expression and eyes were still sad and calm, like a sculpture.

Perhaps because of the weather, the originally bustling square is now deserted, making this cold snow fall only for one person.

She took off her heavy cloak and her clothes one by one, leaving only a thin white inner garment that blended in perfectly with the falling snow.

After taking off her clothes, she took off the hairpins on her head and placed them on her clothes one by one. At that time, the cold wind began to blow and frost and snow began to fall.

"I beg Your Majesty to reconsider and revoke your order!"

"I beg Your Majesty to reconsider and revoke your order!"

She kowtowed every three steps, then knelt, stood up, and knelt again. The snow was icy cold, and although she had barely retained some warmth at first, she was already shivering with cold after a hundred steps.

She was not in good health to begin with, and after walking for half an hour, she was almost fainting from the cold. Rong Pan really couldn't bear it, and kept putting a cloak on her, but she pushed it away in a daze.

The snow fell heavier and heavier, and from the initial thin snow, it gradually covered the surface of her shoes. The wind was cold and biting, and her hair was covered with frost. The feeling of cold quickly spread to her whole body.

The cold wind penetrated her bones, freezing her body from the inside out.

Her fingers were frozen by the cold air, each finger was frozen red, she shivered slightly, and the cold silence filled the air around her, emitting an unbearable coldness.

Although he couldn't bear it physically, he still struggled to get up, knelt down, and kowtowed, repeating the words, "Your Majesty, please reconsider and revoke your order."

She is from the south and is not used to this kind of weather. She gets sick every winter and spring, and now she has to walk in the snow without any clothes.

When she eloped and was caught by Xue Ji, she was almost frozen to death, not to mention the current situation.

Her survival instinct made her try to rub her arms with both hands, but no matter how hard she tried, the cold still deeply eroded her body.

Occasionally, palace maids would pass by and avoid her when they saw her. Everyone knew that this was His Majesty humiliating the Queen. Seeing her frail and crawling in the snow, it was inevitable that they felt a little distressed. Why should the Queen of a country be so embarrassed?

She was feeling dizzy at the moment. If Rong Pan hadn't been by her side, she would have frozen to death in the snow and ice.

She slowed down, the cold ground froze her knees, and she had to rely on someone to help her stand up.

"I beg Your Majesty to reconsider and revoke your decision!" After saying this, she suddenly fell down.

"Your Highness, Your Highness!" Rong Pan hurriedly gave her the extra cloak he was wearing and knelt down to beg her, "Your Highness, that's enough. You can't bow anymore."

"How far is it?" Rong Qianyu opened her eyes slightly in a daze, as if she would faint at any time.

Rong Pan cried out in distress. The sun was setting and it was getting dark. Her face was already red from the cold. "There's still more than half left... Don't pray anymore..."

"Your Majesty..." She tried to get up, but her body was stiff and she had no strength left. "Your Majesty, please..."

He fainted before he could finish his words.

"Empress, Your Highness, Your Highness!!" Rong Pan's hands were also frozen, and he kept rubbing Rong Qianyu's body, trying to warm her up.

This is a contest between her and Fu Hua, and Rong Qianyu will definitely not admit defeat easily.

She lay in Rong Pan's arms and murmured to herself, "Your Majesty, please take back... take back your order..."

A minister passing by was also extremely surprised when he saw the two people in the snow. He never thought that Rong Qianyu, a woman, would actually come to petition.

"That's the Queen, right? I really want to pay my respects to her!"

Another minister sighed helplessly, "Your Majesty is clearly trying to make things difficult for the Empress."

The minister next to him was about to step forward but was stopped by another one, "What are you doing!"

"People are freezing to death!"

He hurriedly pulled the person away and said, "This is a matter between His Majesty and His Majesty. It's not for you and me to interfere. Go away and stop looking."

Rong Pan had no choice but to cry until her tears froze her skin. "Your Highness, let's go back!"

She was still dazed, her breath was weak, and she slowly said a few words, "Wait for me... to get up..."

The heavy snow seemed to be about to bury the two of them. If she continued to kneel, she would die.

As the sun set, the corridors in the palace were lit one after another, and servants came and went without anyone daring to interfere.

Xue Ji knew that she was going to kneel in all the six palaces today, so in order to avoid suspicion, she never showed up, but asked Qingyun to spread the news.

Arrived at the Huangji Palace, arrived...

To be frank, the last time he went to stop her was just for fun. This time was different. He also knew the danger this time, and staying in the Imperial Household Department was like an ant on the hot pan.

He was extremely anxious and didn't care about anything else. He went out without even opening an umbrella and saw a thin figure on the snow from a distance.

He rushed forward, and the scene in front of him made him feel distressed. Rong Qianyu was lying in Rong Pan's arms, her lips were frozen purple, the ends of her hair were frozen, her hands were red and swollen, and her shoes and socks were already soaked.

He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms. Anger and heartache intertwined together. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he forced himself not to let them fall.

He choked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am here!"

Rong Panpan received reinforcements and couldn't help crying, "Master Xue, His Highness is not well!"

Xue Ji rubbed his hands and touched her forehead. "You have a fever," he angrily scolded her, "You are so stubborn that you want to kill yourself!"

Rong Qianyu smelled the scent of spices on Xue Ji's body. She opened her eyes in a trance, and her eyelashes were covered with frost. Before she could finish the word "Xue... Ji...", she closed her eyes completely and fell asleep.

Xue Ji took off his cloak and put it on her, wrapping her up like a dumpling, and carried her back to Fengyi Palace in full view of everyone.

There were many eunuchs and palace maids along the way, but he didn't care. He was only worried about the person in his arms and only wished he could fly back.

In the past, he would never lose his mind like this for one person, but now it seems that true love is at the top of his mind and he is being manipulated by this person.

I can't care about anything except avoiding suspicion.

After settling Rong Qianyu, the spy sent by Fu Hua also told him about this matter.

He was wearing only a single layer of clothing, staying in a room full of underground heating, eating watermelons stored in the ice cellar during the summer to quench his thirst. "He fell ill. He collapsed after kneeling for so long?"

The young eunuch replied, "It's cold, and the Empress is wearing only a thin layer of clothing. She knelt in the snow for two or three hours. Really..."

"Is the illness serious?" Fu Hua asked indifferently while eating watermelon.

"The imperial physicians are all in Fengyi Palace. I heard the fever won't subside. It looks very serious."

"Then let her move to the temporary palace. Don't let her die in the palace. It's unlucky." After saying this, he suddenly felt that it was not a good idea to say so. It would be too cruel to his wife. He added, "If she doesn't die, let her come back after the new year."

"What about His Majesty's decree?"

"Of course I'll cancel it. How can I argue with a dying person?"

The young eunuch bowed his head, "Your Majesty is wise."

"Did Xue Ji carry her back?"

"yes."

Fu Hua pondered for a moment, "Then let Master Xue accompany the Queen to the temporary palace, and don't worry about the palace affairs for now."

This way he could have some peace and quiet for a few months and sleep well without having to see Rong Qianyu's face.

"Wouldn't that just make the rumors in the palace even more..."

Fu Hua didn't care about this. His mind and eyes were full of Cui Rumei's belly. He didn't want to care about anything else. "I don't care to see her anyway. As long as I can control her, she can be ridden by anyone."