Chapter 68 My wife is safe every year

On a late evening at the end of the year, the streets of the capital were bustling with activity. Many young men and women from wealthy families would go out together. So, under a bright lamp not far away, stood two young men of similar stature.

—It was Meng Hanzhou, the heir apparent of the Duke of Wei, and his friend Lin Su, the son of the Minister of Revenue.

Initially, Meng Hanzhou accompanied his younger sister Meng Jingqiu on the outing. Meng Jingqiu had invited several familiar young ladies to play together, and Xie Mengjun from the Xie family arrived a little late.

The girls were all beautiful, dressed in brightly colored long dresses and draped in fluffy cloaks. Their cheeks were slightly flushed from the cool breeze, but their eyes were filled with joy and their smiles were bright. They huddled together, one holding a pretty little lantern, another holding a small dough figurine, and yet another carrying a bright red candied hawthorn. They walked together, looking very happy.

Meng Hanzhou, as the elder brother, originally only wanted to escort his younger sister on her trip, while his friend Lin Su, who was bored at home, decided to join in the fun.

After seeing his younger sister Meng Jingqiu meet up with her friends, Meng Hanzhou instructed the maids and guards who accompanied him, and then, as the elder brother, made sure they were settled in properly. Only then did he and Lin Su move a few steps away, so as not to disturb the girls' evening outing.

Meng Hanzhou and Lin Su were both men and had little interest in the little commotion on the street, so they simply followed the flow of people.

After taking only a few steps, Lin Su, who was looking around, suddenly paused and quickly distanced himself from Meng Hanzhou.

At first, Meng Hanzhou didn't notice, until he took four or five steps and couldn't see his friend beside him. He turned around and saw Lin Su standing there like a big, silly guy, tilting his head and staring intently at something.

"What is this kid looking at?"

After all the turmoil this year, Meng Hanzhou seems to have suddenly matured since the Emperor and Empress's wedding. The youthful handsomeness in his eyes has slightly faded, replaced by a different kind of ruggedness. In addition, his recent dedication to military training in the suburbs of Beijing has made him even more dignified and mature.

Seeing that Lin Su hadn't followed for a long time, Meng Hanzhou simply walked over. He was about to ask his friend what he had seen that made him unable to move, but as soon as he followed Lin Su's gaze, he froze in place.

—Forget about walking, at that moment Meng Hanzhou even forgot how to breathe.

Across the bustling street stood two figures, one tall and the other graceful, dressed like an ordinary wealthy couple, standing side by side in front of a small shop.

But Meng Hanzhou would never mistake them; they were clearly the current emperor and... the empress.

"...Mrs. Wen."

The barely audible call fell into Meng Hanzhou's mouth unconsciously, but he quickly suppressed it. He was unable to come back to his senses for a long time. It was Lin Su who first noticed that his friend had returned. He hurriedly came to his senses and whispered, "It's His Majesty and the Empress."

“I saw it.”

Meng Hanzhou responded softly, but his gaze seemed glued to the Empress, unable to look away.

He held no official position whatsoever. Even when he was occasionally invited to palace banquets by the Duke of Wei as a member of the family, he was kept several meters away from the main hall and high platform due to seating arrangements. In addition, the beaded curtains and gauze drapes erected by the emperor on the high platform made it impossible for him to see even a glimpse of the empress, no matter how hard he stared.

It can be said that since the Emperor and Empress's wedding, he has never had a chance to properly see Lady Wen, whom he once admired.

A bitter feeling suffocated Meng Hanzhou, making it hard for him to breathe. At the same time, he heard his friend beside him murmur:

“I used to think that it was common for members of the imperial family to have three palaces and six courtyards. Even Emperor Jin, who was most praised by the people for his deep affection and devotion to Empress Lian, did not lack other concubines in his harem... No matter how much Emperor Jin loved Empress Lian, he would still have children with other concubines…”

Upon hearing this, Meng Hanzhou frowned and said, "Wenfu...the Empress is not from the Lian family, His Majesty..."

He paused, suppressing his jealousy and helplessness, and had to praise the man he could never surpass in his entire life, "Your Majesty is not the Emperor of Jin."

"Of course I know, I was just expressing my feelings."

Lin Su was not as diligent in practicing martial arts as Meng Hanzhou, and his face still had some youthful features. He shook his head and sighed, "Even my parents have never gone out together like this."

There is no doubt that Minister Lin loves his mother dearly, but that does not prevent him from also liking his concubines. He would not refuse a beautiful woman given to him by his superiors, nor would he offend his wife because of his concubines.

Such family structures were the most common among the powerful families and officials of the Great Chu. On the contrary, a family like Xie Jingxuan, who had only one wife, was considered an "anomaly".

Now, among these "outliers" has been added Emperor Qianyuan, whose harem consisted of only one empress.

Meng Hanzhou knew what Lin Su was thinking. He pursed his lips and remained silent, his mind a jumble of thoughts, yet his gaze couldn't help but linger on the street across the street—

His Majesty and the Empress look very well-matched.

His Majesty's face was stern and cold, and he did not smile; His Majesty's smile was gentle and her expression was relaxed.

His Majesty is tall and imposing, able to shield His Majesty from the crowds around them, and able to hold her protectively in his arms; His Majesty has gentle features and sparkling eyes. When she sees something she likes, she will tug at His Majesty's sleeve to look at it together. When she eats her favorite food, she will tilt her head and raise her arm to feed His Majesty a bite, then smile softly, as if asking His Majesty how it tastes...

Meng Hanzhou suddenly thought somewhat disrespectfully that if he were the emperor, and if he could meet someone like Madam Wen, even with three thousand concubines in the harem, he would only want the Empress.

It's just a pity...

The noise on the street did not bring Meng Hanzhou back to his senses. What truly brought him back to reality was a sharp, terrifying gaze that seemed capable of piercing through his body and bones.

Meng Hanzhou felt a chill run down his spine instantly.

In his daze, he realized that across the crowd, the current emperor, who was dressed incognito and had just left the palace, was coldly staring at him with a gloomy look in his eyes, full of warning.

That look was like a demon crawling out of purgatory.

After a brief eye contact, Meng Hanzhou broke out in a few beads of cold sweat. He grabbed Lin Su's forearm and pulled him back into the crowd, only then realizing that his back was already soaked.

The oblivious Lin Su was unaware of this turn of events. Seeing Meng Hanzhou walking forward with his head down, he assumed that the Empress had stirred up his friend's painful memories, so he followed after him, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Never mind, never mind, I'll go have a drink with you today, we won't leave until we're drunk!"

Meng Hanzhou and Lin Su hurriedly disappeared into the crowd, while Wen Miao turned her head and saw Emperor Qian Yuan staring coldly at something across the crowd.

"What are you looking at?"

Wen Miao asked without paying much attention. She looked in the same direction as the emperor and saw many figures in the distance, all intertwined and indistinct.

Ji Huan withdrew her gaze, as if asserting ownership, and firmly grasped Wen Miao's hand, whispering a lie: "Look at the lanterns over there."

He didn't want to mention those irrelevant people in front of Miaomiao.

"Lanterns?"

Wen Miao looked closely and noticed a small shop across the street with many cute and childlike lanterns hanging on it, but they were obviously styles that only children would like.

Ji Huan said softly, "Madam, I have never had that thing."

He knew Wen Miao was soft-hearted, so he deliberately said that.

Wen Miao's fingertips trembled slightly. She might know that Emperor Qian Yuan was deliberately feigning pitifulness at this moment, but she was born with a soft heart, especially after learning about the emperor's childhood experience in the cold palace, she couldn't help but feel a surge of maternal instinct.

Her ears were slightly flushed, and she squeezed the emperor's hand that was holding hers, and said softly, "Then I'll buy you a lantern?"

Ji Huan readily agreed and added, "Madam, I would like a rabbit lantern."

Why choose a rabbit?

Rabbits are small and cute, and they don't seem to match Ji Huan's tall and imposing figure at all. She thought Ji Huan would choose something like a tiger.

Ji Huan: "Your wife was born in the Year of the Rabbit."

He then chose the rabbit.

His choices are always closely related to Wen Miao.

The answer didn't sound like it contained any overly sweet or cloying words, but it still made Wen Miao's cheeks flush. She and Emperor Qian Yuan walked through the crowd to the other side of the street and paused for a moment in front of the small shop selling paintings.

When the two walked side by side on the road again, the man in the light green robe was carrying an adorable, snow-white rabbit lantern with red eyes; while the beautiful woman beside him, with her plump figure, was holding a majestic dog lantern.

Yes, because Emperor Qian Yuan was born in the year of the Big Wolf Dog.

...

Afterwards, because Wen Miao became interested, Emperor Qian Yuan accompanied her to the shop managed by Qiu Shisan Niang and Li Zhu.

Before this, Wen Miao had never met Qiu Shisan Niang. Even the matter of selling soap was ordered by Emperor Qian Yuan, and his subordinates carried it out.

Wen Miao had heard that Qiu Shisan Niang and Li Zhu were in charge of this matter, and she also knew that the two belonged to the Cheng Ying Guard. Although Shi Cui and Wan Bi had also been members of the Cheng Ying Guard before, they mostly operated in the capital, and their understanding of the two was limited to the surface.

For example, Qiu Shisan Niang used to be a prostitute and had killed people. Later, she was recruited by Cheng Ying Wei and is good at disguise and dealing with people. Li Zhu has a scar on his face and his origins are unknown, but he is good at swordsmanship and looks like a person from the martial arts world.

Only now, after actually seeing her, does Wen Miao realize that Qiu Shisan Niang is an exceptionally beautiful woman, roughly the same age as her, with delicate features and an extremely charming demeanor.

Such beauty, if possessed by any impoverished woman, would only become a deadly poison. Thus, Qiu Shisan Niang was sold to a brothel by her parents, who could not afford to raise their youngest son.

They made the decision hastily without even hesitating for a few days.

So, a youthful and clean body and a beautiful and delicate face were exchanged by that heartless couple for thirteen taels of silver from the matchmaker. They then took their youngest son and left for distant lands, completely severing ties with their daughter.

They felt ashamed before their ancestors and were afraid that Qiu Shisan Niang, who had fallen into prostitution, would bring shame upon them!

Qiu Shisan Niang couldn't remember how much suffering she had endured before. At first, she thought of escaping, but later she was so afraid of being beaten that she became obedient and decided to sell her smiles. Perhaps if she worked hard, she could save some money to redeem herself.

However, later on, perhaps her luck turned around, and Qiu Shisan Niang met a man who admired her.

The man was an honest, single farmer who didn't mind her background. He even said he wanted to marry her and would only be good to her for the rest of his life. Qiu Shisan Niang was moved and used most of her savings, plus the man's half a string of copper coins, to redeem herself.

She went back to the village with the man, hastily put on her veil, and got married. Only after the marriage did she learn that the man was impotent.

But Qiu Shisan Niang didn't mind. She remembered the man's words that he would treat her well, so she wanted to live a good life and start over. During the day, she helped with farming, cooking, and housework. At night, she embroidered and sold her work in the county to supplement her family's income. Although it was tiring, it was fulfilling and gave her hope for the future.

Qiu Shisan Niang never imagined that the man was actually a living, breathing bastard!

Unable to be a real man himself, he resorted to dirty tricks to bully the little girl next door who had been brainwashed by a fever when she was young. His once honest and kind face was now stained with a ferocious red, making him look terrifying. He even coaxed and begged her not to tell anyone, saying that they were husband and wife, that they were one, and that they should stand together through thick and thin.

But she was just a silly girl who didn't know anything!

She was clumsy and didn't speak very well. She was often beaten and scolded by her older brother and sister-in-law. No one gave her food, so she went hungry and became very thin. But when she saw Qiu Shisan Niang, she would smile and share half of the dry biscuits that she had picked up and that others didn't want with Qiu Shisan Niang.

The silly girl would carefully pat Qiu Shisan Niang's arm, stammering as if learning to speak, praising her beauty, and pinning fresh wildflowers from the roadside into her hair.

Qiu Shisan Niang was illiterate and had worked in the brothel herself. She saw the man's torn sleeve and heard the girl's sobbing. She tried to stop him, but the man kicked her to the ground, causing her to bleed profusely.

The man, who was impotent, completely exposed his hideous side. He beat Qiu Shisan Niang while cursing her. The silly girl next to her, who was crying and sobbing, rushed up to help her, but was grabbed by the man and forced down again.

At that moment, Qiu Shisan Niang didn't know where she got the strength. She touched the wood-chopping knife lying on the ground, picked it up and rushed over. When she came to her senses, the man was already dead, and she was covered in blood. The silly girl, who was clumsy and stupid, hugged her and cried.

What happened next was like a chaotic dream. Qiu Shisan Niang was taken away by the county soldiers and thrown into prison, while the silly girl was driven out of the house by her brother and sister-in-law and had nowhere to go.

The laws of the Great Chu state that a husband who kills his wife shall be punished with fifty strokes of the cane, and a wife who kills her husband shall be beheaded.

The simple-minded girl couldn't speak clearly and couldn't defend Qiu Shisan Niang; the magistrate saw that the dead man was a farmer and the murderer was a former prostitute, so he hastily dealt with the matter, ignoring the complicated details, and directly sentenced Qiu Shisan Niang to death.

She thought she was doomed, but unexpectedly, the Cheng Ying Guard came to her door. The man asked her if she wanted to live or die. Of course, Qiu Shisan Niang wanted to live! Even in the most bitter time of her life, she never thought of using death to escape!

"...At that time, I didn't know what the Shadow Guard was. I just thought that I would listen to whoever could keep me alive. I never imagined that they would be people under the current emperor's command!"

At this point, Qiu Shisan Niang revealed a radiant smile, without a trace of gloom.

She exclaimed with delight, "Heavens know, back then the highest official I ever saw was a county magistrate! I never imagined I'd one day be working under the emperor! How could I not feel proud?"

Wen Miao's eyelashes trembled. Her gaze toward Qiu Shisan Niang was gentle and peaceful, without any pity in her eyes, but rather a tenderness that softened people's hearts.

In the shop's front hall, Li Zhu was reporting to Emperor Qian Yuan on the various matters concerning their trip outside the capital.

In the backyard of the shop, Qiu Shisan Niang, who had finally met the Empress, had drunk a few sips of wine earlier. Perhaps because of Wen Miao's approachable manner, she couldn't help but ramble on and on.

When she came to her senses, Qiu Shisan Niang was afraid that the Empress would think she was dirty, and she hurriedly tried to make amends, but she saw an exceptionally soft look in the Empress's eyes.

It is both a pity for what she has gone through and an admiration for her resilience.

Qiu Shisan Niang slowly wiped the smile from her face and said somewhat hesitantly to Wen Miao, "Actually, I'm doing quite well. After becoming a Cheng Ying Guard, I learned many skills. Later, I even bought a house and raised that silly girl. Now she's like my sister. She's even learned to speak, though she's a bit slow to react. She can already do her own laundry and cook..."

Wen Miao smiled and said, "Thirteen Sister, you're amazing."

If she were the one suffering these hardships, Wen Miao thought she would be far from being able to do what Qiu Shisan Niang did.

Qiu Shisan Niang blushed when praised by the Empress. She and the Empress should be about the same age, but for some reason, the Empress always had a gentle, maternal older sister aura about her. She liked her at first sight and wanted to get close to her after the first words they exchanged.

Your Majesty is so kind!

Your Majesty is so blessed! How could you have married such a wonderful wife as the Empress!

Oh, it's such a shame she's not a strong, healthy man!

After finishing her wine, Qiu Shisan Niang, her face flushed, leaned over to continue chatting with the gentle Empress.

She liked the Empress's peaceful and natural attitude towards her. The Empress did not look down on her because of her past lowly status, nor did she pity her excessively because of her experiences. The Empress also knew a lot. Her words were gentle and calm but very powerful, which made Qiu Shisan Niang's heart tremble. She wished she could go back to the palace with the Empress!

As Emperor Qianyuan listened to Li Zhu's report on various matters outside the capital, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He narrowed his eyes and looked through the curtain towards the backyard, where he saw his empress being entangled with someone. The two were very close, as if they were whispering something to each other.

Ji Huan's expression hardened slightly. He wanted to get up and stop her, but when he caught a glimpse of Wen Miao's gentle smile out of the corner of his eye, he finally suppressed his impulse and continued to listen to his subordinate's report with a feeling of frustration.

Li Zhu had no idea what the emperor was thinking in that brief moment; he just felt a strange chill run down his spine.

Strange, is that murderous intent?

...

Wen Miao stayed in this shop located on the most bustling street in the capital for a long time. She looked at the decorations that Qiu Shisan Niang was in charge of, the soaps that had been made recently, and the large batch of orders that had been presented to her.

It is obvious that soap is very popular among the people of the capital. In fact, with the help of caravans, this kind of cleaning product has already been circulated outside of the Great Chu, bringing in a steady stream of money and forming an astonishing figure.

Before Emperor Qianyuan, there were many powerful families and merchants. They were not short of money, liked to indulge in refined pursuits and enjoy leisure activities, and were naturally the most willing to spend money on these things.

For aristocratic families, soap was more convenient than bath beans or soap pods, so they naturally replaced them.

They especially love those soaps with exquisite patterns, infused with flower petals and essential oils, which look exceptionally refined and are also very reasonably priced. After washing, their bodies have a refreshing fragrance that cannot be compared to incense.

As a result, soap transformed from a "useful item" into an "item for comparison." Close young men and women would exchange the scents they used, creating a small craze in the capital.

The wealthy regard fragrant, soft, and refreshing soaps as something to show off, while ordinary people use simpler soaps as cleaning consumables.

Although it can't compare to the former in terms of exquisite fragrance, it is much cheaper and can last a long time. It can be used for washing your face, hands, and clothes. Who wouldn't like it?

Wen Miao learned a lot from Qiu Shisan Niang, and also learned that the factories in the suburbs of Beijing had long been in operation, with 60% of them being veterans who had followed Emperor Qian Yuan on his northern expedition.

Having endured the ravages and cruelty of war, some lost arms, some lost legs, and others went blind or deaf, making it difficult for them to find a normal life.

Therefore, Li Zhu categorized the veterans according to the soap-making method, assigning them tasks within their capabilities. This allowed them to keep up with the soap production while also earning money, achieving the best of both worlds.

As for the remaining 40%, most of them were poor people.

The Chengying Guard outside the palace had conducted prior investigations and research. They found that all those who were able to get this job were honest and hardworking people without any ulterior motives, so they were more at ease using them.

Time flew by, and when Wen Miao and Emperor Qian Yuan came out of the shop, the sky was completely shrouded in darkness, the starlight was hidden under thin clouds, and the evening wind was chilly, but Wen Miao's hand, which was being held by the emperor, was still burning hot.

Before returning to the palace, Ji Huan still maintained his identity outside the palace, softly calling Wen Miao "Madam," pulling her into his arms, and going to a secluded pavilion.

He had given prior instructions, so naturally no one else dared to come.

A half-screen stands beside the pavilion, blocking out the cold wind. Inside, a heated bronze stove emits a warm, yellowish glow that flickers and bounces back and forth, offering no relief from the chill.

A pot of hot tea, brownish-red in color, was hanging on the stove. Some milk and salt were added, and after stirring it for a while, it became the milk tea that people on the border often drank. It smelled exceptionally fragrant and even had a thin layer of milk skin floating on top.

Ji Huan sat down opposite her with an air of authority, first ladling a bowl for Wen Miao, and then slowly serving himself a bowl after reminding her to be careful not to burn her mouth.

Wen Miao took a careful sip and asked, puzzled, "Are there any other arrangements?"

The emperor, sitting opposite, was unhappy that there was a table between him and Wen Miao, so he simply moved over with a cushion, spread his legs, and scooped up the fragrant empress in his arms.

He pressed his nose against Wen Miao's neck, his gaze fixed on the horizon beyond the screen. "There will be fireworks tonight."

Almost as soon as the emperor finished speaking, a startling cry came from the distant horizon, followed by a brilliant burst of fire that shot into the sky and exploded moments later, illuminating the sky and the bustling streets below like blooming flowers.

In modern times, Wen Miao had seen many fireworks displays, but at this moment, she stared at the simpler fireworks of this era, unable to look away.

Beneath the pavilion illuminated by fireworks, Ji Huan tilted his head and kissed Wen Miao's lips, his eyes deep and his expression devout, like a faithful believer worshipping a goddess.

He said, "May my wife be safe and sound every day and every year."

-----------------------

A word from the author: I highly recommend the Mongolian way of drinking morning tea. Those who like salty milk tea can try it themselves!

Add cold water and black tea/brick tea to boiling water. Once the water turns the color of tea, turn off the heat and add milk until it becomes a milk tea color. While still warm, add salt to taste (adjust to your liking). It's very simple! If you have it, you can serve it with milk skin/dried mutton/fried rice. [pleading emoji]

Happy New Year to Your Majesty and Miaomiao!