The afterglow of the setting sun

Not long after, "Da da da!" another sound came, "Hibiscus!"

Without even thinking, she knew who it was. As soon as she heard it, Furong ran towards the sound and said first, "Don't worry, we're not leaving. Besides, I'm waiting for you."

Upon hearing this, Zizheng was completely stunned. "Huh? I was thinking of going with you!"

Li Yanzhang's temper flared up immediately upon hearing this. After all, they had gotten along well for several years. He turned around, looked at him, and smiled, "So that's what you think, Zizheng."

Zizheng then noticed Li Yanzhang and said, "Young Master? What are you doing here? And..."

Then he saw Shi Yan in Li Yanzhang's arms and exclaimed in surprise, "He's holding... Consort Duan..."

Li Yanzhang said, "From now on, you should call her Young Madam."

"Huh?!" Zizheng looked at them in shock. Furong tapped him on the head with her fist and said, "Don't forget that we're just like them."

At this point, Furong whispered, "I don't know what I saw in you?"

The voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for Zizheng to hear. Zizheng immediately said, "Furong, don't worry, I understand."

Furong sighed, looked at him and smiled, "Silly boy, it's not that I really dislike you. You're silly, but you're adorably silly."

Zizheng said in a serious tone, "But I'm not stupid. I'm very learned and I ranked first in the provincial examination."

Furong smiled and said, "You still say you're not stupid."

In Fengyi Palace, Qi Dou carefully lay on Li Xingyi's stomach, hoping to hear something.

Li Xingyi gently pushed Qi Dou away and said, "A Dou, you can't hear anything after only two months."

Qi Dou was somewhat disappointed and said, "Alright, I'll wait a while longer."

Seeing this, Li Xingyi gently touched his belly and said, "I wonder if it's a boy or a girl?"

Qi Dou laughed and said, "Anything is fine, as long as it's your child, I'll like it."

After listening, Li Xingyi slowly asked, "Adou, what name do you want to give the child?"

Qi Dou thought for a moment and asked, "What name do you want to give it?"

Li Xingyi looked out the door and said, "Yu, with the sun above and the sky below, is Qi Yu. I hope his life will always be filled with unexpected adventures."

Upon hearing this, Qi Dou immediately said, "Then let's go with this one."

At this moment, footsteps were heard. Li Yanzhang and the other three knelt down as soon as they entered and said, "Your humble servant/daughter/slave/servant greets Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress."

"Get up." Qi Dou stood up. "What business do you have with me?"

The four obediently stood up, and Li Yanzhang spoke first: "Your Majesty, I would like to request that Your Majesty bestow a marriage upon me and Shi Yan."

Li Xingyi calmly sipped his tea. Seeing this, Qi Dou sat down, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and calmly said, "Granted."

So you agree?! No objections?! Nothing else to say?!

Li Yanzhang was surprised and puzzled. Qi Dou saw that he was still standing there in a daze and asked, "Is there anything else?"

Li Yanzhang quickly replied, "That's all, that's all."

Li Xingyi put down his teacup and looked at Li Yanzhang, asking, "Brother, have you decided on a wedding date?"

What?! What?! I only thought about how to get His Majesty to agree to the marriage, I didn't think about the wedding date! And aren't you shocked at all?!

Li Yanzhang seemed to have thought of something again, and sighed inwardly.

Oh right, you're the leader of the Frostbite Sect and the martial arts alliance leader, so naturally you know everything.

Li Yanzhang seemed to accept their attitude and said, "Not yet."

Li Xingyi said knowingly, "It's alright. If you want to get married quickly, then you can do it with Qingyi and the others for one day. If you want it to be later, that's fine too."

Wait, is it that urgent?

Li Yanzhang was shocked again, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt that the sooner the better, so he said, "Then let's hurry up."

"Your Majesty! The Prince of Huainan has brought a large group of people to the palace gates, and we don't know what they're up to!" a palace servant rushed over and said.

Upon hearing this, Qi Dou stood up and asked doubtfully, "Is he also plotting a rebellion?"

Li Xingyi slowly rose and walked towards the door, saying calmly, "No. Your Majesty, please come with me to see the excitement."

An hour ago, at the Prince of Huainan's residence, a servant bowed to Qi Xuan and said, "Your Highness, after His Majesty dismissed the harem, the young master of the Li family asked His Majesty for a concubine..."

Before he could finish speaking, Qi Xuan slammed his fist on the table and stood up, exclaiming, "What?! You've dared to steal from me?!"

After saying that, he ran towards the door. The servant watched him run away in shock and said the words he hadn't finished: "...Shi Yan."

Now, Qi Dou looked at Qi Xuan standing below and asked, "What is my royal brother trying to do?"

The people gathered around to watch them, and Tao Yuran also came to watch the excitement from the side of the city wall.

Upon seeing her, Qi Xuan bowed to Qi Dou and said, "Qi Xuan, the Prince of Huainan, has come to propose marriage to Tao Yuran, the daughter of the village chief of Yanming Village in Jizhou."

He wasn't referring to the talented woman Tao Yuran, but rather to Tao Yuran's original status, because the current Tao Yuran was no longer a concubine.

Everyone was shocked when they heard this, especially Tao Yuran, the person involved.

What?! What's going on?! Did I get caught up in the drama?!

Tao Yuran shouted at Qi Xuan, "No?! Your Highness, what are you doing?!"

Looking at him like this, Qi Dou felt as if he were seeing Li You from back then, and he was furious. But Qi Xuan didn't seem to have done anything wrong, so he could only say helplessly, "You don't need to make such a big fuss when you propose marriage, do you?"

After hearing this, Qi Xuan looked up at Li Yanzhang and said, "Your subject does not want others to snatch it first."

Li Yanzhang pointed to himself, puzzled.

What does this have to do with me?

Tao Yuran was even more confused and asked, "Who? Who's trying to steal me? Who's going to steal me?"

Li Xingyi naturally understood his meaning and said, "Everyone, I would like to take this opportunity to announce that my elder brother will marry Shi Yan on September 17th. At that time, four kinds of wedding candies will be distributed to everyone as a token of my good wishes."

Upon hearing this, the people immediately raised their hands and said, "Good! Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress! May the Imperial Uncle and his wife be forever united in heart and soul!"

Qi Xuan then realized he had misunderstood, but since things had come to this, he could only continue. He looked at Tao Yuran and said, "Tao Yuran! Will you accept my marriage proposal?!"

Tao Yuran wasn't unwilling; after all, it was the position of a princess, which seemed like a good deal no matter how you looked at it. She smiled and asked, "Why does Your Highness want to marry me?"

Qi Xuan didn't know about this either, but he panicked when he heard the news, fearing that Tao Yuran had really married someone else.

Qi Xuan said honestly, "Because you appeared in my world, and we share the same interests, the days I spend with you are very good and interesting, so I want you to stay by my side forever."

"Pfft, hahaha!" Tao Yuran couldn't help but laugh out loud after hearing this, and looked at him with a smile, "Your Highness is so honest, but it's alright."

Then she stepped onto the city wall, jumped down, and said, "I'd be willing to do that kind of thing too."

Upon seeing this, Qi Xuan immediately stepped forward to catch her. Fortunately, both of them knew martial arts and successfully caught her.

Qi Xuan, holding Tao Yuran, said somewhat angrily, "What are you doing? This is dangerous!"

Tao Yuran wrapped her arms around his neck, smiled at him, and said, "Don't worry, I'm fine. You caught me, so I'm willing to marry you."

Qi Xuan was stunned for a moment, then said, "...What?"

"I've never been a princess before, but it wouldn't hurt to be one." Tao Yuran smiled and kissed her.

On September 17th, three couples, Qi Xuan and Tao Yuran, Qingyi and Zhao Hongxing, and Li Yanzhang and Shi Yan, got married together. Although Shi Yan was not a princess, Li Yanzhang was very good at martial arts and command, so he was promoted to the rank of Imperial Guard General.

On his wedding night, Li Yanzhang poured out his long-hidden feelings without reservation until dawn.

Two months later, in November, news came from outside the palace that Shi Yan was pregnant.

In the third month of the second year of the Taigan era, the metropolitan examination began, and Zizheng once again lived up to expectations, winning first place and becoming the top scholar in the metropolitan examination.

A month later, at the Phoenix Palace, the midwife and palace maid rushed into the room, shouting, "Your Highness, push!"

Qi Dou waited anxiously outside the door. After a long while, a loud cry rang out, "Waaaaah!"

Qingyi came to report, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! The Empress has given birth to a little prince."

Upon hearing this, Qi Dou immediately went into the house. Li Xingyi, lying on the bed, looked at the little Qi Yu in his arms and said gently, "Yu'er, be good."

Qi Dou quickly stepped forward and grasped Li Xingyi's hand, asking, "Xingyi, how are you?"

Li Xingyi looked at him and said softly, "It's nothing."

In April of the second year of the Taigan era, Empress Li Xingyi gave birth to a prince. The emperor was overjoyed, named him Qi Yu, and appointed him as the crown prince.

In April of the second year of the Taigan era, the palace examination began, and Zizheng once again lived up to expectations, winning first place and becoming the top scholar. He achieved the highest honor in all three levels of the imperial examinations, bringing glory to his ancestors and becoming famous throughout the land. The emperor was overjoyed and appointed him as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, bestowing upon him the surname "Ji" and arranging a marriage between him and Furong.

The common people all said that a woman of her beauty was not worthy of a top scholar, but Ji Zizheng still insisted on his own opinion and went through the proper matchmaking process, bringing her home in a grand sedan chair carried by eight men.

In June of the second year of the Taigan era, Princess Huimin Qi Min gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. Ji Xi was overjoyed and named them Ji Yuxin and Ji Yusong.

In September of the second year of the Taigan era, Shi Yan gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. Li Yanzhang named them Li Junheng and Li Xiangjun.

In the fourth month of the third year of the Taigan era, at Qi Yu's first birthday banquet, Qi Yu sat on a red carpet, looked at the objects around him, and grabbed the jade seal without hesitation.

Qi Dou smiled upon seeing this and said, "As expected of my son, he has ambition."

After the first birthday celebration, Qi Yu sat quietly on the red carpet. Upon seeing this, the two pairs of twins slowly crawled towards him, one poking his face and the other grabbing his hand and playing with it.

Qi Yu remained sitting quietly, ignoring everyone. The four children played for a while, then got bored and crawled away.

Qi Yu felt extremely wronged when he saw them leave, and immediately burst into tears, "Waaaaah!"

Li Xingyi picked up Qi Yu and gently patted his back, saying, "Looks like he's a proud and arrogant child."

Qi Dou stepped forward and said, "Ah, so proud of you, just like me, how wonderful."

At the gate of the palace, Tao Yuran ran and shouted, "Your Highness, today is the Princess's escape!"

Seeing this, Qi Xuan chased after her, cooperating by saying, "Your Highness! I was wrong! Please come back!"

Tao Yuran laughed and said, "I'll only listen to you if you catch me."

Liu Linye walked beside Qi Ru carrying a large pile of food and said, "Shu'er, is this enough?"

Qi Ru touched her four-month pregnant belly with one hand and held a candied hawthorn in the other, saying as she ate, "More or less."

Furong grabbed Ji Zizheng's ear and said, "Ji Zizheng! I heard that another official has sent you a beauty?! I'll show you what to do tonight!"

Ji Zizheng hurriedly apologized, saying, "Madam, please spare me! I really refused!"

Qi Wenzhe helped Qi Qing walk slowly, and Qi Qing, with her big belly, laughed and said, "Wenzhe, the baby kicked me again."

Qi Wenzhe said gently, "It seems to be a very active child."

Li Yanzhang and Shi Yan each carried a child as they walked down the street.

Ji Xi and Qi Min each held a child. Qi Min held Ji Yusong and smiled at Ji Xi, saying, "Let's go home and have braised pork."

Ji Xi smiled and replied, "Okay."

Qingyi and Zhao Hongxing walked at the back, hand in hand.

On the city wall, Qi Dou and Li Xingyi sat watching them. Li Xingyi asked, "Where is Yu'er?"

Qi Dou replied, "Asleep."

Li Xingyi looked up at the setting sun and said, "That's good."

At this moment, Qi Dou seemed to have thought of something, and looked at Li Xingyi with a smile, saying, "Xingyi, I am willing to be with you through spring, summer, autumn and winter, with the east wind."

Li Xingyi looked at him after hearing this, a very faint smile appearing on his lips, and said, "From the ends of the earth to the farthest reaches, the stars shift and the constellations change."

The setting sun shone on the two of them, as if penetrating their past, bringing back memories, as time passed.

—End of article.