Chapter 110 Let's Leave His Majesty Some Innocence: Xun Hou Taught Me

In the dead of winter, Yongdu was blanketed in a heavy snowfall.

Yongdu, where the mourning cloths had just been removed, was covered in a layer of white, making the sky and earth the same color.

As the snow stopped, an inconspicuous carriage passed through Changning Lane. One glance was enough to tell that Her Majesty the Empress had gone to the Marquis of Pingding's residence again.

Why do I say "again"?

It was no surprise that Her Majesty the Empress frequented the residence of the Marquis of Pingding. At first, the court officials went from making a big fuss and submitting memorials to advise against it, but later they became used to it.

Go if you want, but try to submit fewer memorials. It's true that the late emperor didn't attend court, and it's also true that the new emperor will demote officials.

She doesn't like killing; she only loves to belittle.

At the slightest disagreement, a transfer order would be issued, and he would continue to petition for further demotion, being sent to all corners of the country, determined to be transferred to the most desolate and insignificant places.

The officials who were selected had no fixed return date and were scattered to the ends of the earth. Some could not bear the hardships of the journey, or the counties they governed were too poor and remote, so they resigned.

There's no need to worry about the court being unable to function properly. The new emperor hasn't even held his coronation ceremony yet, and there are plenty of people eager to become his trusted ministers.

If these people won't do it, plenty of others will.

It is said that the red plum blossoms in the Marquis of Pingding’s residence were in full bloom, a truly spectacular sight. Her Majesty the Empress visited the site several times to admire this beautiful scenery.

Everyone was very curious about how beautiful the plum blossoms at the Pingding Marquis's residence were, that even His Majesty had to travel from the palace to see them, and people came in droves to present their visiting cards.

Plum blossoms are everywhere; you can see them anywhere. Those who insist on going to the Marquis of Pingding's mansion are just there for the fun of it.

In fact, the plum blossoms on the trees in the Pingding Marquis's mansion had not yet fully bloomed. Only two or three blossoms were scattered about, their branches buried in the snow. It was not yet time for them to fully bloom.

There was nothing to admire in the plum garden, but no one knew that the plum blossoms Her Majesty the Empress was looking at were not the plum blossoms on the trees, but the plum blossoms on the body of the Marquis of Pingding.

Outside, fine snow was falling, but inside the house, springtime was in the air. People came and went, and red plum blossoms dotted the snow-white mountains.

Finally, Xun Suihuang lay on the bed. It was still the dead of winter outside, but she was covered in sweat inside, her skin glistening with moisture. Her eyelashes were also wet with tears, hanging down in strands.

From childhood to adulthood, Xun Suihuang has been beaten countless times and suffered fatal injuries that were so deep that the bone was visible. Each time, she gritted her teeth and did not shed a single tear.

In front of Xi Congshuang, however, it was the opposite. The other party was clearly tender and affectionate, and his movements were slow and gentle, easily stirring up her deep thoughts and making her cry all the tears she had shed in the past twenty years.

The damp blankets had been removed, and the floor heating was on in the room. Lying on the bed naked, I didn't feel cold, but it just felt a little strange.

Her hand, which was pressed against the blankets, moved and slowly groped to the spot beside her. The temperature there had already cooled down. The person who had been beside her just moments before had gotten up and left without her noticing, while she was still lost in the afterglow of the experience.

Suddenly, Xun Suihuang's eyelashes trembled, and her reddened ears heard footsteps approaching from afar. The bed curtains were lifted, revealing Xi Congshuang's face.

"You're awake?" Xi Congshuang sat on the edge of the bed, wearing only a thin undergarment, her long hair casually tied up with a wooden hairpin.

It was bright outside, and the sunlight streamed into the house, making her silhouette faintly visible as she moved.

Xun Suihuang blushed subconsciously, and while giving a mumbled reply, she lowered her gaze to avoid seeing the figure in her line of sight.

In broad daylight, what kind of behavior is this? This person is a tyrant.

Soon he raised his eyes again and looked openly. It wasn't the first time he had looked at her. He had been thoroughly devoured, so what was wrong with taking a few more glances?

What does it matter to me if Xi Congshuang is a tyrannical ruler?

Anyway, I am not a vixen.

Despite being told she was frail and sickly, Xi Congshuang still had the strength to get out of bed. She should have known better than to deceive herself into moving. All her strength was exhausted, and she was too weak to move for the rest of the time, lying there at the mercy of others.

A bunch of complaints in her heart couldn't be heard by the person next to her. Xi Congshuang knew she was tired and didn't want to talk to her since she didn't hear a reply.

He turned her long, fair neck, dipped his hands into the hot water she brought, wrung out a handkerchief, and pressed it against her back where she had hickeys.

Gently wiping away the thin layer of sweat, with slow and gentle movements, is actually quite tedious.

“…Ugh.” Xun Suihuang shuddered, bit her lip and let out a muffled groan, her crimson eyes seeming to turn even redder.

"..."

Xi Congshuang paused, her gaze shifting from the back covered in red plum blossoms to Xun Suihuang's face: "Did I hurt you?"

"No," Xun Suihuang said in a hoarse voice.

The room fell silent again, and it seemed as if the sound of wind and snow could be heard outside. It was so quiet that it felt as if only the two of them remained in the world.

Xun Suihuang realized that she was being watched, and in a fit of pique, she buried her face in the pillow and refused to lift it up no matter what.

"Ignoring me?" Xi Congshuang braced herself against the blankets and breathed into her ear, tickling her and making her unbearable. Xun Suihuang covered her ears with her hands, not caring that her private parts were exposed.

Xi Congshuang chuckled softly, charmed by her posture. She propped herself up slightly in that position and kissed her back.

Starting from the back of her neck and moving downwards, she maliciously focused on tending to her old wounds. All the wounds on her body had healed completely, but when someone behind her touched them, the healed areas became extremely sensitive. Just a warm breath on them made her tremble all over.

"Don't..." After a sob, half of the curtain was lifted and then lowered again, blocking out the sunlight and making the bed dark again.

Xun Suihuang pressed the blankets against her back, raised her hand to embrace the back of the person on top of her, and raised her chin in response.

The hot water that was brought over was ultimately not used. It was left unattended until it cooled down, and then it was no longer needed, so people went straight to take a shower.

At night, Xun Suihuang finally got dressed and lay on the couch looking at the sketchbook she hadn't finished reading last time. The maid saw that she was reading, turned up the lamplight, and quietly left.

"His Majesty."

"Um."

Xun Suihuang snapped out of her daze, looked up, and saw a figure standing in front of the door. She casually put down the sketchbook she was holding.

With a creak, someone pushed open the door and entered. It was Xi Congshuang, who had just come out, wearing a fox fur coat.

As she entered, Xi Congshuang untied her cloak and spoke to Xun Suihuang: "Alright, let Hongdou wear my clothes and get on the carriage back to the palace. I didn't stay overnight at the Pingding Marquis's residence."

Xun Suihuang: "..."

That's just self-deception.

Xi Congshuang first went to the charcoal brazier to warm her hands before coming over: "It's a bit cold, let me hug you for a while."

Unable to resist, Xun Suihuang was pulled into a tight embrace, and the storybook she had casually tossed aside was taken by Xi Congshuang to continue reading, as it was originally meant for her.

It tells the story of a matchmaker who helps people find love. It shows the lives of various people from the matchmaker's perspective. The stories in the text involve everyday life and have nothing to do with royalty and nobility. Sometimes the language is so crude that Xun Suihuang was surprised and said, "What kind of style is this?"

Xun Suihuang didn't find these family squabbles and chaotic scenes interesting, but Xi Congshuang quite enjoyed watching them, so she watched along with her, saying, "How come I never noticed before that you liked being close to people so much?"

Whenever no one is around, you should stick close to her, at least in one place where your skin is in contact for a long time, without doing anything else.

Xi Congshuang rested her chin on Xun Suihuang's shoulder: "I've always liked it, but I was just enduring it. There were more important things than satisfying my desires back then."

really.

At that time, the situation was extremely precarious, and a single misstep could plunge one into an endless hell. How could one possibly be in the mood to think about anything else?

Speaking of this, Xun Suihuang nuzzled Xi Congshuang's ear with her face, her voice cool and soft: "Why did you come by carriage today? Wouldn't it have been faster to come through the tunnel?"

Xi Congshuang turned a page: "Someone impeached you, on the grounds that you planted plum trees when you were building your mansion, which tempted the emperor to neglect state affairs and fail to fulfill his duties as a subject. They also impeached me, saying that I was indulging in frivolous pursuits and wasting my time."

She almost banished this censor, who only knew how to talk, to a county and sent him to argue with the bandits in the mountains. He was not allowed to come back until he had governed them well.

However, the man was already eighty years old and about to retire. She was afraid he would die on the way, but there was no reason to just tolerate it. As a compromise, she sent his son to run errands for several county magistrates.

Xun Suihuang was both amused and exasperated: "You've just ascended the throne, the people in the Censorate definitely have to do something, otherwise they'll be seen as holding positions without doing their jobs..."

"Hmph." Xi Congshuang scoffed lightly, her tone conveying the message: "I know, I don't care, and I'm going to go against you anyway."

This long-unseen rebellious spirit is exactly the same as when she was hiding her illness and refusing to seek medical treatment.

Here we go again, you tyrant.

Xun Suihuang chuckled and continued reading the storybook in her hand. When it got late, they turned off the lights and went to sleep together.

These few days are a rest day, and there is no need to attend court.

With nothing to do, Xi Congshuang openly wandered around the mansion, and everyone in the mansion served her with trepidation, fearing to disturb the emperor.

This frozen scene was broken by Gu Daifang, who came over for a casual visit. She had changed her surname back to Fang, but she was still more used to the name Xun Suihuang had given her, so she continued to call her that.

Gu Daifang arrived at the main courtyard with practiced ease and was astonished to see someone writing calligraphy amidst the snow scene: "General, when did you find such leisure to write—"

Xi Congshuang looked up.

Gu Daifang: "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty."

The person who strode over saw the face behind the table and changed their gesture from waving to bowing, behaving so politely it was almost unbelievable.

The maids holding up the inscriptions to dry: "..."

It's quite a surprise to see General Gu so proper for the first time.

Xi Congshuang lowered her head and continued writing: "Rise."

Gu Daifang stood up uncomfortably, as if she were covered in lice. She hadn't seen Xun Suihuang and was racking her brains about how to leave to find the general.

To say that Gu Daifang is stubborn and too straightforward is an understatement. Instead of having a good opportunity to be alone with the emperor, she was thinking about how to leave.

Xi Congshuang, with her head down, spoke: "Chengzhi hasn't gotten up yet, please wait a little longer."

Gu Daifang stood up straight instantly: "Your subject obeys the decree!"

Xi Congshuang: "..."

He lowered his head and continued writing.

She named the courtyard that Xun Suihuang hadn't named yet, naming all the courtyards in the entire Marquis's mansion that could be named. She then had them made into plaques and sent over, saving Xun Suihuang the trouble of finding craftsmen to make the plaques herself.

After looking at it for a while, Gu Daifang couldn't help but ask, "Is His Majesty writing calligraphy?"

Xi Congshuang looked up again and saw Gu Daifang pointing at herself, with several thin braids with two-colored ribbons hanging down her shoulders: "Could you also bestow a piece upon this humble subject? The general said your calligraphy is beautiful."

"..."

Xi Congshuang suddenly understood why Xun Suihuang was so concerned about her; it wasn't without reason.

She nodded: "Okay."

Gu Daifang went home overjoyed with the inscription, completely forgetting that he had to wait for Xun Suihuang to wake up so he could hurry home to make the plaque.

At noon, Xun Suihuang opened her eyes and learned that her house would soon have a bunch of plaques: "..."

What a wonderful surprise!

Once the plaques were finished and transported to the Marquis of Pingding's residence, the number was far greater than she had imagined.

Anyone who gets their hands on a piece of the emperor's calligraphy would cherish it and pass it down through the ages. Xun Suihuang's entire household had them, and people became numb to them. Even his servants thought it was commonplace.

*

After the New Year, the enthronement ceremony should be scheduled, and the reign title should also be selected.

——Qiyuan.

Starting in the second year of the Qiyuan era, the title of Qijulang was officially changed to Qijuguan, with two officials of the sixth rank, who were in charge of recording the emperor's daily life.

In the late spring of the third year of the Qiyuan era.

The emperor summoned Marquis Pingding to the palace to accompany him, and when they discussed archery, he ordered Marquis Pingding to teach him.

In the well-prepared shooting range, the Empress, who rarely wore a narrow-sleeved robe, stood in front of the target, bent her bow and shot an arrow.

However, His Majesty spends most of his time in his study dealing with state affairs, so his archery skills are mediocre. He either misses the target or fails to hit it halfway, ending up sticking the arrow in the grass.

Marquis Pingding finally found something that Her Majesty the Empress didn't know, and he enthusiastically explained it several times, teaching her step by step.

Zhong Shen, who was on her way home from school, also came over. She had finally reached the age to study the Four Books and Five Classics and was quite mature for her age.

Zhong Shen bowed formally and said, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."

Xi Congshuang was still aiming, and without turning her head, she said, "Rise."

To her surprise, the hand covering hers loosened its grip, and Xun Suihuang looked back.

Xi Congshuang: "..."

Xun Suihuang: "Your Highness Prince Qin, have you finished your studies?"

Zhong Shen strained to look up: "School's over, and Lord Xun is here too."

Xun Suihuang squatted down and spoke to Zhong Shen: "Your Highness is still young and cannot practice for the time being."

Zhong Shen's face tightened: "Does that mean I have to be as tall as His Majesty to be able to contact him?"

Xun Suihuang: "No need."

The mature young King Qin attracted the attention of Marquis Pingding, and they agreed to have him teach her archery when she was older and able to hold a bow.

Xun Suihuang had never seen such an obedient child before. She couldn't help but pinch the child's cheek. When she was a child, she would climb on the roof and tear off the tiles if she wasn't disciplined. It turns out that there really are obedient children in the world who are serious and not annoying.

Little did they know, the Empress, who had been left out in the cold, drew her bow to its fullest extent, and with a whoosh, the arrow shot out as fast as lightning, hitting the bullseye.

Once wasn't enough, so they went again. Amidst the excited exclamations of the young King Qin, he was hit by three arrows in quick succession.

Xi Congshuang lowered her hand and signaled the guards to replace the target with a new one. Just as the target was replaced, Marquis Pingding finished speaking with Prince Qin and turned around.

Xun Suihuang: "I just heard you shoot an arrow, how was it?"

Xi Congshuang shook her head in distress: "Not good."

Xun Suihuang understood and comforted her, "It's alright, this is not something that can be accomplished in a day."

Xi Congshuang raised her hand: "I would appreciate your guidance, my dear minister."

Zhong Shen was short, but he could see the target being carried away by the guards, with three arrows firmly planted on the red dots.

Zhong Shen fell silent: "...?"

Not very good?

Not far away, two historians huddled together under the shade of trees, whispering and scratching their heads.

"In the fourth month of the third year of the Qiyuan era, the emperor and Marquis Xun rode and shot arrows together at Changwei, and the emperor and his minister got along very well..."

"Do you think this is right?"

"Then how do you want me to write it?" the court official asked his colleague. "Write that in the fourth month of the third year of Qiyuan, His Majesty did nothing but drag Xun Hou to shoot arrows. When Xun Hou was there, he could not hit the target, but when Xun Hou was not there, he hit the target every time. The Emperor's might is extraordinary?"

"..."

If it were really written like that, then it would be a disaster.

In order to prevent His Majesty's image from being ruined in the history books, we should try to leave some traces of his innocence.

One of the officials in charge of the imperial secretariat noticed the young King Qin standing to the side and slapped his forehead: "Let's include the young King Qin's greetings in the entry as well."

If you leave a child nearby, it looks like you're being very upright and honest.

————————

It's okay if you don't keep it.