Chapter 80 Eighty Thousand, Ten Thousand, Ten Thousand Hates

Since the full moon celebration had already passed, perhaps to make up for it, the emperor ordered that Princess Zhaohui's 100-day celebration be held with exceptional grandeur.

Jade terraces and silver palaces, dragon liver and phoenix marrow.

Wang Yuying was not a concubine. When she took her seat, she consciously chose the head seat. The emperor was sitting in the center of the head seat, his eyes narrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "Come forward."

Wang Yuying paused in her steps.

Xu Heng's gaze shifted from her frozen feet to her pale lips. He curled the corners of his mouth into a smile: "If the princess's birth mother is not sitting beside me, where should she sit?"

The moment the words left her lips, Wang Yuying clearly saw that all the civil and military officials, palace servants and eunuchs in the hall froze for a moment. Although they quickly went about their business as if they had never heard her, she still felt as if she had been stripped naked in public, and a branding iron was burning her face and heart. Her blood was flowing backward, and her face turned pale.

She instinctively wanted to clench her fist, but knew she couldn't. She could only grit her teeth silently and sit down on the lower right side of the imperial desk, next to Xu Heng.

Xu Heng smiled at her, watching the palace servants pour wine for her. He then had Wang Yuying listen with him to the Hanlin Academy compose poems for the princess and to the Honglu Temple report the congratulatory gifts presented to the princess by various foreign countries. The list of gifts stretched for more than ten feet and took nearly half an hour to read.

When the singing and dancing began, he finally couldn't resist. With a smile, he leaned towards her and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Now you can rest assured, right?"

He has gone so far as to announce it to the world and have everyone rejoice; she should at least believe in his genuine affection for her daughter.

Wang Yuying's lips twitched slightly; her fingertips resting on the cup were much colder than the golden goblet.

Seeing her smile, Xu Heng couldn't help but purse his lips, his gaze slowly shifting down to her other hand resting on her knee. It had been a long time since they had sat this close. Back when he was Emperor and Empress, he would hold her hand under the table. He thought of it again now, but refrained from doing so.

Singing and dancing filled the air, and toasts were exchanged.

Wang Yuying kept glancing at Xu Heng out of the corner of her eye. Only when he stopped staring at her did she dare to look down at Jing Ye, who was sitting in front of the pillar below. After he was released, she had Chu Ying deliver a message to him, instructing him not to have any further contact with her in private, and especially not to come to Yongjia Lane to find her again.

When Chu Ying returned, he said that Jing Ye remained silent for a long time before finally giving a heavy "okay".

Today's banquet marks the first time she and Jingye have met since the palace coup, and it is also the first time he has seen Yinyin.

Jing Ye kept his head down and drank his wine, never glancing up at the head of the table.

The more he acted this way, the more distressed she felt. She couldn't help but keep glancing at the veil on his head. Watching him drink cup after cup, she felt as if the bitter wine was also flowing down her own throat. She didn't know if Yinyin had seen her father; she dared not turn to look at Yinyin.

Jing Ye could feel a gaze fixed on him, the one he had always longed for. Heaven knows how much he wanted to look up and meet that gaze, to not disappoint her. For a fleeting moment, he even considered killing the emperor with his bare hands. He wasn't afraid of death, but he feared failing again and endangering the mother and daughter.

Jingye endured it all, never raising his head from beginning to end. His extreme self-control caused his heart to pound violently, his breathing to become heavy, and his internal organs to ache even more than the internal injuries he had suffered on the battlefield.

The eunuchs served dishes from table to table, blocking Wang Yuying's view, and she hurriedly lowered the curtain.

Beside him, Xu Heng silently curled the corners of his lips. If it weren't for the eunuch, who knew how long she planned to watch?

He glanced at her; she had been looking sorrowful just moments before, but now her face was expressionless. Who was she trying to impress with this look of a dead husband? Unconsciously, his own face also turned ashen, but then he thought of today as a joyous occasion, and so he smiled again, his tone gentle: "Yingniang, you should eat more of this dish; it'll help you recover."

His voice rang out beside her, and he was very close. Wang Yuying stared at the spiced duck and bird's nest on the table, and after a moment, she replied, "Your Majesty, please try some as well."

Xu Heng smiled; her concern was comforting.

Suddenly, they heard a baby crying. Wang Yuying and Xu Heng both looked towards the princess, who was being held by the wet nurse and wore a gold-embroidered phoenix-lined jacket. Wang Yuying craned her neck and frowned; her daughter was hungry. The wet nurse took the princess away to a side hall to nurse her. Wang Yuying wanted to follow, but she was wary of Xu Heng and could only keep her upper body straight.

"Go ahead," Xu Heng said softly. That's how she was; she would keep a close eye on Zhao Hui the moment she entered the palace, afraid that something might happen.

Wang Yuying immediately stood up. Xu Heng watched as her skirt brushed past the corner of the table without leaving a trace, and felt regretful that she hadn't even said thank you.

He waited until the woman's cries and weeping had completely subsided before slowly raising his golden goblet and smilingly surveying his officials. Yuan Wancheng immediately raised his cup to congratulate the emperor, uttering flattering words such as "The birth of the imperial daughter is a blessing upon our dynasty," to which the emperor responded with a smile. Before long, the scene had become a chorus of officials approaching the emperor in turn to offer him wine, their voices filled with praise and admiration.

When it was Jing Ye's turn, he took a deep breath, presented a cup with both hands, the veins on his hands bulging: "Your Majesty, I congratulate you!"

The emperor looked down on Jing Ye, admiring his every move, yet feeling he didn't care much for him: "General, you have always been loyal to me. Your previous campaign to wipe out the Northern Barbarians was a great achievement for the country. Yangguan and Yumen are your hometowns. I hereby order you to go to the border in three days to command the western frontier and entrust the nation's gate to you. I hope you will not disappoint me."

Jing Ye put down the wine, lifted his robe, and knelt down: "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness."

Xu Heng smiled faintly, raising his chin slightly as he watched Jing Ye kowtow, feeling satisfied, though his brows remained slightly furrowed.

Outside the palace, not far away, Wang Yuying said to her wet nurse, "Give her to me."

She was so upset by the crying that she took the baby from the wet nurse and gently comforted her, saying, "Don't cry, you'll be eating soon."

She hurried forward, trying to cross the covered walkway and enter the side hall. Several officials from the Court of State Ceremonial were talking in a pavilion not far away. Wang Yuying glanced at them casually, but their eyes fell into Zheng Yangzhi's gaze.

He answered his colleagues verbally, but his deep phoenix eyes kept following her every step.

Wang Yuying withdrew her gaze and hurried into the hall. Yinyin ate and then fell asleep. The wet nurse couldn't help but look at Wang Yuying: The music and dance at the banquet will surely wake the princess. What should we do? Should we take her back?

"Let her sleep here for a while," Wang Yuying decided.

After Yinyin woke up, she carried her back to the main hall. The people from the Court of State Ceremonial were still chatting in the same spot. She and Zheng Yangzhi locked eyes once again.

Upon entering the main hall, Xu Heng asked with a smile, "Why did it take you so long?"

“She just fell asleep after eating. I was worried about the noise, so I let her sleep in the side hall for a while,” Wang Yuying replied as she sat down.

Xu Heng nodded. In fact, the palace servants in the side hall had already reported back before she returned. He also cared about Zhao Hui and hoped she would eat and sleep well, without saying anything more. Wang Yuying, however, was worried about being tested and couldn't help but think too deeply. The image of Zheng Yangzhi's phoenix eyes following her just now flashed through her mind again.

She observed that Xu Heng had already taken two sips of wine in that short time, so he must have been cured of the poison.

But he still pretended to believe whatever he said and said softly, "Your Majesty is still suffering from the effects of the poison, so it would be best to drink less."

Xu Heng's hand holding the cup paused, slightly startled, then a slow joy rose within him, yet he warned himself not to believe her and not to be presumptuous, but he couldn't help but keep hearing her words echo in his mind.

He finally couldn't help but ask, "Don't you like it?"

My heart was trembling as I spoke.

Wang Yuying lowered her eyes to hide her emotions; those words were the limit of what she could say.

Xu Heng put down his wine cup: "If you don't like it, I won't drink it. I've only been drunk twice in my life."

He waited for her to ask further, but Wang Yuying remained silent, quietly picking up a piece of candied fruit and putting it in her mouth.

Xu Heng turned around and opened his arms to the princess: "Come, give me a hug."

The wet nurse immediately handed Yinyin over to Xu Heng. He let her sit on his lap, protecting her with his hands to prevent her from falling, and they watched the song and dance together. He would occasionally explain a few things, whether Yinyin understood or not, he was enjoying himself.

When the banquet ended, Wang Yuying could not take her leave because her daughter was still in the emperor's arms, so she had no choice but to stay by his side.

Soon, apart from the palace attendants and servants, only Xu Heng and his mother and daughter remained in the hall.

He was holding Yinyin and swinging her like on a swing when Yinyin suddenly let out a clear laugh.

This... seems to be the first time the little one has laughed out loud.

Xu Heng was visibly stunned, his mood instantly clearing up like clouds parting from a storm. Wang Yuying also stood there for a moment, then couldn't help but get up and squat down in front of the imperial desk.

Xu Heng held Yin Yin and rocked her again, while Wang Yuying tickled Yin Yin with her index finger. The two did not exchange any words or glances, but they both wanted to hear Yin Yin laugh again—her laughter was so infectious!

Finally, Yinyin laughed out loud for the second time.

Wang Yuying raised the corners of her lips high, and Xu Heng laughed heartily twice, even spinning Yin Yin around in his arms.

Wang Yuying's heart tightened: "Be careful not to let her fall!"

Xu Heng immediately put Yin Yin down, put her back on his lap, and started tickling her with his index finger, just like Wang Yuying had done.

"Hey, be gentle," Wang Yuying emphasized again.

He smiled and slowly raised his eyes, seeing her squatting beside him, speaking to him in a familiar tone he hadn't heard in years, and most importantly, her eyes were full of joy and tenderness.

Xu Heng sat quietly, gazing intently, reluctant to look away, yet fearing it might be an illusion. After a long while, he said in a voice as gentle as could be, "The edict of reinstatement is in the drawer of the Imperial Study."

Wang Yuying's smile vanished instantly, and the tenderness in her eyes disappeared immediately.

Xu Heng blinked, realizing he had misspoke, and turned his head away to avoid eye contact, trying to make amends: "I'm not forcing you, I'm just... informing you."

Thankfully, the princess laughed again, breaking the awkward silence like a savior.

"Come here, let your father carry you on the swing." Xu Heng stood up with a smile, bent over and carried the princess up and down, listening to her carefree laughter again and again.

Later, he also personally witnessed Princess Zhaohui stand up for the first time while holding onto the railing, take her first steps on her own, and call out "Father Emperor" for the first time...

He was always overjoyed and excited to share his joy with others. Time flew by, and the princess grew up year by year under his watchful eyes.

"Your Highness, please don't run away!"

"Your Highness, please be careful!"

...

Five palace eunuchs worked together to surround and capture the five-year-old Princess Zhaohui by the imperial pond.

The little girl's hair was sticking to her forehead. Wang Yuying squatted down to wipe her sweat. She reached behind her daughter's neck and found that her back was also covered in sweat.

She skillfully took the handkerchief from the palace maid, held it over Yin Yin's forehead, and continued wiping her forehead: "Don't run around!"

She was so scared that if she had taken another step forward in that lotus pond, she would have fallen in. Her heart was in her throat.

"Okay, Mother, don't worry." Yinyin readily agreed, but as soon as Wang Yuying let go, she ran off in a flash, heading straight for the Imperial Study.

She inherited Wang Yuying's physical talent and was as agile as an eel, catching several eunuchs who chased her breathlessly.

The princess was stopped by the imperial guards at the entrance to the imperial study: "Your Highness, please wait!"

"Father!" Yinyin called out as she went around to the window.

Inside the room, Xu Heng was furious about the flood breach in Xunyang. He hadn't seen such a case of corruption and dam collapse in many years, and he was so angry that he threw the memorials on the ground.

The court officials fell silent, their quiet calls growing louder: "Father Emperor!"

Xu Heng saw the little person through the green gauze window, and his anger immediately subsided.

"Your Highness, please forgive me, you cannot go in!" The guards stopped him at the window.

Xu Heng lowered his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Let her in."

Yinyin entered without any fear. She glanced around and her gaze lingered on a certain court official for a while. This man was dressed in purple robes like everyone else, but he was not wearing an official hat. He only used a wooden lotus crown to tie his hair up. What was most unusual was that he kept staring at her and scrutinizing her, as if his eyes were glued to her.

The princess withdrew her gaze and ran towards the emperor with a smile.

As his daughter rushed towards him, Xu Heng paid no attention to anyone else. He immediately lifted Zhao Hui onto his lap and smiled. Perhaps because she was his biological daughter, no matter what troubles he encountered, seeing her would always bring him joy.

Seeing that Zhao Hui was covered in sweat, Xu Heng naturally took out a handkerchief to wipe her face, and all the officials silently took their leave.

As Xu Heng wiped himself down, he said, "Why didn't you stay home during the hottest days of summer? Didn't you get sunburned on the way here?"

It's obvious those servants didn't help the princess with the canopy!

Before long, he began to plan to plant two rows of sycamore trees along the road leading to the palace to provide shade.

"It's sunny!" the princess said in a childish voice, her eyes clear. "But I just wanted to come see my father."

Xu Heng's heart melted instantly. He was about to say that he would visit his father next time he missed him, and that his father would come to see him in Yongjia Lane so he wouldn't have to suffer in the sun. But the princess beat him to it, adding insult to injury by taking out a small silk handkerchief and reaching out to wipe the emperor's forehead as well.

Xu Heng had no sweat on his forehead, but he immediately lowered his head and let her wipe it, as if the old wounds in his heart were being soothed by this little person.

He ordered the guards: "From now on, the princess may enter the study directly without being informed."

The guards acknowledged, but the princess glanced at the memorial spread out on the table, pointed to a single character, and read: "Ming."

Xu Heng's relaxed brows immediately furrowed, and his eyes darkened.

The princess smiled and said, "My name!"

Xu Heng's brows relaxed again, and after a moment, he asked with a smile, "What about the others? What other characters do you recognize?"

The princess searched carefully, even picking up the memorial and flipping through it. Xu Heng smiled, neither annoyed nor reprimanding her.

After searching, Zhao Hui looked up at Xu Heng with a dejected expression: "Father, it seems there's no character 'Zhao' among them..."

Xu Heng smiled; apart from her own title, she didn't recognize any of them.

According to the old customs of our dynasty, princes and princesses should begin their education at the age of four, but Xu Heng never issued an edict, and Zhao Hui was already past the age of five.

Xu Heng patted the princess's head and said with a smile, "It's time for our Zhaohui to awaken her wisdom."

When Wang Yuying arrived at the Imperial Study to pick up her daughter, she received news that, starting today, two distinguished scholars, Vice Minister Li of the Ministry of Rites and Academician Liao, would begin Princess Zhaohui's education, teaching her the Six Arts.

She merely expressed her gratitude without saying another word. It wasn't until that night, when the mother and daughter were sleeping in the same bed with no one listening in the walls, that she instructed her daughter: "Although His Majesty allows you to enter and leave the Imperial Study, don't go too often, and don't let him know that you are reading memorials." Still not at ease, she added after a moment, "And don't tell His Majesty about this either."

"Don't worry, Mother, I'm just trying to make Father happy." Yinyin yawned. "Father sometimes likes it when I don't follow the rules. The more lively I am and the better I am to him, the happier he is. Only when Father is happy can our lives get better and better."

Wang Yuying was taken aback; Yinyin was not even six years old yet.

She felt her daughter snuggling into her arms and slowly opened her arms to welcome her.

"But he can also take away our good days at any time." Yinyin yawned again and hugged Wang Yuying tighter. "So Mom is still the best!"

Only a mother's love is unconditional and will not be taken back.

Wang Yuying instinctively hugged her daughter tighter.

"Mother, I saw a beautiful lady in the study today. She kept staring at me."

Wang Yuying thought for a moment, and realized that her daughter must be referring to Zheng Yangzhi. Not long after the hundred-day celebration, she heard that Zheng Guolao had passed away. After three years of mourning, she returned to the court and was promoted back to vice prime minister.

"Can women also serve as officials in the imperial court?" Yinyin asked curiously, her mother who hadn't answered.

Wang Yuying has been working in the Ministry of War for the past five years, but she herself feels embarrassed and can't bring herself to say it, so she only replies: "The person you're talking about is a man, not a woman."

"I don't believe it! So beautiful... Mother, how do you know he must be a boy..." Yinyin was too sleepy and fell asleep while muttering to herself.

After it went silent, its mouth moved slightly, like a little fish blowing bubbles.

Once her daughter was sound asleep, Wang Yuying moved her to the inside and draped a small blanket over her belly. She glanced at her daughter's face for a while before falling asleep on the cool mat herself.