Chapter 18 The Grand Wedding

Jialuo looked up and met the boy's beautiful eyes.

This made Jialu unable to help but recall the boy's gentle yet restrained gaze under the moonlight last night.

That might be the true nature of a young man.

Deep affection is hard to find in the imperial city, and even harder to find a lifelong bond of love.

But the young woman won all the true love of this young emperor.

And so he left this world so hastily.

The handsome and vibrant young emperor before her also abandoned everything after the young woman's death, choosing to spend his life with only the ancient Buddha and the dim lamp.

When he prays to the gods and Buddhas every day, is he asking for his lover's peace and happiness in the next life, or is he asking for a happy reunion between the two of them in the next life?

Jialuo didn't know.

She had never experienced such profound love.

I don't want to experience a love affair that damages one's foundation and takes one's life.

All she ever wanted in her life was for her family to be safe and healthy, and for her to live up to this second chance at life.

Thinking of this, Jialuo knew she didn't want to get involved in the conflict between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.

She didn't need to have any connection with the Emperor, as he loathed her.

As long as Jialuo avoids being deposed and secures her position as Empress Dowager, she can live a life of freedom and wealth!

The families of Horqin will have many more smooth roads.

If that's the case, then why bother going around in circles with the emperor?

Why not find an opportunity to have the emperor start building his harem right now?

All she had to do was be a carefree empress who turned a blind eye to everything.

It's just that it's hard to say about my aunt.

Last night, the Emperor trampled on her face like that, and recently she went to ask the Emperor to open a harem for her. It seems that she was acting out of spite.

This displeased the Empress Dowager.

Ultimately, she has already achieved her goal by becoming empress.

But for Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, the most important thing was probably to give birth to the eldest legitimate son.

This also ensured Borjigit's position in the Qing Dynasty and guaranteed Jialuo's comfortable life in the harem.

Under this system, there are far too many restrictions on women.

After all, it was only because her son became emperor that Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang had the opportunity to participate in politics and display her talents.

As for the fact that the Emperor came to see her specifically, it wasn't to check on her foot injury at all.

It seems that the purpose of this visit was to tell her what the Empress Dowager had said that morning.

What exactly did my aunt say?

Jialuo couldn't think of anything for a moment, but the Empress Dowager must have said something that surprised her.

This piqued even Galo's curiosity.

She honestly shook her head and said to the Emperor, "Your Majesty's special visit must be for something extraordinary. I am too foolish to figure out what it is."

Fu Lin chuckled, his tone tinged with interest, and said with a smile, "Your mother means she feels sorry that you are bored alone in the palace, so she said she would find you some sisters to make things more lively."

He spoke casually, his right index finger lightly tracing the thumb ring on his thumb.

His demeanor was very relaxed, as if he were only talking about a small matter, or simply informing Empress Jialuo.

But his eyes were constantly observing Jialuo's expression.

She was completely stunned, her gaze seemingly fixed on his face, yet also appearing to be lost in thought, as if her mind wasn't on him at all.

On many occasions, and even during every time the two of them faced each other, Fu Lin felt that Jia Luo seemed to be ignoring him.

That kind of heartfelt respect, yet I never truly took him to heart.

It's as if he's interacting with another Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.

He was truly displeased with this, so he spoke again, saying, "Empress?"

His tone carried a hint of inquiry.

This tone made the distance between the two seem less significant.

Jialuo snapped out of her daze and withdrew her bewildered gaze.

She spoke in a low voice, "May I ask Your Majesty, did your mother tell you this herself this morning?"

But as soon as she finished speaking, she seemed to realize that her question was useless.

The Emperor would never lie; his words are law, how could he tell a lie?

Then Jialuo immediately spoke again, saying, "No, Your Majesty misspoke. What Your Majesty meant was, when will the selection of consorts begin?"

"Although the timing of starting the talent show suddenly is a bit tight, we just got married and haven't used many of the items yet. It's perfect to use them for the talent show, which saves us a lot of money."

"It's a win-win situation."

It was midday, and sunlight streamed into the room through the stained glass windows.

Due to refraction, the light has a slightly dappled appearance.

The room was filled with the finest and most exquisite utensils in the world.

It doesn't look old-fashioned in the light and shadow; instead, it fills the room with brilliance.

This time, the boy was stunned. He silently stared at the woman in front of him, who had a calculating look on her face.

That face, though not exactly gentle, possessed a beauty that even Fu Lin had to admit was undeniable, without a trace of distress or sadness.

There was only a moment of stunned disbelief and astonishment when I first learned of this.

But there was no sign of sadness.

This reminded Fulin of the young woman from the previous night.

She was like a delicate flower, so fragile, yet stubbornly wanting to live towards the sun.

But if you cut her inside, you'll see her heart riddled with holes.

The woman before him seemed to have no heart, or rather, her heart, along with her eyes, seemed devoid of any emotion.

This made him feel very uncomfortable.

"Didn't the Empress feel even the slightest bit of surprise?"

He asked the question.

Jialuo looked at the boy with slight surprise, then suppressed the turmoil in her heart that had been surging with the news.

She didn't know what emotions the Emperor wanted her to feel, but now that things had come to this, Jialuo didn't want to play games with the young man in front of her anymore.

She raised her hand, signaling all the maids and eunuchs in the room to leave.

Fu Lin lowered his eyes slightly, but did not stop him.

So, when only the two of them were left in the small room, Jialuo got up and wanted to put on her soft shoes.

But Fu Lin spoke up at this moment.

"Why are you making such a fuss? Just sit down and talk."

Jialuo was taken aback by what he said, and then reluctantly put her buttocks back down.

She began by saying, "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, now that you and the Empress Dowager have decided to take a concubine, I am certain that my marriage with Your Majesty is merely a symbol."

"In that case, Your Majesty, I may speak frankly. If there is anything I have said that is incorrect, please forgive me."

After she finished speaking, she fell silent and looked at Fu Lin.

Fu Lin seemed somewhat surprised that Jia Luo would say such a thing.

Could it be that Jialuo's words last night were just a euphemism?

Fu Lin nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on Jia Luo.

Having received his permission, Jialuo finally seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Your Majesty, I would like to decorate my own Kunning Palace and also have time to leave the palace every month to stay at the royal villa. Is that alright?"

Fu Lin's expression froze, his gaze fixed on the girl in front of him.

He clearly hadn't expected Galo to say something like that.

But Galo remained calm and simply met his gaze.

"Your Majesty, do you know that the position of Empress is that of the mother of the nation, and also bears the responsibility of producing the imperial heir?"

Fu Lin spoke each word carefully, his tone even carrying a hint of gritted teeth.

"Can I go out once every two months? I can go out on the same day and come back on the same day."

Upon hearing this, Fu Lin looked somewhat taken aback, seemingly finding it both amusing and exasperating that she had suddenly adopted such a bargaining attitude.

"Borjigit, you surprise me somewhat. Is this what I meant?"

Jialu pursed her lips, but her expression was quite calm, without the slightest bit of embarrassment.

"Your Majesty, I have already had my wedding in the capital, and my mission is actually half complete."

"Today you tell me that the Empress Dowager and you are preparing to take a concubine. Then I think that neither you nor the Empress Dowager intend for Borjigit to give birth to the eldest prince."

"I have no interest in these things. Since that's the case, I just need to fulfill my role as Empress. As for whether I'm in the palace for a day or two each month, what impact does that have on the harem or on anyone else?"

Fu Lin stared at her silently until she finished speaking before asking, "What are you going out to do?"

Upon hearing this, Jialuo sensed a slight relaxation in his tone and said, "Your Majesty, for the eleven years since I was born, I have grown up on the Khorchin Grassland. I have seen the vast grasslands and experienced life with torches burning, fresh meat roasting, and mare's milk wine."

"Now that I've come to the capital, I also want to experience its prosperity, its diverse cuisine, and its local customs."

"People come into this world and naturally want to enjoy life and see some new and interesting things."

After she finished speaking, she looked at Fu Lin again and noticed that the boy's expression had changed slightly.

"emperor?"

Jialuo thought she had said something wrong, but she didn't want to give up on making her request.

After thinking for a moment, he added, "Your Majesty, Jialuo has come to the capital and is naturally aware of his responsibilities, but as you said last night, he seems too composed."

"Actually, this is my first time in the capital, and my first time being the Empress of the Qing Dynasty."

“I have done many things poorly, but you and Empress Dowager have been very tolerant of me.”

“Logically speaking, I should learn to be more obedient, but Jialuo is not that kind of person. Jialuo wants to see some mountains and rivers, and also wants to taste some delicious food.”

"But please rest assured, although I cannot guarantee that I will fulfill my duties as Empress perfectly, I will certainly do my best to ensure peace and tranquility in the harem."

After speaking, Fulin did not remain silent this time. He raised his eyebrows slightly and asked in a cool and indifferent voice, "Before that, answer one question for me."

Jialu straightened her back immediately, her expression serious and cautious.

"Your Majesty, please ask whatever you wish, Jialuo will answer all your questions."

The young man spoke slowly but with an air of authority, asking, "Who gave you the audacity to speak ill of the imperial heir?"

A note from the author:

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