Chapter 6 Chapter 6 You Still Blame Me
Knowing that she would have to enter the palace the next day, Liang Hanzhang tossed and turned in bed that night, unable to sleep. She wondered what the Queen would ask her when she met Feng Yan the next day. As for Li Fu's nagging, it was just talk, and she was not stupid enough to take it seriously.
However, it seemed that whether she took it seriously or not, it wouldn't change anything. The only difference was that it would add more psychological burden to herself.
Ah, life is so hard. Liang Hanzhang clutched the corner of the quilt and sighed softly when she heard Dongzhi's regular breathing coming from the pedal next to her. If only she could be as heartless as Dongzhi.
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The next day, before the cockcrow, Qiufen half-dragged her out of bed, helping her dress and wash. She peered through the crack in the window lattice at the sky, which was still pitch black.
The sun rises late in winter, and she got up too early. Her brain seemed to be filled with paste, and when she turned her head, it moved with a gurgling sound, making her feel even more groggy.
She yawned and asked, "Does your Highness usually get up at this time?"
Qiufen tied her hair up behind her and said with a smile, "It's still relatively late today. Because of the heavy snow in the past few days, the emperor sympathized with his ministers and ordered the court meeting to be postponed. But Your Highness is used to getting up early and didn't take it to heart. However, the queen is going to the palace with Your Highness today, and Your Highness sympathized with the queen, so he ordered me to wake you up at this time."
Liang Hanzhang nodded with half-closed eyes, thinking that being a prince was not that easy. If it were her, she would definitely not be able to get up so early.
It's funny to say that while Her Highness is so busy with official duties, she is actually thinking about how to help the rebels of the previous dynasty to disintegrate the Jin regime.
It's truly difficult to have it both ways. Even though she was on the opposite side of the court, after getting to know them for a while, she knew that Li Cheng was indeed a qualified crown prince, and the man on the throne was even more decisive and ruthless, a qualified emperor. They were both rare and clear-minded rulers.
But she had no choice, her brother's life was still in the hands of those people. She was really a selfish person to the extreme. Liang Hanzhang despised herself in her heart. She ignored the people of the world and actually worked for the Liang Dynasty for her brother's life.
However, in this world, her brother is the only person closest to her. If she can save her brother's life, she would even give up her own life. If the world spurns her, then let her be the only one spurned.
Because today was special, Qiufen had chosen a lavender embroidered jacket for her. The cuffs were embroidered with delicate plum blossom designs in gold thread, and the collar was trimmed with a circle of white fox fur. It was both appropriate for her status and dignified.
Her delicate little face was half-hidden in the fur, leaving only a pair of affectionate obsidian eyes, looking well-behaved and lovely.
Meeting Feng Yan, one couldn't dress too casually. Qiufen combed her silky black hair into a high bun, pinned two golden hairpins on it, and even dotted her forehead with rouge. After all this dressing up, she looked completely transformed.
Empress Fengyi was already beautiful, and now she was dressed in gorgeous clothes. Her eyebrows were slightly raised, and there was a faint light in her eyes. Her usual timidity was gone, and she looked quite fierce as a superior.
Qiufen was secretly shocked. The aura of the Queen was as if she was born to be a noble and superior person, looking down on the ants in the world, and everyone should crawl at her feet.
However, she was just a small maid in a restaurant before, how could she have such a strong aura?
Li Cheng was wearing a ochre-yellow round-necked brocade robe and a white jade belt around his waist. The exquisite jade pendant on his waist moved slightly with his breathing. His outer robe outlined the man's slightly thin body.
Liang Hanzhang's mind suddenly flashed back to the scene of him pressing down on her that day, his bulging and powerful muscles clearly visible, pressing hard against her body. Back then, he wasn't as skinny as he is now.
Well, much more powerful.
Her face flushed, and she almost trotted over, worried that His Highness would get impatient waiting for too long. But when she saw the Crown Prince's gentle features, she froze in a rare moment of shock.
This face is completely different from the one we met at Fengle Tower that day! His temples are as sharp as a knife, his eyebrows and eyes are as beautiful as a painting, he is a rare handsome man in the world.
Is this his true face?
In the ice and snow, her embroidered shoes made a squeaking sound as they stepped on the ground. Li Cheng heard the noise and glanced over, without a trace of anger on his face.
The man took the umbrella from Li Fu's hand and handed it to her. Liang Hanzhang ran to him and stopped, already a little out of breath, with a few traces of pink on the tip of her nose.
Li Rong just glanced at her and turned away embarrassedly, with his ears red. He didn't notice the shock on her face that had not yet disappeared, and looked at the carriage road not far away: "Let's go."
There was no sign of daybreak yet, snowflakes were falling, and the sky and the earth were covered in silver.
Li Fu was walking in the heavy snow without an umbrella, and he was unaware of the snowflakes falling on his body. When he saw a couple walking side by side in front of him, his smile almost split the back of his head.
Tsk tsk, His Highness said he wasn't interested in her. He's lived for so many years, a whole generation older than His Highness, and his judgment of people has never been wrong.
It seems that a little grandson will be born in the Eastern Palace soon.
Liang Hanzhang had just recovered from an illness. He was weak to begin with and was extremely afraid of the cold. When a gust of cold wind blew, he couldn't help shivering.
Li Cheng noticed it, paused slightly, and said in a cold voice with a frown on his face, "Where is Fengyi's cloak?" His expression was no longer as awkward as before, and his brows revealed the aura of a superior who was intimidating without even getting angry.
Qiufen fell to her knees with a thud, "This slave deserves death!"
Liang Hanzhang looked at the servant kneeling on the snow, her cherry lips opening and closing for a long time, and she couldn't help but say: "Your Highness, it was me...it was me who insisted on not wearing a cloak, no wonder it was Qiufen."
This was indeed the truth. Qiufen had reminded her just now, but she was in a hurry to go out and simply ignored it.
"Why don't you wear it?" The man's coldness did not melt at all when he heard her self-proclaimed transformation.
Liang Hanzhang lowered her head even lower, her voice as soft as a mosquito: "Your Highness...is afraid that Your Highness will wait too long..."
Li Cheng's gaze finally shifted from Xuemei, who was not far away, to her. The woman was extremely uneasy, her delicate white hands unconsciously tugging at the hem of her dress, revealing her delicate pink nails. Her face almost drooped to the ground, and from his view, he could only see her raven-black hair.
Even without looking at her face, Li Cheng could imagine her expression at the moment. She must have a pouty mouth and was about to cry. Her eyes, which should have been bright and lively, must have been misty.
He sighed imperceptibly. Forget it. Why should he put on such a face in front of her? She was just a timid girl who would retreat into her shell at the slightest sign of trouble.
He suddenly recalled Fang Boheng's words. The counselor said this person's identity was unknown, and it was very likely a spy sent by the Liang Dynasty to lurk in the Eastern Palace. But this woman before him was so easily moved to tears, and so frightened by the slightest thing that she thought the sky was falling.
Li Cheng shook his head. The Liang Dynasty rebels would not send such a stupid spy.
Turning to Li Fu, he said, "Go to Tingyu Pavilion and get me that cloak." Tingyu Pavilion was in the front yard, close to the gate of the mansion. This was the best solution at the moment.
Li Fu couldn't wait to let out an "Ai" and twisted his fat body to go to Tingyu Pavilion. Liang Hanzhang saw the shadow of the old steward, who was almost as fast as flying, passing by. He didn't expect that the old steward, who was so bulky, could also be so flexible.
It’s true... you can’t judge a book by its cover.
She lowered her eyes to suppress her shock, bowed to the side, and said, "Thank you, Your Highness." But she was puzzled. His behavior today was indeed a little... unusual.
When he regained consciousness that day, he gripped the hilt of his sword, his eyes filled with undisguised murderous intent. Liang Hanzhang assumed that he had only had physical contact with her because of the love poison. When he regained consciousness and resumed his high and mighty status as the Crown Prince, he would definitely look down on her status and character.
Seeing it today, it seems that he doesn't hate her as much as she thought. Isn't it quite considerate to arrange all these things?
Is there another possibility that His Highness is not as unattractive to women as the outside world says, and that he has already accepted her in his heart, or that he feels guilty because she was sick a few days ago?
Liang Hanzhang wasn't sure, but for now, the situation was indeed much clearer. It seemed that the convulsion was not a bad thing.
Li Fu quickly returned with the brown cloak in his arms. The old eunuch was so exhausted that he was panting heavily, with beads of sweat even oozing from his forehead. He wiped the sweat off with the back of his hand and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, the cloak has been retrieved."
"Put it on Fengyi," Li Cheng's eyes fell on the corner lantern beside him, without specifying who he was talking to. Qiufen awkwardly took the cloak and carefully put it on the Empress.
Seeing that she was properly dressed, Li Chengfang cleared his throat and said, "Let's go." Liang Hanzhang gave a vague "hmm" and followed him.
It was obvious that the man did not wear this brown cloak often. The clothes were so new that there was not a single wrinkle, but the faint wood and bamboo fragrance from his body still remained.
It wasn't strong, but the scent reached her nose, making her mind dazed for a moment.
During the Jin Dynasty, horseback riding was a widespread tradition. Officials, civil and military alike, rode horses to court. In other words, only the elderly, the weak, women, and children would travel by horse-drawn carriage. If an official didn't ride, outsiders would assume he was in poor health.
Even someone as clumsy as Li Fu still rode a horse when he went out.
Liang Hanzhang was helped onto the carriage by Qiufen. Just before the curtain fell, she looked at the tall and straight ochre-yellow figure in front of her. The man wore a golden crown that symbolized his status as a prince, and he looked even more heroic in the hazy light.
Qiufen's face was pale, obviously frozen from kneeling in the snow. Liang Hanzhang felt guilty and handed her the heater in his arms, saying, "I'm sorry, I got you into trouble."
Qiufen declined while shaking her head, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. It is my duty to serve you. Besides, I have made some mistakes in my work. Fortunately, Your Highness reminded me. I am so grateful to you."
Compared to the impetuous and disrespectful Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice, and the childishness of Winter Solstice, Autumnal Equinox, as the eldest maid in Zhilanju, is undoubtedly generous and calm.
For example, at this moment, she had just been punished by His Highness, but she could still say, "Fortunately, Your Highness gave me some advice," and her words were still mature and steady.
Liang Hanzhang sneered inwardly, thinking that Li Cheng’s “eyes” were indeed a good choice.
The carriage slowly turned on the snow. Everything was quiet. She could clearly hear the clatter of horses' hooves in front of her deliberately slowing down, as if they were waiting for the carriage behind.
There was a charcoal fire burning in the carriage, and the heat made her drowsy. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes in a daze.
Until I was awakened by a knock on the car window and heard Li Fu's shrill voice reminding me, "Your Majesty, we have arrived at the palace."
She shuddered suddenly, checking her appearance to see if there was anything wrong, and then got out of the car with Qiufen. Li Cheng stood outside with his back to her, and when he heard the noise, he casually said:
"I'm going to the morning court. Please wait for a while in the Xuanguang Hall in front. After I leave the court, I'll go with you to pay my respects to the Queen Mother." Xuanguang Hall was where he usually handled government affairs in the palace, so it was appropriate to arrange for her to wait there.
Liang Hanzhang breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this. It was fine for him to accompany her. As long as he was not fighting alone, he would not be too nervous when meeting Feng Yan.
It was just dawn and many ministers had arrived on horseback. Liang Hanzhang was afraid of delaying him from attending court, so he knelt down and bowed, then held Qiufen's hand and followed the eunuch who was pointing the way to the main hall.
Li Fu, standing behind him, followed His Highness's gaze and said with a hearty laugh, "Your Highness, see how slowly the Queen walks. She must be reluctant to leave you." Li Cheng glanced at him and immediately walked towards Qianyuan Hall.
The morning court was filled with the usual discussions. Li Cheng, dressed in the prince's robe, stood tall and straight, standing out from the crowd of ministers.
Although Emperor Hui'an was in his prime, he had led his troops in many campaigns for many years and was not indestructible after all. Within a few years of ascending the throne, various problems began to emerge.
At this moment, he was wearing a Tongtian crown and a bright yellow nine-clawed dragon robe. Against the strong yellow background, the emperor's face looked even paler, with fine wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, and he covered his mouth with his hands to cough from time to time.
A great hero, even if he is the supreme ruler, will inevitably grow old and perish.
After leaving the court, Li Cheng's steps unconsciously quickened, his thoughts racing for the people in Xuanguang Hall. The eunuchs accompanying Emperor Hui'an chased after him for a long time before catching up, barely catching their breath. "Your Highness, the Emperor asks you to stay. He has a few more words to say to you."
Li Rong bowed to him, still showing the humble and polite demeanor of a crown prince. He turned his head to look at the tall and majestic Qianyuan Hall. He was confused, but he didn't care about anything else and could only follow the smiling eunuch.
After the eunuch passed the message to the inner hall, an old voice was heard after a while, "Come in." The eunuch personally lifted the door curtain for the prince and said with a smile, "Your Highness, please come in quickly."
Li Cheng was confused and hesitated for a moment with a frown before stepping in. His boots made a distinct sound on the floor. The Qianyuan Hall was bare, adding to its desolate atmosphere.
Emperor Hui'an sat behind the imperial desk in front of him, put his palm to his mouth and coughed softly. When he saw the person coming, he waved his hand and said, "Sit down, no need to be polite."
Despite His Majesty's insistence on no formalities, Li Cheng still bowed his head in the proper manner, his forehead touching the cold floor. His Majesty was momentarily stunned, and after a long pause, he said, "Stand up." His voice was much deeper than before.
"I heard that you have a Fengyi in your backyard," Li Gu asked with interest.
Li Cheng was stunned for a moment, as if he had not expected that he had asked the eunuch to let him stay just to ask such an insignificant question. He bowed and replied, "Yes, I made the decision without consulting Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
"Hey, what are you talking about?" Li Gu waved his hands nonchalantly. "You have been alone for many years, and now you are finally willing to get close to a woman. Your mother and I are so happy that we can't contain ourselves. You don't know that your mother is an old woman and what she most hopes for is to have many children and grandchildren. She has been worried about you for a long time."
"Right now, the Empress and I can finally rest assured," Li Gu said, his eyes suddenly lighting up. "When will you give me a little grandson? Look at that bastard Luo Hua. Even though she's several years younger than you, her son can already walk and calls me 'Auntie'!"
If the emperor were discussing state affairs with him, he would still be able to speak freely, but now that he was talking to him about these trivial and ordinary gossips, Li Cheng didn't know how to respond. He could only stand there in silence.
Emperor Hui'an kept talking to himself, but heard no response for a long time. His heart felt as if it was soaked in a jar of sour water, so sour and swollen that his throat was bitter.
He looked at his son, the one he and his wife had welcomed with so much anticipation and joy. His features mirrored his own, right down to the swift and decisive approach he took to government affairs. Yet, he felt increasingly distant from him. Though clearly connected by blood, they were drifting further and further apart.
Li Gu was in a trance, his face instantly dejected. He leaned weakly against the throne, but even though he was a young, wealthy emperor in his forties, his face was filled with helplessness. He said weakly, "You... still blame me?"
Li Cheng looked up at him, then quickly lowered his head. His expression remained calm as he said solemnly, "Your Majesty is both a father and a monarch. There is no monarch or father in the world who is not a good one. As a minister, I have learned Confucianism from a young age. I dare not and will not blame Your Majesty."
"There is no such thing as a wrong ruler or father in this world," Li Gu murmured, his eyes vague as if lost in some distant memory. He sighed softly, "You still blame me..."
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