Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Tenderness
After finally finishing the meal, Li Cheng asked his attendants to take the prince away to rest. When only he and Liang Hanzhang were left in the room, the emperor's anger finally subsided.
Finally no one disturbed them.
Li Cheng smiled and was about to approach her, but she had already turned around. Her almond-shaped eyes met his, filled with deep affection and tenderness.
She gently touched the emperor's temples and said tearfully, "Your Majesty, have you been okay these years?"
Li Cheng thought to himself: How could I possibly live happily without her? He raised the child alone, and every time he saw the prince's eyes, which resembled Zhang Niang's, he felt heartbroken.
He lost Zhang Niang, just like a fish out of water. Even if it can survive for a short time, it will eventually perish.
His lips moved, unable to bear to make her sad, he said gently: "It's okay, although it was a little difficult at the beginning, you got through it in the end."
At that time, not long after Zhang Niang fell off the cliff, the prince was young and in poor health, and had suffered several serious illnesses in a row. Later, for some unknown reason, he was infected with the plague.
Even an adult contracting the plague was a matter of life and death, let alone a child of a few years old? Li Cheng held the dying prince in his arms, and his heart broke as he looked at the weak child in his arms.
Zhang Niang passed away, leaving him a child. Could it be that he couldn't even protect this little life?
He held the child, who felt light and would leave him in the next second, clasped his hands together and prayed to God countless times.
Fortunately, with the help of the gods and the painstaking efforts of the prince's doctors, this fragile little life was saved.
Li Rong didn't want to talk about these past events, for fear that Liang Hanzhang would worry.
Liang Hanzhang couldn't help but shed tears. The corners of her eyes were red. She leaned gently into the emperor's arms, tugging at his bamboo green brocade robe, and said in a muffled voice:
"Your Majesty, I'm sorry, it's all my fault."
Li Cheng grabbed her hand, not quite agreeing: "I don't blame you..."
Ultimately, he was more at fault for that misunderstanding. As the crown prince, as a man, he couldn't protect his woman, couldn't give her enough sense of security, and made her live in constant fear.
He was too conceited, thinking that he was the crown prince and that the entire core of the court was in his hands. So he became careless and thought he could protect his wife and children.
He thought that Emperor Hui'an and the Empress Dowager were his parents, and he knew them well enough, so he was self-righteous and felt that the Emperor and Empress would not do such a cruel thing.
However, he forgot that the emperor and empress conquered the world with ease and were never lacking in cunning and strategy. If they were not so ruthless, they would not have been able to gain a firm foothold so quickly during the early years of war and division.
He thought that the emperor and empress often subconsciously ignored him and focused their attention on their second brother.
However, he was also the child of the Emperor and Empress, a child connected by blood. Although Queen Wang had asked him to deal with Liang Yuan more than once, Li Cheng felt that as long as he did not give in, as long as he refused, the Emperor and Empress would not be able to do anything to Liang Yuan.
He had underestimated human nature, and the ruthlessness of the Emperor and Empress. Back then, the virtuous prince had earned a reputation as a traitor in the court and the country, even having his title stripped. The Emperor and Empress harbored deep resentment towards him.
It was because he underestimated the enemy and was too conceited that Zhang Niang became disheartened and resolutely jumped off a deep cliff, without revealing her whereabouts for five years.
How can he atone for such a sin?
Liang Hanzhang buried herself in his arms, and soon the cloth on the emperor's chest became wet.
She choked up and said, "Your Majesty, when I learned that you were going to kill me, I had no choice but to ride my horse and jump off the cliff in desperation. Under the circumstances at that time, I still had a glimmer of hope after falling from the cliff. If I had continued to stay in the East Palace, the Queen would not let me go."
"I'm sorry, I misunderstood Your Majesty, abandoned my newborn child, and hid in Nanzhou for five years. In fact, during my time in Tang County, I often dreamed of Your Majesty and Zhou'er, and I also had the urge to return to Chang'an to meet you. I believe in Your Majesty, but..."
She burst into tears. "But I'm afraid of the retired emperor and the empress dowager. I'm afraid they'll find out I'm alive and won't let me go. I also want to go back to Chang'an. My days in Nanzhou are too lonely..."
The emperor felt heartbroken when he heard this, as if millions of ants were crawling across his chest. He closed his eyes in pain and only hugged the woman in his arms tighter.
His voice was hoarse and low: "I know, I know everything. It was all my fault back then. I didn't protect Zhang Niang well, and you suffered so much grievance. Don't worry, I am the emperor now, and I have the final say in all matters in the world. I have also imprisoned the Supreme Emperor and the Empress Dowager in the West Garden. No one can hurt you and the child, don't worry, Zhang Niang. What happened back then will never happen again."
Li Rong pulled the person in his arms away slightly, reached out to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes, feeling both distressed and guilty: "Don't cry, Zhang Niang, you'll hurt yourself if you cry."
He looked straight into Liang Hanzhang's eyes, as if he wanted to see her into his heart. After a long time, he asked, "Mother Zhang, please come back to Chang'an with me. You are the prince's biological mother and the queen appointed by me personally. When we return to Chang'an, our family of three will live a good life. No one can separate us."
Liang Hanzhang was stunned for a moment when he heard the following words.
She couldn't help but wonder what identity she would assume when she returned. Empress Xiaode had been dead for many years, at least everyone in the court and the country believed that she had passed away.
If she returns to her original identity, will the court officials be shocked and turn against her and the prince?
The emperor noticed this hesitation and felt unhappy. He stared at the woman's pale face, and suddenly his expression darkened, his brows furrowed, and a chill emanated from him.
He almost forgot that Zhang Niang had so many wild lovers in Nanzhou, and she still had feelings for her lovers, but she was afraid that she would be reluctant to go back to Chang'an with him.
After all, Zhang Niang still doesn't have him in her heart!
Emperor Jianping pressed his lips into a line, his eyes were red with suppressed rage, as if he was about to draw his sword and chop someone down in the next second.
He shouldn't have been so soft-hearted. He should have killed all those wild men last night!
Liang Hanzhang had no idea what the emperor was thinking. She only noticed that he was holding her hands tighter and tighter, as if he wanted to rub her into his bones and blood.
She raised her head and kissed the emperor's lips, then leaned closer and asked softly, "Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?"
Suddenly, something with a woman's fragrance touched his lips, soft and sweet. Li Cheng was suddenly stunned, stroking his lips blankly, staring at Liang Hanzhang without saying a word.
She actually kissed him.
The emperor felt a little dizzy and his body went limp, as if he was in the clouds and had no idea what day it was.
Zhang Niang kissed him. Does that mean that she also has him in her heart?
Otherwise, how could she be willing to take the initiative to get close to me?
This realization brought the emperor back to his senses, and he breathed a sigh of relief. His gaze swept over the woman's almond-shaped eyes, her small, lovely nose, and her juicy, cherry-like mouth, still marked by his teeth.
Somehow, his mouth felt dry, and his body felt hot, hard, and burning.
He held his breath, handing the initiative to the other party, also with a hint of probing intent: "Madam Zhang, tell me, how should I deal with your lovers?"
Liang Hanzhang frowned and asked in confusion, "How can I have a lover?"
Seeing her stubbornness, Emperor Jianping snorted coldly and said in a deep voice, "Does Madam Zhang need me to remind you? Zhang Lao San, Wang Lao Er, and Marquis of Boyi, Zhuang Binghuai, aren't they all lovers of the Madam?"
He didn't know how much endurance he had to calmly say the names of those wild men.
Liang Hanzhang was even more confused and wanted to ask further, but suddenly he noticed that Li Cheng's face was red from trying so hard to endure it, the veins on his neck were bulging, and his breathing was becoming more and more rapid.
A sudden inspiration came to her mind, and a guess flashed through her mind.
She suddenly laughed and said, "Your Majesty, are you jealous?"
Li Cheng snorted coldly, thinking to himself, "That's true. This woman is fickle, saying one thing in public but another in private. She says she misses him and the child, but isn't she living a carefree and happy life in Nanzhou?"
Not a single word that came out of her mouth could be believed.
It was the first time that Liang Hanzhang saw Li Rong like this. In her impression, men had always been the noble crown prince who never showed his emotions, never made mistakes in his words and deeds, and could keep a clear head no matter how big the matter was.
Unexpectedly, she actually saw the emperor's jealous side?
It's true, his jealous look was adorable. Liang Hanzhang watched with great satisfaction, but seeing his face darken, he knew that if he didn't explain things clearly now, there might be conflicts later.
She suppressed her smile, straightened up slightly in Li Cheng's arms, and gently placed her delicate hands around Li Cheng's neck. Her eyes were sparkling, still wet from crying.
She bit the corner of the emperor's lips, her voice soft and sweet, as if covered with honey, "Your Majesty, I have never had any other man in the past five years. As for the lover Your Majesty mentioned, none of them exists."
Li Cheng finally got to eat this sweet dessert. Seeing that the woman seemed to retreat after she finished speaking, he could not help but hold her with both hands behind her back, and used all his strength to catch up with her, sucking the berry-like sweetness into his mouth.
He frowned, "Why should I believe you?"
Although he said he didn't believe it, his expression softened a little.
Wrapped in the hot and burning male body, with her lips also held, Liang Hanzhang breathed with difficulty, her breath a little short. She panted, her voice charming, like sweet candy:
"If Your Majesty doesn't believe it, please go and check it yourself."
Bitten by the man's sharp fangs, she hissed softly and replied intermittently: "Zhang Laosan is my bodyguard, and Wang Laoer is a young man in the county government office. He often helps me deliver letters, and we have become closer through the back and forth communication."
"As for the Marquis Zhuang that Your Majesty mentioned, I am truly embarrassed. I have long acknowledged Madam Gao as my adoptive mother, and now, legally, Marquis Zhuang is my adopted brother. With a relationship that is like brother and sister, how could any private feelings arise from this, Your Majesty?"
She got closer to the man and panted softly, "If Your Majesty is talking about a private affair, it will really make things difficult for me."
Li Cheng saw that she spoke openly, and combined with her reputation in Tang County and Xu Yin's confession, he knew that what she said was probably true.
But the emperor was still angry.
She had no interest in those wild men because she had met a man like him early on, who was superior in appearance, status, and character. She had no such interest, but she could not resist the wild men who were eyeing her.
Not to mention Wang Lao Er, even the security guard Zhang Lao San, the way he looked at her and his protective nature, said that he had no feelings for Zhang Niang, but Li Rong didn't believe it at all.
It is a crime to possess a treasure. Zhang Niang has a good appearance and a gentle personality. Any normal man can't help but be attracted to her.
I remember that the Qinglong Guard reported that a man climbed over the wall at night and tried to rape Zhang Niang. Fortunately, Zhuang Binghuai protected her, so Zhang Niang was able to gain a foothold in Tang County.
In this case, he should thank Zhuang Binghuai?
However, Liang Hanzhang had met Zhuang Binghuai and Madam Gao countless times over the past five years, and he'd often heard news of Marquis Zhuang and his mother traveling to Nanzhou. His heart swelled with jealousy.
She had met her sworn brother Zhuang Binghuai so many times, but she had never met him.
What a cruel heart.
Regardless of what he was thinking in his heart, he still showed his reluctance on the surface. He rarely lost his temper like a child: "I don't care. Anyway, I feel uncomfortable with so many men around you. If you don't serve me well, I won't forgive you."
He kept calling her "I," using his imperial authority to pressure her. After spending the day with him, Liang Hanzhang wasn't afraid at all, and instead slipped her wrist under the emperor's hem.
She said coquettishly, "Then, shall I serve Your Majesty?"
Li Cheng listened to the sound like a cat scratching, and suddenly felt his muscles and bones go numb, and the fire in his body burned more fiercely.
He looked at the woman with shimmering eyes, lust in his eyes. He gently picked her up and brought her back to the couch in the inner room, laughing softly and saying, "It would be disrespectful to refuse."
…
Finally waking up from the turmoil of love affairs, Liang Hanzhang lifted her eyelids to glance at the sated man beside her, and couldn't help but taunt him, "Your Majesty keeps saying that I'm surrounded by strange men. So, in the past five years, has Your Majesty also been surrounded by beautiful women?"
Emperor Jianping glanced at her lazily, rubbed her head, and said angrily, "If I were surrounded by beautiful women, do you think I would only have Zhou'er as my child?"
The royal family has always attached great importance to offspring, and he is not in poor health. If he had been lucky enough with another woman in the past five years, he might have had countless children.
Liang Hanzhang certainly knew it, otherwise she wouldn't have asked so calmly.
As long as she thought about the possibility that this man would have other women around him, that he would have sex with other women and that he would have children with other women, Liang Hanzhang felt a pang of pain in her heart.
This is her man, why should she share him with others?
However, among the sons of wealthy families, no man would stay with one woman forever. Most men are unfeeling towards women.
For example, even though Emperor Jianping treated her with great affection and was very kind to her and the children, and she was the only woman by his side, Liang Hanzhang still couldn't be sure that she was the only one in the emperor's life.
People’s hearts are fickle, who can predict what will happen in the future?
If she had to endure having so many women around her husband and hearing illegitimate sons and daughters calling her mother, Liang Hanzhang would feel uncontrollably sick.
She hated this kind of life. If that was the case, then she wouldn't be the queen.
Liang Hanzhang leaned against the emperor's chest, her fingers entwined in circles of his black hair. Her voice was muffled and somewhat unhappy: "Your Majesty, besides me, are there any other women you are attracted to?"
Li Cheng didn't know why she asked that, but through her slightly trembling voice, he could sense her uneasiness. She was worried, anxious, and perturbed.
Is it because he didn't give her enough sense of security?
After what happened five years ago, the emperor would pay special attention to Liang Hanzhang's emotions.
He raised his upper body, placed the woman on top of him, and holding her waist, he said softly, "I can't stand it even with you alone, how can I have the energy to do more?"
"Is Your Majesty getting old?" the woman asked innocently.
After hearing this, the emperor's face instantly darkened.
He pinched the woman's delicate face, which was as white as jade, and couldn't help biting it. He said angrily, "Is your husband making you uncomfortable? How dare you despise your husband's age?"
He turned over and suddenly pressed the person down, with a wicked look on his lips, and said in a low voice: "Then your husband will serve your majesty again, and I will definitely make your majesty satisfied."
Seeing that he was really ready to do it again, Liang Hanzhang was a little frightened. Although this was indeed a refreshing thing, it was not good for your health to do it all the time.
She nestled her little head in the emperor's neck and shook her head in refusal: "No, I can't stand it anymore."
Seeing that she looked tired, Li Cheng knew that she was indeed tired, so he stopped making a fuss and continued to hold her contentedly.
He asked, "Mother Zhang, we are one as husband and wife. If you have anything you want to say or ask, you can tell me directly. I promise that I will never be angry, and I will never blame you."
Liang Hanzhang hadn't expected Li Cheng to notice her subtle emotions, and her nose felt sore. She looked at the man's handsome face, feeling his broad, powerful chest, which was still stained with sweat from the intense exercise just now.
The words buried deep in my heart were poured out like this: "My dear, will I be the only one for you from now on?"
Li Cheng's black eyes looked straight at her, his eyes were firm, without any hesitation: "Yes, I will only have you as a woman in this life."
"Although it is common for emperors to have three palaces and six courtyards, in my Li family, a man will only have one beloved wife and will not take concubines. This is the tradition of my Li family."
Liang Hanzhang suddenly remembered that the Empress Dowager Wang was the only woman in the Empress Dowager's palace, and no other concubines had appeared. So, what Emperor Jianping said was not without reason.
The emperor sensed the uneasiness of the woman in his arms, and this uneasiness was caused by him. What he had to do was to erase the uneasiness in her heart, make her give him enough trust, and make her rely on him wholeheartedly.
The emperor kissed her forehead piously and solemnly, and said softly: "I swear to you on the honor of being an emperor that I will only take you as my wife in this life and will not take any concubines. If you break this oath, God will not bless you."
The man was unusually serious, his eyes determined without a trace of hesitation. Liang Hanzhang believed him about 80%, and the uneasiness he felt gradually dissipated.
She naturally believed in the emperor.
Even if he couldn't do it in the future, at least now, I could still get his solemn promise, right? Who knew what would happen in the future?
Instead of worrying about the future, it is better to cherish the present.
After all, she and the emperor gave birth to a prince. With Zhou'er's blood, she and Li Zheng were firmly tied together for life.
Her man can only be the emperor in front of her, who is still handsome and elegant.
The emperor and empress were staying in the inner room quietly. The maid behind the screen outside hesitated for a long time, then came in and whispered, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is outside asking to see you."
The child, who had just been quiet for a few hours, came back to bother his parents.
The emperor had always known how exhausting it was to raise a child, but before he found Zhang Niang, he and the crown prince depended on each other for survival. Raising his own flesh and blood, though sometimes annoying, was mostly a blessing.
Never before had he been so irritated by children.
The prince is already five years old, but he still bothers his parents every day. Is he sensible?
It seems that the prince is still too idle.
Li Cheng held his forehead helplessly and sighed: "Mother Zhang, let's not have any other children except Zhou'er."
He and Zhang Niang didn't have much time alone to begin with. Having a prince was troublesome enough, and if she got pregnant, she would be in trouble too.
How can we live like this?
It's simply impossible to get through.
Liang Hanzhang looked at him and suddenly asked, "What if it happens today?" From this morning till now, the two of them had no idea how many rounds of exercise they had done. Maybe the seeds had been planted.
Emperor Jianping felt a moment of regret, thinking he shouldn't have been so indulgent. He took a deep breath and replied, "If it happens today, then give birth to the baby. From now on, I will take medicine before I have sex, and I will not let you get pregnant again."
"We only have Zhou'er." He knew that in families with many children, parents would subconsciously favor one over the other. It would be wrong to favor either of his and Zhang Niang's children.
It would be better to just have the Crown Prince. After all, the Crown Prince is smart and more than capable of inheriting the throne.
As for today's indulgence, if she was really pregnant, it meant that the child was destined for them, so she would just give birth to it. Although he was the father of two children, he tried his best to ensure that he did not favor either one.
In short, the emperor thought a lot, but he didn't come up with the idea of letting Liang Hanzhang drink contraceptive soup.
He would never let Zhang Niang drink such a strong medicine.
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