Chapter 73: Return to Beijing
Li Cheng and Liang Hanzhang reconciled, and they were officially husband and wife again. Only the next day, he proposed to visit Liang's house.
It’s not quite a visit, because that was Zhang Niang’s residence. As Zhang Niang’s husband, he was naturally the male owner of the Liang Mansion.
That day, the gates of the Liang Mansion at the end of Maoyan Lane were wide open, and servants and retainers were rushing in and out, suggesting something auspicious was taking place. Neighbors were surprised to see that the Liang Mansion, previously deserted, was now filled with carriages and even the county magistrate had come to visit.
Everyone gathered around, their eyes wide open. After watching for a long time, they finally saw the familiar figure of Madam Liang, accompanied by a tall man and a child of several years old. Everyone gathered around and asked:
"Mr. Liang, what a wonderful day is today? Why is your mansion so bustling?"
Liang Hanzhang glanced at the man next to her who was trying to hold her hand forcefully, and smiled at everyone: "My husband who was away from home is back, and he is now preparing to move."
As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd immediately erupted in all kinds of discussions.
"Hey! Your husband? Didn't your wife say that your husband died of tuberculosis?" someone asked in a rough voice.
How could a dead person stand before others alive? Or did Madam Liang have more than one ex-husband, and the one standing next to her now wasn't the one with tuberculosis?
Everyone was curious and envious. Madam Liang was truly blessed. Her husband had died, and now she had such a handsome and graceful man standing beside her.
Just by looking at the man's clothing, demeanor, and the servants surrounding him, one could tell he was either wealthy or noble. How could such a nobleman possibly be interested in a widow like Madam Liang, and such a fierce woman at that.
It's really strange!
Li Cheng's handsome face darkened into a charcoal-like black after hearing Liang Hanzhang's announcement that he had died of tuberculosis. He squeezed her fingertips with increased force, his voice cool and clear:
"Is this how Zhang Niang arranged me?"
She was going to die of tuberculosis. Why didn't she say that she abandoned her husband and children, left her children at home, and went to Nanzhou alone to live a carefree life?
Liang Hanzhang was embarrassed and didn't dare to provoke him.
Her waist still hurts after he made her suffer all day yesterday.
Seeing the woman's guilty look, Emperor Jianping felt a mixture of love and hate. Especially when her dry mouth couldn't help but stick out her clove tongue to lick her rosy lips, a faint flame shot up in his lower abdomen.
I really want to carry her into the room and do all the romantic things with her.
This move was likely Liang Hanzhang's last time in Nanzhou. Even if he occasionally returned, his stay wouldn't be long. After all, this was the place he'd spent five full years, making it Liang Hanzhang's second home.
I feel inexplicably reluctant to leave so suddenly.
Li Cheng took her hand and pressed it gently to express his comfort.
He turned around and sent some gifts to the neighbors to thank them for taking care of Zhang Niang over the years. "Where in Tang County's Maoyan Lane have we ever seen such a good thing?" he said, trembling with fear.
Finally, when Madam Liang and her husband walked away, everyone came forward to ask, "What does Madam Liang and her husband do?"
How come his aura is so strong that ordinary people dare not even look at him.
Liang Hanzhang was feeding Li Huaizhou chestnut cakes. Hearing this, he smiled and said, "He is just a ninth-rank official in the capital."
Everyone was shocked. Oh, it turned out to be an official working in Chang'an. No wonder he had the aura of a superior and ordinary people didn't dare to approach him.
However, my husband is a bit serious, but this child is so cute.
A lady couldn't help but approach Li Huaizhou, and seeing his cute appearance of puffing out his cheeks while eating chestnut cake, she smiled and said, "Is this also the child of you and your husband? He looks really cute."
Liang Hanzhang nodded, and took Li Huaizhou to call people one by one. Li Huaizhou was a sweet and lively person, and he kept calling "sister" and made everyone laugh.
Finally, the important luggage was packed and it was time to leave. In the front hall of the Liang Mansion, Liang Hanzhang saw Zhang Laosan and Wang Laoer waiting. They were sitting awkwardly, not even daring to take a sip of the tea at the table.
She stepped forward quickly, her voice filled with guilt: "It's really my fault that you two brothers have suffered because of me."
Especially for Wang Laoer, it was a miracle that he could survive after being pierced by such a long arrow.
When the two men saw the newcomer, their eyes finally lit up. Zhang Laosan looked around cautiously. As Liang Hanzhang approached, he asked softly, "I heard that man is the husband of the landlord and will be returning to the capital soon. May I ask, are you willing to return to the capital?"
Liang Hanzhang looked up and saw the fire in his eyes. She knew Zhang Laosan was afraid she was being forced, so he took the risk of asking her this question when they met today.
I guess he has already made plans for her in his mind.
Liang Hanzhang felt a complex emotion. She met his eyes and softly said, "Of course I am. Actually, I deceived you two brothers earlier. My husband didn't die of tuberculosis, and I didn't have to go to Nanzhou out of necessity. I had a misunderstanding with him and came south in a hurry."
As she spoke, she saw her little child waiting for her not far away, and a faint smile appeared in her almond-shaped eyes: "He and I have another child, who is already five years old this year. In this life, our family of three will stay together and never be separated again."
Zhang Laosan obviously also saw the child under the bamboo shadow. Staring at his eyebrows and eyes that were similar to Liang Dongjia's, he knew that the child was Dongjia's child.
Although he had selfish motives, he had to admit that the child was really cute.
It seems that my wife has decided to return to Beijing. From now on, we will be separated by mountains and rivers and there will be no chance for us to meet again.
The two men were inexplicably sad.
Liang Hanzhang reassured them, gave them a few more instructions, and prepared to leave. Unexpectedly, Li Huaizhou, who was standing nearby, approached, hand in hand with Emperor Jianping. The attendants, upon seeing the emperor, kowtowed and called out, "Your Majesty, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
The attendants' mentioned majesty and the crown prince slowly approached Liang Hanzhang. The young emperor's eyes held a depth that others couldn't understand, but he still smiled lazily and waved at Liang Hanzhang, "Mother Zhang."
He said, "The child is crying for his mother."
When the word "Your Majesty" rang out, the two men in the hall froze. Zhang Laosan, in particular, turned his head in disbelief, and what he saw was the man who had been furious that night.
Is this man His Majesty?
And the child next to him was actually the Crown Prince. This Crown Prince was actually the Liang Dong family's flesh and blood?!
This news was a slap in the face. If the man before them was the current emperor, then their previous actions were tantamount to public disobedience to the emperor, and they should be executed according to the law.
When I think about it carefully, I can't help but break out in a cold sweat.
Li Cheng and Liang Hanzhang finished their conversation and fell silent. His dark eyes looked at the two men, his face calm, yet carrying the majesty that only belonged to an emperor.
The emperor's majesty cannot be violated.
Zhang Laosan and Wang Laoer's legs weakened for some reason when they caught Li Cheng's eye. They fell to their knees with a thud, kowtowed in trembling voices, "Your Majesty!"
Li Chengzhan's dark eyes swept across the two bent backs on the ground, and he sneered almost inaudibly.
He stood with his hands behind his back, his handsome face, carved from jade and gilded, bathed in sunlight, the white jade belt around his waist shimmering with a faint golden glow. He said calmly, "Get up."
How could Zhang Laosan and the other two dare to disobey? Only now did they realize how powerful the backing of Liang Dongjia's husband was. He still wanted to save Liang Dongjia from the dire situation.
If Liang Dongjia agreed today and His Majesty later discovered his involvement, Zhang Laosan didn't dare to think about the consequences he would face.
Now, seeing Liang Dongjia's serene smile, showing no fear in the face of the emperor, he could only secretly comfort himself: Dongjia is happy to be with His Majesty. Seeing Liang Dongjia's happiness, he was content.
Liang Hanzhang was led out by Li Cheng. Her steps were small, and she had trouble keeping up with the man. She couldn't help but ask, "Didn't Your Majesty say he didn't want to reveal his identity?" Why had he just ordered the attendants to shout so loudly?
Li Cheng's expression was gloomy. He couldn't bring himself to show his dark side to a woman. He finally replied, "I can't stand other men coveting you."
Liang Hanzhang glanced at him in surprise.
Li Cheng did not miss that look, he followed and asked: "Can't Zhang Niang see it?" Realizing that the other party was subconsciously avoiding him, he pinched her soft little face and said, "Don't try to deceive me, I am not that easy to fool."
Liang Hanzhang had a smile on her lips. After five years of separation, the calm and dignified Crown Prince in her impression seemed to be gradually changing. When in front of her, he would show more different emotions from usual.
This is what a normal couple looks like. Liang Hanzhang was delighted.
She shook the emperor's slightly calloused hand and said softly, "I just realized it today too."
"But in Zhang Niang's life, there is only Mingzhen."
Mingzhen is the courtesy name of Emperor Jianping.
Emperor Jianping had told her this once before. Unexpectedly, she had remembered it for so long.
When the young emperor heard the oriole-like voice, his tight brows suddenly relaxed, his breathing became easier, and his whole body felt as if bathed in a spring breeze, and his steps became much lighter.
He held the child in his arms, and his tall and broad arms held the woman in his arms. Through the child, his voice was infatuated and lingering, like the whispers between lovers: "In Mingzhen's life, there is only Zhang Niang."
Li Huaizhou was squeezed in between his parents, feeling the deep affection between them. He, who was usually talkative, became silent for the first time in his life, nestling obediently in Emperor Jianping's arms, a sweet little ball.
-
In the fifth year of Jianping, the emperor suddenly announced a shocking news at the court meeting: Empress Xiaode was not dead and had been found not long ago.
Since the empress was still alive and was the mother of the crown prince, the emperor suggested holding a ceremony to confer the title on the empress, announcing it to the ancestral temple, and recording it in the royal jade discs.
The court officials were stunned, unable to utter a single word of objection. The emperor hadn't had a new concubine in the past five years, and now, suddenly claiming the former Empress Yuan was still alive, he wanted to hold another ceremony to crown her. At least the emperor was willing to be intimate with women, wasn't he?
Regardless of whether she is the real Empress Xiaode, since there is a woman around the emperor again, it means that the daughters of these aristocratic families still have a chance.
The fifth day of the twelfth month of the fifth year of Jianping is very auspicious.
The Emperor re-established the enthronement ceremony for Empress Yuan. The entire Imperial City was bustling with people, and flags filled the sky. In front of the Qianyuan Hall, the young Emperor, wearing a royal robe, a crown, and Liuhe boots, held the Empress's hand and slowly ascended the ninety-nine steps. Amidst the heavy snow, he accepted the kowtows of the courtiers.
In an instant, voices of "Long live the emperor" and "A thousand years live the queen" came from all directions.
Liang Hanzhang had never seen such a spectacular scene in her life. Her face was stiff, and the Nine Dragons and Nine Phoenixes crown and the bridal veil with the phoenix pattern on her body were too heavy, so her whole body was shaking slightly.
Li Yan tilted her head, his dry and large hand still tightly holding hers, and the other hand was placed on her lower back to relieve some of the burden on her.
He looked at her with a gentle and satisfied expression.
He comforted: "Don't be afraid."
"I'm by your side."
At this moment, the heavy snow had cleared, filling the sky with golden light. Dark rays of light shone through the clouds onto the world, enveloping the entire imperial capital. Golden light shimmered everywhere, and above the heavens, the sounds of dragons and phoenixes could be heard faintly.
-
If we were to say what was the most shocking event in the fifth year of Jianping, apart from the ceremony of enthroning the empress, it would be the life experience of Empress Xiaode.
Some time ago, the Boyi Marquis’ Mansion found their long-lost daughter, who turned out to be the emperor’s first wife, the current Empress Xiaode.
When the empress entered the imperial palace, many censors criticized her based on her life experience, saying that her status was low and that her virtue was unworthy of her position.
Now, the queen has transformed herself into a member of the Boyi Marquis's mansion and the only sister of the Marquis. This illustrious background is simply impeccable.
At the beginning, the court officials, considering that Marquis Zhuang was deeply trusted by the emperor, hoped that he would privately advise the king more often to expand the harem and treat all the concubines equally.
Now, the only woman in the harem is actually the sister of Marquis Zhuang. Given Zhuang Binghuai's protective nature, not to mention holding a large-scale beauty pageant, he would even pull out all the female mosquitoes in the harem.
The story of the Boyi Marquis's successful recovery of his daughter was a fortuitous one, as Emperor Jianping, in front of Zhuang Binghuai, had ordered Xia Chang to carefully investigate the origins of the exquisite jade pendant.
Zhuang Binghuai was shocked to see his sister's relics with his own eyes. Later, he learned from the virtuous prince Li Xuan that the jade pendant was indeed the queen's.
After unraveling layer upon layer of clues, it was finally confirmed that Liang Hanzhang was the daughter of the banker who was abducted by the kidnapper that day.
The truth is revealed.
At the same time, the girl from the Zhuang family was also the little girl that Emperor Jianping met at the Changsun Mansion. Everything was so beautiful, and it was all fate.
Li Cheng was reviewing memorials. In his spare time, he could turn his head and see the woman accompanying him. His heart was suddenly filled with joy. He smiled, put down the red brush in his hand, and held the woman to sit on his lap.
His chin rested on her soft hair, his voice soft and a little distant.
He asked, "Yaoyao, do you know why I chose you when I first met you?" Yaoyao was the nickname that Madam Gao gave her. Now, Li Cheng often called her that in private.
Liang Hanzhang, no, now Empress Xiaode who had changed her name to Zhuang Ying, looked up at him, her jade hand resting on his neck, revealing a swan-like, slender, white neck.
She said: "Because Mingzhen took Chinese medicine back then."
Emperor Jianping kissed her palm lightly, with pity and desire in his eyes. He shook his head and said in an unclear voice: "No."
He stared into those clear, autumn-like almond-shaped eyes, and his heart gradually softened and collapsed. He said firmly: "When I looked into your eyes back then, I felt like I had seen them before."
"It's the drugs that make me hard, but it's your watery eyes that make me feel close to you."
Zhuang Ying couldn't help but punch him as he spoke these stern and aggressive words. But then, a smile broke out on her face.
Time rolls by, the sun rises and the moon sets, the tides ebb and flow.
In the race against time, their two lines intersected and then separated. After years of wasting time, they finally met again one day.
Meeting you again is like meeting an old friend.
——
[End of full text]
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