Chapter 334 (End)
Is this what they call best friends? Sometimes she really felt that Qi Roufu was adorably innocent.
Tao Tao smiled without saying a word, picked up her teacup, and a fragrant aroma of floral tea wafted up, refreshing and sweet.
It's the flower tea she gave me last time; I haven't finished it yet.
Qi Roufu noticed her hesitation, her eyes sparkling, and said with a smile, "This is what I got from your residence last time. There's not much left, and I'm reluctant to drink it."
Tao Tao looked up and stared at her for a while, then said dismissively, "It's just ordinary flower tea. Once you've finished it, just have a servant go to my residence to get more."
Qi Roufu took her hand and said in a coquettish tone, "Because you made it yourself, I don't want you to be too tired."
"Moreover, during the time you were away from the capital, I was obedient and stayed in the mansion without going anywhere."
Before leaving the capital, she specifically sent someone to give Qi Roufu some instructions, fearing that she might ruin everything, and simply told her not to leave the mansion before she returned to the capital.
Tao Tao couldn't possibly disappoint her when she was so eager for praise.
He held her hand, his smile sincere and gentle, "Your Highness has done a great job, and Huaimin is very pleased."
"I'll make you some sweet soup next time; my cooking skills are pretty good."
Qi Roufu was somewhat surprised, "You can make this?"
"In the past, I was just a commoner. I only gained Duan Gan's favor by chance. My cooking skills were not good, but I could only boil some sweet soup, which was very simple."
When asked about the past, she spoke of it casually.
Qi Roufu asked curiously, "How exactly did you and Duan Gan meet?"
Tao Tao paused, "Didn't I tell you?"
She shook her head. "No, when did you tell me that?"
Tao Tao nodded, seemingly lost in thought, "I see..."
She didn't expect that Qi Roufu hadn't investigated her, or that Qi Roufu had investigated but it was covered up by the Privy Council.
Tao Tao pondered for a few seconds. Then she said, "It wouldn't hurt to talk about it." She treated it as a casual chat.
The weather is lovely today, with a clear blue sky and fluffy white clouds drifting by one after another. Time slips away unnoticed.
Before they knew it, it was lunchtime in the afternoon, and the servants silently brought in the food.
Tao Tao didn't tell everything; she only picked out what she could say, added some details, and omitted certain minor details.
Of course, this includes the funeral business; they only mentioned that the family runs a bookstore and a clothing store.
"What an interesting encounter, a hero saving a damsel in distress on the street... I never knew that someone as aloof as him would actually save someone?"
"The attraction of love at first sight is just too powerful."
Qi Roufu sighed.
Tao Tao: "Let's have a meal, I'm starving."
Just then, the butler came to report.
He bowed and said, "Princess, Your Highness, the Privy Council has sent people to escort Your Highness back to your residence."
Upon hearing this, Qi Roufu looked at Tao Tao in surprise, and Tao Tao was equally astonished.
She remembered telling him she was going to the Princess's residence before she left. Could it be that something was wrong?
Suddenly, Granny Wu walked in.
The person sent by the Privy Council was Granny Wu.
"Your Highness, the Prince is waiting for you to have dinner at the manor. He said that a long time has passed, but he has been having so much fun that he has forgotten to come home for dinner."
When Granny Wu said this, her face was all smiles, and her wrinkled eyes held a hint of teasing.
Qi Roufu nudged Tao Tao's arm with her elbow, her eyes mischievous. "I didn't expect your husband to be so clingy."
"It hasn't been that long since we last met, and they've already sent people to chase after us."
Tao Tao blushed a little from the teasing, "Okay, stop talking."
She cleared her throat and said to Granny Wu, "Granny, you should go back first. I'll have my meal with the Princess and then go back later."
Granny Wu hesitated for two seconds, glanced at the Princess, and said, "Then this servant will take her leave."
The regent, who was waiting for his wife to return to the Privy Council, showed no emotion on the surface upon hearing the report, but in reality, he couldn't even eat.
He waved for the food to be taken away.
The two at the Princess's residence chatted and laughed, enjoying the moon and wine. It was nearly midnight when Tao Tao finally got into a sedan chair and returned to the Privy Council.
The poor Grand Councilor waited from day to night.
He was originally in his study handling official business, but after only a few strokes of his pen, he became restless and his thoughts drifted to distant places.
She wondered why Tao Tao hadn't returned yet, and what was so special about the Princess's residence that made her linger there.
Standing in the courtyard, Duan Gan rushed over to greet Tao Tao, who was sleeping in Leng Qiao's arms, as soon as he saw her, asking anxiously, "What happened? What's wrong with Madam?"
A strong smell of alcohol, carried by the cold wind, hit me in the face.
He was stunned for a moment, then heard Leng Qiao say, "Miss is drunk."
Duan Gan frowned slightly, reached out and took Tao Tao from her arms, "Give it to me, you can all leave."
Rong'er curtsied and said, "Yes, Your Highness."
Leng Qiao nodded and left quietly.
With a bang, he hooked the door shut with his foot.
Tao Tao leaned against him, her cheeks flushed and her lips luscious. Hearing the sound, she opened her eyes a crack, and through her hazy, moist gaze, she saw a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar.
She stared intently, her eyes glued to the screen.
Duan Gan noticed her gaze, looked down at her, and asked softly, "Awake? Are you dizzy?"
Her thin lips moved slightly, but she couldn't hear a sound from him. She reached out and touched his face, "You're so beautiful, you look just like my husband..."
Upon hearing this, he chuckled softly and leaned down to kiss her soft, red lips.
"I am your husband."
The warm, moist sensation on her lips left her momentarily stunned.
Just as he put her on the bed and was about to leave, Tao Tao subconsciously grabbed his sleeve, her eyes red with tears, and looked at him innocently, "Where are you going, husband?"
Duan Gan gazed into her eyes, then looked down at the fingertips that were tugging at his sleeve, sat back down on the edge of the bed, and stroked her hair.
"I'll go get some hot water for you to wash your hands and face, I'll be right back."
She nodded thoughtfully and slowly released her fingertips.
Duan Gan had never seen her so dependent before, and his heart softened completely. He knelt on one knee on the bed, gently pinched her cheek, and lowered his head to kiss her lips.
The words, mumbled and unclear, came from between the lips and teeth.
"We'll wash them together if they get dirty later."
Tao Tao let out a soft moan, her legs unconsciously wrapping around his strong waist as she received the pleasure he gave her.
The curtains fell, and the dim candlelight flickered, casting a faint, indistinct image of two people intertwined and entwined on the wall.
Two days later, the young emperor and Empress Dowager Liu caught a cold, which led to a serious illness and their sudden death.
A few short words ended their lives.
To prevent unrest and unrest, the court officials advised the regent to succeed to the throne.
The regent was appointed to the throne in a time of crisis. In the presence of all the ministers, he took Tao Tao's hand and accepted the emperor's homage before sitting on the throne.
Tao Tao initially hesitated, after all, it was the emperor's position.
But Duan Gan insisted on doing things his own way, ignoring the strange and shocked looks from everyone, and dragged her to sit next to him.
He indirectly showed everyone how much he valued her.
This was a level of honor that no empress in any dynasty had ever enjoyed.
Only Tao Tao knew that Duan Gan had taken her words to heart during their argument that day to heart, and he proved with his actions that she held an irreplaceable place in his heart.
When Emperor Duan Gan was in power, he was diligent in his duties and governed effectively. Furthermore, on Tao Tao's advice, he reduced taxes and promoted agriculture.
They won the love and respect of the people, and lived in peace and prosperity.
The harem was practically non-existent, consisting of only one empress.
The following summer, the Empress gave birth to twins, which was a cause for celebration throughout the land. Grain was distributed to relieve the poor.
He further decreed that any commoner who went to a temple to pray for the Empress and princes could present a temple certificate to the local official and receive a reward of one string of cash.
As soon as this news came out, the thresholds of temples all over the country were almost worn out by the crowds.
This act was recorded by historians in later generations, signifying a prosperous and lasting era, with the emperor and empress's love remaining unwavering, bringing blessings to all the people.
—The End.
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