Chapter 61 Conferring the Title of Empress: "Let her leave."
At midday, the table was set with bird's nest and shredded chicken soup, sea bass with cabbage, braised pork knuckle with ham, dried eggplant, cherry pancakes, and rose syrup...
Every dish prepared by the imperial kitchen must be exquisite and delicious. Although Ruan Yang was not interested at all, she had the servants prepare them because they were all dishes that Ning Xian liked.
She has been staying at Chonghua Palace recently. For the sake of her child, she is trying her best to keep the promise she made to Ningxian: to be an understanding, gentle and virtuous wife by his side.
Ning Xian usually handles state affairs in the warm pavilion next door, and his only free time is after dinner.
At night, Ruan Yang was wary of him. When she took a bath, she locked the door with several heavy locks. When it was time to go to bed, unlike when she was in the Lu residence, she didn't just wear a thin shirt to sleep. When Ning Xian lay down next to her, she didn't dare to move around, for fear that she might accidentally touch him and set the fire on fire.
But after spending a few days together, Ruan Yang realized she had been overthinking things. Ning Xian had become much more well-behaved after returning to the palace. When he held her to sleep, he didn't use brute force like before; he used very light pressure.
Her belly grew heavier and heavier, and she inevitably felt uncomfortable in the middle of the night. So he would half-close his eyes, silently move his palm to her lower back, and massage her waist. The next day, before changing out of his court robes, he saw that Ruan Yang was about to get up but it was inconvenient for her to bend over, so he squatted down to help her put on her shoes and socks and personally served her as she washed and dressed.
This is very unusual.
In Ruan Yang's memory, Ning Xian had never been so gentlemanly towards her.
Lost in thought for a while, the man beside her poked her forehead: "Hey, have you been craving sour or spicy food lately?"
Ruan Yang was taken aback, thinking that Ning Xian's sudden improvement must mean she was certain that she was carrying a girl.
But what if it isn't...?
"...Why ask that? That's not allowed."
Ning Xian replied, "So that I can be prepared."
After hearing this, Ruan Yang bit her lip, raised her eyes and glared at him timidly: "What are you preparing? If it doesn't suit your taste, are you going to abort it?"
Seeing that Ning Xian didn't reply immediately, she slammed her chopsticks on the table and said unhappily, "I'm tired, I don't want to eat anymore, I'm going back to sleep."
After speaking, he was about to leave his seat.
Ning Xian: "......"
So delicate.
They've practically kidnapped an ancestor.
"I'm just preparing meals to suit your taste. I've noticed you've been eating very little lately. Everyone says it's easy to gain weight when you're pregnant, but you're still the same as before?"
He advised, "Lanrong told me that stronger women suffer less during childbirth. You're not eating now, how will you have the strength to give birth later?"
Ruan Yang stopped in his tracks.
"Eat before you leave."
Ruan Yang bit her lip, remained silent for a while, then came back angrily and picked all the food out of her bowl: "I can eat, but I won't eat the food you put on my plate."
Ning Xian remained silent for a moment, not arguing with her, assuming that her bad temper was due to discomfort during her pregnancy.
What if he talked back and upset her, causing her to have a miscarriage? He didn't want Ruan Yang to have any more accidents.
"Okay, then let's eat something else."
With the other person suddenly being so obedient, Ruan Yang had no reason to vent her pent-up anger. She wanted to be alone, so she hurriedly ate a few mouthfuls of food and said she was leaving the table.
Ruan Yang was engrossed in eating when Ning Xian stood up and suddenly said to her, "By the way, the coronation ceremony is in a few days, so you should prepare well."
Ruan Yang was taken aback.
"To bestow the title of Empress upon a nation is no trivial matter. Don't be so impulsive. I don't want to be an empress either."
Ning Xian said, "This is no child's play. Yangyang is intelligent, knows proper etiquette, and has borne me children. How can she not be worthy of the title of Empress? I, Ning Xian, call the shots in the entire Daye. Who dares to disobey my decree?"
"Considering your health condition, we'll skip all those tedious formalities."
“How can the current empress be a married woman? How can the royal bloodline be confused by others? Ning Xian, your willful behavior is an insult to your ancestors.”
After hearing this, Ning Xian said with a deep look in his eyes, "If I say it's possible, then it's possible."
"Alright, I'll give you two choices: become the Empress of Daye, enjoying a lifetime of wealth and honor and being revered by thousands, or become the wife of a rebel and have your body exposed on the city wall."
Ruan Yang clenched her fists, watching the man's increasingly blurry figure until he completely disappeared around the corner.
Bashu, under the jurisdiction of Ruan Xishan, had been a powerful military force for many years, nominally a vassal state but in reality a state within a state. Over the years, Bashu had been a thorn in the side of the imperial court, and Ning Xian wanted to take this opportunity to completely eliminate this thorn.
Ruan Xishan is terminally ill, and his son is incompetent. The power in Sichuan has long been in Lu Wenjin's hands. If they were to fight against the central government this time, it would be a bloody and fierce battle to the death.
Ruan Yang felt there was no other choice; all she wanted from beginning to end was Lu Wenjin, and even if they lost, they would die together.
She lowered her eyes, and the only thing that saddened her was that this child, who had come so suddenly, knew nothing, yet had to suffer with his mother. He was innocent and pitiful.
Ruan Yang said, "The Empress Dowager has just recovered from a serious illness, and I would like to go and see her."
…
I promise you.
After returning from Funing Palace, Ruan Yang found Ning Xian.
She said, "I choose to be your queen."
Snowflakes fell heavily outside the window, blurring the vermilion couplets. Ning Xian put down his wolf-hair brush, pulled her into his arms, and placed the jade pendant he had lost last time in Ruan Yang's palm.
He pinched her nose: "It's good that you're well-behaved; it saves a lot of trouble."
Ruan Yang dodged him and carefully wiped the jade pendant.
"Please thank Fu Ling for me."
She said, "If he is injured anywhere, you must find the imperial physician to treat him. Don't mistreat him."
Ning Xian felt a pang of jealousy, nudged the person on her lap, and snorted, "How would it not be considered unfair? Giving him yourself as a reward?"
"you....."
Upon hearing this, Ruan Yang grabbed his ear and twisted it hard: "You've misunderstood. We're just friends. Besides, he's so young, why would he like someone as old and faded as me..."
She trailed off, her mood turning somber. Since becoming pregnant, she had developed some light freckles on her cheeks. Although they didn't affect her appearance and could be easily covered with powder, she was still concerned about her looks and couldn't help feeling upset about the blemishes on her face.
Ning Xian guessed what she was thinking, buried her face in her neck, sniffed her like a puppy, and then kissed her soft cheek: "Not ugly, very cute."
"I'll thank him for you later."
Ruan Yang felt a surge of warmth in her heart, rubbed her numb arms, and quickly pushed him away: "I have nothing else to say. Do you... have any other instructions?"
Ning Xian held her tightly, pointing to the various sizes of square characters on the rice paper and asked, "Have you named this child yet?"
Ruan Yang shook her head. She was so afraid of dying that she didn't have time to think about names.
"I've thought of a few, which one do you think is good?"
This time, Ruan Yang noticed what the sparse characters on the paper were. They all seemed to have good meanings and were all little girls' names. She also noticed that the surnames were Ruan or Ning.
"You don't like any of them?"
Ruan Yang turned her face away, her eyes blurry with tears.
She didn't actually like Ning Xian coaxing her like that; she wasn't used to it and even felt a little guilty.
"It sounds awful and is hard to pronounce. I don't like it and I won't use the name you suggested. Also, the child will only have the surname Lu or Ruan."
"Don't worry about me anymore, I'm leaving." Ruan Yang hurriedly got up.
"I just made some milk cakes in the kitchen, and we can't finish them all. If you want some, I'll have Lan Rong bring them to you."
Ning Xian didn't chase after them, but remained sitting where she was, laughing and saying, "Sure, I'll eat it as long as it's not poisoned."
Ruan Yang returned to the side hall, quickly wiped away her tears, took out a small doll with Ning Xian's name on it from the drawer, and stuck needles into it, trying to rebel in this childish way.
On the day of her investiture, she decided to try running again, even if it meant angering Ning Xian once more and ending up with both her and her unborn child dead. She didn't want to stay by Ning Xian's side and hold Lu Wenjin back.
...
On the day of the coronation ceremony, the snow had just stopped and the sun shone through the clouds that had shrouded the capital for days, bathing the majestic palace in golden light.
In the bronze mirror, Ruan Yang applied makeup and put on that heavy phoenix crown again. The crown was exceptionally luxurious, inlaid with pearls, and the phoenix robe was woven with gold thread.
Although she was aware of her health condition and wanted to keep everything simple, Ning Xian felt that the proper ceremony was still necessary.
The auspicious hour has arrived. Bells and drums resound, and civil and military officials kneel in worship on the cloud-dragon steps.
"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress! Long live Your Majesty! Long live the Empress!"
Under the sunlight, Ning Xian smiled as she took Ruan Yang's hand and drank the wine in her glass in one gulp.
A gentle breeze lifted the hem of his robe as he held the wine cup and gazed at her. The bright sun cast a golden glow on his fair face. With tears welling in his eyes, he chuckled, "We've made up this time. No one can separate us now, right?"
Ruan Yang nodded in response, tilted her head back and drank the wine, her heart pounding as she smiled.
The voice of the eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs echoed in my ears: the ceremony was complete.
From this day forward, her name will be written into the imperial register and recorded in history. She will share the same bed in life and the same grave in death, and a hundred years later, she will be buried in the same coffin as Ning Xian.
Ning Xian's eyes reddened as she smiled: "Yangyang, are you happy?"
Ruan Yang smiled and said, "I'm happy. Thank you for giving me the title I've always wanted."
She had always hoped to marry Ning Xian, but she heard from others that she was a country woman who couldn't be a mistress and was unworthy of being the principal wife of a wealthy family.
Now that she doesn't want it anymore, he forcefully forces it on her again.
What's the use of it?
"Since you're happy, then don't leave."
Ruan Yang's pupils suddenly contracted: "What?"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a swiftly approaching black shadow stirred the air around Ruan Yang's ears. A sharp arrow pierced through their eyes, leaving a bloody mark on Ning Xian's nose.
The Imperial Guards rushed forward quickly, attempting to protect the Emperor. However, shouts and violent crashes erupted from the city gates not far away. After a long stalemate, the Imperial Guards in the capital could not withstand the onslaught, and the rebels stormed through the city gates like a storm.
The scene was chaotic, and Ruan Yang was inevitably knocked dizzy. Ning Xian had anticipated this and deliberately relaxed his guard to let the enemy in, fearing that the siege would be incomplete.
Ning Xian pulled Ruan Yang into his arms and tried to pull her back with him.
“Come home with me, don’t go with him.”
Ruan Yang shook her head. She was completely unable to move in the man's arms and was extremely anxious. Although she could persuade the Empress Dowager's people and the Shu army to help her get out through her clever words, she could not sit idly by and wait for her death.
A fire broke out on the city tower, and the banners billowed black smoke. The half-charred poles fell down, and Ning Xian stepped aside to shield Ruan Yang with his body.
"Let me go."
Ruan Yang struggled, pounding Ning Xian's chest with both hands. When that failed, she opened her small mouth to bite him.
The force was fierce; blood streamed down Ning Xian's neck, and the robe on her left chest was crumpled by the girl's rough handling.
Ning Xian, panting, touched her small face, her eyes filled with reluctance: "If I leave now, when we meet again, it will truly be... a complete break."
Ruan Yang knew he was in a lot of pain; the injury to his heart had left a lasting problem, and she knew perfectly well that it was the place he absolutely couldn't touch.
"That would be best."
"You are the person I hate the most. You have no idea how disgusting every time you touch me! I wish you would be boiled in oil, torn apart by wild beasts, and have your tendons and bones ripped out so you could die quickly!"
Her words were resolute and cold, but her intense emotions and the tears on her face betrayed her.
While Ning Xian was catching her breath, Ruan Yang pulled out the repaired white magnolia hairpin and plunged it into Ning Xian's body again. After leaving Ning Xian's embrace, she lifted her skirt and strode onto the battlement.
"What are you doing?! No, wait!"
The crimson veil slipped silently from Ning Xian's hand, and that bright red figure vanished abruptly under the bright sun.
Ning Xian's pupils dilated suddenly. Ignoring his injuries, he scrambled toward the spot where the girl had fallen.
Just like when Ruan Yang fell off the cliff that year, he grabbed at nothing again.
Ning Xian was afraid that Ruan Yang's visit this time was for real. He knelt on the ground, his arms wrapped in red silk hanging down outside the city wall, his scarlet eyes closed, and he had no courage to look down.
Eunuch Liang, covered in dust and dirt, rushed towards Ning Xian. He caught a glimpse of a masked man on a fast horse below the city wall, carrying the Empress of Daye. He drew his sword and slashed down those who tried to stop him. His horse trampled over the dark mass of corpses and galloped away.
He shouted, "Seal off the city gates! Don't let those traitors escape!"
Ning Xian regained his senses, kicked away the eunuch Liang who was trying to help him up, and then drew back a bow half a person's height, aiming at the horse that was getting further and further away from him.
"Your Majesty, fire the arrow!"
The eunuch Liang's voice echoed in Ning Xian's ears, and the arrow almost slipped from her fingers.
But it would hurt if she fell off the horse, and the baby in her belly was like a death warrant; she couldn't afford to fall.
He can't gamble.
"Your Majesty, I will immediately send men to pursue them!" said the commander of the Imperial Guards.
Ning Xian covered her bleeding wound and sighed, "No need. Withdraw the troops outside the city and let her go."
"With her gone, we've lost our leverage."
Ning Xian swayed as he stood up: "I don't need an innocent woman to get involved in the struggle between men."
He gripped the hairpin, chuckling wearily, "I have taken pity on her and will let her see Lu Wenjin one last time."
"That way, the game we agreed on that day will have a chance to start."
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Author's Note: My next book, "After the Failed Assassination Attempt on the Paranoid Minister," is available for pre-order. If you like it, please give it a star to support me! [shy]
【The Heartless Marquis/The Foolish Concubine (The Resilient Spy)】is a story about a mature man who falls for a young, innocent woman, then drives his wife away, only to end up in a tragic situation and forcibly take her away.
The accompanying text is attached: [Sprinkling flowers]
Yun Sui was a courtesan, with a beautiful face and fair skin, but unfortunately, she had hit her head and was somewhat dull-witted. The brothel madam thought that this was the best person to handle.
In late spring, the Marquis of Yiyang's mansion held a banquet. Yun Sui thought it was just a casual gathering, but she never expected to be pushed out to be a surrogate mother.
The red curtains were warm and the spring water rippled. After the medicine took effect, the man pinched her chin and sneered, "You're back? Perfect, you can give me a child as compensation."
She became the emperor's favorite, and outsiders said she was very lucky, but only she knew the hardships she had endured.
She was humiliated by the maid during the day and suffered torture from Wei Rong at night. She also had to kneel for two hours every day in the Wei clan ancestral hall. One day, she overheard Wei Rong plotting with an assassin.
"We will take action after Yun gives birth to the child."
Yun Sui knew it was just a fleeting affair, but when she learned that Wei Rong wanted her dead, she still couldn't help but cry.
It wasn't until she slipped and fell while hiking that her memory suddenly returned, and then a cold sweat broke out on her back.
She was originally a spy who plotted to assassinate Wei Rong. She successfully married into the Marquis's mansion by seducing him with her beauty, but the assassination failed, and she fled in panic.
Arriving at the Marquis's residence was part of Wei Rong's meticulously planned scheme. His gentleness was merely a ploy to seduce her so he could exact revenge; he would kill her after she gave birth to his child.
She cried all night, and the next day she drank the poisoned wine prepared by Wei Rong. As the poison took effect, she smiled at the terrified man and said, "As you wish, I owe you nothing now."
...
Wei Rong hates Yun Sui.
He hated her for plunging a dagger into his heart, hated her for toying with his true feelings, and hated her for causing hundreds of members of the Wei family to perish in the fire.
He vowed to take revenge.
A half-witted concubine is just a plaything; why bother treating her with sincerity?
After being favored exclusively, he neglected her, acted intimately with others in front of her, told her that he was going to get married, and would never come back.
He carried out a series of ruthless and heartless actions with ease, but the young girl could only look at him with red eyes, clumsily embroidering a wedding robe for him while heavily pregnant.
Wei Rong felt a throbbing pain in his chest. He thought, what if she had been in a difficult situation back then?
He suddenly didn't want to hate anymore and wanted to start over with her.
He refused the princess's marriage proposal and personally arranged Yun Sui's birthday banquet to apologize to her, but the next day he received news that Yun Sui had committed suicide.
He refused to believe it and rushed back to the Marquis's mansion that very night. When he saw the lifeless child, he vomited a mouthful of blood on the spot.
...
After getting rid of Wei Rong, Yun Sui lived a very comfortable life. The passage of time helped her forget the man who had wronged her, and with the help of the young general, she even opened a tavern.
One day, Wei Rong came here for a drink. When he saw the figure he had been longing for day and night, he hugged Yun Sui with tears in his eyes and kissed her passionately: "Sui Sui has been naughty. She actually smiled at a wild man."
"He is my husband."
In the blink of an eye, a younger and more handsome general emerged from the house.
Wei Rong recognized him; he was the adopted son he had just taken in.
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