Chapter 73 New Year's Eve: Warm Reminiscences of Childhood
Chapter Seventy-Three: Warm Reminiscences of Childhood on New Year's Eve
This year, on New Year's Eve, Su Su was less than three months pregnant. Although the pregnancy was stable, Emperor Li Qianche was still worried about letting her travel back and forth to the banquet in the cold night and endure the noise and fatigue. So he simply issued an edict to cancel this year's New Year's Eve banquet and only ordered the Imperial Household Department to send the customary rewards to the palaces.
He, on the other hand, stayed in Yongshou Palace to spend a reunion night with Su Su, a night that belonged only to the two of them.
Dinner was still being prepared, and the palace was warm and cozy, with bright candlelight. Su Su, wrapped in a soft fox fur coat, nestled on the soft couch by the window. Suddenly, she looked up and said to Li Qianche beside her with a touch of coquettishness, "Your Majesty, I would like to eat dumplings tonight."
Li Qianche was reading a book when he heard this. He put down his book and looked at her gently: "Why do you suddenly want to eat dumplings? I have the imperial kitchen prepare them immediately."
Su Su's eyes flickered, carrying a hint of reproach, and she slowly said, "At this time last year, I was punished and confined to Changxin Palace. I embroidered a handkerchief for a long time, and had someone secretly take it to sell. Only on New Year's Eve did I manage to have a meal of dumplings with Chunlan and Qiuju."
Her tone was calm, but every word struck Li Qianche's heart: "At that time, I felt that those dumplings were the most delicious thing in the world."
Li Qianche only learned about this later. At the time, he was preoccupied with the war in the southwest and the case of the Prince of Ning's heir. He only instructed his guards to ensure her safety. As for the neglect and embezzlement by his servants, he was completely unaware of it. He had not considered things carefully enough.
Now that she brought up the past so casually, imagining the suffering she had endured in secret, a strong sense of guilt instantly gripped his heart.
He subconsciously touched his straight nose to hide his guilt, and leaned closer to her to explain softly, "It's my fault... I was busy with the affairs of the court at the time and didn't know you were in such a difficult situation. Later, when I found out, I severely punished those audacious servants."
Su Su gave a soft snort, glancing at him sideways, clearly remembering the old grudges: "Last New Year's Eve, the Linde Palace was filled with singing and dancing, and the Emperor was surrounded by beauties. He must have been so happy that he forgot about his concubine in the Changxin Palace, right?"
Upon hearing this, Li Qianche was both flustered and secretly pleased by the jealousy. He quickly pulled her into his arms and urgently confessed, "Innocent! Utterly innocent! Su Su, that night I was preoccupied with the reports on the war in the southwest. How could I have the leisure to look at any beauty? Before the banquet was even halfway over, I found an excuse to leave and went straight to Changxin Palace to find you! Shen Gaoyi, you tell me, is there any falsehood in what I said?"
Shen Gaoyi, who was standing to the side, immediately bowed, his face plastered with a fawning smile mixed with a hint of reminiscing about the amusing incident. He said in a high-pitched voice, "Your Highness, it is absolutely true! That night, His Majesty was thinking of Your Highness and left in a hurry. When he arrived at the gate of Changxin Palace, he found the gate tightly closed and the inside pitch black. Fearing to disturb Your Highness, he actually... he actually had this servant guard the palace while he nimbly climbed over the wall with his dragon robe on his back!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he couldn't help but lower his head and chuckle to himself. Chunlan and Qiuju, who were standing next to him, also covered their mouths and chuckled when they heard the emperor's behavior, which was completely out of character for him.
Upon hearing this, Su Su's beautiful eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Li Qianche: "Your Majesty... you did such... things back then?"
Li Qianche felt his ears burn slightly under her gaze, but he forced himself to remain calm and hugged her tightly, saying, "I was just... afraid that you were still sad and angry and wouldn't want to see me. If I didn't go in and see for myself, how would I know that those damned servants dared to treat you so poorly, even using inferior charcoal!" His tone was filled with lingering fear and tenderness.
Looking at his slightly embarrassed yet incredibly earnest expression, Su Su felt the lingering bitterness in her heart dissipate, replaced by a warm feeling. She smiled, no longer pressing the matter: "I never said I was angry with Your Majesty, why is Your Majesty so nervous?"
Seeing her smile, Li Qianche breathed a sigh of relief and felt comforted. He quickly changed the subject, gently placing his large hand on her still flat stomach, his tone full of curiosity and anticipation: "My son, this is the first time you've spent New Year's Eve with me."
Su Su chuckled and said reproachfully, "What nonsense is Your Majesty talking about? The child is still in my belly, how would he know what New Year's Eve is?"
Li Qianchao, however, remained serious: "If I say he knows, then he knows. If Su Su is happy, the child will feel his mother's happiness. When he tastes the dumplings later, he will know that this is a joyous and auspicious day for family reunion." His twisted logic made Su Su burst into laughter, her eyes crinkling like a new moon.
Seeing her happy, Li Qianche felt satisfied and lowered his head to plant a light kiss on her smooth cheek. Su Su blushed and shyly pushed him away. Just then, a palace maid came in to report, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, dinner is ready."
Li Qianche then led Su Su by the hand to the dining table. On the round sandalwood table inlaid with mother-of-pearl, a sumptuous New Year's Eve feast was laid out: in the center was a steaming hot pot of assorted ingredients, surrounded by eight-treasure gourd duck, braised sea cucumber with scallions, steamed shad, and braised pork knuckle with rock sugar; several refreshing seasonal vegetables were vibrant and tempting; there was also a dish of rock sugar rice cake symbolizing "rising higher every year," and a dish of four-happiness meatballs representing "family reunion." Naturally, there was also the plate of ingot-shaped dumplings that Su Su had specifically requested, plump and adorable, emitting an enticing aroma.
The two sat down, and Li Qianche carefully removed the fish bones and placed them in Su Su's dish, then put the sea cucumber in her bowl. Su Su ate the delicious dumplings in small bites, when suddenly she remembered something and looked up to ask, "Your Majesty, have you thought of a name for our child?"
Li Qianche continued serving the dishes without stopping. After a moment of contemplation, his eyes filled with the loving care and hope of a father, he said gently, "If he is a prince, I will name him 'Zi Mo.' 'Zi Mo' means 'to inherit the literary fortune, and ink to nourish the universe.' It is inspired by the heroic spirit of 'Ink pool flies out of the Northern Sea fish, and the brushstroke kills the Zhongshan rabbit,' from the 'Hanmo Zhi' (Records of Calligraphy and Painting). It also implies that he bears the weight of the country and its people, and that his heart is filled with the wisdom to govern the world. I hope that my son will inherit the nation in the future, govern the world with literary virtue, and secure the country with wisdom and strategy."
He paused, his gaze towards Su Su softening further: "If she were a princess, we would name her 'Zhaoyue.' 'Zhaoyue' means 'bright and clear-minded, shining like the moon,' derived from the poem 'The moon rises bright, the beautiful one is lovely' in the Book of Songs, and 'Her bright character is evident, her virtue matches the bright moon' in the Chu Ci. May our daughter possess the pure virtue and beauty of the moon, a clear mind, and inner radiance, living a life of love and honor, peaceful and prosperous." He finished explaining carefully, then asked softly, "What does Su Su think?"
Su Su savored the profound meaning and blessings contained in the two names, her heart softening. She nodded with a smile, "Your Majesty has chosen excellent names, and I like them very much. I will follow Your Majesty's wishes."
Her obedient and compliant appearance made Li Qianche feel tender and affectionate. He couldn't help but reach out and gently pinch her delicate cheek. He felt that she was more endearing than ever before.
The two of them, just like any ordinary couple, enjoyed a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner while chatting about everyday things, filling the hall with a warm and peaceful atmosphere.
After dinner, the leftovers were cleared away. Li Qianche, worried that she might overeat while reading, helped her to sit on the soft couch by the window. Outside the window were the few red plum trees he had previously ordered to be transplanted. Now, illuminated by the palace lanterns and the snow, they were blooming proudly, their fragrance wafting in the air, their shadows cast across the sky.
Li Qianche held Su Su in his arms, gazing at the red plum blossoms against the snow outside the window. Then, looking down at the face of the woman in his arms, more beautiful than any flower, his heart surged with emotion, and he couldn't help but murmur:
"Jade-like blossoms, cold and pure, bloom alone on the Jade Terrace."
It wasn't because the snow was thick, but because your beauty was so exquisite.
Su Su blushed upon hearing this undisguised praise and affection, but her heart was filled with sweet warmth. She smiled and looked up at him, her eyes sparkling, and said softly, "Does Your Majesty still remember... the first time I met Your Majesty, it was also under the plum blossom tree?"
Li Qianche's gaze suddenly became deep and gentle, as if he had traveled through time to see that small figure. "Of course I remember."
A warm smile curved his lips. "It was snowing that day too. You were wrapped up tightly by your nanny, looking like a little white dumpling. You were so focused on running that you didn't watch where you were going and bumped into me." He chuckled. "You were still clutching half a piece of pastry tightly in your hand, refusing to let go."
Su Su blushed as she recalled an embarrassing incident from her childhood, and smiled, "Back then, my nanny was very strict and wouldn't let me eat too many sweets. I sneaked out... and bumped into the Emperor because I didn't see where I was going."
Li Qianche's gaze softened as he continued, "When you fell on your bottom, you didn't cry. You just tilted your little head and looked at me, holding up that snow-covered pastry and asking, 'Who are you? Do you want some pastry?'"
His voice lowered, carrying a hint of barely perceptible sorrow. "At that time... I had just lost my mother. The late emperor was busy with state affairs and border troubles, and was also focused on eliminating the maternal relatives. He had no time to care for me. Over time, the palace servants became opportunistic and did not take good care of me. That day... I was hungry and alone under the plum tree that my mother loved most, thinking of her... I felt that the world was vast and I was incredibly lonely. Then, you, little dumpling, just like that, recklessly, carrying a piece of sweet cake, crashed into my cold world."
Su Su was unaware of these past events. She only remembered that she thought the young man standing under the plum tree in the snow was incredibly handsome, yet also so lonely that it broke her heart. So she wanted to give him what she considered to be the best thing in her life.
A surge of tenderness welled up in her heart, and she couldn't help but reach out and hug Li Qianche's waist tightly, pressing her face against his warm chest, and softly said, "Now that Your Majesty has Su Su, you will never be lonely again."
Li Qianche felt a warmth spread through his heart from her words, and he hugged her tightly, his chin resting gently on the top of her head. His voice was hoarse but full of gratitude: "I met you when I was standing under the plum tree that my mother loved most. I think it must be that my mother, in heaven, couldn't bear to see me suffer a lonely life, so she brought the best treasure in the world to my side."
Upon hearing this, Su Su lifted her face from his embrace, gazing at him with a radiant smile, her eyes sparkling with tender affection. Li Qianche lowered his head, gazing at the smiling woman in his arms. Time seemed to overlap at this moment; the person before him and the small figure from his memory, who had offered him pastries in the snow, their faces merging, were exactly as they had been, yet she was also the love of his life, the one to whom his heart belonged.
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