Chapter 52 The Brother and Sister Talk
Chapter Fifty-Two: The Brother and Sister Talk
Inside Yongshou Palace, Su Su was lost in thought, staring at a game of chess, while Chunlan quietly fanned her from the side. Yesterday, Li Qianche had been turned away at the palace gates; though he hadn't forced his way in, her mind was still somewhat troubled. Lost in thought, she suddenly saw Qiuju, lifting her skirt, run in with a joyful expression, her voice brimming with excitement:
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! The young master has arrived! The young master has come to see you!"
Su Su was taken aback, her hand holding the chess piece paused in mid-air, and she looked up in surprise: "Brother? Brother is here?" Since her rebirth and return to the palace, after experiencing demotion and overthrow, this was the first time she had seen her family, and this sudden visit surprised and delighted her.
Qiuju nodded repeatedly, her face beaming with joy: "Yes, Your Highness! The young master is currently requesting an audience outside the palace gates!"
Su Su put down the chess piece. She missed her brother terribly, but her mind raced, and a complex emotion flashed in her eyes. She said softly, "I suppose... my brother has come to discuss with me about Miss Pei's decision to establish an empress." She sighed, feeling that the matter might be somewhat troublesome, but she immediately perked up. "Quickly, quickly invite my brother in!"
Before long, Su Jizhi entered the hall with the guiding eunuch. He was dressed in the uniform of a fourth-rank imperial guard, his posture upright, yet his brows betrayed obvious worry. Seeing his sister seated at the head of the table, her hair in elaborate robes, her bearing dignified yet unable to conceal her thinning frame, his heart ached. He stepped forward and, according to protocol, began to bow: "Your subject greets Your Highness the Imperial Concubine..."
Before the words "Your Majesty" had even finished, Su Su could no longer hold back. She abruptly stood up from her seat, disregarding all decorum and etiquette. Like a fledgling returning to its nest, she rushed to Su Jizhi, threw herself into his arms, and hugged him tightly. Her tears instantly soaked the front of his official robes.
"Brother...I miss you so much..." Her voice was choked with sobs, a long-lost, completely dependent and aggrieved tone.
When Su Jizhi was embraced by her, all the formalities he had prepared for officialdom were instantly forgotten. He felt his sister's shoulders trembling slightly in his arms, and his heart was breaking.
He quickly hugged her back, gently patting her back with his large hand, his voice more tender and anxious than ever before: "Susu, what's wrong? Did you suffer some injustice in the palace? Tell your brother, hmm?" He pushed her away slightly, cupped her face, and examined her carefully, his brows furrowed. "Let your brother see, have you lost weight? You must have had a hard time in the palace..."
Su Su raised her tear-filled face, looked at his worried expression, and couldn't help but burst into laughter through her tears, saying with a nasal tone, "Brother, what nonsense are you talking about? I've gained some weight recently... I've gained some weight recently." Her words weren't entirely meant to comfort her; Li Qianche's constant showers of gifts and infatuation over the past few days had indeed made her a little rounder than when she was first reborn.
Seeing her smile, Su Jizhi felt a little relieved. He gently wiped away the tears on her face with his fingertips, teasing her with a doting tone, "Look at you crying, you look like a little kitten. You're a Noble Consort now, why do you still cry like a child?" As he spoke, he habitually reached out and gently stroked her delicate nose.
This familiar, affectionate gesture warmed Su Su's heart, and all her feigned strength seemed to find a place to crumble. She hooked her arm around Su Jizhi's and sat down on the nearby couch, leaning against him affectionately: "I just missed you, brother..."
Su Jizhi looked at her still weary eyes and brows, his expression turned serious, and he lowered his voice and said, "Susu, tell your brother the truth, is the Emperor treating you well? Is anyone in the palace bullying you? If you're unhappy here, don't force yourself. Brother... brother will go and tell the Emperor that we're leaving this palace!" His tone carried a hint of desperate resolve. As long as his sister nodded, he seemed truly willing to venture into that dangerous place, even if it meant taking Miss Pei and their family to live in seclusion in the mountains.
Su Su was deeply moved, knowing that her brother truly cared for her. She composed herself, sat up straight, took her brother's hand, and gave him a reassuring smile: "Brother, don't worry. Although life in the palace is not easy, Su Su can handle it now." She didn't want her brother to risk his life for her again; the fate of her father and brothers in her previous life was a pain that would never fade from her heart.
She subtly changed the subject, her tone probing, "Brother, you came today because of Miss Pei, right? I know you like Miss Pei, but if the Emperor insists on making her Empress..."
Mentioning this, Su Jizhi smiled, took his sister's hand in return, and said gently, "Don't worry, your brother has already asked the Emperor for a decree to grant the marriage, and the Emperor has agreed."
"What?" Su Su was stunned. "The Emperor... agreed?" This was completely unexpected.
“Hmm.” Su Jizhi nodded, then explained, “Moreover, this matter was originally a misunderstanding. It was a play that General Pei asked the Emperor to cooperate in, with the aim of testing whether my brother was sincere towards Yunxi. As soon as the Emperor heard that my father and I wanted to resign, he told me everything.” He looked at his sister and said sincerely, “The Emperor was afraid that you would be angry and misunderstand him because of this, so he specially sent me here to explain it to you.”
After listening, Su Su remained silent for a moment, a faint bitter smile appearing on her lips, carrying a calm indifference that came from seeing through the ways of the world: "Is the matter... really that simple? Perhaps the Emperor made this decision after weighing the political situation." Having experienced everything in her past life, she was no longer the girl who would easily believe in the "true feelings" of an emperor.
Seeing his sister's expression, Su Jizhi felt a pang of pain in his heart. He was about to speak again when he heard Su Su's voice tighten as she pressed him for an answer: "Brother, you just said... the Emperor heard that you and Father wanted to resign? What's going on?" She had keenly grasped the key point in her previous words.
Su Jizhi hadn't expected his sister to be so thoughtful, so he could only say briefly, "It was my father and I who hadn't considered things carefully. We were afraid that the marriage between Su and Pei would arouse the Emperor's suspicion and implicate you, so we wanted to use this method to express our feelings. We had no other intentions. But the Emperor did not agree, and instead..."
"He actually drove you to this point?!" Su Su suddenly interrupted him, her face slightly pale, her eyes instantly filled with shock, lingering fear, and uncontrollable anger. She grabbed Su Jizhi's arm tightly, her fingertips turning white from the force, "For his balancing act, he's willing to let our Su family cripple itself, let Father's life's work go to waste, and let your future come to an abrupt end, brother? He..." Her throat tightened, and the words of reproach she was about to say stopped abruptly when she met her brother's worried gaze.
"Susu, calm down and listen to your brother." Su Jizhi took his sister's cold hand in return, his tone steady and firm. "The matter of resigning from office was a decision made by my father and me after careful consideration, not by the Emperor forcing us. On the contrary, the Emperor was extremely shocked when he heard about it. He immediately stood up from his dragon throne and vehemently denied it, saying repeatedly that we are the pillars of the court, that he needs the Su family, and that there is absolutely no reason for him to agree."
Seeing his sister's doubtful look, he continued gently, "Brother could tell that His Majesty's urgency at the time was genuine. He truly cared about your feelings and was afraid that this matter would create a rift between you and him. That's why he hurriedly revealed the whole story of General Pei's scheme to test you and specifically asked me to come and explain it to you immediately. If he didn't care about you, why would a ruler of a country go to such lengths?"
Su Su's tense body relaxed slightly, and the grip on her brother's arm loosened a bit, but the doubt in her eyes remained, turning into a trembling whisper: "The heart of an emperor is as deep as the sea. I cannot see through it, nor dare I fully trust it."
She paused, struggling to calm her rapid breathing and forcefully suppress her surging emotions. When she looked at her brother again, her eyes held pure reliance and trust, devoid of any pretense: "But I believe what you say, brother." Su Jizhi's heart softened, and he reached out to pinch her soft cheek, just as he had before she left home: "My Susu, if you are truly unhappy in this palace, never hide it from your brother. Remember, your brother will risk his life to take you away from here."
"Ouch~" Su Su feigned pain, laughing as she grabbed his hand and held it in her palm. "Don't worry, I'm perfectly fine in the palace, really." She stopped dwelling on the topic and instead asked with concern, "By the way, brother, are Father and Mother alright at home?"
When talking about his family, Su Jizhi's expression relaxed considerably: "Since separating from my second uncle, life has actually been much smoother than before. After my father was promoted a while ago, those elders no longer dare to come and interfere in our family affairs as they used to."
He paused, a hint of satisfaction in his voice, "And then there's Su Linyue. Two months ago, the elders arranged for her to marry a merchant from the south. The journey is long, and she'll probably never be able to return to the capital. She was so delusional back then, wanting to enter the palace and take your place. Now, she's only reaping what she sowed, and it's a relief for you."
Upon hearing this, Su Su simply smiled calmly, as if listening to someone else's story: "Her? I've never cared about her. Whether she's doing well or not is none of my business." She was more concerned about something else, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her brother, "By the way, brother, do you... really like that Miss Pei? Last time she came to Yongshou Palace to see me, she seemed gentle and well-mannered, a good person. If my sister-in-law is like that, I like her very much."
Su Jizhi's ears turned slightly red from his sister's teasing, but a gentle smile appeared in his eyes: "You silly girl, you're not even married yet, and you're already calling her sister-in-law? How rude." His tone was indulgent. "After we get married, I'll definitely have her send a token to the palace often to keep you company and relieve your boredom, okay?"
"Of course!" Su Su smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Then I'll be waiting."
The brother and sister chatted intimately for a long time, talking about trivial matters at home and funny childhood stories, as if they had endless things to say. Su Su invited her brother to stay for lunch, and it wasn't until the sun was setting that Su Jizhi had to take his leave.
Before leaving, Su Su took out a purse that had been embroidered beforehand and handed it to Su Jizhi. The purse had a sky-blue background after rain, and several green bamboo stalks were embroidered on it with varying shades of green silk thread, standing tall and elegant, with a small "An" character next to it.
“Brother, this… I originally intended to congratulate you on your promotion, and although it’s been a while, I’m still giving it to you,” Su Su said softly, her eyes filled with anticipation.
Su Jizhi took the purse, feeling its smooth texture and exquisite embroidery. The bamboo was so lifelike that one could almost smell its fragrance. He held it carefully in his hand and smiled, "My sister's craftsmanship is still the best. This bamboo is so vibrant; it brings me joy just looking at it."
He carefully put the purse into his pocket, looked at Su Su, and his expression became serious again. "Su Su, remember your brother's words. Be careful in everything you do in the palace. If you encounter any difficulties, be sure to write home. Your brother... will always be behind you."
Su Su felt a lump in her throat and nodded heavily.
Su Jizhi raised his hand and gently patted her head, just like when they were children, before turning around and striding away.
Su Su stood at the palace gate, watching her brother's tall figure disappear at the end of the long palace road until he was no longer visible, before silently turning around and returning to her somewhat deserted bedroom.
Chunlan stepped forward and poured her a cup of hot tea, saying softly, "Your Majesty, it seems... His Majesty has no intention of making Pei Yunxi Empress. It's all a misunderstanding. In His Majesty's heart, Your Majesty still values you."
Su Su took the teacup, feeling the warmth emanating from the porcelain with her fingertips. She lowered her gaze to the tea leaves floating in the cup, and after a long while, she softly hummed, her tone carrying a hint of coquettishness and relief that she herself was unaware of:
"Let him choose whoever he wants. Even if Pei Yunxi isn't chosen, there will always be another Zhang Yunxi, Li Yunxi... Hmph."
But in that "humph," compared to the coldness and disappointment of yesterday, there seemed to be a hint of indescribable ease, which she herself did not realize.
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