Chapter 56 A Moonlit Farewell: Deep Affection
Chapter Fifty-Six: Parting on a Moonlit Night, Deep Affection
On a midsummer night, the moon was bright and the stars were few, carrying the lingering heat of the day. Occasionally, a cool breeze would drift through the palace alleys, bringing a brief respite. After finishing his official duties, Li Qianche went straight to Yongshou Palace.
Su Su was having her hairpins and jewelry removed by Chunlan when she saw him arrive. She merely glanced at him in the mirror and did not get up. Li Qianche was already used to her "neglect" and found it more intimate than her previous rigid respect.
He waved for Chunlan to step back, then walked behind Su Su, took the warm jade comb from her hand, and naturally combed her cascading black hair.
The bronze mirror reflected the two figures leaning on each other. Li Qianche gently combed her hair while casually saying, "Susu, Pei Xuan will be going to the palace tonight to pick up Mu Hanyan from the mansion."
Su Su paused slightly in front of the mirror, without turning around, and asked softly, "When should we set it?"
"Around the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), before the palace gates are locked." Li Qianche put down the jade comb, placed his hands on her slender shoulders, leaned slightly forward, his chin almost touching the top of her head, and said gently, "If you want to see her off, I will go with you."
Upon hearing this, Su Su immediately turned around, her eyes sparkling under the light, and nodded without hesitation: "I'll go! I'll go see Sister Hanyan off!"
“Sister?” Li Qianche raised an eyebrow, his tone tinged with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. “I’ve only been away from you for a few days, when did you two become so close? You’re both calling each other ‘sister’ now?” He remembered that Su Su had previously addressed Mu Hanyan with a polite but distant “Consort Wan.”
Su Su raised her chin, a hint of smugness on her face, like a cat whose fur had been stroked: "Of course! Sister Hanyan has a good personality and knows a lot, we get along very well." She recalled their pleasant conversation that afternoon, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved up.
Looking at her vibrant and beautiful appearance, Li Qianche felt extremely fond of her. He couldn't help but reach out and pinch her smooth cheek, feeling its delicate and warm texture. He chuckled softly, "Alright, if you say we're compatible, then we're compatible. My Susu is finally in the palace, and she has someone she can confide in." However, the way she called him "sister" so affectionately made him feel a little jealous, as if his attention had been diverted.
Su Su enjoyed the warmth of his fingertips, but suddenly thought of something and frowned as she asked, "By the way, if Sister Hanyan just disappears from the palace like this, won't it arouse suspicion tomorrow? Consort Wan is such a grown woman, she can't just vanish into thin air."
Li Qianche had already made arrangements and calmly said, "Don't worry, I have made all the arrangements. Tomorrow, the palace will only know that Consort Wan, Mu, was severely weakened by the poisoning incident and has never fully recovered. Now, with her pregnancy, the burden is even heavier, and she finally succumbed to exhaustion and passed away tonight... along with the child in her womb."
Su Su was slightly taken aback, then understood. This reason was perfectly reasonable. Everyone knew that Mu Hanyan had miscarried due to poisoning. Using this as an excuse to "die of illness" would indeed silence the gossip and completely eliminate any future troubles, allowing her to live outside the palace with a completely new identity. She nodded: "In that case... it's quite thorough."
As dusk approached, the palace gardens were silent, save for the rhythmic footsteps of the night patrol guards. Li Qianche, accompanied by Su Su, arrived at Shuning Palace without any entourage, only with Shen Gaoyi and a few trusted guards.
The palace servants had already been dismissed, leaving only Mu Hanyan and Pei Xuan in the hall. Mu Hanyan had changed into ordinary women's clothing, her hair simply tied up, shedding the splendor of a palace concubine and gaining a more refined and gentle appearance. Her belly was noticeably protruding, and Pei Xuan carefully supported her as she moved, his anxious demeanor a stark contrast to his usual image as a commanding general on the battlefield.
Upon seeing the Emperor and Consort enter, Pei Xuan and Mu Hanyan were about to bow when Li Qianche waved his hand, saying, "No need for formalities. Time is running out, let's set off as soon as possible."
Su Su walked up to Mu Hanyan in a few steps, first taking her hand and examining it closely to confirm that her complexion was still good. Then she turned her head, put on a stern face, and faced Pei Xuan, her tone carrying an uncompromising warning: "General Pei, I'm entrusting Sister Hanyan to you! If you dare to treat her badly in the slightest or let her suffer the slightest grievance in the future, I... I will definitely not forgive you!" She couldn't think of how to "not forgive" for a moment, but her wide-open beautiful eyes and serious expression carried an imposing aura.
Pei Xuan was not annoyed by the delicate imperial concubine's "threat" to his face. Instead, he found it somewhat amusing. He also noticed that his emperor was smiling slightly, clearly indulging her.
He quickly clasped his hands in a fist salute, his expression more solemn than ever before, and solemnly promised, "Your Highness, rest assured! Your subject Pei Xuan hereby swears that he will do everything in his power to protect Han Yan and will never betray her! If I break this oath, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!"
The vow was made with such solemnity that Mu Hanyan couldn't help but gently tug at his sleeve. Seeing his sincere attitude and the intensity of his vow, Su Su was finally somewhat satisfied and snorted, "That's more like it."
She then turned to Mu Hanyan, holding her hand reluctantly, "Sister Hanyan, after you leave the palace, you must take good care of yourself and prepare for childbirth. If he..." She glanced at Pei Xuan, "...if he dares to bully you, you must go to the palace and tell me, and I will stand up for you!"
A warm feeling welled up in Mu Hanyan's heart. She grasped Su Su's hand in return, her eyes glistening with tears, and nodded softly, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I will remember it. Please take good care of yourself while you are in the palace."
Li Qianche stood to the side, watching Su Su's protective and adorable demeanor, and found it incredibly cute, his eyes filled with unwavering doting affection.
Pei Xuan, seeing his wife and the Imperial Concubine so inseparable, couldn't help but touch his nose, feeling a little worried. Judging by this, wouldn't the Imperial Concubine steal half of his wife's heart? He was truly afraid the Imperial Concubine would "steal" his wife away.
"Alright, Su Su." Seeing that it was almost time, Li Qianche stepped forward, gently put his arm around Su Su's shoulder, and advised softly, "Let them go, it's getting late."
Even though Su Su was reluctant, she had no choice but to let go. Mu Hanyan bowed deeply to Li Qianche: "Hanyan thanks Your Majesty for your protection these past few days." She then nodded to Su Su, everything understood without words.
Pei Xuan bowed to Li Qianche again to take his leave, then carefully helped Mu Hanyan. The two figures quickly blended into the deep night outside Shuning Palace, like water droplets flowing into a river, silently.
Su Su stood at the palace gate, gazing in the direction they had disappeared until she could no longer see any trace of them, a strange emptiness settling over her heart.
Li Qianche pulled her into his arms and whispered comfortingly, "Don't be sad. If you miss her in the future, I will have Pei Xuan bring her to the palace to see you, okay?"
Su Su leaned against his strong chest, looked up and asked, "Is Your Majesty serious? Do you keep your word?"
Li Qianche lowered his head and placed a light kiss on her smooth forehead, smiling as he said, "A king's word is his bond. When have I ever lied to you?"
With his assurance, Su Su felt more at ease. She softly hummed in agreement and let him lead her by the hand as they left the palace garden, which was about to be shrouded in "funeral" rites, and returned together to the warmly lit Yongshou Palace.
The gentle night quietly concealed all farewells and secrets.
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