Chapter 85 Extra: Past Life (1)
Chapter 85 Extra Chapter: Past Life (Part 1)
In the depths of winter, night always falls exceptionally early and is exceptionally cold in the palace.
Nine-year-old Li Qianche stood alone under an old plum tree, the cold wind swirling fine snow, brushing past his thin shoulders.
The plum blossoms were in full bloom, their delicate fragrance filling the air. This was his favorite place; when his mother was alive, she often brought him here to admire the plum blossoms.
But now, things have changed.
Three months have passed since my mother's death. My father is immersed in immense grief and busy with state affairs, leaving him no time for anything else.
The palace is full of snobbery. Seeing that the young prince, who had lost his protection, seemed to have been forgotten by His Majesty, the palace servants, who were used to flattering the powerful and belittling the weak, gradually became negligent.
The dinner delivered tonight consisted of only a plate of vegetables devoid of any oil and a bowl of cold, hard rice.
As he grew taller, it was the time when he needed proper nourishment. Standing in the cold wind, he felt empty in the stomach, cold in the body, and desolate in his heart.
If his mother were still alive, how dare these people bully him like this? He clenched his frozen fingers, looked at the red plum blossoms braving the frost and snow on the branches, his eyes stinging, but he stubbornly refused to let a single tear fall.
Just as he was starving and enveloped by the cold and loneliness, he suddenly heard a series of hurried, small footsteps behind him, accompanied by the nanny's anxious whisper: "Miss! Slow down! Be careful not to fall!"
Before he could turn around, a soft, milky-smelling little dumpling slammed into his back with a loud "thump."
The force wasn't great, but it was enough to make him stagger, as he was distracted and weak from hunger, and the little ball of flesh fell directly onto the snow.
Li Qianche frowned, turned around, and looked down.
It was a beautiful little girl, about three or four years old, wearing a thick scarlet brocade jacket, wrapped up like a round, chubby baby.
She seemed stunned by the fall, her big, dark eyes filled with tears, her small mouth slightly open, but she was still tightly clutching a delicate osmanthus cake in her hand.
She looked up at him blankly, her little face upturned, seemingly forgetting to cry and forgetting to get up.
Li Qianche's gaze involuntarily fell on the tempting pastry in her hand. The stomach cramps caused by hunger became even more pronounced.
The little girl blinked, her long eyelashes like two tiny fans. She looked at the handsome young man in front of her, dressed in princely robes, his face extremely handsome yet tense, tilted her head, and broke the silence with a sweet, childish voice: "Who are you?"
She held up the pastries in her hand, her tone innocent and generous, "Would you like some pastries? They're sweet and delicious."
At this moment, two old women caught up, panting. Upon seeing Li Qianche, their expressions changed slightly, and they quickly bowed.
An old woman quickly went to help Xiao Su Su up and whispered, "Miss Su, this is His Highness the Prince. We mustn't offend him. Let's go back quickly; the Imperial Concubine must be getting impatient."
Another nanny cautiously addressed Li Qianche: "Your Highness, please be well. This is the Imperial Concubine's niece, Miss Su. It's late, and the snow is heavy. Why is Your Highness here alone? Where are your servants? Please return to the palace to rest early and be careful not to catch a cold."
Little Su Su was helped up by the nanny, and, seemingly understanding but not quite, she imitated the nanny's manner and gave Li Qianche a proper bow.
She glanced at the half-eaten pastry in her hand, then at the young man in front of her whose lips were still tightly pursed and whose face seemed unhappy, as if she had thought of something.
She lowered her head, clumsily untied a small butterfly-patterned purse from her waist, and took out two intact, equally exquisite pastries from it, stuffing them into Li Qianche's cold hands.
"It's all for Your Highness," she said, tilting her head back with a sweet smile that could melt ice and snow. "It's delicious! My nanny told me not to eat too much, saying it would cause indigestion, so you can have it all!"
After saying that, before Li Qianche could react, she was half-coaxed and half-carried away by the nannies.
After walking a few steps, she turned back and waved her little hand at him.
Li Qianche stood there, stunned, holding the three pastries that still carried the warmth of the little girl's body, as if holding a faint but incredibly warm flame.
He watched the small red figure disappear at the end of the plum grove, the sweet and milky scent still lingering in the air.
He silently put the pastries back into his sleeve, turned around and went back to the empty and cold bedroom.
He dismissed the only dozing eunuch in the hall, sat under the lamp, and carefully took out the pastries.
I first took a small bite, then wolfed it down. The sweet taste melted in my mouth, seemingly dispelling some of the chill that had lingered in my heart for so long.
The following day, Consort Su Shangci learned from her maid about the events of the previous night, as well as the lazy and unattended state of the servants in the young prince's palace.
Enraged, she immediately dealt swiftly with the negligent palace servants and personally oversaw Li Qianche's living expenses.
From then on, no one dared to mistreat the seemingly powerless young prince.
When the emperor heard about this, he was very satisfied with the Consort's handling of the matter. He also felt sorry for his son who had lost his mother and had no one to take care of him. So he took the opportunity to formally place Li Qianche in the Consort's palace for care.
From that time on, Li Qianche's cold and lonely life was accompanied by an inescapable little tail.
Su Su seemed to have her eye on the handsome but "pitiful" young man she met under the plum blossom tree. Whenever she had the chance, she would carry all sorts of snacks and fruits and run to the plum blossom tree, or go directly to Li Qianche's palace.
She was always chattering away, like a tireless little sparrow, following behind him, telling him what she had eaten that day, what she had played, and what new tricks her nanny had taught her.
"Brother Che, do you think this flower is pretty?"
"Brother Che, are you tired from studying today?"
"Brother Che, these are some candied fruits I secretly hid. Here you go!"
Li Qianche has always preferred quiet and disliked noise from others. The palace servants gossiped that the young prince was only being lenient with Miss Su because she was the Imperial Concubine's niece and they now lived in the same palace.
Only Li Qianche himself knew that he didn't tolerate it, but rather... liked it.
I love her bright and carefree smile, I love her soft and clear voice, I love the sweet food she brings, and I love her unreserved closeness and dependence on me.
She was like a ray of sunshine that shone into his gloomy world without warning, lively, warm, and full of vitality, finally bringing a touch of life to his cold and silent palace.
As she grew older, Su Su blossomed into a beautiful young woman, yet she still loved to chase after Li Qianche.
The emperor saw through the concubine's intention to groom her niece into the future head of the harem, and also noticed the different ways the princes treated Su Su.
He summoned Li Qianche to his side and solemnly warned him: "Che'er, remember what I taught you since you were a child. As the crown prince, you must never openly express your feelings for the person you love. Otherwise, you will be showing your weakness to others, which will bring disaster to both you and her. My Empress Dowager, your mother, is a cautionary tale."
Li Qianche felt a chill run down his spine, deeply imprinting these words in his heart. He carefully hid his growing feelings, concealing them in a place unseen by anyone.
He remained taciturn, treating Su Su as if she were no different from anyone else. He would even occasionally scold her for her "noisyness." She would always snatch the snacks from his plate, chatter incessantly, and lean against him without regard for manners. Even if he pushed her away with a cold face, she would still come closer next time.
But only he knew how much he cherished the time she spent by his side.
He liked to look up when he was reading or painting in his study and see her profile as she quietly embroidered by the window, the sunlight shining on her focused face, making her look otherworldly.
He liked to feel her following gaze when he practiced swordsmanship on the training ground, and when he was sweating, she would always come up to him and hand him warm tea and a clean handkerchief.
He loved it when she made new desserts and was always the first to rush over to let him taste them, her eyes, like pools of autumn water, brimming with anticipation and a touch of pride.
He quietly treasured all the good things about her and carefully preserved them.
At the age of seventeen, the late emperor passed away, and Li Qianche ascended the throne amidst turbulent undercurrents.
At that time, Su Su was twelve years old, already a graceful young woman, and beginning to show her captivating beauty.
With the situation in the court unstable and the Empress Dowager's faction deeply entrenched, court officials submitted memorials one after another, requesting the new emperor to expand his harem in order to consolidate the foundation of the country.
He accepted her as a concubine, and according to the established system, one after another noblewoman from a similar family background was sent to the palace and given a title.
However, he never set foot in anyone's palace, only staying in the Hall of Mental Cultivation under the pretext of being busy with state affairs.
Those women, whether charming, gentle, or talented, were not the one hidden in his heart, the one who would stuff him with pastries, chatter incessantly behind him, and smile radiantly at his words of affirmation.
It wasn't until Su Su was fourteen that he heard Su Mufeng was secretly looking for a husband for his daughter.
Those young talents in the capital who had long heard of the Su family's daughter's beauty and the support of her aunt, the Empress Dowager, were all eager to try their luck.
For the first time, Li Qianche lost his composure in the imperial study, unable to decipher a single word on the memorials. An indescribable panic and domineering aura gripped his heart.
He wouldn't allow it.
He would not allow anyone to covet his Su Su.
She was not allowed to smile sweetly at other men.
She was not allowed to spend the rest of her life standing beside another, or in the arms of another.
In the spring of her fifteenth birthday coming-of-age ceremony, all things revived and a hundred flowers bloomed in competition.
Li Qianche could no longer restrain himself. With a single imperial decree, he rightfully brought the girl who had lived in his heart for ten years into his harem and kept her by his side.
He could finally openly and legitimately possess the light that had illuminated his entire dark youth.
Even so, he still needed to hide that surging love deep beneath the mask of imperial majesty.
At least, she was within his reach, and no one could take her away from him anymore.
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