Chapter 54: But you must stay by my side forever
Shen Anyu's tears continued to fall, but the arm holding Shen Zhiwei's waist loosened a little. She buried her face in her sister's chest and sniffed muffledly.
"But sister..." Her voice was thick with nasal sounds. "Even if he won't touch me for the time being, I'm worried about you being here, facing him every day. The way he looks at you... is like he wants to eat you up."
"Silly girl, I'm not made of paper. He can't eat me. If we really come to that, it's not certain who will eat whom."
Shen Anyu's shoulders relaxed a little. She raised her head and looked at Shen Zhiwei with tears in her eyes: "Really?"
"Of course it's true," Shen Zhiwei took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped the tears from her face. "When has your sister ever done anything that lost money? Staying here has its advantages. At least... I can watch over you, protect you, and let you live peacefully as your princess. In the future, you can find a husband of your dreams and live a peaceful and happy life."
Chen Anyu curled her lips: "I don't want a perfect husband... All men are bad."
Shen Zhiwei couldn't help but laugh and pinched her cheek. "Okay, if An Yu doesn't want to, then forget it. But... the incident with the startled horse can't happen again. Sister doesn't want blood on your hands, and she doesn't want you to live in calculation and fear every day."
Shen Anyu fell silent, her long eyelashes drooping. She leaned against Shen Zhiwei's chest, listening for a moment to her elder sister's heartbeat, enveloped by the familiar and comforting fragrance.
After a long while, she whispered, "...Then you have to promise me that you will be fine. Nothing can happen to you."
"Okay, sister promises you." Shen Zhiwei responded.
"You can't drink those messy medicines anymore."
"No."
"If he bullies you, you have to tell me."
"Tell you, and then let you fight him to the death?" Shen Zhi smiled and shook his head, "Don't worry, he can't bully me."
Shen Anyu puffed her lips and raised her head, looking carefully at Shen Zhiwei's face. Shen Zhiwei met her gaze with a calm look.
The little girl finally seemed to have exhausted all her strength. She leaned back against her softly and muttered softly, "...Then you have to spend more time with me in the future. It's so boring in the palace."
"Okay, I'll call you over to talk often in the future." Shen Zhiwei hugged her and kissed the top of her head.
"Also... I'm a little hungry." Shen Anyu touched his stomach, his ears reddened, and he snuggled into her arms. "I came here in a hurry this morning and didn't eat anything."
Shen Zhi smiled and called out, "Someone come here."
The palace maid guarding outside the hall came in.
"Go to the small kitchen and see if there are any fresh snacks. And make a pot of jasmine tea."
"yes."
After the maid left, Shen Zhiwei pulled Shen Anyu to sit on the couch by the window, picked up a comb, and helped her comb her messy hair. The sunlight shone in through the window lattice, shining warmly on them.
Shen Zhiwei had never done this before, but he tried to be as gentle as possible, and the little girl squinted her eyes in comfort.
Shen Anyu sat quietly, letting her sister fiddle with her, occasionally stealing a glance at Shen Zhiwei in the mirror.
"Sister," she turned her eyes away and asked softly, "What if... I mean what if, one day, there really is no way out..."
Shen Zhiwei paused while combing her hair, tied up the last strand of hair, and pinned a freshly picked jasmine flower in it.
"Sister will never let you have no way out."
After comforting her sister and having some snacks with her, Shen Zhiwei asked the maid to send her back. Before leaving, Shen Anyu looked back every few steps, her eyes still uneasy, but at least not as excited as when she came.
The palace returned to peace, but Shen Zhiwei remained restless, the scroll spread across her lap, unturning for a long moment. As the sun began to set and the palace maids lit the lamps, Xiao Lingjun arrived as expected.
He seemed to be in a good mood today, and the tiredness between his brows faded a little. When he came in, he rubbed the head of the black cat that was napping on the windowsill. The cat rarely hid, but just lazily shook its tail.
"I heard from the palace maid that An Yu came today?" He walked to Shen Zhiwei and took her into his arms, his chin resting on the top of her head. "What did the two sisters talk about for so long?"
Shen Zhiwei leaned in his arms, her fingertips twisting his drooping hairband, and hummed: "You are just a little girl, with a lot on your mind, and you just come here to complain and act like a spoiled child."
"Oh? What's the matter?" Xiao Lingjun's voice remained the same, his fingers running through her long hair.
Shen Zhiwei raised her eyes, glanced at him sideways, and the corners of her lips curved up: "She said that she was worried that Your Majesty would forget the old one when he got a new one in the future. She has reached the end of her life as a princess, and she asked me to find a way for her to live."
Xiao Lingjun was stunned for a moment, then chuckled softly, "What a child's talk! When have I ever regretted what I promised you?" He lowered his head, found her lips and kissed them, his breath warm, "As long as I'm here, no one can touch her."
Shen Zhiwei let him kiss her for a while before pushing him away and pointing a finger at his heart: "Your Majesty, just remember this. An Yu is my life. If anything happens to her..."
Xiao Lingjun lowered his eyes, unhappily holding her finger, brought it to his lips and bit it, but he was reluctant to use too much force, leaving only a shallow mark: "As long as I am here, An Yu will be fine, and you will be fine too."
Shen Zhiwei felt the warm moisture on his fingertips and let him hold it without struggling: "Your Majesty's words are golden and jade-like. I will remember them."
Xiao Lingjun seemed pleased with her momentary docility. He lowered his head and pecked her lips again before taking her in his arms and walking to the desk. There were a pile of memorials on the desk. He casually picked up the top one, which was the Ministry of Rites' regulations for the Autumn Sacrifice, which he had carefully reviewed.
"There's nothing going on in the court today. Will you accompany me to read the memorials?" He sat down and pulled Shen Zhiwei to his side, his arm still around her waist.
Shen Zhiwei nodded, relaxed, and found a comfortable position in his arms.
She glanced across the desk and caught a glimpse of a few slightly different plain white-covered scrolls mixed in among a pile of bright yellow scrolls, looking inconspicuous.
She didn't reach out to take it, but just looked away calmly.
Xiao Lingjun seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. He chuckled, reached out and pulled out the white scrolls, throwing them aside: "Don't pay attention to these unimportant things."
Shen Zhiwei didn't respond, but casually picked up a memorial from the Ministry of War regarding the allocation of winter clothing for the Northern Frontier that he had approved and flipped through it. Xiao Lingjun's handwriting was clear and powerful, and his approval was clear and organized. She read it intently.
The hall was silent for a moment. The black cat jumped onto the empty chair, curled up into a ball, its golden pupils half-closed, and its tail slapped the armrest, looking quite dissatisfied.
After Xiao Lingjun finished reviewing a book, he put down his red brush, rubbed his brows, tapped the cat's forehead, and looked sideways at Shen Zhiwei: "The northern border is bitterly cold. I'm thinking of adding another 30% to the allocation of winter clothes this year. What do you think?"
Shen Zhiwei raised his eyes from the memorial and said, "Your Majesty is wise. The soldiers in the northern border have worked hard to guard the border, so it is only right to provide more cold-weather supplies. However, the Ministry of Revenue..."
"The Ministry of Revenue dare not raise any objections," Xiao Lingjun smiled, curling a strand of her hair with his fingertips, "I have asked the cabinet to draft a proposal, and it will be issued tomorrow."
He paused, his tone becoming more casual. "Speaking of which, my third brother submitted a military report the other day, saying that the heavy snow this winter has made it difficult for the soldiers in the camp to train. He wants to withdraw some troops to assist Liangzhou Prefecture in clearing snow and roads, and to reinforce the people's houses to prevent avalanches."
Shen Zhiwei paused as he flipped the pages of the book: "This is a very good move. It will reassure the people and will not waste time training."
"I agree." Xiao Lingjun looked at her lowered face, moved closer and stole another kiss. "If Ah Wei thinks it's good, then it's really good."
Shen Zhiwei was used to seeing him like this, so she was too lazy to avoid him and was kissed firmly by him. After he backed away a little, Miss Shen raised her hand and rubbed the corner of her wet lips with her fingertips, glancing at him sideways: "Your Majesty is in a good mood today."
Xiao Lingjun chuckled softly, "With Ah Wei by my side, reviewing memorials doesn't feel boring anymore." He glanced at the discarded memorials on the desk, his smile fading a little, "It's just that there are always some irrelevant people who like to pass on irrelevant things to bother me."
Shen Zhiwei followed his gaze but didn't respond. She simply closed the memorial from the Ministry of War in her hand and put it back where it belonged. "The affairs of the Northern Frontier are serious, and Your Majesty deserves to be more concerned. As for the rest... I am too lazy to pay attention, so Your Majesty can handle it yourself."
Xiao Lingjun slightly tightened his fingertips on her hair and brought her closer: "Awei, do you trust me so much?"
"It's not that I'm relieved," Shen Zhiwei shrugged, "I know Your Majesty has a plan in mind. What's more..." The sarcasm in his words was obvious, "An Yu still holds the title of Princess in the palace. I have to think more about her, lest one day Your Majesty be dazzled by a newcomer and the old one be left with no place to stand."
Xiao Lingjun's eyes darkened, and he tightened his arms, holding her tightly in his embrace. "You're provoking me again with these words. I've already said that the throne will only be yours, and An Yu will live a life of prosperity and peace. Why do you always have to use these words to provoke me?"
"I'm not trying to stab Your Majesty, I'm reminding myself," Shen Zhiwei leaned against his chest, his expression weary and his voice soft, "All the honor and respect An Yu and I now have depends on Your Majesty's will. Your Majesty is trustworthy, and I'm grateful. But people's hearts are fickle, and the emperor's mind is even more unpredictable. I dare not rely on you completely."
Xiao Lingjun was silent for a moment, lowered his head and rubbed her hair with the tip of his nose, and said in a muffled voice: "Are you blaming me for forcing you to stay in the palace?"
"If you say it's strange, I wouldn't have come back in the first place." Shen Zhiwei gently broke free from his embrace, sat up straight, reached out to pick up the red brush, dipped it in ink, and handed it to him, "Your Majesty, please review the memorial. I'm hungry and would like to have dinner served soon."
She changed the subject casually. Xiao Lingjun looked at the pen she handed him, then at her smiling face. In the end, he didn't insist anymore, took the pen, and buried his head in his documents again.
But his reviewing speed slowed down significantly, and he would look up at the person beside him from time to time. Shen Zhiwei picked up another book and flipped through it, ignoring his gaze.
At dinnertime, the dishes were still exquisite. Shen Zhiwei seemed to have a better appetite and had an extra bowl of ham and bamboo shoot soup. Xiao Lingjun's brows relaxed considerably when he saw that she was willing to eat more, and he took a few more of her favorite dishes with his chopsticks.
After dinner, the palace maids cleared away the cups and plates and served tea.
He picked up the teapot and poured tea for Shen Zhiwei. "The Autumn Festival will be held in a few days. The Ministry of Rites has drawn up the rules. I've reviewed them and they seem to be prudent. Ah Wei, do you want to come with us?"
Shen Zhiwei took the teacup and held it in his hands to warm it: "What am I going to do? It will only cause criticism."
"With me here, who dares to criticize?" Xiao Lingjun took a sip of tea. "I want you to go. The ancestral temple sacrifices are important matters of state. I feel at ease with you by my side."
Shen Zhiwei lowered his eyes and looked at the tea leaves in the cup without responding.
Xiao Lingjun put down the teacup, took out a roll of bright yellow silk from his sleeve, and handed it to her: "Take a look at this."
Shen Zhiwei didn't answer, but just looked up at him.
"The Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Astronomical Observatory have discussed and selected several auspicious dates." Xiao Lingjun unfolded the silk and spread it on the table, pointing his finger at the date circled in cinnabar. "I think the eighteenth day of the twelfth lunar month is the best. Before the New Year, everything is new and it's the perfect time for the enthronement ceremony."
The enthronement ceremony.
Shen Zhiwei's eyes fell on the date heavily circled in red ink, and his heart tightened.
"Your Majesty, why are you so anxious?" She knew this day would come eventually, but she hadn't expected it to happen so soon. "Now that the government is just beginning to settle, there's a lot of work to be done. It's better to delay the matter of appointing a queen."
"Slow down?" Xiao Lingjun chuckled, tapping his fingertips on the silk. "Awei, I've waited long enough. I couldn't wait in my previous life, and I don't want to wait again in this life. The eighteenth day of the twelfth lunar month is perfect. I've already asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to begin preparations."
Shen Zhiwei knew that this matter was beyond redemption. She was silent for a moment, then picked up the teacup and took a sip.
"Your Majesty has made the decision, and I have nothing to say," she sighed, stood up and walked to the window, opened it, and the cool night breeze rushed in, "But, An Yu..."
"I know," Xiao Lingjun walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, and rested his chin on her shoulder. "I will promote her to the rank of eldest princess, giving her double the salary and granting her a princess's residence. In the future, you will personally oversee her marriage, and I will not interfere."
"Awei, this is my bottom line. I can share the throne and the country with you. But you must stay by my side, forever."
Shen Zhiwei looked at the dark night outside the window and the twinkling palace lanterns in the distance. She blinked her dry eyes and raised her hand to cover the back of his hand that was around her waist.
"I am all here, Your Majesty, what are you worried about?"
Xiao Lingjun tightened his arms, holding her in his arms, his nose buried in the side of her neck, greedily absorbing her scent.
"I'm afraid that you still have someone else in your heart. I'm afraid that one day... you'll disappear again."
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