Chapter 140 The Childhood Sweethearts Should Go to Court
As her due date approached, Shen Yujiao fell into a deep sleep. Her daily life depended on Mu Jin and Chu Rou's tireless care. The affairs of the harem were managed by Princess Yong'an, with the Empress Dowager's assistance. The entire palace was filled with a tense atmosphere.
Everyone knows that the Emperor and Empress are deeply in love. Now that the Empress is in such a state, it is a big question whether the imperial heir can be born smoothly, not to mention what will happen in the future.
As for His Majesty, all the officials were troubled—it wasn't enough that the Empress had fallen ill; the Emperor had also gone mad, spending most of his days at the Yu Mausoleum. With the Empress's due date fast approaching, His Majesty finally stopped going out of the palace. But instead of going to the Yu Mausoleum, he would rush to the Star-Picking Terrace every night. Rumors spread among the people that His Majesty had gone mad because of the Empress's illness.
In such an atmosphere, Da Xia was unable to properly celebrate the New Year, as if the liveliness and prosperity of last year were just a fleeting moment.
"They say the imperial family is ruthless, but the current emperor is deeply in love with the empress."
Hearing He Zhiju relay the folk joke, Jiang Chen gave a bitter smile and waved his hand, "Fine, let them think that way."
"No!" He Zhiju exclaimed anxiously, stepping in front of him. "I know you feel sorry for Ajiao, but... you have to take care of both of them, right? You're not looking after her now, nor are you attending to state affairs. I... I can't even help you if I want to!"
Jiang Chen looked at his anxious expression and waved his hand: "You have already done me a great favor. As long as you can stabilize the court, everything will be fine. As for me... I know very well what I am doing."
It might be a clumsy method or a foolish idea, but Jiang Chen had no other choice. Since arriving in Daxia, Shen Yujiao and Shen Yujiao had been involved in countless interactions. According to Shen Yujiao, the two of them had even met once, a situation that Jiang Chen had never experienced before.
Therefore, he could only try every possible method he could think of to create even the slightest resonance with Prince Chen.
If what Doctor Luqiu said is true, and he himself did not misunderstand, then Jiaojiao will most likely return to the modern world after giving birth. Once she leaves, he will truly be all alone in this world, and he doesn't even know how to face the unborn child.
Jiang Chen now clearly understands that this child is not a gift from heaven, but a relic left to him by his beloved wife in this world that does not belong to them.
He couldn't accept it.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
The Star-Picking Tower is now under a ban, and even the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs does not allow entry or exit. However, at this moment, Zhu Yu's footsteps echoed on the empty Star-Gazing Platform. His anxious steps were like drumbeats striking Jiang Chen's heart. Before He Zhiju could react, Jiang Chen quickly darted out.
Seeing His Majesty rushing towards him, Zhu Yu was pulled back and stumbled before he could even speak. Seeing the redness in His Majesty's eyes, Zhu Yu thought that he had finally realized what was happening, so he hurriedly followed after him.
He Zhiju was stunned at first, then came to his senses. Now, the only thing that could break the dead silence in the palace was the Empress's move!
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" The Empress Dowager stopped Jiang Chen, who was rushing in from outside. She was startled by his bloodshot eyes. "Why are you in such a hurry? We just started the attack, and it's not the crucial moment yet."
"Mother," Jiang Chen gripped the Empress Dowager's arm tightly, his voice hoarse as he asked, "How is she?"
"Ah Jiao..."
"ah--"
There was no need for her to answer anymore. The heart-wrenching screams from inside the delivery room pierced through the window. Jiang Chen could no longer care about anything else. He broke free from his restraints and rushed in, ignoring everyone's astonished gazes. He knelt down in front of Shen Yujiao's bed.
"Jiaojiao..."
His voice and hands trembled, but he still held Shen Yujiao's hand firmly. Her once fair and tender hands had become thin and frail, but she gripped them tightly the moment he took them.
Shen Yujiao's first words were a weak, tearful murmur: "Jiang Chen..."
"I'm here! I'm here!" Jiang Chen held Shen Yujiao's hand against his cheek, tears streaming down her face, but she saw Jiang Chen smiling at her: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Shen Yujiao longed to gently stroke his cheek, to listen to him speak more attentively, and to spend more time with him, but a tearing pain from below interrupted all of that—"Ah!"
She felt something being peeled away from her body.
"It's too late...it's too late..." Jiang Chen saw Shen Yujiao's weak and anxious expression. She struggled to pull him to her lips, enduring the intense pain as she quickly said, "I...I know the key to cause and effect, the cycle of reincarnation..."
Because she was so close to Jiang Chen's ear, Shen Yujiao forcefully turned her roar into a low sob: "Their last wish, it was their last wish!"
Their clasped hands left deep nail marks on Jiang Chen's hand from the force of their grip. Shen Yujiao gritted her teeth and said, "Shen Yujiao's last wish was... for Jiang Yu... to be able to..."
Listening to her labored voice, Jiang Chen quickly recalled what Shen Yujiao had once told him: Shen Yujiao hoped that he could be happy, let go of his regrets, forget the separation, not be the Prince Huan, and live as Jiang Yu again.
On the night Jiang Yu passed away, Jiang Chen stood outside the palace, leaving the space for Shen Yujiao and Jiang Yu to part. Although he did not witness the scene of his departure, Jiang Chen still remembered that Shen Yujiao had said that Jiang Yu left with a smile.
My heart skipped a beat. Everything made sense. Jiang Yu must have fulfilled Shen Yujiao's last wish at the last moment of his life. Therefore, Shen Yujiao's obsession dissipated, which also severed her connection with Shen Yujiao in this world. The child was just a trigger. Even without the child, it was time for Shen Yujiao to go back.
“Jiaojiao, Jiaojiao, I understand, don’t bother, I understand,” Jiang Chen’s voice was urgent: “I understand what you mean, don’t worry about it, we, we might still have some way, I… I have gathered the best doctors in the world, maybe… maybe we can keep you alive for a while longer.”
Even knowing it was self-deception, Shen Yujiao couldn't help but smile through her pain as she uttered these words: "Fool..."
She struggled to open her eyes wide, wanting to see Jiang Chen a few more times. She could feel the child slowly leaving her body, and this feeling was like a sign that she was also gradually being pulled away from this world.
With trembling hands, Shen Yujiao cupped Jiang Chen's face and, with a trembling motion, placed a solemn kiss on his forehead: "Promise me you'll come back soon. I'll be waiting for you at home..."
"No, no," Jiang Chen choked, unable to utter a complete sentence, "Jiaojiao, don't leave me here alone."
“You are... luckier than me,” Shen Yujiao ignored his pleas and forced a smile. “You can see this child grow up... Jiang Chen, this is our... our child…”
Large tears fell onto Shen Yujiao's face, mingling with her own tears as they slowly flowed down. Jiang Chen's eyes were filled with pain: "Jiaojiao, I can't... I can't do it. How can I love it without you here?"
"Yu'er..." Shen Yujiao said with difficulty, "Whether it's a boy or a girl, we'll both be called Yu'er... okay?"
The process of conceiving this child was also a long farewell to Jiang Chen. She hoped that even if she passed away first, Jiang Chen would still be able to raise this child well and nurture it to grow into a successful adult.
If it's a son, one hopes he will cultivate both physical and mental well-being; if it's a daughter, one hopes she will be virtuous and kind-hearted.
With a hysterical scream from Shen Yujiao, the baby's cry followed. All the palace servants in the hall knelt down to offer their congratulations. Jiang Chen didn't even have time to hear the auspicious words before he shouted, "Imperial Physician! Summon the Imperial Physician! Keep the Empress here for me!"
"River......"
Before anyone in the hall could react, Jiang Chen heard that weak, almost fading voice. He quickly turned and bowed, "I'm here, Jiaojiao, I..."
"Jiang...Xiao...Chen...I'm waiting for you...to come home..."
Everything happened in an instant, so fast that before anyone could react, they saw the young emperor kneeling before the bed, weeping uncontrollably. Mu Jin, who was holding the imperial physician's hand, suddenly lost her strength. Her eyes fell on the large pool of blood at the foot of the bed, and she collapsed to the ground. Before her tears could fall, she had already fainted.
The heavy snow fell thick and fast, the heaviest snowfall since the beginning of the year. A faint chime of bells drifted through the biting wind, and suddenly, all was silent except for a mournful song echoing over the capital city of Xia.
In the fifth year of Jingyou, Empress Shen gave birth to the first prince, but died from postpartum hemorrhage. The emperor was heartbroken and ordered a hundred days of mourning for the empress. All officials and subjects were to observe mourning for the empress. Anyone who disobeyed the order and indulged in merrymaking would be punished.
When the mourning period ended, the Empress's coffin was carried out from the main gate of the palace. The Emperor, dressed in plain clothes, personally carried the banner and walked to the Yu Mausoleum.
During the period of mourning, the emperor posthumously conferred three titles upon Empress Shen and issued an edict abolishing the harem.
After the 100-day mourning period for Empress Xiaoyi Zhaoxian Rende Wencheng, her eldest son Jiang Yu was named Crown Prince and resided in the Zichen Palace, where he was personally raised by the Emperor.
In the same year, Duke Yi, He Zhiju, was appointed regent, becoming the first regent of a different surname since the founding of the Great Xia Dynasty, and ordered the infant crown prince to become his teacher.
The Crown Prince was intelligent from a young age. He could speak at the age of one, write at the age of three, and compose poetry at the age of five. At the age of seven, he accompanied the Emperor to court and listen to government affairs. At the tender age of eight, he led the Ministry of Rites to welcome foreign guests.
In the spring of the fourteenth year of Jingyou, foreign tribes invaded from the southern border. The imperial son-in-law, General Qi Zheng, led troops to resist the enemy. The crown prince accompanied the army on the expedition and won a great victory, driving the enemy back more than a thousand miles and recovering eight cities. The emperor was overjoyed.
He was established as the heir apparent at a young age and assumed personal rule in his youth. Crown Prince Yu was personally taught by the Emperor from childhood and deeply loved by him. The Emperor greatly valued him and praised him several times in front of the officials: "He was born with innate intelligence and a keen inclination for the emperor. He went directly to the capital to offer congratulations, showing respect and deference for three reigns; he inquired about the emperor's well-being in the palace, and his benevolence and filial piety were known throughout the land."
In the seventeenth year of the Jingyou era, the Crown Prince moved from the Zichen Palace to the Qionghua Palace and no longer lived outside the palace. From then on, the Qionghua Palace became the Eastern Palace.
Emperor Taizu had decreed that any daughter of the Shen family must become the Empress of Xia. At that time, it was the year of the Crown Prince's engagement, and the Shen family of Jiangnan had no legitimate daughters. Therefore, the Emperor personally decreed that He, the eldest daughter of the Regent Prince, be married to the Crown Prince. The wedding took place the following year.
The year after Crown Prince Yu's wedding, the Emperor suddenly fell seriously ill. For decades, he worked tirelessly day and night for the people's livelihood, burning the midnight oil to write the history of Xia, compile rites and laws, and write documents. During his reign, the territory of Xia expanded five times, the people became wealthy, and literary talents emerged in great numbers. He devoted himself to governing the people with virtue, so the country was prosperous and flourished in rites and righteousness.
In the second month of spring in the twenty-sixth year of Jingyou, the emperor died in the East Hall of Qionghua Palace. His subjects and people were deeply saddened. The entire capital city was draped in white mourning clothes. Crown Prince Yu personally escorted his father's coffin to Yuling Mausoleum, and read the epitaph with tears in his eyes, praising his father's great merits and virtues, which could not be fully described.
Emperor Jiang Chen reigned for twenty-six years. He established the Imperial Academy, reformed the suburban sacrifices, corrected the calendar, established the calendrical system, harmonized the musical scales, composed poems and music, performed the Fengshan ceremony, worshipped all the gods, continued the Zhou dynasty, and issued decrees and literary works that were brilliant and worthy of being recorded. His successors were able to follow in his footsteps and inherit the style of the Three Dynasties. His temple name was Jingzong. His twenty-six-year reign is known in history as the Jingyou Prosperous Era.
The following year, Crown Prince Yu formally ascended the throne, changed the era name to Yanxi, posthumously honored his birth mother with a posthumous title, and honored his father as Emperor Xuanmu Xiaokang Wenwu Gaoxiangming. In accordance with the late emperor's will, he heavily relied on virtuous ministers from the late emperor's court, honored Regent Prince He Zhiju as Imperial Tutor, reduced corvée labor, valued the people's livelihood, trusted loyal ministers, and cherished good generals. Historical records refer to him and his father as the Jingcheng and Meiji eras.
The rhythmic mechanical sounds of the instruments reached her ears, and the scene before her gradually became clear. All she could see was white. Shen Yujiao struggled a few times with great effort, feeling as if her body was rusted. After taking a few deep breaths, she finally regained consciousness.
Shen Yujiao subconsciously looked around the room: "It's a hospital room..."
Her breath was reflected on the oxygen mask, and Shen Yujiao subconsciously looked to her right, but was stunned for a moment. It was Jiang Chen.
To be precise, it was Jiang Chen from ten years ago. His appearance now was completely different from the one he had on the day of his difficult childbirth. He looked more like... the one she had seen at their wedding. He had handsome features, and even when he was asleep, you could see the youthful spirit that he couldn't hide.
With the modern decor, her lover's appearance from ten years ago, and the medical equipment connected to her body, Shen Yujiao could finally confirm that she had returned.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, tears streamed down her face. Whenever she closed her eyes, all she could see were memories of the Great Xia Dynasty, her unique and exclusive memories with Jiang Chen, a dreamlike tale of Zhuangzi's butterfly dream. Now, she could no longer distinguish which side was reality.
The ward was very quiet. Shen Yujiao's tears flowed silently. She didn't know how much time had passed before she opened her eyes again. The moment she saw Jiang Chen, she was still in a daze. When was the last time she looked at him like this?
It seemed that it was not long after their wedding that her relationship with Jiang Chen began to change. At that time, she was worried about Jiang Chen attending the morning court every day. The two of them acted during the day and reviewed the performance at night. Every court meeting was like an exam for them.
Now that they had returned to their world from the Great Xia, Shen Yujiao still subconsciously said, "Your Highness, it's time for court..."
As soon as she finished speaking, the room fell silent. Shen Yujiao sighed deeply. Yes, only she had returned. Jiang Chen still didn't know when he would wake up.
However, this silence was broken in an instant—
"Jiaojiao, I'm here."
(End of text)
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Author's Note: The main story is now complete, and Jiang Xiaochen and Shen Jiaojiao's journey through the Great Xia Dynasty has officially ended. Thank you for all the support, companionship, and patience since the beginning of the story.
I'll be updating with short stories about Jiang Chen and Shen Yujiao returning to the modern world. The side stories aren't expected to be very long. I'm still considering whether to write stories for the two secondary couples. If any of you want to see stories about He Zhiju and Chu Rou, or Qi Zheng and Princess Yong'an, please leave a comment. The story content is already prepared; I'll continue writing if there's interest. If no one comments, I'll leave those two stories blank.
Finally, please also pay close attention to my next book, "The Guest Who Enters the Curtain." The synopsis is on the first page, so I won't take up any more space in the author's notes at the end of "Childhood Sweethearts."
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