Chapter 59 Leaving the Palace "Who is it..."
Last winter, the emperor left the capital and headed towards Nanyuan, accompanied by his personal guards, princes, and ministers, to accompany him on his winter hunt.
It was winter, and snow was falling. By the time Emperor Qianyuan arrived at the hunting grounds for the winter hunt, the ground was already covered in snow, and everything was a vast expanse of white.
Banners fluttered, the emperor fired his first shot, and his ministers cheered.
Everything was the same as the annual winter hunt in Nanyuan, with nothing new to offer.
However, the winter hunt in the tenth year of the Qianyuan era brought about the greatest unexpected event—when Emperor Qianyuan was riding his horse to hunt, he saw a beautiful woman dressed in a white gauze dress in the snowy forest.
It was Wen Miao who inexplicably appeared in this dynasty.
"...At that time, both I and Wanbi were secretly protecting His Majesty as members of the Chengying Guard. Long before the winter hunt, we had inspected the environment around Nanyuan, but we never found anything unusual."
Shi Cui gazed at Wen Miao, carefully recreating everything from last winter.
Members of the Chengying Guard are not limited by gender; anyone with the ability can stay there. Unlike Qiu Shisan Niang and Li Zhu, who are always active outside and working for Emperor Qian Yuan, they had their own lives before becoming members of the Chengying Guard. Shi Cui and Wan Bi, on the other hand, are descendants of criminal slaves.
At that time, the two of them and their companions were secretly guarding the emperor. Together they spotted the branches swaying slightly in the snow forest. Before the guards could react, they saw a woman with a beautiful face and ethereal clothes faint on her side in the snow. Snowflakes fluttered down, but they could not hide the beauty on her face.
Wanbi's voice still carried a hint of reminiscence, "Back then, when I looked at Your Highness, it was as if I were looking at a goddess..."
They had never seen anyone so beautiful.
She wore exquisite white clothes, with shimmering pearls on her veil and skirt. Her skin was delicate and fair, and her makeup was bright and elegant. Her feet seemed to be made of crystal, and even her fingertips were adorned with an unprecedented silver light.
What else could she be but a goddess?
At first glance, everyone was in a daze, until Emperor Qian Yuan, sitting on his tall horse, suddenly reacted and wrapped the weak and unconscious goddess in a dark cloak. Only then did Shi Cui and Wan Bi come to their senses, their eyes filled with amazement.
Shi Cui continued, "...Judging from His Majesty's appearance that day, he must have known Her Highness before. When I saw Her Highness again, she was already in Taiji Palace."
During that period, the majestic Taiji Palace, which represented imperial power, was often filled with the fragrance of medicine, and the emperor's bed was occupied by a goddess who was asleep in a coma.
"From that time on, the Empress was ill for a long time, with a persistent high fever and coma. Physician Fang came almost every day to take her pulse and prescribe medicine... Whenever His Majesty was in Taiji Palace, His Majesty personally took care of the Empress."
“His Majesty was very frightening during that period… At first, when His Majesty met the Empress, I could clearly see that His Majesty was very happy and excited; but later, when the Empress fainted and became unconscious, His Majesty had a gloomy face every day. During those days, the ministers in the court were all trembling with fear, afraid of displeasing His Majesty.”
"Then the Empress spent almost the entire winter on her sickbed."
"The Imperial Physician Fang was afraid several times that he couldn't save the Empress. He said that the Empress had no will to live, but... but His Majesty never gave up."
"Later, as the eleventh year of the Qian Yuan era approached, the Empress's illness suddenly worsened, and she could no longer even take medicine..."
During that time, the emperor, who spent every day and night by the goddess's window, lost a lot of weight. Such a tall man looked like a skeleton, and the sinister indifference in his eyes was almost tangible.
It was the dead of winter and snow was falling. One night, Emperor Qianyuan left the palace alone, accompanied only by a few Chengying Guards, and headed towards Lingyun Temple on Huiling Mountain.
In the dead of night, heavy snow covered the mountains.
No one knows what Emperor Qianyuan said to Master Mingjue in Lingyun Temple that night.
The Chengying Guards waiting outside only knew that dawn was approaching and the entire mountain was bathed in golden light when the wooden door of the meditation room finally opened, and out walked a lonely emperor and a compassionate man named Mingjue, who held a lamp in his hands.
It was clearly a bitterly cold winter day with snow covering the mountains, yet the candlelight on the bronze lampstand was exceptionally bright, its flickering flames seeming to possess a life of their own.
From that day on, the goddess, who had been unconscious and whose condition had worsened, gradually began to recover, and the Taiji Palace, which had been shrouded in gloom for more than half a month, was restored to its former appearance.
"...What does that mean?"
Upon hearing this, Wen Miao frowned slightly, and her fingers, which were hanging on her skirt, involuntarily clenched her sleeves tightly.
This time, Shi Cui and Wan Bi shook their heads in unison, looking equally bewildered.
Wen Miao temporarily kept this incident in her mind, as if she were keeping a small ledger, except that every entry was related to Emperor Qian Yuan.
No matter how you look at it, this matter will inevitably involve settling scores with Emperor Qianyuan later.
She nodded and asked, "And then?"
This time, Shi Cui and Wan Bi looked even more guilty. They exchanged a glance and finally told the whole story.
"...Afterwards, Your Majesty's health gradually recovered, and Physician Fang took your pulse again. He said that you had injured your head before, and that you might experience memory confusion after you fully regain consciousness."
It was from that time that a plan gradually emerged in Emperor Qianyuan's mind, and he began to arrange and implement it.
Wen Miao: "...So the Xie family was also a family that His Majesty carefully selected for me?"
Shi Cui and Wan Bi nodded in unison.
"You were the maids he chose for me?"
The two nodded again.
Wen Miao thought for a moment, then asked again, "...What about Qingniang?"
Li Qing is the female tutor hired by the Xie family for Xie Mengjun, and also a good friend whom Wen Miao met after losing her memory.
Wanbi paused, her eyelashes trembled, and she said softly, "His Majesty has never had contact with Mr. Li, but... he is aware of Mr. Li's character."
Upon hearing this, Wen Miao understood.
She meticulously searched her memory, and almost every question hit the nail on the head: "Was the Qin Garden in the Xie residence also arranged by His Majesty?"
Yes, yes.
"Were the two characters 'Qinyuan' on the plaque written by His Majesty?"
"yes."
"How many servants in the Qinyuan Garden are His Majesty's men?"
"Those who can serve in the inner courtyard are all capable."
After Wen Miao awakens in this unfamiliar dynasty and suffers from amnesia, it's as if she has fallen into a Truman Show—her blood relatives are fake, the servants and maids around her are fake, and her origins and identity are also fake.
If it were an ordinary person, they would probably be hysterically angry and sad at this moment, but Wen Miao just nodded quietly, and even the expression on her face was as gentle and peaceful as usual, without the slightest anger.
But it was precisely this excessive tranquility that made Shi Cui and Wan Bi even more uneasy.
Both of them kept their heads down, too timid to look at Wen Miao, afraid of hearing the Empress's words that she no longer wanted them.
In the same atmosphere, Wen Miao slowly sorted out her experiences and memories. After the truth came to light, she felt more disbelief than anger at being deceived.
...If all of this was arranged by Emperor Qian Yuan, then the other party knows me too well.
She knows herself better than she knows herself.
The Xie family's personality and behavior were exactly what Wen Miao had always imagined a family to be like: tolerant, understanding, and loving towards each other. Qin Garden, and even every plant and tree in the palace where she often stayed, perfectly matched Wen Miao's aesthetic preferences.
She came to the Great Chu alone with the soul of a modern person. Even though she had lost her memory, the blood of another era still flowed in her veins. She had no identity, no belonging, and no roots, but she lived better than most people here.
They have family to care for them, wealth to rely on, people to protect them in secret, and people to pave the way for them in advance.
...Even to this day, she has never truly knelt before imperial power or submitted to feudal etiquette.
A complex mix of emotions flowed deep within Wen Miao's heart. She slowly suppressed these feelings, and from Shi Cui and Wan Bi's explanations earlier, she rediscovered another detail—
"You say that His Majesty seemed to recognize me when he first saw me?"
Wanbi immediately nodded. She and Shicui were already the Empress's people and were loyal to her. Therefore, they dared not hide anything in this situation.
Shi Cui said, "Yes, Wan Bi and I have been by His Majesty's side for a long time, only serving as outer guards. His Majesty never gets close to women, and there have been no other women around him over the years. But when I saw Your Highness last winter, I felt no sense of unfamiliarity, but rather as if we were old friends reuniting."
...A reunion with an old friend?
Wen Miao lowered her eyelashes and pondered carefully. She was certain that she had never seen someone like Emperor Qian Yuan before.
After a pause, she asked again, "Then... what about my deceased husband, Cui Xu?"
They could fabricate a fake identity for her, after all. In feudal times, it was rare for someone her age to be unmarried, so arranging for her to be a widow was reasonable. But... why did they also drag her ex-husband, whom she hadn't seen for years, into the mix?
If it weren't for the limitations of the era, Wen Miao would really suspect that Emperor Qian Yuan had lived with her—she just didn't know it.
Wanbi: "This...this was ordered by His Majesty. This servant has no idea."
Shi Cui and Wan Bi could only be considered assistants in this matter. Their knowledge was far less than that of Emperor Qian Yuan himself, but it was enough for Wen Miao to piece together the answers she wanted.
At that moment, Wen Miao glanced at the sky, then slowly got up and walked towards the door. Shi Cui and Wan Bi immediately followed cautiously.
creak—
The door was gently pushed open. Wen Miao glanced at the palace servants outside the hall, then turned to look at Luo Shi, "Where is His Majesty?"
Luo immediately said, "His Majesty stood here for the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn before heading to Taiji Palace."
Wen Miao responded softly, then asked, "Did he say anything?"
Ms. Luo seemed a little confused by the question, and she shook her head and said, "No."
"I see..."
Wen Miao looked at the sky outside the palace. Although it was winter, it had a bright and clear feel, like the sky after a snowfall. She pulled her shawl closer to her shoulders and said softly, "Prepare the sedan chair. I'm going to leave the palace."
She paused, then turned to look at Shi Cui and Wan Bi, who were staring longingly behind her. "As punishment, you two are not allowed to follow."
Upon hearing this, Shi Cui and Wan Bi felt as if the sky had fallen. Before they could even speak, the usually gentle Empress tapped their foreheads with her fingertips and said:
"You are punished to stay in the Phoenix Palace and take care of that kitten until it is completely lively and energetic."
"Mother, Your Majesty..."
Wen Miao raised the corners of her lips slightly, feigning seriousness, "Aren't you going yet?"
"Yes, Your Highness! We'll go right away!"
Shi Cui and Wan Bi happily accepted their "punishment" and devoted themselves entirely to taking care of the kittens. As for Wen Miao, she rode in a sedan chair to the palace gate a moment later, then transferred to a horse-drawn carriage and headed towards the Xie residence.
At the same time, Emperor Qianyuan, who had learned from Xu Sheng that Wen Miao had left the palace, made another mistake and broke the inkstone on the table.
The shattered pieces of the inkstone lay on the bluestone floor, making a series of crisp sounds. Xu Sheng stood cautiously with his head down, not daring to even breathe loudly.
What on earth is going on between His Majesty and the Empress?
Emperor Qian Yuan stood there, stunned, his eyes filled with gloom and coldness.
So... will the free bird that came from paradise and strayed into the human world eventually fly away from his shoulder?
...
It was already noon when the car arrived at the Xie residence.
Xie Jingxuan didn't know why Wen Miao had suddenly left the palace and returned to the Xie residence. He had a feeling that something was wrong. When he saw Wen Miao in the front hall, the strangeness intensified, and he couldn't help but look at Wen Miao with a somewhat inquisitive gaze.
After a moment, he suddenly slowed his breathing and voice, "Miao Niang, you are..."
Before the words were finished, another voice came from the side of the corridor—
"Auntie, have you come back to see me?"
Before the sound had completely faded, a little girl in a bright red jacket and skirt skipped and hopped out from the side of the corridor, like a bright red cannonball, and crashed into Wen Miao's arms.
Wen Miao took a small step back and put her arms around the little girl's back.
"Auntie, I miss you so much! Auntie, do you miss Mengjun?"
Compared to Xie Jingxuan, who was filled with worries at the moment, the young Xie Mengjun had no idea what her great-grandfather was worried about. All she knew was that her fragrant cousin, who had been taken away by His Majesty for so long, had finally returned!
Wen Miao lowered her head and gently coaxed the little girl who was so close to her.
Although she was not truly related to Xie Jingxuan and Xie Mengjun by blood, it must be said that Emperor Qian Yuan had a knack for choosing people.
The Xie family of Huaiyang was a prominent family a hundred years ago, with many branches and complex relationships. However, the Xie family gradually declined, and the number of its members became increasingly small. By the time of Xie Jingxuan, only his branch remained.
Xie Jingxuan is an upright person with an excellent family tradition; Xie Mengjun is still young, but she is simple and innocent.
For Wen Miao, who had just arrived in this era and had no memory of it, Xie Jingxuan and Xie Mengjun were probably the most suitable choices to be her relatives.
Most importantly, the Xie family, after their decline, lived in Jinling, far from the capital. It was much easier for them to forge identities than to select people in the capital. Moreover, since the Xie family needed to rely on Emperor Qian Yuan, they had to treat Wen Miao with utmost sincerity in order to achieve Emperor Qian Yuan's ultimate goal.
In reality, it was only a matter of a moment, but Wen Miao had already understood the whole cause and effect in her mind.
She chatted with Xie Mengjun for a while. Li Qing was also teaching the young girl at the mansion today, so Xie Mengjun didn't stay long before being led away by "Mr. Li" with many glances back.
Once the hall was empty, Wen Miao looked at Xie Jingxuan, whose expression was slightly uneasy.
She parted her lips slightly: "You..."
"Miao Niang remembers everything?"
The elderly man, who was over fifty, asked the question first, but his face gradually showed a hint of guilt and dejection.
"Yes, I remember everything."
Wen Miao had nothing to hide about this matter.
Xie Jingxuan remained silent for a moment, then softly apologized.
He was not in the right in this matter, and he was indeed wrong. He agreed to the deal proposed by Emperor Qianyuan because the Xie family was struggling to survive and it was difficult for them to serve as officials in Jinling. He also wanted to prevent Xie Mengjun from being disturbed.
He had no other choice.
But he did indeed become one of those who fabricated lies.
Wen Miao smiled, her voice soft and gentle, "Then can I still call you maternal grandfather?"
Xie Jingxuan froze for half a second, an incredulous look flashing across his face, and couldn't help but ask, "Wh-what?"
Before arriving in this era, Wen Miao's kinship could be described as sparse—
She was born into a prestigious family. Because her birth coincided with a crucial period in her parents' business development, her father blamed her for coming at the wrong time. Her mother was unable to have an abortion due to health reasons. As soon as Wen Miao was born, her parents abandoned her and she was raised by her grandparents, who lived in the Jiangnan region, a place steeped in scholarly tradition.
Before Wen Miao started junior high school, she had almost never seen her parents.
Later, the two elderly people passed away early. When Wen Miao was taken back by her parents, there was already a younger sister in the family who was more favored by her parents. Wen Miao then became a "tool" for them to sell and display.
My younger sister can be playful and rebellious, but she must be obedient.
The younger sister receives unconditional love, but Wen Miao has to exchange it for her own maturity.
After the age of fifteen, Wen Miao lived under the control of her parents.
She was not the carefree goddess that Emperor Qian Yuan thought she was, but a powerless, ordinary girl who was overshadowed by her parents and unable to escape.
Since then, Wen Miao has become the eldest daughter of the Wen family. She is well-mannered and has a proper demeanor. During her university years, she dated a senior from the same social class named Cui Xu. However, they broke up due to differences in their future plans. Wen Miao stayed in China to continue her postgraduate studies, while Cui Xu went abroad to study and develop his career. They gradually lost contact.
When the Wen family's business ran into trouble, the parents, unwilling to part with their youngest daughter, placed the responsibility of a business marriage on their eldest daughter, Wen Miao.
As luck would have it, the marriage partner took a liking to Wen Miao's appearance and agreed to exchange the Wen family's eldest daughter for his help.
Wen Miao had no choice but to agree—even though her parents treated her indifferently, the blood ties and the debt of gratitude they owed her for raising her were hard to sever completely.
So she used her marriage as a bargaining chip to gain the freedom to dissolve her relationship with her parents, and walked into that large and bright church towards a marriage partner she had no idea what would happen.
She was somewhat depressed at that time.
But this inexplicable encounter allowed Wen Miao to escape her suffocating and oppressive environment. Amnesia may be a disaster, but it did give her a chance to catch her breath, and she completed her self-healing in this year-long "Truman Show" set up by Emperor Qian Yuan.
It can be said that fortune and misfortune are intertwined.
Therefore, after her memory was restored, Wen Miao never harbored any resentment. She had already seen the worst parents in the world, so how could she reject the transformation from pretense to sincerity?
Her maternal grandfather genuinely felt guilty and cared for her, and Mengjun truly loved her; that was enough.
At this moment, facing Xie Jingxuan's question, Wen Miao repeated herself once again—
I asked, "Can I still call you maternal grandfather?"
Xie Jingxuan's eyes were slightly moist. He responded in a hoarse voice with a trembling "Okay," and slowly raised his hand to pat Wen Miao's arm.
On this day, Wen Miao, having regained her memories, decided to temporarily return to the Qin Garden of the Xie family mansion. She knew that there were still some "minor issues" between her and Emperor Qian Yuan that had not been resolved, but these issues... perhaps needed to be brought to a head by Emperor Qian Yuan.
Wen Miao was waiting for a better opportunity, one more suitable for them to be open and honest with each other.
In the afternoon, Xie Mengjun finished her classes for the day. Li Qing had other plans, so she said goodbye to Wen Miao and left first. Xie Mengjun then seized the opportunity to stick close to her beautiful cousin.
Wen Miao was always gentle and patient with this sweet little girl, except for the matter of regaining her memories...
Hmm, I still need to talk to Mengjun about it.
After a short while, Xie Mengjun, having heard what her aunt had said, gradually frowned. She stared blankly at Wen Miao for a long time, and then suddenly burst into tears.
This matter had been buried in Xie Mengjun's heart for a long time. She was afraid that her aunt would remember it, and she also felt that she was very wicked for not wanting her aunt to regain her memory.
Now that her cousin had calmly revealed everything, Xie Mengjun herself couldn't hold back and cried her heart out, apologizing to Wen Miao.
It is wrong to lie.
It was especially wrong of her to lie to her cousin who had been so good to her.
Xie Mengjun didn't understand whether there was any hidden story or reason behind this matter. She was simply saddened by her mistake and felt helpless and guilty for deceiving Wen Miao.
The beautiful and adorable little girl finished apologizing through tears, and then took out her favorite little items from her room—flower hairpins, ornaments, picture books…
These were all things Xie Mengjun wouldn't normally use, but she dumped them all on Wen Miao, stammering as the other looked on with a bewildered expression:
"Cousin, oh cousin, these are my favorite things. If you're angry, you can smash them all."
After a pause, Xie Mengjun steeled herself and asked in an almost desperate voice, "Waaah, if I swallow the needle, can you still be my aunt? Waaah..."
Liars will swallow a thousand needles.
Xie Mengjun never forgot these words. She even had a small bag of needle cases that she had secretly taken from Hongrui in the cabinet in her room. She had even chosen the bag with shorter and finer needles, which made Hongrui think that the needle case was lost and search for it in the room for a long time.
Wen Miao was completely bewildered; she realized there was a generation gap between her and this young girl.
"Alright, alright, what nonsense are you spouting? Swallowing needles hurts so much, Mengjun, aren't you afraid of the pain?"
Wen Miao gently patted the little girl's head, then lightly wiped her smeared face with a handkerchief, and said softly, "When did your aunt say she wouldn't forgive you? And when did she say she didn't want you anymore?"
Xie Mengjun felt a little more at ease. She blinked her wet eyes and leaned against Wen Miao's chest, secretly inhaling the fragrance emanating from her beautiful cousin.
...just like my mother in my dreams.
She whispered, "I'm afraid of pain, but I'm also afraid my aunt won't want me."
Xie Mengjun didn't understand the adults' complicated thoughts. She only knew that she liked Wen Miao the first time she met her. She liked the warmth of her aunt, the fragrance of her aunt, and the hand that gently touched the top of her head.
She really likes her wonderful cousin.
"I won't abandon you."
Wen Miao lowered her head and kissed Xie Mengjun's forehead very lightly.
Xie Mengjun asked softly, "...Is your aunt still angry?"
A little, but not much.
For Wen Miao, this matter was neither entirely good nor bad. After thinking it over, Wen Miao realized that although she disliked the world created by this era, she did not dislike the people she met here.
So there's nothing to be angry about.
After the afternoon, Xie Mengjun stayed by Wen Miao's side until it was completely dark. The little girl, who had just cried, felt insecure and always liked to stick to Wen Miao.
She was well-behaved and didn't cause any trouble. She carefully followed Wen Miao's every move and would occasionally help by handing her something. However, every half hour or so, she would hesitantly ask Wen Miao if she was dreaming.
When the winter sky was completely dark, Xie Mengjun followed Hongrui and the others back to her own courtyard. Without Shicui and Wanbi, Qinyuan was unusually quiet tonight, with only the servants that Emperor Qianyuan had arranged beforehand. This made Wen Miao feel a little uncomfortable.
Habits are a terrible thing.
Wen Miao sighed softly in her heart, then walked out wearing a fur cloak.
The snow in the courtyard was swept aside by the servants. She recalled the day she first arrived at the Xie residence, standing at the entrance of Qin Garden, observing every detail of the place anew.
The calligraphy on the plaque, the plants and withered leaves in the garden, the softly colored floor tiles, the various ornaments and decorations inside the house...
Wen Miao looked at each place one by one, and her heart grew increasingly alarmed by Emperor Qian Yuan's "understanding" of her. It was as if a huge python was silently hiding in the dark, yet she could not detect it.
All of this was enough for Wen Miao, whose memories had been restored, to glimpse a possessiveness so intense it nearly engulfed her, a possessiveness that was almost terrifying and greedy.
It was both morbid and alarming.
Standing in the courtyard, Wen Miao felt a numbness in the back of her neck and suddenly shivered in the night. Just as she was about to turn around and go back into the house, she suddenly heard a slow, heavy footstep behind her.
Wen Miao turned around, but before she could see anything, a pair of warm hands covered her eyes.
"Who is it...?"
A rich, warm fragrance wafted over, instantly blurring Wen Miao's consciousness. She drifted into a daze, completely enveloped by darkness, only hearing the person say in the last second before losing consciousness—
"Vast and boundless..."
"Please don't leave me, okay?"
...He really is going to go crazy.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Miaomiao was waiting for His Majesty to speak first, but instead, she witnessed His Majesty's mad and self-destructive behavior. [Milk Tea]
This slutty, crazy girl really needs a gentle, emotionally stable older sister to discipline her. [Please!]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
