Chapter 69 Willing to Stand Behind Her (Including Others' Perspectives)
The last day of the year ended amidst a sky full of fireworks, ushering in the new year.
The next morning, the Great Chu court proceeded as usual. Emperor Qian Yuan got up a little after 3 a.m. The palace had been covered in snow all night, and everything in sight was white. Even though it was dark and only a few stars could be seen, the snow on the ground reflected the light, so it did not appear too dark.
It was already late when he returned to the palace last night, and it was also the last day of the year. The Empress smiled gently and brightly, presented the Emperor with the embroidered sachet as a gift, and said many sweet words. The Emperor's heartstrings trembled slightly, and he was so impulsive that he could not help himself. So, as soon as he entered the Taiji Palace and dismissed the people behind him, he bent down, hugged the Empress, and kissed her.
Before he could do anything, the Empress, whose lips were red and eyes were moist from the kiss, hurriedly covered His Majesty's lips and whispered that she had something else to do and that His Majesty should wait a moment.
The emperor, whose heart was filled with a raging beast, was soothed by the empress's gentle kiss on his cheek. He was panting heavily, his clothes slightly torn open, revealing a large expanse of his deep honey-colored chest, which was covered with a thin layer of fine sweat.
He sat obediently and docilely on the bed, his light green robe slightly billowing, like a lurking beast, dispelling the indifferent elegance of the fabric's color and making him appear even more ferocious and terrifying.
Having left the Emperor's embrace, the Empress hurriedly walked behind the giant screen. A hundred-pound object lay between them. The screen was embroidered with majestic peaks, flowing water, and waterfalls cascading down from cliffs, forming a silver river falling into the heavens.
Emperor Qianyuan was restless.
He could hear his own deafening heartbeat. His hand gently stroked the small sachet newly embroidered by the Empress. The deep, rich scent of sandalwood did not calm him down; instead, it made him feel increasingly restless and agitated, as if all the blood in his body was boiling.
At that time, the veins on the back of his hand were bulging and throbbing, and he couldn't help but hold the sachet to his mouth and nose.
Beneath the thin fabric and intricate embroidery lies agarwood incense, but if one sniffs carefully, the emperor can still detect a warm, comforting fragrance that belongs to the empress.
...It smells so good.
How can it smell so good?
Emperor Qianyuan couldn't help but think that perhaps next time he received a sachet from Miaomiao, he could replace the spices inside with fabric cut from the Empress's undergarments.
The Empress will surely be extremely embarrassed and angry, but she has always been soft-hearted. If he pleads and coaxes her a little more, she will definitely be able to get what he wants.
He loved the Empress's fragrance, loved to imbue her with his own scent, and loved to hold her scent close to his own, as if they could become one.
Such thoughts caused the emperor's chest to heave violently.
He held the small sachet close to his ear and heard a faint rustling sound coming from behind the screen, like fabric rubbing together? There was even... the sound of a beaded curtain clinking?
What exactly is Miaomiao doing?
He had no idea what was going on, and just waited in place like an obedient big dog, even though his eyes were red from holding back his tears, he still insisted on obeying his master's commands.
A moment later, the sound of fabric rubbing together grew louder, and at the same time, a graceful figure slowly emerged from behind the giant screen.
In that instant, Emperor Qian Yuan forgot to breathe.
...It felt like a dream.
Or was he really dreaming? Otherwise, how could he see a goddess in his dream, dressed in a long white gauze dress, sparkling with pearls, and wearing crystal-like shoes, slowly walking towards him?
She wasn't walking towards any unknown, faceless man, but towards him—to Emperor Qian Yuan—to Ji Huan.
At that moment, the emperor's heart pounded violently, and only in the midst of holding his breath did he belatedly realize that the snow-white gauze dress the empress was wearing was different from the one he had first seen in his dream, in the snowy fields of Nanyuan.
Subtle alterations to the neckline and hem of the dress have given it a fresh new look. The sheer white veil that used to drape behind the hair is now draped in front, resembling a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, waiting for the groom to lift the veil today.
Emperor Qianyuan's pupils constricted, and he remained seated, silently watching his empress approach step by step.
In his dream, a goddess descended to the mortal realm and came toward him.
A hazy white veil covered Emperor Qianyuan's face. Through that veil, Wen Miao, dressed in stunning attire, with bright eyes and a blush of red on her ears and the corners of her eyes, slowly leaned down and kissed the emperor's lips.
She asked—
Ji Huan, will you become my husband, love me, cherish me, protect me, and stay with me forever?
willing.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!
Of course he would.
He wished he could cut open his chest so that Wen Miao could see his trembling heart.
That night, everything fell into place naturally. The emperor, who had waited for the goddess of his dreams for decades, lifted the snow-white veil that covered Wen Miao's face and kissed her soft lips deeply. He embraced her, kissed her, and craved her...
He was like a demon, filthy the high, holy and beautiful goddess inch by inch, and then gathered her up and hid her under his bone wings, not letting anyone else see her at all.
The snow-white wedding dress slowly unfolded like flower petals, and from a distance, it looked as if the snow outside the palace had melted, revealing the fertile land hidden below, where flower buds were about to peek out.
On the hem of her skirt, a beautiful and delicate beaded chain meandered, adorning the soft fabric. Bathed in the dim candlelight, it shimmered and shone with a pearly, mother-of-pearl-like texture, making her look like the rarest and most precious bride in a painting.
Absolutely beautiful.
This caused the emperor to transform into a ferocious beast and devour them all.
...
Rustling.
The rustling of fabric brought the emperor, who was standing in front of the dragon bed, back to his senses. Perhaps because he was recalling the wonderful things that had happened the night before, a heavy emotion gathered between his brows and eyes. His gaze shifted slightly and he saw the snow-white gauze dress hanging on the gold-threaded sandalwood frame.
In some places, it is severely wrinkled, with several connected bends and creases winding out.
Emperor Qianyuan withdrew his gaze and carefully hung the sachet that the Empress had given him the night before on the jade belt around his waist.
The dark dragon robe was majestic and solemn, and even the dragon patterns on it were glaring and full of divine power. The tassels of the crown, which was red in vermilion and black in jade, swayed slightly and cast a shadow. At the same time, the emperor leaned down and kissed the cheek of the person who was still sleeping on the bed.
"Hmm... Your Majesty?"
Still half asleep, Wen Miao's eyes were red at the corners, clearly from being overwhelmed with tears the night before. Her eyelashes trembled, and she could only softly call out "Emperor" before failing to open her eyes.
Emperor Qianyuan's expression was gentle. He carefully shielded the slightly cool beaded chain on his crown, kissed the Empress's soft cheek, and then rose, wearing the small sachet, to go to the morning court in the still dark winter sky outside the palace.
...
The Taiji Hall was the place where the emperor and his ministers discussed matters. The interior space was grand and majestic. On both sides of the dragon pillars stood sculptures of golden dragons holding pearls. In the center, a dark-colored long carpet was laid on the bluestone floor. The ministers stood solemnly on both sides, holding white jade tablets and wearing official robes. Their ranks were distinguished by the color of their robes, and they were arranged in an orderly manner.
On the high platform in front of the palace, the dragon throne was resplendent in gold and jade. The emperor came from the side steps, his black robe hem rising and falling. He was tall and majestic, but below the jade belt around his waist, there seemed to be a light-colored sachet that was quite out of place with the dragon robe.
The court officials dared not look too closely, but they knew in their hearts that if they saw any light-colored trinkets on His Majesty, they must have been gifts from the Empress. Although they were already used to it, the officials could not help but feel deeply moved by this harmonious union.
That was Emperor Qian Yuan! That was the god of war on the battlefield during the northern expedition against the barbarians! That was the ruthless emperor who rose from a prince in the cold palace! How could he have a day when he could be as gentle as a feather?
Initially, these ministers had thought of using the matter of establishing an empress to fill the emperor's harem with daughters from noble families to consolidate their power, but now that idea had faded considerably.
Forget it, let it be as Your Majesty wishes. As long as there is a successor for the Great Chu in the future, let it be as Your Majesty wishes!
The morning court session had just begun in the Taiji Hall, while Wen Miao was still fast asleep in the Taiji Palace behind it.
She didn't wear that wedding dress on a whim last night. Rather, it was after regaining her memories and realizing Emperor Qian Yuan's morbid obsession that this idea had been brewing in her mind.
She sometimes felt sorry for Emperor Qian Yuan, so she wanted to try to give him a sense of security.
Thus, in the Great Chu Imperial Palace controlled by Emperor Qian Yuan, Wen Miao, with the help of Shi Cui and Wan Bi, took advantage of the time she spent playing with Xue Qiu and Hei Dou and visiting the Jade Lion each day to have someone retrieve the clean white wedding dress that the emperor had preserved perfectly from the Cold Palace and hide it in the Phoenix Palace.
The wedding dress was gorgeous, adorned with pearls. Wen Miao liked the design, but she didn't like the man she married the first time she wore it.
Therefore, during that time, she asked for white needles and thread, and took many of the pearls that the emperor had given her before, and slowly altered the gauze dress in the Phoenix Palace.
The Great Chu had no wedding dresses, only phoenix coronet and embroidered robe. She and Emperor Qian Yuan had worn wedding gowns from this era, so perhaps she could try on this wedding dress from another time.
Wen Miao anticipated that Emperor Qian Yuan would be excited upon seeing this, but she underestimated his excitement.
Last night—all night long, she felt as if she were entangled by a wild beast with its neck rope loosened, unable to break free or escape. She was like prey being bitten on the back of the neck, trapped under the fangs of a wild animal, and almost swallowed up by that terrifying feeling.
The hem of the wedding dress was slightly wrinkled, and a fine, dense pattern rippled across the bright yellow dragon patterned quilt.
By the time Wen Miao finally fell asleep, she was already in a daze, overwhelmed by sleepiness. She didn't even remember that Emperor Qian Yuan had carried her back onto the bed, nor did she know that the white wedding dress adorned with pearl chains had been carefully gathered up by the emperor and hung back on the golden nanmu wood frame.
Naturally, Wen Miao was unaware that after she fell asleep, Emperor Qian Yuan kissed the jade key around her neck and the jade ring on her finger, again and again.
...
As dawn broke, the emperor and his courtiers were still discussing matters in the Taiji Hall. Wen Miao, who had finally had enough sleep, woke up shakily, her eyes still sore from crying too much.
She lazily changed her clothes and went to wash up. She also ate some congee. Her back and knees were really sore, so she called Fang Zhiyu, who was now a female physician in the palace.
Burn incense, apply essential oils, and massage the skin and flesh.
After this ordeal, Wen Miao felt much better and her energy was restored. She secretly thought to herself that she could no longer give Emperor Qian Yuan a sense of security so easily in the future—she couldn't handle it.
After a simple cleaning, the gorgeous wedding dress was put away again, along with the matching high heels.
Wen Miao stared at the shoes for a moment, lost in thought. They were the shoes she used to wear often, but now, looking at them again, she felt as if she had lived through another world, and they seemed somewhat unfamiliar.
—They belong to another era.
Wen Miao stepped into her soft-soled embroidered shoes, composed herself, and looked away.
She suddenly wondered what kind of earth-shattering news would be caused if she were to be buried with this wedding dress and high heels after she passed away.
Thinking of this, Wen Miao suddenly smiled; it was hard not to look forward to it.
After the wedding dress and other items were put away, Wen Miao sat down at the table again and started sketching on the soft paper.
The soap-making factories in the suburbs of Beijing had long been established and were guarded by imperial guards. Inside, there was a clear order and each craftsman performed their duties.
Every now and then, Wen Miao would draw some molds and patterns and send them over. Since Qiu Shisan Niang was in charge of this, Wen Miao discovered that the other party had a real knack for doing business.
Despite having no one to guide them, they spontaneously organized some promotional activities involving buying and selling and giving away gifts.
They were even incredibly creative, writing poems and couplets inside the paper wrapping the soap, and drawing flowers, birds, fish, and insects, imbuing it with a scholarly atmosphere. They even said that collecting all the poems and drawings could be exchanged for the latest styles in the store, allowing customers to use new products that others couldn't yet access, which naturally attracted many customers.
Thus, it sparked a small-scale craze in the capital once again. It seems that women have a natural inclination to collect small items, and many young ladies from noble families participated, exchanging items with their close friends so that they could quickly collect them and exchange them for interesting trinkets at the shop.
Who can resist novelty? Even members of aristocratic families are not immune to this.
Shops in the capital were thriving, and with the emperor and empress backing them up, everything went smoothly; factories in the suburbs of the capital were also booming, and Zhao Yuan, who lived in a village outside the capital, was one of them.
Zhao Yuan was originally a soldier who went on a northern expedition with the seventh prince. He was born with the strength of an ox and could lift a cauldron, but he was not very smart. So his parents sent him to join the army. Because of his strength, he rose to the position of centurion in the army camp. He went to the battlefield and served as a member of the Xuanjia Army. However, in the last battle with the barbarians, he was kicked in the leg by a horse while saving his comrades.
After that, he returned to the capital with the army. Due to his injury, he was unable to continue serving as a centurion. He took the army's money home. Although he married a good wife who did not look down on him, Zhao Yuan always felt uneasy. He thought that he, a man, did not even have the ability to support his family and had to trouble his wife.
But after the soap factory was built last year, Zhao Yuan's former superior found him and gave him the opportunity to work there. Although he was lame, it did not affect his strength. He even saw many old comrades who had been injured and left the army before!
The factory provided excellent benefits. Mr. Zhu was aloof yet fair. The wounded veterans received special uniforms, had a set working hours each day, and were provided with lunch: a large pot of meat broth and thickly filled pancakes. If they couldn't finish, they could take the food home.
Zhao Yuan ate with gusto, feeling that this winter wasn't so cold anymore. Every day, he would wrap a meat pie in oil paper and take it home to his wife and children.
His wife treats him so well, and his daughter is sensible and adorable, so naturally he has to work hard to earn money to support his family!
Soon, Zhao Yuan adapted to his new job and received his first month's wages. He held the string of copper coins in his hand and counted them over and over, his face beaming. After finishing work, he did not go home immediately, but walked to the soap shop in the capital.
He worked on that thing in the factory every day, inhaling the fragrant aroma. He also heard from those around him that this thing was very popular among the nobles in the capital, especially women. It was said that after using it, their hands would be smooth and fragrant.
Zhao Yuan thought of his wife's hands, which were always a bit chapped in the winter, and decided to use his new paycheck to buy her a new handkerchief as a gift!
The soap was indeed excellent. Zhao Yuan bought a light beige bar with a simple little flower printed on it. It smelled like goat milk. He gave it to his wife that evening. After she used it, the lingering fragrance made her skin feel smooth. His wife really loved it and even put an extra egg in it for him when she was having sex!
That night, Zhao Yuan ate to his heart's content. He lay on the kang (a heated brick bed) with his wife in his arms, thinking about the wages he had counted several times. It was as if his lame leg no longer hurt. He was filled with excitement and was already looking forward to next month.
Their lives are getting better and better!
People like Zhao Yuan are not a minority. The factory they set up in the suburbs of Beijing supported a group of disabled veterans who had difficulty finding work, providing them with lunch and monthly allowances. In turn, it created a group of customers who would later be able to spend money in Beijing. This cycle was a win-win situation.
Because of Qiu Shisan Niang's excellent management, in the early part of the twelfth year of the Qian Yuan era, several large mahogany boxes, each too heavy for a single person to carry, were carefully transported into the Great Chu Imperial Palace. The deep red lids of the boxes were opened, revealing neatly arranged silver ingots made from copper coins and broken silver, gleaming brightly and even somewhat dazzling under the candlelight in the palace.
Just then, Emperor Qianyuan was in the palace, massaging Wen Miao's slightly sore neck. He chuckled softly, "It seems the Empress is richer than I am."
Wen Miao retorted, "Isn't mine His Majesty's?"
“No,” Emperor Qianyuan shook his head and said seriously, “I should say that all of mine belong to the Empress.”
He's already so busy giving everything he has to the Empress, how could he possibly want anything from her?
Wen Miao felt a slight warmth on the skin behind her ears. She felt that Emperor Qian Yuan seemed to be speaking more and more tenderly, so she couldn't help but raise her hand to rub her slightly reddened ear tips.
The emperor caught this scene. The smile that had not yet faded lingered in his eyes. He leaned down and kissed Wen Miao's ear. It was just a light touch, but it made that small patch even redder, as if it was about to seep through the skin.
"The Empress is still so easily embarrassed."
Even though they had been sharing a bed for a long time, whenever he said something slightly excessive, Wen Miao's cheeks and ears would turn bright red. Her skin was so thin that it couldn't withstand any passion, and she would always hide where he couldn't see her. The emperor both loved and pitied her, and he liked it but couldn't help saying or doing things that were even more excessive.
He's so wicked.
Why does he always like to "bully" Miaomiao?
Wen Miao pushed Emperor Qian Yuan away, her eyes brimming with charm, "That's because Your Majesty is too shameless."
She stood up, her gaze sweeping over the silver ingots in the mahogany box. She then picked up the account book that Qiu Shisan Niang had sent to the palace and looked at it. It was obvious that the profit from this business was far greater than Wen Miao had expected.
Emperor Qianyuan seemed to know what Wen Miao was thinking and praised her, "The Empress is clever and resourceful; this outcome was inevitable."
"It's not all my doing."
As Wen Miao flipped through the account books, she spoke softly, "The formula was built upon the accumulated knowledge of my predecessors. The shops in the capital are protected by His Majesty, the business was built up by Thirteen Sister, and the factories outside the capital are managed by Li Zhu..."
As she spoke, she smiled and said, "You'll have to give Thirteen Sister and Li Zhu a big red envelope then."
Emperor Qian Yuan knew what a red envelope was; he had seen one in that dream. However, upon hearing Wen Miao mention only the names of two subordinates, his heart skipped a beat, and he immediately pressed, "Only them? Not mine?"
Wen Miao didn't need to think too much to know that the emperor was just being inexplicably jealous. She turned around, shook Emperor Qian Yuan's hand, and asked jokingly, "What if there really isn't?"
Emperor Qianyuan paused for a moment, his brow twitching slightly. Knowing that the Empress was teasing him, he said half-jokingly, "I will take them from them and give each of them ten strokes of the cane."
"...like a tyrant."
"If I were a tyrant, the moment I saw the Empress, I would have taken her back to the palace and locked her up on her bed. She would not be allowed to see anyone except me."
Those gentle, bright eyes could only look at him.
Emperor Qianyuan's words were terrifying, and his expression turned sinister and cold. There was probably seven or eight parts truth in them—or rather, he had really thought about doing so.
But Wen Miao wasn't afraid. He just glanced at Emperor Qian Yuan, which made the emperor's heartstrings twitch. He immediately turned from a demon into a docile dog, obedient and compliant. If the Empress told him to go east, he would never dare to go west.
Inside the Taiji Palace, the large sum of silver in the mahogany box was put away. Emperor Qianyuan then pulled the Empress into his arms, massaging her shoulders and back while asking, "What does the Empress intend to do with this silver?"
Wen Miao lay on the couch, her eyes slightly narrowed from the emperor's kneading, her voice tinged with a lazy air. She said, "Use it on the common people."
She was the Empress, the wife of Emperor Qianyuan. She possessed one ten-thousandth of the world's riches, with the finest food, clothing, and daily necessities. She was pampered with power and wealth, and had never truly witnessed the hardships of ordinary people. These silver coins were useless to her, but very useful to the people of the Great Chu.
At least it can reduce the suffering of this era.
At least we can call her Empress, which would be a more competent title for her.
Emperor Qianyuan paused, then suddenly said in a low voice, "The Empress is kind-hearted."
He suddenly felt fortunate that he had governed the country fairly well after ascending the throne. There was no chaos and strife, no corpses strewn everywhere, no starving people exchanging children to eat each other... At least there was a peaceful world, stable and tranquil enough for Wen Miao to live in without having to worry.
Emperor Qianyuan leaned down and kissed Wen Miao's long hair, then asked, "Does the Empress have any plans in mind?"
Wen Miao rested her chin on her hand and thought for a moment. Her mind raced, and she suddenly turned to meet Emperor Qian Yuan's gaze. She parted her lips slightly and asked the emperor for advice, "How about... we start with the school?"
The Great Chu is now considered a time of peace and prosperity, a time of tranquility and peace.
The capital was thriving, and the prefectures and counties outside the capital had long since entered a slow and steady phase of development; under Emperor Qianyuan's iron-fisted rule, officials at all levels were basically obedient, doing their best to benefit their benefactors and the people.
Merchants from all over the country can now come and go freely. Although they are among the lowest classes of people, things are much better than they were a few years ago. In particular, the fundraising for disaster relief in Cangzhou has allowed several shrewd merchants to stand out and build a good reputation among the people.
The northern border region, which was once ravaged by war and looting, was restored to its former tranquility a few years ago under the iron cavalry of Emperor Qian Yuan and the Xuanjia Army. The Great Chu reached an agreement and exchange with various tribes in the foreign regions, exchanging tea, salt, cloth and daily utensils for horses, medicines and furs. This peace can be maintained for at least a hundred years.
The Great Chu, which had been riddled with problems under the rule of the late emperor, was brought back to the right path after Ji Huan, who was still the crown prince, patiently lay low and then turned the tide after he became emperor, and continued to move in a positive direction.
Only the most extreme power, wealth, and status under a prosperous and flourishing era can nourish and protect the goddess queen who came from a fairyland.
The emperor smiled and kissed Wen Miao's nose again, his tone full of praise, "What Miao Miao thought is also very good."
The Empress can do whatever she wants.
He will always stand behind her.
-----------------------
Author's Note: We're nearing the end! Those interested can check out some extra plot points!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
