Chapter 42 The Wait Before Beheading During a Buddhist Ceremony
When Emperor Qian Yuan asked her question that day, Wen Miao simply replied "Yes." The emperor, beaming with joy, pulled her into his arms, kissing her ears and neck. Finally, after Emperor Qian Yuan finished his meal, Wen Miao felt as if she had been pulled from the water—
Her face was flushed and her eyes were wet, her breathing was rapid, and the mutton fat jade key lying on her snow-white skin was dangling precariously on the undulating bright moon.
Beneath the jade key, however, a soft crimson tinge spread out, not like a kiss, but more like someone's nose had buried itself there, slowly inhaling and rubbing it.
After dinner, the shameless Emperor Qianyuan did not return to his Taiji Palace, but instead stayed behind, claiming to be "tired." He occupied a third of the bed in Fengyi Palace, and even patted the space he had left beside him. He propped his chin up and looked up slightly at Wen Miao, who was wearing a nightgown and had a hesitant expression.
Emperor Qianyuan extended an invitation, feigning ignorance: "Aren't you going to rest? I've already warmed the bed for the Empress."
Wen Miao was at her wits' end with the emperor's opportunistic attitude. After the wedding, Emperor Qian Yuan completely dropped his pretense and became incredibly clingy. If it weren't for the fact that she had to go to the Taiji Hall in front of the Taiji Palace to face the officials during the morning court session, Wen Miao estimated that Emperor Qian Yuan would have wanted to take her with him!
Of course, Emperor Qian Yuan had already thought about this matter, but he also knew that some things could not be rushed and could only be done step by step. Perhaps... it could be considered a surprise for the Empress in the future?
Wen Miao had no idea that Emperor Qian Yuan had already thought about things far into the future. She was also a little sleepy at the moment, and thinking that they had already shared a bed and had a more in-depth "exchange" a few days ago, there was no need to continue to be coy. It was normal for ordinary couples to share a bed, but... she and Emperor Qian Yuan were a royal couple.
Having figured things out, Wen Miao barely managed to suppress her barely controllable embarrassment. She stepped over the footstool and had just sat down on the edge of the couch when an arm reached out from behind and pulled her down onto the bed.
"His Majesty!"
"I'm afraid if the Empress dawdles any longer, it will be almost dawn."
Emperor Qianyuan's voice was filled with laughter, his tone relaxed and full of joy. This mood had lasted since the day of his wedding, and even Wen Miao noticed that the emperor smiled much more often than before.
Wen Miao had just relaxed and lay down when she felt a hot hand cupping her waist and abdomen, and she instinctively tensed up.
"I will do nothing today, so Miaomiao can sleep peacefully."
Emperor Qian Yuan gently stroked Wen Miao's lower abdomen with his palm. Even through the thin nightgown, she could feel the intense heat emanating from it.
It's warm and cozy, and quite comfortable.
The cold she suffered last winter will take a much longer time to recover. Now, apart from having severe abdominal pain during her period, Wenmiao is not affected in daily life, except that her lower abdomen always feels cold.
However, from the day of their union, she shared a bed with Emperor Qian Yuan. Whether it was intentional or unintentional, he would always place his large, warm hand on her abdomen afterward, which gradually became a habit.
Thinking of this, Wen Miao's tense body gradually relaxed.
She blinked, then was pulled close to the emperor's embrace. Soon the bedding warmed up, dispelling all the chill of late autumn.
The candlelight in Fengyi Palace had just burned down to its last bit, making it even dimmer and quieter, creating an atmosphere suitable for rest and sleep. Wen Miao closed her eyes, and after a moment of silence, she suddenly said, "Your Majesty, good night."
The people of Da Chu did not have such a habit of resting at night, but at that moment Wen Miao did not know what was wrong with her and blurted it out subconsciously.
The emperor was stunned for half a second.
He had heard those two words many times.
In that dream that belonged to him and the goddess, Emperor Qian Yuan glimpsed Wen Miao saying those two words to many people—her elders, her friends, and even that annoying man who almost married Wen Miao.
He was dying of jealousy.
Emperor Qianyuan had witnessed many things from an outsider's perspective.
At that time, Wen Miao was studying. She left home and entered a vast territory where there were many things that Emperor Qian Yuan had never seen before. The people in the fairyland called it "University".
During her university years, Wen Miao remained as quiet and gentle as ever. She always possessed a special, water-like quality that attracted Emperor Qian Yuan and others alike.
Then, the man whose real name was "Choi Wook" appeared.
Even though they lived in different worlds and had different identities from the beginning, Emperor Qian Yuan had to admit that Cui Xu was indeed outstanding—he and Cui Xu were two extremes—
Emperor Qianyuan practiced martial arts for many years, so his skin was slightly dark, and he was tall and relatively strong. Although his features were handsome, his imposing height and temperament always made him appear unusually fierce. In fact, this appearance was not the mainstream aesthetic in the Great Chu.
People prefer gentle and refined gentlemen.
Cui Xu is an example of this.
He had a handsome face, was tall and slender, and displayed exceptional knowledge. He treated Wen Miao with gentleness, politeness, and thoughtfulness.
Most importantly, Cui Xu could actually appear beside Wen Miao, instead of being like Emperor Qian Yuan, who could only hide in a deserted corner, like a snake or rat in the dark, secretly watching.
He's someone who can't stand the light of day.
During that time, everything in the dream was both sweet and poisonous to Emperor Qian Yuan. He was obsessed with everything about Wen Miao, yet he also hated and envied the men who appeared by her side.
He was desperate to replace Cui Xu, but was powerless to do so because of the barrier of dreams.
Fortunately, last year, the goddess from his dream fell into this world and temporarily lost her memory, which allowed him to finally take the place that Cui Xu had occupied.
As for the early death of "Cui Xu" of the Great Chu, eight or nine tenths of it was deliberately orchestrated by Emperor Qian Yuan—he was dark and vicious, and had wanted that man to disappear for a long time.
When it comes to Wen Miao, Emperor Qian Yuan is anything but generous. He wishes that all the men who have come close to Wen Miao would disappear completely, leaving only himself.
only……
Emperor Qian Yuan knew very well that Wen Miao's amnesia was only temporary. After some time, she would remember everything from the past, her life in another world, and the man who almost became her husband.
It's just like waiting before being beheaded.
At this moment, Emperor Qian Yuan took a deep breath, his hand tightening slightly around Wen Miao's neck, but not uncomfortably. He didn't ask anything else, only gently nuzzling the top of Wen Miao's head with his chin before speaking compliantly:
"...Goodnight, Miaomiao."
...
As the late autumn chill sets in and the days draw ever onward, the trees in the Imperial Garden turn a vibrant orange-red. The flowers that bloomed in late summer have long since faded, leaving the place desolate and even hinting at the approaching winter.
However, Wen Miao recently noticed that as the weather gradually got colder, Emperor Qian Yuan seemed to be showing a strange anxiety, and his clingy nature became more and more obvious and intense.
Aside from the morning court session, Emperor Qian Yuan spent almost every moment with Wen Miao during the day; if Wen Miao was out of Emperor Qian Yuan's sight for more than an hour, he would definitely rush over to find her.
On the first one or two occasions, when Wen Miao saw the other party walking in a hurry with a slightly furrowed brow, she assumed that the emperor had something important to discuss with her, and she would get up to greet him and ask if something had happened.
But when Emperor Qian Yuan walked up to her with a stern face, raised his arms and hugged her, rubbing against her like a big dog, the anxiety that had been surrounding the emperor instantly disappeared, as if he had found a comforting object.
So came the third, the fourth...
By now, Wen Miao had gotten used to it and could even sit in her original position without changing her expression, continuing to look at the books and picture albums in her hands, letting Emperor Qian Yuan hold her in his arms, sniff her, rub her, and kiss her.
At night, Emperor Qian Yuan would hold her even tighter, as if he were so greedy that he could never be satisfied. Even when he was deep in his dreams, his strong arms would not let go even a little, as if he wanted to meld his wife into his very bones and never be separated from her.
The difference in physical fitness is vividly demonstrated in this situation.
Wen Miao often felt like a small boat, while the love and obsession the emperor gave her were like a turbulent sea.
It was intense and boundless, with no end in sight, reaching a point of near-insatiable demands.
She wanted to ask Emperor Qian Yuan what was wrong between them, but after everything calmed down, Wen Miao was only enveloped in a wave of drowsiness. She was held tightly by Emperor Qian Yuan and fell into a deep sleep under the gaze of his eyes, whose emotions she could not understand.
In the hazy moments between sleep, Wen Miao would occasionally feel someone sitting quietly beside her in her dreams—
He would silently watch her in the night, even bending down to kiss her eyebrows, eyes, and fingertips, whispering pleas to her, begging her not to lose herself...
It was a pitiful and morbid feeling.
The only person emanating these auras is Emperor Qian Yuan, who has become increasingly anxious lately.
Wen Miao thought that perhaps she should take some time to talk to Emperor Qian Yuan? At least she really couldn't understand why he still had any unease when she had already married him, become his wife and empress, and slept next to him every day.
But before Wen Miao could find an opportunity, another event disrupted her original plans and intentions—
At the end of October, according to the old customs of the Great Chu Dynasty, the royal family would worship Buddha, copy scriptures, and eat vegetarian food at Lingyun Temple in order to pray for favorable weather and national peace and prosperity in the coming year.
Although this activity initially originated only in the imperial family, as time went by, this Buddhist pilgrimage gradually spread to officials and noble families. As a result, their processions leaving the capital would follow the imperial carriage, forming a grand procession that stretched for several miles.
As is customary, the royal Buddhist worship ceremony at the end of October would be arranged by the Empress. However, with Luo Shi and several other nannies by Wen Miao's side, she didn't need to put in much effort. Even without them, there was Emperor Qian Yuan who had prepared everything in advance.
The place of worship, Lingyun Temple, is located on Huiling Mountain in the suburbs of Beijing. Although it was a cold day when the royal carriages left Beijing, the sun was high and the sky was blue with clouds.
Zhang Ji, the commander of the Imperial Guard, led his men to protect the procession. There were more than a dozen royal carriages in total. In addition to the emperor and empress riding in the same carriage, there was also Consort Rong, as well as Prince Gong and Prince Rui, who had not appeared in public for a long time.
Meanwhile, in Lingyun Temple, Prince Yu, Ji Sheng, who had been ordained as a monk, stood in a pavilion in Huiling Mountain. Through layers of trees, he could see the procession from the capital raising a cloud of dust in the distance.
He squinted at the distance, clutching a note in his hand that read—
"The Xie family woman's identity is undoubtedly true; she was indeed born in Jinling and is the granddaughter of Xie Jingxuan."
Ji Sheng: "Undoubtedly..."
But why is he so disbelieving?
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Author's Note: Your Majesty: (anxious) (pacing back and forth) (extremely anxious)
Wen Miao: (Confused) ? ? ?
Note: Cui Xu is not the person who married Miao Miao in the modern era. There is a misunderstanding due to the Emperor's perspective, which will be explained in detail later.
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