That night, Qin Susu and the others stayed overnight at the Qiu family's house.
The simple rural life is so ordinary, yet so heartwarming.
Even as night fell, Mayi still hadn't seen any trace of He Lin, and couldn't help but wonder...
Based on the deep brotherly bond between He Lin and the Prince of Zhenbei,
No matter what, since He Lin has come in person, the Prince of Zhenbei cannot treat him unfairly.
But the truth is that the Prince of Zhenbei completely ignored and disregarded He Lin's departure.
With doubts in her mind, Mayi went to ask Qiu Yan about it.
"Xiaoyan, where did he go? Where did he spend the night last night?"
"You'll have to ask him that," Qiu Yan thought to herself. Presumably, He Lin spent last night in the courtyard he had personally purchased from her.
That courtyard was registered under Li Wenshu's name.
They decided to stay overnight in Lingnan Village and continue their journey the next day.
Today, Qin Susu and Qiu Yan continue their search for memories throughout the village.
As for Mayi, who had no idea where His Majesty was, she happened to see that familiar figure and couldn't help but follow him.
They followed him all the way to the tomb on the back mountain.
At this moment, He Lin was carrying bags of food, sitting alone opposite the tomb mound, eating by himself.
He ate local food and sipped his wine throughout, a faint smile on his lips the whole time.
This tenderness belongs only to him and Shu'er, to the beauty of their time together.
"Shu'er, I've come to see you again."
He Lin spoke gently, as if Shu'er were sitting right across from him.
"Shu'er, I've missed you so much all these years." He Lin tried his best to maintain a gentle smile. "Would you like to come back to Shangjin with me?"
A gentle breeze swept by, and He Lin leaned against the mound of graves, feeling the warm breeze.
However, the breeze, carrying with it a cloud of dust, blurred his vision.
"Of course you don't want to." He seemed to be speaking to Shu'er, but also seemed to be talking to himself.
"Shu'er, if only time could turn back... If I could live again, I would not want the world, I would only want you."
"Shu'er, wait for me. In the next life, it will just be the two of us, for all eternity."
As he spoke, he closed his eyes and lay back, unaware that Zhan Yue was quietly approaching him.
As for Mayi, although she couldn't hear what He Lin was saying,
But seeing He Lin's appearance, he must have guessed that the late empress, whom He Lin longed to see but could not, must be lying inside the tomb.
Over the years, she had heard some stories about the late empress in the palace.
Seeing He Lin so moved now, she finally understood.
Why is it that none of the women in the imperial harem can ever catch His Majesty's eye?
It turns out that all of He Lin's tenderness had been buried underground along with the person in the tomb.
She dared not approach him, fearing she might displease He Lin, and silently left alone.
She was very sad.
She fell in love with He Lin at first sight.
She was unintentional, and indeed she was.
So many years have passed, and her heart has long since become numb.
If it doesn't resonate with you, then maintaining the status quo is fine too...
Three days and two nights
...After spending two days in Lingnan, Gu Qian and Qiu Yan bid farewell to their master and mistress, and their journey continued.
...Shangjin City,
The new emperor ascends the throne.
He Jinran sat high on the dragon throne, receiving the kowtows of the court officials.
Inside the main hall, there was no trace of the Emperor, nor was there any sign of my father.
This placed a heavy responsibility on his shoulders as he approached thirty.
One emperor, two dynasties' ministers.
Below the court were his uncle Qiu Xu, Qiu Dazhi, Du Changjun, and Qiu Jingyuan, among other familiar faces.
These people all became He Jinran's close advisors and supporters.
After the court session, He Jinran, as usual, headed towards the East Palace.
Only after arriving did I realize that I no longer lived there.
He turned to leave, only to find his beloved, dark-skinned girl lying quietly beneath the peony blossoms, waiting for him.
"Blackie." He Jinran curled his lips into a smile.
He felt refreshed and happy whenever he saw a black woman.
Blackie stood up and walked towards him step by step.
Watching the dark-skinned woman walk with a limp, unsteady gait, it was as if she were about to collapse.
He Jinran's lips, which had just curved slightly, darkened again.
"Lightning, more than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye, yet I still can't forget you." The black woman approached.
He Jinran crouched down and lovingly stroked its body.
The black woman squatted down, then lay down on the ground, exposing her belly, fully enjoying the bright sunlight...
From then on, He Jinran would come to this place under the peonies every time the court session ended to visit his Blackie.
Blackie is smarter and luckier than Lightning.
Once she met him, it was like a feast of meat and bones, unlike with lightning, where she often followed him through hardships and wanderings.
As a child, I was ignorant and always liked to run around, causing lightning to suffer along with me.
Unfortunately, he ultimately died at the hands of an assassin.
Even after all these years, He Jinran still feels guilty whenever she thinks about what happened to her before her sudden death...
"Blackie, you're much luckier than Lightning."
Suddenly, a burst of laughter and cheerful voices came from ahead. He looked up and saw Ding Tian dancing gracefully among the peonies.
Life in the palace was too boring, so Ding Tian decided to find some fun for herself.
Ding Tian was graceful and her dance was captivating. Her face still held the same joy as when she first married him.
Suddenly, He Jinran was drawn to Ding Tian's figure.
He had been married for many years.
His Crown Princess, now Empress Wen Ninglu, and He Jinran only treated each other with polite respect.
As for Consort Chen, her increasingly detached and ascetic lifestyle completely extinguished any interest He Jinran had in her.
Empress Wen Ninglu was virtuous and kind, and she was focused on how to be a good empress, especially on managing the harem.
The Empress's most frequent advice to He Jinran was to be impartial and to bestow her favors equally on everyone.
This is because He Jinran always likes to go to Consort Ding's palace.
As for the imperial harem, Wen Ninglu certainly wouldn't dare to hope for the Emperor's exclusive favor upon her.
She would be content as long as she could secure her position as empress.
In the end, the Empress, perhaps because of He Jinran, had no choice but to admonish Ding Tian to join in the persuasion.
Ding Tian smiled and agreed. Taking advantage of the Empress's arrival, she immediately pulled her along to enjoy the flowers and the scenery.
Ding Tian's carefree and easygoing nature made Wen Ninglu reluctant to leave once she arrived.
Not to mention His Majesty, even she herself is starting to like Ding Tian.
Consort Chen Ruxi was quite well-behaved.
Seeing the mutual respect between His Majesty and the Empress, and the fact that His Majesty seemed to care more about Ding Tian, it was inevitable that he felt jealous.
However, she knew that life was not easy for women in the harem. As long as she could live peacefully and happily in the harem with her son, and as long as her position as a concubine could help her maternal family, she suppressed her displeasure.
Over time, as the days went by, she got used to it.
In the past, in the Eastern Palace, amidst the peonies, He Jinran saw Ding Tian's graceful dance lightly flashing towards him.
He laughed and ran closer, engaging in a martial arts and dance routine with him.
"I knew Your Majesty would be here." Ding Tian smiled and put her arm around He Jinran's wrist, resting her head on his chest.
"Your Majesty is going too far. It has been so many days and you haven't come to visit me."
He Jinran put his arm around Ding Tian's shoulder and said, "It's all my fault. I've been busy with government affairs these days and have neglected you."
"Your Majesty, please don't speak like that. I was just saying it casually." Ding Tian smiled and looked up, changing her tone. "Of course, I know that Your Majesty has only recently ascended the throne and is working to stabilize the government."
Ding Tian's innocent and naive smile still stirred He Jinran's heart.
It seems that wherever she goes, she brings laughter.
Years have passed, and both the Empress and Consort Chen's personalities have changed.
Ding Tian is the only one who hasn't changed.
He Jinran recalled his father's stern words.
Jin'er, remember this: you must not develop genuine feelings for any concubine.
At that moment, he smiled as he looked at Ding Tian, thinking to himself,
“Father, I am just an ordinary person.”
He embraced Ding Tian's body.
"I am so grateful to have Tian Tian by my side in this palace."
"Your Majesty has more than just Sweetie in your palace. Sweetie only wants to be with Your Majesty forever. Sweetie loves Your Majesty and only hopes that if Your Majesty has new lovers in the future, you will not be disgusted with Sweetie."
Ding Tian turned around and walked behind He Jinran, taking a sniff of the peony's delicate fragrance.
"They smell so good, Your Majesty. But warn the palace servants not to pick these beautiful flowers at will, or they will be sad."
As she spoke, her body tensed up as He Jinran carried her on his back.
"Anyone who dares to pick it, I'll chop off their hand!" He Jinran, carrying Ding Tian on his back, got up and ran off.
"Sweetie, I will never marry another concubine. You are enough for me."
"Really? Little Ran, the imperial heir is of utmost importance. A selection of consorts is still necessary; I can't let people say I'm monopolizing the Emperor's favor." Ding Tian smiled lightly, her arms around He Jinran's neck.
"Your Majesty, you must bestow your favors equally upon all."
Her laughter echoed throughout the peony garden.
“Your Highness, you have already given birth to two princes, and you are carrying another one in your belly.”
Recalling the year he was seventeen, when his father, the emperor, ordered him to take a concubine...
He never felt love; all he had was his masculine nature.
Now, looking at Ding Tian, I can truly understand the grief my father felt when he lost his beloved.
He Jinran, carrying Ding Tian on his back, laughed as he approached Hei Niu's side, fully enjoying the joyful moment...
……………………
"Blackie, Blackie, what's wrong?" Under the peony blossoms.
Hei Niu lay quietly on the ground, her eyes revealing her deep reluctance to part with He Jinran.
It barked twice, then lay down on the ground.
She fell asleep.
Ding Tian's eyes instantly reddened.
She stroked the black girl's body, tears falling onto her skin...
He Jinran carried the wooden frame containing Hei Niu's body and buried it in the back garden of the East Palace.
"Blackie, may this sea of flowers always be with you." He smiled, without shedding a single tear.
He only lightly touched Ding Tian's shoulder.
"Sweetie, don't be sad. It will come again in the next life. Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural laws."
"Yes, I know." Ding Tian nodded, thinking of her mother who had just passed away, which made her feel sad.
She quickly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and forced a smile.
"Mother said, don't cry."
Ding Tian's smile changed.
"Brother Xiaoran, I'm still making osmanthus cake in the kitchen. I'll go and get busy now. If you're coming over to eat later, I'll go check if it's ready."
"Okay." He Jinran was truly grateful to God.
To have such a woman by his side, bringing him warmth and joy no matter when or where.
"His Majesty."
A deep voice rang out.
He Jinran turned around.
Unbeknownst to him, Wangchuan had appeared behind him at some point.
"Your Majesty, Hei Niu is gone. Don't be sad. Wang Chuan will always be with you."
He Jinran stood up, looked past the River of Oblivion at the distant figure,
"Didn't you go back to your hometown to reunite with your family?"
"Wangchuan is His Majesty's personal bodyguard, and it is his duty to protect His Majesty." What Wangchuan didn't say was that, due to the passage of time, his longing for his parents was forever sealed away before he was five years old.
He felt completely out of place in his hometown.
He felt out of place even when living with his family.
Only with His Highness did he feel alive again.
"Let's go eat osmanthus cake." He Jinran patted Wangchuan on the shoulder and strode forward.
It was just a casual remark, but Wangchuan's eyes welled up with tears upon hearing it…
...Qiu Yan and the others traveled westward, three couples, two children, and a few attendants, still in the inn carriage.
On the way, He Lin lost his usual dignified demeanor, constantly vying with Gu Qian to hold the other man's daughter. Each time he failed to get her, he would sit alone in the carriage, sighing and lamenting.
Finally, taking advantage of Gu Qian's unpreparedness, she tricked Xiao Qing'er into coming to her side and talking with him, making it impossible for Gu Qian to guard against her.
Today, they walked to a mountainous area.
As dusk approached, with no village or shop in sight and nowhere to stay, they found a spacious spot, pitched their portable tent, and slept there for the night.
There are five tents in total.
Gu Qian, He Linzhanyue, and Liang Yuchen went to the vicinity to hunt some wild game to fill their stomachs.
The two children insisted on going along.
Therefore, Gu Qian decided to bring his daughter along to broaden her horizons.
Liang Yuchen held his son's hand and followed silently.
Gu Qian originally carried Xiao Qing'er on his shoulders, but as he carried her, He Lin ended up holding her in his arms.
He Lin: "Qing'er, your father is tired. Let's let him rest for a while, okay?"
"Okay." Little Qing'er is the most obedient and sensible, and at this moment, she is really worried that her father will get tired.
Gu Qian was speechless for a moment.
"Doesn't my cousin have a daughter of his own? Why does he always want to take my Qing'er for himself?"
“Our daughter is all grown up now.” He Lin said slowly and carefully, then placed a pair of hairpins into Xiao Qing’er’s hair.
Gu Qian: He wanted to say, "Cousin, don't use those tricks you used to use to deceive young women to lure my Qing'er."
But I just laughed it off.
"Little Qing'er, isn't the hairpin I gave you pretty?" He Lin asked with a smile.
"Beautiful." Gu Qingyu nodded in response, wondering what gift to give in return.
Then I noticed a cluster of small blue flowers not far away.
She broke free from He Lin's embrace, pulled Liang Zaiting behind her, and headed towards the flower bushes.
Finally, she placed a bunch of wildflowers she had just found into He Lin's hand.
“Mother said that one should not accept gifts without merit. However, since Uncle bought this hairpin, these fresh flowers can be considered Qing’er’s thank-you gift.”
"You little rascal." He Lin took the wildflowers with one hand and gently patted Xiao Qing'er's forehead with the other. He wanted to continue holding her,
Unexpectedly, Xiao Qing'er ran happily towards the distant bushes with Liang Zaiting, ignoring him completely. He Lin's hands were left empty, and he couldn't help but freeze, which made Zhan Yue unable to suppress a smile.
His master, does he even have such an embarrassing moment?
Think about it, isn't it a child's nature to play?
In Qiu Yan's and the others' view, spending the night in the suburbs was a last resort.
But to the two children, it was incredibly strange.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
