Chapter 76 Autumn Hunt
"I didn't mean to disturb your peace," he explained, his fiery gaze never leaving her. "It's been a while since we last met, and I just missed you so much. Chanzhen, please turn around and look at me."
Zen Zhen was frozen and didn't move.
He released her hand, took a step back, and said, "Are you planning on never seeing me again in your life?"
"Isn't this good?" Chan Zhen asked coldly. "I won't dream of leaving the palace again, nor will I seek death again. Your Majesty, you should be happy."
"That's not what I wish for." He recalled this time last year when he accompanied her to admire the moon and flowers under the eaves, and she nestled in his arms with eyes full of admiration. Thinking about it now, it seemed like a lifetime ago.
"Your Majesty has achieved what he wished for," Chan Zhen said with a cold expression. "What else is there to be dissatisfied with?"
"I want to go back to the way we were before," he said frankly. "You hate me, and I can spend my whole life atonement. You said you don't want to see me, and I won't disturb your peace. But when will you forgive me? I'm twenty years older than you, and the days I have left to see you are limited."
Even though he was filled with resentment, Chan Zhen still felt a sharp pain in his heart the moment he heard him say that he didn't have much time left.
She hugged Yuan Zhao tightly, suppressed the love that was about to emerge in her heart, and said calmly: "You can go back. No matter how much time passes, my feelings will not change."
"Even if I die in front of you?" His eyes became sharp and stared at her like a hawk.
Chan Zhen felt a sharp pain in his chest, but his expression remained impassive. "Your Majesty, you're joking. You're the Son of Heaven, and you deserve to live a hundred years."
He smiled slightly: "I will take it as you are reluctant to leave me."
Zen Zhen frowned. Even without turning around, she could imagine that he must have a smug look on his face. He was a shameless and rogue man, and she couldn't argue with him.
"Think whatever you want." Even if she couldn't be persuaded, could she still avoid it? Chan Zhen's voice was not happy. "If you want to see Yuan Zhao, hurry up. You only have half an hour."
He said slowly, "Chanzhen, please turn around and give Yuan Zhao to me."
"Or," he stood there calmly, "I'll go over to you and take Yuan Zhao over?"
Zenzhen thought that she had just said that she would not see him, but now it was difficult to make a choice. Before she could think it over, a shadow suddenly fell in front of her eyes.
"You..." She frowned and raised her eyes, which met his smiling eyes, bringing her back to the time when they were most intimate. What she liked most was the look in his eyes when he looked down at her, which made her feel cherished.
Zen Zhen's words of refusal froze in his mouth for a moment.
It’s not so easy to forget. His shadow is in all the happy memories of this life. How can it be so easy to forget?
Chen Dingyao didn't miss her momentary distraction and said with certainty, "You have me in your heart."
"It's just that I was deceived once," Zen Zhen turned his face away. "If your Majesty keeps talking, this half hour will be gone."
Chen Dingyao knew that her hatred for him was stronger now, so he stopped forcing her and took Yuan Zhao from her arms.
Yuan Zhao was already familiar with his breath. When he felt the familiar embrace, the corners of his mouth opened up, revealing his bare gums.
"I, the emperor, am truly pitiful," he said, teasing Yuan Zhao with his finger. "Your mother won't even see me. Zhao'er, when you can speak, beg for mercy on your father's behalf."
Chan Zhen remembered that Yuan Zhao in his previous life always wanted to bring them together, and a hint of annoyance appeared on his face. He said, "Don't teach Zhao Er bad things."
"Your mother is angry," Chen Dingyao looked up at her and squeezed Yuan Zhao's hand. "You and your father must listen to your mother."
In the past, Chan Zhen didn't pay attention to how he got along with Yuan Zhao. Now that he saw it with his own eyes, he felt a little regretful that he had agreed to let him come to see Zhao'er too quickly and should have shortened the time.
It would be difficult to regret it halfway, so Chan Zhen had to turn his eyes away, thinking out of sight, out of mind, and just said, "Your Majesty, please send Zhao'er back to the main hall in half an hour."
Chen Dingyao watched her walk away without looking back. After a while, he whispered to Yuan Zhao, "How cruel."
After Chan Zhen left, the gentleness he pretended to have on his face immediately disappeared, and his aura was released without any restraint. The palace servants around him knelt on the ground in silence, with their heads lowered so low that they almost touched the ground.
He called Lu Zhu over and said, "There will be major changes in the palace soon. I can no longer keep an eye on Fengqi Palace. If your queen has any problems, send someone to Zichen Palace to find Guo Kai immediately."
Luzhu nodded softly.
Chen Dingyao held Yuan Zhao in one hand and turned to enter the side hall.
He has made sufficient preparations both inside and outside the palace, so he thinks there won't be any more trouble.
Yuan Zhao waved his hands, his big eyes filled with confusion, completely unaware of the turmoil outside.
Chen Dingyao pinched his face. This child looked most like Zen Zhen when he smiled, which made him feel soft in his heart.
"I will protect you and your son."
Once this matter was settled, the three of them would no longer have to worry about their future life.
"If your mother is angry with me because of this, you can comfort her more on behalf of your father."
…
September is the time for autumn hunting again.
At this time last year, Chanzhen was still pregnant. His Majesty took pity on her hard work and canceled the autumn hunting activity, but this year he could no longer refuse.
Daliang won the world through military force, and the emperors of all dynasties were brave and good at fighting. They also attached great importance to the annual autumn hunting and regarded it as one of the most important activities to demonstrate military capabilities.
In her previous life, Chan Zhen had also watched the autumn hunting as a member of the King of Jin's family. However, she was frail and not as good at riding and shooting as the noble women, so she could only watch from afar.
"Your Majesty, are you not going to participate in the autumn hunt?" Lu Zhu advised as she poured tea for her. "Your Majesty has the servants to take care of you. You can go without worry."
Zen Zhen shook his head: "Zhao'er is still young and can't leave me."
"But His Majesty won't be back for more than half a month." Lu Zhu said with regret, "Our little prince won't be able to see His Majesty for quite some time."
Chanzhen thought of the random things His Majesty had taught Yuan Zhao without her knowledge, and she felt angry: "That would be perfect. Zhao Er and I can have some peace and quiet."
"I see that the young prince likes His Majesty very much," said Lu Zhu, "but I'm afraid that the young prince will cry if he can't see His Majesty."
"Zhao'er doesn't like him." Zen Zhen used a stuffed tiger to make Yuan Zhao laugh. "Zhao'er has me, that's all, right?"
Yuan Zhao didn't understand a word and could only grin.
Zen Zhen took it as an admission and nodded, saying, "We don't want your father anymore."
Seeing that she was only busy playing with Yuan Zhao, Lu Zhu could only shake her head and leave.
She wanted to ease the relationship between her queen and His Majesty, but unfortunately the queen was as cold-hearted as iron and remained unmoved no matter how she suggested it.
On the day His Majesty left the palace, Chan Zhen received a wooden casket from the Zichen Palace.
Guo Kai bent his waist and said, "This is what His Majesty instructed me to give to Your Majesty before he left."
Chan Zhen opened the wooden casket in front of him, and inside was a bronze tiger-shaped object. The left and right halves were tightly connected by mortise and tenon joints, and there were exquisite inscriptions engraved on it.
"This is..." Even though Chan Zhen was ignorant of worldly affairs, she had heard of the great reputation of this artifact. She immediately closed the wooden casket and looked at Guo Kai in confusion, "How could His Majesty give me such an important item?"
Guo Kai explained, "Your Majesty's original words were that if anything unexpected happens in the palace during his absence, Your Majesty can take this item and seek help from General Song Ge. The Xuanwu Army will also obey Your Majesty's orders."
Song Ge was not among those accompanying the autumn hunt this time.
"Ridiculous!" Chan Zhen carefully placed the wooden casket containing the tiger talisman aside and frowned, "How could Your Majesty be so careless?"
Giving her the tiger talisman was equivalent to handing over the lifeline of the imperial city to her. If she had any ill intentions again, the palace might have been completely changed by the time he returned.
"Your Majesty is worried about the Empress," Guo Kai said, speaking well of his master. "Your Majesty always puts your safety first."
Chan Zhen looked at the plain wooden casket on the table, which held the lifeblood of the nation, and murmured, "You always force me..."
Seeing her lost in thought, Guo Kai said, "This servant has received orders from His Majesty. If Your Majesty has any questions, you can send someone to the Purple Palace to summon this servant at any time."
Zen Zhen waved his hand: "I understand, you can go down."
After Guo Kai left, Chan Zhen took out the tiger talisman that was worth more than ten thousand gold from the wooden box and held it tightly in his palm.
"Even if I die in front of you?" Her mind suddenly recalled the expression on his face when he said this, and her heart suddenly sank.
"It'll be okay." She said to herself, as if to comfort herself, "He said he would never let go."
…
The autumn weather is clear and the sky is high with light clouds.
Chen Dingyao was aiming his bow at a promising prey when he was suddenly overtaken by an arrow shot from the right rear.
He put away his bow, squinted his eyes and looked back. Yun Yi rode up slowly on his horse and stood side by side with him.
"Father, you are old." Yun Yi said lightly.
The followers around him were speechless at his bold remarks.
Chen Dingyao's eyes darkened slightly and he turned his gaze away from him.
"I am indeed a bit old," he said calmly, not caring at all. "If I hadn't been in power for so many years, I wouldn't be able to do what I want."
"She's only sixteen," Yun Yi looked at the shot silver fox cub. "When she's thirty, she'll still be as pretty as a flower, while you'll be gray-haired. Wouldn't you feel ashamed standing next to her?"
"I'm diligent in exercising, so I won't have gray hair so early." He looked confident. "She doesn't just care about my appearance. I can dote on her as I please during the peak of my power. There's nothing wrong with that."
"Power? If it weren't for power, you wouldn't be able to take her away from me." Yun Yi laughed, "I also want to taste the power."
Chen Dingyao looked at the silver fox cub being carried by his followers and suddenly said, "In my previous life, I also shot a silver fox like this. At that time, I thought that the silver fox's snow-white fur would definitely suit her very well."
Yun Yi suddenly turned his head and looked at him. It turned out that his father had given him the silver fox as a reward for this reason.
He thought expressionlessly, my father had only met her a few times at that time, how could he have fallen in love with her so early?
"I've always been so free-spirited. If I set my eyes on something, I'll fight for it, force it, and get it at all costs. This applies to the throne, and it applies to her as well." His eyes were filled with pride. "If you want her, then use all your might to defeat me. As long as I live, I'll never let you go."
Yun Yi's eyes were deep, and he clenched his fists tightly to barely suppress the boiling blood in his heart.
"You were once my most cherished child. I will give you a chance." Chen Dingyao raised the corners of his lips proudly.
Yun Yi sneered, "Is Father planning to threaten me with Mother again?"
"The old trick won't work again." Chen Dingyao looked at him, "I want to make a bet with you."
"This is your only chance to defeat me, Yun Yi, do you dare to accept the challenge?"
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