Chapter 02 His Majesty is Reborn
In the spring of the nineteenth year of Zhaohua, the emperor went on a southern tour.
After several days of continuous spring rain, the sky finally cleared up and the spring breeze brought a burst of floral fragrance, which was very intoxicating.
Chanzhen was sitting by the window, book in hand, when she suddenly heard a burst of silvery laughter outside, a cheerful, noisy cacophony. She lost all interest in reading, so she put the book down and leaned out the window to gaze out, but unfortunately, she only saw a clump of lush orchids.
"I just came back from outside and saw Miss Xu and the other girls admiring the flowers in the courtyard." Qiuyue brought her a cup of tea and helped her put away the scrolls she had put down. She asked, "Are they disturbing you? Do you need me to report this to the governor?"
Although these girls were treated the same on the surface, the prefect privately instructed Miss Song to be given special care and to follow her wishes as much as possible.
Zen Zhen shook his head. "They're having fun, I don't want to spoil their fun, and you're not allowed to tell the governor."
Qiuyue smiled. Although Miss Song was quiet and taciturn, she had a very gentle personality. When she first heard the prefect's instructions, she thought that she would be a difficult person to serve.
"Miss, you've been bored in the house for a long time. Why don't you go out for a walk? I see the flowers in the yard are blooming. They are so beautiful in all their splendor."
Zen was really tempted. In the past, she had been confined at home and had always wanted to go out and take in the different colors and scenery. However, when she thought of the other girls' rejection of her, the lively atmosphere would suddenly cool down whenever she appeared, making her feel embarrassed and sad.
She hesitated and said, "I'd better not go, so as not to spoil the fun."
She had never been a very popular person since she was a child. Even her sisters at home didn't like to interact with her. She reached out and touched her face, a bit of confusion in her eyes.
Sometimes she wasn't sure whether having such a face was a good thing or a bad thing. If her father hadn't been attracted to her face, he wouldn't have taken her home. Perhaps she and her mother would have frozen to death in that shabby little courtyard. But because of this face, she was confined to her father's house and not allowed to go out. Even now, she didn't have a single close friend.
Seeing her face caressing her lost expression, Qiuyue couldn't help but feel a bit of pity. Miss Song was truly beautiful. She had served in the prefect's residence for so many years, but she had never seen such a beauty. Her eyes were filled with affection, sorrow and resentment, truly melting anyone's heart.
She couldn't help but lower her voice and said soothingly, "Young lady, there's no need to bother with them. The garden of the prefectural governor's mansion is very large. Your Majesty doesn't want to meet them. Let's just go in a different direction."
These words moved Zen Zhen a little. He had finally gotten out of the house, so why did he have to lock himself up in the house again? Besides, there probably wouldn't be many such opportunities in the future.
She nodded gently, "Well, thank you for your help."
Qiuyue was a servant born in the prefectural government. She had been working in the government since she was a child and was very familiar with the garden. She led Chanzhen through a small path to avoid other people.
Coming out of the house, breathing in the rich floral scent, Chan Zhen's mood brightened considerably. The prefectural mansion was filled with many rare and valuable flowers and plants, none of which she had ever seen at home. Everything was a novelty to her. One peony in particular, with its layers of vibrant petals, was so vibrant she couldn't help but lean in for a closer look.
A beautiful woman and a charming woman in love. This scene caught Ye Qingtang's eye, reminding him of a line from a poem from the previous dynasty. He hesitated, unable to move forward and disturb this beautiful scene. Qiuyue saw him first.
"Young Master." Qiuyue hurriedly saluted him.
Chan Zhen was startled and dropped the peony in his hand. He looked back in panic, and only when he saw that it was the eldest son of the prefect's mansion did he calm down a little and imitate Qiuyue's greeting.
"Meet the eldest master."
Ye Qingtang didn't expect that he would finally shock her. He smiled bitterly and said, "Nothing. I haven't seen Miss Song for a long time. I wonder if you are feeling well these days? If you feel unwell, please let me know."
Despite his gentle tone, Zenzhen still took a step back and looked at the ground, unwilling to meet his gaze.
"Thank you for your concern, Master. Everything is fine."
After saying this, he fell silent.
She regretted letting Qiuyue persuade her to leave. The eldest son was a kind man and very considerate of her, but their status was different and they shouldn't have had much contact. She recalled a girl named Lin who had come into the mansion with her on the same day. She'd been close to the second son, and rumors had spread about her, and Chanzhen hadn't seen her since. She was timid, and after that incident, she'd even less liked to go out, fearing she'd end up like Lin.
Seeing her even more defensive than when she first entered the mansion, Ye Qingtang's face darkened. How could he feel at ease knowing that such a timid and delicate girl was being sent to that place where people were cannibalized by her father?
"Qingtang heard that His Majesty will be arriving soon." He looked at the woman with a complicated expression, a mixture of reluctance and a hint of advice. "If the girl doesn't want to, Qingtang will plead with her father on her behalf."
Qiuyue was horrified. Hadn't the governor already made the decision on this matter? Why would the eldest son change the subject? She nervously went to see her daughter, fearing she would impulsively agree. Miss Lin's incident was still fresh in her mind. The governor had high hopes for Miss Song and was sure she wouldn't agree.
Zen Zhen stared at the grass under his feet. The tender leaves could not withstand any external force and broke with a slight step.
"Thank you for your kindness, Master. Zen Zhen is already prepared."
So what if she didn't want to? It wasn't her decision. Even if he didn't marry His Majesty, her father would have found a way to marry her into a powerful family. With beauty but no status to match, her future was clear at a glance. Serving His Majesty was the best choice she could have made.
"Chanzhen..." Ye Qingtang couldn't help but call her name.
"Master, I'm tired and need to take my leave," Chan Zhen interrupted him. She could sense that this Master Ye might have some feelings for her. Whether it was out of admiration for her looks or for some other reason, she was grateful for his willingness to help her, and therefore, she wanted to draw a clear line between them.
She was the beauty that the prefect had found to present to His Majesty, and he was the eldest son of the prefect's mansion, that was all.
Ye Qingtang sensed the rejection in her words, and with a bitter heart, he still wore a smile on his face: "Then Qingtang will not disturb you anymore, Miss Song, have a good rest."
After this incident, Qiuyue no longer dared to urge Chanzhen to go out for a stroll, and quickly took her back to the courtyard where they lived.
Zen Zhen asked Qiuyue to leave on the pretext that she was tired and wanted to rest. After making sure that Qiuyue would not come into the room again, she threw herself on the bed with relief, letting the tears that she could not hold back flow down, her eyes red.
She was still very scared. After all, she had just reached adulthood and had been confined at home without ever seeing any outsiders. Now she was about to be sent to a stranger's bed, and this stranger was the emperor who was so high and mighty that he could decide her life or death with just one word.
I heard that His Majesty is already in his thirties, much older than him. There are so many concubines in the palace and he has seen so many beauties. What if he doesn't like her? Moreover, His Majesty fought in battles in his youth and must be full of murderous aura and mood swings. If she doesn't serve him well, will His Majesty directly order her to be dragged out? What will she do then?
Maybe she should learn how to cry and beg for mercy now. Maybe His Majesty will spare her life if she cries so beautifully.
Zen Zhen lay on the bed, his mind full of random thoughts, and gradually fell asleep unconsciously.
…
The river was calm, and the emperor drove the dragon boat south along the Yi River. After a few days, he would reach the vicinity of Jiangnan Road.
The eunuch Guo Kai walked out of the boat and saw that His Majesty had just as the young eunuch had said. He had dismissed all the guards and was standing alone at the bow.
Your Majesty ascended the throne at a young age, nineteen years ago, and has long held great power, at the height of his power. In recent years, Your Majesty has become increasingly arbitrary in government affairs, refusing to allow anyone else to interfere in any decision. Even Guo Kai, Your Majesty's long-time companion, has become doubly cautious, fearing he might offend Your Majesty.
The previous dynasty was turbulent, and the harem was no less turbulent. His Majesty, though not particularly voluptuous, never compromised in his pursuit of beauty, having taken in numerous concubines in his early years. Since the death of Empress Kangxiao, His Majesty has not appointed another empress. Currently, the three positions in the harem, aside from the Imperial Noble Consort, are filled. Furthermore, the court also has several favored concubines, including the Nine Imperial Concubines and Imperial Concubines. Of the three, Xianfei currently bears the eldest son, Prince Yu; Shufei bears the second son, Prince Jin; and Defei raises the third son, Prince Zhuang, born to Concubine Xu. All three princes have grown up, but His Majesty has yet to appoint a crown prince, leading to a fierce rivalry among the three concubines within the harem.
Guo Kai had originally believed that His Majesty held His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin in high regard, but since His Majesty awakened from his nightmare last month, he had become somewhat distant and had not even visited the harem, making his attitude increasingly unpredictable. His Majesty had originally intended to have the Prince of Jin drive the southern tour, but for some reason he suddenly changed his mind and made the trip himself.
Concubine Shu had already spread rumors that the Prince of Jin would be on his tour of the south, and His Majesty's change of heart left Concubine Shu embarrassed. However, His Majesty was hard-hearted and refused to change her mind despite Concubine Shu's pleas. The other concubines seized the opportunity to mock her, and Concubine Shu was so angry that she feigned illness and closed the door to visitors. Even His Majesty, who had been in the previous court, was criticized by his brothers.
Guo Kai sighed, feeling that he was indeed getting old. Now he couldn't even guess what the emperor was thinking.
"Your Majesty, the wind is strong on the river. Please move inside to rest." He stepped forward and advised.
But His Majesty looked solemnly at the river in the distance, his mind lost in thought, and he only asked, "How long will it take to reach Jiangnan Road?"
"At the current speed, we will arrive in about three or four days." During the past few days of the trip, Guo Kai found that His Majesty said that he was going on a southern tour, but he was only very much looking forward to the Jiangnan Road. However, His Majesty has been to Jiangnan more than once in all these years since he ascended the throne. I wonder what attracted His Majesty's interest this time.
"Three or four more days." His Majesty sighed, closing his eyes, as if even these three or four days seemed too long and he couldn't wait to reach Jiangnan. The next moment, His Majesty ordered, "Speed up! I want to reach Jiangnan within two days."
Guo Kai opened his mouth, trying to dissuade him. Although the Yi River flowed slowly south of the Yangtze River, there were still risks associated with speeding up. He hesitated, but then, mindful of His Majesty's arbitrary character, he gave up and ordered the navy to intensify patrols.
After Guo Kai left, Chen Dingyao looked at the river for a long time before slowly reading out a name.
"Zen Zhen..."
Chen Dingyao never expected that upon opening his eyes, he would be reborn in the nineteenth year of Zhaohua. Overjoyed, yet fearing it was all just a dream, he finally felt relieved after sending someone to secretly inquire about Chan Zhen in Jiangnan.
In his previous life, he intended to make Prince Jin the crown prince, so he ordered Prince Jin to tour the south on his behalf. Chan Zhen was presented to Prince Jin by the local prefect when he was on tour in the south of the Yangtze River. She then followed him back to Beijing and became a concubine in Prince Jin's mansion. Chen Dingyao first met Chan Zhen three months later.
The Prince of Jin's exclusive favor for Chan Zhen incurred the displeasure of Concubine Shu, who summoned her to the palace for a reprimand. Coincidentally, that very day, he visited Concubine Shu's palace and saw Chan Zhen kneeling in the sun as punishment. The scorching sun scorched her cheeks, her clothes soaked with sweat, and she barely steadied herself, yet she forced herself to kowtow to him. From his high position, he observed her frail waist, barely slender enough to fit in one hand, trembling under his gaze. Suddenly, a surge of pity seized him, and he rescued her.
At first, he thought she was one of the concubines in his harem whom he had never had the pleasure of seeing. It was not until he learned her identity from Concubine Shu that he gave up the idea with a sense of loss. If this was the only time he had seen her, he might not have become so crazy and determined to get her.
The Prince of Jin doted on her, always taking her with him whether on the autumn hunt or on tour. He watched from afar as she looked at him with a dependent gaze, joyfully throwing herself into his arms, her eyes glittering like stars. This reminded him of the fawn he had missed in the mountains when he went hunting with his father as a child, and a strong sense of resentment grew.
He wants to get her at any cost.
"Haha." He looked down at his palms and clenched them tightly, as if he could hold her in his hands forever. "Zhenzhen, you said that our relationship was ill-fated, but I was reborn. God has given me another chance."
Recalling what she said before she left in her previous life, he felt a pain in his chest, and love and hatred surged up almost at the same time.
"You've loved Yun Yi and Zhao Er, but you've been too cruel to me. I'm the one who's been with you the longest and sacrificed the most."
Fortunately, she hadn't become Yun Yi's concubine yet in this life, so there was still time for everything. In her previous life, she had simply resented his unethical and tyrannical behavior, but in this new life, he had already seized the initiative. At least she wouldn't reject him as much as she had in her previous life.
"Wait for me, Zenzhen, I can't wait to see you."
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