Chapter 24: A Pleasure to the Eyes
It was not until Xiao Chenglan carried Jiang Yingli to the dragon chariot in front of Baohua Palace that she finally understood what Xiao Chenglan meant when he said, "Everything will be fine once we get to the front."
His Majesty no longer held her in his arms, but he actually let her sit on the dragon chariot!
Knowing what Jiang Yingli was going to say, Xiao Chenglan simply pushed her in without listening to her refusal.
Jiang Yingli panicked. This dragon chariot was carried by four people, and could only accommodate one person.
She sat inside, and Xiao Chenglan could only walk beside her.
Which concubine dares to do this? It's really against the will of Heaven.
Jiang Yingli lifted a corner of the dragon-patterned curtain and poked out her little head.
"Your Majesty is always walking, and I am really uncomfortable sitting still. My knee is actually fine."
Xiao Chenglan smiled: "If you feel uncomfortable sitting or standing, then just lie down."
Jiang Yingli was originally quite nervous, but was amused by him. However, she pursed her lips and dared not laugh, her cheeks puffed up.
If it weren't for the fact that they were in public and she was thin-skinned, Xiao Chenglan would have wanted to pinch her face.
The eunuchs carrying the dragon chariot were both surprised and wanted to laugh.
They were able to carry the dragon chariot, and were considered people who were often in the presence of the emperor. However, for so long, they only felt that His Majesty was very stern and serious, and he actually had such a side.
Xiao Chenglan waved at Jiang Yingli, motioning her to sit back down. "Sit tight, or you'll fall. No matter how much you look at me, I won't sit on it."
Jiang Yingli knew that this was a one-person chase, so she had no choice but to sit back.
The eunuchs carrying the dragon chariot were eager for His Majesty to sit on it.
It would only be tiring to carry two people, and besides, Lady Concubine is not heavy at all.
Now that His Majesty is accompanying the dragon chariot, they are under tremendous pressure.
Jiang Yingli leaned against the left side, looking at Xiao Chenglan outside through the gauze.
Xiao Chenglan looked ahead and walked slowly.
Even walking is so pleasing to the eye, you are truly worthy of being His Majesty!
Jiang Yingli quickly put her uneasiness behind her and stared at Xiao Chenglan.
Normally she didn't dare to look directly at the emperor's face for too long, but now, with the curtain covering her, she could see enough.
She looked at the gorgeous dragon robe and golden crown on Xiao Chenglan, and felt very pleased.
She felt that this was how His Majesty should be, and that he should wear the most precious and gorgeous clothes in the world!
Although she regretted not being able to live a peaceful life in Prince Su's Mansion, it was fine as it is now.
Your Majesty has become the emperor, and no one can bully you anymore.
Xiao Chenglan naturally felt the burning gaze from within the dragon chariot.
But he didn't say anything, silently enjoying Jiang Yingli's gaze, with pleasure in his eyes.
The beauty behind the curtain sat in his dragon chariot, her eyes full of him.
This is probably the greatest happiness in this world.
When they arrived at the gate of Zhaohua Palace, the dragon chariot stopped steadily, and Xiao Chenglan carried Jiang Yingli down as usual.
Qiuxia, who stayed in the inner hall to take care of the housework, saw this scene, her eyes lit up with joy, and she bowed to greet him.
Inside the hall, Xiao Chenglan put Jiang Yingli down.
As soon as Jiang Yingli got off the ground, she hurriedly ordered, "Qiuxia, go and get two cushions, and also get my usual small fan."
After she finished speaking, she personally handed the freshly poured tea to Xiao Chenglan.
Xiao Chenglan took two sips from her hand.
Jiang Yingli knew Xiao Chenglan's habits. Even if he wanted to rest during the day, he would not undress and go to the couch, but would take a nap on the small couch or recliner.
Qiuxia brought a cushion, and Jiang Yingli took it and spread it on the recliner herself.
"Your Majesty has not rested all night. Take advantage of this opportunity to rest well, otherwise your body will not be able to bear it."
Watching her busying around, Xiao Chenglan held her wrist and took her to lie down on the recliner.
Xiao Chenglan was indeed tired. He held Jiang Yingli in his arms and stroked her round shoulders with his palms.
"From now on, you only need to pay your respects to the Empress Dowager on the first and fifth day of the lunar month. You don't have to get up early tomorrow, you can sleep in." Xiao Chenglan said.
This is great news for Jiang Yingli!
There have been problems at the morning meetings these past two days, and she would be dragged into them even if they had nothing to do with her.
It's so scary.
What’s more important is that today is May 5th, which means that the next morning meeting will be in ten days.
Jiang Yingli shook her head happily while lying on Xiao Chenglan's chest, but at the same time she felt a little worried.
"But if that's the case, won't the Queen Mother be unhappy and make things difficult for Your Majesty?"
Seeing Jiang Yingli's frown that had not lasted long after she was happy, Xiao Chenglan touched her brow and gently stroked it.
"I will take care of everything myself. You don't have to worry about me, okay?"
Xiao Chenglan's tone was very firm.
Jiang Yingli nodded, "Yes! I believe in Your Majesty. Your Majesty is the most powerful."
Xiao Chenglan chuckled, and when he thought of the empress dowager, a hint of coldness gradually appeared in his eyes.
The Xue family had long been suppressing the poor forces that he had supported, both openly and covertly, so this was no exception.
Since he took this position, he was ready to fight them to the end.
The Xue family, along with a number of other noble families, wanted to make him a puppet emperor that they could control, and even interfered with his harem. So he must let them see who is the real master of the world.
Xiao Chenglan stared gloomily at the sunlight shining into the hall.
Fortunately, Jiang Yingli was with him in this nine-story palace.
Otherwise, this road is too cold.
On this long journey of struggling out of the quagmire, only Jiang Yingli truly felt sorry for him.
Gradually, she felt the breathing of the person next to her become regular. Jiang Yingli carefully raised her eyes and saw that Xiao Chenglan had fallen asleep.
She gently rubbed Xiao Chenglan's chest and called out in a very low voice:
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty... Husband..."
Soon, Jiang Yingli also fell asleep.
The sunlight coming through the window lattice lost its heat and sprinkled on the two people who were snuggling together, making them feel warm and peaceful.
Qiuxia, who was standing on standby at the back, couldn't help but have tears in her eyes when she saw this scene.
In the past, at Prince Su's Mansion, whenever His Majesty was at home, he would often take a nap like this with the young lady in the afternoon.
However, after being in the palace for more than half a month, the days in Prince Su's Mansion seemed so long ago that they seemed like a lifetime ago.
Even with so many beauties in the harem, His Majesty still holds the young lady in his arms for a nap.
Lian Qiao came over from the side hall and was startled to see Qiuxia staring at His Majesty and the young lady in a daze with red eyes.
She walked over and whispered, "Why are you crying? Have you been punished by His Majesty?"
Qiuxia rubbed her eyes quickly and said, "How could that be? I was just moved by this scene that I haven't seen in a long time."
Lian Qiao looked at the emperor and his concubine sleeping in each other's arms in the distance, and began to sigh in her heart.
"Your Majesty can sleep peacefully beside the young lady, which shows that His Majesty is very close to her. The young lady must be very favored in the Prince Su's Mansion. Why doesn't she have the domineering nature of a favorite concubine at all?"
In order not to disturb the two people's rest, Qiuxia pulled Lianqiao to the side room.
In the past half month, although Lian Qiao sometimes had a bad temper, it was obvious that she was very loyal to the young lady, so Qiuxia no longer minded telling her about the old stories of the Prince Su's Mansion.
"My lady has suffered a lot, how could she learn to act like Song Zhaoyi? Besides, Song Zhaoyi has her family's support, while my lady's family is extremely biased."
Seeing the usually reserved Qiuxia's face full of disgust, Lian Qiao knew how biased she was.
"The young lady came to our house to plant flowers, but she left too much space between the flowers and was hit on the arm by the iron shovel. I was watching from under the eaves at the time, and the young lady's arm was covered in bruises. She hadn't even reached marriage at that time."
After hearing this, Lian Qiao couldn't help but feel disgusted with the Jiang family, whom she had never met before.
"Fortunately, since the young lady entered the palace, His Majesty stopped all the letters sent to the palace by the Jiang family. It's better for the young lady not to read those letters! Apart from currying favor with the prince, none of them showed any concern for the young lady's well-being after entering the palace."
Lian Qiao clenched her knuckles. "If I were in the mansion back then, I would have gathered up all those letters, dumped a basket of them on their heads, and scolded them profusely to vent my anger!"
Qiuxia heard her voice getting louder and quickly patted her, "Keep your voice down, it's all in the past. Now that the young lady has entered the palace, don't have any more contact with them!"
Lian Qiao thought it was not that simple. The Su Palace was not doing well before and the Jiang family members were trying to curry favor with it. Now that the young lady has become the imperial concubine, they must be trying every possible way to gain benefits from it.
It was soon time for the concubines to communicate with their families as usual, and Lian Qiao felt that the Jiang family was bound to cause trouble.
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