Chapter 27 Dream
Night fell over the walls of the Forbidden City, casting a deep shadow on the windows of the cabinet office.
The candlelight on the table flickered, casting a cold, white light on the memorials scattered across it. Chen Yanyun pinched the bridge of his nose, his fingertips rubbing his throbbing temples.
Three hours had passed since they entered the palace to discuss matters. The emperor had already returned to his bedchamber to rest, leaving only a few cabinet ministers to continue discussing Zhang Julian's proposed tax reform policy. However, the debate ended in discord.
"Grand Secretary Chen, please rest for a while. This cup of ginseng tea has just been warmed." The servant quietly brought over the teacup. Seeing that the dark circles under his eyes were getting darker, he couldn't help but whisper and advise, "If we can't reach a conclusion today, we can discuss it again tomorrow. It's the same thing."
Chen Yanyun took the teacup, his fingertips touching the warm porcelain, but he had no interest in drinking it.
The debate that had just taken place in the cabinet kept replaying in my mind.
Zhang Julian stood in the hall, holding a memorial on tax reform in his hand, and said in a firm voice, "The taxes on the people are too heavy. If we do not change course, we fear that it will cause resentment among the people." Most of the ministers agreed with him, and even some old ministers who usually disagreed with him tacitly acknowledged the necessity of tax reform.
But the emperor frowned and said only, "The national treasury is still full, there is no need to rush." The refusal in his words could not be clearer.
Amidst the heated exchange, Zhang Julian's face flushed with anger. Pointing at the memorial on the table, he almost roared, "If Your Majesty insists on this, I am willing to die to remonstrate!" In the end, seeing that the emperor remained unmoved, he could only angrily fling his sleeves and stride out of the cabinet, leaving behind the words, "I want to see how long the people of this world can endure this."
The remaining ministers looked at each other, and no one dared to say anything more. In the end, Chen Yanyun stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "This matter needs to be discussed at length. Allow us to draft more detailed rules." Only then did the matter reluctantly disperse.
But he knew in his heart that the emperor was not unaware of the importance of tax reform, but was worried about the noble families who had profited from the old tax system. Once the tax reform was implemented, their interests would be the first to be affected. The emperor was unwilling to offend the noble families, so he was reluctant to give in.
Chen Yanyun placed the teacup on the table, leaned back in the large armchair, and fatigue gradually spread through his body.
The warm light of the candle gradually blurred his vision. Chen Yanyun leaned back in the armchair, his breathing becoming more and more steady, and his consciousness slowly sank into sleep.
The cabinet office in front of us quietly disappeared, replaced by the familiar red silk and wedding candles in the main hall of the Chen family.
The double happiness character hanging from the beam was adorned with gold thread, and the red carpet on the floor stretched from the entrance all the way to the head seat. The room was filled with the sweet fragrance of incense, which warmed people's hearts.
He subconsciously raised his hand, but what he touched was a bright red wedding dress made of silk.
The fabric embroidered with twin lotus flowers was delicate and smooth, and the beads on his golden crown swayed gently with his movements.
He looked down and saw that he was holding a woman's slender hand. Beside him, Gu Jinchao was wearing a bright red wedding dress, with a small velvet flower in her hair. Her cheeks were flushed with shyness. When she saw him looking at her, she shrank back slightly, her eyes full of timidity and dependence.
"It's time to serve tea to the old lady." The master of ceremonies' voice rang in his ears, and Chen Yanyun snapped out of his daze.
At this moment, he had become the groom at this wedding.
He picked up the wedding tea handed to him by the maid, avoiding the hot tea with his fingertips, and subconsciously wanted to hand it to Gu Jinzhao beside him, but saw that she was already holding another cup of tea and kneeling on the red velvet wedding cushion with him.
At the head of the table, Madam Chen, dressed in a dark purple jacket, smiled broadly.
She took the teacup from Gu Jinchao, her voice full of joy: "Jinchao, your marriage to Yanyun is truly a blessing he has accumulated over many lifetimes!"
Chen Yanyun paused slightly in his hand holding the teacup, a strange sense of pride welling up inside him.
Yes, Jinchao is more than ten years younger than him, and she is beautiful. It is a great blessing that she can marry him.
He looked up at Gu Jinchao beside him and saw that she had her eyes downcast, her ear tips were so red they looked like they could bleed, and even the fingertips holding the teacup were trembling slightly.
Madam Chen took the teacup, took a sip, and then smiled as she took out a red envelope from her sleeve and stuffed it into Gu Jinchao's hand: "This is a gift from your mother to you. In the future, if Yanyun dares to bully you in the Chen family, just tell me."
Gu Jinchao thanked him softly, her fingers clutching the red envelope, her head bowed even lower.
Looking at her obedient appearance, Chen Yanyun couldn't help but reach out to tidy up the stray hairs by her temples. But just as his fingertips were about to touch her hair, the scene in front of him suddenly swayed—the light of the red candle became dazzling, and the laughter of Old Madam Chen gradually faded away, replaced by the familiar candlelight and the scent of ink from the cabinet office.
Chen Yanyun suddenly opened his eyes, his chest still rising and falling slightly, and a thin layer of sweat seeping from his forehead.
He raised his hand and pressed his temples; the images from his dream were still vividly etched in his mind.
The bright red wedding dress, the mother's laughter, and Gu Jinchao's blushing face all felt so real, as if they had just happened.
He looked down at his hands; his palms were empty, devoid of the silk of the wedding dress and the warmth of the teacup, only the cold touch of the armrest of the grand master's chair.
The inexplicable sense of pride and joy from his dream still lingered in his heart, mixed with a touch of absurdity and disorientation, causing his heart to beat faster involuntarily.
"Your Excellency, you're awake?" A servant approached from a short distance away. Seeing that he was awake, the servant hurriedly stepped forward. "It's almost dawn. Would you like to rest a little longer, or should we have breakfast served?"
Chen Yanyun waved his hand, his voice slightly hoarse from just waking up: "No need. Bring me yesterday's memorial and warm up another pot of tea."
*
The morning light shone through the vermilion window lattices, making the bluestone path of the Chen family mansion glow.
Chen Yanyun returned from the palace gate in a carriage. The hustle and bustle of the city outside the carriage curtain gradually faded away, leaving only the soft sound of the wheels rolling over the road.
He leaned against the car wall, the ink of his memorial still lingering on his fingertips. The exhaustion from his light sleep in the duty room last night, intertwined with the chaotic thoughts in his dreams, made the dark circles under his eyes even more pronounced.
As soon as the carriage came to a stop, the servants quickly stepped forward and lifted the curtain.
Chen Yanyun, helped by a servant, got out of the carriage. He looked up at the familiar gate of the mansion. Red silk and lanterns still hung under the eaves, retaining the joy of yesterday's wedding. But they reminded him of the misplaced red makeup in his dream, and his heart sank slightly.
He didn't linger and went straight to Madam Chen's courtyard.
It has been his habit for many years to pay his respects to his mother after court every day, and he is unwilling to break this rule even if he did not return home last night.
Madam Chen was sitting on the veranda admiring the flowers when she saw him return. She quickly had a maid bring him a chair: "Just finished court? Judging from your complexion, you probably didn't sleep well last night."
She handed him a cup of warm ginseng tea, her tone full of concern, "No matter how busy you are with court affairs, you must take care of your health. Don't overwork yourself."
Chen Yanyun took the teacup, sipped it, and felt the warmth spread down his throat, easing his fatigue slightly: "I'm sorry to have worried Mother. The cabinet meeting last night took longer than usual. Did Xuanqing and Jinchao pay their respects to you today?"
"They just came by. The two children look so well-matched. Jinchao even made me lotus seed soup by himself. He's so thoughtful." Old Madam Chen said with a smile, her eyes full of joy as she talked about yesterday's wedding. "Don't always think about court affairs. Take a rest. When Xuanqing gets married, he can help you share some of the burden."
Chen Yanyun nodded, chatted with his mother for a few more minutes, and seeing that the old lady was in good spirits, he got up to take his leave: "Mother, I'm a little tired, I'll go back to my room to rest for a while, and I'll come to see you again later."
Back in his courtyard, the servants had already prepared hot water and clean clothes.
Chen Yanyun took off his official robes, changed into plain clothes, and after a quick wash, lay down on the bed.
The bed was soft, and the curtains hung low, blocking out the sounds of the outside world. Exhaustion washed over him like a tide, and he closed his eyes and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
Perhaps it's because the daytime rest makes it easier to fall into a deep sleep, and the images in the dream are clearer than those from the night before.
In the bedroom with its curtains drawn low, the faint scent of mugwort and the milky aroma of a newborn filled the air. Chen Yanyun opened his eyes in a soft, warm embrace.
Before her was no longer the familiar bedroom, but an elegantly furnished inner room, with servants and midwives beaming with joy around the bed, and the air filled with the sweet aroma of brewing tonics.
"Congratulations, Third Master! Your wife has given you a son!" The midwife, holding the swaddled baby, smiled broadly and carefully handed the child to him.
The swaddling clothes were made of brand-new bright red brocade, embroidered with exquisite unicorn patterns. The little baby inside had his eyes closed, his little fists clenched tightly, and his breathing was as light as a feather.
"Then let's name it Xuanlin!"
As the words left his mouth, Chen Yanyun realized with a start that it was his own voice, filled with excitement and trembling that even he himself was unaware of.
He carefully took the baby, his fingertips touching the warm, soft little body, and his heart was instantly filled with an unprecedented sense of peace.
This is his child, his child with Jinchao.
He carried Xuanlin and quickly walked to the bedside.
Gu Jinchao leaned against the soft pillows, her face pale, but her eyes held a gentle light. Seeing him approach, she weakly curved her lips into a smile and softly called out, "Third Master..."
Chen Yanyun quickly sat on the edge of the bed, reached out and gently touched her hair, his fingertips brushing against her sweaty temples, his tone full of affection: "Jinzhao, you've worked hard."
He tucked the blanket around her, his gaze falling on her tired yet content face, a warmth filling his heart. "Sleep well. I will take good care of our son and stay by your side."
Gu Jinchao nodded gently, his eyelids slowly drooping, and he quickly fell into a peaceful sleep.
Chen Yanyun sat on the edge of the bed, holding her hand in one hand and gently patting the swaddled Xuanlin with the other. His gaze lingered on his wife and son's faces, and the tenderness in his eyes was almost overflowing.
So this is what it feels like to have a complete family.
But just then, the screen suddenly started shaking.
The furnishings beside the bed gradually blurred, and Gu Jinchao's sleeping face and Xuan Lin's swaddling clothes disappeared like water vapor, replaced by the familiar canopy of his own bedroom.
Chen Yanyun suddenly opened his eyes, his chest still heaving violently. His fingertips seemed to still retain the warm touch of an infant and the softness of Gu Jinchao's hair. The warmth and satisfaction in his dream were so real that he couldn't distinguish between illusion and reality for a moment.
He lay quietly, gazing at the lotus pattern on the ceiling of the tent, his heart filled with complex emotions.
One dream after another of his mismatched marriage with Gu Jinchao, from the red wedding dress to the joy of the birth of a child, every scene was so detailed that it felt like he had experienced it himself, and every heartbeat was so real that it made him panic.
He had to admit that this thought hidden in his dreams was no longer a simple "coincidence," but an undeniable longing deep in his heart.
But a chasm of reality looms before them—he is Chen Xuanqing's father and Gu Jinchao's father-in-law. This identity is like a shackle, firmly binding all unrealistic thoughts.
He took a deep breath and pressed his throbbing temples, trying to suppress his chaotic thoughts.
The sound of a maid's light footsteps came from outside the courtyard, accompanied by a soft inquiry: "Third Master, are you awake? The Old Madam wants you to come to the front hall for dinner. She said that the Seventh Young Madam made your favorite crispy pancakes."
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