Chapter 63 She had truly made up her mind; she wanted a son…
Yuan Chaolu stuffed the bow and arrows back into his arms and headed towards Changqiu Palace with her palace maids. Behind her, a magnificent canopy of green stretched out like flowing clouds. The emperor usually traveled simply, without needing many entourages, but this new empress was extremely ostentatious.
After the figure disappeared, the emperor lowered his gaze and met the eyes of his two ministers.
The two bowed and asked, "Does Your Majesty wish to proceed to the Xuande Hall?"
Xiao Zhuo nodded, and the two ministers followed behind, passing through the winding corridor.
As a veteran minister who has served the emperor for many years, I have witnessed his decisive and ruthless nature, his calm and strategic thinking, and his flawless plans. But today is the first time I have seen the emperor interacting with a woman.
I thought that even if the emperor married, given his cold nature, he would treat the empress with the same indifference as he treated his ministers. But the intimate interaction just now was indeed His Majesty's doing.
The emperor would naturally not be swayed by the pillow talk, but they would probably have to be more careful about this new empress in the future.
In front of Xuanzheng Hall, ram horn palace lanterns had been lit, and a guard dressed in black stood with his head bowed, holding a sandalwood box in his hands, clearly having been waiting for a long time.
Xiao Zhuo's eyes flickered slightly. He raised his hand, gesturing for Jia Li and the Grand Marshal to enter the inner hall first, while he turned towards the side hall.
A guard entered the hall and presented a wooden box: "Your Majesty, the Princess has sent me today to deliver wedding gifts and a personal letter."
Xiao Zhuo reached out and took it. Under the lamplight, the handwriting on the letter was visible, expressing congratulations to the Emperor and Empress.
Xiao Zhuo stared at it for a long time, his gaze sweeping over each word before finally turning the letter back into the envelope.
"Please convey my regards to the Princess. When I have some free time, I will personally visit her with the Empress."
"And," the emperor said gently, looking at Zhong Changjun, "send a physician from the Imperial Medical Bureau to visit the princess and inform me of her condition later."
Zhong Changjun said, "Yes."
**
The wedding gift presented by Princess Zhenning to the Emperor and Empress was a screen depicting phoenixes singing in harmony, which is currently in Changqiu Palace.
As the Yuan Dynasty palace maids lowered the screen, the rosy light shone in from outside the palace gate. The phoenix and dragon paintings on the screen were lifelike, gleaming with a golden sheen. The interplay of light and shadow cast a patterned veil on the ground.
She smiled and thanked Princess Zhenning.
Princess Zhenning's congratulatory gift was originally sent to Xuande Hall, but His Majesty specially forwarded it to Changqiu Palace. Such an honor truly shows the Emperor's special regard for the princess.
However, the princess wanted to send her adopted daughter into the palace based on the late emperor's edict, and then she sent this screen, symbolizing the harmonious union of phoenix and dragon...
Yuan Chaolu's heart was filled with mixed emotions.
After the princess's people left, Yuan Chaolu looked at the woman standing beside her and said, "Come and continue to take my pulse."
The female doctor in green, her face hidden behind a veil, stepped forward with a smile.
This is a physician who was selected through rigorous examinations by the Imperial Medical Bureau a few days ago. Normally, with such limited qualifications, even if his medical skills were outstanding, he would not be able to serve the Empress. However, Qi Yu privately recommended him.
After examining Your Majesty's pulse, the female physician Qingheng said, "Your Majesty's pulse is smooth and clear, and your blood and energy are abundant. Your health is excellent, so there is no need to worry. I would like to ask when Your Majesty last had your period."
Yuan Chaolu briefly recalled, "About ten days ago."
Qingheng smiled slightly, took out a roll of plain paper and a pen from the medicine box, wrote something and handed it to Yuan Chaolu, saying, "Ten to sixteen days after your period, when yin and yang are in harmony, it is easiest to conceive. I have marked the dates for Your Majesty. If Your Majesty has intercourse on the dates marked on the paper, once every other day, you will surely have many children."
Qingheng raised her eyes and said, "Your Majesty is well-versed in gynecology. If Your Majesty has any concerns about having children in the future, you may consult me."
Yuan Chaolu casually folded the note and placed it on the corner of the table, but did not reply. She simply raised her eyes and quietly looked at Qingheng.
"I happen to be short of people by my side. You said your name is Qingheng. Could you tell me about your background?"
Qingheng's gentle gaze fell on Yuan Chaolu's cheek, and then she began to speak.
Those eyes were truly beautiful, bright and captivating, like the misty rain of Jiangnan described in poetry, drawing one unconsciously into their depths.
Yuan Chaolu looked at her and suddenly felt a vague sense of familiarity.
However, apart from her eyes, her appearance, voice, and mannerisms bore no resemblance to that person whatsoever.
Yuan Chaolu thought of her elder sister again. This was her only remaining blood relative in the world, and it was a great pity that she could not have her elder sister by her side on her wedding day. Since she sent Heyi to the Northwest, she had not received any letters and did not know how her elder sister's condition was.
"Your Majesty the Empress." The female physician spoke again, finally pulling Yuan Chaolu back to reality.
Looking into the clear eyes of the person in front of her, Yuan Chaolu felt an inexplicable sense of closeness and said, "Since you want to serve me, there is something I need you to do well next."
She whispered in Qingheng's ear, "Take a good look for me..."
After listening, Qingheng lowered his eyes and said, "Tomorrow, Your Majesty, I will go to Chanxu Temple to check the pulses of the Princess and the Princess of Yiyang and inform Your Majesty of their condition."
Yuan Chaolu nodded and smiled, dismissing her. His gaze swept over a plain sheet of paper on the corner of the table, inscribed with the method for conception.
offspring...
Yuan Chaolu's hand touched her flat stomach, her gaze lingering on it for a long time.
For her, having an heir at this time would be ideal, as it would almost guarantee her position as empress and give her more leverage in the emperor's eyes.
But was she truly prepared to be inextricably linked with that man by blood from that moment on?
Once you've truly decided to give birth to a completely new child from your own womb, it will become a vulnerability that can be used to blackmail you.
The candlelight flickered, and the Empress's eyes were dark and uncertain. Her gorgeous clothes and jeweled hairpins gleamed with a cold light in the glow.
**
After autumn, all prefectures and counties are required to submit a report on their financial records, recording the year's taxes, granaries, corvée labor, and other items, to the palace for review.
As a result, the number of government affairs in the court suddenly increased.
Every day, the memorials sent to the emperor's desk piled up several feet high, urgently awaiting his decision.
On the first night after their marriage, Xiao Zhuo sent Zhong Changjun to Changqiu Palace to deliver a message: "His Majesty is discussing state affairs with his ministers and will be staying in Xuande Hall tonight to conduct state affairs. His Majesty has instructed the Empress not to wait and to make arrangements in advance."
The continuous rain for several days shrouded the imperial city of Luoyang in a hazy mist.
The emperor was busy with state affairs and had not visited Changqiu Palace for two consecutive days. Yuan Chaolu was also busy, as she had to resolve the matter of Princess Yiyang before Lu Runlan's marriage.
Every day, Qingheng brought news of the princess from outside the palace. After the princess returned to Luoyang, she stayed at Chanxu Temple with her adopted daughter.
On this day, the Empress herself visited Chanxu Temple.
Returning to the same place, the last time was when she was a young lady of the Yuan family, and she needed a token from a royal nobleman to go to the back mountain. This time, the eunuchs carrying her sedan chair escorted her all the way in a bamboo palanquin, allowing her to enter the Zen temple where the emperor used to live without any hindrance.
The interior was exactly the same as before I left; everything was spotless.
She looked through one of the windows down at a small courtyard hidden deep in the bamboo forest.
From here, one can have a panoramic view of the entire Chanxu Temple. No wonder the emperor chose this location for the temple.
Yuan Chaolu leaned against the window, and soon saw a young woman walk out of the courtyard. He heard Qingheng beside him say, "Your Majesty, that is Princess Yiyang."
Lu Fu wore a light-colored silk dress. She was tall and slender with snow-white skin, a straight nose, and deep-set eyes. Her face was not the graceful beauty of a woman from the Central Plains, but rather the profound features of someone with Xianbei blood.
According to Qingheng's observation, the Princess of Yiyang did nothing more than copy scriptures, burn incense, brew tea, prune flowers, and accompany the princess to worship Buddha. She did nothing else.
This differs from what Yuan Chaolu had previously learned from Zhong Changjun.
Zhong Changjun said, "From which palace servant did Your Majesty hear about Princess Yiyang? Princess Yiyang and His Majesty knew each other when they were young, but they haven't had much contact since."
"But after all, she is the daughter of a princess, so His Majesty must give her some face. His Majesty spoke to the county princess about this matter years ago, but over the years, the county princess still hasn't come to terms with it and is still obsessed with His Majesty."
Yuan Chaolu looked down at the Xianbei woman pounding medicine in the courtyard below. Her black hair was tied with a single wooden hairpin, and she blended into the ancient courtyard with a tranquil and carefree demeanor. She did not seem like the kind of woman who would be obsessed with a man.
Yuan Chaolu took this opportunity to stay discreetly and sent someone back to the palace to inform His Majesty, who was busy with official duties, that she was practicing at Chanxu Temple that day.
This stay lasted for two days. Every day, Qingheng went down the mountain and, under the pretext of being sent by the Imperial Physicians' Office, took the pulses of the Princess and the Princess of Yiyang County to inquire about their condition. Upon returning, she served Yuan Chaolu by his side.
Although Qingheng's voice was hoarse, she always spoke gently and softly, like a spring breeze caressing the willows. Yuan Chaolu spent two days with her and found that they got along quite well.
In the mountains, where there was nothing to do and the hustle and bustle was hidden away, Yuan Chaolu would occasionally help her select herbs in the courtyard and ask her for some medical advice.
On the evening of the third day, Qingheng returned carrying a medicine box, but brought news: "Your Majesty, not long after I left the mountainside, I saw Lu Fu meeting someone."
Yuan Chaolu was drying books in the courtyard when he asked, "Who is it?"
"It was a man who was having a secret rendezvous with the Princess of Yiyang in the woods, behaving intimately."
A hint of surprise flashed in Yuan Chaolu's eyes: "Really?"
Qingheng said, "I saw the two meeting in secret from afar. They were indeed not a couple with an ordinary relationship. However, they had only been together for a short while when the man hurriedly left. He looked like a son of an official family in the capital. Before leaving, he even left a letter for the Princess of Yiyang County."
If that's the case, why did she still insist on entering the palace?
Yuan Chaolu pondered for a moment, then summoned a palace maid and said, "Relay my message: please invite Princess Yiyang to come up the mountain."
She looked at Qingheng and smiled, "I'll have to trouble you to make another trip for me to find that letter."
**
Chanxu Temple is quiet and secluded, far from the hustle and bustle of the world.
Earlier, in the palace, at the Xuande Hall—
The Empress's maternal family, Lady Lu, was summoned before the Emperor.
The hall was filled with the heavy scent of incense. The three members of the Lu family, father and sons, knelt on the gleaming gold bricks, with cold sweat beading on the forehead of the head of the family, Lu Xiu.
Initially, the Empress sent a carriage to fetch them to the capital. The carriage traveled slowly from the northwest and did not arrive in Luoyang until three days before the wedding.
This was to avoid being summoned by the emperor in advance, so that they could be prepared.
But today, in the end, I couldn't escape it.
The king's voice, "Rise," came from the throne, his tone unreadable.
The three men thanked the emperor and rose, not daring to look directly at his face, but staring at a corner of the emperor's desk.
"I have read your policy essays, and two of them are quite acceptable."
Lu Xiu was stunned, and his body trembled slightly at those words. The emperor meant—
The sound of the emperor turning the pages of papers came from the seat above. "I summoned you all here today for this matter. I am still lacking a Gentleman Attendant by my side. What do you think, Minister Lu?"
Lu Xiu clenched his fist, his palms damp with sweat. The Lu family had lived in the northwest frontier for generations. Although they had the reputation of being a scholarly family, they were actually a desolate place with no way to get an official position. Now that he had just arrived in Luoyang, he dared not have too high expectations for fame and fortune. He only hoped that he would not make any mistakes that would implicate the Empress. Unexpectedly, the Emperor casually said "acceptable" and directly promoted him to the position of Attendant Gentleman of the Palace.
"In the future, when I consult you on matters of classics and history, you will be the one to do so."
Lucius quickly thanked him.
The Emperor's gaze swept over Lu Xiu and landed on his eldest son: "The position of Vice Minister of the Secretariat is currently vacant. Lu Qing's eldest son is dignified and has outstanding literary talent. He will go to the Secretariat tomorrow to receive the imperial decree."
Although this official position was of the fourth rank, it was a crucial post directly connected to the central government.
He was in charge of drafting imperial edicts, advising on confidential documents, and, most importantly, frequently had the opportunity to see the emperor.
As for Lu Xiu's youngest son, he was not as academically advanced as his elder brother, but the emperor still gave him a seventh-rank position and sent him to the Tiger Guard.
Thus, all three members of the Lu family—father and sons—received rewards.
The grace of Heaven is so boundless that it truly leaves one at a loss.
Lu Xiu, with his two sons, kowtowed deeply once again, saying, "Your Majesty's grace has been bestowed upon us. We know that everything we have today is due to Your Majesty's favor and the Empress's compassion. We will do our utmost to repay Your Majesty and the Empress's kindness in the future."
The emperor leaned back in his chair, his fingertips tapping the armrest casually. “You need not be so quick to thank me. Your maternal family, the empress’s family, will naturally be subject to official positions and titles after entering Luoyang.”
"However, I would like to hear about the Empress's past."
Lu Xiu glanced at his eldest son behind him, and the young man immediately stepped forward.
"Although we are from a humble family and cannot be rich, we sincerely regard Your Majesty as family. However, my mother passed away early, and my father has sometimes neglected the upbringing of his daughter. Perhaps there are shortcomings. I hope Your Majesty will punish us."
Xiao Zhuo said, "The Empress did tell me a few days ago that you treat her fairly well."
The Lu family father and son gradually began to tell the emperor about the empress's past. After they finished reminiscing, they thanked the emperor and withdrew. Xiao Zhuo's smile gradually faded, and his gaze turned deep towards the palace gate.
When they first met, Yuan Chaolu said that she was bullied by her family when she was young and was locked in a dark room with stray cats, which made her afraid of cats ever since. However, the Lu family said that the Empress was bullied when she was playing with her friends, and it was not the Lu family who did it.
Before the marriage, Yuan Chaolu also helped to smooth things over for the Lu family.
He also thought he had misremembered because of the long interval, but upon closer reflection, he felt that the accounts were inconsistent.
He turned around and asked, "Has the Empress returned?"
Zhong Changjun was taken aback, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Xiao Zhuo said, "I remember that three days later the Empress sent someone to say that she would stay at Chanxu Temple for a day and would return to the palace the next day."
Zhong Changjun smiled silently, looking at the emperor's somber face, unsure how to answer. "Yes, the empress did not return last night either. The palace gates are locked today, and the imperial carriage is still in Chanxu Temple."
At this moment, Zhong Changjun still had something on his mind that he dared not tell His Majesty: the Empress had been extremely leisurely these past few days, spending her days at Chanxu Temple airing books, admiring flowers, going up and down the mountain, picking herbs, and living a carefree and leisurely life.
The emperor's long, slender fingers toyed with the memorial presented by the Lu family father and son. The memorial made a soft rustling sound. After a long while, he gritted his teeth and chuckled softly.
"She was so happy that she forgot all about home."
**
In Zenxu Temple.
Yuan Chaolu changed her clothes in the room, put on her pearl hairpin in front of the mirror, and brewed tea to wait for the arrival of Princess Yiyang.
Outside the window, the clouds drifted by, and finally, the sound of footsteps could be heard. Just as I looked up, I saw a familiar figure.
Zhong Changjun stepped inside with a smile, "Your Majesty the Empress."
Behind him, another tall, slender figure in black entered from outside the courtyard. Yuan Chaolu stood up and went to greet him.
Xiao Zhuo looked at her adorned with red and green jewelry, walked past her, sat down at the table, and said, "Your Majesty the Empress, who are you waiting for in such finery?"
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