Chapter 88 Companion
The second prince, Jingshi, died, and the emperor ordered a burial with princely rites. The emperor suspended court for five days, and the imperial court wore plain clothes for three days. The concubines, princes, and princesses in the palace wore formal attire (formal clothing) for a hundred days, then removed it, and wore plain clothes for twenty-seven days. He personally attended the first and second sacrifices, offering the incense. (*)
There were only a few faint candlelights left in Chengqian Palace, shrouding the room in a dim and silent atmosphere.
Xie Junyao finally walked to the desk with steps that seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.
He sat on the dragon throne for a moment, then his voice became hoarse: "You can go down. I won't see anyone these days."
Li Dexian bowed: "Yes."
After closing the door, Li Dexian thought for a moment and said to his apprentice Xiao Fuzi, "I will go to Changlixuan in person and invite Concubine Ling to come. You stay here and guard."
"Eh?" Xiao Fuzi was confused. "But Master, didn't the Emperor say he wouldn't see anyone?"
Li Dexian raised his whisk and knocked on his head: "Dead brain."
"Until now, the Emperor has not had his dinner. We have no way to persuade him, so we can only invite someone who can persuade the Emperor."
Xiao Fuzi had been in Chengqian Palace for quite some time and was more or less aware of Concubine Ling's position in the Emperor's heart. "Oh—" she said, and gave a flattering smile, "Master is indeed clever. Master, go ahead without worry. I will stay here to guard you."
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Changlixuan
When Wen Wanyu heard Li Dexian say that the emperor had not eaten for nearly a day, her frown had not yet fallen, and then she heard Li Dexian ask her to go to Chengqian Palace to comfort the emperor.
She immediately waved her hands, her eyes full of fear, as if to say, are you serious?
Li Dexian hadn't expected her to refuse, and she refused without blinking an eye. He said generously, "Master Ling! Please follow me to Chengqian Palace to persuade the emperor!"
Wen Wanyu was baffled. "Eunuch Li, it's not that I don't want to go. It's just that the Emperor has ordered that no one should disturb me. If I go, wouldn't that be disobeying His Majesty's will?"
Although the emperor was very pitiful and had not eaten for nearly a day, she did not dare to disobey the emperor's will and still valued her life.
Li Dexian slapped his thigh anxiously: "Master Ling! You are different!"
"Different? Tell me more." What's different? Aren't we all human?
"You are special in the emperor's heart! You believe in me. I have been with the emperor since I was a child, how could I not know it?" Li Dexian let out a long breath after saying this. Well, he had to say it out loud.
Wen Wanyu was somewhat incredulous and muttered to herself, "Different? Special? Different?"
Li Dexian said to her with great certainty, "Master Ling! If you trust me once, you will definitely be able to persuade the Emperor!"
Wen Wanyu: “Forget it…” If she really had to be punished, she would accept it.
"I'll just go with my father-in-law."
Li Dexian said happily, "Okay."
Inside the Chengqian Palace, Xie Junyao stared at the pen on the desk. Suddenly, something fell from his eye sockets, wetly running across his cheek, leaving a zigzag line on his dry skin.
Still remembering that he promised Jingshi that when Jingshi grew up, he would personally teach him how to write and recognize words.
When Jing Shi was confused, he was still calling "Father".
Jingshi didn’t have time to go to school or do many meaningful things.
Since he ascended the throne, he has reformed the tax law, rectified discipline, stabilized the country both internally and externally, appointed talented people and carried out reforms. But why did God take away his children one after another?
Suddenly, footsteps were heard. Wen Wanyu appeared in plain clothes with a plain flower in her hair, holding a bowl of soup.
Xie Junyao immediately turned sideways, facing away from her, and wiped the tears from his face unnaturally, "Why are you here?"
Wen Wanyu placed the Tremella soup in her hand on the table. She walked slowly behind him, her voice soft and cool, "I am worried about the emperor."
"go out."
Xie Junyao didn't want anyone to see him looking so vulnerable. Besides, he was used to dealing with grief alone.
"I'm not leaving." Wen Wanyu stood still. She was actually very nervous, and she was most afraid that the emperor would get angry and hit her.
"Wen Wanyu, I ask you to leave."
Wen Wanyu's eyes suddenly blurred. Her voice was as cold as the sound of jade, and she said firmly, "I will not leave."
"you……"
Xie Junyao turned around, the words "Did I spoil you?" stuck in his throat because he was suddenly hugged by someone.
Looking down at the furry head, he forgot to push her away for a moment, and then heard Wen Wanyu say with a drooping voice: "Wanwan wants to stay with you."
Xie Junyao couldn't bear to push her away.
A big, generous hand pressed against her back. Wen Wanyu's tears struggled to well up in her eyes. She looked up and said pitifully, "I'm worried about you. Please let me stay. Okay?"
"Just stay. Why are you crying?"
"I'm worried about you."
Xie Junyao not very gently wiped away the tears on her face, but it was of no use. Her tears seemed to never stop flowing. They would fall again when he wiped them away.
Xie Junyao gave up.
He leaned over, buried his head in her shoulder, and tears fell one by one.
Wen Wanyu was stunned because she felt warmth and moisture on her shoulders through her clothes.
For the first time, a 1.8-meter-tall man burst into tears in front of her.
Wen Wanyu stopped talking, letting him lean on her quietly, patting his back gently with both hands.
I don’t know how much time has passed.
Wen Wanyu's shoulders were numb, and Xie Junyao raised his head, took her to the chair, and let her sit beside him.
"Your Majesty, this is actually quite normal. Don't think that showing your grief in front of a little girl like me is weak. Just let it out. It's not good to hold it in."
She couldn't help sobbing and tears kept flowing down, which reminded Wen Wanyu of her deceased grandfather.
He said in a hoarse voice: "Why are you crying again?"
Wen Wanyu shook her head.
He moved the Tremella Soup a little closer and said, "Your Majesty, I heard you haven't eaten anything all day. Have some Tremella Soup to fill your stomach first. Eunuch Li is already preparing dinner."
After saying that, she stood up. Xie Junyao subconsciously grabbed her hand, his tone filled with panic: "Where are you going?"
"I'm going back."
Xie Junyao held her hand tightly, not wanting her to leave: "It's getting dark, stay here for now."
"Okay." Wen Wanyu sat down again.
Xie Junyao held her hand in one hand and the spoon in the other. It was originally very warm, but Xie Junyao's words directly made Wen Wanyu's heart beat up to 180——
"Have you...remembered it?"
"ah?"
Wen Wanyu avoided his blazing gaze. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. How did he know? Sure enough, talking too much would lead to mistakes.
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PS. (*) Adapted from Volume 68 of the Chronicles
Don’t call Xiao Xiejie so fierce, he is actually very weak hhhh This is a complaint from his mother.
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