Chapter 75 He kissed her before the Buddha.
If Emperor Zhaoheng were an ordinary man, Shui Xian wouldn't care about his relationship with her mother.
But the Empress Dowager and the Emperor are arguing over her, so Narcissus has to make her stance clear.
She rose, supporting her swollen belly, and bowed deeply to the still furious Empress Dowager:
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger! I know I was wrong!"
"It is my own fault for being unfortunate and unable to bring peace to the harem. Instead, I have caused discord between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager... I am guilty beyond redemption! Please punish me, Your Majesty!"
Of all virtues, filial piety is the most important. Even a noble emperor cannot disobey his birth mother.
Of the three people present, only Narcissus could be mistaken.
The Empress Dowager did not let her off the hook at all, even though Narcissus had taken the initiative to soften her stance. The Empress Dowager snorted coldly.
"It's good that you realize your mistake! As a concubine, instead of cultivating your character and keeping to your place, you've caused unrest in the harem! The emperor is busy with state affairs; how can he be distracted by you all day?"
Her sharp gaze swept over Narcissus's pregnant belly, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
"From today until the day your son is born, you shall rest peacefully in Yongle Palace, devote yourself to Buddhism, and pray for the imperial heir! Without my imperial decree, you shall not see the emperor! Be patient and calm your mind!"
There are still about four months until the baby is born.
This was tantamount to a disguised house arrest, and it directly deprived her of the opportunity to meet the emperor!
Narcissus bowed with a look of grievance and said, "Your Majesty, I will obey your decree."
She lowered her head obediently, her fingertips clutching the hem of her dress, as if she were extremely aggrieved.
But in reality, Narcissus understood things much better.
The Empress Dowager made a mistake in this move.
The Empress Dowager's suppression actually pushed her to the same side as Emperor Zhaoheng!
The more the Empress Dowager suppressed her, the deeper the resentment in Emperor Zhaoheng's heart caused by his mother's favoritism grew, and the more pity he felt for her!
The Empress Dowager took away the insane Consort Yi. After this commotion in the early morning, it was time for Emperor Zhaoheng to attend court.
After spending some time washing up and changing his clothes, Emperor Zhaoheng said to Shuixian, who was tidying his court robes, in a low voice, "You've still been wronged... I could have protected you."
A somber look crossed his face as he raised his hand and grasped Narcissus's hand.
Narcissus smiled at him. She was originally very thin, but now that she was pregnant, she had gained some weight and looked even more gentle and lovely.
"Your Majesty does not want to put me in a difficult position. If I had a choice, I would rather put myself in a difficult position."
The morning sunlight grew brighter, making her smile radiant, and the dappled light fell into her eyes, illuminating his reflection.
Emperor Zhaoheng gently squeezed her hand and sighed, "Xian'er is such a silly girl."
Emperor Zhaoheng whispered a few more words to her before reluctantly leaving Yongle Palace.
Narcissus leaned against the door, bidding farewell to Emperor Zhaoheng with her gaze.
As the bright yellow figure disappeared by the door, the smile on Narcissus's face gradually faded, eventually turning into deep thought.
Soon, the news that Consort Jin had been punished by being confined to Yongle Palace to quietly worship Buddha spread throughout the six palaces.
Until the birth of her son, she was not allowed to meet the emperor without an imperial edict from the Empress Dowager!
As the days passed, the concubines in the harem took advantage of the fact that Shui Xian was temporarily unable to meet the emperor and began to vie for his favor.
Inside Yongle Palace, however, there was a rare tranquility.
Noble Lady Tuoba had moved back shortly after Shui Xian was released from confinement, and was currently playing chess with Shui Xian by the window in the main hall.
Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, illuminating the distinct black and white chess pieces. Tuoba Guiren placed a piece and looked up at the composed Narcissus opposite him.
"It's quite lively outside," Tuoba Guiren joked.
“Consort Li is holding banquets every day, and Consort Wen is putting in even more effort, as if she wants to keep the Emperor tied to Yichang Palace. Even the newly promoted Consorts are becoming audacious, daring to peek out from outside the Imperial Study.”
Everyone wants to be the next Narcissus, and everyone wants to steal her favor while she is resting.
Narcissus picked up a white piece and gently placed it down.
She chuckled, "When is the harem not lively? It's just a matter of the east wind prevailing over the west wind, and the west wind prevailing over the east wind."
"What about you? Aren't you going to join the fun?"
Narcissus raised her eyes, her clear gaze fixed on Tuoba Guiren.
Tuoba Guiren waved her hand casually, picked up the milk tea she had personally brewed, and took a big gulp.
"I'm not going! Your Majesty was right before. What's the point of me, Tuoba Huan, comparing myself to them in terms of poetry, songs, gentleness, and virtue? That would just be humiliating myself!"
"For me, this exotic style brought from the grasslands is enough!"
She laughed heartily, "If I can see the Emperor once or twice a month, so that he remembers that there is someone like me in the harem, and so that the officials sent to my Tuoba tribe will have some reservations and dare not bully my people too much, I will be satisfied!"
Tuoba Guiren placed a black piece on the chessboard, showing great frankness.
"A woman from another race, in this deep palace, at best, can only become a concubine. As for anything else, I dare not even think about it."
"I'll just have to endure it. As long as my people can live a better life, it'll be worth it if I spend my whole life wandering around in this deep palace."
Looking into her bright and open eyes, Shui Xian felt a slight stirring in her heart: "Don't you miss the grasslands? Don't you miss the days of galloping freely on horseback?"
Tuoba Guiren's smile faltered slightly, then blossomed into an even more joyful expression: "I want to! I dream about it all the time! In my dreams, I'm always chasing the wind across the grasslands, it's so exhilarating!"
She tilted her head back and drank the milk tea in her cup, her homesickness turning into a long sigh.
“But I am a princess of the Tuoba tribe. I have enjoyed the offerings of my people since I was a child, so I should shoulder the responsibilities of a princess. It is my duty as a princess to use my whole life to make my people suffer less bullying.”
At this point, Consort Tuoba suddenly changed the subject and asked Narcissus:
"Your Majesty, to be honest, the Empress Dowager's decree... that we won't see Your Majesty's face for three or four months, right up until you give birth... aren't you worried?"
In her eyes, it was genuine concern for the narcissus.
Looking at the pure worry in her eyes, Narcissus felt a warmth welling up in her heart.
No rush.
Her voice was soft, yet it carried a sense of composure as if she were in complete control.
Is the heart of an emperor unfathomable?
She recalled the cold profile of Emperor Zhaoheng that day, caused by the Empress Dowager's favoritism.
At that moment, she saw the deepest scar in the man's heart.
Now, all she needs to do is wait, wait for Emperor Zhaoheng's longing for her to reach its peak, and then she will have her own ways to win his favor...
Another half month passed leisurely for Narcissus.
With the height of summer approaching, Shui Xian deliberately chose a day when Emperor Zhaoheng was most likely to appear.
On the first and fifteenth of each month, the Empress Dowager would preside over the offering of lamps and prayers in the largest Buddhist hall in the palace. Although Emperor Zhaoheng did not believe in Buddhism, he would often go there to light lamps or sit for a while to show his filial piety.
On a scorching summer afternoon, the sun beat down and cicadas chirped incessantly.
Inside the Buddhist hall, however, there was a cool and tranquil atmosphere, with the fragrance of sandalwood wafting through the air and the soft chanting of Buddhist hymns.
The enormous gilded Buddha statue has a solemn and dignified appearance, with its eyes lowered as it looks down upon all living beings.
Layer upon layer of five-colored prayer flags hang from the high dome, swaying gently in the breeze that passes through the hall, creating a sacred and hazy atmosphere as light and shadow play across them.
Dressed in an elegant moon-white gown, Narcissus carried a scroll of Buddhist scriptures she had copied herself and walked lightly into the Buddhist hall.
She knelt alone before the Buddha, her expression devout, as if she had truly come only to pray for the child in her womb.
She had just respectfully placed the scriptures on the altar before the Buddha and clasped her hands in silent prayer when she heard familiar footsteps outside the hall.
Emperor Zhaoheng has arrived.
Narcissus's heart skipped a beat, but she did not turn around.
She remained in the clasped-hands position, seemingly lost in her own world, until that bright yellow figure stepped into the palace gate, at which point she seemed startled and slightly turned her head.
Through the wisps of incense smoke and the fluttering prayer flags, their gazes suddenly met in mid-air...
The moment their eyes met, Narcissus, like a startled fawn, felt her eyes quickly fill with panic!
Almost instinctively, she took a step back, her slender figure quickly disappearing behind a cluster of dark blue prayer flags hanging beside her, covered in Sanskrit characters!
The prayer flags were wide and heavy, instantly obscuring most of her slender figure, leaving only a glimpse of her plain white dress.
"emperor......"
Her voice was soft and sweet, as if carried by a summer breeze.
"The three-month period has not yet ended... I made a vow before Buddha that I cannot see you..."
Having not seen her for nearly a month, Emperor Zhaoheng instinctively wanted to go and find her.
He paused slightly upon hearing her words.
"You cannot see me?"
Emperor Zhaoheng's voice was deep as he slowly approached the prayer flags. "I remember you never believed in these things."
Behind the prayer flags, Narcissus said softly, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I didn't believe it at first. But ever since I had your son..."
"When I was copying these scriptures, all I could think about was praying for my son... hoping for his safety and good health... Even if I didn't believe in anything, for his sake, I was willing to believe..."
Her voice carried the anticipation of new life, a mother's heartfelt hope for her child.
Emperor Zhaoheng's gaze deepened slightly as he listened to Shui Xian's reverie, which inevitably reminded him of his mother, who had shown favoritism towards him since childhood...
At that moment, a corner of Emperor Zhaoheng's heart softened.
Narcissus listened intently, but there was no response from behind the prayer flags for a long time.
Her heart sank. Could it be that... she had misjudged the emperor's intentions?
Narcissus tentatively asked, "Your Majesty... are you still here? Or... have you already left?"
No one responded; it was as if she were performing a one-woman show.
A sense of helplessness crossed Narcissus's heart, and she turned away with her eyes lowered.
Could it be that... Emperor Zhaoheng isn't buying this?
Just as she turned around!
A long, strong hand with distinct knuckles suddenly parted the deep blue prayer flags!
Five-colored prayer flags swayed wildly back and forth, fluttering and blurring her vision.
Through the fluttering colorful gaps, she was caught off guard and bumped into a pair of deep eyes that were inches away from her!
Unbeknownst to her, Emperor Zhaoheng had silently appeared behind the prayer flags, standing just a step away from her...
"The gods and Buddhas are merciful," Emperor Zhaoheng said in a low, hoarse voice, as he cupped her face and leaned down, "and will surely understand the pain of lovers longing for each other."
The last character disappeared between their joined lips.
The sultry summer breeze blew by, lifting the colorful prayer flags hanging around, creating dappled light and shadow.
This scene, however, was witnessed by Consort Li, who happened to be visiting the Buddhist hall.
As she watched the two people embracing and kissing amidst the prayer flags, her eyes grew colder and colder...
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