Chapter 327 He waited patiently for this lifetime.
Shui Xian's health wasn't particularly strong, so her postpartum period lasted longer.
Sixty days after the birth of her daughter, she was to leave the palace.
The sky was a clear, grayish-blue, the wind was gentle, and there was no grand ceremony.
Inside the Lihe Palace, Narcissus had already risen.
She changed into a very simple light blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with a moon-white vest over it. Her long hair was tied up with a simple sandalwood hairpin, and she applied some simple rouge and powder.
A small camphor wood chest sat beside the tatami mat, its lid open, and the inside was almost completely tidied up.
She placed several sets of comfortable, easy-to-move-in ordinary dresses, a few well-worn books, and that thick pop-up book on the top shelf.
On the dressing table, the Empress's nine-phoenix crown with pearls, the imperial seal and other items symbolizing the Empress's authority, were all neatly arranged in their original places, gleaming with a cold yet noble luster in the morning light.
She looked around the bedroom where she had lived for so long, but didn't feel much attachment to it.
When the time for parting finally came, the only people she truly missed were her children.
Footsteps sounded outside the hall, neither hurried nor slow.
Emperor Zhaoheng walked in.
He was wearing a dark blue patterned casual suit today, which made him appear even more upright.
He was holding a square sandalwood box, about a foot in size.
He walked to the trunk, placed the wooden box on a small table, squatted down, glanced at the simple luggage in the trunk, and remained silent for a moment.
"Did you bring everything...?"
He spoke, his voice somewhat low.
Narcissus said softly, "Yes, that's enough."
Emperor Zhaoheng said nothing more and reached out to open the wooden box.
Inside, there was a stack of papers neatly folded, with several blank travel permits stamped with the official seals of different local governments on top.
At the very bottom was a stack of silver notes.
"The travel permit is blank. You can fill in your name and identity as you like. Local governments have been bribed, so they won't check it carefully."
He picked up the stack of banknotes again: "Banknotes are valid nationwide, anonymous, and come in both large and small denominations, making them convenient to use. Things outside the palace are different from inside the palace, so it's always good to have more money on hand."
As he spoke, he carefully placed each of the items into the daffodil box.
Everything was put away; the boxes and cages were packed full, yet everything was neatly arranged.
Emperor Zhaoheng straightened up, but did not leave immediately.
His gaze fell on Narcissus, noticing her simple attire and her rosy, healthy cheeks.
"...Take care of yourself and everything else."
Four simple words, yet they seemed to have exhausted all his strength.
His extreme restraint only served to highlight the emotions he was suppressing with all his might.
Narcissus's throat tightened, and after a long while, she finally let out a soft "hmm".
Just then, the sound of a child's hurried footsteps and tearful cries came from outside the hall.
"Mother Empress—"
Yongning ran very fast, followed by his anxious wet nurse.
The little girl clearly sensed something was wrong; her eyes were red-rimmed. When she saw the daffodil's box and decorations, her little mouth twitched, and she burst into tears.
She rushed over without a second thought, hugging Shui Xian's legs tightly, her tear-streaked face upturned, sobbing and crying, "Mother, don't go! Yongning, be good! Yongning, hold me! Mother, don't go!"
The child's cries were pure and direct, instantly shattering the fragile tranquility that the hall had been trying to maintain.
Shui Xian's eyes welled up with tears, and she bent down to hug her daughter, but Emperor Zhaoheng gently stopped her.
He shook his head, indicating that she was weak after childbirth, and then bent down and gently picked up his daughter, who was crying and hiccuping.
"Yongning, don't cry."
Emperor Zhaoheng gently wiped away his daughter's tears with his fingertips, his voice unusually gentle and patient, "It's not that Mother doesn't want Yongning, it's that Mother wants to see a bigger world outside."
He held his daughter, walked to the window, and pointed to the gradually brightening sky outside: "Look, there are very tall mountains, very wide rivers, and all the fun things Yongning has heard about in stories."
"I'll go check on Yongning first. When I come back, I'll tell you something more interesting than all the other stories combined, okay?"
Yongning sobbed, tears still falling, but seemed to be drawn to her father's words. She rested her little head on Emperor Zhaoheng's shoulder and asked, sobbing, "Really...really?"
"real."
Emperor Zhaoheng kissed her forehead. "When has Father ever lied to Yongning?"
Yongning was skeptical, but she gradually stopped crying and turned into soft sobs.
She suddenly remembered something, and reached into her bosom, pulling out a fruit that was still warm from her grip and had clear teeth marks on it.
I don't know when I hid it on my body.
She struggled to get down from Emperor Zhaoheng's arms, walked to Shuixian, stood on tiptoe, and stubbornly stuffed the already softened fruit into Shuixian's hand.
"For...for Mother."
With a heavy nasal tone and her large, moist eyes looking at the narcissus, she said, "Mother, eat...sweet...on the way."
At this moment, Narcissus's tears finally burst forth.
She knelt down, hugged her daughter's small body tightly, and kissed her little face, which was still smelling of milk and stained with tears, deeply: "Thank you, Yongning, Mother will definitely eat it."
The wet nurse also came in carrying the twins.
Qingyan and Qinghe seemed to sense the atmosphere of parting, and they fidgeted uncomfortably, stretching out their little hands toward the narcissus and babbling.
Narcissus stood up and walked to her two sons one by one, leaving gentle kisses on their smooth foreheads and touching their soft cheeks.
"Qingyan, Qinghe, listen to your father."
She said softly.
Finally, she approached another wet nurse.
Little Yong'an was fast asleep in his wet nurse's arms, completely unaware of their impending separation.
Narcissus lowered her head, gently kissed her daughter's delicate face, carefully tightened her swaddling clothes, and whispered a few words of advice to the wet nurse.
The wet nurse nodded with tears in her eyes: "Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant will protect Her Highness with my life."
It's almost time.
Narcissus took one last look at the bedchamber and picked up the not-too-heavy trunk.
Emperor Zhaoheng held Yongning in his arms and followed half a step behind her.
The wet nurses held other children and followed silently.
As the group walked out of Lihe Palace, the morning light gradually brightened, and the red walls and yellow tiles on both sides of the palace road appeared solemn in the cool air.
However, she hadn't gone far when Narcissus paused slightly.
Along both sides of the palace road, many people had quietly gathered without anyone noticing.
Most of them were women dressed in the attire of low-ranking female officials or ordinary palace maids. They varied in age, but without exception, they all knelt silently by the roadside with their heads bowed.
As the narcissus passed by, they slightly raised their faces, their eyes filled with tears, their gazes filled with pure reluctance and gratitude.
Narcissus recognized some of the faces.
Some were people she met during her training at the Imperial Household Department; some were among the first to pass the assessment after she implemented the new policy for female officials; some were able to shed their lowly status and reunite with their families because of her revision of palace rules; and some were ordinary palace servants who were spared from bullying simply because of her fair treatment of others during her tenure as palace official.
There was no commotion, only suppressed sobs and heads bowed low.
Just as Narcissus was about to cross this section of the palace path, a female official kneeling in the front row suddenly raised her head.
She is the current head of the register of female officials. Shui Xian remembers her as a woman of humble origins but with great talent. She was able to participate in the examination because the latest regulations relaxed the restrictions on family background.
The female official kowtowed deeply, her voice trembling with emotion.
"Respectfully bidding farewell to Your Majesty! May Your Majesty enjoy good health and a safe journey!"
Her voice was like a switch that had been turned on.
Immediately afterwards, more voices rose in a low murmur, merging into a wave of sincere sound.
"Take care, Your Majesty!"
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty!"
May Your Majesty be safe and well...
This is a spontaneous and most sincere farewell from the lowest-ranking women, who were once silent and unnoticed.
Narcissus stopped walking.
Looking at the tearful eyes by the roadside, her chest was filled with something burning hot.
Emperor Zhaoheng stood behind her, watching this scene quietly, his eyes showing emotion and a deep sense of pride.
His fairy deserves all of this.
Narcissus took a deep breath and gave them a deep bow.
Everything is understood without words.
She turned around and continued walking towards the Shenwu Gate, her steps more determined than before.
The heavy, vermilion palace gates had slowly opened a crack.
Not far from the palace gate, in an open space, a simple yet sturdy blue-curtained carriage was already waiting.
Two people were standing beside the carriage.
It was Wen Jingfeng and Lu Yuanhang.
Wen Jingfeng looked much better than when I last saw her in the palace.
She wore a neat lake-blue dress with a matching cloak, her hair styled in a mature woman's bun, and her brows were relaxed like never before.
Upon seeing Narcissus emerge, she immediately rushed forward, her eyes instantly filling with tears, yet she wore a radiant smile. Without saying a word, she simply opened her arms and gave Narcissus a tight hug.
"elder sister."
She whispered in Narcissus's ear.
Narcissus hugged her back tightly and patted her on the back.
After releasing the grip, Lu Yuanhang stepped forward.
Today he was dressed in a dignified dark blue brocade robe, exuding a composed demeanor.
He bowed deeply to the narcissus as well.
"Your Majesty the Empress."
He presented a token with both hands.
The token was no bigger than the palm of your hand, made entirely of black iron, heavy in the hand, and icy cold to the bone.
The front features the unique emblem of the Chang'an Escort Agency, with strong, bold lines.
"This is the most valuable token of our Chang'an Escort Agency; there is only one of its kind."
Lu Yuanhang said solemnly, "Within the Great Qi territory, wherever the escort agency has a branch, whether it is a prefecture or a county, seeing this order is as if seeing Lu himself. Manpower, vehicles, and even shelter and assistance in times of crisis are all at your disposal, without any question."
He turned his head, glanced at the smiling Wen Jingfeng beside him, and then looked at Shui Xian with even more sincerity in his eyes:
"If it weren't for Your Majesty's grace that day, I, Lu, would probably never have known what it means to know and cherish one's beloved. This kindness is as heavy as a mountain, and my wife and I will never forget it."
Narcissus accepted the black iron token.
This is the good karma she sowed with a single good thought that day, and the good result she reaped.
"Young Master Lu, you flatter me."
Shui Xian carefully put the token away, saying, "It's Jingfeng's good fortune to have met such a good man."
"I will accept this, thank you."
Lu Yuanhang clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Your Majesty, please take care. The journey through the martial world is long. If you need me, I will come from a thousand miles away."
Wen Jingfeng nodded vigorously, her eyes filled with reluctance, but even more so with blessings.
The coachman had already set out a footstool.
Narcissus turned back one last time and looked around.
Inside the gate, deep red walls stretched out, and Emperor Zhaoheng held Yongning in his arms, standing at the intersection of light and shadow within the gate.
The children were held by their wet nurses. The very young children did not understand what separation meant and had blank expressions on their faces.
Emperor Zhaoheng's gaze transcended the distance, locking firmly on her. In that gaze, there was pain and reluctance, but in the end, it settled into a deep sense of support.
He nodded to her very softly and slowly.
Narcissus withdrew her gaze, turned around, and stepped into the carriage.
The carriage slowly started moving, heading towards the long street outside the palace and gradually disappearing into the distance.
Inside the palace gates, Emperor Zhaoheng remained standing there, gazing in the direction where the carriage had disappeared, motionless for a long time.
Yongning, nestled in his arms, asked softly, "Father, when will Mother return?"
Emperor Zhaoheng hugged his daughter even tighter.
"...when she wants to come back."
And he waited patiently for the rest of his life.
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