Chapter 282 When the Emperor and Empress are at peace, the nation and the people are at peace.
In the Imperial Garden, spring is in full bloom, and flowers are in full bloom.
Emperor Zhaoheng, having managed to steal a rare half-day of leisure, was taking a stroll in the garden with Narcissus.
Yongning followed behind, held by her wet nurse, babbling and pointing at the butterflies. Occasionally, the emperor and empress would turn around and look at their daughter with warm and tender smiles.
The twins remained in the palace and were cared for by reliable palace servants; they were not brought out today.
The emperor and empress walked side by side, talking in hushed tones, sunlight filtering through the leaves and casting beautiful dappled patterns on their bodies.
The sounds of wind, birds, and insects mingled together, creating a tranquil yet warm atmosphere.
However.
This tranquility did not last long and was soon broken.
At a bend in a path beside a peony garden, a woman dressed in a light blue scholar's skirt, with an elegant demeanor, seemed to be engrossed in reading a book.
Hearing footsteps, she raised her head at just the right moment, revealing a delicate and scholarly face.
Upon seeing the Emperor and Empress, she seemed taken aback and quickly curtsied, her voice clear and melodious.
"This humble woman, surnamed Su, greets Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress."
Upon seeing the woman, Narcissus raised an eyebrow, clearly recognizing her.
This Su family came from a scholarly family in Jiangnan and was quite famous for her literary talent. She was granted special permission to enter the palace and assisted in organizing and collating some rare books in the palace bookstore.
What she was holding in her hand at that moment was a collection of essays.
"Rise."
Emperor Zhaoheng remained calm, his gaze sweeping over her without lingering.
Su stood up, but did not leave immediately. Instead, she looked at Shui Xian with a smile that was both admiring and meaningful.
"Her Majesty the Empress advocated women's education and pioneered the establishment of female officials, benefiting women all over the world. She is truly a wise empress unprecedented in history, and the common women have long admired her."
She began by praising the subject and then downplaying it, her gaze fixed on the book in her hands, her tone carrying a deliberately profound tone of inquiry.
"However, I recently came across a passage in the 'Rules for Women' that says, 'A woman's virtues are gentleness and obedience, and her foundation is chastity and tranquility. She should not interfere in external affairs or meddle in external matters'..."
After a moment of contemplation, Su continued:
"Your Majesty's actions are unprecedented and undoubtedly a great deed. However... I wonder if we should also consider ancient customs to avoid attracting any... unnecessary criticism?"
Her words were extremely clever; on the surface, she was asking for advice, but in reality, she was subtly hinting at something.
She quoted the ancient teachings of "Rules for Women" to use old etiquette to restrain and question Shui Xian's implementation of new policies, subtly elevating her image as someone who adheres to ancient etiquette and is erudite.
After speaking, without waiting for Shui Xian's reply, Madam Su bowed low to Shui Xian and said, "Your Majesty, I am not questioning Your Majesty, but only seeking your guidance..."
She was clearly apologizing to Narcissus, but the direction of her bow was actually towards Emperor Zhaoheng.
Upon hearing this, Narcissus's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly, and she was about to speak.
She naturally had a thousand ways to refute this pedantic argument.
However, Emperor Zhaoheng beside her moved even faster.
He almost immediately reached out and gently touched Narcissus's hand hanging by her side, indicating that Narcissus didn't need to speak yet.
Emperor Zhaoheng's gaze suddenly turned cold. How could he not know why the Su family was involved?
He pursed his thin lips and looked at Su Shi, who appeared to be learned but was actually restless.
Emperor Zhaoheng spoke, his voice not loud, yet carrying the imperial authority, clearly echoing in the silent garden. Every word seemed to carry weight, silencing Lady Su.
"Whether my empress is virtuous or not, whether she has merits or demerits, is for me and all the people of the world to witness and experience firsthand. When has it ever been necessary to use an old book from a previous dynasty to frame and judge her?"
He paused, his gaze sharp as if he could see right through people's hearts and expose Su's hidden thoughts completely.
"Since you, Su, are renowned for your talent and have been granted permission to enter the palace to compile books, you should put your mind to the right path, devote yourself to compiling classics, so that the wisdom of our predecessors can be passed down and benefit future generations of scholars."
"Instead of using clever words and flattery to speculate on the emperor's intentions and misinterpret the virtuous empress's benevolent heart that seeks the well-being of the world and the people!"
His voice suddenly grew louder. Looking at the meticulously dressed Su Shi, he felt no attraction, only utter disgust.
"The Empress is virtuous and wise; there is no need for you treacherous individuals to use the past to criticize the present and offer your opinions!"
These words were powerful and piercing, each sentence striking at the heart!
Not only did it completely refute Su's fallacies, but it also exposed her naked thoughts of trying to enter the harem through her talent and learning and harboring ambitions to climb the social ladder!
Su's face suddenly turned pale. What happened today was completely different from what she had imagined.
If it weren't for the Empress's decree, she would never have been able to enter the palace in her lifetime!
After entering the palace, Lady Su heard that Emperor Zhaoheng favored the Empress, who was originally of lowly birth, but had won the Emperor's favor with her talent.
The moment she learned of it, Su's ambition took hold.
How could a maidservant of lowly birth, no matter how talented, surpass her?
Before today, Lady Su had never imagined that Emperor Zhaoheng would make sarcastic remarks about her.
She thought that as long as she displayed her talent in front of Emperor Zhaoheng, the Empress might be angry, but Emperor Zhaoheng might remember her.
Unexpectedly... when Su looked at Emperor Zhaoheng with his icy gaze, she trembled violently, and the scroll in her hand fell to the ground without her noticing.
She originally thought that she could find a way out with her talent and learning, but she never expected that in the eyes of the emperor, her little schemes would be so vulnerable!
Su's legs went weak, and she collapsed to her knees, completely unaware of where she had gone wrong.
"Feng Shunxiang".
Emperor Zhaoheng didn't even glance at her again, and coldly gave his orders.
"This old servant is here."
"This woman has impure intentions and is unfit for the position at the book bureau. She shall be immediately sent out of the palace and never employed again."
Emperor Zhaoheng's voice was devoid of any warmth. He parted his thin lips slightly and uttered the final judgment on the Su family.
"As you command."
Feng Shunxiang immediately signaled two eunuchs to step forward and drag the limp Su Shi away without any mercy.
The anthology that Su had just been holding was now lying alone on the path, a corner of its pages turned by the wind.
Narcissus nestled beside him, feeling Emperor Zhaoheng's protection. She slightly raised her eyes and looked in the direction where Lady Su had been taken away.
She was not angered by Su's provocation. It wasn't just women who wanted to climb the social ladder; men did too.
For men to achieve official success, and for women to aspire to a position second only to the emperor, the only path previously available was to enter the palace as a concubine.
She ordered the opening of schools for girls and even allowed women to enter the palace as female officials, all in order to find a second path for them.
"emperor......"
Shui Xian gently persuaded the angry Emperor Zhaoheng, and she truly did not care that Su Shi was trying to belittle her and elevate herself.
This person is unusable, but not particularly hateful either.
Emperor Zhaoheng originally intended to severely punish Lady Su, but for some reason, being remembered by Lady Su in front of Shui Xian always made him feel inexplicably guilty.
It was Shui Xian's soft words that gradually calmed him down. In the end, he told the gentle-smiling Feng Shunxiang that there was no need for severe punishment, but only to send Su back. He also told her not to publicize why she was sent back, but only to say that she had failed a certain step after entering the palace.
Only then did Shui Xian smile, and she walked away hand in hand with Emperor Zhaoheng.
The palace maids and concubines who were secretly observing the scene saw it clearly and were filled with dread.
What talented woman, what ancient etiquette? Before the emperor's exclusive favor, all are but dust that cannot withstand a single blow!
This incident intensified Emperor Zhaoheng's frustration with the disturbances caused to Shui Xian by the trivial matters of the harem.
The following day, he issued an imperial edict: from 5 pm to 7 pm every day, unless it is an urgent matter of military or national importance, no one is allowed to go to the Lihe Palace to disturb the Emperor and Empress's gathering with the princes and princesses.
This order was like carving out a private sanctuary in the midst of a chaotic imperial harem.
During this period of protection, Emperor Zhaoheng acted like an ordinary husband, shedding his imperial majesty.
At the Lihe Palace, he would test Yongning on the nursery rhymes she had just learned and patiently correct her pronunciation.
Emperor Zhaoheng didn't even need the wet nurse's help. He would carefully support the toddlers Qingyan and Qinghe, watching them stagger towards him, and then burst into hearty laughter.
He would even pick up that long-delayed little dragon sachet and, with Narcissus's guidance, clumsily but earnestly complete the final finishing touches.
At such moments, he is not an emperor looking down upon the world, but simply a husband and father enjoying the tenderness of his wife and the joy of having his children around him.
His brows no longer held their usual coldness and profundity, but instead possessed a more genuine and gentle warmth.
Shui Xian noticed the change in the man. She knew that Emperor Zhao Heng had already asked for her true feelings. For the sake of her child, and for the purpose and ambition she wanted to achieve, she also chose to open up some of her true feelings to Emperor Zhao Heng.
When the emperor and empress are at peace, the country and its people are at peace...
...
That night, all was quiet.
Emperor Zhaoheng lay on his side, gazing at the sleeping narcissus in his arms.
Only a dim corner lamp remained in the bedroom, its soft light outlining her peaceful sleeping face.
His fingertips gently traced the faint bluish shadows under her eyes, a result of her recent toil in palace affairs and the new policies.
For some reason, he recalled Su's provocative remark quoting classical texts a few days earlier that night.
Recently, a series of trivial palace matters have emerged that require Narcissus's personal decision-making... the subtle and unequal power struggles among the concubines, and the female officials who are trying to attract attention in various ways, even those who may bring potential risks...
All these images flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.
These things were all draining Narcissus's energy and distracting her.
He then compared the peace, contentment, and pure joy he felt during those two days alone with Narcissus and the children.
That warmth and acceptance where there is no need for calculation or defense, and where you can simply enjoy each other's presence, is so precious.
A strong, unprecedented thought, like a bamboo shoot breaking through the soil, grew wildly in his heart, becoming clear and firm.
Emperor Zhaoheng leaned down, his strong arms gently encircling Shuixian's waist, neither disturbing her sleep nor preventing her from being subtly held in his embrace.
As he inhaled the fragrance of her hair, Emperor Zhaoheng's voice rang softly in Shui Xian's ear.
"Xian'er... wait for me a little longer... I want to have a real home with you..."
The narcissus breathed gently and slept peacefully.
Emperor Zhaoheng looked at her, gently kissed the corner of her lips, and gradually a clearer decision formed in his heart...
...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com