Chapter 57 Staying Overnight
With a soft rustling of the beaded curtain, Emperor Zhaoheng's tall figure entered the warm pavilion.
He looked at Shui Xian's back as she sat gracefully on the soft couch, his voice slightly deep: "My beloved concubine, what are you doing?"
After Yinzhu finished preparing the bird's nest soup, she had already left sometime later, leaving only Shuixian sitting alone in the warm pavilion.
Shui Xian seemed startled and turned around at the sound. When she saw Emperor Zhaoheng, she raised her hand and patted her chest lightly.
"Your Majesty, why do you walk so quietly... I was startled."
She rose and gave a graceful curtsy: "Your Majesty has worked hard. I have prepared a bowl of bird's nest soup, thinking that Your Majesty might be hungry late at night, so I brought it to Your Majesty to nourish your body."
Emperor Zhaoheng's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, then seemingly casually swept over the stack of memorials beside the soft couch.
Several memorials still lay quietly in the corner of the desk, their positions seemingly...untouched.
He walked calmly to the soft couch and sat down beside Narcissus, but instead of taking the bird's nest soup, he casually picked up a folded book and flipped through it, asking in a seemingly casual manner:
"My beloved concubine, did you see these memorials when you came in?"
Noticing Emperor Zhaoheng's probing, Shui Xian's heart skipped a beat.
Sure enough, everything that just happened was a test!
She had just seen the words "Consort Jin" on the memorial and instinctively wanted to pick it up and open it.
But then I realized something was wrong; how could such a coincidence happen?
Emperor Zhaoheng happened to be away, so Feng Shunxiang led her into the warm pavilion, where several memorials were conveniently placed next to the soft couch where she would sit...
She hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn't move and sat back down.
As expected, Emperor Zhaoheng quietly entered not long after. His gaze lingered on the stack of memorials for a moment, as if comparing them to when he left.
She was surprised, but her face showed confusion: "Memorial? When I came in, I was only thinking about Your Majesty's hard work, and I didn't pay attention to anything else."
"Eunuch Feng led me to wait here, and I have been sitting here without daring to move around or look around."
Emperor Zhaoheng put down the memorial in his hand and deliberately revealed the name of Consort Jin.
The emperor's gaze was deep and inquisitive: "Oh? Aren't you curious, my beloved, what's written in this memorial?"
Narcissus met his gaze and smiled, "Your Majesty is too kind. The empress must not interfere in politics; this is an ironclad rule of our ancestors. Although I come from humble origins, I keep it firmly in mind."
"Memorials are important state matters presented to the Emperor by ministers of the previous dynasty. As a concubine in the harem, how dare I harbor even the slightest thought of prying into them?"
Her eyes were clear, filled with complete trust.
"Whatever is written inside, whether it is good or bad, is none of my business. I only know that Your Majesty's judgment is absolute and you have your own wisdom."
At this point, Narcissus seemed to realize what was happening.
Under Emperor Zhaoheng's scrutinizing gaze, she revealed a hurt expression.
"Today...is His Majesty testing me?"
Emperor Zhaoheng was a man of deep thoughts. He was still trying to figure out Shui Xian's deeper meaning, but Shui Xian, after realizing what he meant, asked him directly.
He was speechless for a moment, which made Narcissus even more hurt. She turned her face away, and her eyes were already filled with a light mist.
Emperor Zhaoheng said in a deep voice, "How could I be testing you? I was just... asking casually."
To his surprise, the usually docile Narcissus stood up.
Her tears fell like a broken string, but her tone was somewhat agitated.
"Your Majesty need not explain further... I know that after the Apricot Grove Banquet, Your Majesty still harbors doubts about me and my family!"
Narcissus's voice choked with sobs, "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let Father open that inn, and I shouldn't have troubled His Majesty..."
"If Your Majesty does not believe me and thinks I have ulterior motives, then... then tell me now! I will pack my things immediately and take my unborn child to the Cold Palace to reflect on my mistakes!"
As she spoke, she actually turned around and started to walk out.
"Xian'er!"
Emperor Zhaoheng's heart tightened, and he quickly got up and grabbed her wrist.
He held her smooth wrist and could feel the woman trembling with barely suppressed excitement.
"How could I not believe you? I would never send you to the Cold Palace!"
Emperor Zhaoheng pulled her into his arms and felt the suppressed sobs of the person in his arms; warm tears soaked the dragon robe on his chest.
The estrangement of the past few days was instantly washed away by these scalding tears.
He sighed, his tone softening completely: "Why is your temper getting worse now that you're pregnant?"
Narcissus nestled in his arms, crying even harder, looking utterly pitiful: "I didn't want to... but I'm heartbroken!"
"To bear Your Majesty an heir is my greatest blessing... But now... now Your Majesty suspects me... If Your Majesty finds my unpredictable temper distasteful, perhaps... perhaps you should speak frankly..."
Narcissus wept uncontrollably, her frail body trembling slightly, her voice filled with deep grievance.
When did I ever dislike you?
Emperor Zhaoheng cupped her face in his hands and gently wiped away her tears. Looking at her red, swollen eyes, the last vestige of doubt in his heart was dispelled by her tearful appearance.
He lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, his voice tender: "It was my fault, I shouldn't have doubted you."
Narcissus looked at him with teary eyes: "Your Majesty, my greatest dream in this life is to give birth to Your Majesty's child safely and watch him grow up healthy."
"Then...then I will be able to stay by Your Majesty's side, even if I can only watch Your Majesty from afar, I will be content."
"What power, what wealth... in my eyes, none of it is even a fraction of Your Majesty's! All I ask for is to be with Your Majesty for one lifetime."
She gently tugged at the hem of the dragon robe, her eyes overflowing with dependence on Emperor Zhaoheng.
Even the deepest suspicion cannot withstand the onslaught of tenderness.
"Xian'er..."
Emperor Zhaoheng's Adam's apple bobbed, his eyes dark and deep. He cupped her tear-reddened face and kissed her deeply.
......
Outside the Qianqing Palace.
Yinzhu kept her ears perked up, listening intently to what was happening inside.
When she first heard the faint crying, her heart jumped into her throat.
The crying gradually subsided, and then... there was no sound at all?
Time passed slowly, and Yinzhu became restless, hesitating whether to find an excuse to go in and take a look, when Feng Shunxiang strolled over with a smile.
"Miss Yinzhu, don't wait anymore."
Feng Shunxiang lowered his voice, a knowing smile on his face.
"By imperial decree, Consort Jin will stay overnight at Qianqing Palace tonight."
"You should wait in the side hall. Later, we'll probably need to prepare hot water for you."
Upon hearing this, Yinzhu's tense nerves suddenly relaxed.
She quickly and respectfully replied, "Yes, thank you for informing me, Eunuch Feng. This servant will go and prepare immediately."
After saying that, he quickly retreated to arrange for warm water to be served in the palace.
Springtime warmth filled the air on the dragon throne.
After days of estrangement dissipated, they were replaced by a closer and more intimate relationship.
Amidst the swaying of the brocade curtains, faint sounds could be heard.
Emperor Zhaoheng kissed away Narcissus's aggrieved tears, and he coaxed her gently in her ear. His words seemed to carry warmth, reddening Narcissus's sensitive earlobe.
At some point, Emperor Zhaoheng stopped trying to appease her and said some even more offensive things.
Later, Narcissus started crying again, but this time it wasn't because she felt wronged, but for some other reason.
......
After a passionate encounter, the two were completely at peace with each other.
Now that they were speaking frankly, Shui Xian leaned against Emperor Zhaoheng's arm, her voice still slightly nasal from crying.
"Your Majesty... I was a little willful just now."
Emperor Zhaoheng put his arm around her smooth shoulders and closed his eyes contentedly.
Hearing this, she simply hummed in agreement, her tone indulgent.
Narcissus continued to whisper, seemingly lost in a memory: "Actually... when I asked my father to run the inn, I really didn't think too much about it. It's just... when I was a child, I saw people coming and going in the inns on the street, and I thought it was so lively and interesting."
"At that time, I told Father that it would be nice to stay in an inn... I think Father remembered it."
"Later, the family received some rewards, and my father thought about doing some business, which is probably when he thought of opening an inn."
She told a half-truth, half-lie, knowing that the emperor was a man of deep thoughts. Although they seemed to be very close now, if he still had doubts in his heart, it would be better to dispel them all at once.
Narcissus tilted her head slightly, looking at Emperor Zhaoheng's distinct features, her tone tinged with trepidation:
"Your Majesty... I am ignorant of the affairs of the previous dynasty. If the existence of the Dengdi Inn makes Your Majesty feel uncomfortable, or causes any trouble... I will immediately ask my father to shut it down!"
"My father is getting old, so it's good for him to do some other leisurely work. I only hope that Your Majesty can rest assured and no longer worry about these trivial matters in my family."
Emperor Zhaoheng did not expect that Shui Xian would take the initiative to close the inn.
These days, he has indeed been thinking more about the Dengdi Inn under Shuixian's father's name.
The memory of the late emperor's concubine wielding power was still fresh in his mind, and he couldn't help but suspect that Shui Xian was using her father's inn to consolidate her influence.
He gently stroked Narcissus's shoulder, his fingertips lingering on her smooth skin.
"If you want to find some work for your father... I can arrange for him to enter the court as an official, in a sinecure."
Narcissus leaned against him and shook her head with a slight curve.
“My father is not cut out to be an official, and now his business ventures have caused him all this trouble. I’m going to let him stay home and retire peacefully, so he doesn’t have to come out and cause the Emperor any more worry.”
Emperor Zhaoheng tightened his arms, pulling the person into his embrace even more tightly.
"Silly fairy, it's just an inn. Opening it is fine, what trouble could it possibly cause?"
"Since your father likes it and is capable of running it, let him keep it open."
Emperor Zhaoheng was completely convinced that Shui Xian had no ambition to seize power.
If she were interested in seizing power, why would she refuse to arrange for her father to serve as an official in the imperial court?
Besides, it's just an inn.
If that inn could really collude with court officials and overthrow the government, then places like the Zhuangyuanlou, which have been open for many years, would have long been feared.
Emperor Zhaoheng's last doubts were dispelled, and he embraced Shuixian, gently comforting her worries.
Nestled in his arms, Narcissus's eyes flickered slightly.
Isn't this just a strategic retreat?
She will too.
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