The maidservant beside her was so startled by the emperor's sudden visit that she caught her breath and even forgot to bow.
The quick-witted maid Hongxiu, seeing that her master was still sitting there oblivious, was about to bow and remind him, but a single look from Shen Shi stopped her in her tracks.
At Shen Shi's signal, the two maids tiptoed out, while Ji Ying'er continued to gaze out the window, seemingly looking at something.
Shen Shi lifted his foot and walked towards her. Ji Ying'er finally heard the footsteps and said without turning her head, "Hongxiu, I'm thirsty. Go and pour me a cup of tea."
It turned out that he had mistaken him for a maid, and was overjoyed at the thought that his wife had recognized him.
But he still walked to the table, picked up the kettle, poured a glass of water, and handed it to Ji Ying'er.
Noticing that the hand handing out the tea didn't look like a woman's, Ji Ying'er realized something was wrong and suddenly turned around to meet Shen Shi's smiling eyes.
Ji Ying'er's hand trembled in shock, and the tea she had just poured was spilled, the cup falling to the ground with a crisp shattering sound.
"Why are you here?" Ji Ying'er asked.
Upon hearing her address, Shen Shi immediately breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, it wasn't the unfamiliar Emperor.
Why can't I come?
Shen Shi sat down by himself, playing with the Go board on the table, and said with a smile, "It's been a long time since I've been to Wutong Pavilion. I wonder how Ying'er's Go skills are doing. Would you like to play a game with me?"
Hearing him say that, Ji Ying'er immediately felt aggrieved. "You know you haven't been here for a long time. I thought Brother Chen had forgotten about Ying'er."
Seeing her lower her head and weep, Chen Shi quickly pulled her into his arms, hugged her, and gently comforted her, "How could that be? I may have forgotten someone, but I can't bear to forget our Ying'er."
"Really? You're not lying to me!" Ji Ying'er looked up and asked, her beautiful eyes staring straight at Shen Shi, her heart pounding with nervousness, afraid that he was lying to her.
“Of course.” Shen Shi answered without hesitation, then kissed her forehead again. “Didn’t we agree that once I’ve dealt with all the troublesome matters, Brother Shen will make you Empress and let Ying’er be my wife?”
Shen Shi's gentle voice rang in Ji Ying'er's ears. Hearing that he still remembered his previous promise, Ji Ying'er felt a little better.
But when she thought about the neglect she had received over the past few months, she still couldn't believe what Shen Shi was saying.
“But you haven’t come to see me for the past few months since you ascended the throne, and I… I’ve also heard rumors that you’re going to make Consort Rong the Empress.”
From the day Shen Shi became emperor, the gap between the two widened, and Ji Ying'er became the one who could only wait.
She didn't know if Chen Shi would come, or when he would come. She might have to wait another three months, or she might wait her whole life like her mother.
What's more terrifying than disappointment is hopelessness, so Ji Ying'er chose to ask clearly, even if the result wasn't what she wanted, she wanted to know the truth.
Seeing Ji Ying'er's worry and unease, Shen Shi immediately explained, "Who said I wanted to make Consort Rong the Empress? That's pure nonsense. If I find out who spread this rumor, I will definitely lock them up in jail!"
"Don't worry, Yingying. The wife I, Shen Shi, have chosen will only ever be you." After saying that, Shen Shi patted the top of her head.
The fact that the emperor could comfort Ji Ying'er like this shows that he truly loves her.
Having confirmed this, Ji Ying'er felt a sense of relief, but at the same time, she felt even more aggrieved.
“When I was in the palace, I was so scared. Since I came to the palace, I have to do everything by myself. I can't see you all the time, and I can't go to you whenever I want like before. I feel…”
Hearing her say that, Shen Shi felt extremely distressed. Back when the two first met, Ji Ying'er was a royal relative fostered by the Empress Dowager, the most audacious girl in the palace, while he was a timid prince.
At that time, he was afraid of this and that, and Ji Ying'er had to drag him to try many things.
At that time, Ji Ying'er was always jumping around, and many people in the palace liked this lively little girl.
But with the downfall of the Marquis of Anyang, Ji Ying'er, the pistachio, became a hot potato.
The Empress Dowager personally requested to see the girl, whom she had raised for several years. Of course, she could not be exiled along with the female relatives of Anyang Prefecture. However, the Empress Dowager had already passed away by then, and how to settle Ji Ying'er, who had become the daughter of a disgraced official, became a major problem.
Whether it was because it was a difficult problem, or because the late emperor didn't remember this small matter, Ji Ying'er was not expelled from the palace, but there were no new instructions regarding her future.
Helpless, she could only continue to stay in the palace. Life went on as usual, and no one in the palace mistreated her. But Ji Ying'er knew in her heart that everything was different now.
She could no longer be as carefree as before, nor could she do as she pleased in the palace.
At this point, the struggle for the throne had reached its later stages, and Shen Shi had a great chance of winning. His feelings for Ji Ying'er had been brewing for several years, and now that her family had encountered trouble, Shen Shi wanted to protect her even more.
He wanted to ask his father, the emperor, to grant them a marriage. He privately asked Ji Ying'er for her opinion. Ji Ying'er did not give a direct answer, but the blush on her face gave her the answer.
Overwhelmed by happiness, Shen Shi immediately asked his father, the emperor, to grant him a marriage, only to be rejected without hesitation.
Shen Li already had the idea of making him the crown prince, and he would absolutely not allow his daughter-in-law to be the daughter of a disgraced official. Moreover, she was a potential future empress, making it even more impossible.
Shen Shi's plan to marry Ji Ying'er failed, but he was still unwilling to give up. He would go to Shen Li every few days to beg for mercy, as if he would not give up until he married Ji Ying'er.
Knowing that he was a stubborn Consort Zhang, in order to protect her position as Empress Dowager, she had no choice but to ask Shen Li to allow Ji Ying'er to marry Shen Shi, who was then a prince, as a concubine.
Shen Shi still remembers the day the imperial decree of marriage was issued to Ji Ying'er. He couldn't sleep that night, so he secretly went to find Ji Ying'er.
At that moment, he was filled with guilt, realizing that he couldn't even give the woman he loved the title of wife.
Feeling wronged for Ji Ying'er, Shen Shi forced her to keep his promise, saying, "Ying'er, I'm the one who's wronged you right now, but it won't be long before you become my wife. Just wait patiently."
Then two years passed, and Ji Ying'er not only did not become his wife, but even after Shen Shi ascended the throne, she was only a beauty and did not even have the rank of concubine.
Ji Ying'er was right in front of him, her flawless face showing no difference from two years ago, except for her eyes, which always revealed a faint sadness.
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