Chapter 662 The Way of Husband and Wife Relationships
A faint light shone through the window; it was the glow from the wall lamp outside the door. Xie Shang turned to look and met Jiang Fenghua's bright eyes, which were staring at him quietly.
Jiang Fenghua's arm was sore and numb. She wanted to relieve it, but then she met his eyes and quickly closed them.
Xie Shang leaned closer to examine her face closely. Seeing that she didn't move, he smiled and bent down to hug her. "I can't sleep alone, Ruan Ruan, don't be angry."
Jiang Fenghua tried to push him away with her other hand, which wasn't numb, but he grabbed it. She couldn't bear it any longer and finally said, "My body is numb. I pressed on it while I was sleeping."
Xie Shang quickly got up and, feeling around in the dark, asked, "Where does it feel numb? Which leg is cramping? You used to get cramps a lot when you practiced dancing."
"Move aside a bit, I'll move a little, it'll be fine in a minute," she said softly.
Xie Shang didn't care whether she wanted to or not, and straightened her body to start massaging her from top to bottom.
First, he massaged her arms, pinching, pounding, and patting them. Then he massaged her shoulder, waist, and legs, slowly moving from her thighs to her calves.
Jiang Fenghua felt itchy, and he was quite quick and efficient in his actions.
After a moment, he asked with concern, "Are you feeling better? Try moving around."
Jiang Fenghua bent her knee, and half of her body felt better and less uncomfortable than before. She said, "I'm all better, thank you."
“We are husband and wife, why thank me?” Xie Shang added, “As long as Ruan Ruan is not angry with me, I am willing to do anything.”
Jiang Fenghua thought to herself: Why shouldn't I be angry? You just lied to me so much because you're the emperor. I don't dare to do anything to the emperor, but I have the right to be angry!
She didn't say these words aloud. She felt obligated to help him, and if she retorted, she'd feel ungrateful; Xie Shang had always treated her well.
Seeing that she remained silent, Xie Shang continued, "I was wrong, and I have thought about it. Ruan Ruan not only has the right to be angry, but she can also hit me to vent her anger. In this world, only Ruan Ruan can hit me. You are right to scold me. I am selfish and inconsiderate of others' feelings, and I am a murderer. Now I want to make amends. Ruan Ruan, please think of a way to make amends to them. How can I be a good emperor? Grand Tutor Jiang taught me the way of being a ruler, but he did not teach me the way of being a husband."
The night was pitch black, and Xie Shang did not approach her. He just kept talking to himself, "The Empress Dowager is right about one thing: the world is in ruins. How can the descendants of the Xie family repair it? I can't even balance the harem, so how can I pacify the world? The Xie family's empire has fallen into my hands. How can I turn the tide?"
Without an empress to help me manage the harem, my harem would only be a chaotic mess.
My father's words still ring in my ears: an emperor cannot have emotions; an emperor must be ruthless and loveless in order to balance the various palaces and the world. My father hoped that I would become as cold and ruthless as him, but I cannot be as devoid of warmth as him...
Helan, Marquis Changping is a pillar of the Great Zhou Dynasty. My feigned closeness with Consort Lan was not to anger you, but because Marquis Changping, Helan Changping, holds a vital position in the Great Zhou Kingdom. I saw that the Empress Dowager wanted to win over Marquis Changping and pushed Helan Yanran in front of me. She wanted Helan Yanran to give birth to an imperial heir. I did not want to do as the Empress Dowager wished, so I feigned closeness to Helan Yanran. Firstly, to appease Marquis Changping, and secondly, to make the Empress Dowager stop bothering you.
Now that Helan Yanran is dead, the Helan family is in turmoil, and I have no idea how to appease them.
I don't even know Pan Jieyu's name. Her father knows she's been neglected in the palace...
The territory of the Great Zhou is so vast that every place is a fortress. I only have two hands, two feet, and two eyes. I need to cultivate more eyes to serve me.
This time, when her father learned that she had died in childbirth, it was because of the Empress Dowager. The Pan family also made a scene in the court. In order to appease them, I made many concessions. I know that the Pan family is not truly convinced. Even if the Empress Dowager pays with her life, do you think the Pan family will just pretend that nothing happened? I suspect that there is a rift in the Pan family's hearts. How can this situation be resolved?
The imperial court and the harem are like two battlefields; I am caught in the middle.
Jiang Fenghua listened quietly, clenching her fists. Then, remembering what Ao Xue had said, she said calmly, "Go and light the lamps!"
Xie Shang was stunned, and Jiang Fenghua pushed him again, "I'm thirsty and want to drink water. His Majesty fed me too much today."
Xie Shang hurriedly lit the oil lamp again, raising the wick, and the bedchamber was instantly bright.
Jiang Fenghua sat up. Seeing him bustling around, she realized he was nothing like a clumsy emperor; he was clearly an obedient tool. He might be childish, but he was also quite adorable. He had never experienced kinship or love from his family since childhood, and after falling for Jiang Fenghua, he probably considered her his only family.
Immediately afterwards, he poured a glass of water and handed it to Jiang Fenghua, saying, "It's a bit cold, I'll have someone bring some hot water."
"No need, this is fine. Everyone should be asleep by now, so let's not disturb them." She took the water, drank it, and said, "Thank you."
Xie Shang said, "We are husband and wife, there's no need for thanks."
“But you are also the emperor. Serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. I have no choice but to be careful and walk on thin ice,” Jiang Fenghua said.
"Ah!" Xie Shang was stunned.
Jiang Fenghua toyed with her water glass. "I'm not angry anymore. Considering how hard you work as emperor, I'm not angry with the emperor anymore."
Xie Shang didn't understand what she meant either. "If I were just Ruan Ruan's husband, would you still be angry?"
Jiang Fenghua nodded. "Yes, if I treated Xie Shang as my husband, I would be angry. You're quite bad as a man, but as an emperor, you're serious and responsible. You're a good emperor."
Xie Shang didn't know whether to be happy or sad. She then said, "From now on, Xie Shang will be both Ruan Ruan's husband and Jiang Fenghua's emperor. I won't be angry anymore. It's not worth getting angry."
Jiang Fenghua thought of the time he dressed in women's clothing to tease her, "If you appear dressed like that just now and people spread the word, I'll be blamed again. You can't dress like that anymore. It damages the emperor's dignity. An emperor needs to have dignity to be respected. We can't let those officials look down on the emperor, and we can't let them hold a grudge against the emperor."
Upon hearing this, Xie Shang stepped forward and hugged Jiang Fenghua, saying, "No one in Kunning Palace dares to spread the word; I have already made all the necessary arrangements."
Jiang Fenghua's body stiffened. "Your Majesty, please release me first."
"I will not let you go." Xie Shang added, "People say that couples quarrel at the head of the bed and make up at the foot of the bed."
“Who’s your husband?” she said.
"I personally went to the Jiang residence to marry you. Everyone in Shengjing can testify that Jiang Fenghua is Xie Shang's wife."
"That was obtained by your deception, you big liar, Xie Shang is a big liar..."
He felt very content. "Ruan Ruan, you are destined to be Xie Shang's wife in this life, the next life, and the life after that."
"So you're this greedy! I won't be an emperor's wife again in my next life."
He said, "Then I won't be an emperor in my next life."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
