canonization
After the Haimen Incident, the relationship between Li Lin and Chen Yun became distant. When they met at the mansion, they just exchanged greetings and passed by.
Since Li Lin had become the regent, he needed to consider stabilizing Li Jiancheng's former subordinates and the subordinates of Prince Qi. So he issued an amnesty decree in the name of the emperor, announcing that the people of the Eastern Palace and Prince Qi's Mansion would be forgiven.
Chen Yun also began to repair his relationship with Li Lieo and the concubines in the harem.
On the day Chen Siyu was buried, in the mountains, in the early autumn woods, leaves were falling, and Huang Youbing's face was filled with the loneliness and sadness of early autumn, which could not be dispelled.
Huang Youbing touched the inscription tremblingly, secretly crying but turned her back to her daughter.
As Chen Yun approached, he saw his mother's expression, then looked at the epitaph carved on the tombstone, which contained a half-truth, half-fictional account of his own life and the deceased's. He immediately regretted entering the palace. Perhaps if he had become a commoner, his family would have lived longer.
When they parted, Huang Youbing only responded coldly with her frail back: "If you don't have anything to do in the future, don't come to me. You should manage your family well. I don't want to suddenly become the enemy of the Changsun family."
Maybe it was related to Chen Siyu's death, or maybe it was related to the fact that he changed his surname to slander his sister. In short, his mother's alienation was related to him.
Chen Yun's heart instantly felt as cold as ice, even colder than the autumn wind and falling leaves.
"Mom, I'm sorry..."
However, Chen Yan was unable to convey this sentence.
At this time, Nanny Ming came to Chen Yun and said, "I, the old lady, here to meet the Crown Princess. From now on, I will replace Yangyang and Yueyue as the Crown Princess's personal maid."
"Madam Ming, do you know Madam Liu, who is over sixty years old and lives in the palace?"
"My reply to the Crown Princess is that Madam Liu was the maid who taught me when I entered the palace. She was also the wet nurse of three princes, including His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. She is straightforward and righteous by nature. She currently resides in the Ye Court."
"I have met her, but she scolded me for having all the skills I could think of, not knowing how to balance the relationship between brothers, encouraging others to rebel, and even disregarding the life and death of my own sister. But it was they who forced the prince to rebel, and it was the prince who killed my sister. Am I wrong?"
The bleak wind ruffled Chen Yun's hair. Chen Yun pushed it behind his ears, forced himself to adjust his thoughts, and then said, "I'm sorry for complaining to you on our first meeting."
Chen Yun's frown didn't relax at this remark. He sighed and smiled bitterly, as if mocking his own ignorance. Suddenly he stopped and laughed at himself: "It seems that I, the Crown Prince and my family can only be regarded as ordinary people."
Nanny Ming bowed slightly and said, "Crown Princess, true love is rare within this palace. Perhaps it's not that I'm heartless, but the path to imperial power forces me to wear a mask of coldness."
Chen Yun knew that the emperor was inherently ruthless. Everyone in the palace was guilty of their own evil deeds.
Chen Yan smiled bitterly, "He's been wearing the mask for so long, I'm afraid even he has forgotten what he looks like in the first place. Mammy, I'm tired, really tired."
Nanny Ming looked at Chen Yun's haggard face, feeling distressed. She said, "Crown Princess, life is full of frustrations. Look at Yan Ruoxi and Wei Ningshuang. Although they live in the Eastern Palace, they don't have any official status. Wei Ningshuang often lamented that she spent most of her life for the sake of country and family, giving up true love and fulfilling her greater self. Living in the Crown Prince's residence, she hasn't received even a trace of love."
The choice was still confusing for Chen Yun. Should she choose to trust or distance herself? Perhaps it was a misunderstanding, or perhaps it was true feelings. In general, Chen Yun could not explain it either. She left the burial place with Nanny Ming.
"Madame Ming, come with me. I heard that Princess Qi fainted from grief. Let's go visit her."
This is a private house in Changlemen. A servant brought a letter over. Yang Li took advantage of the daylight to go into the house to check the contents of the letter. The next second, she almost fell down. Fortunately, the servant supported her.
"It's over. Even my family has abandoned me. Now I have to take care of these children born to other concubines. How can I survive when I've never known the difference between grains?"
"The Crown Princess is here!" At this moment, Yang Li hesitated for a moment, and then quickly had an idea.
"Oh, and that person." Then Yang Li took off her hairpin and threw it away, messed up her hair, and made her clothes a little messy before walking out.
When Chen Yun saw Yang Li, who looked so depressed, bowing to him, he came with a sad heart.
"Yang Fei, surviving is the most important thing. Don't be tormented by sadness. We will also find a way to have the Crown Prince arrange for you to be settled."
Yang Li suddenly burst into tears and deliberately said, "How can I survive without Brother Ji? Since you want us dead, we might as well end it all!"
Chen Yun hugged Yang Li and said, "It's easy to end it all, but it's meaningless. Although the children are not your own, you can remarry, become wealthy, travel and enjoy the scenery. You can do much more than you think!"
"Crown Princess, I'm now a widow and cannot be released from the palace. Please let me serve you!"
Chen Yun was unable to react to the sudden plea. After gathering his thoughts, he thought it was an attempt to curry favor with him in exchange for his life, so he responded, "But you cannot touch the prince."
Yang Li said, "You know I'm devoted to you. When I said I didn't want revenge, no one in the palace was willing to believe me. I don't want to be forced into a desperate situation. I just want to live a good life."
Chen Yun felt that those who were ready to make a move often gave unusually perfect and rich explanations, so she said, "Li Lin, the only person you deeply love is Changsun Yun, not anyone else. Aren't you afraid of being left out?"
Yang Li smiled faintly and said, "The Crown Princess is a direct disciple of the Yuan Tian Sect. She is well-educated and virtuous. Women like you should learn from her, and you shouldn't demand her love. As long as you are willing to give her a day or two, it will be enough."
Li Lin happened to arrive and asked, "Yun'er, what happened to them?"
Chen Yun said, "I see that Concubine Yang is deeply saddened by her husband's death, so I want to take her and her daughter back to the Eastern Palace to live together."
Yang Li and Li Lin looked at each other, and Yang Li lowered her head in embarrassment.
"Only three types of women can enter the Eastern Palace: maids, mothers, and wives. You will be the third type!"
Chen Yun frowned, feeling that Li Lin was asking this question despite knowing the answer. This question seemed to be giving Yang Li a name, but in reality it was testing Chen Yun's attitude. Or perhaps, in this deep palace, he had long been accustomed to using this method to balance the forces of all parties.
Yang Li was feeling proud, but things didn't go his way. Zhen Yin rushed out of the room, knife in hand, and stabbed Li Lin. At that moment, everyone thought she had stabbed Li Lin, but Li Lin grabbed Zhen Yin's hand and slowly raised it, telling everyone present that he couldn't be assassinated.
Li Lin held down Zhen Yin's knife-wielding hand and pushed her back inside. The servants inside immediately fled upon seeing this.
Zhen Yin roared, "I'm going to kill you, you unkind and unjust person!"
Li Lin bit the blade with his mouth and took it away. The next moment, he pressed Zhen Yin under him, but she struggled desperately. Li Lin spat out the knife and then forcefully opened her hands like a roc spreading its wings.
At this moment, Li Lin's eyes were stern and his voice was low: "Zhen Yin, if you kill me now, do you think you can survive? Don't forget that I have people who will really kill us all. I am trying to keep you and your daughters safe."
Zhen Yin's eyes were red, filled with resentment and unwillingness. She roared, "Li Lin! You'll do anything to secure the throne! You killed my husband and son! I will never coexist with you!"
Li Lin narrowed his eyes slightly, and the strength in his hands decreased slightly, but he did not completely loosen his grip. He slowly said, "Zhen Yin, you are from the Zhen family, one of the four great families. Haven't you witnessed the cruelty of the imperial court? Do you think I want this? But fate has pushed me to this cusp, and I have no choice."
Zhen Yin sneered, tears welling up in her eyes. "Don't make yourself sound so helpless! You're just greedy for this supreme power. For it, you're willing to give up even family and love!"
Li Lin was silent for a moment, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. Then he said coldly, "Now that Concubine Yang has agreed to enter my harem, you should agree as well. By the way, I heard that you are a Buddhist. Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. You shouldn't let go of the opportunity to save the child, right? I am very cruel, just as you think."
"I won't let you go!"
"You won't let me go? I know you're pregnant with the eldest brother's child. Think about what happened today. Whose child will be considered yours?"
After saying that, Li Lin opened Zhen Yin's clothes.
Zhen Yin stopped struggling, her eyes filled with despair and pain. She knew Li Lin was right, that she had no chance of fighting him. After a long moment, she slowly closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her voice trembled as she spoke, "Li Lin, you won. But I hate you. For the rest of my life, I will never forgive you."
Zhen Yin thought she was going to be violated, but Li Lin stopped.
Whether out of guilt or because he had no intention of doing it, he stood up alone and straightened his clothes: "Whether it is hate or love, it doesn't matter anymore. I want you to depend on me willingly. Here, I will not defile you. Don't create any more trouble." After saying that, he turned and left, leaving Zhen Yin alone collapsed on the ground, crying.
When I walked out of the door, I saw Yang Li and Chen Yin standing at the door awkwardly without saying a word.
"Just now, I temporarily stopped taking concubines for Concubine Yang. No one is allowed to ask Concubine Yang and Concubine Zhen to be my concubines. If you want to enter the palace, you must enter as a female official." After saying this, he left.
Back in his study, Li Lin sat alone at his desk, his mind racing. Chen Yun's estrangement, Yang Li's surrender, Zhen Yin's hatred—all of it left him exhausted. He knew he was drifting further and further down the road to imperial power, and there was no turning back.
At this time, Chen Yin entered the study.
"What do you want from me?"
"First of all, please don't be angry. I have a reason. The reason I asked you to come here is because I need to complete the canonization process. Ruoxi and Ningshuang have been living in the mansion without official status for so long, which is not in accordance with etiquette. Let's prepare for the canonization and do it together!"
Chen Yan said nothing and just turned and left.
Li Lin chased after him immediately.
When the two men came to the yard, Chen Ying was kept by Li Lin.
"As for whether some people have certain fetishes, I don't want to give them any advice. After all, it's a personal preference."
Li Lin explained, "Ying'er, I'm protecting them. I won't touch them."
"That's enough! You like finding other people's wives so much, how dare I have any objection if you touch them?"
Li Lin still had Chen Yun in his heart. He had once saved his life in the snow and many other details came to his mind, making Li Lin even more anxious.
"Don't you understand what I'm saying? I told you I won't touch them unless they come to me. I've always been protecting them. And most of the time, I'm yours. You... Hey!"
"So this is the only trick the great General Li Lintian has? Or is this intentional? What do you mean by unless they come to me first?"
Li Lin was helpless and tried to explain again: "Zhen Yin of the Four Great Families wants to kill me more than Yang Li, and she will really make a move. I can't let her go. But killing her will alarm the Four Great Families, which will be difficult for me to manage in the future. And Yang Li's Yang family can be implicated in the world of Yanyou. If we get her, the strength of Qiankun Kingdom will be greatly enhanced. And..."
Li Lin seemed to be hesitant to speak, and his dancing and gesticulating made Chen Yin stunned.
"You can't even speak now?"
"I'm speechless, and I can't explain it to you clearly! How can I prove that my heart and my body are yours? I just did my job to protect my kingdom."
Chen Yun's eyes welled up, and she bit her lower lip tightly, feeling a mixture of emotions. She stared down at the ground, silent for a long moment, her mind replaying Li Lin's eager explanation and every detail of their past together.
After a long while, Chen Yun slowly raised his head and looked straight at Li Lin. The anger in his eyes had faded, replaced by a complicated emotion.
Her voice trembled slightly, and she choked with sobs as she spoke, "Brother, I know you've endured too much for this country. But my sister's death, and all these misfortunes, are hard for me to accept. It's not that I don't understand your difficulties, but witnessing those tragic scenes with my own eyes, my heart aches too much. Should I believe you?"
Li Lin nodded hurriedly, his eyes full of anticipation. He took a step forward, carefully grasped Chen Yun's hand, and whispered, "Yun'er, the Twelve Cavalrymen obey orders and only trust those within their ranks. Ruoxi is someone they trust. And Ningshuang is the eldest daughter of a foreign army commander. They entered the palace solely for status, without any personal connection."
"I know I've broken your heart. But all of this is beyond the control of the imperial family. Yun'er, I'm also heartbroken by the deaths of my sister and father. So I've arranged for the Seven Stars Group to build a separate temple for the Chen family, with a separate memorial archway. Their true history and true identity will be revealed there."
Chen Yun knew that marrying into the royal family would lead to all kinds of tragic consequences, such as killing blood relatives, being misunderstood, and being alienated.
As Wei Ningshuang said, for the sake of the country and family, fulfill the greater self and give up true love.
Chen Yun closed his eyes slightly, feeling the warmth from Li Lin's hand, and a tear quietly slipped down.
She took a deep breath, slowly opened her eyes, and a relieved smile appeared on her face. "No wonder they say that when you enter the royal family, you can only fulfill your greater self and give up your lesser self. Well, I believe you this time. I just hope that no matter what happens in the future, don't let me wander around in this palace like this helplessly."
Upon hearing this, Li Lin's eyes flashed with surprise. He suddenly pulled Chen Yun into his arms, hugging her tightly, as if afraid she would disappear if he let go. With a slightly trembling voice, he said, "Yun'er, I've made up my mind. After the registration, I will enthrone you as queen. Please agree to let me receive the title."
Chen Yun looked up in surprise. "According to court rules, it takes a week after the emperor is enthroned before any other can be enthroned," she asked. "The Tufan people are almost on the march to the capital, and you're still trying to enthrone an empress?" The man in her eyes was actually confessing his love. Moonlight fell like silver on Li Lin's sharp jawline, and the heat boiling in his eyes was even more scorching than the warm stove she remembered on a snowy night. Her fingertips still felt the calloused touch of his palm, and the hands that once held a knife hilt now held her waist like fragile glass.
"Although the Tufan Kingdom's attack is almost reaching the capital, I chose this moment to crown you as queen. Yunyun, if you are dissatisfied with me in the future, you can abolish the harem."
Chen Yun leaned in Li Lin's arms, listening to his strong heartbeat, and the haze in her heart gradually dissipated. She raised her head slightly, looked into Li Lin's eyes, and said seriously: "I will no longer stop you from taking a concubine. But you must remember what I said today, and don't make me sad again. I am very fragile."
In this way, Li Lin and Chen Yun's path to the throne created a rift between the elders of their two families. The two also kissed each other.
She had entered the palace to "trade," but her sister's death, her mother's estrangement, and her increasingly uncontrollable daily life made her realize that royal love is always bound to "responsibility." A disciple of the Yuan Tian Sect, she trained in the "Way of Creation." Now Crown Princess, and future Empress, she must protect not only her own love but also the survival of the Chen family, Li Lin's reign, and the stability of the empire. Accepting a concubine wasn't a compromise; it was trading "the Empress's rationality" for "everyone's life."
After this rift arose, that is, when the queen's mourning period ended, Li Lin ascended the throne on August 8th.
Flags fluttered in front of the Golden Throne Hall, and officials paid homage, their voices resonating through the heavens. Li Lin, clad in a bright yellow dragon robe and a crown, steadily ascended the steps that symbolized supreme power.
Chen Yun, dressed in a phoenix robe and crown, stood quietly by, watching the man who had walked side by side with her through countless hardships, now ruling the world. Her eyes were filled with relief, emotion, and a certain indescribable complexity.
The two men sat down on the dragon and phoenix chairs on the stage, looking down at the civil and military officials below.
The eunuch announced: "From now on, Crown Prince Li Lin is canonized as Emperor of Qiankun State, and the reign title is changed to Yunling, leading the Qiankun State. Crown Princess Changsun Yin is canonized as Empress of Qiankun State, leading the six palaces and setting a good example. Princess Li Xin is canonized as Princess Changle, the eldest prince Li Mingqing is canonized as Prince Qin, the second prince Li Ziyin is canonized as Prince Pinggan, and the third prince Li Shengxi is canonized as Prince Kangtai. Consort Wei Ningshuang is canonized as Imperial Consort, and Consort Yan Ruoxi is canonized as Consort Xian. This is decreed!"
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress!"
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