Chapter 503 The Grand Finale
As soon as he finished speaking, the two of them burst out laughing.
Couples in this world experience vastly different circumstances after many years of marriage. Some love and hate each other, some treat each other with respect, some sleep in the same bed but dream different dreams, and some, like them, grow increasingly in sync and understanding.
Even though they were so in sync, it was still strange that there were things the other didn't know.
Judging from their expressions, it was clearly not bad news.
Wen Zhiming took Meng Lingge's hand and looked down at the bustling market. He said softly, "Let me speak first. My wife, do you know what I asked for at the altar that day?"
Three years ago, the Emperor and Empress prayed for blessings at the altar. At that time, in addition to praying for national peace and prosperity, Wen Zhiming also asked for something else.
He was unwilling to say it at the time, but now, standing on the roof of this small building, looking down at the bustling market, he was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion and couldn't help but express his feelings.
Before Meng Lingge could answer, he said earnestly, "I only wish that every year, as today, may you be by my side, smiling like a flower. May the gods bless you with peace and joy, and may we witness all the seasons of life together, until our hair turns white and our faces are gray."
Meng Lingge guessed at the time that Wen Zhiming's request was related to her, perhaps to protect the safety of her unborn child, or to wish her happiness and a long and happy life together.
The answer was pretty much what she had guessed.
Hearing the words "hair as white as frost, face as gray as a weary old man," she couldn't help but smile slightly.
Time flies. She has been married to Wen Zhiming for four or five years, but sometimes it feels like their wedding was just yesterday.
She had heard people say that marrying the wrong person makes every day feel like an eternity, and that life seems endless. Back then, she was young and thought that no matter how you married, you couldn't change the course of time; now she realizes the difference is truly vast.
It turns out that when you marry the right person, time seems to fly by, and a lifetime is never enough.
Meng Lingge smiled and leaned into Wen Zhiming's arms, whispering, "I'm pregnant."
Her period was several days late, and she felt nauseous this morning. She even went to see a doctor this morning to confirm that she was more than a month pregnant.
Judging by the timing, she must have conceived a few days before leaving the capital. Her pregnancy is really strange; the more she tries to get pregnant, the less likely she is to conceive. But when she stops thinking about it, she suddenly gets pregnant.
Wen Zhiming was taken aback upon hearing this, and then his eyes filled with light.
"Really?" His hand gently stroked Meng Lingge's belly. "You got pregnant as soon as we arrived in the Northern Frontier. It seems this place is more suitable for us. However, my wife will have to endure ten months of hardship carrying the baby."
He had already decided that even if he only had one daughter, Woyu, he would be content. If Empress Dowager Dong was old and really wanted a grandson, she would find a way to adopt one.
But now that Meng Lingge is pregnant again, it's an unexpected joy.
Meng Lingge nodded: "It's been almost a month. Aren't you a little regretful that you didn't conceive this child six months earlier..."
Their abdication as emperor and empress was certainly not solely due to the lack of an imperial heir, but undeniably, that was the primary reason.
If she had conceived six months earlier and had a royal heir, perhaps none of the subsequent events would have occurred, and she might still be the Empress of the Golden Moon Kingdom.
"Regret?" Wen Zhiming smiled. "With you and the child by my side, I've relieved my third brother of his worries. Now, I've achieved new political successes, ending the century-long war between the two countries and boosting the economy of the northern frontier. I've gotten everything I wanted and accomplished everything I wanted to do. What is there to regret?"
"Don't say our child came at the wrong time. Now is the best time. There is no struggle for the imperial succession here, no court or harem, and I don't have to deal with memorials. Now that the trade is settled and the officials are all in place, I will have more time to spend with you and the child. This is the life I have always wanted."
Hearing his answer, Meng Lingge had no further concerns. Their eyes met, and she tried to stand on tiptoe to kiss Wen Zhiming. However, she was still a little short. Wen Zhiming chuckled indulgently, gently lifted her waist, and lowered his head to kiss her.
This is actually the kind of life Meng Lingge longed for.
In terms of wealth and status, even if the northern border develops for another one or two decades, it may not be able to reach the level of the capital.
However, living deep within the palace, with its intricate rules and tedious affairs, even with the one you love, can become somewhat dull and uninteresting over time.
Now in northern Xinjiang, the two are free and unrestrained, doing what they love on weekdays and traveling around in their spare time. With her pregnancy, she truly feels that there is nothing that is not going well for her.
The Princess Consort of the Northern Frontier became pregnant, and the rumors that the Northern Frontier King was impotent, which had been circulating in the capital, were thus disproven. After learning about this, the officials in the capital slowly realized that they had been deceived by Wen Zhiming.
But it was too late. Now the Emperor and the Prince of the Northern Frontier were in their respective positions and could not be replaced. Moreover, although the Emperor was not as talented and ambitious as the Prince of the Northern Frontier, he was still a rare wise ruler. Furthermore, he did not follow the Prince of the Northern Frontier's rule of not having a harem and only favoring one person, which made him more recognized by the officials.
They had no choice but to accept the situation and do their utmost to assist the emperor.
Wen Kehao restored the imperial harem, including the hundreds of women he had favored when he was in the Prince's mansion, and new women were selected to enter the harem every month.
However, his harem was very harmonious because neither Wen Kehao nor the Empress Dowager interfered in harem affairs, leaving all authority to Empress Su Leyan.
At first, a couple of people didn't believe in the superstition and went against Su Leyan. They even went to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager to complain, but they disappeared the next day.
Everyone knew that Su Leyan's position as Empress and Wen Shaochen's position as Crown Prince were unshakeable, so they gradually gave up their ambitions and became obedient and law-abiding citizens.
In May of the following year, the princess of the Northern Frontier gave birth to a son named Wen Shi'an.
Upon receiving the news, Wen Kehao officially established the Northern Frontier as a fiefdom, clearly granting it full rule over the Northern Frontier King, whose eldest son could inherit the fiefdom.
At this time, the Northern Frontier was completely self-sufficient and no longer needed the court's assistance. It could even pay taxes to the court. Wen Kehao promptly designated this area as his fiefdom so that Wen Zhiming and Meng Lingge could enjoy their freedom while also having enough wealth to support them.
His elder brother had treated him with immense kindness, so he naturally could not be ungrateful.
...
After giving birth to Wen Shi'an, Meng Lingge gave birth to a son and a daughter three years later.
Despite having two sons and two daughters, she had no worries about taking care of children. Not only did her maternal grandmother's family often live in northern Xinjiang, but Meng Xingyuan and Du Shiyin also settled there.
Meng Qingyu abandoned her literary pursuits for a military career, becoming a minor official under Wen Zhiming.
Empress Dowager Dong doted on her children, and the four children were constantly being cared for by the elderly women. Sometimes she wouldn't see them for a day or two.
At first, I felt a little lost, but later, seeing that they took good care of the child, I was happy to relax.
Anyway, the child is still young now. When he needs to learn to read and write, and practice martial arts and archery in a few years, the elders will naturally let go and she and Wen Zhiming will personally teach him then.
While someone was taking care of the child, she and Wen Zhiming traveled to the five kingdoms to see their unique landscapes during their free time, truly fulfilling the warm and cozy feeling she had hoped for before leaving the palace.
In spring, we stroll among the greenery; in summer, we boat on the lotus pond; in autumn, we climb mountains to enjoy the view; and in winter, we search for plum blossoms in the snow…
Wen Zhiming's eyebrow-drawing skills are now superb. Whenever he has free time, he gets up early every day to draw Meng Lingge's eyebrows and removes her hair in the evening.
The woman's appearance in the bronze mirror gradually changed, but her smile remained unchanged.
Life is not always smooth sailing. If you encounter someone who is not a good person, it is better to cut your losses and move forward firmly than to wallow in despair.
As long as we steadfastly strive towards what our hearts desire and sincerely cherish the worthwhile connections in our lives.
Then you will eventually meet the person with whom you will journey together.
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