Chapter 337 What is Requested
Meng Lingge knew that Wen Zhiming was not a tyrant who would kill an official in a fit of rage over a single sentence. Seeing that Lord Chen had been frightened enough today, she stood up and rubbed her stomach.
"Your Majesty, I have been feeling uneasy lately. The imperial physician said I need to calm down and take care of the pregnancy. If I were to punish the officials now, I fear it would frighten my child. I beg Your Majesty..."
Before she could finish speaking, Wen Zhiming quickly stood up and said, "It was my fault. For the sake of the Empress and the future prince, I will not pursue Lord Chen's mistake this time, but this is a one-time exception. Anyone who dares to commit the same offense again will be severely punished!"
The deterrent effect has been achieved. By complying with Meng Lingge's wishes, it can both further inform the officials of his high regard for the Empress and also allow the Empress to do Lord Chen a favor.
His gaze was exceptionally gentle and doting when it fell on Meng Lingge, but became indifferent and cold when it fell on the officials.
Lord Chen kowtowed and said, "Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty and Empress!"
He wasn't stupid. When those criminals were executed, the screams were so loud, yet the Empress's expression didn't change. Her current unease was just a well-intentioned excuse to plead for him.
He expected the officials to plead for him, but the Empress's plea was unexpected and made him feel somewhat ashamed and embarrassed.
After the officials paid their respects, they needed to go to the Divine Martial Gate to jointly worship Heaven and Earth.
This is the most sacred and arduous step. According to custom, the emperor and empress must climb a hundred-foot-high ladder to complete the ritual of offering sacrifices to heaven and earth in front of the altar.
Because Meng Lingge was pregnant, Wen Zhiming was worried about her safety, so he used his lightness skill to carry her up to the altar.
Those officials who usually loved to lecture him on rules and etiquette lowered their heads and acted as if they hadn't seen anything.
The emperor and empress burned incense and prayed together, while bells and drums below resounded in unison, their joy shaking the heavens.
After the prayer, Wen Zhiming put his arm around her and stood on the high platform, overlooking the palace and seeing the officials in submission.
"What did my Empress just ask for?"
Meng Lingge smiled and said, "Of course, it is for the country to be prosperous and peaceful, for the weather to be favorable, for all foreign tribes to submit, and for the world to be forever prosperous. Does Your Majesty's wish align with mine?"
Offering sacrifices before the altar to the world is naturally a prayer for things that benefit the country and its people. Although this was Meng Lingge's first time dealing with such a matter, she was still aware of this common sense.
Wen Zhiming gently tapped her nose. "My Queen is truly virtuous, and of course I must also be a wise ruler and make some requests for the country and its people. Besides that, I have another request."
They stood in a high position, and the officials below had been kneeling with their heads bowed since the incense was burned. No one saw the intimacy between them, but in this sacred place, it was still inappropriate to be too close.
Meng Lingge pushed Wen Zhiming's hand away and asked, "What else does Your Majesty wish to ask for?"
"I can't tell you for now." Wen Zhiming smiled slyly. He put his arm around Meng Lingge's waist and carried her down from the altar.
Meng Lingge secretly guessed that Wen Zhiming's other request was related to her or her child, nothing more than wishing for a long and happy life together and for their children to be healthy.
Wen Zhiming didn't say anything, and she didn't press him for details, keeping this suspicion to herself as if it were a sweet treat.
The two of them successfully completed the subsequent ritual steps.
Wen Zhiming personally escorted Meng Lingge to Fengyi Palace.
This place is closest to the emperor's bedroom. As soon as you enter the outer courtyard, there are hundreds of palace maids and eunuchs waiting on both sides.
"Greetings to Your Majesty the Emperor! Greetings to Your Majesty the Empress!"
Meng Lingge knew that these were servants of Fengyi Palace, and would later become the palace maids and eunuchs who would serve her.
Meng Lingge gestured for everyone to rise, then left her two personal maids, Chunhong and Xiazi, to distribute rewards to the group.
She and Wen Zhiming continued forward hand in hand, with Qiu Lan and her entourage following closely behind.
Meng Lingge was the legitimate daughter of the prime minister, but she never had the opportunity to set foot in the Phoenix Palace.
The central palace is spacious and luxurious, exquisite in every detail, but it is clear that it has been renovated recently. The further you go in, the more familiar it becomes.
Even after seeing the two swings in the courtyard of the sleeping quarters, Meng Lingge still couldn't quite believe it: "This is..."
These were clearly two swings that she and Wen Zhiming had specially made when they were at the Prince of Anshun's residence; the patterns and scratches on them were still there.
The swing was still there when the Prince of Anshun's mansion was sealed off, but it was nowhere to be found after Meng Lingge returned to the capital.
She initially thought it had been confiscated during the previous emperor's house raids, and she was cursing the emperor in her heart for being such a worthless and difficult-to-reassemble swing. But it turned out that Wen Zhiming had taken it.
When Wen Zhiming saw her eyes sparkling, he instantly felt that the hardship he had endured carrying such a large object when he sneaked out of the Prince Anshun's mansion was nothing at all.
Seeing that the others hadn't followed, Qiu Lan also stood at a distance. A faint smile appeared on her lips, as if she were seeking praise.
"It's those two swings in our courtyard. Back then, the Prince of Anshun's mansion was sealed off, and soldiers guarded it day and night. I'm good at light footwork, and after observing for two days, I figured out which places were unguarded. So every night I would sneak in and steal something. No matter the value, size, or weight of the item, as long as it was something my wife used well and liked, I would take it out."
Meng Lingge is actually a very sentimental person. If she likes something, she won't replace it with a new one, and will use it until it breaks. This isn't because she's frugal, but because she's gotten used to things and developed a special affection for them.
But it's just a liking; if she can't find it again, she'll feel a little disappointed, but she won't be sad for long.
Wen Zhiming knew about her habit and couldn't bear to disappoint his wife.
When the Prince of Anshun's Mansion was sealed off, the lighter items were inventoried and transferred to the national treasury. The furniture and large appliances were not moved; they were simply sealed off and guarded by soldiers.
Like an ant moving house, he started by taking things from Meng Lingge's favorites, taking one or two items each day. By the time he rescued his father and mother and left the capital, he had almost completely emptied the Anshun Prince's Mansion.
The soldiers guarded the mansion gate day and night, completely unaware that what they were protecting had long been moved elsewhere by Wen Zhiming.
Meng Lingge placed her hands on the swing. When it was built, her mother said that Wen Zhiming liked to play around, so it had to be particularly sturdy to be safe. Therefore, the materials used were all very strong and durable, and naturally, it was heavier than an ordinary swing.
The two swings weighed over 100 pounds each, and the difficulty of climbing over the wall and dodging soldiers was unimaginable.
Thinking back to the two months she was away from the capital, Wen Zhiming had to pretend to be crazy during the day and act with Li Yan'er to make the former emperor lower his guard. At night, he pitifully went to his own residence to steal these heavy items so that she could still use them when she returned.
I was so moved that my eyes welled up with tears, and I felt a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"You're already better, why are you doing such foolish things?"
These things are not hard to buy, so why go through so much danger and hardship to move them around?
Wen Zhiming's smile widened as he picked up Meng Lingge and placed her on the swing, gently rocking her.
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