Chapter 29, Section 29: Her heart grew colder and colder.
A shadow fell over Gu Zhan's eyes, and he curled his lips coldly.
He wondered why Su Xingjian always mentioned Shen Mi in his reports, and even recently went to Daxiangguo Temple to add an everlasting lamp for his and Shen Mi's child. He had initially thought that Su Xingjian was concerned about the child because of him, but now it seemed that was not the case.
It's more like he's coveting the king's wife.
Seeing Gu Zhan's furious yet mocking expression, Sun Cheng cautiously observed his expression and asked, "Your Highness, shall I inform him?"
Gu Zhan raised his hand to stop him, "No need."
Sun Cheng felt a chill run down his spine, but he could only follow behind Gu Zhan, not daring to make a sound.
Because of the obstruction of a plum tree, Shen Mi and Su Xingjian, who were in the courtyard not far away, did not notice Gu Zhan's figure.
Su Xingjian examined the snowman that Shen Mi and her maid had just built and smiled, "Your Highness, this snowman is quite adorable."
Shen Mi smiled in response, “You flatter me, Su Zhanshi. I haven’t built a snowman in many years. If my brother were still alive, he would laugh at how clumsy my snowman is.”
When her brother was mentioned unintentionally, Shen Mi's smile froze on her face.
Su Xingjian quickly noticed the unnaturalness in her expression and said apologetically, "It's my fault. I've reminded you of your painful memories."
Shen Mi slowly shook her head, "Su Zhanshi need not take the blame upon himself; the deceased is gone."
Su Xingjian faced the wind, his cloak fluttering in the breeze. "Speaking of Brother Shen reminds me of some stories from my time at the Imperial Academy."
Imperial Academy?
These words flashed through Shen Mi's mind. She looked at Su Xingjian and asked, "Isn't Su Zhanshi His Highness's study companion? He also studied at the Imperial Academy?"
Su Xingjian bowed to Shen Mi and said, “Your Highness is two years older than me. When I began my studies, His Majesty had not yet chosen a study companion for me. Most of the children in Bianjing began their studies at the Imperial Academy. Therefore, I was also a classmate of Brother Shen for two years. At that time, my relationship with Brother Shen was quite good. Later, when His Majesty chose a study companion for me, I was fortunate enough to enter the Eastern Palace.”
Shen Mi nodded gently, "So that's how it is. But I didn't hear my brother mention anything about the Imperial Academy when I was young."
Su Xingjian gathered his sleeves, recalled the past, and reminisced for a moment, "Back then, everyone at the Imperial Academy knew that Brother Shen doted on his only sister. At that time, a few of us classmates who were close to Brother Shen clamored to go to his mansion to play, but Brother Shen refused outright, saying that he was afraid of frightening his young sister. Later, when I entered the Eastern Palace, Brother Shen abandoned his studies at the Imperial Academy and joined the army. I never expected that he would meet Consort Liang in the Eastern Palace. It is quite a coincidence."
Shen Mi understood. "My brother sacrificed himself for the country, which fulfilled his ambition to serve his country. Now that I have married into the Eastern Palace, His Highness treats me very well, which is why I am able to reminisce with Su Zhanshi here. I think it is all preordained."
When Su Xingjian heard her mention Gu Zhan again, a trace of disappointment flashed through his heart, but he still wore a warm smile on his face: "A person with such a good nature as Liangdi will live a good life no matter who she marries."
Gu Zhan watched the two chatting and laughing through the plum tree. Although the distance did not exceed the rules between the concubines and officials of the Eastern Palace, the smile on Shen Mi's face was one he had never seen before.
When she first married into the Eastern Palace, Shen Mi only felt fear and respect for him. She was trembling in front of him and dared not make any extra expressions or movements. Later, she relaxed a bit and became dependent on him. However, he could see that Shen Mi was once restrained in front of him.
Now, it was as if he had finally seen the real Shen Mi, and witnessed her composure and ease.
It turns out she wasn't rigid and boring at all; she also had a vibrant side.
Snowflakes began to fall again. He saw Shen Mi through the bushes, her back straight, her light blue cloak fluttering in the wind, and the hair ornament in her hair swaying gently, like a white plum blossom standing alone in the snow.
But this attitude was directed at Su Xingjian, his subject.
Gu Zhan clenched his fist. He, who always prided himself on being calm and composed, suddenly felt a surge of jealousy.
He stopped standing there and walked towards Shen Mi and Su Xingjian.
"What are you talking about that's making you so happy?"
Upon hearing Gu Zhan's voice, Shen Mi turned around and bowed to him, saying, "This concubine greets Your Highness."
Su Xingjian also bowed.
Gu Zhan ignored Su Xingjian, only reaching out to stop Shen Mi's movements, indicating that she didn't need to be so polite, and then asked Shen Mi, "What did you talk about with Ziyou?"
Unaware that Gu Zhan had been watching from a distance for a long time, Shen Mi avoided the main point and said, "It's nothing, he just mentioned my brother a couple of times."
Gu Zhan said "Oh," and then turned to ask Su Xingjian, "Didn't I tell Ziyou to wait for me in the Hall of Diligent Governance after court? Why did he come here?"
Su Xingjian was stunned for a moment.
Gu Zhan clearly told him to return to the East Palace first, when did he specify that it was the Hall of Diligent Governance? Moreover, he had been Gu Zhan's companion in the East Palace for many years. Apart from the back courtyard where the women of the palace lived, which he was not allowed to go to according to the rules, Gu Zhan had never restricted his movements in the front and middle courtyards.
But recalling what Gu Zhan had asked Shen Mi earlier, he quickly realized that Gu Zhan clearly minded that he had spoken a few extra words with Shen Mi.
After figuring this out, Su Xingjian lowered his head and made an excuse, "It is my fault. When I returned to the East Palace, I smelled a faint fragrance and guessed that it was the plum blossoms in the East Palace blooming in the snow and coming here for the fragrance. I did not expect to meet Consort Shen here."
Gu Zhan glanced at the snowman next to Shen Mi.
The arms of the little snowman were made of two branches of different lengths, which must have been picked up from under the plum tree. However, there were no woman's footprints from where Shen Mi was standing to the plum tree. It was almost self-evident who gave her these branches.
Without much thought, Gu Zhan could guess the gist of it, but he didn't expose him. He simply ignored Su Xingjian's words, turned his head to look at the snowman, and asked Shen Mi, "Did Zhi Niang build this snowman herself?"
Shen Mi followed his gaze and said softly, "There are also Cuiwei and Danju."
"Oh, it's quite nice," Gu Zhan withdrew his gaze, gently brushed the snowflakes from Chen Mi's hair, then took her fingertips from her sleeve, cupped them in his palm, and transferred the warmth of his hand to her icy fingertips, asking, "Are you cold?"
Shen Mi didn't expect Gu Zhan to do this. His palms, which had some calluses, were very warm, enough to completely envelop both of her hands. It is said that the ten fingers are connected to the heart, and the warmth from Gu Zhan flowed into her heart little by little through her fingertips.
She looked up and saw Gu Zhan with his head down, earnestly covering her hands, his eyes filled with complex emotions, yet also revealing a hint of tenderness.
Although they had done more intimate things before, the two situations were different. Her ears turned red, and she felt a little awkward. She tried to pull her hand away from Gu Zhan's, saying, "Your Highness, I am not cold anymore."
Gu Zhan looked into her eyes, but only saw her gently drooping and fluttering eyelashes.
Shen Mi didn't notice and whispered, "Besides, Master Su is still here."
These things can be done back in the Azure Phoenix Palace.
When Gu Zhan heard her mention Su Xingjian, his eyes, which had softened, darkened again. Instead of loosening his grip, he held her hand even tighter and breathed warm air into their palms. "What are you afraid of? You are my concubine."
Shen Mi pursed her lips and remained silent.
Su Xingjian watched from the side, feeling a mix of emotions. He knew that Gu Zhan's words were directed at him, so he looked away and said, "Since Your Highness has other matters to attend to, I will return to the Hall of Diligent Governance to wait for Your Highness."
Gu Zhan did not reply to him.
After Su Xingjian left, Gu Zhanfang released Shen Mi's hand, but then pulled her into his arms and whispered in her ear, "Why did you suddenly decide to build a snowman? And you even came all this way."
Shen Mi didn't dare to look at Gu Zhan. When she heard the second half of Gu Zhan's sentence, she subconsciously only explained the second half of his sentence, biting her lip: "I came to the front yard because Your Highness ordered the snow in front of Qingluan Palace to be swept away."
Gu Zhan raised an eyebrow slightly. "What, are you blaming me?"
Shen Mi immediately shrank back and said nervously, "This concubine dares not. This concubine knows that Your Highness does not want this concubine to slip and fall when going out."
Gu Zhan frowned when he saw Shen Mi readily admitting her mistakes in front of him, a stark contrast to her behavior in front of Su Xingjian.
It's like something that belongs to you, being touched by someone else.
But he still patiently followed Shen Mi's cloak and took her hand, saying, "I don't eat people. Don't act like this in front of me in the future. You and I will spend the rest of your lives together. If there's anything, you can tell me directly, just like the Empress Dowager does to the Emperor."
Shen Mi's mind stirred.
The story of the Empress and the Emperor has long been a popular tale among the people of the Great Qi Dynasty. Many stories in folk tales and shadow plays are clearly about the Emperor and the Empress.
She liked these things when she was young, and she had heard her mother mention how the Emperor found a clean background for the Empress, whose background was not good; how he repeatedly refused to make the Prince of Wei the Crown Prince before Gu Zhan was born; how he overruled the objections and made him the Crown Prince as soon as Gu Zhan was born, even though he was neither the eldest son nor the legitimate heir; and how he formally made the Empress half a month later, even though the memorials from the censors were about to flood the Emperor's desk.
Shen Mi didn't dare to hope that Gu Zhan would be as indulgent towards her as he was towards Su Yuzhao, but when she heard Gu Zhan say that they would spend the rest of their lives together, a ripple of emotion stirred in her heart.
She looked tentatively at Gu Zhan, "Is Your Highness truly serious?"
Gu Zhan didn't take it to heart, saying, "A ruler's word is his bond."
Shen Mi stopped and said, "I want to have a snowball fight."
Gu Zhan paused for a moment.
How many years has it been since he had a snowball fight?
It seems that when he was a child, he was caught by the Empress having a snowball fight with the eunuchs around him. After being scolded by the Empress, he never did such a thing again. It has been almost twenty years since then.
Shen Mi was somewhat disappointed, but still said, "If Your Highness feels that this violates the rules..."
Before she could finish speaking, Gu Zhan said, "Okay."
Shen Mi gently parted her lips and exhaled a breath of hot air, "Then I will come out with Cuiwei and the others another day."
Gu Zhan asked, "Not playing today?"
Shen Mi tentatively asked, "Is today alright?"
Gu Zhan nodded.
But Shen Mi couldn't imagine having a snowball fight with Gu Zhan. After all, he was her husband and also her master, and she dared not.
Then he turned back and said, "The snow is falling quite heavily. Your Highness and Su Zhan Shi must have other matters to attend to. Let's do it another day."
Seeing that she suddenly seemed a little listless, Gu Zhan didn't ask any further questions, and simply said, "I'll accompany you back to Qingluan Palace first."
Shen Mi nodded softly, not daring to say anything more.
Gu Zhan indeed only escorted her back to Qingluan Palace and did not keep her any longer.
However, she felt that even so, it was good. After all, Gu Zhan had never been so gentle to her before. For a moment, if she hadn't seen the four-sided sky above the East Palace courtyard, she would have really thought that she was still the same as before, married to a perfect husband who could stay with her for life.
Shen Mi leaned against the window, listening to the rustling sound of snow falling outside, and the crackling sound of charcoal fire burning in the charcoal brazier inside the hall.
She recalled what Su Xingjian had said earlier that day—that a woman with such a good nature as Liangdi would be happy no matter who she married.
What if she hadn't married Gu Zhan?
As soon as such a thought crossed her mind, Shen Mi shook her head repeatedly, trying to banish it from her thoughts.
She had already married Gu Zhan and almost had a child with him, how could she have such thoughts?
Moreover, she and Gu Zhan are living a relatively harmonious life now, and their marriage was bestowed by the emperor. She was truly confused.
In her distress, Shen Mi asked someone to bring up the account books she hadn't looked at much recently, along with some miscellaneous gift lists. With the end of the year approaching, Gu Zhan was probably going to give gifts, so she needed to prepare in advance.
She leaned against the soft couch, flipping through the recent items that had come and gone in the Eastern Palace's inner treasury. At first, they were just ordinary things, until her fingertips landed on the "Nine-Piece Flower Hairpin Crown".
Shen Mi's fingertips froze instantly.
The Nine-Flower Hairpin Crown was worn by the Crown Princess and Crown Prince during their wedding. It features nine flowers, with the number of smaller flowers matching the number of larger flowers, totaling eighteen flowers, and includes two sideburns.
It was completely different from the headdress she wore when she married into the Eastern Palace.
A charcoal brazier was lit inside the hall, but Shen Mi felt a chill run through her body, and even her palms were sweating.
Cuiwei asked her if she was feeling unwell, but she wasn't in the mood to answer.
She clutched the booklet in her hand, and the words in front of her seemed particularly glaring, as if the surroundings had returned to a deathly silence.
Almost a year ago, Gu Chiying's sarcastic words rang in her ears again: "I never thought that my brother would end up marrying you."
"You don't know, my brother has a childhood sweetheart, who is the daughter of Prime Minister Su."
"So be it, she's just a concubine after all."
She felt a tightness in her chest. She had thought that she and Gu Zhan would have many years ahead of them, and that Gu Zhan cared for her enough now, and that there was some tenderness between them. She never expected to see this booklet.
The booklet shows the date the flower crown was put into storage: June, which was when she was pregnant.
So it turns out that Gu Zhan had been thinking about marrying Su Yuzhao since then?
Her heart grew colder and colder.
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Author's Note: I'll be randomly giving out 10 red envelopes in this chapter to celebrate my first time on the gold list! [Let me see!]
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