Chapter 30 The Emperor's Rebirth.
Father was even thinking of helping Li Pan find a way to get a position in the capital! Although this was reasonable, it would be strange if he didn't help Li Pan. However, the reason Lou Xueying married Li Pan was because she wanted his military power. If he didn't have military power, how could he have the ability to contend with the emperor?
Lou Xueying composed herself and said, "Who said I didn't want to go to the Northwest with you? A woman follows her husband wherever he goes. You'll have a general's mansion in the Northwest, so even if it's bitterly cold outside, it'll still be warm inside. Besides, if the soldiers and civilians can endure that kind of hardship, why can't I?"
"Forget it, you're just saying that now." Li Pan didn't believe it at all. "You won't even need to go to the Northwest. You'll probably regret it as soon as you leave the capital."
Her heartfelt promises to him on their wedding night still echoed in his ears, saying she didn't care if he knew anything about music, chess, calligraphy, or painting. And now, just a few days later, she's throwing a tantrum over a single piece of music. She even said she was willing to go to the Northwest with him—that sounded like empty talk. If she really went, she'd probably be crying and demanding a divorce.
Lou Xueying frowned.
For a young lady who grew up in the capital and whose farthest travels had ever taken her was to the area surrounding the capital, it certainly didn't sound convincing to say that she was willing to go to the Northwest.
So she changed her approach: "Are your subordinates really incapable of controlling the other border tribes? What if something happens? Even if His Majesty appoints you in a time of crisis, wouldn't it be too late for you to get there?"
Li Pan sighed heavily: "There's nothing we can do about it. Hopefully, those people on the border will learn from the example of the Quanrong and behave themselves."
Lou Xueying recalled her past life: Emperor Jinghui couldn't find a good reason to force Li Pan into marriage, and Li Pan lacked the connections to help him secure a position in the capital. This dragged on for half a year until he finally found an opportunity to request a return to the border, leaving Emperor Jinghui helpless. Meanwhile, other tribes took advantage of the situation, using the weakened Quanrong as a route to harass Dayue, but were ultimately defeated by Li Pan. This thoroughly proved the importance of Li Pan's defense of the border, and from then on, no one ever mentioned taking back his military power.
However, in this life, she used the incident of falling into the water to force Li Pan to marry her, thus preventing Li Pan from returning to the border and giving Emperor Jinghui a pretext to reclaim military power.
Shouldn't she have married Li Pan? Couldn't she have had both her marriage and his military power?
Seeing that Lou Xueying looked dazed, Li Pan reached out and flicked her forehead: "What are you thinking about?"
Lou Xueying snapped out of her daze, covered her forehead, and said, "Have you planted any spies among the other tribes on the border? If you leave the border, they might really start making trouble. If you can find something on them to prove your necessity in guarding the border, then you won't have to hand over your military power."
Li Pan chuckled: "Why do you seem to really want me to go to the Northwest?"
“I just feel like you don’t like being stuck in the capital. The Northwest is more free,” Lou Xueying said softly.
Li Pan flicked her again, but this time it was on the back of her hand that was covering her forehead.
"So what if those tribes are making unusual moves? Since they haven't made any obvious incursions, how can I find any evidence against them?" Li Pan looked at her with a half-smile. "Do you expect me to go and tell His Majesty that I have people in the enemy camp? Aren't you afraid I'll be convicted of treason, accused of colluding with the enemy, putting on a show, and embezzling military funds? You could cut off my head, and I bet your whole Lou family will be exiled too."
Lou Xueying: "..."
Yes, she was too hasty and didn't think things through.
Li Pan: "Don't worry about the affairs of the court. With your delicate skin, I can't bear to send you to the northwest to suffer from sand. Besides, my mother said that the capital is so good, why go back? Since everyone wants me to stay, then I will stay, but if there is a need at the border, I will go there."
In fact, by the end of this year, the border would be harassed by tribes other than the Quanrong, but Lou Xueying couldn't tell Li Pan, so she could only nod reluctantly: "Alright then, but you and Father shouldn't be too hasty. You still have a title, so it doesn't matter if you don't have a real position."
Once this period is over, and if a real problem arises on the border, Li Pan will be able to regain control of his military power.
Li Pan: "I'm not in a hurry, it's mainly because your father can't stand me being idle."
“He’s afraid that you don’t have a real position and no power in the capital, so you won’t have a say,” Lou Xueying said. “Just like the Duke of Guangping, although he has a title, he doesn’t have a real position. He’s just an idle member of the royal family. People usually give him some face, but if he really needs to get things done, he still has to go to those who have a say for him.”
Li Pan raised an eyebrow: "Then why aren't you afraid that I'll be powerless?"
Lou Xueying: "I didn't marry you for power; I just like you as a person."
Li Pan: "You people in the capital are all very cunning, especially you. You just spout nonsense. Just now you were calling me a bull and shameless, but now you say you like me."
“You always make me angry over such trivial things.” Lou Xueying gently pulled Li Pan’s hand, leaned against his chest, and looked up at him. “But when you talk about serious matters, I feel that this is the kind of general I should like.”
Li Pan chuckled and pinched her cheek: "Little liar, I'll believe you this time because you're so sweet-talking."
The two stayed in the room all afternoon until Cailing came to call them for dinner, at which point they went out.
After dinner, Lou Boyu took his leave with his wife and family.
The county magistrate of the capital region has many duties to attend to. He had taken several days off for his sister's wedding, and his official business was piling up. He definitely had to go to the county office to deal with it tomorrow.
Lou Xueying said reluctantly, "Brother, sister-in-law, it's getting dark, please take care on your journey."
Lou Boyu nodded: "Don't worry." He glanced at Li Pan again and said to Lou Xueying, "Come here, I'll say a few last words to you before I leave."
Lou Xueying quickly followed Lou Boyu and took a few steps to the side.
Lou Boyu said gently, “I chatted with the Marquis today and found him to be a man of both roughness and shrewdness, a decent man. However, although he is currently spoiling you, you must not become complacent. It’s hard to say whether he is only treating you this way because he is infatuated. You must keep that in mind. From now on, you will no longer be the third young lady of the Lou family, but the Lady of the Marquis of Wu’an. In front of outsiders, you must always remember your status and show the demeanor of a Marquis’s wife.”
Lou Xueying lowered her head: "Yes, I've remembered everything."
Lou Boyu: "Alright, let's go back."
He got into the carriage, waved to his family at the door, and then drove away with his wife.
Pengpeng said, "Sigh, it's getting dark. Big brother should stay the night before leaving."
Madam Lou said, "He has to go to work tomorrow. If he stays overnight, he'll have to get up before dawn. It would be better to hurry back to the county before the city gates are locked, so he can at least get a good night's sleep."
Lou Boyu and his wife have left, and the others should also return to their respective courtyards.
Lou Xueying led Li Pan to the guest courtyard. On the way, Li Pan asked her, "What did your elder brother say to you?"
Lou Xueying snorted softly, "I won't tell you."
"Fine, you won't tell me then. I suppose you're talking badly about me, that's why you won't tell me," Li Pan sneered.
The lanterns at the entrance of the guest courtyard were lit, and a servant was already standing guard at the door, smiling and bowing: "My lord, the third young lady."
Lou Xueying stopped and said to Li Pan, "I'll leave you here. If you need anything tonight, just call them."
Li Pan bent down slightly and whispered beside her face, "I don't need a servant tonight, but I do need you."
Lou Xueying glared at him, then turned and left.
Li Pan stood with his hands behind his back at the door, watching her walk away with a smile before turning back into the courtyard and saying to the servant, "Fetch water to wash up."
-
Night fell, and all was quiet.
Inside the magnificent palace, the floor was paved with gold bricks, and the lights were as bright as day. Several imperial physicians walked through layer after layer of lattice doors, their expressions solemn.
Above the black lacquered and gilded bed frame, a gilded dragon-embroidered canopy hung low. People came and went in the hall in a hurry, yet all were silent, and even the air in the hall seemed to become heavy and stagnant. A wisp of thin smoke slowly rose from the gaps in the octagonal incense burner with double-petaled lotus petals, and then suddenly disappeared.
Suddenly, Eunuch Zheng shouted, "His Majesty is awake!"
In an instant, all the imperial physicians rushed over and surged to the side of the imperial bed. Several eunuchs who were serving medicine stood against the wall, secretly wiping the sweat from their foreheads and letting out a sigh of relief.
"It's good that His Majesty has woken up!" The old head physician said excitedly. "His Majesty was so anxious and agitated that he couldn't express his anger, which caused him to fall into a coma. Now that he's awake, it means his anger has subsided. As long as he drinks some calming and invigorating medicine and rests for a few days, he'll be fine."
The emperor on the bed did not react much, only slightly opening his eyes and staring straight at the imperial physicians.
The imperial physicians were puzzled but dared not speak rashly, so they all looked at Eunuch Zheng.
Eunuch Zheng asked, "Your Majesty, are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
The emperor suddenly gasped for breath, grabbed Eunuch Zheng's hand, and sat up abruptly.
Eunuch Zheng's hand ached from being gripped so tightly, and his eyes twitched, but he dared not pull away. He could only ask, "Your Majesty, what's wrong? Is there anything you need me to do?"
Emperor Jinghui looked around for a long time before releasing Eunuch Zheng and saying, "I am fine, all of you may leave." He paused for a moment, then added, "Zheng Rui, stay."
So everyone quietly withdrew, leaving only Eunuch Zheng standing by his side.
Eunuch Zheng said, "Why did Your Majesty send away even the imperial physician? He still needs to take his medicine later."
Emperor Jinghui said, "Put the medicine aside for now. Tell me, what time is it?"
"It's almost past midnight," said Eunuch Zheng. "Your Majesty, you've been unconscious for a full half-day, which terrified us servants. I thought to myself, if anything were to happen to Your Majesty, I could not atone for my sins even if I died ten thousand times!"
"I am asking you, what year, what month, what day is it now!" Emperor Jinghui said in a deep voice.
Eunuch Zheng was taken aback: "Your Majesty, it is now, it is the thirteenth day of the fifth month of the sixteenth year of Jinghui."
"The sixteenth year of Jinghui...the thirteenth day of the fifth month..." Emperor Jinghui repeated, his voice suddenly softening, "Yes, the sixteenth year of Jinghui...the thirteenth day of the fifth month..."
Seeing Emperor Jinghui's unusual reaction, Eunuch Zheng couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"You may leave as well," Emperor Jinghui said. "I wish to be alone."
Eunuch Zheng: "But Your Majesty, you've only just woken up..."
Emperor Jinghui glanced at him.
His gaze was somewhat cold and sharp, completely different from the emperor's usual demeanor. Eunuch Zheng felt a chill run down his spine, said no more, and bowed as he withdrew.
The vast sleeping quarters were now empty except for Emperor Jinghui.
He slowly clenched the quilt beneath him.
His chest was still aching, but he knew it wasn't an illness, but rather his body punishing him.
He had just had a very long dream, or perhaps it couldn't even be called a dream at all. The events were crystal clear, vivid in his mind, and even his senses were as clear as yesterday.
That was his memory, the memory of his past life.
In the same bedchamber, he lay on his bed, barely breathing, surrounded by kneeling concubines and children wiping away tears.
The empress sat beside him, her clothes neat and exquisite, quietly looking down at him.
He looked at her, his fingers trembling, but he couldn't lift them. He wanted to speak, but only muffled breaths came out.
The Empress leaned down and asked him softly, "Does Your Majesty wish to ask about the Imperial Concubine?"
His eyes lit up, he nodded, and even his groans became louder.
The Empress said calmly, "She won't be coming."
He didn't know where the strength came from, but suddenly he was able to raise his hand, grab her arm, and look at her angrily.
The Empress did not break free, but continued, "Your Majesty, look at this hall. How many people are devoted to you? They are your concubines, your children, your servants. The longest-serving ones have been by your side for over thirty years. Yet you have not left them a single word? They are right here, yet you turn a blind eye to them, thinking only of the Noble Consort."
He was panting, his eyes reddening. He had so much to say, but he couldn't utter a single word.
"Your Majesty, do you think I'm wicked for not even letting her come for this final farewell?" The Empress smiled and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Unfortunately, it was the Consort herself who didn't want to come."
As if struck by a heavy hammer, his mind went blank, and he felt dizzy.
He was breathing heavily with his mouth open, but the empress had already straightened up and easily pried his hand off her arm.
"Father."
A figure passed through the crowd and came to his bedside.
The Crown Prince grasped his hand and said earnestly, "Please forgive my lateness. It is only because the affairs of the court are so busy, involving all the people of the world, that I dared not delay. I hope that Your Majesty will understand. However, although there are many affairs, they are being carried out smoothly without any mistakes or omissions. Your Majesty can rest assured."
He stared intently at his son, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out two hoarse words: "Imperial...Consort...!"
With tears in his eyes, the Crown Prince said, "Biyue, come forward. Your father wants to see you."
The Crown Princess stepped forward in silence.
Crown Prince: "Father, rest assured, your son Biyue and I will never fail your expectations. We will surely have children and continue the dynasty of Dayue."
He finally ran out of energy to argue with them.
He closed his eyes, his consciousness gradually fading. He didn't know how much time had passed when the crying around him suddenly became louder.
The room was filled with men and women, all of whom were crying, but one voice was missing.
He didn't wait for the person he was waiting for until his last breath.
He thought he would die with resentment, but when he opened his eyes again, he was still in his bedchamber, only the surroundings were so quiet you could hear a pin drop. There were no mourning men and women, no empress or crown prince, only a beaming Zheng Gonggong and the relieved imperial physicians.
Memories from both lifetimes flooded my mind.
Emperor Jinghui sat alone on the dragon bed, a single scalding tear rolling down his cheek and soaking the yellow silk quilt beneath him.
With each heartbeat, he felt pain, and each of these pains served as a profound and repeated reminder to him—
It is not late autumn of the twenty-first year of Jinghui's reign.
It is now the 13th day of the fifth month of the 16th year of the Jinghui era.
It was the third day after she married Li Pan.
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