Chapter 84 A Match Made in Heaven
In Xiao Fang's original expectation, after the ceremony of enthroning the queen, the two of them would have many leisurely days together. By then, he could accompany her anywhere, not to mention Shuyun Temple.
Anyway, he had no intention of being a king who only lived within the palace walls.
And his queen should be freer than him.
The reason why they had to wait until after the ceremony of enthroning the queen was not because they were really afraid that her status was not strong enough and that she would take the opportunity to escape, but to let her rest and recuperate in peace.
But no matter what he imagined, nothing could compare to her softly calling "husband" in his ear. With each call, he would probably be willing to pick even the stars in the sky for her.
At the end of May, the two of them went to Shuyun Temple after Huaichang's full moon banquet.
Ever since the departure date was set, Qingzan had an idea. It just so happened that her dresses needed to be resized based on her recovery. The people from the clothing department would come by every now and then, so having them make two coarse linen shirts wouldn't be a big deal; the work involved was much lighter than her usual clothes.
Xiao Fang didn't know where she found the clothes, but when he came to pick her up, she was already dressed like an ordinary woman.
To say that they are ordinary is a bit of a compliment; to say that they are from a poor family would be more appropriate.
I also prepared one for him.
Xiao Fang seemed to dislike the clothes and was reluctant to wear them at first: "I'm already wearing casual clothes."
The casual clothes are real, but the silks and brocades, the gold and jade ornaments on the waist are also real.
Qingzan's reaction wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision; she had her own reasons. "Aren't those in Shuyun Temple filled with poor and vulnerable people? Your Majesty is dressed so luxuriously, they probably wouldn't even dare approach. How much must they be ashamed of themselves and unable to live with themselves behind your back?"
Xiao Fang was somewhat persuaded, but he still stood with his hands behind his back and did not accept the dark black ramie gown.
He asked indifferently, "Why do I need them to be close to me?"
Qingzan had no idea that the emperor had such a love of beauty.
"If Your Majesty is unwilling to change, then we will set off immediately." Qingzan pretended not to force it.
She was about to reach out for him, but as if remembering something, she stopped, picked up her linen skirt, looked around, and then looked back at the emperor: "I look like a peasant woman, and Your Majesty looks like a playboy. If we stand together, won't you look like a playboy who raped a woman?"
Xiao Fang raised his eyebrows slightly: "That's not bad, at least I got it."
Despite saying this, he finally compromised.
Not for anything else, just to match her.
Shuyun Nunnery wasn't very large, and there were idle fields and wasteland behind it, which the emperor had already acquired, ready for expansion. But for now, the nunnery was adequate for living, and the fields behind it were temporarily given to the residents to grow vegetables and grain for self-sufficiency.
Most of the people living in the nunnery are women, with a few men occasionally. Most of them are elderly men with white hair who have no one to support them, or have disabilities in their hands and feet, or suffer from dementia.
But the safety of the nunnery is not without guarantee. Firstly, others know that this is a royal nunnery and dare not invade. Secondly, there are many female martial artists in the nunnery who receive salaries from the royal family and make their living here to protect the weak.
When the two went to the nunnery, they did not inform the monk in advance.
So a young nun saw them coming in and wanted to approach them but didn't dare. After a mental struggle, she took the initiative to ask, "What difficulties have you two encountered?"
Xiao Fang and Qing Zan looked at each other and knew that the nun thought they were asking for help, but they also felt that they did not seem to be people in distress.
Xiao Fang simply followed suit and asked, "Could you please allow the two of us to have a vegetarian meal in the nunnery?"
He was not going to reveal his identity. Seeing that the man had the same idea as her, Qingzan took his arm approvingly and quietly called him "husband".
The emperor acted out the scene and responded softly, "Madam, are you hungry? Don't worry."
The nun's eyes wandered over them, as if touched by their deep affection. She smiled and said, "Of course, please come this way. We don't have anything else in our nunnery, but we have plenty of food. It's just that the vegetables are a little thin this year. There hasn't been much rain in the past few months."
She couldn't help but feel a little fortunate. She had just held on to the idea that it would be better for her to make a mistake or say something unnecessary than to miss anyone who needed help, so she stepped forward and spoke to them.
Some people are shy. If she doesn't ask, they might feel embarrassed to "beg" and just leave.
The nun said, "Just now, seeing your attire and demeanor, I was a little worried that I might offend you, the two benefactors. However, I see that you are in your prime and have all the necessary limbs. If you can't find a place to stay for the time being, this female benefactor can stay in the nunnery for a while and do some work like fetching water for the garden. As for—"
She looked at the emperor and said a little embarrassedly, "I'll give you a mat, but you can only rest outside under the wall. As you saw along the way, there are too many orphans and weak girls in our nunnery, so it's not convenient to take in men."
The emperor was actually allowed to sleep against the wall, and Qingzan couldn't help but curl up the corners of her lips.
Xiao Fang knew the nun had misunderstood, but he didn't explain. He just said, "Don't bother. We'll travel overnight and have somewhere to go."
He glanced at Qingzan and said slowly, "Besides, I don't want to be separated from my wife."
The nun was stunned and said sincerely, "You two benefactors have such a good relationship. Although you have encountered difficulties, you have been able to stay together in poverty and humbleness. You are a true couple, which is rare."
The emperor was pleased with these words and smiled faintly, "It's only natural between husband and wife."
The nun shook her head secretly. What should she say? During her time at Shuyun Temple, she had seen too many abandoned women shed tears. A man's love might be free, but a woman's love could never be free. Unfortunately, as a nun, there were many things she couldn't say. She couldn't rashly persuade them to convert to Buddhism and abandon the worldly world. But in her heart, she had already grown even more scornful and contemptuous of worldly love.
But her master didn't teach her this way before. Her master said that although they studied Buddhism, they should never underestimate the human relationships in the world.
The nun brought the two into the dining hall. Qingzan and the emperor ate at the same table with several ragged common people, and they didn't feel uncomfortable at all.
They were first the people of Daliang, and then the emperor and empress of the dynasty.
The vegetarian meal on the table was soon finished. The two men won a lot of favor due to their good looks and courtesy. They were escorted out of the nunnery by many nuns and martial artists.
Qingzan thanked them: "Thank you for hosting my wife and me today. It has been a long time since we had such a delicious meal."
When everyone heard this for the first time, they didn't understand the deeper meaning. They just thought that the young couple had been in poverty for many days and had not had enough to eat, so of course they had no good food.
A village woman immediately handed over two pancakes wrapped in oil paper: "This is for you!"
"What are you standing there for? Why don't you hold it for your wife?"
When Xiao Fang heard the word "husband and wife" coming out of Qingzan's mouth, he felt as if he had tasted honey and nectar, and felt a little light and intoxicated. Now he came back to his senses, immediately smiled and reached out to take the pancake himself, bowed and thanked her.
The village woman also lived in the nunnery. Seeing how handsome and polite he was, she felt a little embarrassed. She waved her hand proudly, "It's just two pancakes, don't be so particular! They're for you two pretty little kids to eat on the road! But I made these pancakes extra big. One pancake will definitely keep you full for the whole day!"
Xu Delu, who was hiding in a carriage not far away, quietly lifted the curtain and looked in, feeling surprised and amazed.
If this were to be told to others, the old woman in the straw hat and cloth skirt would probably not believe that the thing that touched her finger, which was so old and thin that it was almost chestnut black and full of wrinkles, was the sleeve of the current emperor.
The nuns probably had no idea what kind of noble people they were receiving, and they had no idea that this couple was the real owner of this nunnery.
After the two men left, the nuns and martial artists returned to the nunnery and each went about their own business.
Although this couple was extremely beautiful and rare to see, they were actually just one of the miserable people they met every day.
Just a little special.
A young nun said, "May Buddha bless them."
Another said, "What's the point of just making a vow? Why don't you copy a few more volumes of Buddhist scriptures for them?"
The younger nun argued, "All beings are equal. Besides, judging by the mental state of the couple, they are definitely not ordinary people!"
"You said the same thing last time!"
…
After leaving Shuyun Temple, Qingzan went to pay homage to her deceased mother. When she returned to the palace, she wore blue shoes and cloth socks and accompanied the emperor back to Taiji Hall.
Unexpectedly, Chen Shaoling was waiting in the corridor in front of the Taiji Hall.
Chen Shaoling originally came to look for the emperor, but at first glance, his attention was caught by the woman beside the emperor, and he could not look away.
She was not wearing any silk or mourning clothes today, but dressed as an ordinary woman. Her face was less cold and sharp, and more gentle and simple.
Like, even more like.
Could it be that the bones of an old friend have been reborn and returned to the human world?
In the next moment, would she bend down, hand him a piece of steamed cake, and ask him softly, "Is this enough to bribe the young master?"
"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty, Her Majesty." Chen Shaoling lowered his eyes to hide the surging waves in his eyes. He tried his best to restrain himself, and his heart seemed to be trembling.
He maintained his bowing posture.
"May I have a few words with Her Majesty?" He asked Qingzan, but was looking at the emperor.
The emperor frowned. Just based on the blank look in his eyes, there was no way he would let them be alone together.
He stared at people with a stern expression. Chen Shaoling noticed it and suddenly felt as if a frost light hit him and his feet stepped into a deep pool.
He knew that the emperor had always disliked his contact with the empress.
But this time, he did not retreat at all.
Even if the emperor wants to punish you for it.
Qing Zan also wanted to say something to Chen Shaoling. Seeing that the emperor hadn't nodded yet, she scratched his palm with her little finger and said, "Just two sentences."
The emperor's breathing fluctuated slightly, but he still refused to give in.
Qingzan had no choice but to give orders to the emperor: "Your Majesty, please go in first."
Xiao Fang couldn't bear to lose face for her, so he said reluctantly: "Just two sentences."
Qingzan nodded.
Neither she nor Chen Shaoling planned to hide away elsewhere. After all, they were the empress and a foreign minister. Since the emperor had already agreed, it would be better for them to be open and honest. It would be better for them to stand in broad daylight.
Today is a cloudless day. The sky is as clear as a piece of blue glass, shining with clean, bright blue light.
"Master Chen." Qingzan tilted her head slightly, her eyes and eyebrows gentle.
In just a few months, the affairs of the Duan family were like a boat sailing through thousands of mountains, leaving only the nostalgia for her mother, and the regret and melancholy that would occasionally turn into clouds of smoke, leaving only a shadow in the mountains and rivers.
That's all.
Hatred could no longer hold her back.
But she never forgot that when she was isolated and helpless, Chen Shaoling was one of her few hopes.
"Thank you, sir, for burying my mother and erecting the tombstone." She bowed deeply, her waist no longer showing the swelling from pregnancy. "I also thank you, sir, for your willingness to help me despite our brief acquaintance."
This was a bow from the empress, the mother of the country, and it was of such great significance that the usually humble and polite top scholar forgot to avoid it.
He was simply lost in thought, lost in thought. After a moment, he snapped out of his trance and said, "Your Majesty, there's no need to be polite. It's not you whom I've ever helped."
Qing Zan knew that he was looking at another person through her, but she didn't expose him. She asked softly, "I have said what I want to say. What do you want to say, sir?"
Chen Shaoling smiled gently: "I have finished what I wanted to say."
He just wanted to see his old friend one more time. He had nothing to say, and he couldn't say anything.
Qingzan reacted after a moment, said okay, nodded to him, and turned to go into the hall.
Chen Shaoling also bowed back gracefully.
He lowered his head and stared at the imperial steps for a long time. He could only hear the light footsteps outside him, like ripples on the water, one fainter than the other.
Finally, the person has gone far away, and only he is still there.
Just like what he couldn't get when he was young and ignorant, it kept him where he was for the rest of his life.
He murmured, "What more can I say? Why should I say anything?"
*
On June 18th, the ceremony of conferring the title of Queen was held.
Qingzan and the emperor walked up the ninety-nine steps shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand. All the officials lined up below the stage as if they were paying homage, and witnessed with their own eyes the emperor handing the phoenix seal and the golden book to Qingzan, and then kneeling down respectfully.
The loud voices all shouted: "Long live the Queen!"
On the high platform, beneath a ceremonial umbrella embroidered with golden dragons and colorful phoenixes, the emperor said nonchalantly, "Long live the emperor! Otherwise, I will be lonely if I am left alone."
The attendants on both sides were all shocked when they heard this. However, the eunuch who sang the ceremonial ceremony had already shouted to the ministers in a very polite manner: "Your Majesty has ordered, cheer for the emperor! Long live the emperor!"
Who dares to disobey the Holy Order?
Amidst the shouts of "Long live the emperor", the historians in charge of recording today's grand occasion and the emperor's imperial edicts were at a loss as to how to write about this event!
This is simply a disregard for etiquette and rules, heresy and shocking!
But the emperor is all about etiquette and rules...
The historians were in tears.
After the ceremony, the historian stood at the bottom of the stairs and watched the emperor and empress slowly walk down from the other side of the platform. He raised his head and wiped his face with his hand. There were a few drops of clear water on his face.
It's raining.
The rain is getting heavier.
The weather has been quite dry and hot since May this year, and it has been almost sunny until June. Many people are worried that if it does not rain this summer, the impact of the drought will be wider than in previous years.
But now, a rain has come that nourishes all things.
The ministers all bowed again in unison: "Your Majesty, may the country be blessed. Your Majesty, may the country be blessed!"
It is said that auspicious snow means a good harvest. With such heavy snow at the beginning of the year, this year is indeed a good year with good weather and good harvest.
The emperor and empress's carriage was originally heading towards Fengzao Palace, but halfway through, the emperor ordered it to stop.
Then the two of them got off the sedan together. Xiao Fang took the umbrella from Xu Delu and held it over the head of the woman in gorgeous clothes next to him who was holding high the Nine Dragons and Four Phoenix Crown.
They walked side by side in the rain, the sound of water was melodious, and the wriggling Zhai birds on the hem of Qingzan's skirt drank up the rain water from the cracks in the palace road and the shallow puddles, and the color became deeper and more gorgeous.
Qing Zan laughed and said, "If they mess it up like this, they'll definitely curse me when they clean it up later!"
"Then let me hold you?" Xiao Fang suggested.
Qing Zan shook her head: "It's already dirty, why waste your majesty's energy?"
The things she has on her today are quite heavy.
As she was speaking, she stopped and looked towards the gate of Chengluan Palace, sighing, "I've come back here without realizing it."
It was clear that they would be living in Fengzao Palace from now on. Just now, he was thinking about going back to see if Chang'er had adapted to the new bedroom, but he subconsciously took the most familiar road and walked back here.
Taking advantage of the moment she paused, the emperor thrust the umbrella handle between her fingers and palms, easily lifting her up horizontally: "Holding you is never a wasted effort."
He kicked open the half-open palace door.
Qingzan put her arm around his neck and said with some interest, "Let's go back to Baoyuyou Pavilion and take a look. Those red candles and wedding characters are still there."
It must have been covered in dust.
Xiao Fang said, "Okay, it just so happens that you and I still owe a cup of wedding wine."
Qingzan's face wrinkled, and his expression was a little difficult to describe.
The wine can be stored for a long time, but can the cups and bowls covered with dust still be used?
But I couldn't bear to spoil his fun, so I kept it to myself.
He just said softly, "Then drink less."
However, when the door of Baoyuyou Pavilion opened, what came into view was brand new, bright red silk, and red candles shining with gold powder. There were pearls everywhere, and gorgeous mats like clouds, with thousands of red and purple colors piled up in the room.
Not only did she not get a mouthful of dust, it was even spotlessly clean. The shiny black brick surface could even reflect people's shadows clearly.
Apparently, the palace servants came specially during the grand ceremony to clean and redecorate the place.
It turned out that he was well prepared.
Xiao Fang put the person down and threw the umbrella in her hand outside the door.
Qing Zan looked around and couldn't help asking him, "What if I hadn't said I was coming?"
"Then next time. I've been waiting for you here, just like I will always be waiting for you."
His waiting was never about sitting around waiting for dust to come, nor was it about standing still. Instead, it was about preparing everything in anticipation of her favor.
Besides, even if she didn't come, he could still kidnap her.
He has plenty of strength.
Just like now.
The emperor brought the person to the bridal bed in the bedroom, which was already covered with a bright red mattress embroidered with gold dragons and phoenixes.
Only one of Qingzan's feet was still touching the ground, and she was lying on her back on the wedding bed. She watched the emperor bring the wine jug, feed her a sip, then throw the jug away and lean over to grab the wine from her mouth.
Qing Zan suddenly felt a little dizzy and asked with sobs, "Is this the wedding wine that Your Majesty mentioned?"
How can it be a perfect match?
It was clearly only one sip of wine, but the two of them drank it until the smell of alcohol filled their bodies and their eyes were flushed between the touch of their lips and teeth.
The emperor took off her heavy Zhai robe and slowly moved his thin lips down.
The tip of his teeth pressed against the hills and valleys on her body, which was his other fertile land.
No place was left out.
Qing Zan's clear eyes flashed with a hint of wet smoke, as if she was walking on light clouds, her expression as swaying as a thread.
When she was held up by the emperor's hands, she was still switching between shame and shyness, but then she saw that the situation between the two of them had been reversed.
As soon as she sat up, a trickle of water flowed down the stream, and wherever it flowed, it seemed to melt the fine white fragrant snow that had condensed there, making it sticky and endless.
Qingzan looked down at the emperor with trembling eyes, feeling a little annoyed and a little confused.
"Today, my dearest is here." Xiao Fang's throat rolled, and he suddenly grabbed the person's forearm and pushed her down.
The vortex of the spring was blocked rudely.
Only then did I realize that it is better to unblock than to block, and the situation became even more turbulent.
*
After a secret conversation, Xiao Fang held someone in his arms and watched the rain under the corridor.
Qingzan's Zhaifu had been put back on, from inside to outside, and it was clear that the emperor had done it himself. What surprised her was that the knot he had tied for her undergarment was as beautiful as the ones she had tied for Doukou and the others.
Xiao Fang laughed at her fussing and said, "What can't I learn?"
The two green parrots had clearly been taken to Fengzao Palace, but for some reason they flew back, and Qingzan pointed them out to people.
Xiao Fang said, "They are a perfect match, a match made in heaven. Take good care of them, maybe they will give birth to little parrots in the future."
Qing Zan was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing: "Your Majesty has raised them for a while, how come you didn't know that these two are males!"
Xiao Fang really didn't know. When he said he wanted a pair, he took it for granted that the ones picked out by his subordinates would be a male and a female.
The feathers of the two parrots were wet. They flew closer quickly and landed on the painted beam to shake off their feathers, pecking away water droplets from their bodies with their beaks from time to time.
Qing Zan said softly, "Idiot."
But it's not the bird that is angry.
"I'm not a saint, so I'm bound to make mistakes." Xiao Fang smiled and lowered his eyes, saying slowly, "But, is there a match made in heaven here?"
Qingzan blushed slightly and changed the subject, "Your Majesty also said that when this parrot was sent here last time, the first thing it said to me was - Xun Huan, the most beautiful woman in the world."
She repeated every word to him. Xiao Fang had no idea there was such a thing going on. His eyes suddenly turned stern. "I'll go and settle the score with Xun Huan next time."
He then explained to others to clear himself of suspicion: "They probably learn too quickly and can understand anything they hear."
Qingzan snorted and turned away.
Their conversation had already been heard by the parrot perched on the beam diagonally in front of them, especially the sentence that was deliberately slowed down.
The two little ones suddenly began to imitate each other eagerly, and it seemed as if they were singing in unison:
"A match made in heaven!" "Yes, they are a couple!"
Xiao Fang smiled and asked, "Look, do you learn it the moment you hear it?"
Qingzan looked up and asked, "Does anyone know if His Majesty has taught them secretly?"
"Yes, I taught you secretly," Xiao Fang actually admitted it.
"I will never get tired of teaching for a lifetime."
He looked up with her in a deep smile, and they both bathed in the sunlight in the rain.
Seeing that everyone under the beam was looking over, the two parrots were immediately encouraged, flapping their wings and chirping even more happily.
The palace servants passing by were guided by the cry and were called into the already empty Chengluan Palace, where they met their missing masters.
"A match made in heaven!" "Yes, they are a couple!"
The two parrots, who were always interested in the crowd, were even more tireless and their calls lingered in the air.
Every sound is a match made in heaven, a perfect match.
——End of text——
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The author has something to say: What do you want to see in the extra chapters? You can order them. I’m currently confirming that I’ll be writing about the if-line, and I might also write about the daily life of the emperor and empress~
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