Mrs. Zhao
"The willows are green, the river is calm, and the beautiful lady walks gracefully—"
"Beautiful lady, walking gracefully——"
Qingping pounded her waist, picked up the washed clothes and stood up, ready to go home. Suddenly, she saw a figure in the water holding a dagger, walking towards her.
Her whole body tensed as she slowly lifted the heavy barrel. As the figure approached, she suddenly turned and threw herself at him. But the man was very skilled, and although he was stunned for a moment, he quickly dodged and stabbed her with his knife.
Qingping was stabbed in the back and fell into the water.
"You silly girl, you scatter clothes all over the place even when washing them. What will happen to you when you get married?"
"Just knowing how to wash clothes means you can marry a good man? That sister from the Zhao family has hands as soft as tofu pudding, she's never worked a day in her life, and yet she married the emperor!"
When the woman saw her talking back, she angrily twisted her waist and said, "I'm lucky. Why don't you have the luck to let me enjoy the good life?"
The sound was getting closer. The man saw someone coming. He took a look at the pool full of blood and the sunken corpse. He thought that the person would not survive, so he left quickly.
——
——
"How's it going?"
The girl peeled grapes while lazily leaning against the table, gazing at the peonies outside the window. It was spring, the season for peonies to bloom. The fragrance of the flowers filled the palace and the yard, and the wind blew so much that it gave her a headache. She wished she had them all shoveled away.
"The man is already dead, don't worry, ma'am."
The girl nodded in satisfaction, took off a pair of gold bracelets from her hands and threw them in front of him. "Well done."
The man weighed the item and said with a smile, "Thank you for the reward, Your Majesty. If you have any further requests for help, please feel free to ask me to do it promptly."
"There won't be a next time. There aren't many jobs like this. But remember, you have to keep your mouth shut, otherwise..."
She had been in the palace for less than a month, and she had paid a large sum to find this eunuch from the purchasing department to perform the murder for her. The risk was considerable, but wealth and honor are forged through risk. If He Qingping were dead, she would be the only one in the world with the copper coin seal. She would no longer have to worry about anything, and could enjoy a life of wealth and prosperity...
"I understand, and I will keep my mouth shut."
"Why are you keeping your mouth shut? It's so serious."
When the emperor came in from outside the palace, Zhao Chunfang immediately put on a gentle look and stood up to salute, "Your Majesty has returned. He just said that your Majesty's birthday is in a few days. I want to celebrate for your Majesty and told them not to tell anyone."
Liu Che smiled upon hearing this and said, "I told you that there's no need to be polite when it's just the two of us."
He took her hand and sat down. Zhao Chunfang leaned against him for a moment and eagerly placed the peeled grapes on the plate near his mouth. "Your Majesty, try them. These grapes are so sweet. I've been sitting here peeling them all afternoon, just waiting for Your Majesty to come back and enjoy them together."
Liu Che tasted two and stopped her, "It's really good. Don't just focus on me, eat more yourself."
Although the man before her was smiling, Zhao Chunfang could tell he didn't really like the taste of the grapes, or perhaps wasn't as eager as she was. Western Region grapes—this was the first time she'd ever seen anything like it, let alone eaten whole basins of them. But to the emperor, they were just as commonplace as corn.
She smiled, then stood up and picked up a set of clothes. "I saw that your Majesty's nightgown was a little worn, so I made a new one. Your Majesty, please try it on. Do you think it fits you?"
Liu Che glanced at it and saw that the dark brocade flowed smoothly like night water. The material was the best lake silk he had given her, but it was embroidered with a lot of patterns, dragons, phoenixes, peonies, bats, mountains and rivers... layer upon layer, it was dazzling to look at.
"You always have good taste. I know it will fit me without even trying it on. Did you put a lot of thought into this dress?"
"Not much, only embroidered for about ten days."
"Next time, just let the servants handle such trivial matters. Why bother with so much? It will only ruin your health and cause you to lose more than you gain."
Zhao Chunfang felt a little downcast upon hearing this. She put away her clothes and said, "It is my ignorance. I come from the countryside and have never seen anything good in my life. I cannot rest easy in the fact that I have been granted Your Majesty's grace to enter the palace. That is why I took the initiative to repay Your Majesty, but I have caused Your Majesty trouble."
Seeing Zhao Chunfang's eyes drooping slightly and her mouth pouting, Liu Che couldn't help but smile and said, "I didn't mean that. I really like the things you make yourself, but I'm just worried that you'll be exhausted thinking about what to do for me all day long. I brought you into the palace to let you enjoy life, not to serve me and suffer grievances."
He thought for a moment, "If anyone makes sarcastic remarks, just reply or tell me, and I will support you."
Zhao Chunfang was delighted when she heard this and hugged Liu Che's neck, "Your Majesty is the best to me!"
Zhao Chunfang was still young after all, and after dinner she forced herself to accompany Liu Che to read the memorial for a while. She looked left and right and could not recognize any words, and she felt dizzy and almost fell on Liu Che.
Seeing the swaying shadow, Liu Che felt a little helpless and a little amused. He simply put down his pen and ink, picked her up and put her on the couch.
The girl was even quieter than usual in her sleep, and also seemed a little colder. Since entering the palace, her cheeks had gradually become fuller. When she turned over, a piece of flesh would rest on the brocade quilt, making her look very cute. It was exactly like her youth...
But it's just the appearance. Apart from the face being about five or six points similar, the personality is completely different from before.
He held her hand, rubbing it in his palm. Feeling the tickle, she groaned and loosened her clenched fingers. A coin-shaped pink birthmark suddenly appeared before her eyes.
"Wizard, are you sure it's her? Why is she so different from before?"
"Your Majesty, please be patient. The hexagram says that the person with the copper coin mark on their palm is the reincarnation of the Madam. This is unmistakable. As for their temperament... the person whose fate is entrusted to them is deeply obsessed with the Madam, affecting their memory of Your Majesty. Therefore, when they reincarnate again, they will have lost all their previous memories, and can only slowly recover them at a certain opportunity."
"What time is it? Do I have to wait my whole life until I die?"
His first grandson had already been born, and even if he refused to admit it, he had to face the fact that he might die in a dozen years. Gillian was still young, in her prime, and their time together was running out.
"Uh... Your Majesty, don't worry. You should take your wife to experience past events often. Perhaps one day, when she's stimulated, she'll remember them. Of course, don't overstimulate her. Once the secrets of heaven are revealed, and past lives are known, her lifespan will be short. We must proceed slowly."
Remembering the wizard's words, he forced himself to suppress his dissatisfaction with Zhao Chunfang, took a long breath, untied the curtains, covered her with a quilt, and went to the outer room to light an oil lamp.
——
——
On the river, a lone boat sat quietly at anchor. A woman in a cloak stood alone at the bow, throwing yellow paper from her hand. Watching the paper drift across the fields, river, and mountains, Wei Yun's heart seemed to drift away with it.
It was the anniversary of his sister and nephew's death. He was under house arrest, and even his body and tablet had been burned by the ruthless Gongsun He, leaving him with nowhere to offer sacrifices. Next came his younger brothers Wei Qing and Chang Qing...
Her loved ones left her one by one, and her heart had long been like a stagnant pool of water, scattered like fallen leaves in winter.
If it weren't for Ru'er, she would have resigned the throne long ago. Now, the only reason for her to live was for Ru'er.
"My Lady, there seems to be a person over there..."
The palace maid looked at the figure floating on the water in horror. The river water around him was a little red, his hands were spread out, and two pieces of yellow paper were covering his abdomen and head, which was very scary.
"What are you talking about? Why don't you just move away now that you've seen it? You're scaring people here for no reason." Another experienced palace servant scolded.
The young maid responded and was about to turn the boat around, but Wei Yun stopped her. "Save the person first. If he's still breathing, it'll be a good deed. It'll be a good deed for Jun Ru and his mother."
Upon hearing this, everyone brought their boat closer and worked together to pull the man out.
"It's a girl. She was stabbed in the back. The wound wasn't deep..."
The palace maid pressed her chest. After a while, she suddenly started coughing, spit out a few mouthfuls of smelly river water, and soon fell asleep again.
The palace maid looked at Wei Yun and said, "Your Majesty, you are still breathing."
"Ask if anyone around here recognizes him. If not, take him back to the palace and have the imperial physician examine him."
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