Chapter 178 Extra: Another Ending 4
Su Luoxue rested her chin on her hand and said to her brother, "The young man wearing a mask today had a faint scent of ambergris on him. Although we couldn't see his face, he must be a handsome man."
Su Jingxing gently tapped her forehead: "Silly girl, what if it's a kidnapper using sleeping potion? Stay away from people wearing masks in the future."
Imperial Palace Sizheng Hall
The Empress Dowager, holding her teacup, tentatively said, "The Emperor has been on the throne for four years, yet he still has no children. Even if he doesn't appoint an Empress, he should still select candidates to have children and continue the family line..."
Yuwen Che didn't even look up while reviewing the memorials: "I remember that before Consort Roujia passed away, she left behind a handwritten note."
The Queen Mother's hand trembled, and the teacup clattered to the ground.
"Rest assured, Mother." He finally raised his eyes, his gaze icy cold.
"As long as you stay quietly in the Cining Palace, those secrets will remain secrets forever."
After the Empress Dowager staggered away, Bai Xiao emerged from behind the screen: "You're quite adept at scaring the old lady. But seriously, since Miss Su came of age, suitors have been lining up at your door, aren't you worried?"
Yuwen Che paused slightly with his pen: "Is she buying the 'Classic of Mountains and Seas'?"
"Of course, she was smiling so sweetly while holding the book... You wouldn't be going to meddle in this too, would you?"
Yuwen Che summoned Li Dehai: "Convey my decree to rebuild Fengyi Palace and Guanju Palace. Swings must be installed in the courtyards, and plum trees must be planted everywhere—they must be varieties that can bloom in all four seasons."
Li Dehai asked in confusion, "Does Your Majesty intend to welcome two empresses into the palace at the same time?"
“Guanju Palace…” Yuwen Che’s fingertips lightly traced the dark patterns on the table.
"Make her feel at home. If she doesn't like Fengyi Palace, then keep it for the child to live in in the future."
Li Dehai was completely confused, but dared not ask any more questions and quickly withdrew to make arrangements.
Bai Xiao leaped down from the pillar, clicking his tongue in amazement: "You beast! You haven't even held her hand, yet you've already prepared my palace?"
His eyes suddenly widened. "Did you secretly..."
Yuwen Che threw the memorial at his face: "I dreamt that she bore me a son and a daughter."
"Dreams count?" Bai Xiao caught the memorial and laughed. "Then you might as well dream about the crown prince ascending the throne!"
“It is true.” Yuwen Che lowered his eyes to hide his pain. “In my dream… my crown prince ascended the throne at the age of four.”
Bai Xiao's smile froze, and he said seriously, "You are indeed behaving strangely. The massacre of the Shen family, the construction of palaces, guarding the street corner year after year... who exactly is that Su family girl?"
Yuwen Che looked out of the palace walls: "It is the soul that I... will search for through countless reincarnations."
Bai Xiao strolled over to the guards' duty station and nudged Han Ying on the shoulder: "Brother, stop looking so stern all the time. I think your master is quite ill. You should find a shaman to exorcise him!"
Han Ying wiped his sword expressionlessly: "The Lord's will is absolute."
"Sacred Heart?" Bai Xiao snatched his sword.
"You call this a divine heart? He's been spying on young girls every day, and he's even built a palace for his future child! He's clearly possessed!"
The sound of Yuwen Che coughing could be heard in the distance.
Han Ying immediately knelt on one knee: "This subordinate has failed in his duty."
Yuwen Che strolled over, his gaze sweeping over Bai Xiao: "You're very free?"
Bai Xiao shoved the sword back into Han Ying's hand and said with a grin, "I was just concerned about you! How about we have the Imperial Observatory calculate your marriage prospects?"
"No need." Yuwen Che looked towards the Su residence. "My marriage was arranged long ago."
Bai Xiao leaned close to Han Ying's ear: "It's over, he's gone even crazier."
Han Ying silently moved half a step to the side.
Yuwen Che suddenly said, "Bai Xiao, go to the Su residence and deliver something."
"Another gift? This time, is it jewelry or a dress?"
“No.” Yuwen Che took out his handwritten annotated copy of the Classic of Mountains and Seas.
“Tell her that this was a gift from the masked young master on Suzaku Street.”
Bai Xiao continued chattering on: "I heard that three more matchmakers came to the door today. With Miss Su's looks, the number of suitors is practically wearing down the threshold of the Su family's house..."
Han Ying silently took three steps back.
Yuwen Che lightly tapped the dragon table with his fingertips, then suddenly chuckled: "Han Ying, I remember that the Shadow Pavilion's newly developed 'Heartbreak Powder' is still lacking a test subject?"
Han Ying stood solemnly: "That is indeed true."
Bai Xiao immediately fell silent, then forced a dry laugh and said, "Your Majesty, I will go and deliver the book right away!"
"Wait a moment." Yuwen Che slowly unfolded the roster.
"Make a note of the families that have proposed marriage. The nephew of Vice Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Personnel, the nephew of the Minister of Rites, the military commander of the Northern Garrison..."
He would lightly cross out each name he read with a red pen.
Bai Xiao swallowed hard: "You mean...?"
Yuwen Che closed the register, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "I want to see who dares to covet the future empress."
The next day, all the families who had proposed marriage received transfer notices, either being sent to the border or demoted to remote and impoverished areas.
Su Jingxing looked at the suddenly deserted entrance and wondered, "That's strange. Have all the matchmakers caught a cold these past two days?"
Su Jingxing asked his parents in confusion, "Father, Mother, Wang the matchmaker clearly said yesterday that she would come to hear the reply this morning, so how come she suddenly caught a cold?"
Father Su stroked his beard and laughed, "It's alright, aren't there matchmakers Li and Zhang? Let Xue'er take her time to choose."
“They’re all gone.” Su Jingxing frowned. “All the matchmakers are claiming illness and taking leave today. The young masters who came to visit yesterday have either been transferred to the border or have left the capital with their families.”
Mrs. Su put down her teacup in surprise: "How could it be such a coincidence?"
Palace Shadow whispered, "Your Majesty, it seems Young Master Su has noticed."
Yuwen Che fiddled with the jade pendant: "Let him investigate. Issue the order that all eligible young men in the capital be sent to repair the imperial mausoleum before Miss Su's wedding."
Bai Xiao poked his head out from the roof beam: "Are you planning to bury all the young talents of the capital in the imperial mausoleum?"
"Bury them cleanly," Yuwen Che said calmly. "It's better than me personally sending them on their way."
Amidst the swirling snowflakes, Yuwen Che's sword flashed like a bolt of lightning. Bai Xiao squatted under the eaves, wailing, "Yuwen Che! It's been four and a half years! I've been following her around like a madman every day. I even remember the exact date of Miss Su's period. If this keeps up, I'll really have to become a matchmaker!"
The sword suddenly stopped.
Why did she go to the pharmacy yesterday?
Bai Xiao rolled his eyes: "Isn't this all your doing? Madam Su searched the whole city but couldn't find a son-in-law, and she was so anxious that she got blisters on her lips! He was just going to get medicine for his mother!"
Yuwen Che sheathed his sword: "Have the Imperial Hospital prepare Qingxin Pills and send them to the pharmacy, then have the shopkeeper deliver them to the Su residence under the guise of a new medicine."
"Can't you just propose marriage directly?" Bai Xiao snapped.
"The time is not yet ripe." Yuwen Che looked up at the snow-covered landscape.
Han Ying suddenly appeared: "My lord, Miss Su has gone to the plum grove on the outskirts of the city."
Yuwen Che took off his cloak: "Prepare the horses."
Bai Xiao pounded the pillar in despair: "Here we go again! Every year after the snow, we bump into each other in the plum grove, and they don't even change their story!"
In the plum grove, Su Luoxue was tiptoeing to pick plum blossoms when she suddenly heard the sound of approaching hooves. Turning around, she saw a young man in black reining in his horse and dismounting, his voice deep and smiling beneath his mask:
"Young lady, may I have this plum blossom branch?"
Su Luoxue handed over the red plum blossom: "Here you go."
As Yuwen Che accepted the plum branch, his fingertips inadvertently brushed against her wrist.
"Girl, it's freezing cold, go home early."
Su Luoxue paused, that voice... seemed familiar.
She bowed her head in greeting, then quickly left, clutching the remaining plum blossoms.
In the shadows, Bai Xiao munched on a frozen pear and grumbled, "Four years just to get a taste of each other's skills? Why don't you just propose marriage already!"
Yuwen Che stared at the figure that disappeared into the snow mist: "On the day of my coming-of-age ceremony, I stood outside the walls of the Su residence all night."
Han Ying silently handed over the heater.
"Wait a little longer." Yuwen Che gripped the plum branch tightly. "Wait until the day she... remembers."
In the boudoir of the Su family mansion
Su Luoxue, admiring herself in the mirror and adorning herself with plum blossom hairpins, suddenly turned to Fuling and asked, "Don't you think... that young master seems to be looking at someone else through me?"
Fuling tidied the bed and laughed, "Miss, have you been reading too many storybooks? In my opinion, he's just a shameless lecher who's afraid to show his face!"
"Who knows, maybe there's a scarred face under the mask."
Outside the window, amidst the wind and snow, the emperor in black robes stood silently, his shoulders covered in fresh snow.
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