concentric
The study was quiet, with only the occasional crackling of the candle.
Yan Shu sat on the couch by the window, holding the cup of tea that was no longer very hot, lost in thought. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts, one moment the vicious words in the Empress's letter, the next the sad look on Ling Yuan's face when he mentioned his mother, and finally, the way he had smiled at her recently.
The sound of footsteps grew louder as they approached; Ling Yuan had returned.
She quickly lowered her head, pretending to drink tea, not wanting him to notice anything.
The door opened, and Ling Yuan walked in, bringing with him a chill. He took off his court robes and walked to his desk as usual. When he looked up, he saw Yan Shu sitting by the window.
"Why are you sitting here?" he asked as he approached, his voice sounding tired.
Yan Shu looked up and smiled. "The Prince is back." She put down her teacup and stood up. "The tea is still warm, would you like some?"
Instead of handing her the clothes, Ling Yuan grabbed her wrist. His hand was a little cold, making her shiver.
"What's wrong with your eyes?" He frowned, staring at her reddened eyes. Although she tried to hide it, he still noticed.
Yan Shu panicked and tried to look down to avoid him, but he gently lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him.
"It's nothing..." her voice was dry, "It's just... I read a storybook, and it was so touching."
"A storybook?" Ling Yuan clearly didn't believe it.
"Mmm." Yan Shu leaned into his arms and buried her face in his chest.
She felt his body stiffen slightly.
That excuse was so lame that even she didn't believe it.
A soft sigh came from above. Ling Yuan hugged her and patted her back.
"What kind of storybook is it?" he asked in a low voice. "If it makes you sad, then don't read it anymore."
He didn't ask any further questions.
Yan Shu felt a little relieved, but then felt even more distressed. He clearly saw through her, yet he didn't press her for answers. This thoughtfulness made her feel even more heartache.
She nodded in his arms and hugged him even tighter.
Ling Yuan let her hug him for a while before gently pushing her away and leading her by the hand toward the desk. "The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet is in a few days," he said as they walked, "the palace will be very lively."
Yan Shu followed beside him and said softly, "Okay, I'll get ready."
He sat down in the chair and casually pulled her to sit beside him. This posture was more intimate than usual. "No need for special preparations, it's just a regular palace banquet, mostly for members of the royal family, no outsiders."
"I understand." Yan Shu leaned against him, listening to his steady heartbeat, and her heart gradually calmed down. No matter what the future holds, at least he's by her side now.
The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was held in the Imperial Garden. The moon was round and bright, lanterns were hung everywhere, and music played continuously.
The Emperor was in a good mood, chatting and laughing with his relatives. Ling Yuan sat with Yan Shu not far from the Emperor. He was still not very talkative, but his care for Yan Shu was obvious.
He would quietly move her favorite dishes in front of her, have the maids refill her wine cup when it was empty, and help her deflect difficult questions when people came to chat.
The Emperor saw this and said with a smile, "Lingyuan, your relationship as husband and wife is getting better and better."
Ling Yuan raised his cup, his expression natural: "Your Majesty is too kind."
Yan Shu lowered her head, pretending to be embarrassed.
Suddenly, the music changed, and a woman in a blue dance costume and veil walked to the center of the arena. She danced beautifully, her flowing sleeves swaying, her eyes fixed on the emperor.
After the dance, everyone applauded. The woman slowly removed her veil—and it turned out to be the noble lady they hadn't seen in a long time.
The Emperor was somewhat surprised, then revealed an appreciative expression: "My beloved concubine is dancing better and better. Come up here, come to my side."
The Empress, holding her wine cup with a smile on her face, said in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, "Sister Gao, you must have practiced for a long time for today, right? You really... put your heart into it." Her words were barbed.
Ling Yuan glanced at it and immediately found it uninteresting. He'd seen this kind of vying for favor since he was a child. He turned to Yan Shu and said, "Come for a walk with me."
Yan Shuzheng felt the situation was awkward and immediately nodded.
Lingyuan gestured to the Emperor, then quietly led Yan Shu away.
He didn't go far, but led her to a small courtyard not far from the Tangli Palace. It seemed like no one had lived there for a long time, but it was still fairly clean. Under the moonlight, you could see a small pavilion and flowers and plants; it was very quiet.
"Where is this?" Yan Shu asked curiously.
"This is a place I often came to when I was a child." Ling Yuan led her into a small pavilion and sat her down. "With my elder brother and elder sister."
Yan Shu knew that the "elder sister" he was referring to was the princess who had gone to marry a foreign ruler. She listened quietly.
"My mother passed away early, so I was raised in the Empress's palace, growing up with my elder brother and sister." Ling Yuan looked at the shadows of the trees outside the pavilion, her voice calm. "I've seen too much of this scheming and power struggle; it's made me weary."
He paused, then continued, "My elder brother has been very good to me. I don't want to be emperor; I only want to help him protect the empire. In the future... if I could have a fiefdom and live as a carefree prince, away from all this trouble, that would be the best outcome."
This was the first time he had confided in her. As Yan Shu listened to his longing for a peaceful life, and then thought of the horrific truth in the Empress's letter, a heavy weight pressed on her heart. The brotherhood he cherished, the stable life he desired, were all built upon a covered-up murder. If only he knew the truth…
She dared not think further, and could only hide her tears in the darkness, gently leaning on his shoulder: "What Your Highness desires will surely come true."
Lingyuan thought she was moved by his words, so he put his arm around her shoulder: "It's all in the past. Now that you're here, it's good."
He was striving to give her a stable future, but she knew the road ahead would be difficult. This realization pained her, but also strengthened her resolve to protect him. She came from the future and had no feelings for the Cui family; only the man beside her was the one she was willing to be with across a thousand years. He was the one she would protect, his dream.
The two sat in the pavilion for a long time, until the moon began to set in the west, before quietly returning home.
The next morning, not long after breakfast, the butler came to report that guests had arrived and were waiting in the main hall.
Lingyuan and Yanshu went over together. They saw two people standing in the hall: a tall, stern-faced middle-aged general in military uniform, and a smartly dressed young woman who looked very much like the general and appeared quite energetic.
Upon seeing Ling Yuan, the general immediately clasped his hands in a salute: "This humble general, Ji Rong, greets Your Highness!" The young woman beside him also clasped her hands in a salute: "This commoner, Ji Yu, greets Your Highness and Your Highness's Consort!"
Ling Yuan raised his hand: "General Ji, there's no need for such formalities." His gaze turned to the girl, with a questioning tone.
Ji Rong laughed heartily and patted the girl's shoulder: "Your Highness, this is my daughter, Ji Yu. Before I went to the Northern Border, I discussed it with Your Highness's uncle. If I were to be transferred to the Northern Border, I would make sure Yu'er was well taken care of. She has admired Your Highness since she was a child. Our two families have an agreement that if Your Highness doesn't mind, and would like Yu'er to be Your Highness's concubine, she could take care of Your Highness in the capital on my behalf."
Upon hearing this, Ji Yu blushed slightly, but boldly looked at Ling Yuan with anticipation in her eyes.
The moment these words were spoken, the main hall fell silent.
Yan Shu stood next to Ling Yuan, her heart suddenly sinking, and she subconsciously looked at Ling Yuan.
Ling Yuan's expression didn't change, but his brows furrowed slightly. Almost without hesitation, he turned around, tightly grasped Yan Shu's instantly icy hand, looked at her with unwavering determination, and said clearly:
"Shu'er, listen to me."
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