My father is gone, Hong Yu is gone, Xuan Mo is gone, and Aunt Yun is gone too.
Finally, all the people who loved her in this world left, and she was left alone, thousands of miles away from her hometown. Perhaps for the rest of her life, she would never see the bright sunshine and warmth of her hometown again, nor smell the slightly salty waves of the seashore.
Tears welled up in my eyes, but they were dry. Her heart suddenly ached, her throat felt salty and fishy, and it seemed as if liquid was overflowing from the corners of her mouth. But she stood there facing the wind unconsciously until the front of her white fur coat turned crimson, until Wen Yuan's scream pierced her eardrums, and until a black crow flew across the distant sky. Only then did she fall down softly. The snow was heavy and the sky and earth were dim. She seemed to see Aunt Yun's young face from many years ago, looking at her tenderly and calling her nickname softly.
After Aunt Yun died, Nalan Hongye became like a withered lily, withering day by day.
The weather was getting colder and colder, with the icy wind sweeping across the earth. The doctors from the Imperial Hospital went back and forth more than ten times a day, and all kinds of precious medicinal materials were sent to the Southeast Hall like water, but there was no improvement.
At noon that day, the heavy snow finally stopped. The sun was shining brightly outside. Wen Yuan asked some maids to play snowball fights in the yard and carried Nalan Hongye to sit under the porch. She was wearing a thick white mink cloak and sitting on a soft couch. Those cheerful voices spread throughout the Southeast Hall, making people feel a little more cheerful.
Suddenly, a slight voice reached her ears. Nalan Hongye glanced to the side and saw that Doctor Wang and Doctor Lu in the side hall were discussing something with their heads down. They seemed not to see her and their voices were a little loud.
Doctor Wang is an old official of Huai Song, who is already over 70 years old. He frowned. Because we were far away, I couldn't hear him clearly. I only heard a few vague words, such as "exhausted all my energy", "too much worry", "qi and blood deficiency", "both inside and outside are weak", "he is already exhausted, and no medicine can save him..."
"What are the two adults talking about?"
A light rebuke suddenly sounded, and the two imperial doctors looked up, only to see Wen Yuan standing at the door, glaring at them anxiously. Nalan Hongye was sitting aside, looking calm, and it seemed as if he had been listening for a long time.
The two were so frightened that they fell to their knees and hurriedly apologized.
Nalan Hongye didn't say anything, but turned her head silently and watched the maids in the yard playing snowball fights. Neither happy nor sad, as if the words just now had never passed through my ears.
During dinner, Wen Yuan smiled and talked to her. Seeing that she was in a good mood, she carefully comforted her, saying that she didn't need to care about what the two imperial doctors said. She also scolded them, saying that they were old and confused and not worth trusting.
Nalan Hongye listened with a faint smile, drank the medicine and went to bed early.
On the second day, a group of new imperial doctors came to the Southeast Palace. Nalan Hongye did not object. She followed the advice of the imperial doctors every day and took care of herself. Although her illness did not improve, it did not get worse either. The doctors were very happy and said that her condition would improve after the winter.
The servants in the Southeast Palace were very happy to hear this, as the Lantern Festival was about to come, so Wen Yuan, together with the female officials and eunuchs, decorated the Southeast Palace with red, green, and various brightly colored silks hung up, making it look like a folk wedding. Nalan Hongye knew what they were thinking and did not try to stop them. She just lay quietly on the bed and spoke very little.
However, after a few days, the weather suddenly became extremely cold, with howling winds and ice turning into ice. Nalan Hongye's illness immediately worsened.
At noon that day, heavy snow was howling outside the window. Nalan Hongye leaned on the couch, listening to the sounds outside, a little absent-minded, and said calmly: "I'm afraid the Palace Lantern Festival can't be held this year."
Her voice was very hoarse, with an air of dejection that could not be concealed. Wen Yuan was worried all day long, but she didn't dare to let her see it. When she saw her talking, she smiled and replied, "With such a strong wind, any lanterns will be blown away as soon as they are hung out. It should be impossible to do it."
Nalan Hongye nodded, and Wen Yuan continued, "Your Majesty, you should get some sleep first. You just took some medicine. Does your mouth feel bitter? Do you want some sugar water?"
Nalan Hongye shook her head. Wen Yuan was about to continue speaking when she heard three clear and pleasant whip sounds outside. Her face lit up with joy and she stood up immediately, saying repeatedly, "Your Majesty, the Emperor is here." Then she took the servants out to welcome him.
After a while, the palace doors of the hall were opened one by one, and the heavy curtains were lifted. Yan Xun walked in wearing a black and gold robe. As he walked, he took off his black fur coat and handed it to the maid beside him.
He was still the same, with heroic eyebrows, straight nose, thin lips, and eyes like a deep lake, with no end to the bottom. He sat across from Nalan Hongye's bed, took the hot face towel handed to him by Wen Yuan, applied it to his face, wiped his hands, and then asked, "Are you feeling better?"
Nalan Hongye leaned on the couch and nodded gently, with her usual calm and peaceful smile on her face: "Your Majesty is worried about me, I am much better now."
He nodded and continued to ask: "Did you take the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician on time?"
Nalan Hongye said: "I eat on time."
He pondered for a moment, then asked, "I remember that you are very afraid of the cold. It's cold today. Is the palace warm enough?"
A hint of light flashed across Nalan Hongye's eyes, but it was so fleeting that it was almost imperceptible. She raised her head, her cheeks had become thin and pointed, and said, "Your Majesty, don't worry. Everything is fine here."
Then, the hall became quiet, as peaceful as an autumn lake. The sound of the wind outside the window is still there, getting stronger and stronger. The two of them just sat there, neither of them knowing what to say to break the awkward deadlock.
"Then, Queen, please take a good rest. I will..."
"Has the emperor had lunch?" A very clear voice suddenly sounded from the side.
Nalan and Yan Xun were both stunned. They looked up and saw that it was Wen Yuan. The young maid's lips turned pale with fear. She clutched a handkerchief tightly in front of her body. Sweat beads appeared on her forehead and her arms hidden under her sleeves were trembling slightly.
Yan Xun looked at Nalan Hongye in surprise, then turned his head away. However, he was not angry. Instead, he nodded and said, "No."
"Then why don't you have your meal in our palace? The chefs in our small kitchen are very skilled and the queen likes it. The emperor has never eaten in our palace before."
Yan Xun smiled and nodded, "Okay."
Wen Yuan couldn't help but show her joy on her face, she was almost at a loss, and hurriedly said, "Then I will go down and prepare first." After saying that, she ran downstairs.
Seeing her leave, Nalan Hongye said helplessly: "I failed to discipline my child properly, please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Yan Xun shook his head and said, "It's okay, she is very loyal."
How could Nalan Hongye not know what Wen Yuan was thinking? She just wanted Yan Xun to stay with her for a while longer, so she didn't say anything else.
Yan Xun stood up, walked around the hall casually, walked to the bookshelf, pulled out a book at random, flipped through it, put it back, and then pulled out another one. Nalan Hongye was leaning on the couch, fiddling with a franc clip carefully. The sunlight came in through the window, drawing grids on the ground. The afternoon sun was very warm. Even though the wind was howling outside, this room was peaceful and tranquil.
"Are you very fond of the art of business?" Yan Xun suddenly asked, holding a book called "The Art of Business" in his hand.
Nalan Hongye raised her head and took a look, then said, "My ancestors started out as merchants. Commerce is well developed in Song, and I also like to study in my spare time."
Yan Xun smiled and said, "I really can't tell."
"Can't see anything?"
Yan Xun shook his head and said, "Nothing, it's just that I know someone who also likes this way."
Nalan Hongye smiled and said, "It must be Prince Xuan."
Yan Xun was slightly surprised and asked, "How did the Queen know?"
Nalan Hongye said naturally: "Of course I know. I have known Prince Xuan since I was a child, so I naturally know him better than the emperor."
Yan Xun smiled lightly, seemingly disagreeing, but he didn't say anything. He just turned his head and continued to flip through the book. Nalan Hongye, however, was secretly a little proud, like a child who had succeeded in a prank. He raised the corners of his mouth and lowered his head to continue fiddling with the clip.
Time passed quietly. After being married for many years, it seemed that this was the first time that Yan Xun looked carefully at Nalan Hongye's bedroom. He felt that his queen was an unusual person. Not only did she have outstanding taste, but she also had broad knowledge. The books she collected covered a wide range of areas, and most of them showed signs of being read. Unlike the other concubines, all the books were just decorations.
"Your Majesty, Empress, please enjoy your meal."
The food was served quickly because Nalan was taking medicine and needed to avoid certain foods. So, on her side, there were only four side dishes, while on Yan Xun's side, there were more than sixty hot and cold dishes, both meat and vegetables, filling up a large table, which looked spectacular.
Yan Xun felt a little embarrassed and couldn't help but glance at Nalan Hongye.
Nalan Hongye smiled and said, "Your Majesty rarely comes to my place. The servants don't know your taste, so they have to prepare more. Your Majesty, please don't blame them. They are also sincerely trying to please you."
These words came from Nalan Hongye's mouth. If it were said by someone else, people would definitely think that he was jealous.
Wen Yuan stood aside, and seeing Yan Xun said nothing and ate obediently, she couldn't help but feel overjoyed, thinking that she was so smart today, and the queen would never be in such a good spirit on normal days. It turns out that heart disease needs to be treated with heart medicine. Maybe if the emperor comes a few more times, the queen's illness will be cured.
I ate my meal very slowly, and after finishing it, it was time for a nap. Yan Xun chatted with Nalan Hongye for a few words casually, and now he felt much more natural. He then told the servants to take good care of her and returned to the palace first. Just as I turned around to leave, I suddenly heard a rustling sound. It turned out that my sleeve had caught on the corner of the table, and it had torn a big hole in the fabric of the cuff.
Yan Xun raised his arm, glanced at it casually, and without taking it seriously, was about to put on his fur coat.
Nalan Hongye said, "Your Majesty, your clothes are torn."
Yan Xun said nonchalantly, "It doesn't matter."
"Wait a minute." She pulled Yan Xun's sleeve, took a closer look, and said, "This is a tribute from Tianci embroidery. Tianci County can only make a few pieces of clothing with this kind of fabric every year. The emperor only made this one Tianci embroidery court dress this year. Now it's broken, even if we take it to the Imperial Embroidery Room, I'm afraid no one would dare to repair it."
Yan Xun never thought that there would be so many explanations for a piece of clothing. He couldn't help but take a closer look at the clothing and said, "It's broken, so it doesn't matter."
Nalan Hongye said, "Even if Your Majesty doesn't feel bad, I do. I wonder how many embroiderers have to go blind every year just to embroider this roll of cloth. Look, this cloth is not only embroidered on both sides, but even if you look closely at the cross section of the cloth, you can see small Chinese characters for "Fu" (meaning "blessing")."
Yan Xun took a closer look and found that it was indeed the case. He couldn't help but exclaimed, "It is indeed exquisite."
"Wenyuan, bring the needle and thread."
Yan Xun was stunned and asked, "What is the Queen going to do?"
"Since no one in the Imperial Embroidery Room dares to mend it, and it will be thrown away anyway, why don't I mend it myself? If it gets damaged, Your Majesty, please don't blame me."
Yan Xun was even more surprised and couldn't help asking, "The Queen also knows needlework?"
Nalan Hongye raised her eyes slightly, and glanced at him gently. She took the needle and thread and began to sew. While sewing, she said, "Sit down. It will be done in a moment."