Chapter 69 I will always love her, and love her even more. ...
Ling Zhenli's initial worries were unnecessary; Pei Xuanlin did not hear what Ling Zhenli and Xue Haoting were saying.
The next day, Pei Xuanlin disregarded the opposition of the court officials and overruled the objections of the crowd, issuing an imperial edict that from that day forward, the two emperors would rule the court, with the emperor and empress both being addressed and respected. During the emperor's personal military campaigns, the empress would rule the court and make all decisions, large and small.
Immediately afterwards, Ling Zhenli went to court with him to receive the homage of the officials and hear the ministers shout "Long live the Emperor!"
Before the expedition, the palace held a banquet to invite high-ranking officials and noblewomen to bid farewell to Pei Xuanlin as he personally led the expedition. Pei Qianguang and Xiao Chongheng were among those present.
Ling Zhenli, dressed in a magnificent robe of bright blue and dark green, looked elegant and refined. She sat next to Pei Xuanlin, and although she was talking to him, her expression remained unpleasant, as if she was unhappy.
The people below were constantly discussing it.
"The Empress is not wearing court attire on such an occasion."
"How dare you speak ill of the Empress?"
"The Empress is used to being willful; it's not like it's only been a day."
Although the voices were not loud, Pei Qianguang and Xiao Chongheng, who had entered the banquet late, heard them clearly.
Xiao Chongheng's face darkened, and his gaze involuntarily followed the slender figure. Pei Qianguang, with his keen senses, noticed the change in his emotions and became suspicious, but he did not connect him with the Empress.
"My husband, let me offer you a toast."
Pei Qianguang smiled gently and raised her glass in invitation. One cannot refuse a smiling face, and in front of so many people, Xiao Chongheng could not refuse Pei Qianguang. He reluctantly raised his glass and drank the wine in one gulp, his gaze never leaving Ling Zhenli's figure on the high platform.
Despite giving Pei Qianguang face, Xiao Chongheng was still absent-minded. He didn't hear Pei Qianguang say anything to him, so Pei Qianguang simply ignored him and focused on watching the song and dance performance.
Empress Xue Yingyue has always loved singing, dancing and music, so the dances performed by the dancers at palace banquets have become better and better.
However, Xue Yingyue herself did not seem satisfied with the performance.
Ling Zhenli kept a cold face. Pei Xuanlin knew she was unhappy that he couldn't be with her, so he carefully served her food.
Ling Zhenli didn't know what was wrong with her. The thought of Pei Xuanlin leaving for war tomorrow and not knowing when they would meet again made her extremely anxious. But reason told her that she couldn't be unreasonable anymore; she was the Empress.
She could only stare blankly at the amber-colored liquid in the glass.
Suddenly, someone gently tugged at my cuff.
"Ah Li, try this." Pei Xuanlin pushed a plate of crystal-clear shrimp dumplings in front of her. "I know you love them, so I specially asked the imperial chef to make them."
At that moment, a voice suddenly appeared in Ling Zhenli's mind.
You are you first and foremost, and only lastly are you the queen.
Thinking of this, Ling Zhenli silently shifted her gaze to Pei Xuanlin, who was silently serving her food.
She saw the careful, ingratiating look in his eyes and felt a pang of sadness in her heart.
As the ruler of a country, he didn't need to be so humble, and with so many people serving them, he didn't need to do this himself. However, he knew she was unhappy and didn't want to hear him speak, so he tried to coax her in his own way. Although Ling Zhenli only ate a few bites of the food he picked up, Pei Xuanlin remembered all the dishes she liked and moved them in front of her.
"What are you doing?" Ling Zhenli asked Pei Xuanlin softly.
Ling Zhenli didn't know why she asked such an obvious question. Perhaps she wanted to hear Pei Xuanlin tell her what he was doing, and she wanted him to say more about his love for her and tell her more about his life.
Always love her, and love her even more.
"Hmm?" Pei Xuanlin smiled slightly, picked up another piece of her favorite scallion and vinegar duck, and replied, "I'm picking food for you."
Why do you keep putting food on my plate? Can't you see I'm not eating any?
Although her words sounded somewhat aggressive, Ling Zhenli's tone and expression were not at all hostile; on the contrary, they carried a hint of coquettishness, like a child throwing a tantrum.
How could Pei Xuanlin not understand her? He went along with her wishes and said, "Because I love you, I am happy to spoil you."
These words were like a spring breeze, instantly soothing the unease in Ling Zhenli's heart.
She finally smiled, took a small bite of the shrimp dumpling, and the delicious flavor melted in her mouth, just like the love Pei Xuanlin gave her, always just right.
...
At dusk, the royal women and noblewomen, dressed in their finest attire, came together to the Zichen Palace to pay their respects to Ling Zhenli.
Sitting at the very front were Lady Anguo, Cui Yuerong, and Princess Wuyang, Pei Shen'ai.
Ling Zhenli's dislike for Pei Shenai wasn't something that happened overnight. In front of everyone, she openly refused to talk to Pei Shenai, completely ignoring her. Even the most distant princesses of the royal family could exchange a few words with Ling Zhenli.
Pei Qianguang saw it all and kept it in mind.
After the greetings were finished, everyone else left, but Cui Yuerong stayed behind to talk with Ling Zhenli.
Summer has arrived, and koi carp frolic in the lotus pond.
"You can't be so willful next time. She is, after all, the eldest princess and His Majesty's own aunt. If you ignore her when she talks to you, it will sound terrible."
Listening to her mother's lecture, Ling Zhenli was lost in thought, picking at her newly painted nails, lying on the chair in a lazy and utterly shameless posture.
"Alright, alright, I understand. Mother doesn't like Pei Shen'ai either, so why should I speak up for her?"
Ling Zhenli continued picking at her nails while talking, her absent-mindedness making Cui Yuerong anxious.
"People in the capital are quite critical of you right now. For the sake of the long term, you should do some good deeds to improve your relationship with them."
"His Majesty hasn't said anything to me, so it's their place to gossip about me. If they're so capable, why don't they make His Majesty depose the Empress? They only dare to speak recklessly because they think His Majesty is a wise ruler and won't kill them all." Ling Zhenli said nonchalantly.
She was certain that Pei Xuanlin would indulge her.
Helpless, Cui Yuerong could only smile indulgently: "You only say that in front of me. If your father were to scold you, you'd better listen carefully."
Ling Zhenli looked up and smiled sweetly at Cui Yuerong: "I know, I don't dare to act wildly in front of Father. By the way, Mother, His Majesty said that after he leaves, you will come to the palace to accompany me. Why don't we move to Xingqing Palace? It has just been renovated."
Xingqing Palace was originally the East Palace where Pei Xuanlin and Ling Zhenli lived. The two had many beautiful memories there, so as soon as Pei Xuanlin ascended the throne, he ordered its expansion and reconstruction and renamed it Xingqing Palace.
"You made a fuss about moving His Majesty from Taiji Palace to Daming Palace. If you move him to Xingqing Palace so soon, it will be too ostentatious. Your Majesty, your husband is someone who is to be compared to Emperor Taizong. You must not disgrace his name. You should learn from Empress Gan of the past."
Ling Zhenli played with a strand of hair, her eyes lowered: "Is there anyone left in the Empress Gan's family?"
Cui Yuerong was stunned. She hadn't expected that Ling Zhenli wasn't just willful and capricious, but could actually think of this aspect.
Ling Zhenli raised her bright eyes to look at Cui Yuerong and said vividly, "To be an empress, you not only have to be favored, but also know how to live well. I happen to be favored and cherish my life, so Mother, you don't need to worry about me."
*
As dusk settled, the last vestiges of crimson on the horizon gradually faded into inky blue, and palace lanterns lit up one after another, casting a warm yellow glow on the palace walls.
Only the Zichen Palace remained, shrouded in darkness.
In the darkness, all the senses are magnified infinitely.
The skin my fingertips touched felt like warm, smooth jade, yet also like blazing fire; it was hard to tell the difference.
Pei Xuanlin's breath was hot, brushing past Ling Zhenli's ear like a warm breeze on a rainy night, carrying a heart-palpitating dampness.
The delicate kisses, like raindrops, landed on her neck and collarbone, igniting a shiver down her spine. Her moans were swallowed by the entangled lips and teeth, turning into broken sobs.
It was as if the entire world consisted only of this one bed.
The two had long since lost their senses, leaving only a torrent of sensory urges.
At this moment, vision is lost, but touch and hearing become exceptionally acute. Every skin-to-skin contact and every breath exchanged is breathtakingly clear.
She wanted to give him a fatal and unforgettable night before he went to war.
...
After taking a bath, Ling Zhenli straddled Pei Xuanlin, stroking and pinching his face.
"If you keep pinching her, she'll be disfigured."
"That's perfect, then you won't be able to seduce other women."
How could you be so mean?
Ling Zhenli gently punched Pei Xuanlin's chest, then leaned over him, shaking her head.
"I can't bear to part with you."
Pei Xuanlin affectionately patted Ling Zhenli's head and coaxed, "I'm also reluctant to part with you, but important matters come first. I'll go to the front lines to see the soldiers and make sure we're in a winning position, then I'll come back to be with you."
"Are you serious?" Ling Zhenli whimpered softly in his arms.
Pei Xuanlin smiled and said, "Of course it's true. When have I ever lied to you?"
"Okay, I believe you."
After a brief moment of peace, Ling Zhenli suddenly started groping Pei Xuanlin again, and Pei Xuanlin, exasperated by her antics, could only beg for mercy.
"Grandma, do you know what time I have to get up for the military parade tomorrow? Please spare me, I really can't take it anymore."
“A man can’t say no. Oh wait, what I was going to say was that I want to move to Xingqing Palace.”
"Hmm?" Pei Xuanlin asked in confusion, "You've only lived in the Daming Palace for half a year, and you're already tired of it? There are still many palaces you haven't been to yet, aren't there?"
"After you left, Daming Palace was empty. Xingqing Palace is small, but it doesn't feel so deserted. Besides, it's been a long time since I've been back to Xingqing Palace. I miss it a bit."
Ling Zhenli spoke from the heart, and Pei Xuanlin could understand the meaning behind her words. She had always been someone who hated being alone and preferred companionship. In the past, she could still return to the Prime Minister's residence and live with her family. Now that she had become the Empress, although he allowed her to leave the palace at will, as the mother of the nation, it was still inappropriate for her to spend the night outside the palace to avoid suspicion.
Although Xingqing Palace is small, it doesn't seem so deserted. Perhaps she would be more comfortable living there while he's not by her side.
Pei Xuanlin agreed: "Alright, as you wish. If you feel lonely, you can invite a few friends to the palace to keep you company. Didn't your mother-in-law also agree to come to the palace to keep you company?"
Ling Zhenli thought for a moment, then hugged him even tighter: "I still want you more. You promised me you'd come back soon, okay?"
Pei Xuanlin gently patted Ling Zhenli's back to comfort her.
A ruler's word is his bond.
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