Chapter 263 The Emperor and Empress will personally officiate at the wedding.
The night wind, carrying a chill, dispersed the lingering scents of wine and perfume in the Phoenix Palace.
The palace servants quickly and quietly cleaned up the mess, their movements so subtle that they made no sound.
A faint scent of bergamot floated in the air, crisp and calming, soothing the restlessness in Meng Shilan's heart.
A figure in bright yellow stood with his hands behind his back under the tree.
He didn't turn around, but just stared quietly at the waning moon on the horizon, his tall figure casting a long, lonely shadow on the ground.
Meng Shilan stopped ten steps away, lowered her head, and bowed down.
"Your subject, Meng Shilan, greets Your Majesty."
The emperor did not move.
He didn't say anything.
He stood there, like a silent statue.
Time seemed to stretch out infinitely at that moment.
Every breath felt like walking on a knife's edge.
Meng Shilan dared not look up, and could only fix her gaze on the peony embroidered on the hem of her skirt.
She knelt there, the cold stone slab seeping into her bones through her layers of clothing.
After an unknown amount of time, a very light footstep came from behind.
Empress Zhang, holding a thin black cloak woven with gold, slowly walked to the emperor's side and personally draped it over his shoulders.
"It is late, Your Majesty, please take care of your health."
When the emperor turned his head and his gaze fell on her, he finally felt a touch of warmth.
Empress Zhang smiled slightly and said nothing more, only waving gently to the palace servants not far away.
The well-trained palace servants bowed and quietly withdrew.
Only after that graceful and elegant figure disappeared behind the vase door did the emperor finally turn around.
His gaze fell heavily on Meng Shilan.
"Get up."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Meng Shilan got up as instructed, but still kept her head down, not daring to look directly at the emperor's face.
The emperor took two steps and walked up to her.
"I heard that Lord Meng has recovered well a few days ago."
His first words were about her grandfather, the Duke of Zhenguo.
Meng Shilan was startled, then realized what was happening, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.
She was about to kneel down again to express her gratitude when she was interrupted by the emperor's voice.
"No need for such formalities."
His tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.
Meng Shilan froze in place, her unease growing stronger.
"You and Zhou Qing are destined to be together."
The emperor changed the subject very quickly.
"I have already decided that when Minister Zhou returns in triumph, I will bestow upon you the Splendid Garden in the west of the city as your new residence for your wedding."
"At that time, the Empress and I will personally officiate at the wedding."
These words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky!
Jinxiu Garden, the favorite garden of the former dynasty's princess, covers hundreds of acres and is full of exquisite pavilions and towers, comparable to the royal gardens!
Not to mention, the emperor himself presided over the wedding!
What an honor!
It should be noted that although Zhou Congxian was a close advisor to the emperor and was highly regarded, he did not yet have any real and outstanding military achievements.
This reward far exceeded what a subject could possibly accept.
His Majesty is both comforting her and warning her.
Use this overwhelming wealth and glory to shut her up, so that she can swallow all her grievances and resentment.
But these were never what Meng Shilan wanted.
Having been given a second chance at life, all she wants is justice.
What she wants is for those who harmed her child and took her life to pay for their crimes in blood!
A surge of courage, which she didn't know where it came from, made her slowly raise her head.
For the first time, those clear eyes met the emperor's unfathomable gaze without any fear.
"Your Majesty's kindness moves me to tears."
"However, there is something I do not understand, and I humbly request Your Majesty to enlighten me."
The emperor's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly, as if he were somewhat surprised.
"explain."
"Back then, His Majesty went to great lengths to uproot the deeply entrenched and all-powerful Empress Dowager faction, restoring a peaceful and just court to the Great Sheng Dynasty."
Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear and resonant.
"Why now, for the sake of a foreign prince who is not careful, do we leave behind such a scourge as Song Jiyun?"
"Your Majesty," a stubborn glint in her eyes, "is a mere foreign prince really more difficult to deal with than the all-powerful Empress Dowager?"
The moment the words left his mouth, the air in the courtyard seemed to freeze.
Scenes flashed uncontrollably through the emperor's mind.
The scorched earth was a scene of devastation, and the battlefield was littered with corpses.
The Great Sheng Dynasty collapsed...
His expression suddenly changed!
A chilling killing intent suddenly erupted from his body!
"How dare you!"
The wrath of an emperor is like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing!
"How dare you presume to comment on matters of state!"
Meng Shilan trembled with fear at the oppressive aura, her legs went weak, and she knelt down heavily!
My forehead pressed against the cold ground again, and the chill was a hundred times greater than before.
But she still did not back down.
"This humble woman dares not presume to discuss state affairs!"
She gritted her teeth, her voice carrying a hint of desperate indignation.
"This humble woman only knows that when His Majesty the Great Ancestor conquered this land, which of the surrounding neighboring countries was not defeated and forced to flee in terror, bowing their heads and submitting to him!"
"If it weren't for the Emperor Taizu's declining health back then, where would the Chirong and Wule be today on this map!"
"The Great Sheng Dynasty is now strong and well-equipped. Why should we allow those petty villains to run rampant in the shadows for the sake of some insignificant people and a little bit of so-called face?!"
"If they dare to lay their hands on the children of their subjects today, they will dare to lay them on..."
Her words came to an abrupt end.
She dared not, and could not, say what followed.
The emperor's nostrils flared violently.
It felt as if a ferocious beast was roaring wildly within his chest, assaulting his reason.
A petty scoundrel?
How he longed to dig out all those parasites and cancerous tumors, and grind them into dust!
But what does she know!
All she knew was that the Great Sheng had capable generals and a million soldiers!
How could she know that in her previous life, she had watched helplessly as her million-strong army was gradually eroded and worn down by internal strife and distrust?
How could she possibly know that in her previous life, she was a deposed monarch, nailed to the pillar of shame in history books!
The one my father favored was never him!
It's my elder brother! The crown prince whom he personally taught, a man skilled in both literature and martial arts!
After the death of the crown prince, he was forced into the position and became the empress dowager's puppet.
He was a failed emperor.
He could only watch helplessly as Dasheng was devoured piece by piece by those people until it perished!
God gave him the opportunity!
It was God who gave him a second chance!
He did everything in his power, walking on thin ice, proceeding cautiously step by step, all to save the country he had once personally destroyed!
She knew nothing, yet now she stands here, with those clear eyes, accusing him of condoning scoundrels!
A tremendous sense of grief and anger gripped his heart.
His Majesty's eyes were bloodshot, and then a sharp voice pierced the night sky, waking him from his thoughts.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
A series of hurried footsteps were followed by the hoarse shouts of the chief eunuch, Tian.
Grandpa Tian scrambled in.
"Your Majesty! An urgent military report from the border, delivered with a speeding dispatch!"
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