Su Qianqian froze for a moment, and then, as if she had thought of something, tears streamed down her bright eyes.
After a long while, she wiped away her tears and choked out, "I once thought that the best thing in the world was power... I have been in the palace for three years and four months. I have been favored and I have been disappointed. Now I have experienced three emperors... In the quiet of the night, I sometimes think, if I hadn't been so spoiled back then and hadn't entered the palace, would everything have been different? Perhaps I would have found a husband for myself. Although merchants are a low-class family, they are still able to live comfortably and wouldn't have trouble finding a good husband."
Shang Shaoyan stared intently at Su Qianqian, who continued, "Your Majesty came to find me only because of Emperor Yang's imperial edict. I can give it to you, but I only ask that Your Majesty allow me to return home."
Lu Zhi's posthumous title is "Yang," which was decided by Shang Shaoyan a few days ago.
She wasn't surprised that Su Qianqian would say that; it was just an exchange of goods. Shang Shaoyan didn't think there was anything wrong with it. If Su Qianqian hadn't made any requests, she would have become suspicious.
So Shang Shaoyan smiled good-naturedly: "No problem. I will also give you a hundred acres of fertile land, a lot of gold and silver jewelry, and you can take away everything you have saved up. I will make sure you return home in glory. How about it?"
Su Qianqian naturally agreed, and because the reward was more generous than expected, she felt quite grateful.
When Shang Shaoyan stepped out of Chaolu Palace, he had Emperor Yang's imperial edict in his hand. He read it carefully and then burned it.
...
News of Shang Shaoyan's ascension to the throne reached southern Yunnan in late August.
At that time, Li Langhuan had just incorporated the Baiyue into the territory of Southern Chen. Upon hearing this, he was extremely excited. After arranging military affairs, he and Qin Ye took the Baiyue's letter of surrender to the capital.
Qin Ye didn't really want to return to Shengjing, but he was afraid of disturbing Li Langhuan's good mood, so he didn't say anything. However, Li Langhuan was not only a valiant general in charge of the south, but also the Consort Zhao who had been in the harem for nearly ten years. How could she not see that something was wrong with Qin Ye?
After thinking it over carefully, Li Langhuan understood Qin Ye's concerns.
Upon arriving in Hangzhou, Li Langhuan suggested staying for two more days, since Shang Shaoyan's coronation ceremony was on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, and it was only the twenty-fifth day of the eighth lunar month.
Qin Ye naturally listened to Li Langhuan. Since the Empress said she wanted to relax and watch the lantern festival in the evening, he would accompany her.
When Bai Lu traveled from Shu Prefecture to the capital, she brought many glass lampshades with her. These were put to use by Xu Xian, the newly appointed prefect of Hangzhou, who planned to hold a lantern festival, both to promote glass and to create momentum for Shang Shaoyan.
Li Langhuan and Qin Ye stayed at Xu Xian's residence. Xu Xian tidied up a room for the two of them and said with a gentle smile, "The residence is simple, I'm sorry to trouble you two."
This meant they knew Li Langhuan and Qin Ye's previous identities. It seemed they were Shang Shaoyan's confidants, so Li Langhuan spoke with less restraint: "Where is it simple? I find it very cozy."
Xu Xian smiled slightly, and then said considerately, "If you two need anything, please feel free to call me anytime."
Li Langhuan said, "There is indeed something I would like to ask Lord Xu for help with..."
After saying that, she glanced at Qin Ye, who was still playing with a parrot on the opposite veranda, and lowered her voice, saying, "It's like this, I have a friend..."
Xu Xian: "..."
I have a friend.
He smiled awkwardly but politely: "Yes, please continue."
Li Langhuan pondered for a moment and said, "My friend is a woman with a flaw in her appearance, and she has a servant who is also disabled."
Xu Xian: "..."
You concealed it so well, I have to use my toes to figure out who it is.
Li Langhuan continued, "The servant is in love with my friend, and my friend knows this. She thinks the servant is a good person and easy to get along with, and plans to discuss romance after everything is settled. However, she suddenly discovered that the servant has always been very insecure and may never have any intention of marrying her. My friend now feels that this matter is quite difficult to handle. Lord Xu, what do you think should be done?"
Xu Xian scratched his chin, pondered for a moment, and said, "I think we definitely need to have an open and honest talk."
He paused, then, under the inquisitive gaze of this extraordinary woman, no less remarkable than Shang Shaoyan, he sighed, "Before I got engaged to my fiancée, I subconsciously assumed that she also loved me and would gladly marry me. Later, I realized that I didn't really understand her or her true feelings. So I had a long talk with her, and only then did I understand and begin to seriously pursue her."
Li Langhuan nodded as if he understood something, asked Xu Xian a few more questions, and then took his leave and returned to his room.
After dinner, it was already 7 PM. The lantern festival was scheduled to begin around 8 PM. Li Langhuan and Qin Ye agreed to meet at the lantern festival around 9 PM. Afterward, Li Langhuan excused himself and went back to his room to take care of something.
...
The hour of You (5-7 PM).
Qin Ye, dressed in a white robe, with a handsome face, stood tall and elegant at the entrance of the lantern market, constantly looking around.
At this moment, the lights are bright, the crowds are bustling, and a rich, elegant fragrance fills the air. Carriages and jeweled horses are parked along the roadside, appearing even more magnificent under the lights. Young women, laughing and chatting, stroll by in twos and threes, wearing brightly colored dresses and carrying exquisitely embroidered fans, some discussing their daughters' thoughts, others pointing to the beautiful lanterns; all are adorned with cloud-like hair and blooming flowers. Young men leisurely recite poems and drink wine in the lantern festival, laughing and talking loudly, occasionally teasing their friends, exuding an air of refined elegance…
Qin Ye looked at the noisy and joyful scene with a smile in his eyes, feeling tenderness and loss in his heart.
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