Li Xuan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, while you were away, the Regent held absolute power and handled everything exceptionally well; he is a man, your own elder brother, and I am somewhat worried that the world might favor him even more..."
Shang Yunlan, who was eavesdropping: "..."
Is it his fault for doing things so well?
He couldn't steal Shang Shaoyan's thunder, but he also couldn't completely abandon the task. This was even more tiring than being Emperor Shang Shaoyan himself.
Shang Shaoyan couldn't help but smile, looking at Li Xuan with some helplessness: "Thank you for your concern, Lord Li. I am very grateful. However, if I cannot even trust my own brother, or if I do not even have the ability to suppress my brother, then there is indeed no need to give me the throne."
After saying that, she glanced at Li Xuan's somewhat surprised expression, raised her eyebrows and said, "I have confidence in myself, and I also have confidence in my imperial brother—I want this world not for my own selfish desires, but for the sake of this turbulent world."
Upon hearing these words, Li Xuan was first stunned, then his eyes reddened as he bowed deeply and choked out, "Your Majesty has the great cause of the common people at heart and personally unified the North and South. This is an unparalleled achievement, and your descendants will be worry-free for thousands of years to come!"
He paused, then sighed, "Your Majesty, I have no regrets in dying to have witnessed peace throughout the land!"
Shang Shaoyan quickly stepped forward, personally helped Li Xuan up, bent down to brush the dust off his knees, and said respectfully, "With Minister Li's help, peace throughout the land, tranquility of the seas and rivers, and prosperity for the people... are only a matter of time."
...
After Shang Shaoyan ascended the throne, he established the state of "Zhou" and adopted the reign title "Changwu". He won the hearts of the people by combining kindness and severity.
Three months later, Shang Shaoyan and Qiao Xiuyu's wedding was held in Shengjing.
Since it was the Empress "marrying" her husband, it wouldn't be appropriate for her to ride in a bridal sedan chair; and it wouldn't be suitable for Qiao Xiuyu, a handsome young man, to ride in a bridal sedan chair either. Therefore, the two rode two fine horses one after the other, circled the city once, and then entered the palace.
The couple's wedding began at the beginning of Shen Shi (3-5 PM) and continued until the beginning of You Shi (5-7 PM).
A banquet was held in the palace, and Shang Shaoyan renovated and decorated the Taiji Hall used by the previous dynasty, where he held his wedding.
After bowing to heaven and earth, bowing to their parents, and the couple bowing to each other, everyone began to drink and eat. Amidst the clinking of glasses, Shang Shaoyan finally found a chance to speak with Qiao Xiuyu.
She secretly tugged at Qiao Xiuyu's sleeve: "Qilang, are you tired?"
Qiao Xiuyu smiled almost imperceptibly, then took Shang Shaoyan's hand and said softly, "I'm not tired. How about you?"
Shang Shaoyan blinked excitedly: "How could I be tired? It's not my turn to be tired yet."
Qiao Xiuyu took a moment to react before realizing what Shang Shaoyan was talking about. He blushed involuntarily, but fortunately, he was holding a glass of wine, so the others assumed it was just the effects of the alcohol on his face.
Sitting below the two, Shang Yunlan, with her sharp eyes, naturally saw through their little actions. She glanced at Qiao Xiuyu with a forced smile and asked, "Are you happy?"
Qiao Xiuyu was completely oblivious to the disdain in Shang Yunlan's words and nodded happily: "Of course I'm happy on such a joyous day."
Shang Yunlan: "..."
I recognized him by his eyes; he was still the same person who couldn't understand the hidden meaning in his words.
At this moment, Qiao Xiuyu asked in confusion, "Where is Your Majesty? You don't seem very happy."
Those sitting nearby were all family members. Cheng Lingxiu and Shang Xiao sat on either side of Shang Yunlan. Upon hearing this, they carefully examined Shang Yunlan's expression and discovered—goodness, he really didn't seem happy!
Cheng Lingxiu pinched Shang Yunlan's waist: "Smile!"
Shang Yunlan: "..."
fake smile.jpg
Shang Xiao pinched Shang Yunlan's arm: "Don't smile so fake! Be sincere!"
Shang Yunlan: "..."
He tried his best to recall some happy things to make his smile seem more genuine, but sadly discovered that all those happy things were related to Shang Shaoyan, but now Shang Shaoyan was already married.
She is about to start a family, a family that belongs only to her, and her brother will naturally be excluded.
Shang Shaoyan keenly sensed Shang Yunlan's sadness and immediately understood what he was thinking.
Shang Shaoyan smiled and looked at Shang Yunlan with feigned ease: "Tomorrow I will issue an imperial decree that you will live in the palace year-round and will not need to build a separate residence outside. What do you think, brother?"
Shang Yunlan was stunned for a moment, and didn't know how to reply.
Shang Shaoyan feigned anger: "Don't tell me you're not willing anymore?"
Shang Yunlan came to his senses, his eyes a little red, and he smiled and said, "I'll do whatever An'an says."
Halfway through the banquet, Qiao Xiuyu became somewhat drunk, but she stubbornly refused to show it. Shang Shaoyan saw this and found it both amusing and heartbreaking, so he and Qiao Xiuyu left the banquet first.
Qiao Xiuyu could maintain her composure in front of others, but once she left the Taiji Hall, she even walked with a limp. Shang Shaoyan found it amusing, dismissed the palace servants who were following her, and pulled Qiao Xiuyu to sit at the stone table.
The moon hung high in the sky, casting a silvery glow. Shang Shaoyan held a palace lantern in his hand, carefully tracing Qiao Xiuyu's exquisite face.
Although Qiao Xiuyu was drunk, he was still sharp-witted. He tilted his head slightly and looked at Shang Shaoyan. His eyes were blurry with drunkenness, but the tenderness in them was almost overflowing: "An'an."
Shang Shaoyan replied crisply, "Yes, I'm here."
Qiao Xiuyu remained silent, simply watching Shang Shaoyan quietly.
After a moment, he said, "When I was in Luoyang, I often heard of the young Marquis Cui Du's good reputation. Does An'an intend to keep him in the palace?"
Shang Shaoyan wasn't surprised that Qiao Xiuyu would ask that question; she knew Qiao Xiuyu was somewhat apprehensive.
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