Chapter 87 Ku Qi is also in this night
Three days later, in the Imperial Study.
Xu Heng was reviewing memorials when he heard that Wang Yuying was requesting an audience, and his hand holding the pen paused again.
After a short while, he put down his pen.
During this period, Wang Yuying visited him sometimes alone, and sometimes with the Crown Princess to visit him in his illness. Now that the Crown Princess has left the capital, Wang Yuying is still coming. He sensed that her feelings for him were softening, and he was naturally happy.
On the other hand, her visits were handled too well, neither too frequent nor too indifferent, and this ease made Xu Heng feel like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat.
Xu Heng put on a smile and watched her enter and greet him. He said softly, "Sit down."
Her voice and appearance were as gentle as a spring breeze.
After Wang Yuying sat down, she glanced at the health tea that Qingfu had brought, but didn't touch it. She looked directly at Xu Heng at the head of the table: "Yinyin has been gone for so long, I wonder how she is doing now?"
Xu Heng's lips curled up; her words actually eased the fishbone in his throat.
"It's only been three days, and we haven't even arrived in Huainan yet. You truly are a mother who worries about her son even when he's a thousand miles away." He personally selected the Crown Princess's daily reports and had Qingfu take them to Wang Yuying for review.
After reading the memorial, Wang Yuying's brow remained furrowed. She placed the memorial on her lap and covered it with her hand, saying, "I wonder how things are in Huainan? Can she handle it well? Is she comfortable there...?"
"You should have faith in Zhaohui." Xu Heng took a sip of her health-preserving tea. "As for Huainan, south of the Huai River, the Chu culture is strong, historical sites are everywhere, and there's also a tofu feast that's quite nice."
Wang Yuying smiled at Xu Heng: "Your Majesty speaks as if you've been there."
Xu Heng's mind stirred, and after a moment of silence, he said softly, "Wait a little longer, let's go for a trip in a few years. Didn't you dream of traveling the world when you were young?"
He remembered everything. Wang Yuying lowered her eyes, a renewed hatred rising within her, a hatred so intense it numbed her.
Xu Heng lowered his eyes, thinking that it would be a good thing if Zhao Hui inherited the throne in the future. He, the retired emperor, wouldn't have to stay in the capital and could travel around with Wang Yuying. After all the twists and turns, he was still able to fulfill the promise he made when he was young, which was a source of comfort in his life.
Xu Hengzhong raised his eyelids: "I plan to let Zhao Hui attend the court session when she returns."
Wang Yuying sneered inwardly. So he not only remembered his past promises, but also knew how to please her and what would displease her.
He knew everything perfectly well.
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty, but I am still young and clumsy, and I am afraid I may fail to live up to your expectations." She also said what he wanted to hear.
"I told you to have faith in her." Xu Heng looked at Wang Yuying. "In my opinion, Zhao Hui is kind and filial, respectful to the virtuous and humble, and her private morality is spotless. She is truly someone I can rely on."
"Sigh..." Wang Yuying sighed softly, "I'll give her some more advice when she returns to Beijing, and tell her to listen to your teachings. I hope she can really do those things."
Xu Heng smiled slightly, then looked up as the sunlight streamed through the window, casting wisps of dust into the air.
After a long silence, he parted his lips and said, "Yingniang, the spring sunshine is so beautiful, why don't we go for a walk together?"
When Wang Yuying glanced at Xu Heng, she deliberately parted her lips and opened her eyes wide, revealing surprise.
Xu Heng's smile deepened.
She glanced quickly under the table, then looked away: "That's fine, but my knee is a little sore today, so I didn't ride a horse when I came. If Your Majesty wishes to enjoy the spring scenery, could you lend me a palanquin?"
This time it was Xu Heng's turn to open and close his lips again—he was worried about his limp and could only ride in a sedan chair, but he didn't expect Wang Yuying to take the initiative to put her arm around him and help him out of the awkward situation.
She is slowly returning to her former self, starting to think of him again and soothe him with her heart.
The two rode in separate palanquins, admiring the spring scenery along the Forbidden City. Pink roses climbed the palace walls, and the budding crabapple blossoms resembled countless stars. The sun peeked through the canopy, warming Xu Heng's entire body.
He always sat upright, but this time he couldn't help but lean back in his chair.
The two carriages traveled all the way to the Imperial Garden, where the flowers were in full bloom. The Yao Huang and Wei Zi flowers were vying for attention, and even the Gesang flowers had bloomed early. They were scattered at different heights, and a bee was collecting nectar from a purple-petaled Gesang flower.
Wang Yuying turned her head to look at the bees. Xu Heng saw this and raised his hand to signal the sedan chair to stop.
Wang Yuying turned her head away and refused to look again.
Xu Heng smiled and pointed to the upper left: "Go up to that pavilion and take a look; the view is expansive."
Following the direction the man pointed, Wang Yuying saw piled-up rocks, two man-made waterfalls above a double-eaved pavilion with a glazed tile roof, its eight corners sloping upwards.
She nodded in agreement.
Xu Heng thought that she was considerate of him, so he should reciprocate and show his sincerity. The hundred-step staircase to Linxian Pavilion was impossible, but the nine or ten steps of this double-eaved pavilion were still manageable. He got out of the sedan chair and, with Qingfu's help, walked up the steps, trying not to show his limp.
After climbing four or five steps, knowing that Wang Yuying was following behind him, Xu Heng couldn't resist his greed and wanted her to help him instead of Qingfu.
He turned to look at her, but suddenly remembered that it was in this very pavilion that Wang Yuying discovered his affair with Jiang Mei. The deep meaning in his eyes was instantly replaced by panic. He hurriedly turned back, lost his footing, and stumbled forward.
"Your Majesty, be careful!" Qingfu exclaimed in alarm and quickly helped him up.
Wang Yuying silently observed everything from behind, secretly calculating in her heart: Although Xu Heng had tried to conceal his appearance, his eyes had begun to turn yellow, and he could barely climb the steps. It seemed that the poison had almost completely taken hold, and his death was not far off.
Upon reaching the pavilion, the entire imperial garden was laid out before them. Xu Heng, tormented by guilt, and remembering that Wang Yuying was still sitting beside him, looked at her and murmured, "I was the one who wronged you back then."
Wang Yuying's heart skipped a beat. Why did he suddenly admit his mistake?
Unsolicited kindness is either a sign of ulterior motives or theft!
She pondered for a while, unable to figure it out. Fortunately, she had already mastered the art of feigning emotions in front of Xu Heng, so she put on a calm and indifferent expression: "So many years have passed."
Xu Heng watched as she gently shook her head, dispelling the gloom in his heart.
“Once Yinyin returns, Your Majesty will give me the imperial edict,” Wang Yuying suddenly said.
Xu Heng was stunned for a moment, his mind blank: "What?"
What she was talking about... could it be the reinstatement of the imperial edict?
Is it really a reinstatement edict?
Incredulous, he asked in a trembling voice, "You mean... the one in the drawer of my imperial study..."
Wang Yuying nodded before he could finish speaking.
Xu Heng was so nervous that he almost couldn't breathe. The two nods she made were brighter than sunlight, and he felt as if a jar of honey had been spilled in his heart, both sweet and cloying.
Wang Yuying wanted to add insult to injury, so she smiled and looked at the white jade pendant that Xu Heng almost never took off, which was tied around his waist: "Your Majesty, has this jade pendant been repaired?"
"It's been repaired long ago." The crack happened ages ago. He reached out to take off the jade pendant so Wang Yuying could see it, to show her what it meant to be perfectly intact. But Wang Yuying suddenly asked, "Is it possible to find a matching one?"
Xu Heng froze abruptly, his palm pressed against the jade pendant. The warm, smooth white jade suddenly transformed into a heater, penetrating his palm and then his arm, continuously transmitting heat to his body. His blood boiled, and he became radiant.
"Yes, yes!" Xu Heng exclaimed urgently, promising to provide her with everything she needed, even if it meant going to the ends of the earth!
His nose felt a little sore, and his eyes were burning. After a moment of restraint, he was able to give Qingfu a normal order to replace the herbal tea in the pot on the table with Sparrow Tongue tea.
Wang Yuying stopped her, saying, "No, let's drink this instead."
She picked up her cup and drank it all.
Seeing her sincerity, Xu Heng felt a mix of emotions, a bittersweet feeling—she was no longer settling, but opening her heart and trying to accept him willingly again.
Xu Heng couldn't help but become talkative, and only after talking to Wang Yuying about the approaching sunset did he let her leave the palace and go home.
Less than an hour later, he reappeared at her doorstep.
His gaze was intense, brighter than the stars, and he looked past the kneeling maids, staring directly at Wang Yuying, who had hurriedly left the hall upon learning of the Emperor's arrival.
"Why has Your Majesty come?" Wang Yuying asked as she approached.
Xu Heng clenched his fist, suppressing his excitement—he couldn't control himself either. Only half a day after agreeing to reunite, he quickly reverted to the boy who was experiencing his first flutter of the heart, unwilling to be separated from his beloved for long and wanting to see her all the time.
"I couldn't resist coming to see you." He tried to keep his tone calm, glancing at the smoke rising from the kitchen, and made conversation, "Haven't you eaten yet?"
"Has Your Majesty had dinner yet?" Wang Yuying asked in return.
Xu Heng shook his head. Since the beginning of spring, his appetite had been poor. It had gotten worse in the last two months; he would feel choked if he ate even a little more, and for the past twenty days he had only eaten one meal a day, lunch.
"Then Your Majesty, please join us for a meal." Wang Yuying led Xu Heng inside while instructing Shuangtian, who was cooking, "Stir-fry a lot of bitter melon."
Xu Heng's smile deepened.
Not wanting to disappoint Wang Yuying, he made an exception and ate a large bowl of rice, and even ate half a plate of stir-fried bitter melon.
After they finished eating, it was already dark outside the window, with a halo around the moon and stars. Everyone else had already tactfully left, leaving only Wang and Xu in the hall.
Xu Heng felt as if he were hearing the drums of a drum, two invisible mallets striking him loudly. He could hear his own heartbeat and know how strongly his chest was pounding. On such a beautiful day, under the flowers and the moon, who wouldn't long to hold their beloved in their arms?
But he was no longer a boy; he understood the unspoken understanding between adult men and women. He knew that if he hugged someone, he should kiss them, and if he kissed them, he should stay overnight. It was a natural progression.
Although he had the desire to be intimate with her, it was suppressed by another kind of fear.
Firstly, in order to maintain his youth, Xu Heng relied on the Jade Complexion Cream for many years. The imperial physician repeatedly instructed him that he must be pure of heart and abstain from women when using it for it to be effective. Therefore, he was worried that if he suddenly broke his vows, his appearance would rapidly deteriorate and he would age prematurely.
It would be best to go back and consult the imperial physician first.
Secondly, it hadn't happened in so many years, and although I was reluctant to admit it, I did feel less confident because of the unfamiliarity.
Let's go back and make some preparations first; there's no rush.
"How about I escort His Majesty back?" Wang Yuying said softly. "It's getting late. I'd usually be asleep by now."
Xu Heng stared intently at Wang Yuying, and after catching a fleeting glint in her eyes, he suddenly smiled to himself: So she's timid too!
Indeed, a jade dildo is ultimately an inanimate object. She and he, like her, had been idle for many years. How could she not be afraid?
Xu Heng felt relieved. Seeing that Wang Yuying's eyelids were drooping, and remembering that she always went to bed very early according to her diary reports, he agreed: "Alright, then I will come to see you another day."
After saying that, he felt both disappointed and relieved.
Wang Yuying helped Xu Heng onto the carriage. In the distance, a crack opened in the window of a private room in Shuyu Tower, where a pair of eyes were silently watching.
That night, Wang Yuying did not go to Shuyu Tower. After seeing Xu Heng off, she went straight back to her room to sleep.
At the end of the month, the Crown Princess, who had been ordered to manage affairs, completed her duties and returned to the capital in seclusion.
On the third day of the seventh month, the emperor divined an auspicious time, offered sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and issued an edict, reinstating Wang Yuying as Empress.
The emperor and empress had a long-standing and complicated relationship. After the imperial edict was issued, everyone sighed with a sense of "as expected," and there were no objections. Everyone congratulated each other.
The Emperor and Empress's wedding is scheduled for the first day of the tenth month, when they will perform the rites of heaven and earth and unite in marriage. This is a date personally selected by Xu Heng, perfectly aligned with the imperial couple, and there has never been a better auspicious time in the past three years.
He thought that back then, he could hang "Qi Si Feng" (a type of banner) all the way from Yongjia Lane to the palace gate, and on his wedding day, the soft red banners could also stretch for thirty miles. He wanted to use the most grand and magnificent wedding to welcome his only wife.
As the Qixi Festival approaches again, Xu Heng is surprisingly hesitant and dares not invite Wang Yuying in person. Instead, he picks out a poem from Sichuan, written in bold and elegant strokes, which is no less impressive than those of great calligraphers: "We have not shared the Qixi moon for many years, now I send this poem to summon the phoenix."
Finally, he personally painted a bluebird, which diligently explored the area.
On the fifth day of the seventh month, Wang Yuying replied: "I have not yet had my wedding banquet, and I wish to spend the Qixi Festival in the mortal world."
Xu Heng smiled. He understood that she didn't want to spend the Qixi Festival in the palace, because the sadness she had experienced in the palace in the past far outweighed the joy.
He would rather go back to before he ascended the throne, when they were an ordinary couple, each other's only one.
Xu Heng sent another letter: "Where does my lady wish to invite me to go? I await your good news."
On the sixth day of the seventh lunar month, she replied again: "On this night of golden wind and jade dew, let's meet at Shuyu Tower."
"Where is Shuyu Tower?" Xu Heng frowned. Although he clearly remembered that this place had never been mentioned in the daily secret reports, he still pressed on, "Has the Empress ever been there before?"
"Your Majesty, it is a teahouse. The Empress has never been there, but it is not far from Yongjia Lane, almost across the street."
What's the sign there?
"Your Majesty, it is Golden Phoenix Tea and Shizhou Jade Dew."
Xu Heng smiled; he had guessed correctly, it was indeed this "Golden Breeze and Jade Dew." But if she wanted a "Golden Breeze and Jade Dew" encounter, that was fine too. He had already consulted the imperial physician in detail and even tried it himself; he wouldn't let her down.
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