Chapter 69 After Marriage
At this moment, Galo felt as if he were trapped in a nightmare that was like a quagmire.
She looked at the monk before her, his head severed, his face contorted in a grotesque grimace, approaching her. He was muttering something, but she couldn't make it out. All she could see was blood gushing from his mouth.
Fresh blood dripped down, carrying a scalding heat.
Galo kept backing away, afraid that the blood would fall on her.
Suddenly, as she was backing away, something warm pressed against her from behind.
The smooth touch dampened her clothes, and a strong smell of blood began to fill her nostrils.
It's like.....
Galo suddenly turned around and saw Angrama's face covered in blood.
"you..."
"Little sister, oh, according to your original age, plus the years you've lived, even Mother isn't older than you. You old hag, is it fun to play dumb?"
Galo stood rooted to the spot, watching the woman utter vicious words as the monk behind her drew ever closer.
Her heart was filled with fear and dread, but she felt no regret whatsoever.
Even at this very moment, with the demonic voices of the two dead echoing in her ears, a strange feeling suddenly welled up in her heart.
In that instant, she felt a warmth.
The warmth carried a different scent than the previous stench of blood; instead, it had the aroma of pine resin.
But then the bloody scene before her eyes suddenly faded, and she found herself on her first visit to the palace.
She suddenly saw the image of Fu Lin when she first met him; the man looked somewhat frail under the light and shadow, yet his eyes were deep and unfathomable.
The Empress Dowager's attitude was amiable yet absolutely assertive.
Did he also have these nightmares when he was young?
She will never regret anything she did to protect Abu, her brother, and the people she cares about.
Suddenly, she seemed to be pulled out of the oppressive mother-son conversation by a tremendous force, and her body felt a sense of weightlessness.
It turned out that I had returned to the bloody nightmare.
But this time she was full of courage and stared intently at the man who was getting closer to her.
With the bloody mouth opening and closing, she finally heard the monk's words clearly.
"You have attempted to seek personal gain and seize the body of another; Heaven will not tolerate you!"
And Angrama continued to utter vicious curses.
Galo chuckled, and with a sudden burst of courage, he pushed the monk aside and slapped the woman.
"What will become of me in the future, I suppose you and my fifth sister will not live to see."
"Get out of my way!"
The monk and the woman vanished into nothingness under her power.
Galo felt himself lose weight again and suddenly fell into darkness.
He lost consciousness.
"Gallo, Gallo."
After an unknown amount of time, Galo heard a series of soft calls in his ear.
The sound was somewhat disturbing, but the deep tone was rather pleasant.
Then, in this half-dreaming, half-awake state, she felt her body being gently lifted up, her nightgown removed, and then a damp, gentle handkerchief wiping her body.
A faint scent of ambergris lingered in the air.
Galo felt completely comfortable and slowly drifted back into the endless night.
This time, however, there was no annoying nightmare, nor the lingering fatigue of not being able to wake up; instead, I slept soundly.
......
When Galo woke up again, it was unknown when.
When she opened her eyes in a daze, what she saw was a bright yellow silk nightgown.
She blinked, feeling the warm touch against her skin as the man's skin slowly pressed against hers.
And the strong, well-defined muscles beneath the bright yellow pajamas became clearer.
How did you become so strong?
Even in her dream just now, she remembered the man's once frail body.
Just as she was in a daze, the man's arm reached out and wrapped around her waist, bringing the two of them even closer together.
"woke up?"
The man's chest trembled slightly, and his voice was hoarse, clearly indicating that he had just woken up.
"Your Majesty, how could you..."
Before she could finish speaking, the man reached out and touched her forehead.
His slender fingers gently brushed across her skin; his fingertips were calloused, and they tickled slightly as they touched her skin.
"Hmm, the fever has finally subsided."
The two were so close that even the slightest breath or tremor could not be concealed.
She felt the warmth from where her skin had just touched the man growing hotter and hotter, making her suddenly feel very uncomfortable.
She reached out and braced herself against the man's chest, trying to escape.
But when she grasped the man's skin, she unexpectedly felt the softness of his skin and the strength of the muscles beneath it.
This made her feel out of place, yet it also made her think of her previous intimate encounters with men.
Extremely unfavorable.
He seemed to be physically weak and had a habit of premature ejaculation.
But that didn't stop him from having a child.
"My younger sister now practices martial arts after court sessions, and she's doing quite well now."
The man's hand, which had been around her waist, moved casually upwards and landed on her back.
He pressed her back down, neither too hard nor too soft.
This time, she clearly felt the man's burning heat.
Galo froze, too afraid to move.
The man seemed quite pleased with her composure and chuckled softly.
Then he lifted Galo's chin with his hand and said, "Look up and let me see you."
Following his force, Galo raised her head, but before she could see the man's expression clearly, her lips were kissed.
Unlike the force with which the man gripped her chin, his lips were surprisingly warm and soft.
"Open up a little, let me kiss you properly."
Lips touching lips, the man whispered as they kissed.
The bed was quiet and fragrant. The woman's right arm moved from the man's chest to his neck.
Jade, who had been guarding the bed by the door, now saw the bright yellow bed curtains swaying gently, spreading out like ripples on water.
She quietly slipped out and closed the door.
"What's wrong?"
An Shou, who was standing outside the door, saw Fei Cui come out and asked in a low voice.
Emerald recalled how, when the bed curtains were gently swayed, she saw her mistress's delicate hand hanging limply at the edge of the bed, only to be grabbed and pressed down by a pair of strong, slender hands.
It was clearly just a hand, but it couldn't hide the spring-like atmosphere that filled the room.
She shook her head, her cheeks slightly flushed, and said, "It's nothing, just prepare more water."
The security guard was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said to Emerald, "Auntie, go and rest. We'll take care of the arrangements."
After saying that, he left with great eagerness.
Jade rolled her eyes at this shrewd man, but didn't actually go to rest. Instead, she sat down on a bench in the yard.
At this moment, the sky was still pitch black, and the distant mountains were shrouded in mist, while the nearby lanterns emitted a faint yellow light.
Darkness is like a battle between a lantern and a small space, a back-and-forth struggle.
But candlelight is no match for the overwhelming darkness, or perhaps the candlelight itself lacked willpower and was slowly eroded, leaving only the original core of its light.
The wick of the lamp is gently stroked by the unseen hand reaching out from the darkness. It seems to want to avoid it, but it is always being teased.
Then, a strong gust of wind suddenly swept in, causing the lamp wick to tremble and flicker.
Just as darkness was about to strike this last ray of light, the light broke through the darkness that had finally enveloped the world.
Emerald looked up at the sky in the distance, which was turning a pale white, and when she turned back again, the candlelight had somehow gone out.
At that moment, the security guards finally returned, and the crowd outside stood quietly.
Inside the room at this moment.
Galo lay face down on the bed, her soft black hair falling over her shoulders. Her back was slender and fair, with a few strands of black hair stuck to it, making her skin look like white porcelain.
Following the line of sight downwards, her waist was covered by bright yellow silk. The man lifted her limp waist, and the layers of bedding slid off until the woman was completely enveloped in his chest.
When the door bell rang, the security guard and Emerald led the people in one file.
When Jade lowered her head and lifted the bright yellow veil, what came into view was the man's strong and powerful back, and the mottled scratches.
Jade suddenly lowered her eyes, no longer daring to look around.
"Hmm."
A soft rustling sound came from the mattress, followed by a girl's weary voice.
The man casually draped a nightgown over himself, then carried the woman into the clean room.
Sometimes, after experiencing the sweetness of success, it's hard not to lose control when the water temperature is high again.
Half an hour later, Galo finally returned to his bed safely.
The man was standing by the bed, being helped to put on his court robes.
Unlike the pitch-black room just now, the window was half-open, and the morning light streamed in, carrying the dampness left from the night.
The man's handsome face was radiant, and even in his court attire, he appeared more cheerful.
Galo was momentarily stunned.
"I'm leaving now. You should rest well. After you've had breakfast, the imperial physician will examine you again."
Galo nuzzled against the pillow and whispered an "okay."
Then she yawned and prepared to turn over and go to sleep.
But the man held her shoulders and kissed her lips again, as if he couldn't get enough of kissing her.
The man's breathing grew heavier, his lips still carrying the coolness of the morning, but in an instant, they were enveloped by warmth.
"Hmm...."
"I am going to court."
The man's voice was hoarse, and his brows were furrowed with worry.
Looking at his appearance, Galo couldn't help but find it amusing.
At this moment, the man who ruled the world was like a naive young man who had just fallen in love.
"I will rest in Changchun. Please come and have a meal with me after court."
Galo raised her head slightly, offered her lips to the man, kissed him, parted slightly, and then looked up to meet his gaze.
In Fu Lin's slender, phoenix-shaped eyes, all he could see was her.
He sighed, then got up and left without looking back.
The man's footsteps faded into the distance, and Emerald helped her lie down.
Galo closed his eyes, but couldn't fall asleep. He was exhausted, but he had experienced the pleasures of love between a man and a woman.
It would be foolish not to eat meat when it's available.
She rested for a moment, then got up.
"Angel and the others..."
Before he could finish speaking, a loud voice came from outside.
"Imperial edict has arrived!"
Galo and Emerald exchanged a glance, got dressed, and went outside.
The security guard smiled obsequiously at Galo and said, "His Majesty's words are law. Since Her Majesty the Empress has just recovered, there is no need for her to kneel to receive the imperial decree."
Galo bowed towards the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees..."
The imperial edict from the Qing emperor spread throughout the entire Qing Dynasty in less than half a month.
Even Wu Keshan, who was discussing matters with his sons at the moment, was stunned.
The emperor actually dismissed the entire harem for the sake of Xin Sa Ri, and raised his only son under her name.
Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager moved to a villa near the capital, supposedly to pray for the late Emperor's well-being.
"The deepest affection is yet to come."
Wu Keshan sighed slowly.
.
That night, I saw that Galo was burning hot and had a persistent high fever.
The nervous imperial physician, along with the palace maids and eunuchs coming and going, all vanished into shadowy figures before Fu Lin's eyes.
Even the drizzle falling outside in the middle of the night seemed ominous.
Fu Lin hasn't had a proper rest in a long time.
He looked at the woman on the bed with her eyes closed and her face flushed, and couldn't help but recall the first time he saw her.
The quietness couldn't conceal the vibrant energy of the girl from the grasslands.
And then there's her radiant appearance whenever she can't suppress her temper and argues with herself.
And that night, when her so-called identity was exposed, she felt panic and helplessness.
And her ruthless decisiveness last night, and her current unconscious state.
He knew that Galo was no longer the woman who only wanted a peaceful life, and he was willing to share the world with her for that.
Actually, he always had this illusion that if it weren't for her...
Perhaps he had already abandoned this world.
He was already tired of everything in the Forbidden City.
At this moment, looking at Galo's appearance, he felt a violent fear, and even a sense of absurd unreality.
Will she just disappear from her own world?
Looking back on the time they spent together, I'm afraid I can't keep her.
His heart was pounding like a drum, but his mind felt as if it were being judged by her, about to leave his body.
Until he heard a sob, followed by the excited voices of the imperial physicians and the joyful cries of her two maids, it sounded like heavenly music.
On this night of torrential rain, after he saw the woman's breathing become calm, Fu Lin felt that he knew what he should do and what he should do.
So, when Galo fell into a deep sleep, he went to find his mother.
The woman who raised him single-handedly.
.
As dawn broke, this woman, who could be described as having absolute power, had already woken up.
She sat cross-legged on the couch by the window, her expression indifferent as she looked at an evergreen tree that had stood for a long time in the courtyard.
That evergreen tree was a birthday gift Dorgon gave her a long time ago.
"emperor."
Sumalagu's voice sounded somewhat surprised.
Fu Lin and she locked eyes, their faces unusually calm.
Sumalagu, this perceptive woman, seemed to have realized something as well, but her expression was tense and resistant.
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager suffered a headache last night, and today..."
"Sumalagu, Mother Empress knows I've returned, doesn't she?"
Fu Lin stood with his feet on the threshold, and in the blink of an eye, he met the gaze of a pair of cold and quiet eyes inside the house.
Sumalagu was taken aback, pursed her lips, and took two steps back.
Fu Lin strode in and walked into the house.
The Empress Dowager turned around at that moment, her back to the window.
Sumala stepped forward and pulled the blanket over her master's legs, saying with concern, "Master, you didn't sleep a wink last night, you shouldn't have gotten up today."
"The imperial physicians have all said that you should rest and take your medicine."
After she finished speaking, the room fell silent.
"Your presence doesn't seem like that of someone coming to pay respects, Your Majesty."
The woman's slightly sickly voice rang out, but it could not conceal her usual majesty.
After paying his respects, Fu Lin sat down on an embroidered stool to the side.
He was still wearing the same clothes he hadn't changed out of the night before.
"Empress Mother, your grandson has grown up."
He looked up at his mother, the woman who had protected him but also placed immense pressure on him.
Sometimes, she is like a god in my heart, protecting me and oppressing me.
If he were just an emperor, all of this would be good.
But he was precocious.
Under the constant pampering and protection of his mother, he also sensed the woman's aversion and weariness.
At first, he thought it was because he was a bit stupid and because his mother was heartbroken about losing her child.
Later, he learned that it was because his mother had harbored inappropriate thoughts about another man.
Perhaps without him, without his intelligence, the Empress Dowager would have chosen to have a child with Dorgon, a substitution.
Or they could simply make Dorgon the emperor, and they could be together openly and openly, a loving emperor and empress.
Later, when everyone knew that Fulin had learned all this, Dorgon became much more blatant in his oppression and domineering behavior.
The Empress Dowager felt a mixture of pity and a sense of unease.
Only Fulin himself was slowly locked in darkness, the sleepless nights filled with fear, the looming threat of death, his mother's growing indifference, and Dorgon's barely concealed murderous intent, all enveloping him who had no protection.
Later, as he grew up and was no longer afraid of Dorgon and his mother, he gradually grew tired of the so-called imperial power and hegemony, as well as the royal family.
Everyone assumed that the Empress Dowager targeted Galo that night to exorcise evil spirits.
Only Fulin knew that the Empress Dowager's fundamental reason for not allowing him to have someone to spend his life with after he ascended the throne was because he had killed Dorgon.
Everyone should be lonely in the pursuit of imperial power and hegemony.
She is like this, her father is like this, and as his son, he should naturally be like this as well.
At first, the Dong family was a thorn in her side, but now Galo has become the thorn in her side.
Both mother and son were intelligent and shrewd rulers who knew how to win people's hearts.
With just one simple sentence, the two of them understood what it meant.
"Yes, my son has grown up."
The Empress Dowager paused, and the prayer beads slowly turned, the gentle tapping sound of the beads echoing in the room.
Her eyes gradually sharpened as she scrutinized the son she had raised.
"Now, for the sake of a woman, he has come to his own mother."
Fu Lin remained silent, simply gazing at her.
The Empress Dowager's expression changed slightly, as if her son had seen through her.
In that instant, she understood.
Her son truly saw through her.
As dawn broke, the room was filled with the lingering smell of medicine from the previous night.
"Very well, I'm tired too."
In the end, it was the mother who made the concession between the mother and son.
Fu Lin stood up, lifted his robe, and gave his mother a deep bow.
The woman watched him quietly until her son got up and turned to walk to the door, at which point she couldn't hold back her tears.
"Those years, my mother's hesitation and struggle..."
What followed was something even the Empress Dowager herself found difficult to say to her son.
She paused, then asked, "When you killed Dorgon, did you hesitate even for your mother's sake?"
Fu Lin paused, turned his head slightly, but did not look at his mother.
Following his gaze, both mother and son looked at the evergreen tree in the courtyard that had been lush and green for decades.
“Since the evergreen tree came to your bedchamber, it has grown lush and green, but when your son looks at it, he feels the separation between mother and son, and the guillotine hanging above his head slowly falling.”
Born into the Borjigit clan, a princess of the Khorchin, and later a woman who came to power in the Qing Dynasty, Borjigit Bumbutai was stunned at this moment, and her face suddenly turned pale.
"I have lost after all."
This time, however, Fulin did not stop and went straight out of the palace gate.
As the lacquered red gate slowly closed, the seemingly loving mother and son in the imperial family revealed the turbulent undercurrents beneath the surface, almost severing the bond between them.
......
Galo's youthful exuberance was quickly dispelled by the man before her during a night when she had a high fever.
For a moment, she didn't even know what she should do.
In response, the emperor, who appeared relaxed, spoke up, saying indifferently, "When you first entered the palace, the empress spoke with the rites of an empress, talking about the stability of the Khorchin tribe, showing no interest in the emperor's favor, and only thinking about enjoying herself. You may continue to do so now."
Galo was taken aback by what he heard, blinked, and didn't know what to say.
From then on, Fulin's daily schedule became a simple routine: resting at Changchun Palace and attending court at Yangxin Hall.
Galo held the Empress's seal in her hand, managing the harem where she was the only mistress.
At first she was somewhat wary, but it was the same for one year, two years, and even after Xuan Ye had grown up, it was still the same.
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Author's Note: It's almost over.
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