Unfortunately, the late emperor was devoted to his beloved, and Lu Xingjian had no intention of taking any concubines, leaving the harem cold and deserted.
Zhou Wanxiu's words involuntarily came to mind.
You men are all the same; once you get tired of eating the same dish, you want to try something new.
In fact, for an empress to expect a man to be devoted to her is a very unwise thing to do.
After the palace banquet, fireworks were set off in the palace.
The elderly concubines, unable to endure the strain, went back to rest early.
Finally, Lu Xingjian and Su Wanwan watched the fireworks hand in hand.
Brilliant bursts of fireworks shot into the sky, blooming freely in the night sky, their vibrant colors captivating all who beheld them.
The air is filled with a unique sulfurous smell, mixed with the aroma of burning gunpowder, and the crisp, cold air is inhaled, making it a symbol of the festival.
Lu Xingjian held her and kissed her for a long time before letting go.
She was breathing heavily, her voice deep and affectionate, enough to make your ears pregnant.
"My wife, for the rest of our lives, we will never leave each other, until death do us part."
His eyes were as deep as the night sky, sparkling with starlight, so firm and affectionate.
Su Wanwan stared at him blankly, her heart trembling violently.
Which woman doesn't want to stay with her husband for life, never to leave him?
But if someone else gets involved in their relationship in the future, will they still be able to stay together for life and never leave each other?
The man looked expectantly into her eyes, his long, slender fingers gently stroking her cheek, hoping she would say the same thing.
After a long silence, Su Wanwan simply said, "Mm."
A smile, like fireworks, burst forth from the man's eyes, spreading across his entire face, making him radiant and as if he were the happiest person in the world.
Although she hesitated, she still agreed to his proposal.
This is their first Lunar New Year's Eve together, and many more Lunar New Year's Eves await them.
...
From the beginning of the Lunar New Year, the emperor and empress were very busy, with countless rituals and sacrifices awaiting them.
On the first day of the lunar new year, people would pay homage at the Fengxian Hall, Fengci Hall, the Grand Empress Dowager's Palace, and the Empress Dowager's Palace. After the ceremony, the emperor would go out to the Fengtian Hall to receive congratulatory greetings from civil and military officials and envoys from all over the world.
In previous years, ladies of noble birth and family members would also come to the palace to offer congratulations, and a palace banquet would be held.
On the day of Lichun (the beginning of spring), spring arrives and celebrations are held.
On the fifth day of the lunar month, a grand ceremony is held to worship Heaven and Earth, during which the emperor and his officials, both civil and military, must fast for three days.
Afterwards, the emperor and empress had to perform a grand sacrifice to Heaven and Earth in the southern suburbs. After the ceremony, they had to hold a grand banquet for civil and military officials and envoys from all over the world in the Fengtian Hall.
The Ghost Festival holiday lasts for ten days, from the eighth to the seventeenth day of the first lunar month.
Because of her maternal grandfather's passing, Su Wanwan had no desire to go see the lanterns.
Lu Xingjian whispered something in her ear, and Su Wanwan's eyes flickered before she nodded.
The most lively part of the Lantern Festival is the street outside Dong'an Gate.
Lu Xingjian had already ordered people to prepare a pavilion for viewing the lanterns, but he himself only showed up briefly before disappearing from sight.
Su Wanwan and Yan Ge'er stayed upstairs watching the lively lantern festival on the street, with no intention of going down to join the fun.
They had no idea why Lu Xingjian had broken his promise and hadn't brought Yan Ge'er along.
That evening, Su Wanwan took Yan Ge'er back to the palace, and Lu Xingjian did not reappear.
For the next few days, Lu Xingjian was nowhere to be seen.
Su Wanwan felt that something was very wrong.
She didn't make a fuss about it. This kind of thing happened often before, so it wasn't unusual.
He Ying, however, was full of resentment: "Could it be that His Majesty has fallen in love again and forgotten all about home?"
It's no wonder He Ying was suspicious; Su Wanwan even had this suspicion.
Normally, girls and wives from respectable families would stay at home, but during the Lantern Festival, they would come out to admire the lanterns.
Lu Xingjian is good-looking, so it's perfectly normal for him to fall for someone.
Maybe he's currently having a passionate and intense romantic encounter with his new lover.
Therefore, no matter how affectionate the words are, they are just words; she only hears them casually and should never take them seriously.
Su Wanwan was lost in thought and surprisingly didn't feel sad.
Just as I was drifting off to sleep, a heavy object suddenly pressed down on me.
The man's hot breath fell on her face, and then he kissed her lips, a deep and passionate kiss.
After a long while, he touched her face, panting, and said, "Be good at home and wait for me to come back."
Su Wanwan stiffened: "You're going on a long trip?"
“Hmm,” Lu Xingjian frowned and responded, not intending to say too much to her. “I will still have the memorials sent over as usual. Take a look at them when you have time. If you can’t make a decision, just send them to the Directorate of Ceremonial.”
This was to conceal his whereabouts, making people believe that the emperor was still in Kunning Palace with the empress.
Su Wanwan nodded solemnly, "Should I pack some clothes for you? It's still cold, so bring some warm clothes and charcoal."
Lu Xingjian chuckled and gently pinched her cheek: "Don't worry, just take good care of yourself. Don't leave the palace easily, and try not to go out of the inner palace if you can avoid it."
Su Wanwan was stunned for a moment, unsure of what to say.
Perhaps her speculation about his philandering is just her being petty.
He even gave her the power to approve official documents.
"You must come back unscathed, without a single piece of flesh missing." After a long silence, she uttered only this sentence.
Lu Xingjian tightened his grip on her, burying his face in the crook of her shoulder, deeply inhaling her fragrance:
"My wife and children depend on me to protect them, so I can't afford to be careless."
Su Wanwan felt a lump in her throat, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed his lips.
Humans are emotional beings after all. If a man is always by your side saying these touching words, even the hardest heart can't resist.
The man originally intended to say a few words of advice and then leave.
Seeing his wife, with her soft and fragrant body, throw herself into his arms, his lust was instantly ignited.
Heying has been on night duty in the small room on the west side for the past few days. She gets up several times in the middle of the night to check on the Empress in case she kicks off the covers or needs someone to serve her.
She pushed open a crack in the door and saw that half of the bed curtains were open and the other half hanging down, with the man's lean waist faintly visible behind them.
Clothes were scattered all over the ground.
The woman's voice was soft and fragmented, like a sob or a lament.
Her face flushed instantly, and she quickly closed the door and fled back to her small room.
...
After nearly a year of repeated cleanings, the palace's internal affairs were actually running smoothly, and the twenty-four departments were busy in an orderly manner.
Su Wanwan had helped Empress Dowager Xiaosu review memorials before, and Lu Xingjian had recently handled many affairs in front of her. In addition, he had given her some instructions before leaving, so it wouldn't be difficult for Su Wanwan to get started.
Among them, there were particularly many memorials concerning the impeachment and punishment of the various generals of the Jin vassal state.
It seems that the White Lotus Sect case at the Prince of Jin's residence is nearing its end.
Could it be that Lu Xingjian has gone to Jin again?
Unfortunately, Liu Qi had already been sent to the south and could not help her gather more information for the time being.
Liu Jin, however, sensed something amiss from the memorial.
The emperor is such a stingy person; he would rather squeeze every last drop of silver from all the officials.
They actually agreed to change Changping Prefecture to Changping County and give the people 100 mu of land exempt from grain taxes so they could raise horses.
You should know that in the past, it was customary to provide one horse with fifty mu of land exempt from grain taxes.
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