This imperial edict was hidden by Emperor Chongde and only came to light again more than ten years later.
These few words, though brief, carried a heavy weight and demonstrated the Emperor's trust in her. Regardless of outside opinions, his feelings for her remained unchanged throughout.
She suddenly remembered many years ago, when her father, the emperor, held her and laughed heartily:
"My beloved consort is born to sit in this position!"
That's what he thought, and that's what he did.
She closed her eyes briefly, waiting for Eunuch Fu to finish reading the imperial edict. After a while, she managed to squeeze out a complete sentence from her throat:
"Your subject receives the decree."
The ministers were stunned for a long time, as no one had expected the situation to change so quickly, until Chi Yan calmly bowed:
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
The others then seemed to wake from their daze, and no matter how unwilling they were, they had to bow their heads and kneel in worship.
Amidst the cheers of "Long live the Emperor!", Yan Mingyi rightfully became the next emperor. As she rose, she exchanged a brief glance with Yan Huai.
Actually, they had met once before this.
...
Yan Huai invited her to a gathering, and Yan Mingyi, who was originally full of imposing manner, asked: "Are you trying to negotiate with me?"
Yan Huai lowered his eyes and pushed over an imperial edict: "Fine."
Everyone knew that Emperor Chongde died without leaving a will, so Yan Mingyi's expression was not good as she stared at the suddenly appearing imperial edict.
She suspected she had been tricked.
After a long silence, she coldly picked up the imperial edict to examine it, her expression suddenly froze, and she abruptly looked up at the person opposite her:
What do you mean by that?
Yan Huai sat under the tree, his black cloak tightly wrapped around him. The cold air condensed a layer of white frost on his dark eyelashes. He calmly looked back and said, "It's exactly what Auntie meant."
Yan Mingyi suddenly stood up, her eyes cold and sharp as she glared at him: "I don't need your concessions. Let's fight a real battle, and you might not be able to beat me!"
She felt a sense of humiliating absurdity at winning without a fight.
Yan Huai's eyes were calm and gentle: "I just don't want any more unnecessary sacrifices, besides..."
His pupils were a light color, and against the backdrop of the snow, they had a fragile, translucent quality, like glass, with a faint hint of pain flashing within them.
He said weakly, "Aunt, I don't want to become like Father."
Brothers turned against each other, and everyone turned against them.
As he watched his father struggle in vain that day, a chill suddenly rose from the soles of his feet. Would he become like that person in the future?
Will he also have a bunch of kids in the future, watch them kill each other, and become a truly lonely person?
That would be too terrible.
Yan Mingyi lowered her eyes and stared at her nephew. He was good in every way, except that he was too gentle, as if he had no desires at all.
"You're really not like him."
Yan Mingyi left.
Yan Huai sat motionless with his eyes downcast. Snow fell on his shoulders, not yet covering them completely, when someone hugged him from behind.
Gu Qingxu's lips brushed against his cold forehead, her voice soft:
"I will always stay with Your Highness."
He finally snapped out of that state and took her hand: "Ah Xu, will you blame me?"
She smiled and leaned on his shoulder, saying, "I would rather be Your Highness's wife than the Empress."
The Empress's position is cold, but her Highness's is not.
He has the kindest and most gentle heart in the world.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
