The warm winter sun illuminated the pools flowing from the moat into the two sides of Tianlu Pavilion, making them shimmer like two mirrors.
Wei Shuwan stood outside the palace gate, pulling her floral cloak tighter around herself, waiting for a reply from the eunuch who had gone inside to report earlier. As she tilted her head, she suddenly noticed that the imperial guards at the gate were all staring at her.
Having lived two lives, she naturally understood the admiration hidden in a man's gaze, which she used to her advantage. Wei Shu took a half step forward and asked softly, "I wonder if the Prince of Qiaochuan has also been summoned by His Majesty?"
Under normal circumstances, the imperial guards would mostly pretend to be mute and not answer any questions from those awaiting their summons. But this time was different. The young imperial guard had already regarded the young woman before him as his goddess, and since she had spoken, he naturally answered all his questions without reservation:
“Madam Wei, I heard that the young prince entered the palace early this morning, but the emperor did not summon him. He should be in the Jiying Hall right now.”
The guard's voice was unusually soft and slow, as if he wanted to compete with Wei Shuwan to see who was more gentle, but his words made Wei Shuwan's heart tremble slightly.
As far as she knew, the emperor usually wouldn't summon his ministers' wives alone; even if there were rewards or other matters, he would summon both husband and wife together. But today, the emperor didn't summon Li Qingchen and wanted to see her alone, which made her somewhat uneasy.
The guard noticed that Wei Shuwan's face had inexplicably paled several shades, but failed to grasp the source of her fear. He assumed it was simply due to her being afraid during her first audience with the Emperor, and kindly offered a few words of comfort: "Lady Wei, there's no need to be nervous. Today is the Emperor's birthday, and he is in a very good mood. Everyone who has been summoned by the Emperor today has come out with a smile on their face, surely they have received praise and rewards!"
Wei Shuwan nodded perfunctorily in thanks, then returned to her original spot to continue waiting.
Before long, the eunuch opened the door and bowed, making a "please" gesture: "Madam Wei, His Majesty summons you in."
With a slightly uneasy heart, Wei Shuwan lifted her skirt and stepped into the hall. Fortunately, the incense burning in the hall was one she liked, which gave her a sense of security. Then, following the instructions her nanny had given her over the past few days, she knelt down and bowed to the dragon throne on the jade platform.
"Your subject, Wei Shuwan, pays her respects to Your Majesty."
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard two soft laughs behind her. Realizing that she had made a fool of herself, she hurriedly crawled around on her knees and bowed again.
She was too nervous when she entered the hall, and dared not look around. She only slightly raised her eyes and saw the dragon throne on the jade platform, assuming that Emperor Pingjia must be sitting on it. But she did not expect that Emperor Pingjia was behind her, browsing through the books on the shelf.
Emperor Pingjia had not seen anyone like this in a long time, and given the auspicious occasion, his face was full of affection as he raised his hand and said, "Get up quickly."
After expressing her gratitude, Wei Shuwan got up as instructed, gently brushing the dust off her knees. Her face was flushed with embarrassment from her previous mistake, and she lowered her head slightly.
"This isn't your first time in the palace, so why are you still so nervous?"
"Although this is not my first time entering the palace, it is my first time paying my respects to His Majesty..." Wei Shuwan explained in a low voice.
Emperor Pingjia, Zhu Xian, couldn't help but laugh and joked, "In a few days, you'll have to start calling me Father along with your ministers."
If it were anyone else making such a joke, Wei Shuwan would naturally feel embarrassed and annoyed, but since it was the Emperor teasing her, she dared not show any resistance. However, she didn't know how to respond to these words, so she could only lower her head even further to show respect.
Just then, a voice floated down from above: "I have always been curious about what kind of princess consort your high-minded minister would choose. Raise your head and let me answer this question."
Since the Emperor had given his orders, Wei Shuwan dared not disobey. She slowly raised her face, but dared not meet the eyes of this true ruler. So she lowered her eyes and only raised her face.
She already possessed an exceptionally beautiful face, and with her exquisite makeup today, she was even more stunning, radiant like a lotus in full bloom. Even Zhu Xian couldn't help but pause for a moment upon seeing her.
Then, he swallowed hard, regained his elder's affection, and smiled, "Your subject truly has excellent judgment."
As he spoke, Emperor Pingjia walked towards the dragon throne, lifted his dragon robe, and sat down.
Wei Shuwan thought Emperor Pingjia would ask about her relationship with Li Qingchen, but after asking several questions, he only asked about her parents, sisters, and uncle, without mentioning Li Qingchen.
After exchanging a few casual words, Wei Shuwan gradually relaxed and suddenly felt that the emperor wasn't so scary after all, but rather like a very gentle elder.
Just as she calmed down, Emperor Pingjia changed the subject, asking about marriage from family matters: "Has your minister ever told you when you two will return to Qiaochuan after your wedding?"
"Your Majesty, the young prince has not mentioned this matter to me," Wei Shuwan replied truthfully.
Emperor Pingjia smiled and said, "It seems he is not in a hurry to return to Qiaochuan. That's good. After you two get married, you can stay in the capital for a while. It's not too late to return to Qiaochuan after you have a child. By then, even if your ministers are no longer in front of me, his child will still be there to bring me joy. I won't miss him too much."
Emperor Pingjia spoke as calmly and casually as before, but Wei Shuwan was suddenly jolted, realizing the true meaning behind his words—the hostage had to leave the capital, and his bloodline had to be left behind as a new hostage.
Therefore, Emperor Pingjia's earlier question, "Have you ever mentioned when you will return to Qiaochuan after the wedding?" was not a casual question, but a test to see if Minister Li intended to leave.
Wei Shuwan felt a chill run down her spine. Luckily, she had answered confidently earlier; if she had hesitated even slightly, Emperor Pingjia might have become suspicious.
At this point, she finally understood Emperor Pingjia's purpose in summoning her to court today. Firstly, it was a test; secondly, a warning, to make her understand what the future held if she married a hostage. Her child would have to remain in the capital as a hostage in place of her husband in exchange for their return to Qiaochuan. At the same time, this child would become a tool for controlling and manipulating her, his mother, in the future.
It seems that her uncle had foreseen this all along, which is why he comforted her that she wouldn't be going back for a while when he saw her worrying about the people from the Prince's Mansion she would have to face if she went back to Qiaochuan with Li Qingchen.
The Emperor's reprimand was somewhat unsettling, but after careful consideration, Wei Shuwan realized she had nothing to fear. Her marriage to Li Qingchen was merely a temporary measure to convince Emperor Pingjia that Li Qingchen harbored no rebellious intentions, because if he had any ambition whatsoever, he wouldn't be content to marry a wife like her who offered him no benefit whatsoever.
But when Emperor Pingjia no longer holds power, and Li Qingchen holds immense influence in the court, he will no longer need to keep her around to put on an act. She will leave him sooner or later, so naturally she has no intention of having his child.
Although these random thoughts only flashed through Wei Shuwan's mind, Emperor Pingjia noticed that something was wrong with her and asked, "What's wrong? Is there something you're unhappy with in my arrangements?"
These words startled Wei Shuwan, who quickly shook her head and denied it, saying, "No, no, I am very satisfied with Your Majesty's arrangements!"
Emperor Pingjia clearly didn't believe her, his eyes narrowing as if scrutinizing her.
Wei Shuwan felt the hairs on her body stand on end under her winter clothes. Just then, the door opened, and a young eunuch bowed and entered, saying, "Your Majesty, the Prince of Qiaochuan requests an audience."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
