The uproar at the silkworm-raising ceremony finally came to a complete end with Consort Hui being banished to the Cold Palace.
However, the aftershocks it caused continue to reverberate throughout the harem and even the imperial court.
The name Empress Lin Wanwan spread throughout the Forbidden City overnight.
She was no longer the despised, powerless bride brought in for good luck.
With a textbook-perfect, intellectually overwhelming counterattack, she proved to everyone who truly held the absolute power in the harem.
Kunning Palace, once a neglected and forgotten palace, has transformed into the most awe-inspiring and untouchable center of power in the entire harem.
However, as the ultimate victor in this storm, Lin Wanwan felt no joy whatsoever.
When all the noise and commotion subsided, and night fell again, as she sat alone in the empty and quiet palace, an indescribable and immense sense of exhaustion overwhelmed her like a tidal wave.
very tired.
I'm really tired.
From the moment she transmigrated, her nerves were always taut, like a fully drawn bowstring, never truly relaxed.
The life-or-death struggle on the night of the wedding, the meticulous planning at Cixi Palace, the heart-stopping events at the Imperial Pharmacy, and now the intrigue and betrayal at the silkworm-raising ceremony...
She was like a lone warrior, wearing ill-fitting armor, walking on this perilous, silent battlefield.
Every step was taken with extreme caution.
Every time, you have to give it your all.
She also feels afraid, terrified, and lonely and helpless.
But she couldn't back down.
Because there was no one behind her.
She could only rely on herself.
Lin Wanwan leaned wearily against the soft couch, looking at the cold, bright moon outside the window, feeling as if all her strength had been drained away.
Just then, a very faint sound of footsteps came from outside the hall.
Immediately afterwards, the door to the sleeping quarters was slowly pushed open.
"All of you may leave. I wish to spend some time alone with the Empress."
It was Xiao Che's voice.
His voice carried a hint of weariness, unlike his usual self.
Chuntao and Ruolan, who were guarding inside the hall, immediately bowed and then quietly withdrew, considerately closing the hall door behind them.
Inside the bedchamber, only the two of them remained.
Lin Wanwan slowly sat up straight, raised her head, and looked at the man who was walking slowly towards her against the moonlight.
He was still wearing the same bright yellow dragon robe he wore during the day, but he had removed the crown from his head. His jet-black hair was casually draped over his shoulders, giving his handsome face, which always carried a hint of coldness and hardness, a touch of softness and... vulnerability.
He did not go to his study to deal with the memorials as usual.
He simply walked step by step to Lin Wanwan's side.
Then, it stopped.
He didn't mention the incident during the day, nor did he mention Consort Hui or the Empress Dowager.
He just watched her quietly.
Those phoenix eyes, which were always as deep as an ancient well and whose emotions were unfathomable, now carried an extremely complex emotion that she had never seen before.
There was weariness,感慨 (gǎnkǎi, deep emotion), 赏 (shǎngshǎng, appreciation), and a hint of...
Lin Wanwan didn't quite understand it, but she could clearly sense it...
I feel sorry for you.
Yes, it's heartbreaking.
Is he feeling sorry for himself?
This realization caused Lin Wanwan's heart to tremble suddenly for no apparent reason.
The two of them just stared at each other silently, neither of them saying a word.
Inside the bedchamber, the only sound was the faint crackling of the burning candlelight.
a long time.
So long that Lin Wan-wan thought the silence would continue indefinitely.
Xiao Che finally moved.
He slowly, very slowly, stretched out his hand.
It wasn't like before, with a hint of probing, nor like in the Imperial Pharmacy, with a hint of desperate control.
This time, his movements were slow and light, yet they carried an undeniable firmness.
He reached out and, to Lin Wanwan's astonishment, gently took her hand, which was slightly cold from nervousness.
His hands were warm and dry.
That warmth, as if possessing a strange magic, spread along her fingertips all the way to her heart, slowly warming her heart that had become somewhat cold due to fatigue and loneliness.
He looked into her eyes.
In those clear eyes that always held countless secrets and calculations, her own image was now clearly reflected.
He looked into the undisguised weariness and exhaustion in her eyes, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly.
Then, in a tone he himself was unaware of—extremely gentle and sincere—he spoke softly to her:
"These days... you've had a tough time."
"My Queen".
boom--!
These simple words, like a warm and gentle spring thunder, exploded in Lin Wanwan's heart!
It shattered the mental defenses she had painstakingly built up with hardness and rationality...
It collapsed with a crash.
Thanks for your hard work……
So, he knew all along.
He knew all her bravado, all her pretense, and the immense effort and hardship she endured beneath that nonchalant mask.
He did not say "You did a good job" or "I am very satisfied".
He just said... "Thank you for your hard work."
This simplest and most unassuming sentence struck her heart more deeply than any flowery language or precious reward.
At this moment, the tension that had been building up completely dissipated.
All the grievances, all the exhaustion, all the lingering fear, surged into my heart like a flood bursting its banks.
Lin Wanwan's eyes instantly welled up with tears.
A thin layer of mist uncontrollably clouded her vision, making the figure of the man in front of her somewhat blurry.
She bit her lower lip hard, not wanting to show such a vulnerable side to this guy.
But those uncontrollable tears still stubbornly welled up in her eyes.
She raised her head, and through the hazy tears, habitually looked at the top of his head.
She wanted to see what this man, who had shown her such genuine feelings for the first time, was thinking at this moment.
Then, she saw it.
In her blurred vision.
In that familiar, pixelated area.
The arrogance of "cool.jpg" is gone.
The scheming of [Plan Master.gif] is gone.
It also lacks the perverse humor of the "watching a play.gif" image.
At this moment, there was only one thing floating above his head.
One of them had her arms outstretched, a gentle, warm smile on her face, and her whole body radiated a soft, healing light...
[Hug.gif]
Lin Wanwan could no longer hold back.
She released her hand that he was holding, not to back away, but because...
He took the initiative and stepped forward.
She buried her face deeply into that chest, which still carried a slightly cool medicinal scent, yet was incredibly warm and solid.
They pressed themselves tightly against each other.
(End of Volume 1)
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