"The real war is about to begin."
Xiao Che's words, like the heaviest war drum, reverberated from the hunting grounds back into the depths of the Forbidden City. They dispelled all pretense of peace, bringing to the forefront a long-simmering, undercurrent-driven contest concerning imperial power and life and death.
The hastily concluded autumn hunting ceremony caused a great uproar both inside and outside the capital. Various versions of rumors circulated quietly among the common people and in the imperial court.
Some say the emperor was assassinated during a hunt and was seriously injured, his health in grave danger; others say the harem was in chaos, and the once favored Consort Xian, out of jealousy of the Empress, committed a grave error and was deposed; still others subtly point the finger at the Regent, who has long been absent from court but wields immense power.
In an instant, a tense atmosphere, as if a storm was brewing, enveloped the entire capital. Everyone at the center of power could sense the unusual tension in the air, the impending storm.
However, the Kunning Palace, which was at the center of this storm, appeared unusually calm.
That very night, upon returning to Kunning Palace, Xiao Che issued an edict exempting the Empress from all court greetings for the next three days, on the grounds that the Empress had been frightened during the autumn hunt and that the fatigue from the journey had aggravated her old injuries, requiring her to rest.
This reason, while plausible, also lends more credibility to outside speculation. In an instant, countless eyes were fixed on the palace of the usually unremarkable empress.
Night deepened.
A bright, clear moon hung high in the sky, its cool, silvery light pouring down upon the elegant courtyard of Kunning Palace, coating the pavilions, terraces, flowers, and trees with a dreamlike, silvery frost. The daytime hustle and bustle, the tension, all seemed to be soothed by the gentle moonlight.
Under the century-old osmanthus tree in the courtyard, there is a white marble table.
Xiao Che dismissed all the palace servants and eunuchs, including Ruolan and the trusted eunuch. In the huge courtyard, only he and Lin Wanwan remained.
On the table, a pot of light osmanthus wine was warming, and two white jade wine cups gleamed with a warm and gentle luster under the moonlight.
Gone was the tension of the hunting grounds, gone was the oppressive atmosphere of the carriage; the atmosphere was quiet and pure, as if only the two of them and this small world bathed in moonlight remained.
Lin Wanwan sat on the stone bench, wearing a thick cloak with a snow-white fox fur trim at the collar. The wound on her shoulder, after being treated again by the imperial physician, was no longer so painful, but the hideous scar was still clearly imprinted on her skin, and through the gaps in the fabric, one could almost feel a trace of coolness. That was the testament to her shielding him from death.
Xiao Che did not sit opposite her, but chose to sit next to her, so close that they could feel each other's faint body temperature.
He didn't speak, but personally poured her a cup of warm osmanthus wine. The "gurgling" sound of the wine being poured into the cup was the only sound in the courtyard at that moment. Then, he poured one for himself.
His gaze wasn't on the wine, nor on the moon, but rather on the still-healing scar on her shoulder. In those deep, dark eyes, an emotion of extreme complexity surged.
There was heart-wrenching self-blame, lingering fear after surviving a disaster, and even more so, the deep, unforgettable heartache that he had always kept hidden in his heart.
He knew that this scar was for him. If she hadn't rushed to his aid in that instant, that poisoned arrow would have pierced his heart, and he would be lying here as a cold corpse.
The thought of that possibility sent a chilling, freezing fear through him rising from the depths of his heart once more.
He picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, and felt the warm wine, carrying the fragrance of osmanthus, slide down his throat, but it couldn't dispel the lingering chill of fear in his heart.
He remained silent for a long time, so long that Lin Wanwan thought he wouldn't speak again and would just sit quietly like this all night. Then, slowly, in an unprecedentedly sincere tone, he spoke softly, almost as a sigh:
"Lin Wanwan, it's so good to have you here."
These seven words were very light, as if they were just a whisper carried away by the wind, yet they were also very heavy, so heavy that they made Lin Wanwan's heart tremble violently!
Lin Wanwan.
He called her by her full name.
She is not the "Empress" who usually carries a hint of aloofness and imperial majesty, nor the "beloved concubine" who occasionally teases with a touch of playfulness, nor the "foolish woman" who privately exudes a hint of helplessness and doting affection.
Instead, it's Lin Wan-Wan.
This was the first time he had called out her name so solemnly, without any added identity or teasing. It was as if, in his heart, she was no longer just a code name, someone who needed his protection, or an interesting soul, but an independent, complete woman who stood shoulder to shoulder with him, named "Lin Wanwan".
And that phrase, "It's so good to have you here," was like the warmest feather, gently and tenderly brushing away all her unease, weariness, and fear.
This simple and sincere confession touches people's hearts more than any fancy sweet words.
It signifies that he acknowledges her sacrifices, affirms her protection, and accepts her as an indispensable part of his life. This recognition holds profound meaning for them, having just survived a life-or-death ordeal.
Lin Wanwan's eyes felt slightly warm.
Looking at the man before her, at the undisguised self-blame and lingering fear in his eyes, at his profile that appeared exceptionally gentle and even somewhat vulnerable in the moonlight, the pressure she felt from the immense shadow of the "Regent" seemed to lessen considerably at that moment.
Yes, the road ahead is fraught with danger, and the enemy is incredibly powerful, like a dark cloud hanging over our heads.
But at least, she was no longer alone.
She now has a true "comrade-in-arms" by her side, someone she can fight alongside and someone she can rely on.
Perhaps this is the greatest fortune I have ever had after being transported to this strange, dangerous, cannibalistic world.
Lin Wanwan picked up her wine glass, raised it gently towards him, and then drank it all in one gulp.
The warm wine, carrying the fragrance of osmanthus, warmed her stomach and her heart.
She looked at him, and a genuine, radiant smile slowly bloomed on her lips. That smile, under the cool moonlight, appeared exceptionally bright and warm.
“Yes,” she said, “it’s good to have you here.”
The two looked at each other and smiled, and all their heaviness and worries seemed to vanish temporarily in that smile.
At this moment, they were not an emperor and empress, but just two ordinary men and women who had survived a life-or-death ordeal and were now huddled together for warmth.
Lin Wanwan's heart was filled with an unprecedented and immense sense of satisfaction. She raised her head and subconsciously looked up at the top of Xiao Che's head.
She wanted to find that familiar area of emojis that could put her at ease and represent his true feelings.
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