Since the "Pastry Defense War" ended with Xiao Che's "masterful planning," the atmosphere in Kunning Palace has become increasingly relaxed.
His Majesty the Emperor continued to visit frequently, but the excuses he used were spiraling out of control and could not be stopped.
He seems to have completely abandoned the legitimacy of pretense, and instead pursued a supreme state of "as long as I am not embarrassed, it is others who are embarrassed."
A few days ago, under the pretext of "testing the demeanor of the palace maids in Kunning Palace to rectify the atmosphere of the harem," he had Lin Wanwan accompany him to watch the palace maids walk in a line for half an hour.
Yesterday, under the pretext of "inspecting the wear and tear of palace artifacts to promote a spirit of thrift," he pulled Lin Wanwan aside to inspect the storerooms. Finally, pointing to a white jade vase from the previous dynasty, he pondered for a long time before concluding, "This is very good; let's continue using it."
Lin Wanwan seriously suspected that if things continued like this, he would probably use the excuse of "being concerned about the number of roof tiles in Kunning Palace to prevent leaks during rainy days".
However, she still underestimated His Majesty the Emperor's imagination.
Today, when Xiao Che once again graced Kunning Palace with his presence, he brought a reason that caught everyone off guard and could be described as a "trump card".
At that moment, Lin Wanwan was instructing the palace maids on how to make new incense inside the palace. Just as she rose to greet them from outside, Xiao Che, dressed in casual clothes, strode in.
Today, he didn't beat around the bush or lay any groundwork. He walked straight up to Lin Wanwan, looked at her intently, and announced in an unprecedentedly serious, almost solemn tone:
"Your Majesty, there's no need for such formalities."
He paused, as if preparing an extremely important imperial edict, and said in a deep voice: "I have come here today to personally verify the effectiveness of 'marrying for good luck'."
What is the effect of "bringing good luck"?
These two words struck like thunderbolts, instantly hitting everyone present on the head.
The entire hall fell into a deathly silence.
Lin Wanwan was stunned. She opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know how to react. Ruolan and the other palace maids behind her stared wide-eyed, their hands still holding spices frozen in place, as if they had been turned into lifelike sculptures.
"A marriage to ward off bad luck"—that was the fundamental reason Lin Wanwan married into the palace. But as Xiao Che's health improved day by day, this term had long been tacitly and unspokenly forgotten by everyone. Who would dare to bring up this somewhat awkward and humiliating reason now that the Emperor and Empress's relationship was growing stronger?
But no one expected that the first person to bring it up again and to say it so confidently and openly would be the emperor himself!
Amidst the stunned silence of the crowd, Xiao Che's expression grew increasingly serious. Completely ignoring the eerie atmosphere around him, he solemnly said to Lin Wanwan, "Sit."
A concise and to-the-point instruction.
Almost instinctively, Lin Wanwan sat down on the embroidered stool next to her as instructed.
Immediately afterwards, Xiao Che sat down in front of her. Before Lin Wanwan could react, he extended his hand and, mimicking the way an imperial physician would take a pulse, said to her, "Hand."
Lin Wanwan mechanically extended her wrist, revealing a section of her fair and delicate skin.
What happened next almost made everyone's eyes pop out.
Then, the reigning emperor, Xiao Che, actually took a silk thread from the incense box beside him and casually draped it over Lin Wanwan's wrist, while holding the other end to his own slender fingertips.
Is he... learning to diagnose a patient using a suspended thread, like a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner?!
He lowered his eyes slightly, placed his index and middle fingers together on the silk thread, his brows furrowed, his expression extremely focused, as if he were truly feeling the empress's pulse and exploring the mysteries of her body through this delicate thread.
The entire hall was utterly silent except for the faint sound of the wind outside the windows. The palace servants stared in disbelief, mouths agape, forgetting even to breathe. They felt that what they were witnessing today was more bizarre than all the strange and wondrous things they had seen in the palace over the past ten years combined.
Your Majesty... what are you doing?
Lin Wanwan sat there, feeling the faint touch of the silk thread on her wrist and the refreshing and pleasant ambergris scent emanating from the man opposite her, feeling somewhat dazed.
Looking at Xiao Che's earnest, almost pious expression, and then at the emoji above his head that was rolling around on the ground laughing with countless pink bubbles floating behind him—[Hahaha, I'm such a genius! This excuse is amazing! .gif]—a feeling of being both amused and exasperated welled up inside her.
This guy will do anything to find an excuse to be with her!
The "pulse diagnosis" lasted for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
During this time, Xiao Che even asked in a serious tone, "How have you been sleeping lately? Have you been having nightmares?"
"...It was alright, I had no dreams all night." Lin Wanwan tried her best to remain calm and cooperate with his performance.
"Hmm." Xiao Che nodded, then asked, "How's the food? Any preferences?"
"...Everything is as usual."
"Very good." He nodded in satisfaction, as if he were truly conducting a rigorous medical consultation.
His professional demeanor was so convincing that if Lin Wanwan hadn't seen the little figure on his head spinning with joy at being able to talk to his wife a little longer, she probably would have believed it herself.
Finally, this bizarre "pulse diagnosis" came to an end.
Xiao Che meticulously retrieved the silk thread and placed it back in the incense box. He raised his head and, in an unquestionable and authoritative tone, slowly and deliberately announced his "diagnosis" to Lin Wanwan and all the still-shocked palace servants present:
"Hmm," he cleared his throat, his face showing a mixture of relief and seriousness at the prospect of a major breakthrough in his research, "The effect of the wedding ceremony is remarkable!"
He gazed intently at Lin Wanwan and continued, "The Empress's complexion is rosy and her spirits are high, a sight that is pleasing to the eye and greatly beneficial to my health. It seems that she should stay by my side and accompany me at all times in the future to ensure that this effect continues."
These words were spoken with conviction and conviction.
He cleverly reversed the logic of "bringing good fortune to the emperor"—it was no longer about the empress bringing good luck to the emperor, but rather that the empress's "goodness" could, in turn, benefit the emperor's "goodness." He used the authority of the emperor to twist this fallacy into an irrefutable truth.
After he finished speaking, the entire hall remained completely silent. The palace servants were still reeling from the shock, their minds blank, unable to process the overwhelming amount of information.
What does it mean that "the Empress's complexion is rosy and beneficial to my health"?
What does it mean to "stay by my side well in the future"?
Isn't this just... the Emperor wanting to be with the Empress all the time?!
So all that going through all that trouble was just to announce this?
Looking at his domineering face, which seemed to say, "What I say is law and order, so obey," Lin Wanwan felt a surge of sweetness and amusement replace the helplessness she had felt earlier.
She looked up at the area above his head that was the most authentic "inner monologue zone".
There, a tiny, chibi-style figure, exactly like him, was shyly wriggling, its cheeks flushed crimson, even its head steaming. The figure pursed its lips tightly, yet couldn't help but reach out its hands, making a gesture of longing for a hug.
Next to it was a line of large text, shimmering with a pink halo—
[Want to stick it on.gif]
Lin Wanwan finally couldn't help but let a bright, spring-like smile bloom on her lips.
So, after all that going around in circles and spouting so many fallacies, it turns out...
Ultimately, this arrogant emperor simply wanted to be close to his wife.
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