The people outside Kunning Palace spontaneously offered their prayers, which, like a warm spring breeze, dispelled the last trace of the somber atmosphere inside and outside the palace walls.
The renovation project of "Chang'an Lane" in the capital city is proceeding vigorously with ample funding and the full support of imperial power, and initial results are already visible. Clean and tidy streets and newly built market towns are giving this ancient capital an unprecedented vitality.
In the imperial court, the ambition and drive of the new officials, combined with the prudence and stability of the veteran officials, gradually blended under Emperor Xiao Che's skillful balance, forming a healthy political ecosystem.
Internal troubles have been quelled, external threats have temporarily subsided, the national treasury is full, and the people's hearts are with us.
The entire Liang Dynasty finally broke free from years of internal strife and turmoil, and embarked on a path of peace and prosperity.
Inside the Imperial Study, Xiao Che was processing the last few memorials, while Lin Wanwan sat to the side, flipping through the progress charts of the "Chang'an Lane" project submitted by the Ministry of Works.
The afternoon sun shone through the window and fell on the two of them, creating a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere in the room.
Such scenes have become the norm recently. Lin Wanwan often comes to the Imperial Study to keep Xiao Che company. Sometimes she helps him grind ink, sometimes she discusses the details of the new policies with him, and most of the time, they just sit quietly like this, each doing their own thing, yet a sense of peaceful warmth flows between them.
"Alright." Xiao Che put down the vermilion brush in his hand, let out a long sigh of relief, and had a relaxed smile on his face. He stood up, walked to Lin Wanwan's side, put his arm around her from behind, rested his chin naturally on her shoulder, and looked at the complicated engineering drawing in front of her.
"How is the construction of our 'Chang'an Lane' going?" His voice carried a hint of amusement and pride.
“Everything is going smoothly.” Lin Wanwan pointed to several nodes on the blueprint. “The main sewage pipeline has been connected to the east and west cities, and the four newly planned commercial districts are also taking shape. The Minister of Works said that at this rate, the capital will be completely transformed in less than two years.”
"Hmm." Xiao Che nodded, but his gaze wasn't on the blueprints; instead, it fell on Lin Wanwan's focused and earnest profile. The sunlight gilded her features with a soft golden edge, and her usually cool and sharp eyes now shone with a unique brilliance as she focused on her beloved career.
Xiao Che was completely mesmerized.
He suddenly felt that he possessed the entire world, but this vast land seemed to pale in comparison to the peace he felt in the present moment.
He suddenly spoke in a low voice, his tone carrying an inexplicable solemnity.
"Wanwan."
"Hmm?" Lin Wanwan looked up from the blueprints, looking at him with some confusion.
Xiao Che looked into her eyes and slowly said, "Everything is on the right track. But after thinking it over, it seems... I still owe you something."
"You owe me something?" Lin Wanwan chuckled upon hearing this. She turned around from his embrace to face him and teased, "Your Majesty is rich and powerful, what could you possibly owe me? I now hold the Phoenix Seal, and even Your Majesty admits to being 'henpecked,' what more could I possibly want?"
She meant it as a joke, but Xiao Che's expression became incredibly serious.
He did not answer, but turned and walked to his desk, where he took out a document that had been prepared in advance and mounted on a bright yellow scroll from a locked sandalwood box.
He took the document, walked back to Lin Wanwan, and solemnly handed it to her.
Lin Wanwan's smile gradually faded as she noticed the seriousness in Xiao Che's expression. With a hint of doubt, she accepted the heavy scroll.
As she slowly unfurled the scroll and saw the large characters at the beginning and the bright red jade seal mark, her breath caught in her throat.
That was an imperial edict.
An imperial edict concerning her, and only concerning her.
The imperial edict was not complicated, but every word carried immense weight, striking Lin Wanwan's heart with a tremendous force.
"...Empress Lin is virtuous and talented, and her contributions to the nation are immense... However, upon entering the palace, her manners were inadequate, unworthy of her position. I deeply regret this. Now that the world is at peace and the nation is prosperous, it is only right to restore order and restore her rightful place. I intend to choose an auspicious day to hold a new investiture ceremony for the Empress, to announce this to the world, to demonstrate her virtue, and to reveal my heart..."
The investiture ceremony will be held again!
These words made Lin Wanwan's hands tremble slightly.
She suddenly looked up and stared at Xiao Che in disbelief.
"You..." She wanted to say something, but found her throat was dry.
Seeing her shocked expression, Xiao Che smiled gently, a hint of apology in his eyes. He stepped forward and gently took her hand holding the imperial edict.
“Wanwan,” he said softly, “the marriage to bring good luck back then was a result of grievance.”
"That ceremony, hastily completed in the dimly lit palace, amidst the despair of everyone who thought I wouldn't live to see tomorrow, was not a wedding, but a debt I owe you."
He tightened his fingers slightly, his voice filled with determination.
"The marriage proposal outside the Golden Palace after the palace coup was a promise."
"That phrase 'the empire as my dowry' was a vow I made from the bottom of my heart, but it was ultimately just a promise I made alone; the people of the world did not witness it."
He looked into her eyes and said, word by word, with perfect clarity:
"And this grand ceremony is what I want to give you, a legitimate and historically significant account."
"I will hold a grander 'empress coronation ceremony' that is ten thousand times more magnificent than the original 'lucky marriage'!"
His voice carried an undeniable air of dominance and unwavering determination.
"I want everyone in the world to know that his Empress Xiao Che is not an insignificant tool for bringing good luck, nor is she a wicked empress who rose to power through scheming."
"She is the only wife I have ever married in grand style, with eight sedan chairs carried by the emperor, three matchmakers and six betrothal gifts, and in front of all the people."
His words were powerful and resounding.
Lin Wanwan was completely speechless.
Looking at the incredibly serious man before her, her heart was already churning with turmoil.
To be honest, she no longer cared about formalities. They had been through life and death together, and ruled the country together. Their hearts were already inseparable. Whether there was a ceremony or not was truly unimportant to her.
She even felt that some of it was... making a mountain out of a molehill.
Her eyes reddened, but she couldn't help but laugh, trying to ease the overly formal atmosphere with a joke.
"Your Majesty, isn't this making a mountain out of a molehill? We're... an old married couple."
However, Xiao Che shook his head with utmost seriousness.
He stepped forward, gently pulled her into his arms, and whispered in her ear with an almost stubborn seriousness, yet with unwavering determination:
"This is no small matter."
He paused, his voice carrying the supreme majesty of a monarch and the boundless affection of a husband.
"This is a matter of state for me,"
"It is also my...family matter."
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