That night, the moonlight was as clear as water.
Yuelai Inn, Room No. 1 (Top Class).
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The enormous umbrella, meant for all people, was too big to be fully opened; it could only be half-closed, leaning against the corner of the wall.
Even so, it still occupies the largest space in the room.
The bright yellow silk umbrella, illuminated by the flickering candlelight, reflected a warm and sacred halo. The names written or stamped by the people themselves, densely packed, were imbued with power, as if carrying the weight of a thousand pounds.
Xiao Che and Lin Wanwan sat quietly at the table, neither of them speaking, just silently looking at the umbrella.
After returning from the government office, Xiao Che remained silent.
He no longer displayed his previous thunderous rage, nor his subsequent strategic brilliance; he was completely immersed in a complex and indescribable emotion.
Lin Wanwan knew that he was shocked.
Moreover, they were utterly shocked by an unprecedented force originating from the most ordinary people.
For a long, long time.
Xiao Che slowly stood up from the chair.
He walked to the umbrella for all people, reached out his hand, and gently brushed his fingertips across the slightly rough silk fabric, across each name written in different handwriting, yet all equally sincere.
His movements were so careful, as if he were touching a rare treasure.
"Wanwan."
He suddenly spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse.
"Hmm?" Lin Wanwan looked up at him.
Xiao Che didn't turn around, remaining with his back to her. He spoke slowly, in a tone that was both self-deprecating and wistful:
“In the past, when I was reviewing memorials in the Imperial Study, I would often see reports from local officials that the local people, grateful for the Emperor’s great grace, had spontaneously built shrines for me or for a certain local official and presented them with umbrellas for the people.”
He paused, and a mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Do you know what I was thinking back then?"
"At the time, I thought it was nothing more than a farcical show staged by those local officials in order to whitewash the situation, claim credit, and seek rewards."
"I even joked with the Grand Tutor that nine out of ten of these 'umbrellas for the people' were made by them at their own expense. And the names written on them were probably copied by their own servants in turns."
"I have never... taken it seriously."
These words were spoken so calmly.
Yet it also contains the deepest sorrow and loneliness of an emperor.
High above, possessing the world.
What we see is always a facade of peace and tranquility, embellished with layers of whitewashing.
What we hear, however, is always a carefully crafted hymn.
Over time, people have become unable to distinguish between genuine and false intentions.
Lin Wanwan listened quietly, a pang of sorrow rising in her heart.
She walked to his side and gently wrapped her arms around his waist from behind.
"And... now?" she asked softly, pressing her face against his broad back.
Xiao Che's body stiffened slightly, then slowly relaxed.
He turned around, reached out, and pulled her into his arms. In his deep eyes, a complex and intense emotion, unlike anything he had ever felt before, flickered.
He looked down at the woman in his arms, his voice hoarse, yet filled with an unprecedented solemnity.
"Now, I know."
"This thing..."
He reached out and gently patted the enormous umbrella of the people.
"Heavier than my imperial seal...
It is heavier than the imperial seal.
This is perhaps the highest praise an emperor can give to the "hearts of the people".
Upon hearing these words, Lin Wanwan felt an indescribable surge of warmth and emotion welling up inside her.
She knew that the man in front of her, at this moment, had truly... grown up.
He was no longer the monarch who only used "imperial tactics" to be suspicious and weigh options.
He finally began to feel and touch the land beneath his feet and the most lovable and respectable people on his land with a true heart.
She couldn't help but raise her head, habitually looking at the top of Xiao Che's head.
She wanted to see if, while this guy was saying such touching words, something like a meme or something similar floated above his head, ruining the mood.
However, this time, when her gaze fell on that familiar area, she was instantly stunned.
There, instead of the usual funny emojis filled with complaints, arrogance, and cunning, the place was no longer there.
Instead, she received a completely new emoji that she had never seen before.
It was a pixelated, magnificent, and endlessly beautiful land.
Above the mountains and rivers, the rising sun shines with golden light!
Against that magnificent backdrop of mountains and rivers, four large characters, also radiating a warm light, slowly emerged—
This land is worth it! .jpg
Looking at that emoji, Lin Wanwan felt as if her heart had been violently struck by something!
An indescribable mix of bittersweet emotions welled up in her eyes instantly.
She knew what that emoji represented.
It represents the most profound transformation an emperor underwent after witnessing the deepest darkness and the purest light in the world!
worth!
It's worth it for those eyes that, even in the darkness, refuse to give up and are full of hope!
It's worth it for that pure heart that still believes in "justice" and "fairness" even in dire straits!
It's all worth it for this burning passion of the people, which is heavier than an imperial seal and broader than the entire country!
Xiao Che did not notice Lin Wan-wan's unusual behavior.
He simply held the woman in his arms tightly, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.
He gently rested his chin on the top of her head, his deep eyes gazing through the window at the distant and profound northern night sky.
His voice became incredibly firm and steady.
"Wanwan."
"The 'salt rats' in Jiangnan have been eliminated."
"but……"
"The 'worms' in the north are still around."
He slowly took her hand, their fingers intertwined.
"My wife."
"We...should set off now."
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