As the last guest departed from the Hall of Supreme Harmony, still intoxicated and filled with awe, and as the deafening cheers and clamor faded into the distance with the slow closing of the palace gates, a grand full-moon banquet that swept through the entire capital and was worthy of being recorded in history finally came to an end.
The night was deep, and the noise had faded away.
Inside Kunning Palace, the lights were bright, yet it was a rare moment of tranquility.
"Tuanzi," who had long since fallen into a deep sleep amidst the noise, now lay quietly in his wet nurse's arms, his small chest rising and falling rhythmically, his pink lips occasionally smacking, as if he were still reliving the day's splendor in his dreams. He, the undisputed protagonist of the day, had long since stepped down from his stage, returning the tranquil night to his parents.
Xiao Che and Lin Wanwan exchanged a smile, gently handed their sleeping son to the wet nurse, and instructed them to take good care of him.
Only after that small figure disappeared behind the curtains of the bedchamber did Xiao Che seem to shed the sweet burden of being a "father," and let out a long sigh of relief. He turned around, faced Lin Wanwan, and reached out his hand.
Lin Wanwan didn't say anything, but simply placed her hand naturally in his palm.
The two held hands, without any palace servants, and walked hand in hand, step by step, out of the warm palace and onto the steps leading to the highest point of Kunning Palace—the high platform built specifically for stargazing.
The night breeze was cool, carrying the sweet scent of osmanthus and the chill of autumn, blowing on the two of them, as if washing away the noise and extravagance of the night.
The steps weren't long, but they walked very slowly.
From the life-or-death struggles when they first entered the palace, to the desperate protection during the assassination attempt at the hunting grounds; from the struggle for the imperial seal in the court, to the blood and fire during the final palace coup... all the conspiracies, killings, tears and laughter along the way seemed to have transformed into the steps beneath their feet, which they walked hand in hand, step by step, firmly treading on.
When they finally reached the open-air observatory, the whole world seemed to fall silent instantly.
They stood at the highest point of the palace, gazing into the distance from the railing.
As far as the eye can see, the entire capital city is brightly lit and as dazzling as a galaxy.
Although the grand feast has ended, the heartfelt joy still burns in every corner of the city. Red lanterns celebrating the prince's birth still hang in front of every household, forming a warm sea of red. The restaurants and teahouses in the market are still bustling with activity; the cheers and laughter of the people can be faintly heard, mingled with the storyteller's rhythmic narration of the Crown Prince's legendary rise to power, carried on the night breeze.
The voice contained no longer the panic of war or the fear of palace coups, but only the most sincere and simple hope for the future.
It was a city full of vitality and hope.
Xiao Che and Lin Wanwan stood there quietly, looking down at everything. An unprecedented and immense sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, like a warm tide, slowly washed over their hearts.
This is their empire.
After a long while, Xiao Che gently embraced Lin Wanwan from behind, pulling her completely into his arms. He rested his chin on her shoulder, his warm breath brushing against her ear, his voice deep and husky, filled with an unprecedented sense of emotion and tenderness.
“Look,” he said softly, as if afraid of disturbing the tranquil night, “this is the empire we built for him.”
He paused, tightened his arms, and his voice carried a sigh of relief.
"A land without intrigue or bloodshed, only peace and hope."
From the day he ascended the throne, his world was filled with scheming and pretense. Wearing a mask of frailty, he navigated the treacherous waters between his menacing uncle and empress dowager, each step fraught with peril. He witnessed the most hypocritical faces in the court; he experienced the cruelest betrayal among his own brothers. He once believed that this empire was built from blood and intrigue.
Until she came along.
It was she who stayed by his side, eradicating those deeply rooted cancers one by one; it was she who taught him that power, besides killing, can also be used to protect and build.
Now, he can finally hold her in his arms, stand here, look at the land they have cleaned with their own hands, and tell their son that this is the new, bright era he will inherit.
Lin Wanwan felt the strong heartbeat from his chest, and the weighty, weathered relief in his words. She didn't turn around, but simply placed her hand on the back of his hand wrapped around her waist, leaned against him, and replied with a smile:
"Yes, this prosperous era is just as we wished."
She recalled the confusion and fear she felt when she first came into this world; back then, all she wanted was to survive. She never imagined that she would become so deeply intertwined with the fate of this country and the life of this man.
She once thought that the palace was a magnificent prison.
But now, as she stands here, with him beside her, surrounded by the lights of countless homes in the city, and their sleeping child in the palace, she finally understands that this place has long been her home.
This prosperous era was his ideal, and her vision. The wish they made together has finally come true at this moment.
The two stopped talking and simply embraced each other, enjoying the peaceful warmth after the storm.
The bloodshed and violence of the palace coup seem like a thing of the past. Those enemies who once kept them awake at night have now turned into cold dust in the annals of history. And they have finally ushered in their own most peaceful time.
“Wanwan,” Xiao Che suddenly spoke, a hint of a smile in his voice, “I’m wondering what ‘Tuanzi’ will look like when she’s a little older.”
"Hmm?" Lin Wanwan asked curiously.
"Will he, like me, look at this land and think that a road should be built here, and a bridge should be constructed there?" Xiao Che's voice was filled with the expectation of a father. "Or will he, like you, think that the planning of the market here is not reasonable enough, and that the sewage system over there needs to be improved?"
Lin Wan-wan was amused by his "occupational habit" of daydreaming. She turned around, looked up at his chest, and gazed at his eyes, which seemed particularly gentle in the moonlight. She winked mischievously and said, "No matter who he resembles, I'm afraid... it will be enough to give those old ministers in the court a headache."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Che burst into loud laughter.
The laughter, no longer suppressed or feigned, was filled with heartfelt joy and delight, carrying far, far away in the quiet night sky.
After laughing, he took her hand tightly and stood beside her, looking together at the bright moon in the sky.
Lin Wanwan habitually raised her eyes and looked at the familiar area above his head that belonged to her.
She wanted to see what he was thinking in such a warm and content moment.
However, when she saw the scene clearly, her breath caught in her throat for a moment.
There, all the complaints, pride, cunning, domineering... all the funny or profound emojis had disappeared.
Instead, there was an incredibly clear yet incredibly heartwarming scene.
It was a cartoon little emperor wearing a dragon robe, his figure drawn exceptionally tall, struggling and exerting all his strength to hold up an enormous golden protective umbrella.
Under the umbrella, there was a cartoon queen wearing a phoenix crown, and a small cradle placed next to her, in which a cartoon baby was sleeping soundly.
The wind and rain howled outside the umbrella, with lightning and thunder, but that huge protective umbrella steadily sheltered the family under it, creating an eternal, peaceful, and clear sky.
Beneath that warm and resolute image, a line of words composed of soft light, seemingly carrying the power of a vow, slowly emerges and shines eternally.
【I will always protect you.gif】
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