In the early summer of the 33rd year of Zhaoming, while the Cangdao Army’s veteran general Yang Zexing and the supervising official Qing Yan led the southwestern army to press Western Yan to the point of breathlessness, the Prince of Jingbei raised an army in the name of pacifying the nation. He led 50,000 Jingbei troops in a grand march towards Zhaoqin. However, they suddenly vanished in Anyang, avoiding interception and silently appearing outside Zhaojing City, as if divinely assisted.
Zhaojing witnessed the most peculiar scene in its history: The Commander of the City Guard and the Superintendent of the Nine Gates claimed illness and refused to leave their homes. The Commander of the Imperial Guard couldn’t mobilize the palace troops. Commoners rejoiced civil officials were anxious, military officers watched coldly, and rumors of the Prince of Jingbei receiving help from divine generals spread like wildfire.
The Prince of Jingbei sat steadily in the central military tent, neither attacking the capital nor accepting any visits or invitations. Even Mu Ye Luomei, who was still severely injured, was refused entry to the camp. This continued until the imperial edict of abdication was issued.
On the ninth day of the sixth month in the 33rd year of Zhaoming, the new emperor ascended the throne. He rectified the court with an iron fist, changed the era name to Jingping, and granted amnesty to all under heaven. History would call him Emperor Yanwu.
In the autumn of the first year of Jingping, Emperor Wu rejected Western Yan’s plea for peace and personally led a campaign. The following spring, Western Yan was pacified, and along with Southern Yue, was incorporated into the Great Yan territory. From then on, there were no more wars in the southwest of Yan.
One breath of spring morning, one breath of autumn frost.
Mei Lin felt as if she had slept for a very long time. When she opened her eyes, she saw warm, hazy sunlight and spring flowers filling the window. She took a deep breath, feeling the fragrant scent and an indescribable comfort throughout her body.
As she was savoring the softness of the bed, Wu’s handsome, smiling face appeared in her vision, suddenly reminding her of past events.
It turned out that on the day Murong Jinghe rushed to Southern Yue, Wu had mentioned Mei Lin’s intimate relationship with Murong Jinghe in front of Mu Ye Luomei. However, Mu Ye Luomei never questioned Murong Jinghe about it, nor did she show any displeasure. At that moment, Mei Lin knew that Mu Ye Luomei must have harbored killing intent towards her; otherwise, given her strong-willed personality, how could she tolerate such a thing? Moreover, as Mei Lin’s life force began to wither, she sensed the presence of death for the first time – a feeling she had never experienced even when the scabby-headed boy had repeatedly told her she wouldn’t live long. Besides, with Murong Jinghe and Qing Yan absent, who could stop Mu Ye Luomei from killing her when she had little strength to resist? So, she truly believed she was about to die.
Since she was going to die anyway, why not do something good? She had never considered herself to have done much good in her life, nor was she clear on the definition of good deeds. But perhaps it was a moment of clarity before death that made her thoughts lucid. She suddenly understood his feelings for her – those feelings obscured by worldly troubles, those feelings that made him unable to let go even though he had abandoned her. She thought that if she were to die like this, he would surely be heartbroken and might develop a rift with the person who was supposed to assist and accompany him in the future.
What was there to fuss about when one was about to die? Why let the living continue to suffer? So, she did what she considered to be a somewhat good deed. She wounded his future empress, believing he would surely hate her for it. Hating her would be better… at least better than being sad and awkward all the time.
Until the moment she lost consciousness, Mei Lin didn’t understand why she had been so concerned about Murong Jinghe, that bastard. Afraid of his pain, his hurt, his loneliness, his sadness…
Even now, as she regained consciousness, she still didn’t understand. Of course, what she understood even less was how she had awakened again.
“Wu?” She tried to sit up, finding it difficult. Her entire body felt stiff as if her bones had rusted, as though they hadn’t been used for a long time.
Wu leaned over to place a soft pillow at the head of the bed, then helped her sit up halfway.
“You’ve been asleep for a year,” Wu said. His Great Yan language was now quite fluent. In a few sentences, he explained the cause and effect to Mei Lin.
Back then, when he had stimulated her body’s vitality so intensely, it was to thoroughly remove the Gentleman Parasite and give her body, ravaged by poison, a chance to be reborn. Otherwise, even if the Gentleman Parasite had been removed and the poison neutralized, her devastated body wouldn’t have lasted long. Placing her at death’s door and then bringing her back to life – in other words, breaking her down to rebuild her – meant that no matter what, she had to “die” completely and cleanly once, and then use the thread of life force that the Gentleman Parasite had stored in her heart meridian to generate new vitality. So even if he had seen through her intentions, he didn’t stop her but only asked Yue Qin to quickly take her body away from the prince’s mansion.
Yue Qin, of course, didn’t know this. He only knew that Mei Lin had attempted to assassinate Mu Ye Luomei and, fearing Murong Jinghe’s retribution, had stolen the body of a recently deceased young woman nearby, dressed it in Mei Lin’s clothes, and created a false grave. However, his work was sloppy, and the girl’s family noticed. They began searching everywhere. As a result, when Murong Jinghe passed through the town carrying the body, the family immediately recognized it, revealing the truth of the matter.
Upon discovering that Mei Lin might not be dead, Murong Jinghe, having experienced great sorrow and joy, quickly regained his composure. He returned to his mansion in Jingbei without showing any signs of disturbance. He didn’t immediately interrogate Yue Qin about Mei Lin’s whereabouts but methodically planned his ascension to the throne while secretly monitoring Yue Qin’s movements.
Yue Qin, still oblivious that the truth had been exposed, waited until he thought Murong Jinghe had forgotten about the matter before secretly going to see Mei Lin, thus revealing her location.
Murong Jinghe didn’t startle the snake in the grass. Only after he had seized the throne did he arrange for Mei Lin and Wu to be settled in this courtyard filled with spring flowers. Mei Lin had been sleeping the entire time, while he had been conquering the battlefield. Now that the realm was pacified, Mei Lin had conveniently awakened due to the abundance of vitality in her body.
Of course, Wu didn’t tell Mei Lin about Murong Jinghe’s affairs, thinking those things needn’t be said by him. However, he did tell Mei Lin that this courtyard would bloom with spring flowers all four seasons of the year.
Mei Lin hadn’t expected to be resurrected. Although she couldn’t move much yet, she felt much better than before. No, not just better – her entire body felt comfortable in every way.
“Is the Gentleman Parasite still there?” Mei Lin asked. She couldn’t quite express her feelings about this thing that had caused her so much trouble.
Wu smiled, “Of course not. The moment you woke up, it transformed into a thread of vitality in your meridians.”
Mei Lin sighed in relief, feeling lighter than ever before. She turned to look at the carved window, where a warm breeze blew in, carrying the unique warmth and softness of spring. The corners of her lips slowly turned upward.
So he became emperor… So that’s what he wanted. She thought no wonder he had to marry Mu Ye Luomei, no wonder he couldn’t make her his wife. Perhaps no emperor would marry a woman of such lowly birth and status as herself. But why did he still keep her here?
Mei Lin suddenly felt troubled. Now that the entire realm was his, wouldn’t he be even more unreasonable and tyrannical?
Murong Jinghe refused to admit that he was feeling nervous, absolutely not.
As soon as the morning court session ended, he saw the guard from Mei Lin’s Mianchun Garden waiting outside Taihe Hall. He was startled at first, thinking something had happened to Mei Lin, until he noticed the guard’s smiling face and relaxed. Upon hearing that she had awakened, he didn’t even bother to change out of his court robes before rushing towards Mianchun Garden.
Mianchun Garden wasn’t within the palace, and if he were to run all the way there in his current attire, it would surely cause quite a stir. Seeing that he couldn’t be stopped, Qing Yan quickly ordered a carriage to be prepared.
However, when Murong Jinghe arrived at Mianchun Garden and paced back and forth in front of Mei Lin’s room for a while, he suddenly turned and left.
Qing Yan was dumbfounded, only to realize moments later that he had gone to change his clothes.
Since returning to the capital after pacifying Western Yan, Murong Jinghe had spent most of his time, apart from morning court sessions, in Mianchun Garden. So he did have a few sets of everyday clothes there.
When Murong Jinghe returned to Mei Lin’s room wearing a blue brocade robe, he knew he could no longer delay. He took a deep breath, looked up at the sky, and finally stepped inside.
There was only Mei Lin in the room, still sleeping deeply as usual. Murong Jinghe was slightly taken aback. In an instant, all his previous excitement, nervousness, and joy were replaced by immense sadness. He walked over and sat gently on the edge of the bed, reaching out to touch Mei Lin’s face before leaning down to kiss her tenderly.
Mei Lin was awakened by the subtle disturbance and the wetness on her face. She opened her eyes in confusion, only to witness a scene she would never forget.
“Why are you crying?” She found it incredibly strange. This man, even when he was completely paralyzed, in unbearable pain, or even in life-threatening situations, could speak harsh words to her as if nothing was wrong. She couldn’t even remember seeing a trace of sadness or helplessness on his face. So this grief-stricken face before her… was she still not fully awake?
At the sound of her voice, the man who had been lingering by her face suddenly froze. Then, as if encountering something terrifying, he abruptly jumped back, hastily turning away.
Mei Lin rubbed her eyes and slowly sat up. She had only awakened recently and had felt extremely tired after getting up briefly to move around, so she had gone back to sleep. She hadn’t expected to see him when she woke up again. Hmm… and in a state she had never seen before.
In fact, in her perception, they had only been apart for the twenty or so days between Murong Jinghe’s departure for Southern Yue and her feigned death. There wasn’t a particularly strong sense of estrangement or distance.
“Your eyes are playing tricks on you,” Murong Jinghe said as he turned back, his face once again composed. The traces of tears had disappeared, though his eyes were still slightly red, and his voice was a bit hoarse, betraying the fact he was trying so hard to deny.
Mei Lin could see the uncontrollable embarrassment and nervousness beneath his calm exterior. After a moment’s thought, she decided not to dwell on the matter. However, she suddenly remembered another fact and hurriedly tried to get out of bed.
Although she felt her movements were hasty and urgent, to an onlooker they appeared extremely slow and stiff. Murong Jinghe’s brow furrowed slightly as he stepped forward and lifted her into his arms.
“What are you trying to do?”
Mei Lin was startled. Her original intention had been to get down and pay her respects, as he was now the emperor. But before she could even get out of bed, she found herself in his arms. Faced with this unexpected situation, she decisively chose to play dumb.
“I’ve slept for too long. I want to go out for a walk.”
Murong Jinghe gave her a suspicious look. Although he didn’t quite believe her, he still took a cloak from the nearby wardrobe, wrapped her up tightly, and carried her outside.
“Ah… I can walk on my own,” Mei Lin said, somewhat helplessly. She wasn’t an invalid who couldn’t move her limbs. But before speaking, she didn’t know how to address him. By name? As “Prince”? As “Your Majesty”? As “Your Highness”? The first two were no longer appropriate, while the latter two felt indescribably awkward to her, and she couldn’t bring herself to say them.
Murong Jinghe made a sound of acknowledgment but didn’t put her down. Instead, he held her even tighter, so tight that she could almost feel his strong heartbeat. Little did she know that in his mind, he was thinking, “I carried a stranger’s rotting corpse for days; how could I not hold you a little longer?” Of course, such an embarrassing thing was something he would never allow her to know.
As they entered the courtyard, he gently placed her on the chaise lounge that servants had just arranged under the rose trellis. Only then did he finally release his hold.
Mei Lin couldn’t remain lying down. She propped herself up to sit, suddenly realizing she was barefoot. Momentarily stunned, she silently placed her bare feet on the fur rug beneath the trellis.
Moments later, someone brought her shoes. Murong Jinghe took them, intending to put them on Mei Lin himself. Startled, she quickly pulled her feet back onto the chair. Looking up, she saw it was Qing Yan who had brought the shoes. He appeared unchanged from before. She smiled at him.
Qing Yan nodded slightly in response, his eyes twinkling with joy.
“Qing Yan, return to the palace and bring me the memorials,” Murong Jinghe commanded, his tone tinged with displeasure.
Mei Lin turned to look at him, noticing his gloomy expression. She had to admit, that when he referred to himself as “Zhen,” he naturally exuded an imposing imperial aura. The gap between them seemed to widen, though in truth, they had never been close. This realization left her feeling dejected.
“You… you’ve become emperor?” she hesitantly asked the man still crouching before her, inquiring about a fact she already knew.
“Mm,” Murong Jinghe responded nonchalantly, reaching for her foot to put on her shoe.
This time, Mei Lin tensed, wanting to refuse but not daring to. Seeing his normal expression, as if becoming emperor wasn’t a big deal, nor was an emperor personally putting on a woman’s shoes, she thought she could still treat him as the awkward, childish Prince of Jingbei from before. So she asked, “Now that you’re emperor, do your previous words still hold?”
Murong Jinghe’s hands paused, seemingly trying to recall what he had said. After a moment, he replied, “The divorce papers are in your room. From now on, you and Qing Yan have no connection.” So, stop smiling so brightly when you see him, he thought.
Mei Lin blinked, waiting for him to continue, but he said nothing more, even after finishing putting on her shoes and standing up.
“Then… what else? Can I leave here whenever I want?” she finally couldn’t help but ask. She had never imagined he would marry her, just as she never thought she would stay forever by his side now that he was no longer paralyzed.
Hearing this, Murong Jinghe’s expression changed slightly, but he didn’t lose his temper. After a while, he turned away, clasping his hands behind his back and looking up at the sky. Casually, he said, “I don’t recall promising to let you leave.”
“But… but you promised…” Mei Lin became anxious and abruptly stood up. However, rising too quickly and still not in full control of her body, she began to stumble.
Murong Jinghe, who had been facing away from her, seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. He swiftly turned and steadied her in his arms.
“If you can’t stand steadily, don’t force yourself,” he chided, though his tone carried an indescribable gentleness that momentarily dazed Mei Lin. Then she heard him continue, “What did I promise, hmm?”
Mei Lin snapped back to reality, carefully recalling past events. Suddenly, she was at a loss for words.
He truly hadn’t… promised anything.
Murong Jinghe looked down at the woman who seemed almost dumbfounded, his dark eyes brimming with amusement. He tightened his hold on her waist, burying his face in the crook of her neck, and softly lamented, “You slept for too long.” So long that he began to wonder if he would spend his entire life watching her slumbering face. He truly feared that by the time she awoke, he would be gray-haired and no longer able to care for her.
“Hm?” Mei Lin shifted uncomfortably. This gentle and sorrowful side of him was unfamiliar to her.
“General Muye wasn’t pleased with me becoming emperor, so he resigned his post and left to wander the jianghu,” Murong Jinghe continued, tightening his grip to prevent her from moving. Upon hearing this, the woman in his arms indeed stilled.
In truth, when mobilizing the hidden army to drive out foreign enemies, Muye Luomei had seen through his ambition. Fiercely loyal to the court, she didn’t want him to bear the eternal infamy of usurping the throne. So during the battle to break the Southern Yue’s human-insect formation, she had secretly followed, intending to use the formation to let him die in battle, preserving his reputation. But after truly breaking the formation, she suddenly regretted it, which led to her sacrificing herself to save him. Only he and the Seventeen Riders knew this; to others, he simply said she had given her life to save him.
Perhaps from that moment, or even earlier when he returned to the capital without marrying her first as he had said he would before going to war, she likely sensed there was no longer any possibility between them.
With her decisive nature, how could she willingly lose to a woman of lower status? That’s why she had desperately tried to kill Mei Lin, eliminating the threat first, then slowly warming his heart. After all, having been entangled for over a decade, rekindling old feelings wasn’t impossible.
He had figured out these complexities the moment he heard that Mei Lin had stabbed Muye Luomei out of jealousy but was killed instead. However, understanding too much means bearing a heavier pain than others.
Everything stemmed from him, and since Mei Lin was still alive, he didn’t pursue the matter further with Muye Luomei after gaining the throne, despite their affection having long since faded. Marriage was impossible, and allowing her to continue serving in court was also not an option. Fortunately, her temperament had always been unyielding and proud, unwilling to bow before him, so she voluntarily resigned and left. Her father and brothers, however, remained in court, serving diligently.
“You must have bullied her again,” Mei Lin said slowly. She thought Muye Luomei’s departure might be related to her supposed death. This man… why couldn’t he be kinder to the women he liked?
Murong Jinghe laughed, gently nipping her ear before saying, “Except for you, I can’t be bothered to bully anyone else.”
The ticklish sensation made Mei Lin shudder. She felt she really couldn’t view such a mischievous person as an emperor. Taking a deep breath, she raised her hands and pushed him away forcefully.
“My legs are sore. I want to walk around,” she said irritably.
Knowing she indeed needed to move about, Murong Jinghe didn’t stop her, but still carefully supported her waist, fearing she might stumble.
Mei Lin sighed, feeling she wasn’t someone who could endure such protection. Just as she was about to tease him, she suddenly noticed the apricot-red sachet hanging at his waist.
“This looks familiar,” she said, reaching out to touch it. Seeing the clumsily woven knot of unity, she asked puzzledly, “How did such a poorly made thing end up on you?”
Murong Jinghe stiffened slightly, turning his face away to look at the garden flowers, though his ears visibly reddened. Despite this, he neither pushed her hand away nor removed the sachet. Of course, he wouldn’t tell her that he had demanded it back when he asked Qing Yan to write the divorce papers.
Mei Lin looked up, originally intending to ask where he got it from, but upon seeing his increasingly reddening profile, she suddenly smiled, no longer rejecting his gentleness.
A few days later, Mei Lin could move freely. She discovered that Mianchun Garden was located on Fushan, where the former Prince of Jingbei’s mansion had been. Perhaps due to geothermal activity, flowers bloomed year-round, never withering.
Murong Jinghe came every day. Seeing him rise in the middle of the night to rush to the palace, she felt somewhat sorry for him. But lacking the position to advise him, she could only remain silent. He hadn’t forbidden her from leaving Mianchun Garden, but whenever she went out, someone would inevitably be there to protect her, making it impossible to truly leave. She didn’t know what he was thinking. Fortunately, she had always been adaptable, and with the beautiful scenery and many familiar faces around, she didn’t mind too much.
In her idle time, she liked to find things to do. One day, as she sat inside sewing shoe soles, Murong Jinghe excitedly kicked open the door, holding a snow-white, long-haired puppy in his arms, offering it to her as if seeking approval.
“Look what I’ve brought you!” he said.
Mei Lin glanced up briefly, showing no interest. “A dog? What do I need a dog for?” she said flatly.
As if doused with cold water, Murong Jinghe first froze, then his face darkened. “You don’t want it?” He had thought all women liked small animals. Back then, A’Dai had been reluctant to let go of that red fox cub, so he had forced other countries to offer this supposedly royal-blooded little creature, just wanting to make her happy. He hadn’t expected her to reject it.
Mei Lin shook her head and continued working on the shoes.
Disappointed, Murong Jinghe grew annoyed. He shoved the puppy into Mei Lin’s arms. “I’m giving it to you, so you must take good care of it.” The sleepy puppy curled up and fell asleep, completely unconcerned about whether anyone wanted it or not.
Startled, Mei Lin hurriedly put aside her needlework to avoid pricking anyone. She looked up at the temperamental man, sighing, “I’m still relying on others to take care of me. How can I care for it?”
“Then I’ll help you take care of it,” Murong Jinghe raised his chin, looking down at her with a condescending air.
Mei Lin couldn’t help but laugh. “If you like it, keep it yourself. Why drag me into this? I don’t like these soft, delicate little things.” What she didn’t say was that dealing with one delicate and difficult person every day was enough; she couldn’t handle another.
Murong Jinghe’s face darkened, feeling this woman was truly ungrateful. But now, facing her, he couldn’t bring himself to lose his temper, so he could only swallow his frustration. Noticing what she held in her hands, he snatched it away, asking, “What are you doing?”
Mei Lin sighed, truly not understanding how an emperor could spend so much time here disturbing her, not even allowing her to sit quietly for a while.
“I saw that Wu’s shoes were so worn they’re barely wearable, so I thought I’d make him a pair,” she explained. She wasn’t very confident in her needlework, but knowing Wu wasn’t picky, she dared to try.
Hearing this, Murong Jinghe’s blood rushed to his head. He blurted out, “Why have you never made any for me?” The only sachet he had was one he had taken from someone else.
Mei Lin fell silent. She remembered the first sachet she had made for him and what he had said. Perhaps he had forgotten, but she could never forget.
“I’m asking you, why haven’t you made anything for me?” Murong Jinghe asked insistently, subtly trying to break the threads of the shoe sole.
Mei Lin sighed, pointing at his finely crafted, high-quality shoes. “My needlework is crude. I couldn’t make shoes like yours. Besides, don’t you have more shoes than you could ever wear? How could it be my turn to make them?” What she made, he couldn’t wear out in public anyway, so why waste the effort?
“How is that the same?” Murong Jinghe said unhappily. “Anyway, you’re only allowed to make things for me. I’ll have someone else prepare things for Wu.” Satisfied with the increasingly large hole in the shoe, he decided against returning it to her and left with it.
Mei Lin, holding the white puppy he had forced into her arms, stared blankly at his haughty retreating figure, unable to process what had just happened.
The direct result of this incident was that from that day on, Wu, who had never cared about his attire, suddenly possessed more high-quality shoes, socks, and clothes than he could wear in a lifetime.
Of course, Mei Lin wouldn’t make shoes for Murong Jinghe. Given his status, if he wore shoes she made to court or anywhere else, it would surely invite ridicule. To prevent him from coveting them, she also stopped doing needlework so openly. Instead, she spent her days walking around the garden and the mountain, pondering what to do in the future.
From beginning to end, she had never imagined there could be any outcome between her and him. It wasn’t possible before, and now it was even more impossible, even though his intentions were becoming increasingly obvious.
He seemed to have no intention of letting her go, and she naturally didn’t care about official status. But would she truly be content to stay by his side in the future, watching him marry other women?
Mei Lin felt confused. She had endured for the first half of her life; must she continue to endure? Looking at the misty mountains below, for the first time in her life, she found it difficult to make a decision, all because of his gentleness and sorrow!
“Miss, an old acquaintance wishes to see you,” came Ditang’s voice from behind. Since Mei Lin had awakened, Ditang had been attending to her, probably because she had served her before in Jingbei.
Mei Lin was surprised, unable to think of any old acquaintances. Yue Qin, who had been sent to South Yue for training after deceiving Murong Jinghe, was someone everyone had met, and with that boy’s personality, he wouldn’t be waiting below. So, who could it be?
Waiting in the flower hall was a middle-aged woman. She was carefully dressed, with meticulously drawn eyebrows and eyes, her hair neatly combed, and clothes that were neither new nor old but hadn’t been worn much.
She alternated between sitting and standing, occasionally adjusting her dress and hair, appearing somewhat nervous and uneasy.
Mei Lin stood outside the hall, looking through the window lattice. At first, she managed to remain calm, but soon her heart began to race, eventually thundering like a drum, her palms growing cold with sweat.
Seeming to sense someone watching, the woman looked towards the window. Mei Lin’s heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly walked towards the door. Before entering, she had already put on a faint, calm smile. However, this calmness didn’t last long.
“My child… my poor child…” The woman, upon seeing her enter, wiped her eyes and rushed towards her, crying.
Mei Lin froze, watching the woman cry and wipe her tears and nose on her clothes. The scent of cheap cosmetics filled her nostrils, causing her temples to throb. All her efforts to maintain composure instantly crumbled. She turned her head, wanting to ask Ditang or someone else, but found no one behind her.
What kind of situation was this?
Perhaps feeling that Mei Lin did not react, the woman found crying alone uninteresting and gradually stopped, but still occasionally dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, sniffling.
“May I ask who you are?” Ignoring the wet patch on her chest, Mei Lin politely asked after helping the woman sit down. Although she had some suspicions at first, now she was uncertain.
“I am Chun Yanzi, I’m your…” The woman pretended to wipe her eyes with a handkerchief, glancing up at her, about to say something when she suddenly froze. She put down the handkerchief and carefully examined Mei Lin. Then, she stood up, gently lifted the left side of Mei Lin’s forehead, and lightly touched the small red mole there.
“Huahua… my child…” Her trembling hand touched Mei Lin’s eyebrows, eyes, nose, and lips, then pulled her into an embrace, her small body shaking uncontrollably.
Chunhua… Chunhua…
Mei Lin vaguely remembered that long, long ago, a voice had called her that. So, she liked spring flowers, especially the spring flowers of Jingbei, for this reason.
Hesitantly raising her arms, she hugged Chun Yanzi’s waist, her eyes dry.
“Back in the day, your mother was once the most popular courtesan at Chunmanyuan. All those officials and nobles bowed at your mother’s feet,” Chun Yanzi boasted of her former glorious days while cracking melon seeds.
Mei Lin smiled, listening without impatience or disgust.
“But after having you, each day became harder to bear,” Chun Yanzi sighed, her face showing weariness for the first time. “It wasn’t that I couldn’t raise you, but in that kind of place, you would have grown up to be just like me. So when I heard that some noble was taking in children to train as subordinates, I thought, either way, it’s a life, might as well let you try. It couldn’t be worse than the brothel.”
Mei Lin nodded, still smiling.
“Don’t blame me,” Chun Yanzi said.
“Mm,” Mei Lin nodded.
“You don’t blame me?” Chun Yanzi straightened her back, looking puzzled at her daughter, who seemed hard to understand.
“I don’t,” Mei Lin shook her head, still smiling, her eyes filled with affection and filial piety as she looked at Chun Yanzi.
Chun Yanzi sighed in relief, then became excited again, laughing, “See, if you had stayed with me, how could you have met such a good son-in-law?”
Mei Lin was about to nod when she suddenly realized something was off. “Ah,” she frowned, “What son-in-law?”
Chun Yanzi gave her a sly look, tapping her forehead with a finger, “There’s no need to be shy with your mother. If it weren’t for your son-in-law finding me this time, we might never have met in this lifetime.” She paused, her eyes filling with immense satisfaction as she praised, “The son-in-law is handsome and treats you well. Child, this is a blessing you’ve earned from eight lifetimes of good deeds!”
“You’ve met him?” Mei Lin was surprised, somewhat unexpected that Murong Jinghe would meet her mother, but then her expression darkened, “I’m afraid it won’t work out between us.”
Chun Yanzi was stunned, completely confused, “Why not?”
“He… he’s not an ordinary person,” Mei Lin said softly, knowing her mother was unaware he was the current emperor, so she didn’t reveal it.
“Not an ordinary person…” Chun Yanzi repeated, puzzled, then suddenly jumped up from her chair, one hand on her hip, the other poking Mei Lin’s forehead. “Are you stupid? How could I have given birth to such a stupid daughter? What do you mean by ‘not an ordinary person’? As long as he likes you and treats you well, isn’t that enough? Have you ever seen anyone go to such lengths to find a mother for someone unrelated? Never mind what kind of ‘ordinary person’ he is, just treat him as a normal man, and you’ll be comfortable. Those men don’t understand anything, they lack experience and perspective. Do you think they won’t have multiple wives and concubines, won’t look down on your background, won’t abandon you? You foolish girl, you’re… you’re going to be the death of me…”
Mei Lin kept leaning back as she was poked, but she wasn’t angry. Instead, she burst out laughing, suddenly hugging the woman’s waist and burying her face in her bosom, her eyes growing moist.
“Mother.” Perhaps this was the feeling of having a mother – being scolded, yet loved, with someone thinking wholeheartedly for you.
Chun Yanzi abruptly fell silent, trembling as she placed her hand on her daughter’s head.
This was the first time she had called her “mother” since they met.
After being scolded by her mother that day, Mei Lin suddenly felt enlightened, all doubts and insecurities vanishing from her heart. However, when Murong Jinghe appeared, she didn’t show any gratitude or joy, her expression remaining as usual. Seeing the expectant light in his eyes gradually dim and finally turn to disappointment, she suddenly felt her heart racing, wanting to hug him tightly and never let go.
Pretending to fall, she was caught by him as expected, then secretly removed the ugly sachet from his waist and hid it. It wasn’t made for him, but seeing how he treasured it made her heartache, so she carefully made a new one, intending to give it to him when she found the opportunity.
Murong Jinghe had long since developed the habit of touching the sachet when idle, so he quickly discovered it was missing. This caused a great commotion, nearly turning the entire garden upside down.
Mei Lin hadn’t expected him to make such a fuss. At first, she was stunned, then quickly reacted, hurriedly pulling him into the room and placing the newly made sachet in his hand.
It was a bluish-green sachet, also tied with a knot of unity, containing calming herbs. Both the embroidery and the knot were far superior to the previous one.
Murong Jinghe held the sachet, at first confused, about to say this wasn’t what he was looking for. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and swallowed the potentially troublesome words. He turned the sachet over in his hands, examining it while grinning uncontrollably. Then he suddenly discovered that on the inside of the sachet, there was an embroidered “Chun” character and a “Jing” character.
His thumb gently caressed the two characters, feeling his heart pounding. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he looked up, meeting Mei Lin’s somewhat anxious and nervous smiling face. He couldn’t help but return a big, almost tearful smile, then pulled her into his arms.
“I will never let you down,” he said, his voice hoarse as he tilted his head slightly upward.
Mei Lin nodded, then took the sachet from his hand and tied it to his waist.
“I took your sachet,” she explained, feeling a bit embarrassed. She could have just told him directly, but she had acted like a thief. “It was something I made for fun, and it had been soaked in water, so it’s better to discard it.”
Seeing that he seemed somewhat reluctant to part with it, she added, “If you like, I’ll make them for you often in the future.”
Murong Jinghe beamed with joy, nodding repeatedly.
Mei Lin peeked outside at the servants still frantically searching for the sachet, and gave him a push. Murong Jinghe understood, called for Qing Yan, and told him there was no need to keep searching.
Qing Yan, sharp-eyed, noticed the new sachet at his waist and saw that the two’s expressions were different from usual. Understanding dawned on him, and he smiled in acknowledgment before withdrawing.
After Qing Yan left, the courtyard quickly quieted down, with the servants returning to their duties.
Murong Jinghe turned back to look at Mei Lin. Since Wu had completely restored her body, she had been looking more spirited and beautiful with each passing day since she woke up, no longer as frighteningly thin as she was a year ago.
Mei Lin felt self-conscious under his gaze and turned away to tidy up the messy sewing box, but he embraced her from behind. His hot breath on her ear made her shiver involuntarily.
“I’ve already had people start preparations. When autumn comes, I’ll marry you,” Murong Jinghe said softly in her ear, speaking like an ordinary man rather than with an emperor’s tone.
Mei Lin was slightly startled and turned her head, about to inquire, but he firmly sealed her lips with his own. After a long, passionate kiss, he finally moved away slightly and said, “You will be my only wife and the only woman in my imperial harem.”
Mei Lin unconsciously gripped his arm around her waist, lowering her eyes, her chest heaving rapidly, unable to speak for a while. When she decided to let go of everything and stay by his side, she hadn’t imagined he would marry her, let alone dare to hope she would be his only woman. Hearing him say it himself made it feel like a dream, somewhat unreal.
“But…” Murong Jinghe spoke again, awakening her from that dazed state. She was about to smile self-deprecatingly when she heard him continue, “But I’ve waited for you for a year, and I don’t want to wait any longer.” As he spoke, his large hand secretly covered her breast, blatantly expressing the intention behind his words.
Mei Lin’s face flushed red. All the bittersweet, uncertain feelings that had arisen from his words suddenly vanished. She angrily removed his wolfish paw, intending to drive him out of the room, but unexpectedly met a pair of eyes full of longing and desire. Her heart suddenly softened.
“Then… at least wait until night,” she said, inexplicably coy, her eyes darting around, avoiding those burning eyes that seemed ready to devour her.
Murong Jinghe pressed his lips together, seeming somewhat unwilling, but still nodded, “You’ve agreed, no going back on your word.” He was delighted, almost bursting with joy. He had thought he would have to persuade her for a while longer before getting his wish.
Mei Lin nodded, thinking to herself that even if she changed her mind, he probably wouldn’t agree. Coming back to her senses, she remembered another matter and said, “Yue Qin… Yue Qin was just trying to help me, don’t hold it against him anymore.”
At the mention of Yue Qin, Murong Jinghe was reminded of his foolishness, which gave him a bit of a headache.
“I’m not holding it against him. I want him to gain some experience outside, and someone is looking after him, so don’t worry. After a few years, when he has some achievements, I’ll call him back to the capital,” he casually reassured Mei Lin, relieved to see her smile with understanding.
However, Mei Lin didn’t know that after a few years, when Yue Qin was older, Murong Jinghe would be even more reluctant to let Yue Qin near her.
(End of Chun Hua Yan – Chapter)