Who was it that once said there was no need to be so formal with him, that she could say whatever she wanted, that polite words were meant for others?
So now, why was he being so formal with her, putting on airs with a stern face? Clearly very nervous, yet still maintaining his Emperor’s dignity.
Gu Chaobei felt ticklish where she squeezed. He coughed lightly and lowered his head to see Yan’er smiling softly at him, her eyes full of understanding and playful reproach.
Touching his nose, Gu Chaobei coughed and looked away. “Why are you looking at me? Don’t you need to sleep more?”
“I’ve slept enough,” Shen Guiyan said with a smile. “It’s a pity I can’t move about. The peach blossoms in Ye City should be in full bloom by now.”
When he’d left, they’d agreed to view the peach blossoms upon his return. Unfortunately, the flowers had been blooming for quite a while now. By the time her injuries healed, the blossoms would have fallen.
The Emperor pressed his lips together, stood up, and without a word walked outside. Shen Guiyan looked at his retreating back with confusion. Where was he going?
But he returned shortly, pushing a very familiar wooden wheelchair to the bedside. He gently lifted her, wrapped her tightly in a quilt, and carefully settled her in the wheelchair.
“If you want to see the peach blossoms, I’ll take you,” Gu Chaobei declared domineeringly.
Pulling at her wounds until her lips went white with pain, Shen Guiyan said nothing and let this person push her out.
In the adjacent room, the First Prince sat on the bed sulking. Nuo’er crawled around beside him, blinking as she asked, “Is Your Highness still angry?”
The First Prince snorted coldly, glaring indignantly at the room’s doorway. Were children easy to bully or what? Why take away his wheelchair? He wanted to go out and see the peach blossoms too!
Nuo’er rolled her eyes, got off the bed, and scampered outside. Shortly after, she returned with a peach blossom for him.
“This—is it pretty?” Nuo’er said with a grin. “Your Highness looks even prettier than it when you smile.”
Ming Sigu was stunned.
Only children could judge other children’s beauty—adults would just see immature features that hadn’t fully developed. Only Nuo’er thought the First Prince was the most handsome, even more handsome than the Emperor.
Ming Sigu’s face reddened. Looking at the delicate, translucent peach blossom, he hesitated for a moment, then broke into a silly grin.
Nuo’er’s face also reddened. She stared at the First Prince without blinking. No matter how articulate she usually was, she couldn’t speak now.
Gu Chaobei carefully pushed Shen Guiyan through the peach blossom garden in the Governor’s Manor. Petals fell continuously like pink snow on the earth.
Shen Guiyan sighed. “I’m glad I got to see them.”
Glad I got to see them with you. Gu Chaobei pressed his lips together, stood behind her, lowered his head, and gently kissed the top of her head. “If you like them, I’ll plant a whole grove for you in Yonghe Palace.”
Shen Guiyan shook her head. Peach blossoms only bloomed one season—how could they compare to having someone constantly by your side?
Gu Chaonan had been executed. Xu Mengdie had reportedly stood by the Li River for two days before jumping in. The barbarians had surrendered. Amid these falling peach blossoms, the realm was settled.
Would there be other trials waiting for her in the future? Shen Guiyan gazed at the petals on the ground, slightly lost in thought.
Warmth came from behind. The Emperor embraced her from behind, his face carrying a smile.
“In this life, I’ll marry you, cherish you, love you. Even if there are thousands of beauties, even if someone surpasses you, in my eyes and heart, there will only be you.”
Shen Guiyan was stunned, turning her head to look at him in a daze.
Long, long ago, she had once said similar words to him.
“The young master in ‘The Mandarin Duck Chronicle’ said: In this life, I’ll marry you, cherish you, love you. Even with plain food and simple tea, even if days are dull, I will certainly not fail you.”
She had once said she liked that kind of affection.
He was an Emperor—he couldn’t give her plain food and simple tea, and their days certainly wouldn’t be dull. So he’d changed the lines to be like that young master in the book and make such a passionate declaration?
Shen Guiyan laughed despite herself, her eyes shimmering faintly. After a long while, she smiled and answered him, “All right.”
Gu Chaobei’s lips curved up. Squinting, he smiled roguishly again. “My lady truly likes hearing such sweet words. This husband never knew how to coax you before, but now I understand. Just learn from those young masters in books and say a few sappy lines—guaranteed to make my lady happy.”
The touching moment had barely lasted before his next words swept it all clean away. Shen Guiyan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She reached out to hit him—this person truly couldn’t be serious for long!
He caught her hand and shamelessly gave it a light pat against his own face. Gu Chaobei laughed softly. “If you want to discipline your husband, wait until your injuries heal. Otherwise you’ll pull the wounds and be the one crying out in pain.”
It seemed like they’d returned to long ago, when every sentence he spoke made her not know whether to laugh or cry. He called her “my lady” instead of “Empress,” referred to himself as “this husband” instead of “I.” Warmth filled Shen Guiyan’s heart. She stopped arguing with him, pulled her hand back, leaned her head backward, and quietly watched the peach blossoms on the trees ahead.
Over the next half month, Shen Guiyan’s injuries worsened once. Gu Chaobei stayed in the room the entire time without leaving. The three armies searched everywhere for medicinal ingredients—some even went up mountains to dig ginseng. Fortunately, she eventually recovered.
By the time the peach blossoms were about to fall completely, Shen Guiyan could travel long distances. His Majesty then ordered the grand army to return to the capital.
At court, Grand Empress Dowager Nian received news of the Emperor’s triumphant return and was extremely pleased, but a problem came with it.
Both Gu Chaonan and Xu Mengdie were dead. Gu Chaonan’s remains had been returned, with the story that he had died gloriously for his country.
What would Prime Minister Gu think? Grand Empress Dowager Nian was very worried. Now Prime Minister Gu controlled half the court’s power—what if he developed rebellious intentions…
Worried, Grand Empress Dowager Nian summoned the National Preceptor to ask about the nation’s fortune.
The National Preceptor peeled peanuts and recited, “Amitabha. Grand Empress Dowager, you worry too much. The nation’s fortune is prosperous. The final obstacle is also gone. Enjoy your twilight years.”
Grand Empress Dowager Nian grabbed melon seeds and threw them at him. “You’re the one in your twilight years! This Grand Empress Dowager is still young—not a single white hair!”
The white hairs had all grown on Shen Guiyan’s head. After these years of mental and physical exhaustion, the white among her black hair grew ever more numerous. When everyone came to greet them upon reaching the capital and Baoshan helped her down from the carriage, she was startled.
“Your Majesty…”
Her features remained the same, but the white in her hair truly made her look much older.
Shen Guiyan smiled at her and waved her hand, indicating not to mind. When she’d first looked in a mirror on the road, she’d already seen it. Gu Chaobei had said with a completely serious expression, “I think a full head of white hair would be beautiful as a celestial maiden.”
Now she was just waiting for all her hair to turn white to see what it would look like.
The Emperor returned triumphant. All officials came to greet him. Prime Minister Gu personally led people to line up outside the city gate. Upon seeing His Majesty and Her Majesty, they all knelt to pay respects. “Welcome His Majesty’s triumphant return! Long live His Majesty! Long live Her Majesty!”
Gu Chaobei held Shen Guiyan’s hand and muttered, “These greeting words are truly unpleasant. If this husband lives ten thousand years and you can only live one thousand, wouldn’t that make this husband lonely for nine thousand years?”
Shen Guiyan laughed softly, gripping his hand firmly. “A rare opportunity for you to wait for me.”
Gu Chaobei muttered as he walked, “There’ll be plenty more opportunities in the future—waiting for you to give birth to the Second Princess, Third Princess, Fourth Princess.”
“Why all princesses?” Shen Guiyan raised an eyebrow.
The Prince’s legs couldn’t be cured. She’d thought he’d want more princes.
“One prince is enough. That boy is also clever—he won’t disappoint my high hopes,” Gu Chaobei said. “Too many sons is also a troublesome matter.”
Shen Guiyan understood. Holding his hand, she looked ahead and walked step by step into the capital, changed to the dragon carriage, and headed toward the palace.
After paying respects to Grand Empress Dowager Nian, the Emperor took his seat at court.
“Grand Marshal Gu Chaonan distinguished himself in battle and sacrificed himself for the nation. He is posthumously granted the title of Marquis Jing’an and will be buried with princely rites.”
“Xu of the Gu Manor, a warrior who saved the Empress from danger and perished for familial bonds—pure and true in nature—is posthumously granted the rank of Fifth Grade Commander and will be buried with Fifth Grade official rites.”
“Vice General Zhang Lin, utterly loyal with meritorious service in defending the city, is promoted to General and rewarded one hundred taels of gold.”
“Imperial Physician Liu, meritorious in saving the imperial person, is rewarded one hundred taels of gold.”
A stream of grace edicts came down—boundless imperial benevolence. Someone was quite puzzled. “Her Majesty the Empress also reportedly had merit in defending the city. Why were there no rewards for her?”
Censor Ye quietly answered beside him, “Rewards are for outsiders.”
Those two were family—naturally they didn’t need such formalities. His Majesty would certainly give the Empress something else, not proclaimed loudly through imperial edict but enjoyed quietly between just the two of them.
Really didn’t know what to say. Back when he’d sent his own sister into the harem, that had been a mistake too. Now in that harem, aside from Shen Guiyan, others just waited until age eighteen to leave the palace and marry.
This time His Majesty and Her Majesty had shared hardships. Upon returning, they were even more inseparable. Even the First Prince was cast aside, playing lonely games with a little palace maid.
The Shen family should have continued being arrogant, but during the year Shen Guiyan was away from the capital, Shen Shiqing’s health had deteriorated. Plus with the court controlled by Prime Minister Gu, there was no place for him to show off his power, so he’d already resigned and returned home early.
Who knew the Empress who should have been in the Cold Palace would suddenly return to court in glory with the Emperor?
Shen Shiqing knew he’d been outmaneuvered by his own daughter, but people in poor health could take some things more lightly. He’d just let her be—at least Guiwen and Guiwu both had positions at court.
Shen Guiyan went to see Gao Jinxiu. Fortunately, the people His Majesty had sent returned in time. Gao Jinxiu grasped her hand with lingering fear. “Thank goodness you returned. Back then someone was monitoring me—I couldn’t even tell you the truth.”
“It’s all right.” Shen Guiyan brought Nuo’er over with a smile. “What needed to be said, Nuo’er already told me.”
The delicate little palace maid smiled at Gui Lan beside her and called out, “Mother.”
Gui Lan’s eyes reddened. She nodded and looked at the Empress hesitantly. “Since Your Majesty the Empress has returned safely, then Nuo’er…”
“I came today specifically to discuss Nuo’er’s matter with you,” Shen Guiyan said somewhat embarrassedly. “Could you let Nuo’er become my adopted daughter?”
Both Gao Jinxiu and Gui Lan’s eyes widened. Why would the dignified Empress want to adopt a little palace maid as her daughter?