Chapter 44: Affection part 1
Gusts of gentle breeze brushed past, carrying a lingering tenderness.
Forcing down a vague discomfort in his chest, Gu Zhen asked her softly, “Have you had breakfast?”
At this hour, Zhao Yiyi naturally had. She nodded lightly and said in a gentle voice, “Many thanks for Your Majesty’s concern, I have.”
A few wisps of fine hair floated across her forehead, rippling with the breeze. The golden flowers on her hairpin trembled slightly, and the pear blossom painted between her brows seemed to hold the full warmth of late spring.
When she smiled slowly, those almond eyes were enough to hook one’s soul.
Yet, faintly, they revealed a look of alienation.
Even if he didn’t want to admit it, he knew that the Empress wanted to keep her distance from him—wanted to be far away from him.
His throat tightened slightly, as if he wanted to say something. But after a long while, he only whispered, “It is getting late. Since you have eaten, let us depart.”
Zhao Yiyi said yes.
Today, she wore the Juyi—the ceremonial robe for the Empress’s Sericulture Rite. It had only been completed last month, and this was the first time Gu Zhen had seen her wear it.
It was originally a solemn and magnificent outfit, but because of the pear blossom between her brows, it instantly softened into something tender.
Hearing her soft assent, that gentle and yielding voice made Gu Zhen’s heart warm. Subconsciously, he reached out his hand: “We will arrive at the Altar of the First Silkworm early. Rest for half a day, and then Zhen can take you to the western suburbs to ride horses for a while.”
Zhao Yiyi’s first reaction was to avoid him. Her fingers curled slightly, but she suddenly remembered they were in public. Pursing her lips, she ultimately suppressed the irritability rising in her heart and froze there, not pulling her hand away. She let him hold it firmly.
His warm and slightly rough palm completely enveloped hers. She tried to struggle a few times, but that well-defined, large hand seemed to exert no force, yet it imprisoned her firmly, allowing not a single bit of escape.
“Many thanks, Your Majesty,” she thanked him, sounding slightly displeased, and then added, “Your Majesty should go by yourself. This consort’s riding skills are poor, and I haven’t ridden a horse for a long time, so I won’t drag Your Majesty down. Moreover… this consort doesn’t really want to ride.”
Doesn’t really want to ride?
But last time, afraid he would forget his promise to take her to the western suburbs, she had subtly reminded him time and again.
She clearly should have liked it.
Yet now she said she didn’t.
Seeing her slightly furrowed brows, Gu Zhen paused. His phoenix eyes darkened a few shades, but he didn’t answer. He simply relaxed his grip slightly and escorted her all the way to the Yandi carriage.
The attendant opened the carriage door. Zhao Yiyi broke free from him with some urgency and turned to board.
Once inside, after panting rapidly for a few breaths, she closed her eyes and leaned against the hidden cushion to recover for a moment. Only then did she feel the sense of oppression fade, the discomfort in her heart gradually scattering as her body instantly relaxed.
She didn’t want to argue with him endlessly anymore.
She had clearly made up her mind to abide by her duty as he wished, to be a proper Empress, and to manage the palace affairs well. She would treat him with the respect due to an Emperor, never daring to overstep again, nor would she fantasize about things that didn’t belong to her.
But she still felt terrible. It felt as if a large hand was clutching her heart, making even breathing difficult. She wanted to escape desperately.
That feeling was indescribable.
But try as she might, she couldn’t escape.
She knew she was avoiding him, that she didn’t dare to see him again. As soon as she saw him, it would always evoke past heartbreaks, plunging her once more into that near-collapse of emotions.
Yunzhu followed closely behind and boarded the carriage. Seeing her poor complexion, she couldn’t help but whisper, “Your Ladyship woke up so early today, would you like to rest for a while? The Altar of the First Silkworm is far away; it will take several hours to get there. When we arrive, this servant will wake Your Ladyship.” Saying this, she took out a thin blanket and covered Zhao Yiyi’s knees.
Only when that figure disappeared into the carriage did Gu Zhen slowly retract his gaze. He swept a glance behind him, frowned, and asked in a deep voice, “Where is Linchuan? Has she not come yet?”
The palace attendant was so anxious that sweat broke out on his forehead. He stammered, “We urged Wanchun Hall once before; surely the Grand Princess will be here soon.”
glancing at the sky, a trace of irritability crossed Gu Zhen’s brows. He said indifferently, “Ignore her. Let us depart.” Leaving now, they could still arrive before the noon meal.
Her body was already weak; it was better not to torment her with delays.
The palace attendant was startled, thinking it would be hard to explain to the Empress Dowager. However, upon meeting the Emperor’s cold and solemn eyes, he knew the Emperor had already made a decision that allowed no objection. Thus, he dared not say more.
More than half an hour later, Linchuan finally arrived late. Looking at the empty Daqing Hall, she stood there stunned for a moment, thinking she had come too early, and her expression turned somewhat ugly.
Just as she was about to scold the servants who had urged her, a eunuch in green robes approached and reported, “Grand Princess, the servants have prepared the carriage for the Princess. Please board.”
Linchuan’s expression became even worse. She said in disbelief, “Imperial Sister-in-law actually didn’t wait for me and just left like that?”
Her chest heaved a few times. She was so angry she wanted to go to the Empress Dowager to complain, but the attendant’s words instantly silenced her fire: “It was His Majesty who ordered the departure.”
Linchuan flung her sleeves in agitation and said angrily, “Where is Imperial Brother?”
“His Majesty has already rushed to the Altar of the First Silkworm together with the Empress.”
Linchuan’s eyes widened abruptly. The Empress leads the titled ladies in the Sericulture Rite; what is Imperial Brother going there for?
He…
Suddenly, Linchuan remembered that when her Imperial Brother performed the Plowing Rite last time, he had also taken the Empress with him.
She was baffled, yet felt it strange. She felt that something seemed to be different from what she had always known.
“Please board the carriage, Princess,” the attendant invited again.
The morning sunlight spilled onto the white marble steps in front of the hall, paving a layer of faintly flowing gold. The magnificent and intricate patterns on the imperial stairway appeared indistinctly, making the five-clawed dragon motifs upon them look lifelike.
Linchuan fumed by herself for a moment, then brushed her sleeves indignantly and scrambled into the carriage the attendant had prepared for her.
After getting in the carriage, she was still annoyed, clutching the handkerchief in her hand angrily, having nowhere to vent her fury.
Halfway through the journey, Zhao Yiyi woke leisurely from her sleep, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.
The light inside the carriage was dim, stuffy, and oppressive. Moreover, they had already left the city of Luoyang. Even though they were traveling on the official road, the surface was never perfectly smooth, and the carriage was very bumpy.
Her stomach churned with nausea, and she couldn’t help but bend over and retch.
Yunzhu was startled and wanted to call the coachman to stop, but was stopped by Zhao Yiyi: “Never mind, it is better to reach the Altar of the First Silkworm quickly. We didn’t depart very early today; let’s not cause more trouble.”
“Your Ladyship,” Yunzhu was anxious. She knew her mistress was afraid of delaying the journey and afraid of being a burden on the way. She couldn’t help but want to persuade her again.
But when she touched the Empress’s gently waving hand, the words on the tip of her tongue stopped abruptly.
Coincidentally, the carriage stopped to rest just then.
Once the bumping stopped, Zhao Yiyi felt much better physically, though she still felt unwell. The last time she rode in a carriage was two months ago, when she accompanied him to the Altar of Agriculture.
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