Chapter 8: Joy in the Heart
The Empress Dowager’s cold voice filled the main hall, strangely jarring.
Hearing this, the Emperor subtly frowned.
However, he was always good at concealing his emotions, quickly regaining his usual composure.
Through the diamond-shaped window lattice, Gu Zhen looked up at the swaying willow branches outside and said softly: “In two months, it will be the Empress’s Royal Sericulture Ceremony. Mother hasn’t held it for the past two years, and the Empress has never been involved in such a grand event. I will take her to the Xiannong Altar during the Royal Ploughing Ceremony so she won’t be at a loss then.”
His words implied he had already made his decision and was merely informing them, not seeking their opinions.
The Empress Dowager had no rebuttal. She just glanced at him and said lightly: “As you wish. You are decisive, and since you’ve made up your mind, I have no objections.”
Gu Zhen nodded and was about to leave when a flurry of footsteps sounded outside.
With a “creak,” the door was pushed open, letting in bright light. A sweet voice said: “Grand Aunt, I just went to Second Aunt’s place and picked some…”
The voice stopped abruptly upon seeing the man sitting above. She immediately bowed: “Your Majesty, ten thousand blessings.”
The young lady, dressed in light-colored clothes, bowed gracefully to the ground, her body trembling slightly, like a frightened little animal, exuding vulnerability.
Gu Zhen suddenly saw another scene: that night when he went to the Empress’s quarters, she was already asleep.
Inside the red silk curtains, beneath the embroidered quilt, she was wearing only a thin gauze robe. Candlelight pierced through the red silk and illuminated the bed. Her body under the robe, while slender, was well-proportioned and delicate.
It stirred boundless tenderness in his heart.
The Emperor remained silent for a long time. He Xunling, puzzled, raised her head and met a pair of deep, watery eyes, with a hint of darkness.
“Alright, alright, why are you so honest, child? Get up quickly.” The Empress Dowager gestured for a court lady to help He Xunling up, seemingly helpless, “After the bow, why are you still waiting there? He’s your cousin, he won’t hold it against you, will he?”
The Empress Dowager naturally preferred He Xunfang, but He Xunling was also her niece, so she had to compromise.
With the Emperor present, He Xunling was naturally reserved and shy. After a moment’s thought, she offered the roses in her hands, softly saying: “Your Majesty, this is a rose I just picked. That day, Your Majesty had someone pick one for me, and I’ve been grateful ever since. I can only return one to Your Majesty.”
Gu Zhen’s eyes flickered, his gaze lingering on the rose for a long time. He said calmly: “No need. I stepped on yours that day, it’s just compensation.”
His blunt refusal made He Xunling flustered, and she timidly looked at the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager didn’t help this time, but remembered something and hurriedly said: “Right, your sister said she wants to choose some companions to study with her. I want to choose some diligent and studious ones. What do you think…”
“Study? Don’t bother.” Gu Zhen’s expression gradually turned serious. He sneered, “She doesn’t even go to school regularly. If you choose more companions, it’s just wasting people’s time. Which diligent and studious lady would come to play with her?”
The Empress Dowager’s face flushed red and pale. Lin Chuan did want to choose companions, but she also had ulterior motives, hoping to choose some and keep them in the palace.
However, her daughter was criticized so harshly by her son in front of others, which angered the Empress Dowager, who couldn’t help but scold: “How can you talk about your own sister like that?”
Gu Zhen didn’t answer, but looked around and asked softly: “Where is she? Has she gone out again?”
“She didn’t go out. Look at what you’re saying.” The Empress Dowager glared at him, coldly snorting, “Your aunt said she made new cold food cakes, and she went to play.”
He Taifei shouldn’t have continued living in the palace. However, the Seventh Prince was only seven years old and hadn’t been granted a title, so she was still living in the palace to raise her son.
While He Taifei only had the Seventh Prince, she had a daughter who was only a few days older than Lin Chuan, who unfortunately passed away soon after birth.
Since the two children were of similar ages, He Taifei inevitably placed her grief for her daughter on Lin Chuan.
Therefore, the aunt and niece had a close relationship, and Lin Chuan often visited He Taifei.
After sitting for a while longer, Gu Zhen got up to leave. Before leaving, the Empress Dowager forcibly gave him a rose, instructing Wu Mao, who was following behind Gu Zhen, to carry it.
The sudden news that the Emperor was taking her to the Royal Ploughing Ceremony stunned Zhao Yiyi, momentarily freezing her in place, questioning her hearing.
Zhao Yiyi was tending to a vase. Overwhelmed with surprise, she quickly turned to Gu Zhen, uncertainly asking: “Your Majesty means you’re taking me to the Royal Ploughing Ceremony?”
“Mother hasn’t performed the Royal Sericulture Ceremony for several years, and you haven’t been involved in it. I will first take you to the Xiannong Altar, to prevent any mistakes in the future,” Gu Zhen softly replied.
Her heart blossomed with joy. Zhao Yiyi bit her lip and softly said: “I understand. I will not cause Your Majesty any trouble.”
Looking at the willow branches in the vase, Gu Zhen suddenly remembered their early days of marriage.
At that time, the Crown Prince, Wei Wang, rebelled, and after his defeat and capture, he implicated the Crown Prince, saying that the Crown Prince was jealous of his long time as crown prince and that he instigated the rebellion to put his brother on the throne.
Perhaps enraged by Wei Wang, the Emperor, seemingly seeing no good sons, even though he knew the Crown Prince had no reason to rebel, still ordered him to be confined to the East Palace.
He wasn’t released on New Year’s Eve that year. The Crown Princess cooked a whole table of dishes herself. She was still learning to cook, and she even cut her hand that day.
Because he was still confined, seeking a physician for such a minor injury would have caused gossip.
He vaguely remembered bandaging it himself.
After the New Year came early spring. Zhao Yiyi remained gentle and quiet, taking some branches to put in a vase every few days, for decoration. Not only did she put them in her own courtyard, but also in his study.
She was so serene, contrasting with the oppressive atmosphere. He had looked at the willow branches in the vase and asked her if she wasn’t suffering.
Zhao Yiyi turned her head then, her eyes filled with gentleness, before softly replying: “I’m with Your Highness, I don’t feel any hardship.”
At that time, her smile was bright, her apricot eyes shining. It was then that he vaguely realized that his Crown Princess might admire him.
By early summer, the Emperor’s anger might have subsided. After demoting the eldest prince to a county prince and confining him, he released him.
By then, the decorations in the study had been changed several times.
He still remembered the last time, it should have been a jasmine. The pure white jasmine was piled together, layer upon layer of petals spread out, emitting a faint fragrance on the windowsill.
His thoughts drifted back to the present, pondering for a moment before Gu Zhen pointed to the celadon goose-neck vase: “The willow branches are well-arranged.”
Zhao Yiyi was stunned, her heartbeat accelerating, then she covered her lips and chuckled softly: “If Your Majesty likes it, why not take it to Zichen Palace?”
After hesitating for a moment, Gu Zhen nodded in agreement and turned to instruct: “Wu Mao, take it back and place it on the windowsill in the inner hall.”
Wu Mao stepped forward to carry the celadon goose-neck vase. Zhao Yiyi was wondering what else to put in, when she happened to notice a rose in Wu Mao’s hand.
She couldn’t help but ask with a smile: “Why is there a rose?”
Gu Zhen glanced at Wu Mao, recalling something, replying: “The Empress Dowager gave it earlier.”
“Hmm…” Zhao Yiyi looked up with a smile, softly saying, “It so happens that there are no roses in my courtyard. May I keep this rose for a couple of days?”
Gu Zhen didn’t react much, his eyes slightly calm, and he replied in a steady tone: “As you wish.”
The Xiannong Altar was located in the southern suburbs of Luoyang. Before the Royal Ploughing Ceremony, sacrifices had to be made to the god of agriculture at the Xiannong Altar.
Although the officials were surprised that the Emperor was taking the Empress, Gu Zhen’s various decrees since his ascension to the throne had made them realize that he was not the gentle crown prince of the past.
Furthermore, the Emperor had a valid reason: the Empress would be performing the Royal Sericulture Ceremony in two months, so he was taking her to experience it in advance.
After weighing the pros and cons, except for a few memorialists, no one opposed it, tacitly acquiescing.
Outside the Daqing Gate, the imperial procession was majestic and imposing. The Emperor and Empress’s carriages were parked one behind the other. The man, dressed in black and red, held a sword and stood nearby.
Zhao Yiyi stared blankly, as if she had noticed something, and Gu Zhen suddenly turned to look at her.
Their eyes met, and he subtly frowned. Zhao Yiyi quickly suppressed her thoughts and walked towards the carriage.
However, there was a depression in the brick pavement, and Zhao Yiyi, without noticing, stumbled forward. Fortunately, her clothes were loose, so her movement wasn’t obvious.
However, a sharp pain ran through her ankle, as if pricked by needles, and her movements slowed down.
Gu Zhen was displeased by her slowness. He strode over and asked: “What’s wrong?”
Zhao Yiyi looked up, enduring the pain, and forced a smile: “I… I just twisted my ankle, and I will be a little slow.”
“So careless?” Seeing her movements, Gu Zhen said displeasedly: “How long will it take to walk?”
Zhao Yiyi was about to ask if the carriage could come, when Gu Zhen suddenly held her under the legs and back, and directly picked her up.
Seeing his direction, Zhao Yiyi anxiously said: “Your Majesty, this isn’t…”
“Shut up.”
The man’s face was somewhat serious, and there was a hint of grimness in his eyes.
After carrying her into the carriage, Gu Zhen suddenly realized his sleeve was being pulled, thinking that the Empress didn’t want him to leave, he tried to pull his sleeve away, saying sternly: “Stay put. I’ll send someone to get some medicine.”
“No,” Zhao Yiyi pulled his sleeve back, saying with difficulty, “Your Majesty, this isn’t my carriage…”