Chapter 91: A Promise
The Qinghui Pavilion was ablaze with lights.
In the distance, a crescent moon hung high, casting down light as soft as silk, illuminating the handsome face of the man opposite her.
His originally cold and stern features, touched by the moonlight, took on a three-point softness.
“Why did Your Majesty bring them along?” Zhao Yiyi couldn’t help but ask softly, watching the two small dogs—one black, one white—chasing each other by the railing.
Perhaps hearing her voice, the Folin dog trotted over and circled at her feet.
The little creature had always been affectionate. It kept jumping up, seeking some petting. Zhao Yiyi had no choice but to rub its head, which finally calmed it down.
Gu Zhen said, “That day in Zichen Palace, Zhen saw you teasing them for quite a while and thought you might like them.”
A thin layer of ice had formed on the surface of the pool. Leaning against the railing and looking out, Zhao Yiyi suddenly said, “Don’t treat me so well anymore. I am afraid I cannot bear it.”
Gu Zhen’s expression stiffened instantly. His large, slender hand gripped the armrest of his chair tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hand. He used every ounce of his strength to suppress his emotions, managing a faint smile. “Yiyi, you are Zhen’s wife. If Zhen does not treat you well, who else can I treat well?”
Fireworks continued to bloom in mid-air in the distance, their magnificent colors illuminating half the sky before turning into a rain of stars, trailing downwards.
The fireworks were drawing to a close; the current spectacle was the final burst of brilliance before burning out completely.
She bit her lip and turned her face away. “But I cannot bear these things. If Your Majesty feels guilty about the past and wants to make amends, what happened that day at Jiao Fang Palace was already enough. Whether it was Your Majesty rushing to the official prison to protect me or going to such lengths for Ah Chen’s sake, it has already exceeded so much. Any more, and I cannot repay it, nor do I have anything left to repay with.”
Silence suddenly fell over the pavilion, leaving only the pattering sound of the two dogs running about. Gu Zhen’s adam’s apple bobbed; he felt as though his chest was blocked.
“Zhen never thought of asking you to repay me.” After a long while, Gu Zhen slowly opened his lips and let out a bitter laugh. “Even back when you treated Zhen well, you didn’t plan on asking Zhen to repay you, did you?”
Zhao Yiyi said, “How is that possible!”
How could she not have planned for it?
If she truly had no thoughts at all, if she were truly that selfless, how could she have been disappointed later? How could that disappointment have bred despair?
If even she was like that, then what of him, the Emperor?
The so-called ‘seeking no reward’ was merely self-anesthesia because one knew the reward could not be obtained. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, how could one not desire even a tiny bit of return?
One could treat someone well regardless of the cost, but it was impossible to want nothing at all. He wasn’t a saint.
In the end, it was just self-deception.
“Even if you don’t want it now, what about later?” Zhao Yiyi’s almond eyes fixed on him, her eyes stinging with acidity. “But I really cannot afford to pay it back anymore.”
He was the Emperor, the Son of Heaven of this Great Chu Dynasty. He possessed everything she could possibly use to repay him. Except for that one thing—her heart—which she truly dared not take out and easily hand over again.
Zhao Yiyi thought to herself: she was afraid.
Gone was the impulse born of youthful admiration. After being hurt once, she was truly afraid.
Gu Zhen closed his eyes, seemingly to mask his thoughts. After a long time, he said, “Don’t overthink it. Didn’t you say a few days ago you wanted to eat stuffed fish? Zhen had someone make it today, yet you didn’t eat much.”
He wanted to skip over this topic, but Zhao Yiyi did not. She stubbornly brushed his hand away and whispered, “Look, you don’t even dare to answer me.”
When a low chuckle escaped him, Gu Zhen completely lost his rationality.
“Yes, Zhen has ulterior motives.” Defeated by her persistence, Gu Zhen set down the cup in his hand, his voice raspy. “What Zhen seeks is nothing more than for things to be as they were before. For you and Zhen to be as we were in the past.”
Under the moonlight, Zhao Yiyi’s face was somewhat pale. Her complexion, already like congealed fat, looked even colder. She looked up at him and said with a tremble, “I really have nothing left. You treat me well, but I cannot repay it, nor do I have any way to. Besides… besides, when you have concubines in the future, looking back on how well you treat me now will only make me sadder.”
“There won’t be.”
The deep, mellow voice came with a familiar tone. Before she could react, she heard him say with absolute certainty, “There won’t be. There aren’t any now, and there won’t be any in the future.”
The hand resting on her lap quietly gripped her dress, fingertips trembling with force, crumpling the dark-patterned gauze skirt into a ball. The slightly rough texture rubbed painfully against her palm.
“Don’t say these things to coax me.” She pinched her fingertips, lowering her lashes to avoid his gaze. As she withdrew her hand, her sleeve accidentally knocked over the wine cup. The liquid spilled out, spreading inch by inch across the table, but she had no time to attend to it. She simply continued, “Don’t say it anymore. If you keep saying these things, I will really believe them.”
In the past, she was simply unwilling to think about it, not ignorant of it. Now that it was mentioned, the mere thought of her husband having other women in the future made her feel as if her chest was clogged with silt.
clearly, she was unwilling.
If she was destined to be sad in the future, she would rather withdraw early.
Gu Zhen sighed softly, suddenly grasping one of her hands. He enunciated every word clearly: “Why can’t you believe it?” His expression remained unchanged as he immediately added, “Zhen is never one to speak falsely. If you don’t like it, then there won’t be any.”
With her solitary and possessive nature, she could raise a storm over the slightest sign. If the harem really had concubines, wouldn’t she hold a grudge into her next life?
Seeing her dazed appearance, Gu Zhen’s heart softened. He whispered, “Even in the past, when has there ever been anyone else by Zhen’s side?”
Zhao Yiyi froze there. It took a long time for her to come back to her senses. She whispered, “How can the past be the same?”
In the past, he was so busy that even his time in the harem was limited, so naturally, there were no concubines.
But later? When the political situation stabilized?
She would really believe it. In the past, as long as he said it, she would have believed it. Now, however, hesitation had taken root.
“How is it different?” Gu Zhen was amused by her irrational logic. He couldn’t help but reach out and pinch her soft, smooth cheek, his voice indifferent. “Zhen won’t have any now, and won’t have any in the future. This is not a difficult thing.”
After a long pause, he softened his voice and said, “Yiyi, give Zhen some trust, alright?”
Meeting those deep phoenix eyes, Zhao Yiyi found herself unable to speak. She was stumped, subconsciously reaching out to press her hand over her heart.
The rich scent of liquidambar incense wafted up, wrapping around her. The scent made her heart tremble, and she looked at him in surprise.
Gu Zhen smiled, stroking her head soothingly. “You smelled it?”
Zhao Yiyi didn’t want to look at him; she just nodded, keeping her eyes half-lowered.
But Gu Zhen held her shoulders, refusing to let her escape even an inch. “Yiyi, look at Zhen.”
“Don’t burn this incense in the future.” She frowned slightly. Although she had given him a portion after mixing the incense that day, she was still somewhat unhappy. “Since you don’t like it, why force it?”
Gu Zhen suddenly laughed, his voice carrying a clear, refreshing quality. “If I haven’t forced myself to try, how do I know if I’ll grow to like it?”
The wind rustled. Zhao Yiyi pursed her lips and said nothing.
Watching the final firework bloom, Gu Zhen said, “After the morning court today, Zhen saw your eldest brother. He mentioned to Zhen that he wants to be assigned a post outside the capital.”
Zhao Yiyi said, “The capital is prosperous, but it also hides treacherous undercurrents. He is afraid of these things.”
“He fears that one day, if he inadvertently offends Your Majesty, he might lose his life. That is why he is in such a hurry to leave.”
Gu Zhen helplessly nuzzled her cheek, gritting his teeth. “You just have to pick at Zhen’s sore spots!”
The fireworks stopped, and the sky darkened again. The two put on their cloaks and descended from Qinghui Pavilion. In the deep winter, a single gust of wind was enough to freeze one stiff.
Gu Zhen followed behind, blocking the wind blowing from the northwest. Seeing Wu Mao hurrying to catch up, he slowed down slightly.
“Your Majesty, after dealing with those officials who impeached the Empress today, several other officials gathered a dozen people and are making a scene in front of the Zuo Ye Gate. They haven’t dispersed even now.”
He had thought letting them make a fuss for a while would make them stop, but unexpectedly, they were getting more energetic. Gu Zhen said coolly, “It’s already curfew. You’re just letting them stay there? Where are the Imperial Guards?”
Wu Mao said, “The Imperial Guards dare not act rashly, so I came to ask for Your Majesty’s instructions.”
“Just take them home one by one. Not doing any proper work all day, only fixating on such trivial matters.” Gu Zhen sneered, then asked, “Who is making the most noise?”
Wu Mao replied, “It is the Director of the Ministry of Rites, Cheng Anhua.”
Gu Zhen nodded. “Remember him for Zhen.”
Wu Mao’s heart tightened abruptly. If His Majesty specifically asked him to remember someone, that person was mostly likely going to be out of luck.
True enough, one batch had already been dealt with. Among the remaining lot, someone had to be picked out from the front to be made an example of.
Thinking of this, Wu Mao nodded and said respectfully, “This servant will remember.”
“Fourth Miss, the Second Young Master of the Zhao family has come. He says the Marquis of Huai’an misses you dearly in prison and wants to see you.”
A young maid in a green skirt entered, spoke with her chin up, and secretly curled her lip.
Zuo Lianzhi’s brows furrowed. Her heart thumped a few times before she said coldly, “Go tell him I don’t have time to see him.”
She could barely protect herself now; where would she find the time to care about others?
The maid said, “But Second Master Zhao said that the Marquis of Huai’an raised Fourth Miss after all, and has always doted on Fourth Miss the most—even the Empress can’t catch up to you. Does Fourth Miss truly have the heart not to see him?” Fearing she might worry, the maid added, “The Master has already agreed.”
The “Master” the maid spoke of was Zuo Lianzhi’s cousin-uncle, the current head of the Zuo family.
Since returning to the Zuo family, she hadn’t had a single good day, so she naturally couldn’t spare the energy to think about these things.
Zhao Chen’s words were undoubtedly roasting her over a fire. Zuo Lianzhi couldn’t help but say, “How am I worthy to be compared with the Empress?”
But since it had reached this point, not going was obviously impossible.
She had to stand up, saying gravely, “Then I must trouble you to tell him to wait a moment for me.”
After changing her clothes and leaving the manor, Zuo Lianzhi realized that not only was Zhao Chen there, but Zhao Shunnian had come along as well.
Under the shimmering light, she didn’t know if it was her illusion.
The moment their eyes met, Zhao Chen suddenly laughed.
The laugh lasted only an instant, yet it made her blood run cold.
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