Chapter 8 Married

“To go also must go, so how do you go? If the mountain flowers are full of heads, don’t ask the slave to return to the place.” In the study, Zhao Luli repeatedly recited the poem “Bu Shouzi: Not Love the Wind and Dust”, his face was full tears.

He stroked the rough-cut magnolia hairpin with trembling hands, and his wife’s delicate face with tender smile appeared in front of his eyes. Suddenly, the smile turned into resentment and sorrow, as if accusing him of cowardice and incompetence. Zhao Luli felt a pain in his heart and never dared to recall the past. He wanted to put the hairpin in the secret compartment in the drawer but was reluctant to part with it, in the end he put it in a sleeve pocket and kept it next to him.

Thinking of the note sent by the palace maid, he showed a struggling and eagerness looks on his face, as if he was afraid of the unfeeling words written in it, but also afraid that he would miss the words that his wife finally sent out. Without thinking about it for long, he slowly and carefully unfolded the note. The first sentence made him feel painful and regretful, and it was difficult to hold on to himself.

“My dear Chen Guang, you probably surprise seeing this letter. The day before yesterday, my mother told me that Xi’er is almost coming of age. Suddenly I realized that time has slip away, and the years were merciless. In a blink of an eye, the blue sea has turned into mulberry fieldsIt means the world has changed greatly and cannot be recalled. Xi’er’s big marriage still needs the  mistress’s management. My mother-in-law misunderstood me deeply, afraid her heart won’t be in it. In desperation, I can only consent you to remarry. Wangshu is young and needs the care of a mother. I only regret for my weak temperament in those years. I actually harmed you and harmed the child because of momentary slip. I wish you will forget the past and move forward…… of course, the wedding date is approaching, and my heart aches unbearably…… I never forget and not dare to forget the vows back then. Are you with me in this heart?”

There were only a few hundred characters, Zhao Luli looked and looked again, read and read again. His heart momentarily joyful, momentarily regretful, momentarily surged with love, and the expression on his face became extremely twisted and tangled. When he was immersed in his endless thoughts, he did not notice that his daughter had been standing at the door for a long time. She came and left quietly, walked to Chui Hua Gate and said softly, “Give my dad a pot of hot water to wipe his face, and put it on his eyes. Today is his happy day, don’t let the Guan family see it that he has cried.”

The servant in charge of guarding the study repeatedly promised and went down quietly.

Thinking of the sudden wealth of Guan family, Zhao Chunxi’s expression darkened. She thought that this time she could get rid a strong enemy for her mom and find a puppet for herself that was easy to control in Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, but she didn’t expect that the emperor would suddenly put the Guan family’s father and son in high positions, disrupting her overall plan. With a strong and powerful backing, it would not be so easy to exploit Guan Suyi later.

But soon, she laughed in a low voice. So what if she was a Peerless Beauty? So what if she was full of talents? After all, she was no match for her mom’s charm. Even if she enter the palace and become the emperor’s person, as long as mom passed a few words casually, mom would be able to make dad desperate. She didn’t know what her mom wrote in the letter, anyway she wouldn’t let Guan Suyi have an easy time in the Marquis Mansion.

“Let’s go, it’s time to set up the wedding banquet. That old thing seems to be very happy today? I don’t know if she will be able to laugh in a few days.” Zhao Chunxi took two steps quickly, her tone was harsh.

The maid knew that the old thing she was talking about was not someone else, but her grandmother, Sun shi, so she didn’t dare to answer the conversation, she just pretended not to hear anything, and bowed her head to lead the way.

When the palace maid returned to the palace, the emperor had not left, so she had to hold back her full stomach. Ye Zhen seemed to want to pull her to ask about Zhao Luli’s situation, but as soon as she reached out her hand she retracted it again, and instead squeezed the bedding tightly, eyes full of sad tears.

Huo Shengzhe saw her eyelids drooping, her complexion was pale, there were a few line between her eyebrows due to years of sorrow, her frail body seemed that it could collapse at any time, so in the end he was asking for her, “Did Lord Zhao asked you to say something?”

The grand palace maid hurriedly knelt down and replied, “Enlighten the emperor, enlighten niangniang, Lord Zhou just said to let niangniang to take care of herself.”

“That’s it?” Ye Zhen asked urgently, as if realizing that something was wrong, she glanced at the emperor with a nervous look.

Huo Shengzhe didn’t care, his big hand covered the back of her cold hand, which was full of veins, and gently patted it a few times. This was a very common gesture that represents comfort and care, but Ye Zhen was ecstatic. With great difficulty she suppressed the boiling joy, just the opposite she needed to put on the trapped in love and heartbroken expression. Her facial features were twisted and tangled, she seemed to care very much about Lord Zhao.

The grand palace maid sighed that her niangniang was too good at pretending, while shaking her head and said, “Enlighten niangniang, that’s it.”

Ye Zhen seemed to have exhausted all her strength, her leaning body suddenly fell back on the soft pillow, her eyes looked straight at the bed curtain above her head, and couldn’t recover for a long time. Between the opening and closing of her eyelids, large drops of tears fell down, wet the clothes and bedding. Huo Shengzhe had never comforted a woman before, waved to Baifu, and the attendant handed over a black handkerchief.

“Don’t cry. You are already weak because of the remaining poison. If you are too anxious, it may get worse. Now he has remarried, and you have entered the palace, everyone is well, don’t worry about it anymore.” He passed the kerchief over while speaking.

Ye Zhen held the handkerchief with trembling fingertips, it seems she was wiping her tears with her head down, very miserable, but in fact the corners of her mouth rose, and her heart jumped with joy. ‘Everyone is well, don’t worry about it anymore.’ Was this His Majesty’s decision to put aside the unbearable past and live with her? Although there was no shortage of women around His Majesty, there were only a few who have been approached by him, and the only one who could talk to him was only her. Ye Zhen knew that once he figured it out and put the past aside, His Majesty would accept her and even favor her alone. She had never value the name Jieyu, she wanted the sincerity of His Majesty, and then the position of mother of the world.

Knowing that the other party doesn’t like crying women, Ye Zhen calmed down after wiping tears for a while, and said in a dumb voice, “This concubine is all right, Your Majesty, you must be busy with government affairs, please go back first.”

The more she pretended to be stronger, the more  Huo Shengzhe felt not reassured. He caught a glimpse of many books on the short table beside the bed. He took out one and said, “I’m fine. You are also tired. Sleep for a while. I will sit here to accompany you. Then wait for you to wake up and have dinner with you.”

Where could Ye Zhen sleep, she wished she could tell her heart to him immediately, but she knew that she should not be too hasty, so she smiled bitterly and shook her head. “This concubine cannot sleep, so I’ll accompany you to read a book. Reading a book is good for calming the mind, and a calm mind will not think about anything.”

Huo Shengzhe’s eyes showed pity, but he didn’t know how to comfort her. He flipped through the book in his hand and changed the subject and said, “Are you also reading The Analects? What are your thoughts?”

Ye Zhen “reluctantly” squeezed out a smile, “No wonder the emperor named Old Master Kong as the sage and praised him as the master of the world. After reading the Analects, this concubine learned that there is such a noble character in the world.” when the words feel, she pointed out to one of the passage and said, “If the Old Master is still here, he will definitely help Your Majesty to settle down the world and help the common people. Look at this sentence: If you can be useful to me, you can do it in months, and you will have success in three yearsfrom The Analects, interpretation: Confucius said to himself that if there is a chance to govern, he can achieve results in one year and success in three years. What kind of a vision and courage should be able release this rhetoric. There is also MenciusConfucian philosopher who was often described as ‘second sage’ after Confucius himself. He is Confucius’ disciple and inherited Confucius’ ideology and developed it further’s “Being poor cares for themselves, being wealthy cares for the worldfrom the book ‘Mencius’, which means when a person has no ambition he must clean himself up and pay attention to improving personal cultivation and morality; when a person is successful he must think about benefiting the people of the world”. Ones has to have the will to help common people; if ones hasn’t successful then he must hides in the mountains and keeps quiet. His way of life is truly admirable, and really thought-provoking. This concubine has been upset recently, but after reading the works of the two sages, she gradually feels that the world is vast, her body is small. A few worries, indeed is really not worth mentioning.“ At the end, she smiled shyly, and the haze on her body disappeared.

Baifu nodded secretly after hearing this. No wonder the emperor loves to come to Ganquan Palace. Among all the niangniang, Ye Jieyu was the only one who was knowledgeable and has remarkable literary talents, and could talk to His Majesty. The so-called considerate flower was probably like this.

However, Huo Shengzhe’s reaction was different from what the two expected. He was not evoked to talk, but instead put down the book, with a slightly perfunctory tone, “Unfortunately, Zhen don’t have the blessing to listen to the teachings of the sage with my own ears. Zhen still have memorials that has not been approved, just now Zhen was forget and only now remember. Sleep for a while and don’t let your imagination run wild. Zhen will order the imperial physician to stay in Ganquan Palace. If you feel unwell, you can call him immediately.”

Ye Zhen wanted to hold the other person, but she didn’t dare to make any trouble, so she could only agreed and waited until the group of people walked away before looking at the grand palace maid, Su’e, “Is This Palace saying something wrong?”

Su’e thought for a long time, and shook her head determinedly. “Enlighten niangniang, this servant do not think you said something wrong, maybe His Majesty is really busy.”

Ye Zhen also looked down and ponder, and after a long while nodded in relief. In any case, she finally achieved her success, as long as she was careful in her words and deeds, step by step, she would be able to overlook the world side by side with the emperor one day. And those who stand in her way would eventually become the dust that has been wiped out in the long river of years.

—–

Guan Suyi got off from the sedan chair, stepped over the brazier, worshiped across the main hall, and led into the bridal chamber. Zhao Luli lifted the bridal veil under the playfulness of the womenfolk. The two quickly looked at each other, and then both looked down, as if they were very shy. Everyone was taken aback by the bride’s gorgeous glory, and because of the her family’s nobleness, they received the emperor’s grace, so the womenfolk didn’t dare to make trouble, and said goodbye after only a few auspicious words. Within a short period of time, the news that Guan family’s daughter was a peerless beauty had spread, aroused the envy of others.

Zhao Luli didn’t expect that his new wife would be so outstanding. She wore a bright red wedding gown and a dazzling flower crown, which made her skin became more and more creamy, seemed like a pile of snow. Her wonderful eyes were gleaming, deep and unfathomable. When she looked over for a moment, it almost sucked his soul. He had to look away quickly, like a prey eager to escape from a trap.

“If you are hungry, you can eat something to cushion your stomach. I will deal with the guests and come later.” He urged with hard tone, and then hurriedly left.

Guan Suyi didn’t answer, and waited for people to walk away before raising her head, taking off the flower crown and jewelry with an indifferent expression. She deliberately covered the memories of her previous life with dust, but after being stimulated by the same scenes and characters, it came in endlessly. In the big wedding last time, Zhao Luli was so evasive after lifting her veil, behaved in a flustered manner, but there were also completely different things. For example, he didn’t say even a little thoughtful words to her, and left without giving a decent reason, leaving her alone to wait until dawn, leaving her weeping silently in embarrassment and fear.

Power was really useful. Was the treatment different because of different identities? As the granddaughter of the emperor’s teacher and the daughter of chief Minister of Ceremonies, even if she continued her own way to get divorce from Zhao Luli, he also couldn’t slight her. Guan Suyi shook her head and laughed sarcastically, and finally looked down to think about how to spend the night in the bridal chamber. Zhao Luli would never dare to leave her alone this time, but this was exactly what she didn’t want.

The filth that has been thrown away in the last life, how could there be any reason to pick it up again in this life?

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