Chapter 231: Return Of An Old Friend (Part 6)
When Shen Miao gotten the news, she was in a daze for a long time.
She had not thought that the enemies of her previously were all been cleaned up that tidy. However she also felt that all these were ought to be as such.
Fu Xiu Yi had planted the evil seed very early on which there would be a day that it would be harvested. Mei Furen as a tiger for it’s skin and definitely would be devoured by the tiger. They were always making use of others, using gold and beauties to exchange for things that they wanted and these kind of people’s heart looked like everything was possible, but it would not last long.
Therefore Fu Xiu Yi would be betrayed by his own aides at the end and Mei Furen would die in the hands of the man that used to pamper in her previous lifetime.
Shen Miao thought that upon learning of these two people ending, she would be inevitable shout out of joy but at this moment, there was not much emotions in her heart. It was as if she had done the things that she should do but no longer need to take revenge for the next half of her life.
She looked down at her abdomen. It was because she had more important possessions.
In the hatred and sorrow, it was oneself who could not walk out of it. However Xie Jing Xing and this child had led her out of that long nightmare. The longer one lived, the calmer one’s heart would be. She always felt that she could do it and did the final thing for Fu Ming and Wan Yu. As for this lifetime, she must live well.
Luo Tan looked at the flowers outside and said, “The lotus flowers are really good. Youngest Biao Sister, lets’ go for a walk later.”
Shen Miao nodded her head.
Lotus flowers were very good. Empress Xian De liked to look at lotuses the most.
Emperor Yong Le’s health was not as good as the days passed.
The Imperial Edict on succession had been disccessed private with Emperor Yong Le’s confidants. Emperor Yong Le did not hid his condition and the few high ranking ministers had arranged everything secretly. If there was really such a day that Emperor Yong Le no longer wake up, everything would go smoothly and the Imperial Edict would be announced to the world. When Xie Jing Xing returned from the expedition, what would be waiting for him would be the responsibility of the entire Great Liang.
Naturally Emperor Yong Le’s condition was hidden from Xie Jing Xing.
At such a time, Empress Xian De seemed to be the calmest one. She still read books, brewed tea, played chess and wrote like usual. The things that were spoken to Emperor Yong Le were those common and occasionally poke fun at Shen Miao. If one ignore the paler Emperor Yong Le, on the surface, there was no difference than normal.
In Wei Yang Palace, Empress Xian De looked outside, “It had rain a little just now so it would definitely be very cooling at night. ChenQie is reluctant to drink that jar of Snow wine, why not His Majesty accompany ChenQie to drink it today?”
Emperor Yong Le sat on the chair and glanced at Empress Xian De before laughing, “One jar. Could it be that you want to get drunk?” His words were however very gentle.
“Who doesn’t want to get drunk and not wake up?” Empress Xian De muttered to herself before saying, “One jar of wine would not get one drunk. ChenQie has a good tolerance of alcohol. When one was young, one would often steal wine to drink with one’s Older Brother.”
When Emperor Yong Le heard it, he showed a rare interest and said, “That is not like what you would do.”
“What can this be considered?” Empress Xian De was somewhat proud when she spoke, “When drinking with Older Brothers, ChenQie had never lost before. At that time Father even boasted that he would find an alcohol that ChenQie would get drunk with just one sip but after finding for some time, he could not find it. Afterwards, ChenQie entered the Palace and feared of losing one bearings after drinking and thus no longer drinks.”
“First it is tea. Then it is wine.” Emperor Yong Le signed, “Your interests are so far apart.”
“Drinking tea keeps one awake, drinking alcohol is an indulgence.” Empress Xian De smiled, “So tonight, Your Majesty must not put up airs anymore and indulge once. The Snow Wine is personally brewed by ChenQie. Even though it is not comparable to bejeweled nectar, it could still fit to the atmosphere.”
“Alright.” Emperor Yong Le said, “Zhen will accompany you to indulge once.”
*****
In the late summer, the winds at night were bowling gently and the lake appeared green. Long Ye had long summers that even till on the eighth month, there was no signs of cooling down.
In the small pavilion on the lake, there was a small pot of wine on the table with a few snacks and two wine bowls.
Emperor Yong Le looked at the round wind bowls in front of him and his brows raised, “Use these?” He had used an expression that Xie Jing Xing loved to do, making him look very similar to Xie Jing Xing.
“By sipping with small mouthfuls, one would not be able to taste the Snow Wine.” Empress Xian De smiled, “By using this kind of wine bowl to drink, it would then taste sweet.”
“You used to drink like this in the past?” Emperor Yong Le frowned, “Nonsense.”
“Afterall it is ChenQie drinking alone and no one sees it, so why care so much?” Empress Xian De did care about it and poured for Emperor Yong Le as she held the small jar in one hand.
Emperor Yong Le wanted to say something but stopped and glanced at Empress Xian De in silence.
Empress Xian De had been brewing Snow Wine every year but it was the first time Emperor Yong Le was accompanying her to drink. For so many years she had been brewing tea alone and making wine alone. As flower blossomed and wiltered, she just lived like that deep in the Palace. She did a good job as an Empress but one had almost forgotten that she was just a female who could feel lonely. Most of the time, she would only taste the loneliness as if one was tasting the wine.
Tao GuGu and Deng GongGong was standing far away, seemingly leaving this rare moment to the Emperor and Empress. Empress Xian De handed a wine bowl to Emperor Yong Le and said, “Everytime when Jing Xing come over for a Palace banquet, he would like to use wine bowls to drink. ChenQie saw that Your Majesty seemed to be envious so one do not need to worry tonight. There is only ChenQie here and ChenQie would not laugh at Your Majesty.”
“What a joke. What can Zhen be envious about?” When Emperor Yong Le finished, he picked up the wine bowl and looked at it with some discerning eyes but still took a sip from the bowl.
When Empress Xian De saw it, she could not help but laughed, “What is Your Majesty doing? One should learn from ChenQie.” She picked up the wine bowl and lean her head back to drink. Even such an action from her made it looked very elegant and pleasing to the eyes.
Emperor Yong Le lightly coughed, “Nonsense.” His gaze however, followed Empress Xian De and it was very soft.
Empress Xian De poured another bowl for herself and smiled, “When ChenQie was young, one followed Father to read the history books and envied those great heroes in the books. They stood up in the chaos and were heroic as they eat meat and drank in big mouthfuls as they faced the world. One had felt that those types of lives would then be considered as living in the world. ChenQie had thought that in the future, one must marry to such a hero and brew tea for him during the daytime and drink with him at night.” As she spoke, her eyes was glittering, as if she had returned to her youth, bugging her Older Brothers to drink.
“And afterwards?” Emperor Yong Le asked.
“Afterwards, ChenQie married to Your Majesty and Your Majesty refused to eat meat or drink wine in big mouthfuls. Even though it was not rough, it was very cold instead. ChenQie is very regretful.”
Emperor Yong Le looked at her. Her cheeks gradually became faintly stained in red, making one unable to know if she was drunk or not. Emperor Yong Le thought that she was definitely drunk as an awake Empress Xian De would not be so childish and criticise him.
He said, “Didn’t you said that you have a good tolerance of alcohol? How could one be crazy drunk in front of Zhen?”
“ChenQie is not drunk.” Empress Xian De said, “ChenQie wants to be drunk but for so many years ChenQie had to be awake.”
Emperor Yong Le could no longer smile.
“It is ChenQie’s bad luck to marry to Your Majesty. It is all perfectly fine but one had to share one’s husband with countless of women. Even though there are concubines in those high ranking families, the official wife would have children. But ChenQie do not even have one’s own children. This marriage is really not considered good.” Empress Xian De smiled, “So ChenQie is very envious of WangFei of First Rank. It is not easy for WangFei to live and she have so many things to worry about but she is more fortunate than Chen Qie as she has choices. Jing Xin also treats her well. Jing Xin is not as heartless like Your Majesty.”
Emperor Yong Le was silent for a long time, so long that one could hear the frogs in the pond croaking and the crickets on the tree chirping. He said, “You also have choices. Jing Zhen…”
“From the start, ChenQie had no choice at all.” Empress Xian De interrupted his words, “ChenQie’s entire heart is all on Your Majesty, so how could one have the heart to make other choices?”
Emperor Yong Le was startled. Empress Xian De raised her own bowl of wine and drank the entire second bowl of wine.
“Is there any difference from how Your Majesty look at Chen Qie?” Empress Xian De looked at him, “Don’t one think that this choice of ChenQie’s life is inevitable?”
“Yes.” Emperor Yong Le paused before speaking, “You are very good. You are the best Empress in Great Liang and no one can do it better than you. At the beginning Imperial Mother liked you a lot, Zhen also like you. You are smart, generous and steady. The entire Inner Palace was managed by you very well. It is correct for Zhen to choose you.”
Empress Xian De laughed and as she laughed, it seemed that tears also camed out. She said, “It is indeed so. Your Majesty’s inevitable choice is actually ‘Empress Xian De’ and not ‘Qing Zhen’. ChenQie understands.” She looked at the moonnight up in the skies and the corner of her eyes were glittering but upon turning her head back, she was her normal gentle and calm self. She said, “The matters that Your Majesty had mentioned, ChenQie has taken into consideration. One felt that Your Majesty words are not bad. Since it is one’s life, one has to go on.”
Emperor Yong Le stared at her and felt his throat was somewhat hoarse. After a while he take said it with great difficulty, “The other person… Have you found it?”
“For the time being, no.” Empress Xian De smiled gently, “But these things are not urgent. In the future if there is such a day, it would naturally be done smoothly.”
Emperor Yong Le seemed not to have any words.
Empress Xian De picked up her wine bowl and said, “This bowl of Snow Wine, ChenQie would toast to Your Majesty. After so many years of husband and wife, it is the fate that was accumulated in one’s past life. No matter if it was destiny or ill will, even though ChenQie did not live particularly well these years, it was absolutely not bad. Many thanks to Your Majesty.”
Emperor Yong Le also raised his wine bowl but upon looking carefully, one could discover that his fingers were slightly trembling, as if it was unstable. However he concealed it well and immediately used his sleeves to cover it as he drank from the wine bowl.
To drink an entire big bowl like this, one would not be tempted by the light fragrance. From one’s eyes, throat and all the way to one’s internal organs were hot and the pain of his burning heart made him feel exceptionally bitter.
He saw Empress Xian De stood up and smiled towards him, “Actually this jar of wine looks a lot but it became empty after a few bowls with Your Majesty. It is a pity for such a good scenery tonight. But it does not matter since the days are long. ChenQie is happy to drink with Your Majesty today and will now go out for a walk. May Your Majesty take a rest but do be careful and be careful of not catching a cold.” She then left.
Her departure was so brisk and thinking of those words that she said before, it was clearly saying one’s goodbye. Now that the words of farewell are spoken, the farewell wine was gone, what remained was like now, leaving from his world step by step, never to return.
Emperor Yong Le turned his head to watch Empress Xian De’s retreating back.
Her back view disappeared in the long corridors and she did not even turn her head around, each step of hers were especially firm.
Suddenly his heart felt a pain, an unspeakable pain that slowly spread from his heart to his limbs. His heart thumped very fast that it was practically twitching. He could not breath and could not say a sentence.
He fell down his seat!
Deng GongGong was at the side waiting and when he saw this scene, he jumped in shock as he rushed over. He supported Emperor Yong Le and saw that the other party had a scarily pale face and his lips coule not help but tremble. He held his heart and immediately called for the Imperial Physician and instructed the guards to send Emperor Yong Le back to Yang Xin Hall.