activa-t Chapter 1808 Zhong Siyu asked Zhuoyang to stay
Chapter 1808 Zhong Siyu asked Zhuoyang to stay
Wan Lianxing gave an awkward laugh again. A woman's heart is unfathomable! "This sachet was a keepsake she left for me before she committed suicide, so I just took it back! You Ning said that the sachet is filled with calming spices, and I haven't been sleeping well these past few days!"
Upon hearing this, Zhong Siyu picked up the sachet and hung it at the foot of the bed, directly opposite the gilded sachet at the head of the bed. Wan Lianxing was certain that Zhong Siyu did it on purpose.
"Your Majesty, time is running out, please let me help you to bed!"
"Alright, I am indeed exhausted; I can barely keep my eyes open!"
Zhong Siyu looked at Wan Lianxing's eyes, which were even wider than hers, and thought to herself that this man was lying through his teeth. Zhuoyang committed suicide, and Wan Lianxing was obviously unable to sleep!
After getting into bed, Zhong Siyu covered the two of them with the blankets and closed her eyes first.
Suddenly Wan Lianxing said, "Once Zhuoyang has recovered enough, I will send her out of the palace!"
Zhong Siyu's closed eyelids twitched, and she opened her eyes. These words seemed familiar. If she remembered correctly, Wan Lianxing had said the same thing when Zhuoyang committed suicide last time. At that time, his tone was even more confident, and Zhong Siyu foolishly believed him. However, two years have passed in the blink of an eye. Not only was Zhuoyang not sent out of the palace, but he also committed suicide a second time.
The scorching sun, which had been shrouded in seclusion, had already exhausted Zhong Siyu both physically and mentally. She could ignore the scorching sun as long as it did not leave Chenqing Palace, but it was, after all, a living person who had been chased from Dalang. How difficult it was for her to remain indifferent, and how difficult it was for Wan Lianxing to remain indifferent!
Zhong Siyu harbored countless sorrows and bitterness in her heart, which she could not speak of, much less tell Wan Lianxing. Everyone in the world knew that she was the Empress, and that the Emperor's harem had no concubines. Everyone envied her, envied that she and Wan Lianxing were husband and wife, deeply in love and trusting each other. But no one knew that there was a Zhuoyang Princess in the harem, like a thorn stuck in her heart, impossible to pull out or tear away.
Zhong Siyu stared blankly at the top of the gauze tent, softly hummed in agreement, and then whispered to Wan Lianxing, "The morning court session is coming soon, Your Majesty should take the time to sleep a little longer! So you won't be too tired for the morning court session!"
Wan Lianxing didn't reply, but continued what he had just said: "Sending her out of the palace now might endanger her life; she just escaped with her life!"
Upon hearing this, Zhong Siyu closed her eyes in heartache. The same words, spoken a second time by Wan Lianxing, echoed: "Is it really that difficult to send someone away? Two years have passed. If they truly intended to send Princess Zhuoyang away, she would have left long ago. Why watch her commit suicide again, disturbing the peace of the harem? Most importantly, it disturbs the Emperor's peace of mind!"
Zhong Siyu sighed softly in her heart, then gently opened her eyes and said softly, "She can stay as long as she wants. If Your Majesty gives her a title, I dare not say anything more. After all, the harem is lonely, and Your Majesty will get tired of only looking at me! It's not a bad thing for Your Majesty to have another person to take care of him with me!"
Wan Lianxing, who had been lying flat, suddenly turned to his side! "Why does the Empress say this?"
Zhong Siyu shook her head inwardly. The Emperor liked to pretend to be ignorant even when he knew the truth. She turned to the side and reached out to tuck the blanket around Wan Lianxing, saying softly, "Your Majesty hasn't visited my Wankang Palace for several days!"
"That's because I'm busy! Even if I don't go to your courtyard, you can't even think about leaving Zhuoyang here!"
Zhong Siyu was so angry at Wan Lianxing that she laughed. This was the man she wanted to keep? She wanted to keep Princess Zhuoyang in the harem? "Your Majesty's ability to turn the tables has only grown stronger; I can't argue with you! It's really getting late. Your Majesty has been keeping vigil for Princess Zhuoyang in Chenqing Palace all night; if you don't rest soon, it will be time for court. I know Your Majesty is worried about Princess Zhuoyang's safety and can't sleep. After Your Majesty goes to court, I will go to Chenqing Palace to serve you. Once Princess Zhuoyang wakes up, I will report to Your Majesty immediately. Please don't worry too much, Your Majesty, and get some sleep!"
Are you blaming me?
"Your Majesty, I dare not. I only wish to think what Your Majesty thinks and to act in accordance with Your Majesty's wishes!"
"Hmph, you have no idea what I'm thinking!"
Zhong Siyu was meticulous; even if she couldn't know 100% of what Wan Lianxing was thinking, she could at least guess 70-80%.
The Emperor simply damaged his fertility in his early years, preventing him from enjoying marital bliss; otherwise, his vast harem would have long been filled with wives and concubines!
Zhong Siyu shook her head helplessly, looking very docile, "Your Majesty, I am foolish and dare not presume to understand His Majesty's intentions!"
Wan Lianxing stretched his hand out from under the covers and, in the dim light, touched a strand of Zhong Siyu's blue hair. He twirled and twisted it between his fingers as if playing with it, but in reality, his expression was forlorn and lonely, and his brows were slightly furrowed.
"That year, to save the Emperor of Dalang, I survived but my health was severely damaged. The imperial physician had long ago said that I would never have any children in this life, let alone enjoy the pleasures of the harem. This is why Zhuoyang threatened to kill herself to force her father to marry me, but her father refused. I know my body, and the Empress knows it too. It is enough for the Empress to manage the harem; there is no need to add anyone else."
After a moment, Wan Lianxing said again, "Once Zhuoyang has fully recovered, I will send her out of the palace!"
Zhong Siyu stared at Wan Lianxing's handsome face, looking at it again and again, but she couldn't see any falsehood or deception. However, she was still uneasy because the Emperor's attitude was just as resolute last time, but what was the result?
“Your Majesty, this vast harem can accommodate Princess Zhuoyang. I am not a jealous person. If Your Majesty is reluctant to part with her, then let her stay. Your Majesty has said before that you have known each other since you were children. You have watched her grow up. If such a childhood sweetheart could stay by Your Majesty's side to talk and chat, Your Majesty would not be frowning all day long!”
"Your Majesty, do you have a prejudice against childhood sweethearts? I and Zhuoyang's father are of the same generation. How could she and I be childhood sweethearts? You might as well say that we were childhood sweethearts and a match made in heaven!"
"Whether they are childhood sweethearts or not is up to His Majesty to decide! Princess Zhuoyang is lively, unlike my dull nature. I still vividly remember the scene of His Majesty's radiant smile when he spoke with Princess Zhuoyang. His Majesty's smile was genuine, unlike the polite smile he gives me! As His Majesty's wife, I naturally have to think of His Majesty's wishes! His Majesty's happiness is my happiness. I humbly request His Majesty to keep Princess Zhuoyang here, to give her a title, so that she can keep His Majesty company when he is free!" Zhong Siyu's words were earnest, without a trace of insincerity!
"I am delighted that the Empress is thinking of me! But my feelings have already been expressed. There is no need to mention taking a concubine again. In my entire life, I, Wan Lianxing, have only one wife. Listen to me carefully: my constant frown is due to the mountains of memorials piled up. If you were me reviewing two sacks of memorials every day, day after day, you wouldn't be able to smile either. The polite smiles I give you are out of mutual respect. Surely the Empress understands this?"