Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C111

Prince Wei spoke at length. Wushuang knew he had never been a man of many words. Perhaps it was only when facing her that he would ramble on like an old man?

The thought added a touch more sweetness to her heart.

"It's past the hour of Wu (11 AM-1 PM). Shall we have lunch prepared? After eating, you should take a nap."

Prince Wei neither agreed nor disagreed about the nap, but he did approve of having lunch served.

The lunch that was brought up was similar to the dishes they used to have in the Prince Wei's mansion. In fact, meals in the Zichen Hall had never gone through the Imperial Kitchen to this day. Instead, a small kitchen was set up separately to prepare them, and the cooks were brought from Prince Wei's mansion.

Wushuang wasn't actually hungry, but she enjoyed watching Prince Wei eat.

Seeing him in a light yellow dragon robe, wearing the winged yishan crown, it was clear that Emperor Taihe also wore the same dragon robe and the same yishan crown, but why did he look so exceptionally handsome, like jade, and elegant when he wore it?

It was still because of his handsome features.

Wushuang thought of her previous life. Every time she saw Emperor Qianwu in a dragon robe, his majesty and imposing presence made her afraid to look directly at him. But looking at Prince Wei now, he didn't seem so intimidating.

It was just that he was excessively handsome.

Little did she know that Prince Wei seemed as normal as usual, but in reality, the tips of his ears had already turned red from her gaze. In his heart, there was excitement and joy, a mix of complex emotions that were difficult to express.

If he had to put it into words, it would probably be that he had always remembered the day at the Princess's villa when she looked at 'him' with that kind of gaze, and now she was looking at him that way again.

For a moment, he found the dragon robe he was wearing more pleasing to the eye and planned to have Fusheng reward the people in the Palace Bureau handsomely.

"Do you know that you shouldn't look at people with that kind of gaze?"

Wushuang snapped back to reality and realized that he had put down his chopsticks at some point and come to her side.

His gaze made her blush, and she subconsciously glanced to the side, only to see Linglong and the others looking down at the ground, while Fusheng was looking up at the sky.

She was swept up into his arms, and she didn't dare to speak, afraid that the palace servants would look over. It wasn't until she was placed on the dragon bed that she said softly, "There's no one like you."

"It was clearly you who was teasing this Emperor first."

"I didn't," she said, her little face flushed.

"Eyes exchanged glances in the dimness, autumn waves flowed horizontally with desire."*

TN: a poem here 

He was saying that she was giving him the eye, deliberately seducing him.

Just as Wushuang was stammering, mortified, and about to retort, he lowered his head and kissed her. It could truly be described as mandarin ducks entwining their necks in tender affection, but precisely at this moment, the sound of an infant's cry rang out.

Low voices in conversation sounded from outside the door, interspersed with the wails of an infant.

Wushuang hastily reached out to push him away and sat up.

"What's wrong?"

The wet nurse Qin shi entered carrying Zuo'er, her head lowered, and said, "The little Imperial Prince kept fussing and wanting his Mother, this servant, this servant really couldn't soothe him."

Seeing his brows furrow, as if he wanted to say something, Wushuang quickly tugged at his sleeve, then gestured for Linglong to bring the child to her, and dismissed them.

"Granny Qin has always been devoted, but this tyrannical little devil is growing up and is now difficult to coax."

As expected, he stopped crying as soon as he was in Wushuang's arms, and instead reached out his little hands to embrace his mother's neck.

Because of this habit of his, Wushuang now dared not wear any earrings or hairpins, for fear that he would grab and hug indiscriminately, hurting her was one thing, but injuring him would be worse.

Seeing that he was still frowning, she leaned closer to him, holding the child, and said coquettishly, "He's still young, surely you're not going to hold it against him?"

It would be one thing if Ji Yang held it against the child, but now Prince Wei was here as well. In any case, Wushuang was now very helpless. Other families were overjoyed to have a son, but in their family, the fathers didn't seem to like the child. She had never seen them cherish him.

One would remain as steady as Mount Tai even if you stuffed his son into his arms, and the other would be doing well just not to bully the child. Fortunately, Zuo'er was still young and had no memory, otherwise he would suspect that he was adopted.

"You can't watch him all the time. If the wet nurse can't soothe him, she should slowly coax him. If he cries, she immediately brings him to you. What do we need a wet nurse for then?"

"Actually, I instructed them to do this, wasn't it to avoid disturbing you while you were handling government affairs? Besides, he's fine once he falls asleep; he never makes a fuss at night."

"You mean he only makes a fuss during the day?" Prince Wei raised an eyebrow.

Thinking of the difference between day and night, Wushuang couldn't help but cough.

Not wanting to press her, Prince Wei stood up and said, "If you want to take a nap, then sleep for a while. I'll go to the front to look at the memorials."

"Aren't you going to sleep for a while?"

Having spoken, Wushuang realized that her words were futile. Couldn't she see there was a little devil king in her arms? How could he possibly sleep?

Once everyone had left, Wushuang patted the little milk dumpling's bottom in her arms.

"You little rascal, one day you'll truly enrage your father, and he'll definitely spank you."

In return, her face was washed with saliva.

In truth, Wushuang also realized that this wouldn't do.

Just as Prince Wei had said, once the empress appointment ceremony passed, she would be swamped with tasks. Where would she find the time to watch the child every day?

Thus, she steeled her heart and tearfully asked to not let her see the child when he cries. After he had cried his fill, she would reappear before him, letting him grow accustomed to the fact that his mother was sometimes not by his side, but that she hadn't disappeared; she would definitely appear again soon.

However, it hadn't been effective yet, as she had only tried it for two days.

On the actual day of the empress appointment, Wushuang rose before dawn.

Prince Wei, wearing the full imperial robes, first went to the Fengxian Hall to pay his respects. Here in the Zichen Hall, Linglong and the others were busily assisting Wushuang in changing into the full empress's coronet and robes.

At the auspicious hour, the chief and vice envoys of the investiture, carrying the edict of investiture, the precious writings, as well as the Empress's Golden Book and Golden Seal, and the full set of the Empress's ceremonial guard of honor, arrived outside the hall.

After a series of salutations, Wushuang boarded the phoenix palanquin and proceeded to the foot of the Dragon Tail Path before Hanyuan Hall.

At this moment, the square was already filled with civil and military officials, as well as imperial relatives. A wide avenue in the center was covered with a scarlet carpet, extending all the way to the steps of the imperial platform.

Looking up, she saw him standing before the palace courtyard, waiting for her. Between them lay a path of about seventy meters, spanning three high platforms.

He was waiting for her!

Wushuang suddenly felt an impatience, a desire to urgently reach his side, but she had not forgotten what day it was. She slowly walked towards him, step by step.

In an instant, countless images flashed through her mind.

She thought of her own humbleness in her previous life, the fear she felt when they first met, and their encounter in this life… Her past and present lives seemed to intertwine in her mind, one image after another flashing before her eyes, finally settling on him, standing at the head of the line before her.

He was wearing a black imperial robe, dignified and majestic.

The pale golden morning light shone on him, as if gilding him with a golden edge, like a deity descending to the mortal realm.

Wushuang had once heard Ji Yang complain about the Dragon Tail Path. It was when he ascended the throne, saying that while its imposing aura was magnificent, it was too tiring to walk. She never expected that today it would be her turn to walk it.

She, too, felt the exhaustion, but her heart was filled with excitement. When she married him, it was perhaps the first time she had experienced such a grand occasion, and the entire process had left her somewhat dazed. Later, when she was conferred the title of Crown Princess, it was merely a ceremony held within the Prince's mansion.

At this very moment, walking on this Dragon Tail Path, with civil and military officials watching attentively behind her, and the officials of ceremony, dressed in auspicious robes, bowing on both sides, and him standing ahead waiting for her, she suddenly felt as though she could finally stand by his side.

Closer, even closer.

She stepped onto the last layer of stairs and walked onto the palace courtyard. Logically, at this moment, she should kneel down and utter words of accepting the Empress's position and kowtow to thank the Emperor's grace, performing the grand ceremony. These rules had been taught to her by the palace's female officials long before.

Who knew that he would step forward, grasp her hand, and stop her from kneeling.

The Vice Envoys of investiture, the ushers, and others all exchanged glances. But at this moment, since His Majesty was not allowing the Empress to kneel, they dared not speak out to stop him, and could only pretend not to see.

"You've come?"

"This Emperor has been waiting for you for a long time."

It was clearly the same tone, yet she discerned the flavor of two different people.

"I have come."

He held her hand as they stood before the palace courtyard. In the distance were the verdant Cang Mountains, and looking down, it seemed as if the entire imperial city was within their sight.

Along with the melodious music and the resounding of bells and drums, came the congratulatory words of the officials of ceremony: "May Your Majesty and the Empress soar together like phoenixes, their harmonious songs resounding, their white heads bound by oath, their hundred years spent together in old age..."

At the same time, all the imperial relatives, nobles, civil and military officials in the square bowed in unison.

***

Today was the grand ceremony for the conferment of the Empress of the Inner Palace.

The people of the capital had known about it long before.

At this moment, hearing the melodious sound of bells and drums floating from the palace, the vast capital seemed to pause for a moment, all sounds ceased, and everyone couldn't help but look towards the location of the imperial palace, as if through the layers of palace walls, they could see the solemnity and grandeur of the conferment ceremony.

In the Marquis Changyang's mansion, within a courtyard, a pale and frail woman leaned against the south window.

Hearing the sound of the bells and drums, she paused for a moment, smiled self-deprecatingly, and was then covered by the sound of coughing.