Chapter 70: Chapter 070 Escort the Emperor
He Ying misunderstood and his first reaction was, “Do you also think that I am incapable?”
His mind was still influenced by the petitions.
When he asked, his eyes looked innocent and sowhat foolish.
Sang Yan couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head, “No, that’s not what I an. Your Majesty misunderstood. Regarding the ability to have children, it’s not necessarily Your Majesty’s issue, it could also be mine. What I an is, if it turns out to be my issue, that is, if I cannot bear children for Your Majesty, would you have children with soone else?”
In reality, even in modern tis, if a woman can’t have children, ninety percent of n would divorce.
And if a man can’t have children, ninety percent of won would stay and seek treatnt.
...
The comparison is chilling to the bone.
Not to ntion in ancient tis, where lineage was so highly valued?
He Ying, unaware of her thoughts, misunderstood again, “That’s true. You are a bit older, which indeed is a hindrance to having offspring. Especially since you’re still physically frail. It seems I must make an effort to win your true heart sooner, so that you can begin to bear my children sooner.”
Sang Yan: “…”
Is this an age issue?
He’s really testing his luck at the edge of death!
Besides, the original host was only twenty-four, the pri age for childbearing, wasn’t she?
Hmph, ignorant!
She was so angered she didn’t want to speak any longer.
She turned over, closed her eyes, and tried to sleep.
But perhaps because the lights in the hall were too bright, she simply couldn’t fall asleep.
So, she voiced her complaint, “Your Majesty, with the lights on, I cannot sleep.”
Then, she heard the Emperor say, “Would you like to lull you to sleep?”
Sang Yan: “…”
Did the Emperor misunderstand her?
She was saying she couldn’t sleep with the lights on!
Yet, the Emperor actually put down his petitions and walked over to her.
He sat beside the bed, looking at her sideways, and softly said, “When I was a child and couldn’t sleep, my brother would read poems to .”
Sang Yan imdiately thought of the modern thod of reading books to aid sleep.
Well, it wasn’t necessary.
Back in the modern world, her sleep quality had always been good.
After all, she was so tired from running around all day, she would fall asleep as soon as she hit the bed.
It was here, living a life of luxury and becoming increasingly delicate, that she found her sleep was disturbed.
Seeing her silence, He Ying took it as consent and began to recite slowly, “All that has shape, is born from the shapeless. The nothing creates the sothing, and the sothing returns to the nothing. Therefore, all forms and appearances are illusory. If one sees all appearances as non-appearances, one shall realize that the void is not truly void…”
He had started reciting from mory.
As Sang Yan listened, it was all a blur to her, “Wait, Your Majesty, what are you talking about?”
He Ying explained, “It’s the ‘Calming Incantation’ from the Buddhist Scriptures.”
Sang Yan: “…”
She then rembered that he had copied many Buddhist Scriptures in the past few days.
It seed he had been quite impressed by them.
Thinking about this, she said, “Since Your Majesty has copied so many Buddhist Scriptures, you should understand the principles of enlightennt and letting go.”
He Ying disagreed, “That’s not true. Many people understand many principles, yet they do not live happily. In this world, aside from children, it is the madn who are the most content and joyful.”
Sang Yan found herself unable to argue.
Indeed, it was just like the saying that circulated on the internet in modern tis, we know many principles, yet still fail to live a good life.
He Ying continued to recite the ‘Calming Incantation’.
Sang Yan quietly listened and actually began to drift off to sleep.
He Ying watched her fall asleep, her sleeping face peaceful like that of a child. He thought about kissing her cheek but, as he really approached her face, he felt that stealing a kiss was not the act of a gentleman.
In the end, he rely stroked her hair, stood up, and went back to reading the petitions.
This ti, no matter what strange content was in the petitions, he was able to deal with them calmly and composedly.
It seed that with her by his side, his heart was at ease.
The wind blew in.
The lamp flickered.
He Ying read the petition for a long ti.
Sang Yan woke up groggily and saw him engrossed in his official duties, his profile focus and charming, captivating her into wanting to say sothing, only to be overtaken by sleepiness once more.
She slept until dawn.
When she opened her eyes, she instinctively looked to where he had been sitting.
He was no longer there and she did not know when he had left.
Sang Yan got out of bed to wash up.
During breakfast, Qiuzhi told her the Emperor had read petitions all night, had quickly washed up, and then gone to court.
It sounded laborious and diligent.
There are no perfect monarchs.
He Ying was assertive, self-directed, yet also ticulous and disciplined.
It seed her only indulgence lay with him.
Her heart softened.
She said, “Have the Imperial Kitchen prepare so porridge and pastries, and send them over to Taihe Hall.”
Qiuzhi asked, “Aren’t you going, miss?”
Sang Yan shook her head, “If I go, it might cause trouble.”
After all, it was the place where past dynasties handled governntal affairs, and her presence would just attract disdain.
Qiuzhi took the order and left.
After Sang Yan had her morning al, with nothing else to do, she went to the Cold Palace again.
The fields near the Cold Palace were beginning to sprout weeds.
The vegetable and flower seeds had not yet germinated.
The season wasn’t quite right, either.
It was uncertain whether they would grow at all.
Sang Yan took a closer look, instructed people to water more, and then entered the palace.
Inside,
Xuanrao was writing sothing at the desk.
She leaned in to glance and saw it was the thod for making roasted at and fries.
“You’ve co at a good ti, look here—”
Xuanrao couldn’t quite rember how to make tomato sauce and asked, “Do you start by boiling water, and then subrge the washed tomatoes to blanch for a mont to peel, right? Then remove the seeds, crush them to extract the juice, and simr it in a pot until it thickens?”
Sang Yan, after listening, pointed out a few omissions, “While simring, add so rock sugar, and stir frequently when it gets thick to avoid sticking to the pot. When it turns thick like ‘sauce’, rember to pour in an appropriate amount of lemon juice, continue to simr for a while, and that should do it.”
Xuanrao nodded and took note, “OK. I’ll add that in.”
Sang Yan looked on with curiosity, “Why are you writing this?”
Xuanrao smiled, “I am thinking of writing a cookbook that will be passed down to future generations.”
In truth, she wanted to say that if she ever left the palace, she would open a restaurant.
The reason she didn’t ntion that was to avoid pressuring Sang Yan.
Let things take their natural course.
Even if she couldn’t leave the palace, having her cookbook passed down to future generations was still quite wonderful.
“If you have any other delicious recipes, rember to tell .”
Her question made Sang Yan realize she did have more.
Modern cuisine had plenty to offer.
Like spicy strips.
They were internationally recognized and acclaid.
But how exactly were spicy strips made?
Sang Yan began to recall the thod and started experinting.
This experint kept her busy all day.
She didn’t even return for lunch.
He Ying, not wanting her to grow tired of him, endured and didn’t rush her.
He held out until evening.
Facing a fate similar to the previous night.
During the first night watch, she had not returned.
The second night watch ca, and still, she had not returned.
At so point, a heavy rain began to fall.
“Boom—”
The heavy rain poured down with thunderous roars.
He Ying could only wait for the rain to stop before sending soone to urge her to return.
But the rain did not stop.
It poured incessantly until the third period of the night.
Unable to wait longer, He Ying braved the heavy rain to personally fetch her.
Halfway there, he encountered two eunuchs.
Holding umbrellas, they saw the Emperor’s carriage from afar, ran forward and knelt down, “Emperor, your servants, Little Guizi, have co to relay a ssage from Lord Sang. Lord Sang said she will not return tonight and will sleep in the Cold Palace. Please, Emperor, there’s no need to wait any longer; rest early.”
The rain was torrential.
The carriage could shield from the rain.
But still, the wind and rain swept in, chilling him to the bone.
“Boom—”
The thunder rolled ominously.
Suddenly striking right in front of the carriage.
Black smoke instantly billowed.
Pei Muyang trembled in fright, his face pale, and he cried out loudly, “Protect the carriage! Quick, protect the carriage!”
Reviews
All reviews (0)