lcionline Chapter 201 Affectionate
Chapter 201 Affectionate
After a few people left, Zhen Huan walked into the bedroom and sat gently on the edge of the bed.
Her eyes seemed a little empty, and her mind kept recalling what An Lingrong had just said. She felt as if she was enveloped by a chill, and her whole body became extremely cold.
After a while, Zhen Huan whispered to herself, "Will loving the Emperor really lead to bad consequences?"
The voice trembled slightly, revealing the inner anxiety and confusion.
Jin Xi, standing nearby, watched her empress in such a state of despair, a wave of pity welling up in her heart. After a moment's hesitation, she spoke, "My empress, in my opinion, while Miss Wen's words are sharp, they are also quite reasonable. With three thousand beauties in the harem, the emperor's favor won't last long. If one gives one's heart to the wrong person, it won't end well. But then again, matters of the heart are like drinking water, and only the person who drinks it knows whether it's hot or cold. It's not for others to judge."
After hearing what Jin Xi said, Zhen Huan remained silent and just stared blankly ahead.
Time passed minute by minute. She took a deep breath and sighed heavily, as if to expel all the boredom and sorrow in her heart with this breath. She said slowly: "I know what Rong'er said is true. The love of an emperor is like the moon in the mirror and the flower in the water. But, Your Majesty..."
Only she knew the extent of the Emperor's favor towards her. She was the only one who could enter and leave the Qinzheng Palace at will, the only one who could sit on the Emperor's throne, not to mention the Emperor's special permission to discuss state affairs. Their relationship was as intimate and passionate as that of an ordinary couple.
But now, when she heard the emperor being described by others, he was far different from the gentle, affectionate, doting and caring emperor she had imagined. This huge contrast made Zhen Huan feel a little lost and confused.
Seeing this, Jin Xi hurried forward, took Zhen Huan's hand and placed it on her belly, comforting her, "Don't worry too much, Your Majesty. You are pregnant with the dragon fetus, and this is the most important thing!"
Zhen Huan caressed her belly, no longer dwelling on this question, and instead asked something else, "Jinxi, just now Concubine Duan looked at me and said 'very similar', what did she mean?"
Jin Xi lowered her head, "I don't know!"
Very similar? Like what, like who?
It was obvious that Rong'er knew what Concubine Duan meant, but she refused to tell her, which meant that the answer was very unfriendly to her. Thinking about their conversation, Zhen Huan felt more and more that something was wrong.
"The Emperor has arrived!"
Su Peisheng's voice suddenly sounded outside the palace. Zhen Huan quickly collected her thoughts and stood up to greet him.
"Greetings to the Emperor!"
"Get up!"
Yongzheng spoke in a low voice, with no expression on his face.
Seeing his unhappy expression, Zhen Huan remembered An Lingrong's words and quickly perked up her spirits. After a moment's thought, she ordered the servants in the palace, "All of you, go down!"
After everyone bowed and left, Yongzheng relaxed, closed his eyes and leaned lazily on the couch.
Zhen Huan took off her delicate armor, poured some peppermint essential oil on her fingertips, and gently massaged Yongzheng's head.
After a while, Yongzheng felt a little better. He grabbed Zhen Huan's hand and said, "In the harem, only you can make me feel at peace."
Zhen Huan's beautiful eyes were filled with concern, and she responded softly, "Your Majesty, please take care of yourself!"
After saying these two sentences, the two of them stopped talking and sat facing each other in silence.
It was unknown how long it had been before Yongzheng's hoarse voice broke the silence: "Concubine Hua is dead!"
"Your Majesty, please accept my condolences!"
Yongzheng closed his eyes tightly, a look of pain on his face: "If she hadn't stopped me, I would have drunk that bowl of poisonous soup. She saved me, but I couldn't save her. I watched her die in my arms!"
At this point, a tear rolled down Yongzheng's eye.
Looking at Yongzheng's expression, Zhen Huan's mind was full of thoughts, and the first thought was: Rong'er is really good at understanding the emperor's mind!
After a moment, she quickly came to her senses and said gently, "Your Majesty, please don't be too sad... Empress Hua loves you deeply. She has no regrets about dying in your arms!"
Yongzheng slowly raised his head, his eyes empty and confused, and muttered to himself, "I saw her lying on the bed, just like she usually sleeps. I really can't believe she's gone like this, Huanhuan, is she really gone like this?"
His voice trembled, and he was immersed in great sorrow and unable to extricate himself.
"Your Majesty, the deceased is gone, you must take care of your health! If Concubine Hua knew about this, she would not want to see Your Majesty so sad." Zhen Huan sighed and continued to comfort him.
"I have let her down. I was afraid of the power in Nian Gengyao's hands. I was afraid that he would become powerful and endanger my throne, which led to my suspicion of her. Now that I think about it, she may have acted a little arrogantly, but that was because she loved me too much and wanted to get more of my attention and favor. Every time I went to the Yiku Palace, how could I fake the expectation and joy in her eyes?" Yongzheng's eyes reddened slightly when he said this.
"Empress Hua..."
Yongzheng raised his head and looked at her eagerly, as if seeking some comfort.
Zhen Huan was a little speechless. If she was asked to talk about Concubine Hua's advantages, she would really have to make up a story.
The Book of Songs, Chu Ci, the Analects, Mencius, Tang poetry, Song Ci, Yuan opera... these contents quickly passed through her mind. Zhen Huan couldn't find any words to praise Hua Fei, so she just said dryly:
"Empress Hua was a woman of great affection and deep love for the Emperor, much to my sorrow. Now that she has passed away suddenly, I am deeply saddened."
Yongzheng pressed on, "Really? I know she's done a lot to you. Don't you hate her?"
Guess if I hate her!
Zhen Huan raised her eyes, her gaze gently moving, revealing a hint of compassion: "Empress Hua may be a little paranoid, but it is also due to love. Although I don't get along with her, I can empathize with her love for the Emperor."
The emperor looked at Zhen Huan with a hint of emotion in his eyes: "Huan Huan, you are so considerate and can understand my thoughts."
After a while, Yongzheng continued, "I will issue an edict to posthumously confer the title of Imperial Noble Consort on her, and Concubine Cao will be buried with the rites of a concubine."
"The Emperor's Holy Might."
Zhen Huan's eyes flickered slightly, and after a moment's thought, she said, "Your Majesty, Concubine Cao has passed away suddenly, leaving the young Princess Wen Yi alone and helpless, with no one to take care of her. How pitiful!"
Yongzheng's expression returned to calm. He waved his hand casually and said nonchalantly, "Even though I lost my biological mother, I still have my adoptive mother. This is a small matter."
"Your Majesty is a kind father. Naturally, I don't need to worry about such matters." Zhen Huan continued, "I met Concubine Duan today. She is intelligent, gentle, and peaceful. I admire her deeply. It's a pity that she is frail and rarely appears in public. I want to be close to her, but I can't!"
Listening to Zhen Huan's words, Yongzheng's heart was moved. If he could let Concubine Duan raise Princess Wen Yi, perhaps it would be able to alleviate some of the debt and guilt he had caused to her in the past.
"Talking to you makes me feel much better." Yongzheng slowly exhaled, then shifted his gaze to Zhen Huan's bulging belly. He said in a gentle and expectant tone, "Huan Huan, you must give birth to this child safely. Whether it's a boy or a girl, I will treasure it like a treasure."
Let’s make up for the regrets of Concubine Hua with Zhen Huan!
"Your Majesty..." Zhen Huan's eyes were red as she looked at Yongzheng in front of her with deep affection. Thousands of words were expressed in this deep look.