Peach Blossom

  The matter of the King of Runan beating up a government official has finally passed quietly, but in the great Zhou dynasty, which has always revered officials, this incident has still left a lingering resentment. Although he hastily apologized, the officials were still resentful about it in private. The King of Runan naturally wouldn't care and didn't deign to care. The matter of appointing the crown prince and promoting the emperor's daughter was handled with great fanfare and extravagance. Empress Dowager Qin couldn't bear to watch and privately complained, "Even if the emperor's daughter were to marry a duke or a marquis, there wouldn't be such a grand ceremony. It's truly excessive." And while Xuan Ling didn't say anything, he was very resentful in his heart about this promotion that had to be taken to calm down the situation.

  I do nothing and say little, just standing by with my arms crossed. Xuan Ling's determination to eliminate King Xuan of Yuzhang has already taken root and is growing, so why should I waste my energy to help it grow? At the right time, all I need to do is water and fertilize it a bit.

  The King of Junan had such a glorious and joyful event, naturally he was over the moon and forgot himself. Under his lax guard, Xuan Ling took advantage of the soldiers' laziness or secret drinking and gambling during the winter night watch in the Imperial City, and let my brother take charge of the imperial bodyguard, the Feathered Forest Army, often standing guard with the soldiers on cold winter nights, which was indeed a thankless task in the eyes of outsiders.

  As the winter snow clears, the warm sunlight, thin as a cloud shadow, gradually brings about the season of spring warmth and blooming flowers. As if nourished by a gentle spring rain, the willows and peach blossoms in the imperial garden, surrounded by bees and butterflies, suddenly filled the entire sky within the palace walls. The days in the palace passed slowly like water, as calm as an ancient well without ripples. The empress managed all the major and minor affairs of the harem, while Consort Murong rarely left her quarters except for grand festival banquets, and I played my role as a favored consort to the best of my ability, sharing Xuan Ling's favor and affection with the other consorts in the palace.

  Looking at the number of times I served as a bed companion from the "Tong Shi" records, I am not the most favored one. Ling Rong's gentle and humble nature seemed to have won over Xuan Ling's heart more, her flying songs became the most beautiful melody that adorned the endless spring nights in the harem. And I, only had more time to linger in the imperial study, chatting with him casually when he was tired of state affairs, subtly relieving his fatigue without showing any emotions.

  Often, Xuan Ling likes me and Ling Rong to accompany him together. I quietly read books or practice calligraphy; Ling Rong whispers softly, occasionally humming a few sentences, serving by his side.

  When we were together, I rarely spoke to Ling Rong, and perhaps still had some misgivings about the words I accidentally heard that day. And she, too, always seemed to want to say something but held back, casting me a sidelong glance, and that was all.

  In the small window of March, the willow branches gently sway in front of the window. Occasionally, pink butterflies flit by. The sunlight is also serene and uncompetitive. I hold a faint smile, pouring honey into the tea water that Ling drinks, using a silver spoon to stir it lightly.

  Ling Rong sat quietly in the north window, her head bowed as she embroidered a small silk sachet. Occasionally, she would whisper a few words to Xuan Ling. The warm pavilion was quiet, with only the faint sound of swallows chirping and the soft rustling of pages being turned by Xuan Ling's hands. Ling Rong's slightly inclined profile was beautiful, her long neck curved like a bow, set off by the vibrant peach blossoms outside the window that seemed to glow like red clouds. Her slender figure appeared almost fragile against this backdrop, but this fragility only complemented her soft and gentle voice, which flowed like spring water. Even the lake-blue eight-treasured brocade cheongsam she wore seemed to take on a subtle and alluring charm.

  After a while, Ling Rong got up and smiled: "I have just embroidered a sachet for the emperor, would you like to take a look?"

  Xuan Ling was leaning on the long chair reading a volume of "Spring and Autumn", heard the words raised his head to look at her hand embroidered with green peach and magpie sachet, said: "Huan Huan had embroidered a sachet for me some days ago, I have already worn it on my body, using another one would be cumbersome." As he spoke, his eyebrows slightly raised, and he smiled at me in understanding.

  I focused on the tea cup in my hand, and when I turned around, I also smiled at him. However, his closeness made me feel a bit awkward. My gaze shifted slightly, but I caught a glimpse of Ling Rong's eyes losing focus for a moment. It was clear to me that her embroidery skills were superior to mine. After reaccompanying Xuanyu, I quickly discovered that the small ornaments on his body, such as the fan pendant and perfume sachet, were all made by Ling Rong, which showed how deeply he had favored her back then.

  However, Xuan Ling saw her diligent but slightly disappointed expression, and immediately smiled: "But this one is also very much liked by the emperor, so let Fang Ruo put it in the emperor's bedroom."

  "Ling Rong smiled softly and said: 'I, your concubine, am clumsy and awkward. If Your Majesty doesn't despise my intentions, I will be very satisfied.' Ling Rong's gaze fell on the golden dragon purple cloud sachet at Xuan Ling's waist, which was exactly the one I had embroidered myself. Her eyes showed admiration as she said: 'Elder sister Guan's craftsmanship is really good, it suits Your Majesty's demeanor perfectly. It's just that the one I embroidered has a bit too much of a petty homebody air to it. Please forgive me, Your Majesty.' And then she was about to curtsy."

  Xuan Ling busily raised his hand to support her, smiling warmly and saying: "What's this about being petty-minded? I understand your intentions, so why should you be blamed?"

  "Sister." Ling Rong turned around and called me, her expression warm and calm. "Sister's embroidery skills have improved even more. But embroidering a mandarin duck sachet to express filial piety would be better, the Emperor will definitely like it more."

  I poured the tea, and stood beside Xuan Ling with a smile, gazing at him: "The mandarin ducks are indeed lovely, but the Emperor wears them day and night, going in and out of various places, it's a bit too sentimental. It would be better to use the dragon pendant, which shows more imperial authority. As for the mandarin duck sachet..." I smiled sweetly and said: "I'll embroider another one as a gift for you to put under your pillow, how about that?"

  It's been ages since I last called him "Si Lang". It came out so naturally, yet suddenly, and the intimacy in my words didn't have time to be concealed. The smile and joy between his eyebrows were even thicker, he couldn't help but gaze at me, his eyes warm and gentle.

  My heart was also startled, the affectionate and gentle nickname from the past, was unexpectedly called out like this. Did my heart still have a lingering feeling that was hard to express and hard to dissipate towards him? Although it was unexpected and surprising, looking back at his expression, he seemed to be pleased yet shy. Unconsciously, my cheeks flushed, and I was stained with a peach-like red glow.

  Ling Rong saw me and Xuan Ling with a godly expression, and she was slightly stunned, but soon covered her lips with a handkerchief and smiled lightly: "The Emperor and Sister Guan are so loving, it's really a beautiful story." She looked at me, her eyes filled with a hint of sincere sadness and melancholy, saying: "Sister Guan has such good fortune, others can't even ask for it."

  She said so, and I was also a little dazed. Is this the state of being in love and blessed? Then in this love, what percentage of infatuation and true intention do he and I have for each other? It was just a momentary foolish thought, and I had already regained my composure, pushing at Ling's arm and laughing: "Your Majesty, go and persuade her quickly, An is acting like she's jealous."

  Ling Rong's face turned crimson, and she stomped her foot, speaking in a soft and delicate voice: "Guan sister is teasing me again. How could I possibly have any ill intentions towards you and the Emperor? You can't be serious!"

  Xuan Ling just smiled and looked at her, seeing that she said so, he pulled her hand and said: "Forget it, forget it. Rong Er's temper is the most gentle, even if she eats vinegar, it's only a month-old vinegar, it won't be sour."

  He spoke so wittily that neither I nor Ling Rong could help but burst out laughing. Amidst the laughter and conversation, all the awkwardness and unpleasantness were temporarily obscured.

  In the third month, Xuan Ling wanted my elder brother to be promoted to the Ministry of War. After several discussions at dawn, although King Runan was unhappy and Murong Yi's party strongly opposed it, my brother was still appointed as the fifth-grade director of the Ministry of War under Xuan Ling's insistence, concurrently holding the position of General of Fuguo.

  Although the position of Dūgěishì is not high in rank, it has considerable power. Matters handed over by the Emperor to various government departments are settled once every five days by the Six Ministries. If there is any delay or inefficiency, the Dūgěishì can report to the Emperor and also participate in the transfer of officials and imperial court discussions. Therefore, brother's promotion to the Ministry of War must have made King Runan very wary.

  For this matter, I was worried for my brother. The Ministry of War is right under the nose of King Runan, and more than half of them are his confidants. Xuan Ling's move is undoubtedly sending my brother into the tiger's den. If something goes wrong, I'm afraid even his life will be in danger, not to mention that my brother still bears the responsibility of supervising King Runan's behavior. Since they have already been alerted, how can we possibly find out about King Runan's unmentionable secrets? Not only will we return without achieving anything, but we'll also alarm them and harm ourselves.

  My brother is in the Ministry of War, and every day he is cautious in his words and actions, only pretending to be obedient. However, the King of Ru'nan and the three sons of Murong are also in the Ministry of War, and Murong Shilan is my arch-nemesis in the palace. They will not relax their vigilance for a moment, giving my brother any opportunity to take advantage. My brother and I are both trapped inside and outside the palace walls, but we are both frustrated by our inability to come up with a plan.

  But if the elder brother cannot succeed, then the throne that Xuan Ling currently occupies will be taken over by the King of Runan one day. Although the mountains and rivers have not changed their surname, the King of Runan has a narrow mind, is born to love war, and likes to make great achievements. If he controls the world, the common people will suffer from the chaos of war and there will be no peace. The prosperous situation created by the former emperor will also be fragmented due to the war.

  For this matter, I racked my brains as to how to make King Yunan put aside his guard against my brother.

  At this time, there was good news from home - my sister-in-law, Madame Xue, was pregnant. This was a great joy for the family and for my parents who were eager to hold their grandchildren. So I quickly instructed someone to invite my sister-in-law to choose a day to come to the palace to gather.

  On this day, sister-in-law came into the palace to pay her respects.

  As soon as I saw her, I was also beaming with joy, and hastily stopped her from bowing. With a smile, I personally helped her up and said: "Sister-in-law is now the precious one of my Zhen family, I really can't accept this courtesy from you."

  Sister's face was rosy, with a joyful and satisfied blush. She sat on the soft cushion, her belly slightly bulging, her body slightly tilted, naturally presenting a protective posture of the young in her abdomen.

  This familiar posture suddenly pained my heart, evoking the deep-seated sorrow and pain hidden in my heart. Just a year ago, under the same spring light, I was also like this, carrying the joy and pride of being a new mother, protecting the small life growing inside me with such care and stability.

  I couldn't let my own sorrow affect sister-in-law's joyful mood, so I forced myself to hold back the sadness and smiled: "Looking at your figure, you should be about three months pregnant, right?"

  Sister-in-law's cheeks and forehead were slightly flushed with a healthy red glow, she lowered her head to fiddle with the sash of her dress, smiling: "Your Ladyship has a good eye. Indeed it is three months now." Sister-in-law paused for a moment, somewhat uneasily saying: "It's just that Mother said my belly seems a bit round, maybe it's a girl?"

  "I comforted her, saying: 'Sister-in-law, don't worry. Not to mention that my daughter is close to her parents. Even if the first child is a girl, it's just a matter of opening flowers before bearing fruit. The second and third children will be boys, I'm afraid you'll find the boys too much trouble by then.' As I spoke, I couldn't help but laugh myself."

  "Sister's expression showed concern and worry about the nature of giving birth to girls: 'If we keep having daughters, I don't know if husband will get angry.'"

  I don't think so, I smiled and said: "Brother is not that kind of person. Although Dad and Mom hope to have a grandson to hold in their arms, it's not necessarily bad for daughters either. During the Han Wu Emperor's reign, Wei Zifu was the empress, and the whole country sang 'Born with a boy, don't be happy, born with a girl, don't be sad, alone can't see Wei Zifu dominate the world', it can be seen that if you give birth to a good daughter, it's better than ten thousand mediocre men.

  Sister-in-law heard this and was slightly delighted, blushing as she said: "I don't have any particular preference, I just hope that husband will love the child equally whether it's a boy or a girl."

  "I sighed and said, 'Every woman in the palace hopes to give birth to a son who can rely on her for life, have something to rely on in old age, and possibly become an empress dowager. But seeing Empress De having a child and dying, it's not as safe and stable as giving birth to a daughter like Consort Xingui and Concubine Cao. As for me, I don't even have a daughter now, this glory and honor in the eyes of outsiders is just like a floating water lily without roots.'"

  Sister saw me speaking with a sad tone, and hastily said: "Your Majesty is still young, the days are long ahead, with the emperor's favor wanting children will not be difficult. Your Majesty can rest assured."

  I nodded slightly and said, "Then, sister-in-law can also rest assured."

  Although she said so, her slightly furrowed eyebrows did not relax, and her lips hesitated to reveal the true concern: "It's just that if I don't have children for a long time, I'm not sure whether Father-in-law and Mother-in-law will let Husband take a concubine." She fell silent for a moment, then said: "Husband has been gloomy these days, and I also dare not casually talk to him about this matter."

  Sister-in-law's words were her own worries, but in my recent contemplation, they stirred up my thoughts like clearing clouds and seeing the sun. I felt suddenly enlightened. So I said to sister-in-law: "Brother is a sentimental person, if he really wants to take a concubine for the sake of having children, he will definitely not shake sister-in-law's position as the legitimate wife. Sister-in-law doesn't need to worry too much. At most, in the future, if there are any disagreements, I'll take charge for sister-in-law."

  Her face showed a happy expression, and she said with some embarrassment: "I'm not just jealous and unreasonable, it's just that as a woman, I always hope that my husband will only like me and not take concubines."

  My heart was deeply stirred by these words, but for me, such thoughts only bring trouble to myself, so why bother thinking about it anymore. I just pretended not to hear and laughed it off, then asked: "Sister, do you know why brother is feeling down?"

  "Sister thought for a moment and said, 'It's probably a matter of the Ministry of War. The Emperor's promotion this time seems to have made your husband unhappy. But I'm just a housewife, what can I do to help?'"

  I smiled slightly, and ordered the servant to close the door, then said: "Brother is indeed unhappy about the Ministry of War's affairs, but it's not because of the Emperor's promotion, rather he's worried that he can't complete the Emperor's decree. In fact, sister-in-law doesn't need to belittle herself, as long as she has a willing heart, she can greatly help brother achieve great things."

  Sister-in-law heard this and her face lit up with joy, she said seriously: "As long as it can make my husband's frowning face relax, I am willing to sacrifice myself."

  Sister-in-law's deep feelings for brother, I am also deeply moved. My heart is warm, and I hold sister-in-law's hand: "Having a virtuous wife like you is truly a great fortune for our family. Brother having such a wife is his good fortune in this life, and it is also our good fortune. How can we let you sacrifice yourself? As long as you are willing...". Then I whispered in sister-in-law's ear for a long time.

  Sister-in-law initially had a slightly displeased expression, but by the end, she was smiling and nodding repeatedly, saying: "What's difficult about this? I'll definitely do my best."

  I smiled and said: "Indeed it's not difficult. As long as the feelings are true, the meaning will be conveyed. Thank you, sister-in-law, I'll thank you first."