one hundred and six
Three days later—
Before daybreak, Xiao Weixin had already stood up. You Shu was personally there to help him put on the clothes for the coronation ceremony that had been sent by the Ministry of Rites the day before. Although Xiao Weixin had the most exquisite food and clothing in the past, they were still somewhat inferior to the dragon robe. Now that he was officially wearing the dragon robe, You Shu realized that Xiao Weixin was really going to be the emperor.
He looked down at the five dragons embroidered on the dragon robe, and couldn't help but raise his hand and trace it carefully with his fingers, whispering: "From now on, Mu Shi is the emperor."
Xiao Weixin raised her hand and held his hand, then turned her head and kissed him on the side of his face, "So, do I look good like this?"
"Looks good." You Shu nodded seriously, "Better than a dog... Much better looking than Xiao Weishen."
He had said long ago that the dog emperor's appearance was so poor that he looked like he was picked up on the street, and there was no way he could compare with their prince.
Xiao Weixin's eyes were full of smiles. He liked to hear Xiao Shu praise him. He wanted to say something to him, but unfortunately, it was getting light outside. The palace servants had prepared everything and were waiting for the door to open.
"It's getting late, go now." You Shu straightened his dragon crown and robe for him again and gently pushed him towards the door. "The Ministry of Rites reminded us last night that we must not miss the time."
Xiao Weixin was pushed out by him. Before leaving, she turned around and hugged him tightly, "Xiao Shu, wait for me to come back."
I will definitely give you a legitimate identity.
"Of course I'll be waiting for you here." You Shu nodded and assured him, "You won't be able to run away, don't worry."
Xiao Weixin felt relieved. He stood in front of the door, holding his breath for a while, and then opened the door.
The moment the door opened, all the palace servants outside knelt down.
You Shu watched the scene quietly from inside the door. Even when Xiao Weixin, dressed in dragon robe, walked away gradually under the guidance of the ceremonial officer, he still stood there stubbornly, with unknown feelings in his heart.
He never thought that one day he would actually witness everything with his own eyes. It was like playing a development game, accompanying the protagonist step by step from being weak to being strong, from a poor little person with nothing at the beginning to an emperor with all the power in the end. That sense of accomplishment cannot be summarized in a few simple words.
And he finally didn't have to make a knife anymore.
Of course You Shu could not be absent from the coronation ceremony. He mingled with the civil and military officials, and kowtowed to Xiao Weixin as he walked up step by step to the high altar. He could not help feeling a little proud.
Then the handsome and excellent man is his.
You Shu met Xiao Weixin's eyes in the crowd, who happened to be standing on a high platform and looking over, and they exchanged a tacit smile.
The grand ceremony is only good for a short while. After the sacrifice to heaven, it is time for all parties to congratulate. Although Daliang is now on the decline, it is still a big country after all. A lean camel is bigger than a horse. As long as it is still standing, the surrounding small countries will come to pay homage.
Surprisingly, the new Khan of Xirong, who had been in power for less than a month, also sent someone to deliver a gift. Although he did not come in person, he had already expressed a friendly attitude. This made everyone puzzled. After all, Xirong was the most stubborn of all the hostile forces of Daliang over the years. No one knew what kind of temper this new Khan had.
You Shu didn't like this kind of official occasion. He secretly glanced at Xiao Weixin who was sitting alone on the high platform with ease, and thought to himself that he was disloyal and left quietly, so he should not be angry.
While he was thinking this, You Shu had already slipped away. He didn't want to act out a show at a banquet with so many people, especially since several people had noticed him and would try to get him to talk intentionally or unintentionally, which was very annoying.
He was quite familiar with the routes in the imperial palace, and You Shu strolled around and accidentally came to the vicinity of the cold palace.
Few people came to this place before, but now there were laughters everywhere outside congratulating the new emperor. All the palace servants ran to the front hall to ask for good luck and strive to become familiar in front of the new emperor, making the cold palace seem even more deserted.
No matter how many people there were in Xiao Weishen's harem, they had all been moved away. The new emperor had just ascended the throne, and the only concubine in the palace, Zhou, had also been divorced. The harem was empty without a single person, except for the cold palace.
You Shu knew that Xia Lingwei, the former queen of Xiao Weishen, lived here.
He had no intention of going in, but out of curiosity, he secretly jumped onto the top of the wall and looked down from the top. He was always curious about this woman. All her behaviors were inconsistent with her identity. She was really a very contradictory person.
Originally, he just wanted to take a sneak peek over the wall, but unexpectedly, Xia Lingwei suddenly raised her head and bumped into him. Both of them were stunned.
You Shu was so embarrassed that he didn't know what to do, so he could only apologize in a low voice: "I'm sorry."
Xia Lingwei was only slightly surprised and then calmed down. Seeing You Shu was about to leave, she asked, "What's your name?"
She was just a former queen in the cold palace with no hope of recovery. You Shu felt that she was not threatening, so he replied: "I am You Shu."
"You Shu?" Xia Lingwei repeated softly, raising her head and waving at him: "Since you are here, please sit down."
Um
You Shu hesitated for a while, but in the end, curiosity prevailed. He jumped down obediently and sat opposite Xia Lingwei. "What's the matter, Queen?"
"I'm no longer the queen." Xia Lingwei whispered. She was holding a handkerchief in her hand, embroidering something that looked like mandarin ducks playing in the water. "Listen to the noise... Has the coronation ceremony already begun?"
You Shu never thought that one day he would sit with Xia Lingwei and talk slowly. After listening to her question, he replied, "It's over. Now is the time to entertain the ministers from all directions."
"No wonder." Xia Lingwei lowered her head and continued to work with needle and thread. She was dressed in a simple coarse cloth dress, no longer as gorgeous and dignified as she used to wear the phoenix crown and brocade robe. She also simply used a branch as a hairpin on her head, but she was still beautiful and refined, and even more graceful than before.
Looking at it this way, she really does look a bit like Xia Yinxiu.
He hesitated for a while and then said, "I have met Miss Xia before."
"Yinxiu?" Xia Lingwei stopped sewing and looked up at him: "Is she okay?"
"It should not be good either." Without waiting for You Shu to answer, she shook her head again, "How can she be any better with the Xia family in this situation now?"
Seeing her heartbreak, You Shu couldn't help but say, "The emperor is merciful and will spare her life."
"Really..." Xia Lingwei murmured to herself, "That's fine."
You Shu had nothing to talk about. Xia Lingwei looked very busy, but she didn't tell him to leave. You Shu felt that he was really a fool. It would have been better for him to go back to sleep, but he couldn't resist his curiosity and came to see secretly, which was really asking for trouble.
Just as he was about to leave, Xia Lingwei spoke again: "Sir, what do you think of my embroidery of mandarin ducks?"
You Shu looked up for a while and praised, "Your Highness's cooking skills are excellent."
Xia Lingwei finally smiled. That might be the only time she smiled in all these years. "I think it's good too."
"It's a pity that it's useless."
She gently touched the pair of lifelike mandarin ducks with her hands, with some sadness in her eyes, "I originally thought that the person next to him must be Yinxiu, but who would have thought... Never mind, we are not destined to be together, why should I, a dying person, care so much?"
"It's just a pity to waste such good craftsmanship."
After Xia Lingwei finished the last stitch and cut the thread, she took the handkerchief in her hand and looked at it from left to right, her eyes full of joy like an ordinary girl.
Somehow, seeing her like this, You Shu suddenly felt very uncomfortable. Although he was not familiar with the queen at all and had never spoken to her before, in this cold and lonely cold palace, he suddenly understood the queen a little.
She really likes Xiao Weixin.
"I know he has someone in his heart." Xia Lingwei put down her handkerchief, raised her head and stared at You Shu seriously for a while before saying, "A man as handsome and elegant as you is definitely not comparable to my sister."
You Shu didn't expect that she would suddenly bring the topic to himself. He was caught off guard for a moment and didn't even understand how she knew it.
Xia Lingwei explained it herself, "That day in the Imperial Garden, he was so careful and attentive to you. I saw it all."
You Shu blushed and didn't know how to start.
Xia Lingwei looked down at the mandarin duck handkerchief in her hand and sighed, "Forget it, why am I telling you all this."
"Why did you want to kill Xiao Weishen?" You Shu finally couldn't help but blurt out, "It's actually not necessary, is it?"
Regardless of whether Prime Minister Xia succeeds or fails, it has little to do with her as the queen. There is no need for her to bear the eternal crime.
Xia Lingwei smiled slightly, "I can kill him if I want to. Do I need a reason?"
You Shu looked at her seriously, but felt that even if she was smiling, she looked like she was crying.
Her life must be very difficult, so she refused to tell the truth even at this time.
"Sir, can you keep this handkerchief for me?" Xia Lingwei put the handkerchief into the small box on the table and pushed it over. "If you meet Yinxiu again in the future, please give it to her for me."
"She is my sister. I won't be able to see her get married in the future. Just consider it as a gift."
You Shu lowered his head and stroked the small wooden box, nodding gently: "Don't worry, Madam."
Xia Lingwei nodded, her dress fluttering in the cold wind, and she looked so thin that she seemed to be blown away by the wind. "Thank you for accompanying me, it's very cold and windy here, please go back early, or he might worry."
You Shu knew exactly who the "he" she was referring to.
He put the wooden box in his arms, stood up and bowed deeply to Xia Lingwei: "I understand your painstaking efforts, madam."
"Thank you."
He walked a few steps with his back to Xia Lingwei, but suddenly heard her whisper:
"If I live again, I hope I can find a good man."
You Shu turned around and said sincerely: "Your Majesty, you are blessed by heaven and will definitely get what you want."
They all knew that Xia Lingwei had no chance of surviving, and this was just a beautiful wish before her death.
After You Shu left, Xia Lingwei also stood up from the stool, walked to where You Shu left, stood still, then looked up.
There was a clear sky above. Today was New Year's Eve, and she almost forgot.
That young man came like a gust of wind and left like a gust of wind. He is really enviable.
Xia Lingwei sighed, turned around and walked slowly inside.
The unspoken love she had in her youth need not be spoken of in this life, as it would only add to her troubles.
On New Year's Eve, every household was lit up, and as the new emperor ascended the throne and changed the reign title, the entire capital was in jubilation, and every household was celebrating.
This year, the cold palace also made an exception and lit a fire, but the flames shot up into the sky, illuminating the night sky red. It burned so vigorously and beautifully.
At that time, You Shu was drinking with Xiao Weixin. Before they could say a few words, they heard Hua Chun coming to report.
The empress in the cold palace died.