Chapter 108: The Abandoned Little Emperor (12)
Xiao Miyun didn’t hesitate. “Naturally, Zhen hopes for the Prince of Zhenbei’s well-being—the country can be without me, but not without you.”
She looked at Su Mingxiu intently. “Will Zhen’s wish come true?”
The person sitting in the sandalwood armchair, draped with a thick blanket, lowered her gaze. Knowing Xiao Miyun’s answer, she replied indifferently: “Sincere wishes will be granted.”
“Uh…” The little emperor pulled at her collar, feeling parched from the heat of the room’s underfloor heating.
The palace maids had dressed her in layers to protect her from the cold, and now, sitting in the warm armchair, she felt like she was overheating.
The furniture in the Zhenbei Manor was perhaps even more exquisite than the palace’s. The armrests of her chair were inlaid with jewels from the Western Regions, now hidden beneath thick fur.
She looked at Su Mingxiu, but there wasn’t a trace of warmth on her face. One hand held a book, the other a hand warmer in an embroidered pouch. Xiao Miyun suddenly realized that Su Mingxiu’s perpetually cold hands and feet might not be due to indifference, but rather a sign of poor health.
“If Your Majesty has nothing else to say, please return to the palace.”
“Or did you wait until the palace gates were closed to come here and share my bed again?”
Xiao Miyun, who had been analyzing Su Mingxiu’s health, retorted upon hearing this teasing remark: “In your dreams.”
She stood up, putting some distance between them, then said slowly, her words laced with sarcasm: “The Right Chancellor’s longing for your beloved should have its limits. Zhen is the emperor, I can’t be anyone’s substitute.”
She was implying that Su Mingxiu’s previous affections were merely a way to remember someone else.
Under the candlelight, the Prince of Zhenbei’s sharp features were bathed in a golden glow, her smile even more alluring, like a night-blooming cereus, its beauty both captivating and dangerous.
She didn’t respond to the little emperor’s words about being a substitute, only saying meaningfully: “Next time Your Majesty tries to avoid me, you should go further—this distance is not nearly enough.”
Then, Su Mingxiu watched with satisfaction as the threatened little emperor fled.
Outside the Zhenbei Manor…
Xiao Miyun, her cloak brought to her by a maid, her face as cold as the winter night, thought about Su Mingxiu’s neither confirming nor denying her words. She felt unhappy about this trip, despite delivering the gift.
She returned to the Qian Yuan Palace, her mind heavy. Unable to sleep, she read in the middle of the night, replaying the events of the banquet in her mind. At dawn, she summoned the palace maids and instructed the officials from the Honglu Temple to closely monitor the Turkic envoys, ensuring they didn’t cause any trouble before leaving the capital.
Until the new year, the Prince of Zhenbei didn’t appear in court.
The officials speculated whether it was due to a sudden illness or a sign of transferring power to the emperor.
Countless invitations were sent to the Zhenbei Manor, many trying to decipher the meaning behind her absence.
But the Zhenbei Manor refused all visitors.
On New Year’s Eve, heavy snow fell, blanketing the capital from morning till evening. The little emperor urgently summoned the cabinet ministers and the six ministry heads to discuss disaster relief efforts.
With so much snow in the north this year, there might be a drought next year, and they had to prepare in advance.
By the time the ministers left, fireworks were already lighting up the sky.
The little emperor had no consorts, so there was no family banquet in the palace. Many palace staff had been given leave, and the palace felt empty. She climbed the city walls alone and watched the fireworks, their colorful explosions reflected in her eyes.
After a while, remembering someone she could visit in the palace, she headed towards the West Palace to check on Sun Feiyan’s injuries.
Although imperial physicians visited Sun Feiyan daily and reported her condition to the little emperor, and she had even sent many precious medicinal herbs from her private treasury, she was still worried.
But upon arriving at the West Palace, she was informed by the guards that General Sun had recovered a while ago and was currently on duty at the city gates.
“Nonsense, in this weather, with her injuries not fully healed, why is she on duty?”
Xiao Miyun immediately headed towards the city gates. She met Sun Feiyan on the way and, after exchanging a few pleasantries, noticed Sun Feiyan’s unease. General Sun wasn’t a talkative person, her demeanor cold and aloof. Apart from explaining her past to the little emperor on the night of her injury, she was always reserved.
Xiao Miyun felt the conversation dwindling, her gaze drifting towards the palace gates. “I wonder how the Zhenbei Manor is celebrating the New Year… General Sun, would you accompany Zhen on a trip outside the palace?”
Sun Feiyan paused for a moment, then bowed. “As you command.”
It was New Year’s Eve, and it was late. Xiao Miyun wanted to give the palace staff a break, so she didn’t bring anyone with them, not even a palanquin, only Sun Feiyan as her escort.
They walked in silence, Sun Feiyan half a step behind her, matching Xiao Miyun’s pace. Whenever Xiao Miyun’s steps quickened, she followed suit. When Xiao Miyun slowed down, she also slowed down, always maintaining a respectful distance.
Xiao Miyun, her head covered in snow, accompanied by this silent figure, felt even colder.
Stepping into the Zhenbei Manor, she shivered from the warmth of the heated floors, stomping her feet to shake off the snow, and took the warm towel offered by a maid.
“Has the Right Chancellor retired for the night?”
She wiped her snow-covered hands and asked. Hearing that the master was in the Fei Mei Garden in the west courtyard, she raised an eyebrow.
So, while she was working with the ministers in the Qinzheng Palace, this Prince of Zhenbei was leisurely enjoying the plum blossoms in her garden. How elegant.
Led by the housekeeper, Xiao Miyun walked towards the Fei Mei Garden. Before even seeing the scenery, she smelled the faint fragrance of plum blossoms. Seeing a dark figure standing by the wall, before she could speak, she suddenly heard a loud bang!
Red and green fireworks lit up the sky, illuminating the figure.
On this day of family reunions, Su Mingxiu suddenly missed the fish she had once kept. Suhui had always been the most affectionate during these times, putting up New Year couplets, preparing the New Year’s Eve dinner, always enthusiastic, while Su Mingxiu herself would sneak snacks and slack off, only offering empty praises.
But now, Su Mingxiu no longer had to cook the New Year’s Eve dinner herself, and there was no one she wanted to cook for.
She turned around and saw the figure standing beneath the red plum blossoms. The fireworks illuminated not only Su Mingxiu but also the newcomer. The moment she saw the face clearly, Su Mingxiu’s eyes flickered with recognition.
But she quickly recovered.
However, the little emperor, who had been watching her intently, noticed this subtle change. For some reason, she turned to leave but bumped into Sun Feiyan, who had been following her.
General Sun quickly stepped back, not daring to help her up, her head lowered. “This minister has overstepped.”
During this brief interruption, Su Mingxiu had already approached them. “Does Your Majesty think this is some common place, where you can come and go as you please?”
The little emperor, dressed in a pale yellow robe, the embroidered dragon patterns on her sleeves faintly visible, sensing Su Mingxiu’s displeasure, replied in a rare show of defiance: “Under heaven, all land belongs to the emperor. Is there any place in this Great Zhou where Zhen cannot go as I please?”
Sun Feiyan, who had followed them: “?”
She was confused, not understanding why the little emperor, who had seemed to be in a good mood earlier, was now arguing with the Prince of Zhenbei.
Su Mingxiu also noticed Xiao Miyun’s sudden change in mood. She walked closer and, remembering that it was a festive day, changed her tone. “It is said that wishes made under the New Year fireworks will come true. Would Your Majesty like to try?”
In the past, faced with Su Mingxiu’s unpredictable nature, Xiao Miyun would have been trembling with fear.
But now, whether it was because the journey from the palace to the Zhenbei Manor had been too long, or because she had seen a different look in Su Mingxiu’s eyes earlier, a wave of defiance rose within her. She scoffed. “Anything the Prince of Zhenbei desires will be delivered to your hands, why would you believe in such things?”
Actually, that wasn’t true.
She thought inwardly, When I left the palace today, I did find the fireworks beautiful.
“Your Majesty left the palace late at night just to spoil this minister’s New Year’s Eve?” Su Mingxiu asked, her gloved hand gently touching Xiao Miyun’s cheek.
Her body temperature was too low, and the deerskin gloves too smooth. In this freezing weather, the touch against the little emperor’s face felt like a blade.
Xiao Miyun suppressed her shiver, her beautiful eyes, whether lit up by the fireworks or her own emotions, glared at Su Mingxiu. “Zhen will leave, I won’t disturb the Prince of Zhenbei’s celebration.”
She turned and left.
Su Mingxiu didn’t stop her.
Sun Feiyan, looking at both of them, could only follow the little emperor back to the palace. The fireworks were still exploding outside, casting long, dancing shadows on the snow-covered path, illuminating the way.
The little emperor, her back to the colorful display, walked away from the festivities.
Until the Lantern Festival, she didn’t watch the fireworks outside the palace again, let alone make a wish.
For a long time afterwards, whenever Xiao Miyun thought about this New Year’s Eve, she would feel regret. If she could turn back time, she would use every possible gesture, facing each fleeting firework, and repeat her most heartfelt wish, over and over again.
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