novelraw Chapter 138 The Heart That Refuses to Open
Chapter 138 The Heart That Refuses to Open
Consort Yuan leaned against the Emperor's chest and fell into a deep sleep, tears still glistening at the corners of her eyes.
Xiao Yan gently brushed his fingertips through the stray strands of hair that fell beside her temples.
The water clock outside the palace struck past midnight. He was extremely tired and sleepy, but at this moment he was wide awake, his eyes fixed on her sleeping profile.
He recalled how she had nestled in his arms, her eyes red, and said she "liked the Emperor."
Tears clung to her eyelashes like shattered stars.
So pitiful, so touching.
It almost made him believe it.
He didn't care whether she had done bad things or schemed against others; none of that mattered.
He was an emperor, capable of protecting her and tolerating her petty tricks.
He was terrified, afraid that all his sincerity would become a joke, and that in the end it would all be nothing but a mirage.
In the past, he was above everyone else, and he never understood what affection or love was.
It wasn't until he met Song Shuangning that he suddenly realized...
Love is when you can't think of anyone else, when you think of her face while reviewing memorials, and when you're alone at night, you think of her name.
Love is about making him shed his imperial arrogance, become insecure and hesitant to say a harsh word to her, and even feel a sense of shame and timidity in her presence.
Love is seeing a rare treasure and your first thought is to give it to her, but when you actually stand in front of her, you lose the courage to offer it.
Xiao Yan sighed softly, leaned down, and placed a very light kiss on her forehead.
The room was completely silent.
Only Xiao Yan's silent thoughts flowed slowly in the moonlight.
*
The next day, at three-quarters past dawn, just as the sunlight began to spill through the window, Song Shuangning finally awoke from her deep sleep.
The warmth was gone from beside her; the Emperor was no longer on the bed.
Song Shuangning raised her hand to rub her sore eyes. Her whole body felt like it was falling apart, and every movement brought a fine soreness. It took her a long time to sit up, supporting herself on the edge of the bed.
Xiao Yan must have applied medicine to her.
Last night's tenderness made her think that the order to stay at home had been lifted.
She shuffled to the door, reached out to push it open, but the door remained firmly shut, unmoving.
The door remained locked.
Enraged, Song Shuangning raised her hand and slammed it heavily on the door, her suppressed anger barely contained: "Open the door!"
Hearing the noise, Ah Liu, who was waiting outside, rushed over and asked anxiously through the door, "Your Majesty, you're awake? Is there anything you need?"
"Where is the Emperor?" Song Shuangning took a deep breath. "Hasn't the Emperor issued an edict lifting my confinement?"
A-Liu was silent for a moment before replying in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the Emperor... went to the Hall of Diligent Governance before dawn and did not issue any decree regarding lifting the ban."
"They were perfectly fine yesterday, how come they've disappeared again in the blink of an eye?" Song Shuangning's chest heaved slightly with anger.
"I wish to see the Emperor."
"Your Majesty, His Majesty is very busy with state affairs today and is afraid he will not be able to find time to see you."
Enraged, Song Shuangning kicked the door hard and walked back, seething with anger.
The fact that the confinement had not been lifted meant that the knot in the emperor's heart had not yet been untied.
It wasn't just the door to this side hall that was locked; it was also the door that the Emperor refused to open for her.
Why is he so awkward? He only knows how to run away from problems and doesn't even give her a chance to explain to her face.
"Your Majesty," Ah Liu opened the palace door, holding a bowl of dark, murky medicine in her hands.
Seeing Song Shuangning looking over, A-Liu explained softly, "Your Majesty, this is... a contraceptive medicine. The Emperor ordered me to send it over. He also said that this is what you have always wanted."
Song Shuangning glanced abruptly at the contraceptive medicine and asked coldly, "In that case, would Your Majesty be willing to lift my confinement?"
"Your Majesty, please don't make things difficult for me anymore. His Majesty has not mentioned lifting the confinement."
A-Liu placed the contraceptive medicine on the small table beside the bed, curtsied, and said, "This servant takes her leave."
Song Shuangning rubbed her forehead.
This contraceptive medicine should not be taken anymore.
The root of her conflict with the emperor lay in her reluctance to have children.
If they continue drinking, the two will only drift further apart.
She was indeed terrified of the pain of ten months of pregnancy and childbirth, but she had to grit her teeth and overcome this fear.
Moreover, the Emperor's affection for her was far deeper than she had imagined.
That's enough.
*
Qinzheng Hall.
After hearing A-Liu's reply, Xiao Yan coldly flicked his sleeves, a chilling smile curving his lips.
Sure enough, everything she said last night was a lie.
Last night, she said in a soft voice that she loved being by his side the most, that it was the greatest blessing.
Today, however, he was in a hurry to lift the confinement and leave the Zichen Palace.
I'm in a hurry to leave him!
fraud.
Hypocritical and insincere.
I will never believe a word she says again.
Li Fuquan, observing the emperor's ever-changing expression, dared not utter a sound.
Have the Emperor and Consort Zhaoyi not reconciled yet?
Good heavens.
"Your Majesty, Prince Chu has arrived."
Xiao Yan closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, the turmoil in his eyes had completely subsided. He simply said, "Let him in."
The King of Chu had a bright red nose, and he blew his nose with every step he took. His voice was loud and sounded like he was crying.
"Your Majesty, I am going to guard the frontier and will never return to the capital in this lifetime. Please assign me a post now, whether it is in the Northwest or the northern desert, send me wherever it is remote! I swear I will never set foot in the capital again."
Xiao Yan was also very annoyed, and his appearance was giving him a headache. "What's wrong with you now?"
The King of Chu wiped away his tears. "Your Majesty, I haven't gone mad. I've been betrayed by that woman!"
The King of Chu became more and more agitated as he spoke, recounting how Zheng Yueyao had agreed to the marriage the day before, but then reneged on the agreement the very next day. He also described their passionate love the previous night as drunken foolishness, and how she refused to even see him. He poured out all these details.
Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses and asked him seriously, "If... if a woman swore to stay by your side the night before, but changed her mind and wanted to leave after dawn, would that mean she was deceiving you from the beginning?"
The King of Chu nodded firmly without hesitation.
"Of course it's a lie. A woman's heart is colder than the ice of winter!"
He clenched his fists, each word laced with fierce determination, "I can't stand staying in this capital city for even a day longer. From the moment she lost me, she should have known what she had missed!"
Xiao Yan was more composed than the King of Chu. He glanced at him with disdain and said, "Alright, I have no time for your nonsense. Get out of here."
Without a word, the King of Chu was dragged away by the eunuchs.
"Brother Emperor—"
"Your Majesty, I am serious!"
Suddenly, Song Shuangning in the side hall yawned twice.