novelraw Chapter 141 Reconciliation
Chapter 141 Reconciliation
When Song Shuangning woke up, she was facing A Liu, who was standing with her head bowed in front of the bed. She propped herself up and sat up, her body aching.
"You're back. I hope you didn't suffer in that place called the Censorate?"
A-Liu quickly stepped forward to support her, tucked her in, and replied with a relaxed expression, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, I did not go to the Censorate. His Majesty simply ordered someone to take me to the Wangchun Side Hall on the west side to tidy up. It's warm with charcoal fire inside, and I haven't been deprived of any meals."
Song Shuangning nodded.
"That's good."
The emperor is always tough on the outside but soft on the inside, and he likes to say harsh things to annoy her.
This illness left her physically and mentally exhausted.
But at least she and the Emperor had a frank conversation, so her illness and suffering weren't in vain.
Otherwise, given the Emperor's stubborn and inflexible nature, it would take forever before they could finally get things settled.
By then, the affection between them will have been worn away to almost nothing.
Breakfast was laid out on a gilded tray, each dish exquisite, but she still had no appetite.
Just as she was lost in thought, light footsteps came from outside the palace, accompanied by two joyful voices: "Your Majesty, we're back."
It is listening to the rain and the dew.
The two maids, Tingyu and Tinglu, ran in excitedly.
Despite feeling weak, Song Shuangning quickly sat up straight: "Where have you been these past few days? Has the Emperor punished you?"
Tinglu's eyes were red, but she forced a smile. "The Emperor punished us to go to the Imperial Wardrobe to wash clothes. Perhaps the head maid of the Imperial Wardrobe knew Your Highness's identity, or perhaps the Emperor gave the order. He didn't dare to make us do heavy work. It was very easy."
Tingyu had been by Song Shuangning's side since she was a child and had never been separated from her for so long. On the way back, she heard that Song Shuangning had a fever, which made her even more worried.
At this moment, Tingyu knelt before the bed, her arms tightly wrapped around Song Shuangning's waist, and cried, "Your Majesty, I miss you so much, I think of you every day, and I worry about you every day. Are you feeling any better today? Are you still feeling unwell?"
Song Shuangning gently stroked the top of her head and said tenderly, "I'm fine, get up quickly, the ground is cold."
The three maids gathered around the bed, chatting about the interesting things that had happened these past few days. As Song Shuangning listened, the smile on her lips never stopped.
After court, Xiao Yan came straight here. When he reached the palace gate, he saw this scene through the half-open window.
Song Shuangning smiled, her eyes crinkling, and the corners of her lips also turned upwards.
But when his gaze shifted to the right, he noticed that she was still holding a palace maid in her arms, and his smile faded instantly, replaced by a strange displeasure.
She treats everyone this well.
They had no idea of how close or distant their relationship was.
He kicked Li Fuquan beside him, his tone somewhat awkward, "What are you standing here for? Hurry up and report it."
Li Fuquan suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, inwardly lamenting: The Emperor is truly capricious and unpredictable, making him completely unfathomable!
He quickly composed himself and shouted at the top of his lungs, "The Emperor has arrived!"
Upon hearing the sound, the three maids inside the hall hurriedly and respectfully curtsied.
Xiao Yan's gaze swept over them and landed directly on Song Shuangning, without sparing a glance for anyone else.
He simply waved his hand and said, "Step down."
Xiao Yan walked slowly to the bedside and reached out to feel her forehead.
"How are you feeling today? Still feeling unwell?"
Xiao Yan was still wearing his court robes, which made him look even more handsome and imposing, and also made her have a few inappropriate thoughts.
Song Shuangning shrank further into the quilt, her voice soft, "I still feel terribly uncomfortable."
Xiao Yan frowned immediately and said in a deep voice, "Zhang Chengji knows your health best. Let's call him over."
Song Shuangning reached out and tugged at his sleeve, shaking her head with a smile: "Forget it, he probably won't dare to come see me."
She leaned closer and said with a hint of coquetry, "If Your Majesty hadn't been avoiding me, I wouldn't have fallen ill."
As she spoke, she blinked her clear eyes, looking utterly innocent.
Xiao Yan coughed lightly, his ears turning slightly red: "Yes, it's all my fault."
He picked up the bowl of porridge beside him. The porridge was cooked until soft and tender, with a faint aroma of rice. He scooped up a spoonful and brought it to Song Shuangning's lips.
"Eat some food first, then take your medicine, okay?"
Song Shuangning liked his gentle and considerate manner, and was also captivated by his occasional domineering nature, so she obediently replied, "Okay."
Xiao Yan patiently fed her a few bites, then suddenly said in a low voice, "Ningning, you can't be this nice to everyone."
Song Shuangning, who had a mouthful of porridge in her mouth, choked upon hearing this and almost choked.
She thought she had misheard and asked, "What did the Emperor say?"
Xiao Yan gently patted her back.
Then, in a serious tone, he said, "You can't be this nice to everyone."
Song Shuangning raised her eyes and glared at him: "Whom shall I treat better?"
Xiao Yan pursed his thin lips and said matter-of-factly, "I saw you hugging that palace maid just now."
Song Shuangning smiled without saying a word.
"Tingyu is my confidante. She has been with me since childhood and we are like sisters. If it weren't for His Majesty's punishment of sending them to the Imperial Wardrobe to wash clothes, we wouldn't have been separated for so long."
Xiao Yan was speechless after hearing her words; in short, it was all his fault.
After a long pause, Xiao Yan finally managed to say, "But we can't hug and cuddle."
After saying that, he turned his head away, refusing to admit that he minded, minded her showing even the slightest intimacy to others, and couldn't stand her being nice to others in the slightest.
Not even a little bit.
She can only be good to herself.
Others are neither capable nor worthy.
Song Shuangning looked at his profile and chuckled inwardly.
The emperor was not only stubborn and domineering, but also possessed a strong desire for possession.
The Emperor became so jealous after only holding Tingyu for a short while.
Is Tingyu a woman, or a maid who has been with her since childhood? How can the Emperor have such a domineering possessiveness?
She couldn't help but chuckle, looking up at him: "But I also have a family. Does that mean that if I'm kind to my family in the future, Your Majesty will be just as jealous?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's stern face relaxed slightly. He reached out and grasped her wrist, speaking solemnly:
"That's not the case. I simply..."
"I just want you to put me first, just as I put you first at all times."
Song Shuangning's heart softened suddenly. She raised her hand to cup his face, gently smoothing the wrinkles between Xiao Yan's brows with her fingertips, and coaxed softly, "Alright, alright, Your Majesty, I will listen to you. But Your Majesty must also promise me that you will not be jealous for no reason in the future."
Xiao Yan responded awkwardly.
Song Shuangning's illness showed no signs of improvement, lingering on and off for more than ten days.
During this period, the Emperor put aside many unimportant matters, and no matter how busy he was, he would make time to see her and watch her drink the bitter medicine.
Once Song Shuangning felt a little better, she would run to the Qin Zheng Hall in the front courtyard, where she would either sit at the desk grinding ink or lean against the couch waiting for him to review memorials. She would spend half of the day lingering together in a tender and affectionate way.
The Emperor and Consort Zhaoyi reconciled, and Li Fuquan was the happiest of all.
God knows how he survived that month. He had nightmares every night when he closed his eyes, dreaming nine times out of ten that his head was being ripped off, and several times that he was being dragged to the Ministry of Justice and flogged. He was so scared that he would wake up in a cold sweat every time.