The first time she walked up to that man, her whole heart was trembling. But although the emperor looked at her, there was no light in his eyes. She couldn't feel the focus of his gaze.
Yes, his eyes were not good.
Although he was a wise emperor of the entire Dayong Empire, his eyes were far from bright.
Four years ago, he was assassinated and blinded. His queen died to save him. Later, someone managed to cure his eyes, but he still couldn't see things clearly.
"Are you Shuanghua?" That mellow voice slowly spoke.
"Yes." She could clearly hear her own voice.
"What are you doing here?"
"I... I want to accompany Your Majesty." This was the remaining obsession after her arduous journey. She felt that she shouldn't let down the expectations of the person who escorted her from afar. So she composed herself and said loudly, "I read the story of you and Queen Feiyu in a wild history. I don't think I can make you fall in love with me again, but I just want to stay by Your Majesty's side, to listen to the tides and watch the clouds with you. I don't expect your love. I just can't bear to see you so high and lonely. I know that not establishing a queen for a long time will not stabilize the harem, so I came here specifically to propose a marriage alliance in the name of the princess of Beihan. I hope you will accept it."
After the high - and - mighty emperor listened to her words calmly, he smiled faintly. "The harem is a lonely place. You're still too young. This decision is too impulsive."
The smile on his face was like the cold radiance of the moon. But Shuanghua didn't back down. She just looked at him firmly. "I've already made up my mind. I've come a long way through all kinds of hardships, but I never gave up. Now that I'm standing in front of you, I just want you to see my determination."
The emperor smiled, but his smile was full of loneliness.
"But I'm too old for you," he said.
"I know, but I don't care." Shuanghua still insisted.
The emperor said, "Then I'll send a letter to the king of Beihan first. After all, this is a marriage alliance between two countries. If he doesn't agree, I can't do anything."
"Tell my elder brother. He will definitely agree!" Shuanghua raised her head stubbornly.
The emperor curled the corner of his mouth and then murmured somewhat desolately, "This look is really like hers..."
Shuanghua didn't hear clearly and couldn't help but hesitate. The emperor then said, "In that case, you can stay in the palace and wait for the news."
Shuanghua stared at him blankly, as if she hadn't reacted yet. It wasn't until the letter from the king of Beihan agreeing to the marriage alliance arrived that she realized she had actually succeeded.
But from that day on, the emperor never saw her again. He just said that she should rest and then he would send her back. Later, he would pick her up and let her have a grand wedding.
Hearing the news, she was overjoyed, but somehow there was a hint of melancholy in her heart.
She never knew that the belief to accompany someone could arise like this. She just read a few volumes of wild history and was deeply touched by the story of him and Queen Feiyu. She thought he was too lonely, so she really wanted to accompany him. That's why she came to Dayong alone.
In fact, sometimes even she herself couldn't believe that a once absurd idea had actually become a reality. That person had actually agreed. She should have been overjoyed, but for some reason, there was a sense of loss in her heart.
During her stay in the palace, she was often in a state of panic because besides the emperor, other faces would also appear in her mind.
That person was seriously injured to save her. That person had a sharp tongue but was really good to her.
That person... was named Bai Xiaofeng.
(8)
"You can't marry her!"
As soon as Bai Xiaofeng entered Zixiang Palace, he said this.
By the window, the lonely emperor didn't say a word. He just smiled faintly and continued to fiddle with the chess pieces in front of him.
In the palace, maybe only Bai Xiaofeng dared to talk to the emperor like this.
But the emperor didn't seem to mind.
"Your eyes are like this, and you're still playing chess!" Bai Xiaofeng looked at the emperor's solemn appearance and suddenly got very angry.
The only response he got was a soft laugh.
"My eyes are not very good, but my heart can see clearly. Do you want to play a game with me?"
Bai Xiaofeng stood in the hall, unable to advance or retreat. He just repeated what he had said before stubbornly, "You can't marry her."
"Why?" The emperor raised his eyes, still out of focus.
"Because of Ji Feiyu!"
The emperor was stunned, and his hand suddenly stopped.
"You clearly know that Ji Feiyu is not dead, but you still agreed to Shuanghua! Are you really cutting off your own future path?" Bai Xiaofeng said this hysterically, feeling that all his strength was about to be drained.
His injury hadn't healed yet, and he shouldn't have been so excited. But this matter was related to Shuanghua's lifelong happiness. How could he not be excited?
The emperor sighed softly. "Future path? Do I still have a future path with her? Over the years, the more I searched for her, the slimmer my hope became. It's better to cut off my own path so that I won't have any more thoughts or pain. Life has to go on, and the position of the queen has to be filled. Shuanghua volunteered to reach an agreement with me. There is no one more suitable than her. If I marry Shuanghua, I can tell her my feelings clearly. I don't have to be false to her, and I won't encounter the situation where her family forces me to favor her. So, why not?"
"But have you let go? Has Ji Feiyu let go? I don't care about your grievances, but don't involve Shuanghua!" Bai Xiaofeng was still not reconciled.
"Then who was it who knew clearly that I wouldn't like anyone else but still brought Shuanghua here to face rejection? Do you regret it now? Do you like her? Does she know that you like her? I don't care about your grievances with her either, but don't interfere with the decision I've already made..."
Bai Xiaofeng looked at the emperor and said this seriously word by word. For a moment, he didn't know how to express his current mood.
Just then, the sound of tables and chairs being knocked over in the side hall came, followed by the call of a maid. "Hey, Princess Shuanghua, Princess Shuanghua!"
Bai Xiaofeng's mind suddenly went blank. Without thinking, he chased after her.
The hall was empty after everyone left. But the high - and - mighty emperor suddenly curled the corner of his mouth into a faint smile. But that smile was like smoke, just a whirl, and then it disappeared.
(9)
"Shuanghua! Shuanghua!" Bai Xiaofeng chased after the footsteps but didn't see a single figure.
At this time, the sun was covered by clouds, and the sky darkened slightly. A sense of foreboding rose in Bai Xiaofeng's heart.
"Help! Someone has jumped into the water!"
From afar, someone shouted loudly. Bai Xiaofeng looked at the commotion by the lotus pond in front of him, fixed his gaze, and then rushed over.
Panic, a panic he had never felt before.
Bai Xiaofeng jumped into the lotus pond and kept looking for the figure in the water. His heart was filled with a suffocating sense of death.
Shuanghua, you just heard the emperor's heartless words. Please don't do anything stupid... Don't think too much about like or dislike. You must be okay!