Since Yong Yaxuan heard that she would stay, his eyes had been a bit moist. He was indescribably happy, as if a precious treasure he had cherished had been lost and then found again. He couldn't help but sigh. It turned out that feelings were really like sand in one's hand. When you squeezed it tightly, it would just slip away quickly, but when you told yourself to open your palm, you'd find it had always been in your hand.
Yong Yaxuan tried hard to calm his emotions, then said, "Okay, then I'll summon the maids to do your hair, and then you'll officially return to the Qiwu Palace."
Ji Feiyu nodded solemnly.
When the summoned maid saw Ji Feiyu, she was completely stunned. She couldn't help crying out in her heart, "The empress has returned from the dead!" Then she walked over nervously.
Seeing her like this, Ji Feiyu said, "Don't worry. I'm a human, not a ghost."
The maid immediately knelt down and bowed, "Your servant is terrified."
Yong Yaxuan then said, "Do the empress's hair. I'll surely announce the whole story to the world."
Seeing this, the maid quickly got up and started to do Ji Feiyu's hair. She was really glad that she hadn't peeked when she delivered the clothes just now. Otherwise, she reckoned she would have fainted from fright on the spot.
By the time Ji Feiyu finished her dressing and returned to the Qiwu Palace, the rumor that the empress had returned from the dead had basically spread throughout the entire palace...
The matter of the empress's return from the dead was neither a big nor a small one, but it really kept everyone busy until midnight. Finally, even the empress dowager was alerted.
At that time, when everyone heard the news, they all flocked into the Qiwu Palace and started to ask questions in a hubbub. There was nothing they could do. So, accompanied by Yong Yaxuan, Ji Feiyu had to start telling the story.
Ji Feiyu told them how she had escaped death, the agreement with the second prince, and Ran Wei's help. Everyone listened as if in a dream, unable to believe there was such a complicated story behind it.
When the empress dowager heard the news about Ran Wei, her eyes darkened involuntarily. This made Ji Feiyu have to believe that even though the harem could turn everyone into a heart of stone, it still couldn't resist the inner longing of one's kin.
It was not until they had comforted the empress dowager and sent away all the concubines that Ji Feiyu and Yong Yaxuan finally had a moment of relaxation.
The Qiwu Palace had gone from being bustling at first to being silent in a short while. Ji Feiyu let out a sigh of relief. She could finally rest.
She silently walked back to her bed and sat down, then looked at Yong Yaxuan.
Yong Yaxuan immediately reacted and said, "I... will also return to my palace. My dear, go to bed early."
Seeing that he was about to leave, Ji Feiyu immediately called him back and reminded him, "Your Majesty, according to your previous nature, you should stay here tonight..."
Hearing this, he couldn't help being stunned. And seeing his dumbfounded expression, Ji Feiyu couldn't help finding it funny.
"Are you going to act the whole thing out?" Yong Yaxuan came to his senses and asked. He slowly walked towards Ji Feiyu, while Ji Feiyu just quietly looked at him.
At this moment, Ji Feiyu just realized that after all the glory had faded, the man who could stand side by side with her and face the enemy together was still this man.
Yong Yaxuan looked deeply into her eyes. When his emotions welled up, he couldn't help asking, "Can I hug you?" He looked at her expectantly.
Ji Feiyu pondered for a moment and finally nodded. Yong Yaxuan then sat down beside her bed and gently hugged her. That hug was so cautious, warm and familiar.
Ji Feiyu let him hug her quietly for a while. At this time, neither of them said a word, but both of them were deep in thought.
After only hugging for a short while, Yong Yaxuan let her go. He let out a soft sigh, raised his eyes to look at her, and said in a low voice, "You've lost weight."
Ji Feiyu also looked at him and said, "So have you."
The midnight wind blew into the palace from all directions, making the candle flames flicker and the light and shadow dance. Yong Yaxuan stood up and said, "It's getting cold at night. Go to sleep early. I'll just stay here and guard you."
"Okay." Ji Feiyu just lay down on the bed without undressing. Yong Yaxuan then sat with his back to her on the steps under the bed, looking at the moonlight outside the window lattice.
Ji Feiyu took a look at Yong Yaxuan's back and slowly closed her eyes. She felt that this day had been really tiring.
That night, Ji Feiyu slept very soundly, but she always felt that there was a pair of eyes in the corner of her dream looking at her. The gaze was warm and long-lasting.
Under the peach blossom tree and beside the Three-Life Stone, someone grabbed Ji Feiyu's hand and promised, "From now on, it will be just the two of us for a lifetime."
Ji Feiyu nodded brightly. Looking up, she saw the peach blossoms falling all over the sky.
...
When she woke up again, Yong Yaxuan was already changing his clothes. The maids in the palace were bustling in and out, which made Ji Feiyu frown involuntarily. "Why is there such a commotion today? What's going on?"
Yong Yaxuan was stretching out his hands while the maids were putting on his complicated dragon robe for him. Seeing Ji Feiyu wake up, he turned around with a smile and looked at her. "Today you'll put on your court clothes and go to court with me."
"What?" Ji Feiyu suspected that she had misheard.
Unexpectedly, a maid timidly ran up to Ji Feiyu and knelt down. "Empress Dowager, let your servant help you change your clothes."
"You heard me right. I want you to go to court with me." He turned around and smiled again. It seemed that he was in much better spirits.
Only then did Ji Feiyu remember that Yong Yaxuan was determined to fight to the end with those court officials this time. She couldn't help sitting up and just let the bustling maids scramble to prepare things for her.
Looking at the complicated and gorgeous court clothes being put on her body again, Ji Feiyu really thought she was still in a dream when she looked at herself in the bronze mirror. She never thought that after going through so many twists and turns, she was putting on the familiar phoenix robe again. Was it that she couldn't escape her fate, or that her fate had always been following her? Ji Feiyu smiled to herself and then was put on a heavy phoenix crown.
Yong Yaxuan had already finished getting dressed and walked over to wait for Ji Feiyu silently.
This scene couldn't help making Ji Feiyu recall the first time she wore this phoenix crown. At that time, she was still bickering with him, saying that the conferment ceremony was troublesome. Then the phoenix crown suddenly pressed on her head, and she couldn't straighten her neck for a long time. Yong Yaxuan laughed at her silly look, but was kicked hard by her. Later, she staggered out under the support of several maids, while that heartless Yong Yaxuan had already run away, leaving her a sentence: Waiting for her in the court.
Because of this, Ji Feiyu punished him not to sleep in her bed for three days. After that, he became a bit more restrained and had someone specially make a light phoenix crown for her. But even though this phoenix crown was light, it was still made of pure gold. So every time she went to the temple or the court meeting, she still had to suffer because of it. However, she got used to it after suffering so many times. After all, if you wanted to be elegant and gorgeous, you had to pay the price.
"Are you ready?" Yong Yaxuan reached out his hand to help her up, which suddenly interrupted her thoughts. Ji Feiyu nodded to him and then gave her hand to him, letting him help her stand up. Someone behind her helped Ji Feiyu tidy up the back of her dress. Ji Feiyu and Yong Yaxuan looked at each other, nodded, and then walked out of the inner room together.
Outside, the morning light was just beginning to dawn. Ji Feiyu and Yong Yaxuan walked side by side towards the bright light.
Today's court meeting would surely be different from usual. The whole world would be shaken by this!