The two of them had a simple dinner.
There was millet and pumpkin porridge, red bean buns, shrimp rolls, and several plates of light vegetarian dishes.
Cheng Simian could only take a few bites before losing her appetite. The smell of fish and shrimp even made her feel a bit nauseous.
The Crown Prince thought it was because she was too anxious.
He felt even more heart - achy and uneasy.
"Mianmian, I'll be very busy these days, and the situation in the court will be unstable. Otherwise, I'll send you back to the Rong family's old residence to recuperate for a while."
She had lost a lot of weight.
Maybe she would eat and live more comfortably by her mother's side.
Cheng Simian's eyes flashed with a cold light, and anger appeared on her eyebrows.
"Lu Sihong, at such an important time, you want me to leave you? What about the promise of sharing weal and woe?"
Oops, he had said the wrong thing again.
The Crown Prince quickly hugged her in his arms, letting her face rest against his chest, and gently coaxed her.
"It's my fault. I didn't think it through."
His Mianmian was not a dodder flower that depended on him for survival.
They were like intertwined trees and twin lotuses, advancing and retreating together, sharing hardships and joys.
Cheng Simian's anger faded away instantly, and a faint sense of guilt welled up in her heart.
These days, she couldn't even count how many times she had lost her temper with him.
Even though Lu Sihong understood and doted on her, it was impossible for every word he said to hit the mark.
Why had she become so irritable?
She wrapped her arms around the Crown Prince's waist and suddenly noticed that he had also lost weight.
Cheng Simian raised her eyes. Her almond - shaped eyes, filled with water, carefully scrutinized his face, not missing any details.
When they first met, the Crown Prince was handsome and upright, with a steady temperament, and there was still a bit of youthful high - spiritedness between his eyebrows.
In just two years, the youthful air between his eyebrows had completely faded away.
He was deep, cold, and imposing without getting angry, looking already eight - tenths like the Emperor.
But when he looked at her, his eyes were especially gentle and lingering, like an ordinary man enjoying love.
This was the first time she truly felt how heavy the burden on his shoulders was.
One day, he would also become the emperor standing on the peak, lonely at the top.
By that time, would she still be able to easily touch his heart like she did now?
She tightened her arms around his waist and rubbed against him gently in his arms.
Suddenly, there was a rapid knock on the door. Outside, Xiao Anzi's voice sounded panicked.
"Your Highness, Eunuch Li is here!"
Li Luxiang was the chief eunuch who had served the Emperor for thirty years.
If it weren't for something important, he would never have left the Emperor's side.
A shadow of misfortune hung over the Crown Prince's heart.
When he stood up, Cheng Simian tightly squeezed his hand before letting go.
The Crown Prince's heart, which had been hanging in the air, settled down a little.
No matter what happened, he still had Mianmian.
Li Luxiang brought the Emperor's oral edict, "Summon the Crown Prince to enter the palace immediately."
The Golden Feather Guards personally escorted the Crown Prince into the palace.
In the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the Emperor was lying on the dragon bed, like an old and decrepit fierce beast that had lost its claws and strength.
One of his hands tightly grasped the Queen's hand.
The Queen seemed to have been crying for a long time. Her expression was sad, but there were no more tears.
Seeing the Emperor's grayish - white complexion and bloodless lips, the Crown Prince's eyes welled up with tears.
But his shoulder was grasped by a strong hand.
It was the Prince Rui. His expression was solemn, and his white hair and beard were tinged with grief.
"The Emperor doesn't need tears now."
The Crown Prince forced his tears back.
Hearing his footsteps, the Emperor opened his eyes with difficulty and tremblingly stretched out his other hand.
The Crown Prince tightly held it.
The Emperor's eyes were half clear and half cloudy.
"I've let too many people down in my life. I'm sorry to my late wife. In order to balance the interests of the noble families, I brought one noblewoman after another into the palace."
The Queen wiped the corners of her eyes. Her expression was calm. "Your Majesty, I hold no grudges in my heart."
The Emperor stared blankly at her. They had been together for thirty years, but he only remembered her once - elegant and beautiful appearance when she was young. He didn't know when the first white hair had appeared on her temples.
"Maybe Hong'er's insistence is right," he murmured softly. "I didn't have the ability or the courage to promise you exclusive favor in the harem. I've been tolerant and compromising all my life. But in the end, my elder sister resented me, my ministers betrayed me, my sons defied me, and even Lingyang refused to forgive me..."
An infinite sense of desolation welled up in the Crown Prince's heart.
Everyone said that the Emperor was a benevolent king. He was a good emperor, but also a true loner.
The Queen's tears couldn't stop flowing. She cried quietly and gracefully.
"Your Majesty, you still have Hong'er. Our Hong'er is like you and me."
The Emperor stared deeply at the Crown Prince, looking for his own past shadow in him.
Finally, he smiled contentedly, and his wrinkles gradually smoothed out.
"Hong'er, the heavy burden of a thousand jun is about to be placed on your shoulders."
"Your son will surely live up to the mission," the Crown Prince choked back his sobs, but his tone was firm.
"It's just that your father doesn't have the ability to solve the huge hidden danger of the Gao family for you..."
"Father, don't worry. Your son has his own way to deal with the Gao family. You should rest in peace and you'll get better."
But the Emperor knew that he wouldn't get better.
"The edict of succession has been drafted by me. When the time comes, Uncle Third will read it for you."
The Prince Rui walked up to the dragon bed and bowed solemnly.
It was a bow of a subject to a monarch.
"Your Majesty, rest assured. Your subject will protect the Crown Prince with his life."
The Crown Prince insisted on feeding the Emperor the medicinal soup before leaving, but the Emperor said that the soup was too bitter and he didn't want to drink it anymore.
Outside the hall, Imperial Physician Shen looked sad and solemn.
He said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "Your Highness, the Emperor's days are numbered."
He quickly stretched out three fingers and then hid his hand back in his sleeve.
The Crown Prince's voice was even softer. "Three days is enough."
...
It was a day off today. Liang Wentao took Jiang Qianyu and their daughter Ruier to visit the Duke's Mansion.
The old lady was very happy. She pulled Jiang Qianyu and talked to her affectionately.
She also held Ruier on her lap and gave her a big red envelope.
"The Duke's Mansion hasn't been this lively for a long time. I've already sent someone to call Wanchu. We'll have lunch in my courtyard."
Liang Wentao stood up and bowed to express his gratitude. "How dare I disobey the old lady's kindness?"
Song Wanchu came later.
Liang Wentao proposed to visit the old duke.
The old lady's smile disappeared briefly.
Song Wanchu said with a smile, "Old lady, Third Brother has been promoted to the Head of the Secretariat, which adds glory to the Liang family. For such a good thing, Third Brother should go and congratulate the old duke in person."
The old lady played with the sandalwood bead string in her hand and thought for a moment.
She glanced at Song Wanchu and then at Jiang Qianyu, who was silent.
Liang Wentao had a gentle smile and was a modest and polite junior.
"Go ahead," the old lady finally relented.
Song Wanchu held the old lady's hand. The old lady sighed, and a smile returned to her face.
The old duke was practicing with a spear. The long spear in his hand was like a toy that could automatically match his movements, moving nimbly and swiftly in his hand.
Seen from behind, his shoulders were straight, and his back was strong and upright, showing no sign of old age at all.
"Nephew pays respects to Uncle."
The old duke's back trembled.
It took him a long time to turn around and stared intently at Liang Wentao with bright eyes.
"Did Zhou'er... send you here?"