Song Wanchu politely indicated that she was all ears.
Liang Yuzhou, on the other hand, didn't care. He raised his eyebrows, looking aloof.
"You once predicted that I'd be the new God of War. But what happened? It turned out to be Shi Luohan. Stop using your superstitious stuff to deceive Wanchu."
Daoist Qiu muttered, "It was just one miscalculation. You and Luohan were both born in the north, of similar ages, highly skilled in martial arts, and dedicated to serving the country. You both revolved around Wanchu. A little deviation was inevitable!"
Actually, Song Wanchu never believed in divination.
She believed in human nature and that man could conquer nature.
Throughout her journey, none of her successes was achieved through divination.
Daoist Qiu's so - called auspicious divinations were more like sincere blessings.
"Daoist Qiu can see through people's hearts, so he can predict some things accurately. I'm really curious about what this great auspiciousness is," Song Wanchu said.
Daoist Qiu cleared his throat seriously. "Wanchu, you and Liang Yuzhou will have children, many, many children."
In the past, the mention of children was like poking at the deepest thorn in her heart, causing unbearable pain and bleeding.
But now she had let it go.
She and Liang Yuzhou had saved Mianmian and Lu Sihong's child, and their knots had long been resolved.
"I'll take your kind words," she said, showing a bright smile to Daoist Qiu.
Liang Yuzhou asked, "How many is many?"
Daoist Qiu counted on his fingers, muttering something, looking really like he was calculating seriously.
Liang Yuzhou rolled his eyes silently in his heart.
"Ah, there are really too many to count."
Song Wanchu burst out laughing. Liang Yuzhou darkened his face and was about to drive Daoist Qiu off the boat.
"Really, there are many. I'm not lying to you! Your good fortune is yet to come!"
Daoist Qiu laughed heartily, leaped into the air, tapped the water surface gently with his toes, and flew back to the shore like an elegant heron.
Song Wanchu and Liang Yuzhou waved to him.
Meanwhile, in the imperial palace in the capital city, Cheng Simian's brushstroke landed on the tightly - held hands of the two people on the boat's prow.
Lu Sihong hugged her waist from behind, his palm resting on her belly gently. He pressed his chin on her shoulder and looked down at the still - wet painting.
"Farewell on the River"
The water was cold, with waves rising. The distant mountains were faintly green. It was clearly winter.
The most vivid color in the painting was the young woman's dress, embroidered with peonies in a light purple color, fluttering with the waves in the wind. The man beside her stood upright, wearing a sky - blue robe that echoed the faint cloud on the horizon.
The daoist on the shore had his silver beard fluttering, looking like an immortal who had strayed into the mortal world.
"Why did you think of painting this?" Lu Sihong asked.
Mianmian had heard too many praises. She didn't need her husband to flatter her all the time.
"We didn't get to bid farewell to Wanchu and Liang Yuzhou. This is the farewell scene I imagined," she replied.
In the painting, Song Wanchu and Liang Yuzhou seemed to be saying goodbye to Daoist Qiu, but their eyes were also looking in the direction of her and Lu Sihong outside the painting.
Lu Sihong felt a surge of emotions. "We'll meet again."
"Yes," Cheng Simian nodded. "Wanchu also said she'd be our baby's godmother."
"She's a princess. Of course, she's fit to be the godmother. As long as this child doesn't recognize Liang Yuzhou as the godfather," Lu Sihong said, actually a bit worried. "I'm a better father than Liang Yuzhou."
Cheng Simian just smiled without saying a word.
Men really had so many strange competitive spirits.
Lu Sihong took the brush from Cheng Simian's hand and helped her sit on the small couch.
The couch was covered with golden silk brocade, and the soft pillows were filled with the finest goose down.
After Cheng Simian sat down, Lu Sihong casually stuffed another soft pillow behind her waist.
"It's only been two months. There's no need to be so delicate," she said.
Lu Sihong didn't care. Mianmian was his priceless treasure.
"Mianmian, there's something I've never told you," he said.
The young emperor and empress faced each other. At some point, the sound of falling snow came from outside the window.
Cheng Simian picked up a salt - pickled plum and put it in her mouth. She didn't miss the trace of uneasiness in Lu Sihong's eyes.
But her heart was very calm.
"I know what you're going to say," she said.
Lu Sihong was stunned. His hands involuntarily clenched tightly, and his heart felt like it was being grabbed by a hand. His breathing stopped for a moment.
Mianmian knew? He always thought he had hidden it well...
Cheng Simian's eyes were soft and warm. "I know you used to like Wanchu, so much that you wanted to snatch her from Liang Yuzhou at all costs."
Lu Sihong's mind went blank. He seemed to stop breathing. Everything around him became quiet. It took him a long time to come back to his senses.
"You... you've known for a long time..."
This was something he had never been able to tell Mianmian.
Liking Wanchu was like an impulsive mistake in his youth. He didn't think he had done wrong, but he deeply regretted his recklessness and madness at that time.
"When we first met, I noticed that your look at Wanchu was different. It was patient, restrained, and filled with regret and self - abasement. I knew what it meant. You were a天之骄子 (a son of heaven), but you lost to Liang Yuzhou in the competition for Wanchu. At that time, you were the most sensitive and vulnerable," Cheng Simian said.
Lu Sihong didn't dare to look into Cheng Simian's eyes. He stared at his trembling fingertips. "I also had many doubts and suspicions about you at that time and said many hurtful things to you."
He admitted that the failure of his previous relationship had hit him hard.
"But Mianmian, at first, I was reluctant to admit that I couldn't stop thinking about you from the first time I saw you. I thought I wasn't a fickle person, but I couldn't control my eyes following you. So for a long time, I was reluctant to admit that I was in love with you.
It wasn't until I was sure of my feelings for you that I realized I wanted to be with you forever at all costs, even to be the only one favored in the harem, something no previous emperor had ever done. And even during the time when I was most infatuated with Wanchu, I never thought of favoring her exclusively in the harem," he said.
He couldn't figure out why his feelings for Mianmian were so strong.
He was just strongly attracted to her.
Cheng Simian pondered. "Love has no reason."
"I should thank Wanchu and Liang Yuzhou. They taught me how to love," Lu Sihong said.
Cheng Simian took his hand actively. "When I heard you say this, I knew you had truly let it go."
"Actually, I care more about you..."
"Lu Sihong, I know you love me the most. So I don't care about the past years when I wasn't there, because we still have a long future to create more wonderful memories," Cheng Simian said, holding his face and giving him a deep kiss on the lips.
The emperor and empress embraced quietly in front of the window with falling snow.
The footsteps of the New Year were getting closer.
The boat going to the south of the Yangtze River was sailing more and more smoothly.
A timely snow promises a good harvest.
All days will be wonderful.
(End of the main text)
Some extra chapters will be written later.