After bidding farewell to Su Qing, the young couple followed Wan Zhenxiang to meet Ling Shang.
Along the way, Tang Wan looked dejected, absentmindedly kicking pebbles on the roadside with the tip of her shoe.
Seeing her like this, Ling Yu deliberately slowed his pace until he was walking beside her.
In a low voice, he asked,
“What’s wrong? Why are you unhappy?”
“It’s not exactly that I’m unhappy.”
Tang Wan pouted and muttered softly,
“I just think the women in the palace are all a little frightening.”
“If you one day have a harem full of consorts…”
“…will I become one of them too?”
After all, what emperor didn’t have a vast harem?
If Ling Yu really ascended the throne one day…
…would she still be herself?
The more Tang Wan thought about it, the gloomier she became.
She looked at Ling Yu resentfully and suggested,
“Husband, why don’t you come back to the Feng Kingdom with me?”
“I’ll become the Empress, and you can be my Imperial Consort.”
“I’ll have only you.”
“I absolutely won’t take any other husbands.”
“How about it?”
Ling Yu raised an eyebrow.
“If you can promise not to take anyone else…”
“…then why can’t you believe my promise to you?”
Tang Wan: “…”
She was completely speechless.
Ling Yu sighed softly and quietly took her hand.
“When I first met you, I didn’t know your true identity.”
“Everything I planned was for one purpose—to allow our family to stand at the highest place, so no one could ever bully us again.”
In ancient times…
Imperial authority stood above all else.
For a man to rise in the world, he had only one path: earn official rank through the imperial examinations.
Only then could he bring honor to his family, protect the women of his household, and secure prosperity for future generations.
With the identity he possessed, he could climb even higher…
…and give the people he cherished the very best.
Who could have imagined…
That Tang Wan never needed him to fight for glory on her behalf.
She didn’t need him to win her the title of Empress.
She had been born into supreme nobility.
She was the Crown Princess of a nation ruled by women.
Compared to that…
Everything he thought he could give her—his love, his achievements, his rewards—seemed worthless.
Now…
There was only one thing left he could do.
“Wan-niang.”
“I’ll respect your wishes.”
“If you choose to stay here…”
“…then you’ll forever be my one and only Empress.”
“I, Ling Yu, will never betray you.”
“But if you wish to return to the Feng Kingdom and become its Empress…”
“…then I’ll go back with you and become your Imperial Consort.”
“There is only one thing I ask.”
“If that’s the path you choose…”
“…can you wait for me a little while?”
“Give me time to settle everything here.”
“The situation has already reached this point.”
“I can’t simply walk away now.”
“If I did…”
“…I’d only bring endless trouble upon the people we care about.”
“I promise you.”
“Once I’ve arranged everything…”
“…I’ll go with you.”
“Will that be alright?”
His expression was completely sincere as he laid bare his heart.
His handsome, jade-like face seemed to glow with quiet warmth.
His gentle eyes were as soft as sunlight after dawn.
Looking at him like this, all of Tang Wan’s worries melted away.
Her heart softened.
“Alright.”
“We’ll make our decision after you’ve taken care of everything here.”
Ling Yu smiled.
“Alright.”
As he looked at the radiant smile on her face, he couldn’t help smiling as well.
There had once been a time when he had considered getting Tang Wan pregnant.
As long as she carried his child…
Every problem before them would seemingly solve itself.
But…
He didn’t want to disregard Tang Wan’s wishes.
What mattered to him…
Might not be what mattered to her.
If she wasn’t happy…
Then what was the point of obtaining the entire world?
As long as he could stay by her side…
What place was there that he couldn’t go?
An Imperial Consort?
So be it.
It made no difference to him.
Having once again spoken honestly with one another, the atmosphere between the couple became much lighter.
Walking ahead of them, Wan Zhenxiang looked helplessly toward the sky.
I wasn’t even hungry…
So why do I feel full every single time I see these two together?
The Emperor had not imprisoned Ling Shang in the imperial prison.
Instead, he had arranged for him to stay in one of the palace residences.
Hidden throughout the palace, however, were members of the Dragon Shadow Guards keeping constant watch.
As long as Ling Shang remained within the palace compound…
…they would not interfere with him.
Of course, the Emperor did not treat him poorly.
His food, clothing, and daily necessities were all provided without restriction.
After all…
Ling Shang was an envoy from the Feng Kingdom.
More importantly, he was its Imperial Preceptor.
Even if he had committed an offense, the proper course was to notify the Empress of the Feng Kingdom and await her decision.
Discussion
Comments
0 comments so far.
Sign in to join the conversation and keep your activity tied to this account.
No comments yet. Start the conversation.