The Empress of Zhen Huan Reborn

The Forbidden City was peaceful for a day. On this day, the emperor was talking to Nian Shilan in her Changle Palace when he saw Su Peisheng, who had been guarding outside the door, rushing into the palace. "Your servant greets the emperor and the queen."

The emperor frowned, somewhat dissatisfied with Su Peisheng's reckless behavior, but Nian Shilan didn't care much and said, "Eunuch Su, please get up. What happened?"

Su Peisheng glanced at the emperor, then said helplessly: "In reply to the Queen, there was a letter from Shoukang Palace, saying that the Queen Mother has passed away."

The emperor's hand paused slightly when he was about to drink tea, and some tea accidentally spilled onto his dragon robe.

Nian Shilan looked at the emperor who looked a little out of control and asked carefully, "Your Majesty, are you okay?"

The emperor's expression quickly changed from a moment of confusion back to his usual coldness. When he looked at Nian Shilan, his eyes were slightly warmer. "I'm fine. This is a good thing. I have avenged my mother."

Nian Shilan saw the emperor trying to hold on, and understood the emperor's pain. After all, the emperor had always mistaken Wu Yachengbi as his own mother since he was a child, and had carefully tried to please her, and had devoted so many years of sincerity. Suddenly, when he learned that he had taken a thief as his mother, the emperor's first thought was to avenge his biological mother. But now that the bad guy was dead, the emperor's faith collapsed, and he must have felt a little disappointed.

When the emperor stood up to go to Shoukang Palace, Nian Shilan thought about it, stood up, walked to the emperor, took the emperor's arm and said, "Your Majesty, I will accompany you."

The emperor looked at Nian Shilan holding his arm and subconsciously wanted to refuse, "Shilan, you are pregnant now, that kind of place is not suitable for you to go, I will be back soon, you be good."

Nian Shilan shook her head nonchalantly, and tightened her arm around the emperor's arm again, "I am not afraid. I don't want the emperor to face such a terrible thing alone."

The emperor looked at Nian Shilan with some emotion, then took Nian Shilan's hand and did not choose to ride in the sedan chair. Instead, he walked towards Shoukang Palace step by step.

As the sun sets, Su Peisheng follows behind the emperor and Nian Shilan. It is not difficult to notice that the emperor's steps are a bit heavy.

When the emperor entered Shoukang Palace, he saw the empress dowager fallen to the ground, with large stains of blood on the corners of her lips and clothes. Her brows were furrowed and her eyes were slightly wide open. It was not difficult to tell that she had suffered extremely intense pain before her death.

The emperor just stood there quietly, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Seeing this, Nian Shilan gently held the emperor's hand, expressing her silent support.

The emperor took a deep breath, slowly knelt down, and kowtowed three times to the empress dowager.

As he stood up, the emperor's voice was a little hoarse: "Pass the order down, the Queen Mother's funeral will be kept simple."

As night fell, the emperor and Nian Shilan left Shoukang Palace together.

On the way back to the palace, both of them were silent.

Yet, their hands remained tightly clasped together, as if they had found some solace in each other.

Back in Changle Palace, the emperor sat tiredly on the couch, while Nian Shilan silently accompanied him.

"Shilan, I'm so tired." The emperor sighed softly.

Nian Shilan walked to the emperor and gently massaged his shoulders. "Your Majesty, I know you are in pain and sadness, but you still have me, Yaoguang, and our unborn child. We will always be with you."

The emperor turned to look at Nian Shilan, a touch of emotion flashed in his eyes, "Thank you, Shilan. If I were just an idle prince, it would be great. Then having you alone is enough for me."

Nian Shilan smiled and said coquettishly, "If you were just a prince, how could I enter the palace? I'm afraid the emperor would have been happy with Queen Chunyuan for a long time. Everything is God's will."

The emperor suddenly heard Nian Shilan mention Chun Yuan. He paused for a moment while holding Nian Shilan's hand. The name Chun Yuan sounded so distant now, as if it was something from the last life. The emperor hadn't thought of her for a long time. Now that this name was suddenly mentioned by Nian Shilan, he asked with some amusement, "Is my Lan'er jealous?"

Nian Shilan could tell from the emperor's words that there was no displeasure or blame, so she tentatively turned around and said with her back to the emperor: "Humph, I dare not."

The emperor's previous gloomy mood was diluted by Nian Shilan's disturbance, and he couldn't stop laughing. The emperor laughed loudly, and after a long time, he hugged Nian Shilan tightly from behind and said softly: "Now I only have you, little girl, in my heart."

Hearing this, Nian Shilan softened her body and curled herself into the emperor's arms, her tone full of sincerity and sighs, "Let the past be the past."

The emperor did not understand the sigh in Nian Shilan's tone, but he did not ask further. Instead, he took Nian Shilan's waist and rested his head on her shoulder, "Yes, I know. I feel at ease with you by my side."

Outside the window, a bright moon hung in the sky, casting a cool glow. Inside the palace, the flickering candlelight illuminated the figures of the emperor and Nian Shilan, who were leaning on each other.

On the second day, the palace began to hold the funeral ceremony for the empress dowager. Although the emperor explicitly stated that everything should be kept simple, the necessary formalities still had to be followed.

First, Su Peisheng issued an obituary on behalf of the emperor, notifying the princes and ministers inside and outside the court to go to the Forbidden City to pay their respects to the empress dowager. The concubines in the harem and the princes and princesses all wore mourning clothes to keep vigil for the empress dowager.

Because of the death of the Empress Dowager, the Third Prince finally had the opportunity to come before the Emperor, so he prepared a bowl of lotus seed soup and knelt at the door of the Hall of Mental Cultivation on that day.

Su Peisheng saw the Third Prince and kindly advised: "Third Prince, the Emperor has been busy with state affairs recently. If you have nothing else to do, please go back first. When the Emperor is free, I will tell the Emperor that you have been here."

Su Peisheng is not a kind-hearted person. The reason why he went to persuade the Third Prince was that he was worried that this brainless Third Prince would anger the Emperor again, and then they would not have an easy life in the days to come.

(Su Peisheng: You say it’s easy for me? I can’t live peacefully for a few days. There are always those who are looking for death! (＠_＠;))

The Third Prince shook his head firmly and said, "Please tell Eunuch Su that I want to see the Emperor. If the Emperor really has something to do, I am willing to wait until he is done."

Seeing this, Su Peisheng could only sigh helplessly, walked into the hall and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Third Prince is outside the door asking to see you."

When the emperor heard that the Third Prince was outside the palace, his brows furrowed and he said with a hint of impatience, "Go tell him that I don't have time to see him!"

Su Peisheng sighed again and said, "Your Majesty, I have already told the Third Prince, but he insisted on seeing you."