Ning Yue, whose real name was Song Jinyu, hugged Zhongli Mingye tightly. Her eyes were brimming with tears. How could she forget the past and all the memories between them?
" Mingye..."
"You're such a fool!" Zhongli Mingye said with a smile. "Not at all. Having the best woman in the world by my side is the greatest fortune of my life."
Song Jinyu lay in his arms. This time, she didn't feel the excruciating headache. All she felt was a sense of daze... Meeting Zhongli Mingye was also her good fortune.
Qing Lian didn't return to the Empress Dowager. Empress Dowager Shu knew it well and started to chant Buddha more devoutly. She herself was reluctant to share the late emperor with others. Why should she repeat the same fate for Song Jinyu?
Not long after Qing Lian's incident, the gossips in the palace gradually died down. Under the tough measures taken by Lian Luo and Mi Cui, no more maidservants dared to dream of becoming a phoenix. After all, the deep affection between the emperor and the empress was truly enviable.
As Tianmen Mountain re - emerged in the world, medical clinics were springing up all over the Xia Dynasty. Under the leadership of Wen Sirong, many miraculous and affordable prescriptions were gradually spread.
It became cheaper for the people of the Xia Dynasty to seek medical treatment. Even the poor could afford to see a doctor when they were ill.
People all said that it was the current empress's advice that made Tianmen Mountain be highly regarded and become the number one medical sect in the world. Tianmen Mountain was no longer a mysterious and feared sect of poisons but a medical sect praised by people. In the following decades, tens of thousands of doctors and physicians were sent from Tianmen Mountain across the country.
The once - precious secret prescriptions were also spread to every corner of the Xia Dynasty. For a while, Wen Sirong became famous. At the same time, people were also grateful for the kindness of the benevolent empress.
"Senior Brother Sirong is really capable," Song Jinyu said as she was busy in the pharmacy. She heard the steady footsteps approaching her and said without raising her head.
"Are you satisfied then?"
Song Jinyu looked up and smiled. "Very satisfied! This man did all these just to make me happy."
She handed the pills to Zhongli Mingye. "I've modified the prescription of this miraculous medicine. You should take one more pill every day. The old injuries will heal."
In the past few days, Song Jinyu noticed that Zhongli Mingye coughed severely in the morning. After careful observation, she found that it was the old injuries. When the weather turned cold, it would affect his meridians.
Therefore, she had been busy refining this miraculous medicine for him these days. This was not the same kind of medicine the late emperor had taken.
Zhongli Mingye didn't want to be like the late emperor, who tried to prolong his life just to sit on the dragon throne for a few more days. He pulled Song Jinyu over. "I don't want to be a fatuous emperor."
"Nor do I want to be attached to the throne."
Da Yuanbao was growing up and gradually showing his talents. A few years ago, he was sent to Tianmen Mountain to study medicine. Song Jinyu attached great importance to the growth of her children.
She sent several of her children to Tianmen Mountain to be trained by Wen Sirong one after another. It was also to let them experience the hardships of the common people.
Now that Da Yuanbao had returned, Zhongli Mingye wanted him to supervise the state affairs so that he and his wife could go to the south of the Yangtze River for a visit.
"Yuan Xi and Yuan Yi should start their enlightenment education," said Zhongli Mingye. They were a pair of twins and were now three years old, at the age of playfulness. They pestered Song Jinyu all day long, which really gave Zhongli Mingye a headache.
Finally, with Da Yuanbao's help in handling the court affairs, Zhongli Mingye had some free time.
Who would have thought that when he got home, there were still two little kids around Song Jinyu. Yuan Ruo had grown up a bit and played with He Yi's daughter every day.
Zhongli Mingye's accusing look made Song Jinyu burst out laughing. "You're such a grown - up man. Are you still jealous of the kids?"
The two walked to the imperial garden, where the maids were busy collecting the morning dew.
This was also arranged by Song Jinyu. Now that she had nothing much to do, she took care of the food of her husband and children. She often studied some delicious dishes to reward them.
Occasionally, Lady Xiang and He Yi would enter the palace to accompany her, making the days even more interesting.
Her research on delicious food had a great impact. She had made Zhongli Mingye so picky that he wouldn't eat any dishes that were not cooked by her.
"Uncle got a little daughter the other day, but he didn't ask me to confer the title of princess on her," Zhongli Mingye casually told Song Jinyu the news of Ming Ruyi, so that she wouldn't always talk about Rong Shuang'er.
"Not bad! Ming Ruyi is really lucky!"
"Ji Yeliu and Zhong Yuanliu went to the frontier together."
What did that mean? Song Jinyu was a bit confused. Zhongli Mingye's eyes were unfathomable. This woman had been married for several years but still looked innocent.
Her delicate and fair skin was so alluring. Her beautiful eyes were full of charm when they fluttered. Her waist was so slender that it seemed it could be held with one hand. It was the end of spring now, and she had scented her clothes with rose.
There seemed to be something hidden deep in his eyes. Zhongli Mingye gritted his teeth and pulled her over. He whispered in her ear, "Didn't you say that Zhong Yuanliu doesn't like women?"
Ah?
Song Jinyu's eyes widened. Ji Yeliu! The elder brother of Yan Fei... Zhong Yuanliu actually had a crush on him!
No wonder he refused to enter the court as an official and just stayed in Gusu City and didn't come back.
"Maybe Ji Yeliu just regarded him as a bosom friend," Song Jinyu felt something strange.
A long time later, Ji Yeliu brought her many gifts from the desert. Song Jinyu asked him about this matter. Ji Yeliu just smiled but didn't say a word.
He was also very mysterious. "I'll leave you a riddle so that you won't be bored in the palace every day."
However, just when they were chatting happily in the imperial garden, Zhongli Mingye returned from the court. His steps were in a mess.
Every time Ji Yeliu came, Zhongli Mingye would always stay by Song Jinyu's side.
Ji Yeliu was helpless. It was just because he resembled Yan Fei that the emperor was so on guard against him...
Fortunately, over the years, the relationship between the two of them had been as stable as ever. Zhongli Mingye was really good to her.
So, he was relieved.
However, when he thought of the news of Xiao Xueyi, he couldn't help but sigh.
After Xiao Xueyi returned to Gusu City, he stayed at home and rarely went out. Lord Xueyi made the Xiao family famous, but Xiao Xueyi himself became even more low - key.
Tingran Pavilion became the largest imperial merchant in the Xia Dynasty, and its influence gradually expanded. But it was very active in paying taxes to the court. Almost more than half of its profits were given to the court to enrich the national treasury.
In the past ten years, Xiao Xueyi had lived in seclusion. Few people had seen him, and there was no news of his getting married or having children.
Ji Yeliu knew that he still had feelings for Song Jinyu.
Maybe it was because he once had the idea of using Song Jinyu as a bargaining chip that he couldn't forgive himself.
He originally wanted to tell Song Jinyu, but Zhongli Mingye guarded her so closely. These words had to be buried in his heart.
Maybe Xiao Xueyi also didn't want Song Jinyu to remember him anymore.
Outside Gusu City, the big ship of Tingran Pavilion docked. Xiao Xueyi walked forward step by step with a walking stick. In the past, Ning Yue would push his wheelchair and wait for the ship to dock.
Now, using Ning Yue's prescription, he had been able to walk on his own with the help of a walking stick in the past few years.
Xiao Xueyi still preferred to call her Ning Yue.
After all, he was the one who gave her this name. Her face was as fair as jade, and her aura was as gentle as the moonlight.
She would run on the river embankment, pick the fresh willow buds and hand them to him,
so that he could smell the fragrance of spring.
One wrong step led to a series of mistakes. No one needed to forgive him because she simply didn't care. But Xiao Xueyi couldn't forgive himself.
In Gusu City, there was a lot of news from the capital. Xiao Xueyi didn't listen to any of them. Only on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month every year would he send a jade ruyi to the capital,
hoping that she would have everything go smoothly and that they would always love each other! He hoped that their marriage would become a beautiful legend through the ages.
Zhongli Mingye would surely give her all the love in this prosperous age.
So, Xiao Xueyi was relieved. The mountains in the distance were rising and falling, but the legend was still unfolding like the continuous mountains and rivers.
"My lord, the emperor and the empress have arrived at the palace in Gusu City!"
His eyes were a bit absent - minded. After ten years of separation, was she coming?