But now that the Empress Dowager had calmed down, it seemed that Her Majesty had become even more sensitive. Forget about a harmonious relationship; even when the Emperor came to the palace, he had to be polite and cautious.
"Qingcao, do you know? In the past, Mother and Grandmother always said I was a bit slow-witted, but I didn't think so. I could memorize military books faster than my elder brother since I was a child," Su Wan'er recalled her thoughts in the past few days.
"However, it wasn't until a few days ago when Xiao Jiu said she wanted to marry me that I realized I was truly slow-witted. I never thought about who I would like or what kind of person I should like. But in these past few days, I've finally figured it out."
It was because my family wanted me to marry here and become the Empress that I married Si Junlin. But if I could choose for myself, I would never marry him.
Qingcao was greatly shocked, both by her certainty and her straightforwardness.
"Your Majesty, why are you so sure? The Emperor is a remarkable figure... What's wrong with him?"
"He's not good. He just isn't. Maybe he is a remarkable figure with advantages everywhere, but precisely because he is the Emperor, he is too bound by rules."
"Too bound by rules?" Qingcao was puzzled. The rules in the palace weren't set by the Emperor. Moreover, just look at how many rules the Emperor had broken for Her Majesty in these past few days.
"Maybe in your eyes, and in the eyes of everyone in the palace, he is indeed good to me. But perhaps it's just because I am his Empress."
Rather than being an Empress, I prefer to go to the battlefield. I will never forget the feeling of fighting side by side with my elder brother and father on the warhorse. But Si Junlin flatly refused. If he really cared about me, would he be afraid of me going to fight a war? I've fought so many battles since I was a child.
"Yes," Qingcao sighed. Her Majesty had grown up on the battlefield since childhood.
"By the way, Your Majesty, do you remember? There was actually a person who was the complete opposite of the Emperor at that time," Qingcao suddenly remembered and laughed.
"Hmm?" As time passed, Su Wan'er was really a bit confused.
"General Gu's youngest son!" Qingcao said loudly. "Your Majesty, don't you remember? He was originally the third-place finisher in the imperial examination, but he just wanted to go to war with Your Majesty and the Great General. So he was appointed a small vanguard general and always followed Your Majesty and the Great General."
When Qingcao said this, the scene at that time seemed vividly before Su Wan'er's eyes.
Indeed, Brother Jingtian was originally a gentle scholar, but he had a heart for the battlefield. He was really the complete opposite of Si Junlin.
"Yes, I wonder how Brother Jingtian is now?" Su Wan'er suddenly missed her family, her father and elder brother, and Brother Jingtian at that time.
"Your Majesty doesn't know? General Gu's youngest son is now the deputy general of the Great General. Every time there is a banquet in the palace, although he never comes, I secretly have feelings for him and always ask about him."
"Really? He has become so powerful. I thought he was only good at writing poems," Su Wan'er couldn't help being surprised. Her elder brother was always strict with himself. For someone like Brother Jingtian who was originally an old acquaintance, if he wanted to be promoted to deputy general, he must have real skills to avoid suspicion.
As time passed, Si Junlin increasingly felt that Su Wan'er seemed to be deliberately avoiding him.
One day, he deliberately added some dishes to her bowl again. Who would have thought that Su Wan'er would clearly refuse to eat this time.
Si Junlin put down his chopsticks, took a long breath, and suppressed the impatience in his heart.
"Wan'er, what do you mean? Have I treated you badly?"
Su Wan'er was calm, but looked listless.
"No, how dare I complain that Your Majesty is not good? Your Majesty wants me to be a well-behaved Empress in the palace, so I'll just be a delicate Empress."
Si Junlin actually vaguely guessed the crux of the matter. Su Wan'er wanted to go to the battlefield, but he had flatly refused.
"Wan'er, you are now the Empress of the Great Jin. I can grant you anything except going to the battlefield. Please stop making trouble, okay?" This woman, how on earth should I treat her to capture her heart? Her heart never seems to be with me.
"Yes, the Empress of the Great Jin should dress beautifully every day for the Emperor to admire and give birth to an heir for the Emperor to end her life." Su Wan'er said sarcastically.
"Just a few days ago, I was reading a book and accidentally saw the saying 'Those who rely on their looks can only be favored for a short time'. I remembered that when I was young, my father and elder brother taught me so carefully and finally taught me to be familiar with military books and understand a bit of military strategy. But now I have to waste my time in the palace. It's really not worth it." After boldly saying this, she originally thought that Si Junlin would definitely be angry. If he was angry, so be it. At worst, she would fall out with him.
"Ah..." Who would have thought that the next second she would be suddenly picked up.
"Giving birth to an heir. It seems the Empress still remembers this responsibility. Then I'll let you fulfill this responsibility today," Si Junlin's eyes showed a look she had never seen before, as if filled with desire.
Su Wan'er was completely panicked and terrified.
"Si Junlin, what do you mean? Don't act recklessly. I'm warning you... You can't beat me."
"Wan'er... I don't want to wait any longer. I clearly married you as my Empress. Why can't I do what I should do?" After saying that, Si Junlin walked towards the couch.
She never thought he would really come up. Su Wan'er struggled with him in a panic. Even though she had good martial arts skills, she didn't gain the upper hand. The main reason, Su Wan'er thought, was that Si Junlin was shameless!
"Si Junlin, what are you doing? Are you crazy?"
Maybe he thought she looked especially beautiful when she was angry, or maybe he was really shameless. Si Junlin seemed to be getting more and more aggressive.
The matter finally ended with Si Junlin being beaten out of the Empress's palace...
At noon the next day, after the court session, feeling guilty that she might have really hurt Si Junlin yesterday, Su Wan'er came with a food box she had made herself to apologize. After all, in this imperial palace, she still had to rely on him in the future, right? Fang Xi went in to report.
With the thought of not being a hero and suffering losses, Su Wan'er squeezed out a smile bravely.
But just as she was about to go in, she saw a familiar figure.
"Brother Jingtian?!" Su Wan'er threw the food box on the spot and stepped forward to call out affectionately and excitedly.
Fang Xi, who saw this scene as soon as he came out, almost dropped his jaw. He had just told the Emperor that Her Majesty felt guilty and had come specifically to apologize for yesterday's incident.
"Xiaowan?" Gu Jingtian's heart skipped a beat. His Xiaowan... was now so radiant. He rarely saw her wearing women's clothes before. Now, she was so beautiful.
"Why did Brother Jingtian come to the palace?" Su Wan'er couldn't suppress her long - held longing and immediately stepped forward to hug him.
But before she could hug him, a voice came from the door of the imperial study, "It was I who summoned him!"