That day, Si Junlin asked her if she lacked anything or wanted anything for her first New Year in the palace. She was originally trembling with fear, worried that she was not as skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting as other young ladies. However, at that time, the Su family was powerful, and she had been named a female general by the late emperor at an early age, so she had a bit of pride in her. Naturally, she couldn't mention vulgar things like gold, silver, and jade. So she wracked her brains and came up with the idea of sky lanterns.
Who would have thought that a few days later during the New Year, after the palace banquet, although half of the guests had left, most of the ministers were still drinking and enjoying themselves. Si Junlin called her out and in front of her, ordered the servants to carry out ten sky lanterns. They were all bright red, decorated with gold trim. So everyone who saw them that day, whether they were ministers or concubines, knew that this newly-enthroned empress was very much in the emperor's favor.
The clever part about this was that they were just ten paper lanterns. It showed thoughtfulness but had nothing to do with extravagance and waste. So, while the court praised her for her virtue, Si Junlin also gained a good reputation as a wise emperor.
But when she asked if the emperor had prepared the lanterns himself and if it had taken a lot of effort, Si Junlin actually told her directly that they were just made by the Inner Treasury according to the style of the Lantern Festival every year.
She clearly remembered that she had said at that time that she often made lanterns by herself at home, so she hoped that the emperor would make one for her.
At that time, it wasn't that he was too lazy to lie to her. It was from that moment on that he was secretly warning her to know her place. After that, she really, bit by bit, completely understood what her role as the empress was and what kind of existence she was. She also gradually realized that Si Junlin was on guard against her, clearly telling her that he would never fall in love with a woman like her, and warning her both openly and secretly not to have any feelings for him.
Tears just kept falling, as if they would never stop.
Gu Jingtian felt really heartache. He asked her the reason, but only got the answer that the past was too painful to recall.
"Warner, let the past go, okay?" Seeing her pick up a lantern, Gu Jingtian took out the prepared fire starter.
"Yeah... why can't the past just be over?" She was a military general who could command thousands of troops. How could she let such a small thing bother her?
"Do you like this lantern?" Every poem on it was his longing and yearning. He was afraid that Su Warner wouldn't understand, so he was ready to explain it to her in detail if she asked.
But unexpectedly, after they had released a dozen or so lanterns one after another, his straightforward younger sister didn't even look at the words, only at the pictures.
"What's this picture? It's not as nice as the previous ones." Su Warner picked up a lantern and examined it. After releasing so many lanterns, she felt that only Brother Jingtian was good to her, and her mood improved.
"Is it ugly?" Gu Jingtian looked at her with a smile.
"Yeah, it's quite ugly." Su Warner sighed sincerely.
"That's you. Don't you remember? When you were a child, when your grandmother combed your hair, you insisted that two braids didn't look as majestic as three. You were chubby and short at that time, so of course, this is what you looked like in the picture." Gu Jingtian tried hard not to laugh and seriously told her this.
"You... you're lying. Why don't I remember?" Three braids. How silly that would be. She was probably less than five years old at that time. Otherwise, being precocious by nature, she definitely wouldn't have said such a silly thing when she was a bit older.
"Warner, I remember every year, every day, and every thing about you. Since God has blessed me to be a few years older than you, allowing me to know everything about you from the very beginning, and we're so fated, why don't we let this fate continue?" Gu Jingtian finally couldn't hold back and expressed the long-accumulated palpitations in his heart. Over the years, he just felt that he had to do this, and it had become a habit. But when it came to the time to say it, he always hesitated a bit, not knowing how to start, or even whether he should.
"Brother Jingtian, I..." Su Warner, this wooden person who had never shown any signs of budding, finally wasn't too hopeless this time. After some hesitation, she didn't directly reject him. Because she thought that she had also loved someone in vain. To be honest, during these idle days, she had faintly felt that Brother Jingtian still had that kind of youthful passion for her, but she had never found a way to respond.
"Warner, if it weren't for that inexplicable imperial edict three years ago, we would have been a perfect match. I've been with you since you were three years old, and when I was thirteen, I told my grandmother that I would marry you when you grew up."
"Brother Jingtian!" Su Warner seemed to think that if she didn't stop him, it would be too late: "I'm not in the mood to think about this now. You should also look further afield and consider others."
"Okay, I won't force you. Anyway, you're back now. At most, I'll wait for a few more years. The war on the border has been going on for several years. We have plenty of time." Gu Jingtian always couldn't bear to let her be wronged in the slightest.
"I... Watch out!" Su Warner immediately pushed him to the ground, and they both lay on the ground. Somehow, so many Southern Border soldiers appeared on the opposite side. They were all holding crossbows, and arrows were flying towards them. They barely managed to dodge.
Both of them remained silent. Considering the current situation, since they were still within the border, the Southern Border soldiers naturally didn't dare to come over.
They slowly moved towards their own camp. After they were safe, Su Warner finally had the mind to put on the airs of a marshal: "General Gu, as the deputy marshal! Don't you even have this basic common sense? Don't you know where this is? How dare you release sky lanterns at the border between the two countries?!" She wondered what the Southern Border defenders would think. This was clearly a blatant provocation. They didn't take the other side seriously at all. No wonder the other side had shot arrows.
"Yes, the marshal is right. This subordinate is willing to accept the punishment." Gu Jingtian really had no way to deal with her carefree attitude.
But before Su Warner could figure out how to punish him, Gu Jingtian suddenly saw a dark figure.
"Who's there?" It wasn't a moonless and windy night tonight, and there was a bonfire dinner in the camp, so it was brightly lit. Where did this bold little thief come from?
Gu Jingtian took a few quick steps and was about to reach the person when Su Warner stopped him: "Hey, don't touch her."
"Warner, do you know her?" Gu Jingtian saw that the person also stopped running in a hurry, but she was clearly dressed like a Southern Border person.
"She's an old acquaintance. Brother Jingtian, go back first." Just from the back view, Su Warner could be sure that the person was Long Xiaojiu, her Xiaojiu.
"You, be careful." Gu Jingtian looked at her for a few more times and found that she was petite and had no weapons on her. She seemed really harmless. So he decided to walk a few steps away and secretly ensure Su Warner's safety.