The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 129 Flowering Season
The next day, at mid-morning.

Xiao Yi walked out of the main gate and saw Xi Hou and Lü Chou sneaking around in a corner talking. He stepped over.

The two were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't even notice him.

"Tieya said he saw the general inspecting the palace gates, so he may have really been on guard all night."

"It seems that Iron Fang also knows about this and is covering for the general."

Is he tight-lipped?

"It's better to worry about what the Empress's people say."

“We two must keep this a secret,” said the little monkey. “You’re too careless. The moment I saw you put the phoenix crown in the general’s office, I knew you knew about it…”

"General Xiao!"

Suddenly a shout was heard, and Xihou and Lü Chou turned around and saw Xiao Yi, and were shocked.

Wang Yan rushed over and said, "The Empress requests your presence."

Xiao Yi, however, had not slept all night and was extremely tired. He ignored the warnings, finished his official duties first, sent someone to deliver the edict of succession to Wang Jun, returned to his duty room, and fell asleep immediately.

When I woke up it was already afternoon, and Wang Yan was still outside the door.

What are you doing here?

"This old servant has no orders to give, and will await your instructions, General."

"Take me to Taiping Palace..."

As a royal nunnery, Taiping Palace was reasonably well-equipped, separated from the palace city only by a lake. Its vermilion walls stood tall, and the front hall consisted of two Buddhist halls from which the chanting of nuns could be faintly heard.

Xiao Yi did not go inside, but went straight to the residences provided for the two palaces at the back. Although it was far inferior to the palace, it was neat and clean.

After looking around, he instructed, "Add a carpet and a dressing table, repair the windows and coffins, and move two plum trees to the courtyard."

"Yes, General, that's very kind of you. Should we also take a look at the Empress's side?"

Xiao Yi did not show favoritism. When they arrived at the Empress's residence, which was separated by the courtyard wall, he said, "Place another bronze mirror and a wardrobe, so that people will not feel that Your Excellency is mistreating the former dynasty's family."

"Yes."

Having familiarized himself with the environment, he personally arranged for guards, selecting Sun Zhong, the third commander of the left wing of the Imperial Guards. He chose Sun Zhong because he was incompetent, making it easier for him to find a way to send Li Hanmei away later.

This was simply because he wanted to do it, and had nothing to do with last night.

The day passed just like that. It was already evening when Xiao Yi returned to Xuanwu Gate. After washing up, he hesitated for a moment, but did not go to see Li Hanmei. Instead, he returned to his duty room and went to bed early.

He thought to himself that given their vastly different social statuses, it would be quite difficult for them to stay together for long. Besides, based on his habits from his previous life, it was common for them to please each other for a night and then go their separate ways.

However, a small incident made him feel sorry for Li Hanmei, and that night, he recalled this incident in his dream.

The plum blossoms under the cliff were in full bloom when he was about to pick them, but she grabbed his hand.

"Don't."

"Ok?"

"I don't like that."

He then stopped what he was doing.

She pressed closer and asked, "You're not in a hurry, does that mean you don't like me?"

"In these situations, both people have to be comfortable."

"You can feel good about this?"

"When the water flows, the channel will naturally be formed."

Xiao Yi then realized that she had been taken away when she was a young girl, and even though she was the empress, she was only simple and brutal and fearful in some matters.

But he knew what joy was.

As a result, the plum blossoms bloomed even more profusely, their beauty lingering.

A beautiful dream.

After waking up, Xiao Yi rubbed his face with snow and, as usual, reviewed and drilled his troops at the drill ground, working up a sweat in the cold weather, until a messenger arrived, asking him to come to Kaifeng Prefecture for a meeting.

Upon arriving at the main hall of Kaifeng Prefecture, Wang Pu, weary from his journey, announced loudly, "Your Excellency has arrived at Gaomen Village outside Kaifeng City!"

"Can we enter the city today?"

"No, Your Excellency is overseeing the country in Gaomen Village for the past few days. He will enter the city and ascend the throne on the first day of the first month!"

"real?!"

Everyone in the hall, including Wang Jun, was extremely excited.

Wang Pu, unable to contain his excitement, asked, "Do you all know what the name of our country is?"

What is it?

Xiao Yi thought to himself, "It's 'Zhou,' it's a foregone conclusion." He had little interest in the matter.

"Excellent! Kings Wen and Wu of Zhou established the world through benevolent governance, and their 800-year-old dynasty serves as a model. The name 'Zhou' carries the auspicious sign of sage virtue!"

Wang Jun adopted an air of being in control, making endless arrangements. He wanted to bring all the civil officials to Gaomen Village, indicating that as long as Guo Wei stayed in Gaomen Village for one day, the central government of the country would be in Gaomen Village. After that, he began to work on the matter of Guo Wei's ascension to the throne.

Xiao Yi was not assigned any tasks; his only mission was to move the two palaces to Taiping Palace as soon as possible.

At this point, even Kaifeng City seemed deserted.

Having obtained a reason, Xiao Yi entered the palace again...

"Hmph, you're only coming to see me now."

Upon meeting, An Yuanzhen threw the clothes in her hand at him, but instead of hitting him, they emitted a fragrant aroma.

She wasn't really angry; a smile quickly appeared in her eyes. She beckoned him and said, "Come closer. I have a question for you: when Guo Que'er ascends the throne, will I become the Empress Dowager?"

"The matter of bestowing the title of 'Prince of Nanyang' upon your father has been settled. After a while, when no one cares anymore, we will send you back to Xiangzhou."

Will you take me there?

"Probably not."

"Hmph, I don't recognize anyone else. You've already replaced the entire Imperial Guard."

"Rest assured, I will ensure the Empress's safety."

"Now that I've moved to Taiping Palace, can I go shopping in the streets of Kaifeng?"

"I will escort the Empress to Taiping Palace early tomorrow morning, after which I will no longer be in charge. This humble general takes his leave."

"Who gave you permission to leave? At a time like this, I'm both bored and scared. As the Inner Palace Guard, shouldn't you protect me?"

"It is inconvenient for this humble general to remain in the palace for long. How about this, let Wang Yan stay and await the Empress's instructions..."

Leaving Wang Yan in Kunning Palace, Xiao Yi finally went to the West Palace.

In the courtyard, the winter plum blossoms were still in full bloom. Inside the hall, several palace maids were tidying up, and the beautiful head lady-in-waiting was also there.

Li Hanmei sat upright. When she saw him arrive, she instructed, "You all go out first. Awan, you keep watch."

"Yes."

The female official in charge of etiquette glanced in this direction, then left, closing the palace gate behind her.

Li Hanmei said calmly, "General Xiao, aren't you afraid I'll ambush you and kill you today since you didn't come in armor?"

"Willing to die."

"How dare you offend the Empress Dowager!"

Seeing that she was still putting on airs, but her ears were already red, Xiao Yi took off his boots, stepped onto the carpet, and sat down.

"I wonder how this humble general has offended the Empress Dowager?"

"You dared not come to see me yesterday."

In short, the person is already in my arms.

A faint fragrance of plum blossoms lingered around my nose.

I first tried two pieces of plum blossom paste, which seemed to have wine added to them, and I felt a little tipsy.

After a while, Li Hanmei took a breath, raised her eyes and gazed at Xiao Yi, her eyes filled with a deep affection that seemed to melt away the harsh winter.

“Yesterday, I waited for you all day, but then I thought, I am different from those young girls. How could a woman who governs the country cling to you? You can rest assured, after one night of pleasure, if you do not wish to see me again, there will be no entanglement.”

"it is good."

Xiao Yi deliberately agreed.

Li Hanmei was indeed not delicate, and asked, "Is everything arranged for today?"

"That's it."

"I've made all the arrangements. Would you like to stay the whole night?"

"it is good."

"Go behind the screen."

The inner hall was elegantly decorated, but the luggage had already been packed, making it somewhat messy at the moment.

A plain-colored velvet carpet was laid on the soft couch, with a few half-open plum blossoms embroidered on the corners.

Xiao Yi placed her on the couch and removed her silk-soled shoes. With just this one action, Li Hanmei's eyes became misty with tears.

"It's too bright outside." "Then, shall we chat until tonight?"

"Come up."

Xiao Yi hadn't lain on such a comfortable bed in a long time.

Compared to yesterday's dragon throne, it was indeed too hard.

"Comfortable?"

"Warm and soft."

"Don't look at me, I have several bruises on my body from last night... What are you laughing at?"

"I'm laughing at how you act all high and mighty all the time, but you're like a child in private."

"so rude."

Who is older and who is younger?

"Don't say it."

"I will obey my orders."

"Xiao Yi".

"Ok?"

"come over."

"Aren't we supposed to wait until it gets dark?"

"I don't care."

"... "

The winter sun slanted through the paper window, and the light gradually dimmed.

Xiao Yi saw that the smoke from the incense burner was as thin as a wisp of smoke, and the strong fragrance of plum blossoms enveloped him.

When the moonlight shone down, the plum blossoms embroidered on the screen were so clear and translucent that they moved on their own without any wind, swaying almost all night long, as if trying to shake off all the petals.

His shaggy hair bun swayed incessantly, like a waterfall cascading down.

Last night, while I was drunk, I saw plum blossoms in full bloom; tonight, I'm drunk again.

He dreamt of falling into the clouds, initially feeling gentle. Then, a wild horse tried to overturn him several times. He followed the horse's rhythm, riding the waves and using his strength and skill to gallop across the vast snowfield, feeling exhilarated, until the horse could no longer run and rubbed against him, showing submission and affection.

Finally, I dreamt that I stumbled into a plum grove, where plum blossoms fell like rain, gently enveloping me.

The snow fell softly all night.

After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Yi felt a kiss on his cheek. The soft, delicate woman in his arms left, and he let out a soft groan as he got off the bed.

He was woken up by the noise, and, still sleepy, hugged the blanket and lay there for a while longer. Then, remembering that he still had to escort the emperor to Taiping Palace today, he got up.

Turning around the screen, I saw Li Hanmei sitting at the table, pouring herself a cup of wine and drinking it.

"I'm so thirsty, give me a drink too."

"Finished."

Xiao Yi was still sleepy, so he went over and sat down. Li Hanmei held his head, but didn't kiss him; she just gently stroked his back.

"Are we going to Taiping Palace today?"

"Don't worry, I've made arrangements. I'll pick you up in a while."

"Would you like me to have my eyebrows drawn?"

"it is good."

Xiao Yi actually doesn't know how to draw eyebrows.

But he simply picked up the eyebrow pencil and lightly swept it twice. Li Hanmei looked at his eyes in the bronze mirror and revealed a satisfied smile.

“I had imagined this scenario long ago, with my ideal husband drawing my eyebrows in front of the mirror. I never thought it would ever happen in my life.”

"I'm not very good at drawing, but luckily your eyebrows are beautiful."

"You're quite the talker. How can a man be so kind as to be like you? You have extraordinary ambition, are handsome, capable, and gentle... It's a pity I was born twenty years too early."

A few tears suddenly fell from Li Hanmei's eyes.

Xiao Yi was surprised.

He never thought she was such a gentle woman.

"Why are you unhappy?"

"No, I'm just so happy. I'm very content, really."

Li Hanmei held Xiao Yi's hand and wiped away the tears on her face.

She looked at him, a smile spreading across her face, her eyes filled with tenderness.

"To have my ideal husband wipe away my tears is something I've always wanted... Alright, it's time to go to Taiping Palace."

"it is good."

Xiao Yi found it strange to see Li Hanmei so inexplicably sad, so he could only try his best to be considerate of her.

Before they stepped out of the palace, he personally draped a fox fur cloak over her shoulders.

Xiao Yi said, "I'll go find an umbrella."

"Do not."

Li Hanmei grabbed him and said, "Before we leave, let's not be apart for even a moment, okay?"

"There is still a long time ahead."

"No."

"Okay, let's go."

As they left the hall, Li Hanmei still held his hand tightly.

Xiao Yi looked ahead at the many gates and knew that he would have to let go once he passed through the courtyard.

Li Hanmei stopped in the courtyard and murmured, "Once we leave this place, we will have to pretend to be ruler and subject, or enemies."

"It's only temporary."

Not even for now.

"They are waiting."

"Let them wait."

Xiao Yi became increasingly aware that something was wrong.

The next moment, Li Hanmei softly leaned against him.

"what happened to you?"

"Let's sit in this courtyard for a while and take another look at the wintersweet I planted."

"it is good."

Xiao Yi held Li Hanmei in his arms as they sat on the cold snow.

Snowflakes fall, and people wait outside the distant palace.

"If I'm still acting like this with you ten years from now, you'll definitely hate me, right?"

"We'll only know when we get there."

"I don't want to wait, I can't afford to wait, I hate it so much, I was born before you were born, and you were born after I was old."

"what happened to you?"

"Am I really not suited to reciting poetry? I've always wanted to compose poems with my ideal man since I was a child. I've been an empress dowager, and now I'm acting like a child with you. Isn't that ridiculous?"

"No, after we leave Taiping Palace, I'll accompany you to compose poetry."

"Can you compose poetry? Could you give me one?"

"In a few days."

"No, right now, I want it."

"it is good."

Xiao Yi couldn't recall the famous poem for a moment. He wiped away the snowflakes that kept falling on Li Hanmei's forehead, and a line that wasn't a poem came to mind.

"If we share the snow today, we can be considered to have grown old together in this life... I only have half a sentence for now, I'll finish it for you tomorrow."

"I really like it, I really, really like it."

"If you like, I have many more poems to recite to you slowly."

"No, I'm not greedy. I'd rather have nothing than something bad. I only want this half-sentence of true feelings and sincerity, not the three hundred poems of the Book of Songs."

As she spoke, a smile appeared on Li Hanmei's face, and she said in a low voice, "Do you know? I used to hate it so much, I hated that I had wasted my whole life, that twenty years of my life had been for nothing. But I understand now, it's better to have one unforgettable night than half a lifetime of mediocrity."

"Is there something wrong with that glass of wine?" Xiao Yi stood up, wanting to check the wine.

Li Hanmei squeezed his hand, pressed it peacefully against his chest, and whispered, "Meeting you has made me so content. I don't want to put you in danger, and I don't want you to dislike me later. Just remember me at my most beautiful..."

(End of this chapter)