vrcanaries Chapter 404: Is it because you can't bear to part with him?
Chapter 404: Is it because you can't bear to part with him?
Bai Kui's face turned red.
Seeing that things were looking promising, Shen Shixi asked, "How is he?"
"He actually said he wanted to marry me!" Bai Kui stomped her foot, utterly ashamed.
Shen Shixi, still acting, slammed her hand on the table and roared, "What a Jiang Lingyou! What qualifications does he have? A mere imperial physician dares to ask for the hand of my most favored palace maid! This is outrageous!"
He comforted Bai Kui, saying, "Don't worry, I will definitely get justice for you."
Bai Kui panicked, "Your Majesty, what should you do with him?"
Shen Shixi said, "Of course he should be thrown into prison to be punished! How dare he harass my palace maids! He's got a death wish!"
Bai Ping was trying so hard to hold back her laughter.
Bai Kui was terrified and knelt down with a thud. "Your Majesty, this is not true. He did not harass me. I... I just... didn't know what to do... Physician Jiang is a gentleman. I don't blame him."
"He flirted with you, and he's still a gentleman?" Shen Shixi exaggerated deliberately.
Bai Kui shook her head. "No, he didn't harass me. He just wanted to marry me."
Shen Shixi asked, "Really? What do you think?"
Bai Kui then realized she had been tricked and glared angrily at Bai Ping, but dared not glare at the Empress.
Bai Ping laughed out loud, "Congratulations, Bai Kui, Her Majesty is finally going to marry you off!"
Bai Kui jumped to her feet, stomped her foot, and shouted angrily, "You, you're all bad people! Who wants to marry me?"
Her face flushed with embarrassment, and disregarding all manners, she turned and ran out.
Shen Shixi felt much better and was deeply moved. She held Bai Ping's hand and said...
"The Emperor said before that he would find you two good husbands. At that time, Dongjun and Xihe were still young. Later, I became pregnant with Fuguang and Wangshu. Then, they were still young. You are the old men I have been used to."
In the end, I've held you both back. Now Bai Kui has found her place, and Jiang Lingyou is a good person. What about you? What are your plans?
Tears streamed down Bai Ping's face as she shook her head. "This servant will not leave the palace. This servant wishes to stay with Your Majesty for the rest of my life."
Shen Shixi said, "A person can't live for another person their whole life. If you're unwilling and don't want to get married, I can keep you in the palace forever, but you need to think it through. Don't you want to see the world outside the palace? Don't you want to find someone to try married life?"
It would be a lie to say she didn't want to experience it, but the thought of leaving the palace and never being able to stay by the Empress's side again made Bai Ping unwilling.
Shen Shixi also saw through it. She said, "You can't have your cake and eat it too. Why don't you try getting married first? If things don't work out in the future, you can get a divorce and then enter the palace?"
Is it still possible to do this?
Bai Ping looked at Shen Shixi with teary eyes, "But I haven't found a man I like!"
Shen Shixi chuckled, "That's easy. How about I help you pick one? If you're satisfied, you marry him; if not, you don't?"
Bai Ping hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Shen Shixi mentioned this to Li Yuanke, who thought for a moment and pointed to someone, namely Wen Zhaojie, the current commander of Luzhou.
Wen Zhaojie's letter was handed over. He had found evidence that Dou Qiansheng was Li Yunjue's alternate identity, and that the eldest princess had been sent to a Taoist temple to cultivate. This royal secret was passed on to Beisha Xiling by Dou Qiansheng through Luzhou.
It was then passed from Xiling to Beisha.
Currently, Dou Qiansheng is contacting the rebel Xie Qingguang, who is the son-in-law of the Right Minister of Japan, to contact Japan, Goguryeo, and Baekje to launch an invasion of Silla, a vassal state of the Great Zhou.
With Silla invaded, the Great Zhou could not possibly turn a blind eye. In order to display its glorious national prestige, the emperor would surely issue an edict to launch an expedition.
The last emperor of the previous dynasty launched three campaigns against Goguryeo, all of which ended in failure, wasting resources and causing immense suffering to the people. Eventually, various uprisings broke out, bringing the country to the brink of collapse.
Shen Shixi and Li Yuanke both knew what the other was planning. Li Yuanke didn't care, saying, "At worst, I'll just lead another expedition in person."
Shen Shixi glanced at him. "Don't even think about it!"
Li Yuanke laughed, picked her up, sat on the throne, and placed her on his lap. "Listen to the Empress's arrangements! What's wrong? Now that you've married me, you forbid me from personally leading the army? What's going on?"
Are you reluctant to part with him?
"Oh, back then I was just a concubine. After you died, I changed my appearance and wandered the world, not recognizing anyone. Now, if you're on the battlefield, I'll have to be a widow for life, raising the crown prince. By the time he ascends the throne, I'll be too old!"
Li Yuanke was furious and picked her up to throw her away.
Shen Shixi hugged his neck and kissed him on the cheek. "I was afraid the children would miss you too much, Li Yuanke. I was so worried about you when you personally led the army for months."
"Really?" Li Yuanke didn't believe a word of it.
"Really!" Shen Shixi nodded earnestly. "Don't you believe me?"
Li Yuanke thought to himself, "If I believed you, I'd be a fool."
Considering that this bastard has given him four babies, Li Yuanke doesn't want to argue with her, regardless of whether she's lying to him or not.
The main problem is that if he really got into a fight, he'd probably die of anger even faster.
He tapped her nose and warned, "Remember what you said; you'd better actually care about me."
Shen Shixi didn't care whether he questioned her or not, and snuggled into his arms. "Li Yuanke, ever since you had the baby, you've neglected me. How dare you say that to me!"
Li Yuanke's heart softened instantly. Compared to before when they didn't have children, they were indeed spending less time on each other now.
The children weren't around, so he bent down and kissed them.
After a while of tender entanglement, Li Yuanke's voice became hoarse. "When the Crown Prince grows up, I will take you to live in the imperial palace and leave Fuguang and the others to the Crown Prince."
"You said it!" Shen Shixi mimicked him, tapping his nose lightly. "Remember what you said."
Li Yuanke smiled, lowered his head and kissed her again. He couldn't resist and picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.
Several years later, the Emperor and Empress were doing *that* in broad daylight again. Li Fude was almost caught off guard. Bai Ping rushed over and closed the palace door. Li Fude also hurried outside to keep watch, lest a few firecrackers rush over and startle the Emperor and Empress.
Although the two of them have done it quite a bit in recent years, it has always been at night, and sometimes it's all in a rush. Today, however, they both seem to be in the mood.
……
The birth of four children brought about some changes in Li Yuanke. He shed the frivolous and irreverent attitude that was deeply ingrained in him when he was young, and became more composed and charming.
Afterwards, Shen Shixi lay paralyzed on the bed and reached out her hand to Li Yuanke.
Li Yuanke didn't want to move, so he turned over and faced away from her. "Go wash yourself."
"No, Li Yuanke, you bastard! You used it and then threw it away. Don't even think about using it again!"
Li Yuanke chuckled, "I can hold back, but can you?"
Shen Shixi rolled her eyes. It was as if she were some kind of lecher. "Oh, if I couldn't resist, I wouldn't go find ten or eight more?"
Enraged, Li Yuanke grabbed her and lifted her up, threatening, "Say one more word, and I'll kill you!"
Shen Shixi, as if she were deaf and blind, leaned on his shoulder and said, "I'm sleepy, I'm tired, I need to take a shower!"