Pei Qing was exhausted, drifting in and out of sleep. Half-asleep, she felt someone licking her again. “Qing’er, don’t sleep yet, okay?”
No matter how gentle and polite Pei Qing’s nature was, she didn’t feel like responding to the person beside her. Xiao Yuan was reluctant to withdraw, savoring the scent of her hair, and asked softly, “Shall we go again?”
If Pei Qing had the strength, she would have slapped his face. She kept her eyes closed, ignoring him, and as expected, he finally quieted down.
But the silence didn’t last long before she felt something was wrong. She quickly opened her eyes to look at him.
Seeing her eyes red and teary, Xiao Yuan hesitated. “Does it still hurt?”
Pei Qing squirmed a little.
He chuckled. “Then talk to me for a while.”
Pei Qing nodded, and Xiao Yuan withdrew. She blushed deeply, trying to get up.
Xiao Yuan immediately pulled her back, making her sit on his lap. Only then did he realize why she was so eager to get out of bed. But another thought crossed his mind—was she unwilling?
His hand tentatively rested on her flat stomach. “You… don’t want to be pregnant, do you?”
Pei Qing froze. “What?”
Xiao Yuan continued, “In the imperial family, having too many sons isn’t always a good thing. If you don’t want to have children, that’s fine. Having Xiao Ji'an is enough.”
Pei Qing sat quietly in his lap, thinking for a moment. She realized he must have misunderstood something.
“I’m not against it,” she said, lifting his face and looking into his eyes seriously. “As the empress, it’s my duty to ensure the continuation of the royal bloodline. I understand that.”
“In my view, it’s not about duty or obligation, Pei Qing. I would never force you.”
He had risked his life to be with her, and he would never allow her to suffer the same fate as Pei Wan, who had died in childbirth. Compared to her well-being, having children didn’t matter much.
Hearing this, Pei Qing’s heart softened, her eyes welling up with tears. She unconsciously entwined her fingers with Xiao Yuan’s, whispering, “I’m willing. If we could have another child like Ji'an, I would be more than happy.”
But Xiao Yuan frowned, seemingly hesitant. His camp was filled with men, from young boys to gruff soldiers, and he didn’t find any of them pleasing. They were always loud and rowdy, which annoyed him to no end.
“What’s wrong?” Pei Qing asked. “Don’t you like Ji'an?”
Xiao Yuan shook his head and earnestly told her, “I want a little princess, Pei Qing. Can you give me a sweet, obedient daughter?”
Seeing the serious expression on his face, Pei Qing couldn’t help but laugh. She wrapped her arms around his neck playfully. “And what if she isn’t sweet or obedient?”
“I’d still love her,” Xiao Yuan said, holding her close. “I’ll make sure our daughter lives freely and joyfully, and never endures the hardships you faced.”
With Xiao Yuan’s ascension to the throne, Pei Qing remained the empress, but the Pei family was the most cautious of all the officials. Anyone who was summoned to the imperial study on the first day of the new emperor’s reign would be scared out of their wits and lose sleep over it.
Xiao Yuan had only asked a few cold questions, but Master Pei Zhi Heng returned home that day and sold off his most favored concubine. He also sent his troublemaking illegitimate son, Pei Cheng, to be confined in a rural estate.
The concubine, who had often beaten and humiliated Pei Qing and her sister, met a miserable end. Although Pei Qing didn’t show much emotion on the surface, she spent a night kneeling before her sister’s spirit, talking to her.
As empress, no matter how much power she wielded, she couldn’t openly deal with her maternal family. If she did, she would be accused of misusing her authority and failing to live up to her role as the empress of the nation. So, she often wondered, what use was all that power if, in the end, she could only resign herself to saying, “Forget it”?
But Pei Qing hadn’t expected that Xiao Yuan would remember everything.
Xiao Yuan pulled the covers over them, noticing that she was about to cry again, and teased, “So, you’re just now realizing how good I am? I’m just too kind-hearted, that’s why that sickly emperor managed to manipulate me like this.”
Though he said it with a smile, the words from Xiao Yuan still tugged at her heart.
Pei Qing had initially struggled to understand, but after Xiao Yuan ascended the throne, she finally comprehended the meaning behind Xiao Jing’s final words to her.
“Pei Qing, let me be selfish just this once.” This sentence echoed in her mind.
After ascending the throne, Xiao Yuan faced a series of complex and thorny issues. There were ministers to deal with, some who needed to be placated and others who needed to be punished. Beyond the palace, remnants of the rebel forces were still at large, causing chaos among the people. Even farther afield, neighboring nations watched closely, waiting for the new emperor to falter so they could strike.
All of this fell on Xiao Yuan’s shoulders because of that final edict, turning what could have been a leisurely life back in Nanchuan into one of endless responsibility and burden.
But it allowed Ji'an to grow up peacefully in the palace, without fear of becoming a target.
Pei Qing gradually understood the selfishness Xiao Jing had spoken of.
Being emperor wasn’t necessarily the most desirable thing in the world. He didn’t want Xiao Ji'an to carry the burden of completing his unfinished ambitions, only to end up in poor health.
He had used Pei Qing as bait, decreeing that she would never be dethroned, to lure Xiao Yuan into staying in the capital forever, replacing Ji'an as the caged beast of the palace.
Xiao Jing had known Xiao Yuan would accept. Xiao Jing’s plans never failed.
But even he hadn’t accounted for everything, such as Pei Qing…
The more nonchalant Xiao Yuan appeared in front of her, the more Pei Qing felt a painful tightness in her heart. She didn’t know what to say, so she buried her face in his neck and quietly kissed him.
Yet, a seasoned warrior like Xiao Yuan was anything but careless. The moment her soft lips touched him, his hands began to wander.
Pei Qing straightened up and playfully scolded, “What are you doing?”
“The heavens can testify—it was you who stole a kiss from me first.” Xiao Yuan adjusted their position, holding her close. Pei Qing refused to admit it. “I did no such thing.”
Xiao Yuan, always quick with a response, went along with her. “Fine, fine, it was I who provoked the empress first. But our princess is important. Empress, would you be willing to endure this one more time?”
He always managed to tie everything back to their daughter. Pei Qing playfully covered his mouth. “What nonsense are you spouting?”
Xiao Yuan chuckled, removing her hand. “If you really want to shut me up, there’s only one way to do it.”
With that, he kissed her deeply and passionately.
The night was long.
The warmth in the Nining Palace promised an everlasting love.
[The End]
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