After the spring began, Zhao Hua embarked on her first "incognito inspection tour" in six years of governance.
Unlike previous emperors,
Zhao Hua did not journey to the rivers and lakes of Jiangnan to enjoy peace and prosperity through a southern tour,
instead, she went to Mongolia and then to the North Tribe,
finally, she even went to Zhuyin, a place she had never set foot in before.
Nowadays, the emperor of Zhuyin is the younger brother of Jiang Muye.
When Zhao Hua arrived, she saw that Zhuyin City was filled with beautiful sunflowers in bloom, which she found rather rare,
so she asked, "Zhuyin is known for its abundant blood-red coral production. It's not easy for sunflowers to thrive here. Why go to such lengths to plant them here?"
The emperor explained, "This is my elder brother's wish. My elder brother once had a beloved woman named Shang Yang. Many years ago, for reasons unknown to others, Shang Yang left her hometown and never returned. After my brother ascended to the throne, he ordered the planting of sunflowers throughout the country, hoping that in his lifetime, he could welcome back the woman he loved."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Hua was slightly astonished,
"Your elder brother has countless wives and concubines, yet he is so devoted to another woman?"
The emperor smiled mysteriously, "It's all arranged by Father Emperor. If my brother truly desired it, how could he remain married for so many years without a single child?"
The emperor's words made Zhao Hua tremble involuntarily,
all along, she had thought that Jiang Muye was nothing but a heartless man.
In her eyes, if Jiang Muye truly loved Shang Yang, how could he bear to send her to a foreign land to serve as a spy for so many years?
But now that she was in power, Zhao Hua gradually understood
that in life, there are not only romantic entanglements, but also the greater causes of family and country,
born into the royal family, the fate of the people hangs on one's decisions day and night,
to sacrifice one's love for the sake of the world is admirable and worthy of praise,
yet those who utter such words may never bear a burden comparable to that of those in power.
Just like Jiang Muye,
he owed Shang Yang a lifetime of apologies,
yet he had never let Shang Yang down.
Strolling leisurely, Zhao Hua plucked the most beautiful sunflower she could find,
holding it in her palm, facing the sunniest spot, she smiled and sighed,
"This flower is beautiful, and I quite like it."
*
During this inspection tour, amidst the frequent stops, Zhao Hua didn't need to worry about taking care of the children; instead, the children took care of her more.
Ruoxin has grown into a young lady now, and Cheng Ye is twelve this year, just as sensible as his older brother.
These two siblings also had insightful views on political matters,
especially Ruoxin, who stood out even more in this regard.
()
However, as Cheng Ye grew older day by day, Ruoxin also became more reserved, no longer as outspoken as before.
One day, while Zhao Hua was reviewing memorials in her chamber,
she saw Ruoxin bringing her a calming drink, prompting Zhao Hua to pause and smile at her, saying,
"Mother heard that you handled the Yun City snow disaster very well a few days ago. Several ministers praised you in their reports. Why didn't you mention it to me?"
This was a good thing, but unexpectedly, Ruoxin timidly replied,
"These matters should have been dealt with by my younger brother. It's presumptuous for a daughter to take credit..."
"Usurpation? How could it be usurpation when you're also the Empress's child, sharing the burden of court affairs with her?"
"But my brother is a man, and he's likely to be the future heir. Many matters should rightfully be his to experience."
Zhao Hua finally understood her daughter's thoughts, so she embraced her and said gently,
"The throne of the Qi Dynasty, after the Empress, is for the capable. If you prove to be more outstanding than your brother, who's to say the heir won't be you someday?"
At these words, a gleam of joy flashed in Ruo Xin's eyes.
"Really? Does Mother mean that I'll have a chance in the future to govern the country like you, for the welfare of the people?"
Zhao Hua nodded lightly. "Of course."
"Mother, rest assured, I will work hard. I won't disappoint you or the people of the realm!"
Seeing Ruo Xin's earnest expression, Zhao Hua gently stroked her forehead and smiled silently.
For the final leg of her inspection tour, Zhao Hua decided on the Qinling Mountains.
It was the resting place of the loyal Ning family.
On this day, Zhao Hua didn't allow anyone to accompany her, instead, she bought two pots of fine wine and went alone to the ancestral tomb of the Ning family at the foot of the Qinling Mountains.
It was her first time personally sweeping Ning Wanshuang's grave.
After cleaning the tombstone, Zhao Hua sat leaning against it,
two pots of wine,
one poured out before Ning Wanshuang's grave, the other she drank herself.
Countless nights, Zhao Hua would dream of Ning Wanshuang,
In her dreams, her sister Wan would always be young,
always so carefree, so bright, and would even roll her eyes at her during conversations.
Now Zhao Hua thought of her past appearance and couldn't help but smile,
"Wan Sister, can you see it? This realm now is the one you longed for. I know you will see it."
"Someday the history books will paint me as a villain for seizing power. Perhaps in the eyes of future generations, I'm just a calamity for the country and the people. But so what? I know what I'm doing, and that's enough."
"Wan Sister, on the day you poisoned Xiao Jingheng, everyone said you were foolish, but I know you were fighting with your last breath to protect me, to protect all the concubines who rose up against the unjust imperial power. You also... fulfilled yourself."
Having drunk the wine to the dregs,
slightly intoxicated, Zhao Hua rose slowly,
recalling the past, only to sigh deeply, then laughed heartily,
"Wan Sister, you've protected me so much in this life. If there's another life, call me sister, and let me protect you well for once, alright?"
As the sky darkened, a cold wind rose in the mountain stream.
Zhao Hua bowed three times in front of the grave before turning to leave.
In a trance, she suddenly heard a familiar female voice behind her,
That voice was bright and carefree, lifting its tone to call her,
"Zhao'er?"
Startled by the voice,
she turned her head, and in the blink of an eye, millennia had passed.
End of text.
The process of Zhao Hua's ascension to the throne, which could have been elaborated on for another four or five hundred thousand words, could have been completed by the end of the winter break. However, I feel that if I were to describe it in detail, this text would somewhat shift from a female-oriented novel to a male-oriented one.
Therefore, sticking to the principle of avoiding unnecessary words throughout the entire text, I will simply provide a brief description of the entire process based on their pleasing narratives, without adding too many extra words.
As for the extra chapters, I will list the names of the characters with higher demand below. You can comment after the name of the character you want to see, and I will write based on the character with the most comments.
Then, the extra chapters are expected to be updated in October or later, as I intend to write independent stories for them, which may require some reconsideration.
Darlings who want to read the extra chapters can leave the book on the shelf for now. If the book is still on the shelf, you will be notified when the extra chapters are updated.
There are approximately nine directions for the extra chapters. After the voting is completed, I will select two or three to write based on the results of the vote.
Or if you have any particular preferences, you can also leave a comment under the "other" option. I will read all comments and if there are suitable ones, I will write accordingly.
Below are the voting comments:
1. Zhao Hua
2. Xiao Jingheng
3. Ning Wanshuang
4. Tong Rongyue
5. Xiao Jingyan
6. Shang Yang
7. Empress Dowager
8. Chenghuan, Cheng Yu, Cheng Ye, Ruo Xin
9. Past events (the harem before Zhao Hua entered the palace)
10. Other
Well, it's time to say goodbye~ [In a whisper: "If you haven't written a comment by now, hurry up and leave one for me, don't make me cry for you on such a good day!"]
Thank you all for your companionship over the past six months. As for the new book...
Since I have never written contemporary fiction before, there is a high probability that the new book will be a contemporary short story, expanding into a new field!
It is estimated that it will be launched in mid-October or early November. If fate allows, let's meet again in the future!
Best wishes,
Yi Jian Sheng Cai Miao
January 18, 2023 — August 30, 2023
To be continued.
