A devoted emperor and a stubborn empress

Chapter One

"Xia'er, I'm taking her away!" This was purely an announcement, brooking no dissent.

Hearing the calm voice behind him, devoid of anger yet undeniably defiant

, Emperor Zhao Xinyang had no interest in the man's audacity.

He would rather disregard his imperial status and endure the man's harsh words, or even physical violence,

than hear these simple, emotionless six words.

He didn't turn around, his body remained motionless, as if he hadn't heard the words at all, offering

no response, simply maintaining the posture of tightly holding his beloved woman's small hand.

If not responding would prevent her from being taken away, he would rather become a stone statue, kneeling beside her bed, even

for a lifetime…

He Caixia, a woman who had unknowingly captured his entire heart.

At this moment, she lay quietly on the soft bedding, her delicate and beautiful features devoid of their usual vitality and healthy

radiance; her forehead, brows, and lips were shrouded in a pale, bluish gloom.

His growing affection and deep longing couldn't overcome the mistake he initially made.

Before even a quarrel or argument could occur, she stubbornly refused to give him a chance to explain or make amends,

not only abandoning his feelings but also her own precious life! Ignoring his pleas and pursuit,

she jumped into the moat behind the North Palace right before his eyes…

At that moment, he realized how much he loved her.

Losing her meant losing the meaning of life; rather than watch her go… he

jumped in without hesitation to follow her.

After a turmoil that shook the palace, he regained his will to live and rescued her from the deep

water .

Thanks to the emergency treatment of the imperial physicians, her life was no longer in danger. This was the greatest blessing and

mercy that Heaven could bestow upon him…

Zhao Xinyang gazed silently at the woman on the bed. Her breathing was so shallow it was almost imperceptible. Her frail

appearance filled him with fear and panic, fearing that she would never open her eyes again, never give him a chance to make amends for

the harm she had suffered.

He stared at her intently, unable to look away, not even daring to blink, afraid that she would

disappear in that instant…

Standing behind him was the cold, handsome man, He Lingxiao, her father—Prince Baozheng.

He Lingxiao was not only a nobleman with a hereditary title, but also one of the most important ministers in the court, and his chief tutor during his time

as a prince . Even after he assumed power, He Lingxiao was still

the second elder he truly respected from the bottom of his heart, besides his uncle who fulfilled his duty of raising his father.

Now… having hurt He Lingxiao's beloved daughter, how could he face He Lingxiao?

Although He Lingxiao's face remained expressionless, based on their years of teacher-student interaction, he knew very well that

a raging fire was burning fiercely deep within He Lingxiao's heart.

If it were anyone else today, not him, the emperor, He Lingxiao would have already brutally beaten

anyone who dared to harm He Caixia, instead of suppressing his overwhelming rage like this.

Waiting for Zhao Xinyang's response, He Lingxiao spoke again, "Although her life was saved because of you,

I cannot be grateful to you, because you are the one who caused her heartbreak and nearly killed her. Now that her life

has been saved, I absolutely cannot let her remain in the palace like a captive, nameless concubine."

He Lingxiao was not facing Zhao Xinyang as a subject or teacher, but as a

father defending his beloved daughter. Therefore, he disregarded the formalities between ruler and subject, and did not address Zhao Xinyang as "Your Majesty."

Although Zhao Xinyang disregarded his own safety and jumped into the dangerous water with He Caixia, proving his sincerity towards her,

he still did not deserve to be easily forgiven!

He Lingxiao's words cleaved the silence of the room like a sharp blade. His expression remained calm and composed, but his

anger was barely concealed. "You used utterly absurd reasons to forcibly bring Xia'er into the palace, selfishly venting your

anger over Bingya's search for another man on Xia'er, using her to take revenge on Bingya, using her to compensate for your supposedly wounded male pride

..."

He Lingxiao had more accusations he wanted to utter, but he swallowed them back, for what was done was done,

and further words would be futile.

Zhao Xinyang was the king he had painstakingly nurtured, and He Caixia, lying in bed, was his only beloved daughter.

They had once had the chance to have each other and a bright future.

But the one who linked their fates was another woman—He Bingya, He

Caixia's aunt, his own sister. He Lingxiao's head throbbed at the thought of this chaotic mess. Niece,

aunt and the same man… how could he possibly unravel this complex web of relationships?

"Forget it, what's done is done. Further investigation won't change anything. Perhaps you and Xia'er are destined

to be entangled, leading to this situation. You are indeed fated, but I don't believe Xia'er needs to suffer so much in

this relationship. She doesn't need to repay this debt of love for Bingya. She deserves to be cherished wholeheartedly

… If you truly believe someone owes you something, it should be Bingya, not Xia'er." He Lingxiao's

tone was filled with suppressed resentment, simply because Zhao Xinyang had almost caused him to lose his beloved daughter.

Every word he uttered felt like a branding iron and a sharp blade, burning and piercing Zhao Xinyang's heart. The increasingly

intense heartache made it difficult for him to breathe, and an uncontrollable tremor emanated from the deepest part of his body.

At this moment, Zhao Xinyang didn't look much better than He Caixia, even more haggard than the frail He Caixia

. His tall and handsome figure had lost its usual vigor and elegance; his listless expression was filled with lingering

fear and self-blame.

"I love her, I love Xia'er..." Zhao Xinyang was willing to let go.

After utterly hurting her and almost killing her, wasn't it too late to say he loved her now? Zhao Xinyang's

confession was met with He Lingxiao's disdain.

"Love?" He Lingxiao sneered, "Trying to treat her as a substitute for Bingya, is that how you love her? Xia'er doesn't need

this kind of love. She is my daughter, He Lingxiao's daughter. Even if you are the emperor, you cannot treat

her like this!"

This was an accusation, a statement of Zhao Xinyang's crimes.

"No, I didn't treat her as a substitute for Bingya! Maybe that was it at first, but later I truly loved her."

"I slept with Xia'er..." He realized too late who he truly loved. His childhood friendship with He Bingya

led him to mistakenly believe it was love.

His belated realization, however, tragically harmed the woman he loved most!

"Don't take her away! I'll immediately draft an edict to make Xia'er Empress."

"You think she cares about that? It's too late..." He Lingxiao approached Zhao Xinyang, standing behind him and pressing his hand

on his shoulder. "The damage has been done. You will ultimately pay the price for your mistakes. Fortunately, Xia'er is still

alive, so you should be thankful that the price you're about to pay isn't a lifetime of regret—"

He Lingxiao couldn't finish his sentence; Zhao Xinyang's fierce growl drowned out his voice. "No!" "I really

know I was wrong. From now on, I will treat her well. Please don't take her away. I can't live without her..."

He was willing to admit his mistake. Although he was still holding He Caixia's hand, he felt that he could no longer hold onto her; she

was about to slip through his fingers.

After experiencing the heart-wrenching pain of almost losing her, he was unwilling to be separated from her for even a moment longer.

For He Caixia, Zhao Xinyang's innate kingly domineering aura and unruly arrogance had completely vanished.

Seeing this, He Lingxiao sighed silently in his heart.

To be honest, seeing Zhao Xinyang so depressed and suffering from heartbreak, he also felt reluctant

! Moreover, his daughter was now Zhao Xinyang's woman; the chains of fate had already bound them together...

"

I will not hinder her destined future." He Lingxiao finally relented. Although he was He Caixia's father,

he had no right to destroy his daughter's potential happiness, not for any other reason than his pity for her.

He understood Zhao Xinyang, whom he had raised with his own hands. If Zhao Xinyang dared to say he loved Xia'er, he truly loved

her and it wasn't a lie. After Zhao Xinyang's repentance, he would never dare to neglect Xia'er again, so he could absolutely entrust his daughter to Zhao Xinyang with peace of mind—frankly, he believed no one was more suitable for his stubborn daughter

than Zhao Xinyang . 　　However, he felt unwilling to let Zhao Xinyang off so easily; his daughter couldn't suffer ! Therefore, He Lingxiao decided to maintain his original plan, separating Zhao Xinyang and He Caixia for a period of time as punishment. 　　Just as Zhao Xinyang thought he had gained He Lingxiao's understanding, but before he could even feel at ease, He Lingxiao's voice rang out again— 　　“But I insist on interfering in her present, and you cannot stop me, much less have the right to interfere. This is my right as Xia’er’s biological father.” Making things difficult for his son-in-law is a father-in-law’s duty, just as he had said earlier. Zhao Xinyang could be forgiven, but he would have to pay a price. 　　He Lingxiao said to the king he swore allegiance to, “I have asked the Imperial Advisor to use a spell to seal all . When she wakes up, she will no longer remember that she ever loved you, and she will forget everything that caused her pain and sorrow. 　　” He Lingxiao continued without pausing for breath, not giving Zhao Xinyang a chance to speak, “I know you have studied spells with the Imperial Advisor, but you'd better not try to break the spell. The spell I had the Imperial Advisor cast has a backlash. Unless Xia’er remembers your past on her own, no matter what unspelling method is used, it will damage Xia’er’s brain.” 　　This was a very effective warning. 　　Zhao Xinyang could hurt himself at all costs, but he would never dare to joke about He Caixia’s safety— the forgetting of his beloved would be the most painful punishment for him. 　　"Forgot...she forgot me?" Zhao Xinyang murmured softly, her heart aching. Forgotten him meant he no longer existed in her memory ... The excruciating pain made his voice broken and hoarse. 　　He Lingxiao only wanted to take his daughter back under his wing and cherish her, so he ignored . "I will take Xia'er back to the palace to recuperate. For the next six months, you are not allowed to see her even once. Think carefully and calmly about whether you can cherish her for the rest of your life. If not, then never bother her again. Consider it a debt she owed you in her past life, so she has to suffer this calamity... 　　"In addition, I believe the imperial physician should have told you that after Xia'er fell into the water, her body was invaded by the cold, causing permanent damage. She may not be able to conceive in the future. As the ruler of a country, you bear the mission of continuing the royal bloodline. If you can truly accept her like this, then after six months, you will take responsibility and start over, making her fall in love with you again." " 　　Although He Lingxiao had confidence in Zhao Xinyang, in order to avoid his daughter being hurt again in the future, there were some things he had to say upfront: if Zhao Xinyang dared to hesitate even slightly, he would keep Xia'er in the Prince's mansion to raise for the rest of her life, and would never let her suffer the slightest grievance. 　　"I only want Xia'er, I don't care about anything else." Zhao Xinyang didn't loosen his grip on He Caixia's hand, his eyes filled with tenderness, self-reproach, and deep love. He gazed intently at He Caixia's pale face, knowing he wouldn't see her for half a year, and every last glance was precious… 　　The moon had quietly risen into the sky, its clear, silvery light streaming down into the bedchamber, illuminating He Caixia's cheeks with a gentle glow. 　　Zhao Xinyang repeated his love in a hoarse voice, "I only want Xia'er, I love her, I don't care about anything else… really, I don't care…" 　　He struggled to suppress his overwhelming joy and disbelief. He hadn't expected He Lingxiao to entrust his daughter to him, even though it forced them to separate for six months. He couldn't resent it, couldn't complain; his heart was filled with gratitude. He was grateful for He Lingxiao's magnanimity, grateful that He Lingxiao had forgiven his past mistakes. 　　"I will cherish Xia'er dearly, and I will never let her suffer the slightest grievance or sadness again." " 　　Zhao Xinyang made a promise. 　　He would make her fall in love with him again... 　　In the bright and clean study of 　　the Baozheng Prince's Mansion, Xia Guang Bao Yuan, 　　He Caixia, with her usual languid demeanor, extended her slender, delicate fingers. 　　She took a weightless yet seemingly luxurious floral invitation from the maid Yuqing standing beside her —a dark gold background shimmering with a special iridescent luster, covered with beautifully shaped and intricately patterned mandalas; mandalas are royal decorative flowers, and the only ones who could use them on invitations, besides the current Emperor Jingyang Zhao Xinyang, were the former Regent Prince."

However, since Emperor Jingyang assumed personal rule, the Regent Prince no longer interfered in politics and moved out of the palace, returning to

the Prince's Mansion bestowed by the late emperor. Therefore, who else could have sent this invitation from the palace besides Emperor Jingyang, Zhao Xinyang

?

Although He Caixia, a noblewoman, didn't usually pay much attention to court and palace affairs,

she was certainly not unfamiliar with the royal insignia. So, without even thinking, she

knew its origin—the palace— the moment

she saw the invitation. Maintaining a relaxed posture, she sat on a beautifully carved ebony chair, calmly untying

the knot to unfold the invitation. It was covered in mandala patterns, incredibly beautiful.

The patterns were cleverly arranged into characters—budding, half-open, and fully blooming flowers, dense branches and

vines —adorning the invitation with an air of nobility.

The invitation was written in ancient script: "Imperial decree: A woman of the He clan is to enter the palace to be selected as Empress."

So this was the legendary invitation for the Empress selection!

The selection of an empress is a momentous event eagerly anticipated by the entire nation. According to the ancestral rules of the royal family, Emperor Jingyang

should have completed the selection of an empress within three years of assuming personal rule—something that should have been done many years ago. Even

half a year ago, it was rumored that the palace was preparing for the selection of an empress. However, another six months have passed, and to this day, the position of empress

remains vacant.

He Caixia has no idea why the selection of an empress has been delayed until now. In the past six months,

dealing with the concern of numerous relatives and the endless supply of tonics and medicines has exhausted all her energy;

where would she find the extra time to care about anything else?

Logically, she shouldn't be surprised to receive this invitation to the selection of an empress, after all, she is

the biological .

However, things are different now. She is no longer the healthy woman she was six months ago…

An illness has drastically changed her constitution. Besides becoming frail and delicate, even some of

her memories have become discontinuous, leaving behind lingering health problems.

Although many highly skilled doctors and imperial physicians visiting from the palace said that her health was no longer a problem,

it was a fact that her physical strength and spirit were not as good as before.

Her parents and the entire royal household had spent countless efforts to improve her health, carefully

caring for her and constantly sending her various precious medicinal herbs and tonics. In the past six months, she had certainly consumed half a

mountain of gold .

It was fortunate that she was born into the royal family; otherwise, she would have died long ago! Ordinary families could not afford

to support such a sickly person, let alone spend money on such precious things.

Because of his concern for her health, her father had turned down countless marriage proposals,

insisting on keeping her pampered in the royal family despite her being eighteen years old.

In this era, most women married between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, and those over twenty were rarely sought after. However,

as had no need to worry about being unmarried beyond the age limit or finding a good husband.

Even if no one wanted her, the Baozheng Prince's Mansion could support her for life. She wasn't in a hurry to get married anyway, and since her parents

wanted to keep her by their side, she was naturally happy to continue being a pampered darling.

But now… He Caixia looked at the marriage invitation in her hand and pondered.

Her father could refuse nobles, officials, or wealthy merchants who came to propose marriage, but surely he couldn't easily refuse the emperor's decree?

It seemed she had no choice but to go to the palace.

As she pondered this, she suddenly realized something was amiss. Her frail health was no secret; most

nobles knew it. So… logically, when the palace's Minister of Internal Affairs compiled the list of eligible daughters,

shouldn't they have first eliminated those who didn't meet the requirements?

The emperor's consorts were there to continue the royal bloodline; how could a woman with poor health be qualified to enter the palace?

Right, a figure suddenly flashed through He Caixia's mind. She wasn't the only unmarried daughter in the Baozheng Prince's Mansion;

she also had a younger cousin.

"Yuqing, is this invitation to Yuanjing?" The invitation only says "He Clan Daughter,"

which might not refer to her!

He Caixia closed the invitation, casually tied it with silk rope, and handed it to her maid, asking Yuqing to take it to the person she thought was the rightful

recipient.

Yuqing shook her head, not reaching out to take the invitation from her mistress. "This invitation was

personally delivered by the chief eunuch, Eunuch Li, who delivered the imperial decree. It's definitely for Miss. Miss Yuanjing also received one. Our Baozheng Prince's

Mansion has received two invitations for the selection of the empress."

Hearing Yuqing's reply, He Caixia raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Now, regardless of whether she was qualified or not, she had to enter the palace; and she

could already imagine what she would face after entering the palace...

According to the norm, a family can usually only send one daughter to the palace for selection, but their He family has taken

two spots. It's easy to imagine that this exception will cause public outrage.

Not only would the Zhenfu and Wushuo Princes, as the most prominent members of the imperial family, object, but

a whole host of nobles and court officials would also be absolutely unwilling to accept this.

In this competitive time where everyone hoped their daughter would gain the emperor's favor and rise to the throne,

how could they possibly be happy to see two daughters from the Baozheng Prince's family enter the palace at the same time? After all, more people meant more

competition!

While pondering this carefully, He Caixia waved for Yuqing to leave. "I understand.

There's nothing !"

Alas, her life had been peaceful and content, but this invitation had disrupted her tranquility…

Just as He Caixia's thoughts were in turmoil, the study door was pushed open. A

beautiful and charming young girl peeked in, her eyes crinkling with a bright

smile .

The girl's plump face was rosy, her features distinct, her lips red and teeth white; she was extremely pretty and

endearing . Upon closer inspection, one could find a resemblance to He Caixia in her features.

She was He Caixia's uncle's youngest daughter, and also He Caixia's most affectionate cousin—He Yuanjing, the youngest mistress in

the Prince 's mansion.

Of her siblings, besides He Caixia and He Yuanjing, everyone else had left the mansion

and started their own families. Even He Caixia's aunt, six years her senior, had married and moved to a northern border town at the end of last year.

Among the younger generation, these two cousins were the closest.

He Yuanjing, with a colorful ribbon tied in her hair, entered and sweetly called to her cousin, who had her eyes closed, "

Sister , have you seen the flower invitations? We're going to the palace."

Having just passed Yuqing, she didn't think her cousin could be asleep anytime soon, hence her courage

to disturb her.

Having anticipated that the one who dared to enter without knocking was Yuanjing, He Caixia didn't

react much. But as soon as that sweet, tender voice rang out, her previously troubled and agitated mind naturally

eased .

She exhaled the pent-up frustration in her chest, opened her beautiful eyes, and was immediately greeted by He Yuanjing's sweet and lovely

smile.

"What's so good about going to the palace that makes you so happy?" He Caixia asked softly. Her little cousin's

beaming and radiant smile made it clear to anyone that she was in a very good mood.

He Yuanjing walked to the desk in a few strides, showing none of the delicacy of a young lady. She leaned over the table and

fiddled with the floral pattern that He Caixia had tossed aside. "What's wrong with it? The palace isn't a place you can just walk into whenever you want

. If we weren't born into nobility, we wouldn't even have the right to go in!"

She answered He Caixia's question first, then voiced her earlier observation, "Sister Xia'er, your

pattern is different from mine! Mine isn't as pretty as yours. It's yellow instead of gold, and the mandala pattern

is sparse It's not as delicate and beautiful as yours."

Seeing that her cousin's pattern was prettier than hers, He Yuanjing didn't feel any jealousy or resentment. She

was simply stating the difference she noticed.

He Caixia's expression softened considerably when facing her cousin. She followed He Yuanjing's small hand to the beautiful

floral invitation and softly replied, "If you like this one, take it!"

She had always doted on her little cousin and was naturally very generous. As long as Yuanjing liked it,

what was wrong ? No matter how beautiful it was, it was just an external thing...

As soon as she finished speaking, He Yuanjing shook her head. "No, this is yours. I was just saying it casually.

Anyway, they're all invitations, so it doesn't matter which one you take,"

He Caixia shrugged indifferently. "Whatever makes you happy. I was just wondering if the Minister of the Imperial Household Department

made a mistake and sent me an invitation? Everyone knows I'm not well, so how can I

still qualified to enter the palace?"

"It's impossible for it to be sent by mistake! There are so many people in the palace working for the Emperor. If one person makes a mistake, surely they

all right? Do they think their heads are in the way and they want to be beheaded?" He Yuanjing looked up

at her cousin and replied nonchalantly, "Anyway, the invitation is already in your hands,

why are you thinking so much? Who cares! If you have the chance to be Empress, who cares about such problems? Empress!"

"Empress? I wouldn't dare dream of that. The Empress has to manage the harem and deal with the affairs of the concubines. Do I have

the energy ? Besides, the women in the harem are meant to continue the Emperor's bloodline. It's not just about having a good background,

a beautiful appearance, and noble character... but also, very importantly, a young and healthy body. These

are all necessary conditions to become an empress, and none can be lacking..." He Caixia was older than her cousin and not

as . "If you fail in any one of these areas, you should be removed from the list. I'm not qualified

just because I can't give birth. It's strange and unreasonable that I was ordered to enter the palace."

"Hey, Sister Xia'er, you really love to worry about things unnecessarily!" He Yuanjing rolled her eyes playfully, feigning

helplessness. "Didn't I say? We've already received the invitation to be chosen as empress. We don't need to worry about anything else. We'll just go to

the palace . Why are you thinking so much? Whether we like it or not, we're going to the palace!"

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A devoted emperor and a stubborn empress

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