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墨書 Inktalez
I sat there in the room, surrounded by the lavish garments and jewels bestowed upon me. A palace maid approached, wanting to help me change into the clothes, but I pushed her away with a forceful sweep of my arm.
Gao Zhai, disregarding the uproar from the court, conferred upon me the title of Consort Rong, even retaining my surname intact. The gazes of those present were filled with a mix of amusement and disbelief as it all landed before Gao Shuo, who had just returned from the southern frontier.
He hadn’t even had time to change out of his armor and silently stared at the edict, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes as his fists tightened slightly.
After a long pause, he lifted his gaze, but instead of looking at Gao Zhai, he focused on me hidden behind the curtain, his eyes filled with a hint of inquiry and confusion.
"I thank Your Majesty for your great favor," he said, bowing respectfully before turning and stepping out of the grand hall, his footsteps heavy and slow.
In that moment, I felt my heart shatter; I instinctively pressed my hand against my chest as a wave of pain surged within me.
That night, I clenched my teeth, convinced that Gao Shuo would do something for me.
It turned out I was being overly sentimental.
When I first met Gao Shuo, he was still a prince studying at my father's home.
He uncovered my disguise as a boy and playfully tugged at my headscarf. In retaliation, I attempted to get back at him but ended up being pushed into the lotus pond instead.
He stood on the bank laughing at me as I gradually sank beneath the water before jumping in to save me, splashing water everywhere as he quickly dove in.
Drenched and disheveled, he pulled me from the pond while I cried uncontrollably, pounding my fists against him in frustration.
At that moment, he picked up the robe left on the shore and lightly brushed my nose with a smile, saying, "I'll marry you; just stop crying."
"Who wants you to marry me!" I pushed him away with all my strength.
"If this prince ascends to the throne, you will be the queen revered by all. Wouldn’t you be pleased? If not, then forget it."
The one who could be crowned as the Crown Prince was Gao Zhai. For some reason, he had come to my home to attend classes with Gao Shuo.
He always stood between me and Gao Shuo until Gao Shuo told me that Gao Zhai had proposed to Father, who gently refused, saying he didn't want me to suffer in the harem in the future. Gao Zhai then turned to the Empress Dowager for support, but she rejected him on the grounds that I was not of royal blood.
It was laughable; aside from Father's annual birthday banquet, I had hardly seen Gao Zhai at all.
After he came to study at my house, I rarely spoke to him. Why did he suddenly want to take me as his consort? He didn't even dare to tell me he wanted to marry me and instead tried to use his status to make it impossible for me to refuse.
I tugged at Gao Shuo, urging him to propose on my behalf, but he remained silent, simply standing there quietly.
"I'm just a prince. Perhaps one day I will become a prisoner, exiled to the frontier, reduced to a commoner, or even meet my end. Would you still follow me?" he said, a hint of worry and helplessness in his eyes.
"If you go sell your skills on the street, breaking stones with your chest, I'll set up a stall next to you selling tofu," I replied, gripping his sleeve tightly with both hands. "Or are you afraid? Afraid of competing with the Crown Prince for a wife? Afraid that I will ruin your career?"
He chuckled softly and took my hand. "I'm not afraid. I won't let him take you away."
The door creaked open, pulling me back from my thoughts. Consort Qi leaned against the doorframe in a dark gown embroidered with golden phoenixes.
That was an outfit only the Empress was entitled to wear. I looked up and met her cold gaze, which held a hint of defiance.
"Ah, I've heard that when the Emperor was still the Crown Prince, he competed with Duke Rong for women. It seems he hasn't forgotten about you," she remarked, glancing at the clothes on the table. "The Emperor is hosting a banquet for the ministers in the Imperial Garden and is waiting for you. Oh right, Duke Rong is also there; shouldn't you hurry and get ready?"
With a cold laugh, she swept away with her maidservants, her gown fluttering in the wind.
Everyone said I spent a night of passion with Gao Zhai, but that night he wrapped me in his robe and held me quietly until dawn broke, his eyes filled with tenderness and restraint.
After the court meeting, I sent my personal maid to secretly leave the palace and deliver my handwritten letter to Duke Rong's mansion. However, there has been no response these past few days.
Gao Shuo...
If I were greedy for power and status, I would have married Gao Zhai long ago.
Now, this is merely a small trick of Gao Zhai's. How can you not see through it?
Gao Zhai pulled me along, deliberately walking past the officials. His hand gripped my arm tightly, his pace unhurried, carrying an air of asserting dominance.
At the end of the crowd, Gao Shuo had changed out of his military uniform, his head bowed slightly, his body slightly hunched as if suppressing something.
Gao Zhai stopped in front of him, deliberately pausing, the sound of his polished shoes lightly scraping against the ground.
"Duke Rong has just returned from the frontier. After such a long journey without much rest, is it too much to ask him to attend my banquet?" he said, his voice low yet clear enough to resonate around us. The surrounding chatter abruptly ceased as everyone held their breath and turned to look this way.
Is it too much to ask?
A double entendre.
I saw Gao Shuo with his head down, his hands clenched tightly into fists, knuckles turning white from the strain, trembling slightly as his body swayed ever so slightly.
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