The Northern Frontier's wolfish ambitions have not changed for decades. From the era of the Five Kingdoms in the previous dynasty to the current division of the realm, when has their military buildup ever slowed? Leaving aside past grievances, just consider how they colluded with the remnants of the fallen Zhongwan rebels, sent envoys to propose peace and disarmament, then turned around to march south. If we allow them to negotiate peace again, how could the hundreds of thousands of proud Imperial Army soldiers of Taiping ever accept it?
Now that the Northern Frontier's momentum is fading and Taiping's forces are winning successive victories, this is the perfect opportunity to storm their capital, occupy their territory, and ensure they can never wage war again. The most direct way to prevent further conflicts in the northern borderlands is to annihilate the Northern Frontier entirely. This would motivate the surrendered Rebel Army troops to fight even more fiercely, as they could gain land and titles.
She understood this clearly and therefore agreed with his words.
She also thought: if he could unify the realm, this monumental achievement would be revered by millions in the annals of history. The corner of her lips curved slightly as she sighed silently.
Huang Bo chimed in nearby: "The northern border troops feel the same way. They all say sparing the Northern Frontier now would be nurturing a tiger to invite calamity – we'd never know when they might turn on us again!"
He glanced at the excited Huang Bo and asked casually: "Now that you've returned, do you wish to seek glory at the front lines, or continue serving by the Empress's side?"
Huang Bo hesitated at this.
Military promotions were notoriously slow – in peacetime, even a minor officer's rank required seven or eight years of seniority, let alone a general's commission. But with the northern war raging for months and the Emperor generously rewarding brave warriors, every major battle saw heroes being appointed as generals. If one sought military honors, now was the ideal time to go to the front.
Noticing Huang Bo's indecision, he glanced at her and added: "Your loyalty is commendable – are you particularly concerned with protecting the Empress?"
Huang Bo's dark face flushed slightly as he hurriedly replied: "I wouldn't dare presume."
He then declared: "Go gain experience under Di Nian through a few battles. Afterwards, I'll assign you provisional command of a battalion of surrendered Rebel troops. When the northern campaign concludes, you shall become commander of the Empress's Fief Imperial Guards. This would honor both your loyalty and your warrior's spirit."
Huang Bo's eyes suddenly brightened as he cheered: "Yes! Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Watching Huang Bo bow and withdraw, she felt somewhat dazed. Turning to him, she asked: "Why are you planting loyalists for me in the army?"
He raised an eyebrow without answering, instead sweeping her up over his shoulder to carry her into the tent.
Startled, she struggled violently, pounding his shoulder with her fists. "People will see!"
He strode onward unconcerned. "Let them see the Emperor and Empress's devotion. Let them see how I dote on my chief wife, indulging your whims."
Sure enough, officers and soldiers along the distant camp road were watching wide-eyed. Seeing her dare to strike him, they stared unblinkingly until he wrapped an arm around her waist and stuffed her into the tent, then began whispering among themselves.
·
The sun had just set, the distant sky ablaze with sunset that dyed half the tent crimson.
She rolled over, reaching for memorials on the nearby table, but he pulled her back into his arms. Unable to push him away, she protested: "It's not even fully dark yet! Dragging me into the tent so improperly – the troops will surely laugh at me behind my back!"
He lazily replied from behind her: "Hmm."She simply had no way with him—in matters of the bedchamber, she could never take charge. She still remembered the last time the army passed by a desolate mountain and clear lake, when he suddenly became aroused. It was only through her desperate pleading that he spared her, but the embarrassment had been extreme. Who in the army didn’t know she had the Emperor utterly bewitched?
She said, "Bringing a woman along with the army is already against the rules. If you keep losing control like this, day and night, I truly won’t be able to stay in the camp any longer."
He gently kissed her shoulder and tightened his grip on her waist. "Do you think I don’t know what you’ve been saying behind my back to Chai Shao and the others?"
At this, she immediately fell silent, shrinking motionless into his embrace.
He particularly loved seeing her feisty yet ultimately defeated demeanor, and his lips curved into a smile.
A few days earlier, when he had led troops out of camp, she had summoned Chai Shao and other generals to discuss the surrender and reorganization of the nearby Rebel Army forces. Taking the opportunity, she had claimed that the Emperor’s closeness to her was merely a show for the remaining loyalists and rebel generals—that he was after her command of a hundred thousand troops, not her person.
Chai Shao and the others, all well-versed in the Emperor’s intentions, had nodded in her presence but promptly reported her words to him. She alone seemed to believe the entire camp was unaware of his genuine love for her!
First, she had secretly altered his dispatches to the two ministries in the capital, making it seem as though she had forced him to appoint her as Empress and grant her titles. Now, she was trying to convince the generals that his exclusive favor was due to her military power, determined to shoulder all the blame herself. But were the court officials and soldiers so easily fooled? Though she had silenced their tongues and the historians’ pens, how could she control what people truly thought?
His sincere affection was bound to be known throughout the land.
After a moment of shrinking in his arms, she grew restless again and turned to glance at him, softly arguing, "Taking me along on the northern campaign is already improper. What if people say you’re obsessed with women? Isn’t it better if the generals believe you’re prioritizing the great cause?"
Seeing her still playing the clever strategist on his behalf, he laughed inwardly but kept a straight face. "Very well. Since you’ve put it that way, how can I disappoint your kindness? I must indulge in more intimacy with you to make it clear to everyone."
She struggled to move away, muttering, "How can an Emperor be so shameless?"
"Where’s that boldness you used to tease me with?" He gripped her slender wrist to keep her in place, smirking.
She quickly grabbed a memorial from the table, hastily changing the subject. "You still haven’t approved the matter of going to the northern border to reward the troops!"
With consecutive victories in the northern campaigns and the Emperor and Empress personally leading the expedition north—though there was no need for the Emperor to venture deep into enemy territory—the northern border officials weren’t about to miss this prime opportunity to boost morale. Shen Zhishu, in charge of three routes of supply transport, had submitted a petition requesting the imperial couple to proceed to the northern front to reward the army, demonstrating Great Ping’s determination to win the war.
He took the memorial but kept his eyes on her. "First, let Liu Dezhong examine you. Then we’ll decide whether to go."
Hearing this, she lowered her head. "Summoning Liu Dezhong every other day for check-ups without any outcome—I’ve lost all face."Ever since the army marched north, whenever they camped for a temporary rest, he would always summon Liu Dezhong to check if she was pregnant, fearing she might be unaware of a pregnancy and risk miscarriage from horseback riding. Though they had been intimately inseparable, her belly showed no signs of movement.
As the sole heir of the Imperial Family, he naturally hoped for an early descendant to reassure the court officials that the realm would not descend into chaos due to any unforeseen mishap befalling him.
In their current circumstances, she was even more eager than he to bear a child, wishing to quickly produce a son or daughter to be designated as the crown prince, so that the remnants of the former dynasty would abandon all thoughts of rebellion and restoration.
He cupped her face in his hands and said seriously, "What is there to be ashamed of?"
Her mind raced with anxious thoughts until she grew so distressed she nearly shed tears, saying, "What if I cannot bear children? You need not worry about me—taking more consorts is the proper course."
He lowered his head to kiss her tear-filled eyes. "It has only been a short while, and you are already so anxious? If after three or five years you still haven’t conceived, then it will be time to worry!"
She buried her face in his palms, wrapped her arms around his waist, and sighed softly, "Then summon Liu Dezhong again tomorrow. If all is well, I truly wish to visit Qing Province to see Lord Shen and Yan Fuzhi."
The next day, Liu Dezhong came by decree to examine her pulse. Noticing Meng Tinghui’s persistently gloomy expression, he asked, "Is Your Majesty unwell?"
She shook her head and asked bluntly, "The Emperor and I share a bed every night—why is there no sign of pregnancy? Do you think I am incapable of bearing children?"
Liu Dezhong, taken aback by her frankness, lowered his gaze and smiled faintly. "Your Majesty is in good health and still young—how could you be incapable? It is likely due to the constant travel and exhaustion over the past months. Though you share the Emperor’s tent, conception may not occur so quickly. Your Majesty should ease your mind and not dwell on this matter. In my humble opinion, you might consider returning to the capital first to rest in the palace and await the Emperor’s triumphant return with the army."
She sighed softly and frowned. "Understood. You may withdraw."
It was not that she clung to his side day and night, unwilling to return to the capital early, but rather that he refused to let her go, and she could not bear to leave him alone to handle the overwhelming military and administrative affairs. Since the Rebel Army’s surrender, civil and military matters in the northern territories had multiplied like hairs on an ox. While minor issues were delegated to various offices, more important ones still required his personal judgment. As a Hanlin Academy graduate and former Drafter of Imperial Edicts, she naturally took on the responsibility of drafting decrees for him. Moreover, citing her expertise in official selection and military affairs, he entrusted her with overseeing appointments and deployments in the north. Thus, she shouldered multiple duties, assisting him in numerous matters. Her capable management of military affairs gave him such peace of mind that he never ordered civilian officials from various offices to join the front lines.
If she left early, any newly assigned official would not understand his intentions. If his temper flared, there would be no one to console him, and the northern affairs would exhaust him greatly. How could she bear to return to the capital alone to rest?
She was his empress and his capable minister. He could not let her go, and she could not leave him.As the Great Peace Imperial Army advanced triumphantly in their campaign of capturing cities and territories, by early November the border between the two nations had been pushed northward by over a hundred miles. Di Nian, leading from the front, personally commanded his troops in the direct assault on the Northern Frontier's capital, Rangzhou. When the Northern Frontier mobilized forces from its northern routes to reinforce the capital, they were intercepted and besieged by Song, Han, Yue, and other divisions. Meanwhile, the emperor's personally-led expeditionary force marched northward from the south, systematically replacing garrisons in captured prefectures, counties, and forts while clearing out remnants of surrendered enemy troops.
The continuous victories in the northern campaign were not solely due to the strategic command of generals and the valor of soldiers—the officials from the three routes' Transportation Offices and various prefectural governments also contributed significantly. While people only saw the names of captured cities on red victory reports, they remained unaware of the tireless efforts and hardships endured by these frontier civil officials day and night. Procuring provisions, transporting weaponry, manufacturing armor, repairing fortifications, resettling refugees, and registering surrendered populations—none of these tasks were trivial. With northern warfare raging incessantly for months, when had these frontier officials ever rested peacefully?
Thus, the emperor's northern journey served not only to reward the armies along the border but also to inspect and bestow honors upon the meritorious civil officials in the three routes' administrative offices and prefectural governments.
Although the emperor had mobilized substantial forces from the capital for this northern expedition, 80,000 troops from the capital's Imperial Army had already entered the territory beforehand. Of the 30,000 troops remaining under his direct command, most were dispatched to garrison surrendered prefectures and forts. The reward tour to the northern armies was therefore conducted with minimal entourage, planning to travel eastward from Qing Province through the three routes' military regions and administrative areas, before returning to the capital with the empress via the Linhuai Route.
Snow arrived early in the northern borderlands. The journey westward from Fenzhou in the Jiankang Route already traversed vast expanses of pristine whiteness, reaching Qing Province within days.
The selection of Qing Province as the first stop of the imperial couple's northern tour represented supreme honor for all military and civil officials across the Chaoan North Circuit. Despite the emperor's decree exempting civil officials from formal reception outside the city, Shen Zhishu still braved the snow to await the imperial carriage thirty li beyond the city walls.
While Di Nian achieved great military successes in the north, Shen Zhishu's position as Chaoan's Transportation Commissioner grew increasingly secure. With Dong Yicheng removed as Pacification Commissioner and northern military affairs consolidated under Di Nian's authority, Shen Zhishu assumed complete control over civil administration in Qing Province and throughout Chaoan. Among the three northern routes, Chaoan North Circuit contributed the most resources and finances to the war effort. Rumors circulated that based on this administrative achievement, Shen Zhishu would surely be recalled to the capital for greater responsibilities after the war's conclusion.
The imperial procession maintained remarkable simplicity, entering the city without even displaying the Golden Halberd and Yellow Standard ceremonial guards.
Well attuned to imperial preferences, Shen Zhishu arranged no banquet at the Transportation Office, instead setting regular tables of food and wine where prefects from major neighboring prefectures and civil officials from the commission could jointly have audience.
As they awaited the imperial arrival, nearly everyone held their breath in anticipation—eager to witness the legendary woman who had risen from orphaned student to top imperial examination graduate, from initially perceived favorite minister to dual-central-government heavyweight, from former imperial descendant to current rebel-army-influencing territory-holding noble. What manner of woman could make the resolute and formidable emperor clasp her hand, grant her requests, enfeoff her as empress, and bestow upon her lands and cities?
Beyond the office gates stretched endless white plains. The distant rhythm of hooves breaking through snow approached steadily. Shen Zhishu rode ahead, dismounted deftly, and stood before the assembled officials with sleeves crossed and head bowed.Then came two horses, one black and one red, riding side by side. Dark-armored personal guards galloped to both sides of the yamen, dismounting one after another to wait along the roadside, the thin snow on their cold armor fluttering down. Though not ostentatious, the scene carried immense presence.
The two horses gradually came to a halt. The man on the black steed reined in and dismounted, then turned and reached out to lift the woman from the chestnut horse. With a shake of his black cloak, he wrapped her tightly inside.
The woman struggled lightly a few times before resigning herself to his embrace, allowing him to lead her inside.
The civil officials watched in stunned silence, even forgetting to bow and kneel in greeting. It was only after Shen Zhishu urged them in a hushed tone that they hastily knelt and performed the formal rites, kowtowing in respectful welcome.
Ying Gua strode past the crowd without the slightest pause, but Meng Tinghui, nestled in his arms, turned back hurriedly and softly said, "Rise, all of you."
The officials thanked her and rose but dared not enter recklessly.
As they walked, she looked up at him. "Why must you be so stern with everyone?"
His steps slowed, as did his words. "They were discourteous first, daring to stare at you so brazenly. If I don’t make it clear that you are my empress, they’ll think you’re some curiosity to be freely examined!"
She pressed her lips together and lowered her gaze to the path.
In all the world, it seemed only he would ever regard her as a rare treasure.
After dining with the civil officials at the Transportation Office, he specifically inquired about governance and livelihood matters along the Chaio'an route, having the prefects and magistrates who had traveled from nearby prefectures to Qing Province provide detailed answers. He then asked Shen Zhishu for the Transportation Office’s canal tax records, briefly reviewing the replenishment of military provisions and equipment along the northern border.
From beginning to end, she sat by his side, listening intently as he seriously and earnestly discussed governance with the officials. Quietly observing the respectful and awed expressions on the faces of these important frontier officials, a faint sense of joy welled up in her heart.
Once all matters were concluded, he bestowed honors upon the civil officials who had rendered meritorious service, as previously decided. After expressing their gratitude, none dared linger. They paid their respects to Shen Zhishu and took their leave one after another.
Seeing that the external officials had all withdrawn, he lazily stretched his shoulders and leaned back against the high chair, saying to Shen Zhishu, "I wish to meet the woman you’ve been so fondly remembering."
Shen Zhishu smiled slightly. "As you wish." He then turned and summoned someone, instructing, "Bring my wife from the rear courtyard of the prefectural office."
Upon hearing the word "wife," Meng Tinghui froze. It took her a long moment to regain her composure before she abruptly stood up and asked urgently, "When did you marry her?"
Shen Zhishu replied unhurriedly, "It’s been nearly half a year now. With the northern war pressing, it wasn’t appropriate to hold an extravagant banquet, so we kept it simple. Your Majesty was personally leading the campaign from the capital, and the army had no fixed encampment along the way. Thus, I did not submit a memorial to seek your approval beforehand. I beg Your Majesty to forgive my audacity."
She was momentarily speechless and sank back into her seat.
How could she have imagined that Shen Zhishu, a distinguished Transport Commissioner and a trusted official of the emperor from an illustrious noble family, would handle his marriage so casually? It was likely that even the Shen residence in the capital remained unaware!
Before long, Yan Fuzhi arrived from the rear courtyard of the prefectural office to the main hall. Her steps carried a hint of languor, yet her attire and makeup remained impeccably refined.Meng Tinghui watched her enter, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on the slight bulge beneath her wide, long ruqun, his entire being stunned into stillness.
Ying Gua, however, remained composed and calm, looking at her as he said, "Since you are with child, there is no need for formal courtesies."
Yan Fuzhi walked to Shen Zhishu's side. Though she did not kneel or kowtow, she still bowed gracefully and said, "This commoner thanks Your Majesty for bestowing official ranks upon the Yan family's descendants. The Imperial Army soldiers have shed blood in battle, while the Yan family has merely contributed money and provisions—how can that compare to their flesh and blood? Yet Your Majesty's favor is overly generous, truly leaving this commoner apprehensive." After speaking, she turned to Meng Tinghui, her gaze soft and moist, and with a lifted lip, said, "Greetings to the Empress."
Ying Gua glanced at Shen Zhishu before addressing her, "To be frank, my earlier bestowal of ranks upon the Yan family was merely to ensure Yanzhi need not endure further constraints or difficulties."
She lowered her eyes. "Thank you for Your Majesty's grace."
Earlier, Shen Zhishu had submitted a memorial to the court requesting honors for the Yan family's contributions of grain to reward the army. The Chancellors of the Secretariat had also proposed rewarding the Yan family to set an example. Thus, the Emperor had bestowed official ranks upon the Yan family's descendants: her two younger brothers were recommended for admission to the Imperial Academy, and her father received an honorary eighth-rank title. In this way, though her status could not compare to Shen Zhishu's lineage of generals and ministers, the gap was no longer overwhelmingly vast.
Meng Tinghui could no longer restrain himself. He rose and stepped down to examine her closely. "Your health is not what it used to be. Please sit and then we can talk."
Yan Fuzhi turned her gaze to him, and suddenly tears fell. She said indignantly, "When you came to Qing Province to see me that day, was it to bid me a final farewell? How foolish I was, to be deceived by you so thoroughly every time!"
Meng Tinghui knew her temperament well—she cared little for propriety or setting, whether laughing or crying. Fearing that such extreme emotions might disturb the fetus, he coaxed softly, "I promise I will never deceive you again…"
She remained angry. "Don't feed me such nonsense. I know there is no one else in your heart but him. What am I in your eyes?"
Shen Zhishu stepped forward and gently encircled her waist, his eyes warm as he chuckled lightly. "In front of His Majesty, you speak so casually of 'you' and 'him'—do you wish to see me demoted and fined?" Then, turning to Ying Gua, he said, "My household lacks discipline. I apologize for embarrassing you before Your Majesty."
"No matter." Ying Gua's gaze was faint, his expression unmoved. "It rather suits you perfectly."
Meng Tinghui flushed slightly at her words and returned to sit beside him. He glanced at him discreetly, and seeing his expression unchanged, pressed his lips together in a small smile.
Though held by Shen Zhishu, Yan Fuzhi remained unwilling to let it go and wanted to say more. But then she saw Ying Gua gently take Meng Tinghui's hand and clasp it in his palm. Her expression shifted slightly, and she closed her mouth, sighing quietly to herself. Turning to Shen Zhishu, she said, "I suddenly feel some pain in my belly."
Shen Zhishu immediately grew flustered. After hurriedly apologizing to the two of them, he supported Yan Fuzhi and escorted her back to the rear courtyard.
Meng Tinghui was once again somewhat dazed, his gaze lingering on Yan Fuzhi's slightly unsteady gait. Only after a long moment did he withdraw his gaze and turn it to him.
He said, "Seeing them like this, does it put your heart at ease?"
He felt slightly embarrassed. "What does it have to do with me? Rather, I envy Yan Fuzhi for being with child so soon."
He gently squeezed his hand. "There is no need for envy." Then he turned to look down at him. "Given the affection between us, Heaven would not leave you without sons or daughters."On the day they departed Qing Province, news arrived from the north that Di Nian had led his troops to crush the Northern Frontier's capital, Rangzhou. The Northern Frontier's emperor, Xiang Deqian, hastily gathered the palace treasures and fled north across the river with his civil and military officials. This red-flagged victory report immediately stirred fervent excitement among the military and civilians in the northern regions. Coupled with the Emperor and Empress personally rewarding generals, soldiers, and officials at the northern border, frontline morale surged dramatically. With the Northern Frontier's capital fallen and its emperor in flight, their army collapsed completely. It seemed only a matter of time before the Great Ping forces would sweep through the Northern Frontier's fortified cities and strongholds, capturing Xiang Deqian and his followers alive.
As His Majesty traveled eastward to reward the various armies, she remained steadfastly by his side day and night.
Along the frontier, the garrisons of over a dozen major forts were well aware of the profound affection between the Emperor and Empress, while the civil officials in the prefectures had also witnessed firsthand the mutual respect and care between him and her. For a time, whispers spread among the northern populace, with the common folk refusing to believe that the Emperor had enfeoffed Meng Tinghui as Empress merely out of concern for the people suffering from the ravages of war or due to pressure from the Rebel Army’s coercive demands.
When the imperial procession reached Zizhou in the Linhuai Circuit, reports arrived from the two central government bureaus in the capital, urging the Emperor and Empress to return to the capital as soon as possible.
With the news of Di Nian’s great victory reaching the capital, the court repeatedly petitioned the northern military front, arguing that the Northern Frontier’s power was waning and there was no need for the Emperor to remain at the front for long. They urged him to consider the Imperial Family’s duty to secure the succession and promptly return to the capital with the Empress.
He could not disregard the wishes of the two central bureaus. Moreover, as the rewards and commendations for the armies were nearing completion, he immediately mustered eight thousand troops and formally began the journey back to the capital with her.
The return journey was smooth, but she remained deeply concerned about the governance and welfare of the northern territories. Anxious about whether the war-ravaged people would be properly resettled by the authorities, she frequently asked him for reports submitted by northern officials to review.
They arrived in the capital at year’s end. The city was blanketed in silver snow, and households adorned their homes with festive decorations to celebrate the New Year. The great victory in the north further immersed the entire capital in a joyous and harmonious atmosphere.
The earlier enfeoffment of the Empress had naturally stirred considerable controversy in the court. However, as time passed, and with the complete surrender of the northern Rebel Army—who then joined forces with the Great Peace Imperial Army to attack the Northern Frontier, leading to the current victory—the Emperor’s prestige in the military had soared. Moreover, the Important Officials of the border regions largely endorsed the enfeoffment of the Empress. Thus, even if the two central bureaus in the capital harbored dissent, they could no longer alter the situation.
Nevertheless, the hasty enfeoffment ceremony conducted in the military camp had been unacceptable to the Ministry of Rites in the capital. Shen Zhili had earlier submitted a memorial proposing that a proper enfeoffment ceremony be held in the palace to establish the Empress’s dignified position as a model for the empire.
This proposal aligned perfectly with his intentions.
She had been reluctant to undertake such elaborate rituals in the capital while the war was not fully resolved, yet she could not defy court protocols or his wishes. Thus, she had no choice but to acquiesce.
As the New Year approached, and given Shen Zhili’s efficient and decisive nature, she consulted with other members of the Ministry of Rites and drafted a memorial requesting that the enfeoffment ceremony be held during the grand court assembly on New Year’s Day.
The tight schedule suddenly filled Meng Tinghui with anxiety. She felt there was far too much to accomplish and doubted she could manage it all.
The palace had initially proposed Yan Shou Palace as the Empress’s residence, but Ying Gua overruled this. He ordered minor renovations to the West China Palace and designated it as her central palace.
This decision once again sent shockwaves through the court.
Considering that the West China Palace had once been the bedchamber of the previous Emperor, the fact that the current Emperor now allocated it solely for the Empress’s use spoke volumes. Even those who had previously questioned the reasons behind the enfeoffment of the Empress now fully understood.
Just five days before the enfeoffment ceremony, the Empress’s Robe was finally completed and presented by the Bureau of Imperial Attire. Pressed for time, Shen Zhili entered the palace on behalf of the Ministry of Rites to assist Meng Tinghui with fitting the robes and explaining the ceremonial protocols, ensuring that any necessary adjustments could still be made before the grand ceremony.
Outside, the palace grounds were covered in ankle-deep silver snow, but inside the West China Palace, warmth permeated the heart. Several incense burners placed at the corners of the hall emitted a faint, refreshing fragrance.Meng Tinghui allowed the palace maids to layer the intricate Empress's Robe upon her, raising an eyebrow as she chuckled softly to Shen Zhili, "Even when I served as a female official before, I never wore anything this heavy."
Shen Zhili glanced at her, then at the reflection in the mirror, instructing the maids, "This part needs to be tightened a bit more to look proper. Don't forget what I said today on the ceremony day, or if there's the slightest mistake in serving the Empress, you'll be held accountable."
The maids repeatedly acknowledged and re-tied the sash according to her directions.
The kingdom hadn't held an empress coronation ceremony in decades, let alone dealt with the empress's attire and accessories. These young maids had never experienced such an occasion, all flustered and anxious, fearing they might mishandle the Ministry of Rites' important affairs.
After much fussing, Shen Zhili finally showed a hint of a satisfied smile. Turning to look at Meng Tinghui, she found her dozing off lightly on the low couch. She couldn't help but press her lips together and pat the back of her hand, whispering, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty."
Meng Tinghui slowly awoke, her eyes misty with sleep. It took her a while to remember what she was doing, and she grew somewhat embarrassed, gazing at Shen Zhili as she said, "Your calling sounds quite sour."
Shen Zhili stepped forward to adjust her skirt, measuring the length, and replied, "Your subject watches as the Emperor and Empress stay together day and night, yet I must endure longing for my husband thousands of miles away—how could I not be sour?"
Meng Tinghui took her hand and said gently, "Last night, the two ministries heard another victory report. The north is close to capturing Xiang Deqian alive; General Di will return soon. When he does, he'll surely be enfeoffed and appointed as a general, and your honors will be plentiful too."
"I don't crave those honors," Shen Zhili lowered her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. "I just want him to return safely." As she spoke, she looked up to carefully examine Meng Tinghui's complexion, adding, "Why are you so tired today, Your Majesty? You've just risen and already feel sleepy again."
Meng Tinghui frowned, "I don't know what's wrong either. These past few days, I've constantly felt like sleeping, my mind foggy, as if I can't remember things clearly."
Shen Zhili's eyes suddenly lit up, leaning in closer to whisper, "Shall we summon the imperial physician to check your pulse? Perhaps it's..."
She paused briefly, then continued, "After so many days in the north without any sign, how could it happen right after returning to the capital? It must be impossible."
Shen Zhili smiled and turned to call a maid over, "Go to the Imperial Hospital and have someone come to the West China Palace. Say the Empress is slightly unwell—it's nothing serious, so don't rush to report it to the Emperor unnecessarily."
OpenNovel