QWTBWASIFOC Chapter 53
by VolareChapter 53 Straightforward Military General x Eccentric Prince 24
The twelfth year of Jingming, late spring and early summer.
The flowers in the imperial palace’s Royal Garden were blooming in competition, but even the collective beauty of the flowers could not match the emperor’s elegance.
Gu Changli, who was over thirty years old, leisurely strolled through the Royal Garden, filled with the vying spring blossoms, while holding the hand of his little nephew, Liang You, who had just been adopted into his name last month.
Liang You, who had moved into the palace from the Min Prince’s residence, looked up at the young emperor holding his hand, his dark, round eyes darting around.
“Royal Uncle, what kind of flowers do you like?”
Although he had been adopted into the emperor’s name, Gu Changli was not in a hurry to make him change his form of address, allowing him to call him as before.
Gu Changli lowered his eyes to look at his nephew, who was not yet five years old, his handsome face carrying a hint of gentleness.
“…I don’t have any particular preference, but lotus flowers are not bad.”
He gazed tenderly at the serene lotus flowers that had been planted in the Royal Garden’s lotus pond for many years. “Those were personally cultivated by your Uncle Lu and me.”
Liang You, who was only four and a half years old, tilted his head in confusion, staring at the lotus flowers with incomprehension.
“But Uncle Lu is a military general, how could he plant flowers?”
His father was a military general who had made great achievements in battle, usually only loving to wield knives and guns and disliking tending to flowers and plants, always feeling that such people were pretentious.
Liang You’s father was the late emperor’s seventh son.
This Min Prince had a hasty temper and was skilled in martial arts, having followed the army on expeditions and made many contributions. Over the past ten years, he had successively fathered two sons. The eldest son was the heir of the Prince’s estate, and the youngest son had been favored by the emperor and adopted into his name.
The emperor’s adoption of an heir was something that civil and military officials had been continuously petitioning for for several years before it finally succeeded.
After all, no one could guarantee what would happen in the future.
What if the emperor suddenly ended his tribulation and returned to the upper realm? Where would they find a successor?
This was the thought of those officials who had witnessed the miracle of the Golden Dragon.
As for those officials who had entered the court later, they were worried that the emperor would die one day without an heir, so they were eager to petition for the emperor to adopt.
Gu Changli, annoyed by their constant requests, agreed.
He had carefully selected Liang You from among the children of the imperial family and his eight royal brothers.
Hearing Liang You’s question, Gu Changli stroked his nephew’s furry head and said softly, “Military generals can also plant flowers, it’s not a privilege of scholars.”
Liang You ‘oh’ed, thoughtfully staring at the lotus flowers in bud.
“Is this the reason why Royal Uncle believes that women don’t fall behind men and started the female official system?”
What men can do, women can also do.
Gu Changli raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. “Your ability to extrapolate is quite unique.”
From a casual remark of his, he went on to extrapolate about his recently implemented female official system. This child had a special sensitivity to political affairs.
But his words were just a statement of fact.
Liang You looked blankly at the young emperor, his eyes filled with obvious confusion.
“Huh?” Was he wrong?
But he really felt that in Royal Uncle’s eyes, civil officials and military generals, men and women, were all the same.
Royal Uncle really believed in the equality of all beings.
Otherwise, how could Royal Uncle open up the female imperial examinations, selecting talented women from all over the world to enter the court as officials? Wasn’t this putting men and women on an equal footing? He essentially believed that men and women were the same.
Gu Changli said nothing more, simply instructing the attending eunuch to take his little nephew to the Grand Tutor.
“You’er, study hard with the Grand Tutor.”
“Yes, Royal Uncle.” Liang You bowed and followed the eunuch beside the young emperor to the Chongwen Hall to study and learn to read with the Grand Tutor.
As soon as the young crown prince left the Royal Garden, Lu Yunqi appeared in a flurry of excitement beside the emperor, who was idly teasing the butterflies among the flowers.
“Changli, although the weather is warming up, it’s still cold. Why don’t you wear more clothes?”
He grasped Gu Changli’s cool fingers and rubbed them, trying to transmit his own warmth to the other party.
Direct, fervent warmth surged over.
Gu Changli turned back to look at the anxious yet gentle man, his dark, bright eyes revealing a softness.
“The weather is nice today, so I came out for a stroll.”
Lu Yunqi unobtrusively draped the thick cloak he was holding over his husband’s shoulders.
“You still need to pay attention.”
His husband was not like the eight royal princes in the court, who had been treated as normal princes from childhood to adulthood. Gu Changli had suffered nineteen years of great hardship before leaving the palace and being taken by his side to carefully recuperate and restore his health.
So many years had passed, and he had finally seen the thin, weak, pitiful boy of those years grow into such a bright and healthy young man. How could he be negligent and allow Gu Changli to be tormented by illness again?
Gu Changli sighed softly in his heart, but said nothing more.
Although his body had long since recovered, Lu Yunqi always treated him like a delicate beauty.
The imperial physicians in the palace were not just for show, and he had taken the physique-enhancing pill provided by the system when he first entered this world, so his physical fitness was already different from what it used to be.
But this Lu Yunqi was always a worrier.
Gu Changli gently adjusted the cloak with a gentle expression. The cold and indifferent look between his brows and eyes from before had also been dyed with a few hints of gentleness and easygoingness over the years.
“Alright, accompany me for a while longer.”
Lu Yunqi took Gu Changli’s hand and strolled along the paved stone path in the Royal Garden.
“Let’s go see the lotus flowers.”
Gu Changli nodded slightly, allowing Lu Yunqi to lead him to the side of the lotus pond.
They stood side by side, looking at the lotus pond together.
In the rippling lotus pond, elegant pink and white lotus flowers bloomed, swaying gently in the warm breeze, like graceful dancing maidens.
Lu Yunqi turned to look at the young emperor beside him, and leaned down to gently embrace him.
“Changli, these flowers are still as fresh and refined, beautiful and exquisite, as when you and I first got married.”
Gu Changli smiled lightly. “Indeed, just like back then.”
This lotus pond was originally planted by the two of them after their second marriage in the palace. Over the years, it had grown into such a prosperous and beautiful sight.
Lu Yunqi stared blankly at the smile on Gu Changli’s face. The love hidden in his chest quickly spread, wrapping around him like vines.
A thousand affections, ten thousand kinds of love, nothing more than this.
He hugged the young man in his arms tightly, his fervent gaze sliding over the other’s lips.
“My Changli smiles more than before.”
Compared to Gu Changli’s former indifferent appearance, as if nothing was worthy of his attention, the current Gu Changli had more of a human touch.
He had also added a bit of a gentle and jade-like demeanor.
Gu Changli smiled silently. “People always change slowly, especially when I’ve met a sweetheart who loves me unconditionally.”
Years ago, when they were still in Wuzhou, Lu Yunqi had told him, “There is always a soft place in the world that embraces you.” Later, this sentence was confirmed.
He had successfully found that warm harbor.
Lu Yunqi smiled broadly upon hearing this, his lips upturned, and he lowered his head to kiss Gu Changli’s lips.
“I am honored to be your sweetheart.”
The palace maids and eunuchs silently looked at the sky, unanimously agreeing that the Duke of Ying had no air of restraint.
Which dynasty or generation had a queen who was a man, and a brave and combative, crude military general?
Oh, it was their Great Liang’s queen!
Presumably, those of them who had served this couple would also be admired by palace maids and eunuchs of later generations. After all, their emperor was a wise ruler!
Although the queen was unconventional and loved to be jealous and clingy, he had fought in the north and south, was brave and unmatched in the army, and would surely be famous in history and leave a lasting legacy.
Putting aside those worldly perspectives, His Majesty and the Queen were quite well-matched.
A thousand-year emperor x brave military general, a perfect match!