Yan Wan is reborn as a legitimate wife: Curing Ruyi's Douyi syndrome

Five Months Later, Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony

Hongli sat at the head of the table and said happily, "Since last year, everything has been peaceful at court. Although there were disturbances in the border areas, they were quickly quelled. Now that the government is stable and the people are harmonious, I intend to accompany the Empress Dowager on a southern tour to visit Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and observe the people's sentiments along the way.

You all say that the world is prosperous and stable, but I have only seen this prosperity and stability in memorials, not with my own eyes. The Emperor also toured the south, enjoying himself with officials and the people. As his descendant, I should emulate him.

Ministers: "Your Majesty is wise."

Jingyang Palace

Ruyi chatted with Yihuan.

Ruyi smiled and said, "The Empress Dowager said that this is the Emperor's first southern tour, and the destination he is touring is the misty and gentle land of Jiangnan. The concubines accompanying him, except for me, are all Han army flags."

Ruyi changed the subject and said sadly, "Noble Concubine Chun is pregnant, and I'm afraid she won't be able to handle the affairs of the harem. I have to go on a southern tour, and I'm worried that Noble Concubine Chun might have overlooked you."

Although Ruyi said that, she didn't want to stay and take care of Shufei at all.

Yi Huan smiled and said, "Thank you, Imperial Noble Concubine, for your consideration of me. I am pregnant with the Emperor's heir, so I'm sure Concubine Shen wouldn't dare to attack me."

Ruyi looked at Yihuan's six-month-old belly and jokingly said, "Look, your belly is so big now, and the baby can move. How wonderful."

Yi Huan touched her belly and recalled, "When I first met the Emperor, I thought I would never see him again. Who knew that I would be able to be with him and have his child?

"I know that Your Majesty loves poetry and calligraphy, and is also proficient in the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. There is practically nothing he cannot master. It turns out that I studied poetry and literature so well that I could be with the one I admire."

Ruyi nodded and said, "I am happy for you too."

Yi Huan: "There are so many people in the palace, and the way they look at the emperor, their smiles are all naked desire. Only you, only you look at the emperor with the same eyes as I do."

Ruyi tilted her head and smiled when she heard Yihuan's heartfelt words.

As Yihuan spoke, she looked at Ruyi and started to feel morning sickness again, dry-heaving.

He Xi said worriedly, "My lady has severe morning sickness, you should take good care of yourself."

Ruyi said, "You are the firstborn, so you should have to work harder. Now I have to accompany the Emperor on his southern tour and cannot take care of you personally. Hexi, you must be extra careful and attentive."

He Xi nodded and said, "Yes."

Yi Huan replied, "As the Imperial Concubine is concerned, there will be no problem. This child is a testimony to the love between me and the Emperor, and I will definitely take good care of him."

Baohua Hall

Yihuan knelt in the hall and prayed, "I, the daughter of Yehenara, have been blessed by the Emperor's favor. I only pray for the safe birth of a child. May the Emperor's kindness remain the same, without any regrets."

Yihuan performed great rituals and prayed sincerely.

At this time, Hongli had already set out on a southern tour with his concubines and the empress dowager.

After leaving the city, they changed to waterway and went down the Grand Canal. When the imperial boat was halfway through the journey, it suddenly stopped.

Ruyi and the concubines were on the boat behind her. They were all confused and came out to ask.

Huang Qiying frowned and asked, "What is this?"

Ah Ruo came out and asked, "Have we arrived in Suzhou and Hangzhou?"

The concubines were all chattering about it.

Ruyi said calmly, "Shen Fei has never been to Jiangnan, so I don't think she knows how far it is. How could she have reached Suzhou and Hangzhou after only a few days of travel?"

A Ruo was about to refute.

Chen Wanyin smiled gently and said, "We haven't reached Suzhou or Hangzhou yet. We should be in Jinan now."

The smug smile on Ruyi's face suddenly froze.

When the concubines saw Hongli personally get off the imperial boat, they exclaimed in surprise.

Ruyi secretly thought that this was not good.

The imperial boat of the concubines also docked. Ruyi looked closely and found that the ceremonial procession behind Hongli was actually the empress's imperial sedan chair!

Langya stepped down from the imperial sedan chair. Hongli was standing not far away, smiling. Langya said with a smile, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for still thinking of me and taking me with you on your southern tour."

Hongli said with a smile, "This is my first southern tour since ascending the throne. How can I miss the Empress?"

Langya bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. It's been a while since we last met, and you seem to have lost some weight."

Hongli was moved. Among so many concubines, only his first wife Langya truly cared about him!

Wang Qin looked at Hongli, who was even rounder than before, in confusion, and could only sigh that the Queen Mother had really grown up and had learned to lie with her eyes open.

Hongli held Langya's hand and said with emotion, "Is the Queen's illness getting better?"

Langya nodded and replied, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for allowing me to come to the Jinan Palace to recuperate. Jinan is like spring all year round, and my illness and Yonglian's have improved a lot."

Hongli wanted to say something more, but Gao Xiyue couldn't help it. She jumped off the carriage, picked up a child from the carriage, and forced the child into Hongli's arms.

Gao Xiyue said coquettishly, "Your Majesty, you only have eyes for the Empress, not for me? Yongsheng, this is your Royal Father, call him Royal Father."

Yongcheng laughed and shouted, "Father Emperor!"

Hongli was caught off guard by Gao Xiyue's action. He could only touch Yongsheng's forehead stiffly and said with a smile: "Yongsheng, you have grown so much. When we left Beijing, you were crying and refused to leave your father."

Yongcheng was very happy and shouted, "My Royal Father, My Royal Father, My Royal Father."

Hongli no longer cared about his deep affection for Queen Gu Jian, and tried hard to amuse Yongsheng in his arms.

Yonglian arranged everything before stepping forward and bowing, saying, "Your Majesty, I greet you."

Hongli looked at Yonglian and stopped teasing Yongcheng in his arms. He handed Yongcheng back to Gao Xiyue, walked up to Yonglian and said with a smile: "Yonglian, you have grown so tall."

Yonglian smiled and replied, "Yonglian is in the Jinan Palace. The Empress Dowager and Empress Gao have taken good care of me. Shushu has listened to the two Empresses and never lets me go out alone."

Shushu, who was standing behind Yonglian, smiled shyly, stepped forward and saluted, saying, "Your servant, Zhangjia Shushu, pays respects to the emperor."

Hongli nodded and replied, "You are thoughtful. Agui has raised a good daughter. Your father also worked hard for the country and the people on the front line."

Shushu's eyes were red as she replied, "Father, it's worth it for you to hear the emperor say this."

Jingqin stepped forward and said, "Empress Dowager, Yonglian, Shushu."

Langya and Yonglian pulled Jingqin in surprise, looking left and right.

Langya said distressedly, "Jingqin has become much darker."

Yonglian said anxiously, "Big sister has lost a lot of weight."

Yonglian was anxious. Why did his mother say what he wanted to say? He had already gone to the grassland to see his elder sister. Couldn't he think of a new word?

Gao Xiyue said distressedly: "Jingqin, why do you look so haggard?"

Shushu was at a loss and echoed, "Princess, you've lost weight." I wonder if my uncle would feel bad if he knew...

Hongli touched his nose guiltily.

Jingqin tried to smooth things over, saying, "I'm fine. Thank you, Empress Dowager, Empress Gao, and Shushu, for your concern."

Hongli said, "Since you are here, let's get on board. I will take you to Suzhou and Hangzhou to see the beautiful scenery there."

Langya said gently, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Yonglian smiled and said, "Shushu and I thank the Emperor very much."

Gao Xiyue said in surprise, "Thank you, Your Majesty! I would also like to thank you on behalf of Yongcheng."

The group happily boarded the imperial boat prepared in Jinan, which now stopped just in front of Ruyi.

Ruyi was extremely angry. She wondered why she was not allowed to sit on a boat alone. It turned out that it was prepared for the queen. She thought that Hongli wanted her to have a good relationship with the concubines.

……

Hangzhou

Hongli and Langya came down hand in hand, accepting the kneeling worship of the people and ministers. Behind them, Ruyi was in the concubines' group, her face gloomy.

Everyone: "Long live the Emperor. Long live the Empress."

Hongli smiled and walked over holding Langya's hand.

Hangzhou Palace

The emperor, empress and queen mother visited the garden together.

The Emperor said: "Your Majesty, you have worked hard all the way south. Now that we have arrived in Hangzhou, we can rest well."

The Queen Mother laughed and said, "I am only traveling with the Emperor. The Emperor also has to inspect water conservancy projects and urge local officials to build dams. That's the hard work.

Emperor, please stop worrying about state affairs and relax a bit, enjoying the spring scenery of Jiangnan."

Langya smiled and agreed, "Yes, the emperor reviewed the troops at the Guanchao Tower the day before yesterday, and yesterday he invited civil officials and Hangzhou scholars to enjoy poetry and wine. Since you have some free time these days, why not enjoy the beauty of West Lake?"

Hongli said sadly, "The West Lake is beautiful, but with so many people following me, it's really boring."

Hongli looked at Langya, wanting to make eye contact, but Langya smiled and said, "How about your Highness and I take Hengchui, Jingqin, Jingse, and Yonglian with us, disguise ourselves as commoners, and go out with the Emperor for some fun?"

Hongli's plan to spend time alone with the Empress failed. Seeing the Empress Dowager's enthusiasm, Hongli immediately agreed and said, "Okay, I wonder if the Empress Dowager is willing?"

The Queen Mother smiled and said, "I have never been out of the house to look around carefully since I entered the palace. It is naturally good to be able to enjoy it for a while now."

Hangzhou City Gate

Wang Qin, Jinzhong and Jinbao each sat at the front of a carriage.

Wang Qin showed his badge: "I am here by order of the Emperor to escort the distinguished guest out of the palace."

The gate guard saw the badge and shouted, "Yes, open the gate!"

Inside the carriages, the emperor and Langya, both dressed in civilian attire, exchanged a smile. The sisters Jingqin and Jingse sat on either side, also smiling. In the second carriage sat the empress dowager and Hengchu. In the third, Yonglian and Shushu.

The group not only enjoyed the beauty of West Lake, but also took a boat ride in the evening to see the bustling streets. After getting off the boat and savoring the rural flavors, Wang Qin, who had no other plans, did not persuade them and bought some drugs in advance to test for poison.

After the group finished eating, they had nothing to do, so they went to the storytelling stand next door.

Storyteller: "Beyond the mountains, green hills, beyond the buildings, when will the singing and dancing at West Lake cease? They say that Taizong Shimin was the greatest emperor of all time, yet it was impossible for him to achieve the peace and prosperity of the people today..."

Langya praised, "This prosperous and magnificent scene is all thanks to the Emperor's hard work and dedication."

The Queen Mother also agreed: "That's right."

Hongli laughed even more happily and said, "Only when I come out will I not be counted as understanding my people and my world in the memorial."

Jingqin pondered behind him. How much did the Hangzhou prefect pay to hire this storyteller? She would pay him double and let him travel around to spread the word about her achievements.

The storyteller said, "...corrupt officials have nowhere to hide, and you and I can live without worries, busy with farming and studying, and settle down. Even now, the Emperor is like the Emperor's ancestor, touring the south of the Yangtze River. His grace is immense, and the Emperor and Empress are working together to set an example for the people, teaching all couples how to not follow his example and respect each other..."

Everyone shouted, "Good!"

……

Hangzhou Palace, the Emperor's Residence

The few of them had a great time and gathered with Hongli to chatter about the interesting things that happened along the way. The empress dowager was a little tired, so Hengchu helped her back to the house to rest.

Moore reported: "Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine requested an audience twice. I said you were inspecting the river. But..."

There was silence in the house.

Moore reported, "But the Imperial Concubine privately sought out the Imperial Guard Ling Yunche, inquired about the Emperor's whereabouts, and then stormed off."

Ever since Mur was punished by Hongli once, he has strictly enforced the style of the imperial guards and specially assigned people to monitor the every move of the guards on duty. All the guards who have been in the imperial presence for a long time know these things.

But Ling Yunche didn't know. He still thought that guarding the Imperial Palace was just his casual duty in the Cold Palace and Kunning Palace. As long as he was on duty on time, no one would care about the whereabouts of the guards in front of the Emperor.

The imperial guards that Chen Wanyin had hired at a high price knew about this and had to come secretly after their shifts changed. Ling Yunche went to the imperial concubine's residence in a swaggering manner after his shift ended and told her the news.

Moore couldn't turn a blind eye, not to mention that this was no small matter.

Jingqin asked calmly, "Ling Yunche? Why does it sound like the name of a Han army flag?"

Moore replied, "Yes, Ling Yunche is from one of the five banners under the Han army."

Jingse asked in confusion, "How did the five banners of the Han army become the imperial guards?"

Moore glanced at Hongli without saying a word. Several people turned to look at Hongli.

Langya worriedly said, "The emperor's guards are all from the upper three banners of the Manchu army. How can someone with an unknown background be allowed to serve as an imperial guard? What if something bad happens to the emperor? What will happen then?"

Hongli finally remembered that Ling Yunche's position as the imperial guard seemed to have been agreed to when he and Ruyi were in love. At that time, his mind was full of love and he completely forgot the special nature of the imperial guard.

Hongli frowned. He thought Ruyi wanted to repay her kindness, but he didn't expect that she wanted to find out the news from the imperial court?

Hongli said decisively: "Since he is concerned about the Imperial Noble Consort, let him be her bodyguard."

Jingqin stopped him, saying, "Father Emperor, no, the Imperial Concubine seems to value this guard very much. If..."

Hongli understood Jingqin's subtext. Ruyi really valued Ling Yunche. For the sake of his dignity as a man, Hongli changed his words and said, "How about this, Mulan Paddock is short of a garrison commander (fifth rank), let him go."

Moore: “Yes.”

Jingqin achieved her goal and continued to talk with Jingse, Yonglian and Shushu about what she had seen and heard along the way. Hongli and Langya sat on the couch and listened with smiles on their faces.