Deep Palace Pet Peach Blossom Flawless

Lan Qingwu thought for a moment and said, "It's just those few people. Don't worry about them, Ruping. Let's switch to a vegetarian diet this month."

Ru Ping hesitated for a moment, then said helplessly, "Yes."

Ru Han whispered, "Master finally gets to eat some meat, but this...ah..."

Empress Dowager Li was dining in the Cining Palace. She put down her chopsticks after only a few bites. Concubine Li said, "Empress Dowager, please eat more. I heard that Your Majesty is a vegetarian this month, and even the ministers of the former court are grateful for Your Majesty's filial piety and are following suit."

Nanny Li couldn't help but frown beside her. How could the Empress Dowager eat after hearing this? This Concubine Li... Nanny Li was certain that Concubine Li had evil intentions, but she couldn't tell the Empress Dowager openly. After all, she was the Empress Dowager's niece.

Nanny Li hurriedly said, "Empress Dowager, His Majesty specifically instructed that your meals remain the same. This is a way for His Majesty to be both filial to the late Emperor and yet also to remember his filial piety to you."

Empress Dowager Li sighed. Every time this happened, she would think of the late emperor. How could she care about the food?

Empress Dowager Li said slowly: "Well, serve some vegetarian food. The late emperor has always been kind to me." Nanny Li could no longer persuade her.

Empress Dowager Li ate only one vegetarian meal when Emperor Shenwu arrived at the Cining Palace. He bluntly stated, "Mother, I am young and strong. I have been eating vegetarian food for a month simply to commemorate your father's guidance and upbringing. How could your body endure such a diet? Would your father be pleased to learn that you don't cherish your health? How could I, in my former reign, be at ease handling state affairs if this were to happen?"

Nanny Li also advised, "Empress Dowager, please let the late emperor's spirit in heaven worry less about you. His Majesty won't be able to concentrate on state affairs if you continue like this. Why not copy some scriptures yourself and pray for the late emperor's blessing?"

Empress Dowager Li sighed and nodded.

After Emperor Shenwu left, Empress Dowager Li said to Nanny Li with emotion: "In fact, the emperor is the most filial to his father. In this respect, no one else in the world can be like us, mother and son." So when Emperor Shenwu insisted on observing mourning for a year, she did not strongly oppose it.

Nanny Li couldn't help but nod. Then Empress Dowager Li continued, "Even Prince An, the eldest son, was still drinking and having fun at this time last year! Just thinking about it makes me so angry I'm going to die!"

Nanny Li said hurriedly, "That's because Prince Kang led him astray. Now that Your Majesty is willing to take charge and has a new wife, things will get better and better!"

Empress Dowager Li nodded with slight relief.

Lan Qingwu was taken to Qianzheng Palace by Emperor Shenwu. Ruping and Ruhan stayed in Suowu Palace.

Lan Qingwu looked at the different meals in front of her and couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, this is inappropriate. I will just use the same as Your Majesty."

Emperor Shenwu said, "You've finally gotten better. Don't let your efforts slip away. This isn't about form, but about acting from the heart. Furthermore, there's very little meat in this dish, no heavy fish or meat."

He added solemnly, "The most important thing now is your health. You are no match for me."

Lan Qingwu had no choice but to agree. When Lan Qingwu fell asleep that night, Emperor Shenwu looked at her in his arms and whispered, "You've done enough."

When he lost his loved ones, half of the sky above his head collapsed. He could only suppress his grief because he still had to be the pillar of this world, to hold up the entire Dasheng, and to be the sky for others. Who could he share the grief in his heart with?

Thousands of miles away, she was the only one who knew his sorrow and understood his situation. She silently shared the sorrow with him, and what she, as an emperor, could not do, she silently did for him.

During the day, Lan Qingwu looked at her and Emperor Shenwu's old things in the bedroom of the main hall of Qianzheng Palace, and Qiulan served her closely.

Lan Qingwu unfolded a painting, and Qiulan was shocked when she saw it from the side: "This... is His Majesty?" How could the painting be so realistic!

Lan Qingwu gently stroked the scroll. To be more precise, this was the young Yun Heng. She had drawn it with a fine black charcoal pencil, using the technique of modern sketching. In the scroll, the young Yun Heng sat leaning against a large peach tree, one leg bent, the other straight. His hand gently stroked the scabbard of his sword, his gaze fixed forward, a twinkle in his eyes. He exuded the youthful vigor that only a young man possessed, his brows sharp and his eyes phoenix-like, his demeanor striking. You looked at the figure in the painting, and he looked back.

Qiulan was still in disbelief: "This is a really good painting. Was it painted by the master?"

Lan Qingwu smiled slightly: "I can paint well because I can paint the eyes well, and I can paint the eyes well because I understand the light in his eyes. If I were to paint you... I haven't picked up a pen for a long time, I wonder if my hands are still fresh?" The horizontal title of the painting is Peach Blossom Garden, and the year, month and day are written in the lower right corner, followed by a seal named Ruo Ruo, and below the seal is "Made for Yun Heng", and the next sentence is "Made for Yun Heng on the ninth day of the fourth month of the thirty-sixth year of Jingwen" (in red characters).

The seal she carved at that time was also made by Yun Heng himself. There are many such paintings, all with the horizontal title "Peach Blossom Garden" because she was too lazy to come up with a name, only the year, month and day are different. The characters she painted are all Yun Heng, of course there are also many scenes.

Qiulan was still praising: "This is so like, it's more lifelike than many other painters' paintings, the master is really amazing..."

The Emperor Shenwu came in from outside the hall, strode up to Lan Qingwu, reached out to take the painting, and looked at it together with Lan Qingwu. Qiulan hurriedly retreated when she saw this.

Emperor Shenwu looked at Yun Heng in the painting and said, "When will I paint another picture for you? My paintings amaze me every time I see them."

Lan Qingwu said, "Your Majesty doesn't have time to sit for half a day now."

Emperor Shenwu replied, "There will always be time." He rolled up the scroll and said, "I'll keep this for now as a reminder."

Then Emperor Shenwu hugged Lan Qingwu and sat down beside the bed, and the two of them looked through some old things one by one.

A few days later was the anniversary of the late emperor's death. Late at night, Lan Qingwu lay in the arms of the Shenwu Emperor and said softly, "Your Majesty, I will enjoy the meal. Your Majesty will soon be busy with the late emperor's sacrifice. Please let Ruoruo return to Suowu Palace."

Emperor Shenwu stroked her long black hair and said, "Okay, after I'm done with my work these past few days, I'll call you over to accompany me."

Lan Qingwu nodded, and soon fell asleep in the emperor's arms.

The next day, Lan Qingwu was in her dorm room, looking at the coral bracelet on her wrist. She gently stroked the butterfly coral, feeling as if the butterfly was about to take flight. Qiulan stood by, chatting with Lan Qingwu from time to time. When she learned that Lan Qingwu was leaving that evening, she felt a pang of melancholy.

At this time, a vague voice came from the outer hall, and Qiulan whispered: "Master, I will go out to take a look, please don't move here." But no one must find out that the master is here.

Lan Qingwu nodded and let Qiulan go. If someone discovered her in Qianzheng Palace, she would undoubtedly be accused of seducing her master.

In the main hall of Qianzheng Palace, Concubine Chen was standing in the center. Li Xiang immediately came out from the side and greeted her, "Empress Chen, what are you doing?"

Concubine Chen smiled and said, "Eunuch Li, I have come to see His Majesty regarding something. The eunuch guarding the door said His Majesty would be arriving shortly and asked me to wait inside the palace."