FID – Chapter 755

Chapter 755: Everything is Here, Except for Affection

“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is here!” The young eunuch whispered urgently in a low voice, rushing in with the news.

Feng Mohan opened his eyes and sat up from the bed. “What does she want?”

“I do not know, Your Majesty!”

“What good are you to me then?”

“……”

With a snort, Feng Mohan got out of bed and began walking towards the door. “Go and greet the Empress Dowager.”

At this moment, his headache had subsided, and after taking some medicine and resting for a short while, he felt much better.

That young female healer did have some skills; she hadn’t exaggerated. She had said that after resting for an hour after drinking the medicine, he would feel much better—and it was true.

As he walked out, his mind wandered aimlessly, and as soon as he exited the inner room, he saw the figure of the Empress Dowager already standing at the entrance of the palace hall.

She was still wearing the dark purple phoenix robe, with a cloak trimmed with black fox fur draped over her shoulders. She exuded a sense of grace, elegance, and dignity.

“Your Majesty, why have you come at this hour? The snow outside is heavy; you mustn’t let yourself catch a cold.” Feng Mohan hurried over, frowning with concern.

“It’s no trouble,” the Empress Dowager replied as she walked into the hall, casually handing her cloak to the elderly maid beside her. The warmth inside the hall made the cloak unnecessary. “Snow falls every year during the New Year in the capital. It’s usually the heaviest snowfall of the year, and I’ve long since gotten used to it. It won’t harm me.”

Seeing her actions, Feng Mohan’s eyes flickered slightly as he smiled. “The distance from the Yangxin Hall to my Qiande Hall isn’t short. If Your Majesty has something to say, just inform me and I’ll personally go to pay my respects. There’s no need for Your Majesty to trouble yourself by coming all this way. I’m worried about you catching a cold, too.”

Noticing that she had removed her cloak, Feng Mohan knew that she wasn’t planning to leave anytime soon. He signaled for tea to be served, patiently engaging in conversation with her.

“News from the palace can spread throughout the entire imperial residence in no time,” the Empress Dowager said as she sat by the table, lifting her gaze. “Your Majesty has caught a cold, so I had to come and see how you were doing. Are you feeling any better?”

“I’m much better now, thank you for your concern, Your Majesty.”

The Empress Dowager continued, “I’m not only here to visit Your Majesty, but also to ask about the upcoming wedding of the King. The royal procession should be getting ready to set off soon, right? The journey from the capital to Yunzhou is quite a long one, especially now during the New Year. The canal’s ice peaks make river travel impossible, so they must go by land. Even with fast horses, it will take at least a month to get there. If they leave now, they can still make it in time. If they miss the auspicious hour, the King might hold us responsible.”

Feng Mohan’s expression slightly froze, but he quickly regained his composure. “What the Empress Dowager says is correct. I will send the royal procession tomorrow. No matter what, we cannot miss the auspicious hour. The King has been waiting for this day for many years, and we cannot let any regrets remain.”

He knew well that his uncle had once been a young man in love. Back then, as soon as he learned what love was, his heart had already been captured by Aunt Liu.

At that time, he was trapped by the circumstances. Though he thought of her constantly, he dared not even recognize her. When they finally acknowledged each other, there were endless obstacles, and even now, they had not reached their desired outcome.

No one was more anxious than his uncle.

Since childhood, he and his uncle had relied on each other for survival, with the uncle always caring for him. As the Emperor of Nanling, he felt it was his duty to ensure his uncle’s marriage and fulfill his uncle’s wishes.

That man had sacrificed so much for him.

He had always depended on his uncle but had never been able to do anything in return. This time, he would make it right, at least this once.

The Empress Dowager glanced at Feng Mohan’s expression and lowered her eyes. “Since Your Majesty is clear on this, I won’t say more. You still haven’t fully recovered from your cold, so you should rest well.”

“Your Majesty, please take care on your way.”

After the Empress Dowager left, Feng Mohan sat in his seat for a long time before finally standing up and slowly walking toward the imperial study.

“Your Majesty, where are you going? It’s already so late, and you’re still not fully recovered. Perhaps it would be better to deal with matters tomorrow?” the young eunuch beside him advised.

“Everything else can be delayed, but not matters concerning my uncle. If we delay by even a day, we might miss the auspicious hour. Go to the imperial kitchen and ask them to prepare some supper for me. I will work by candlelight tonight.”

“Your Majesty…” The young eunuch couldn’t believe it. The Emperor was usually one to slack off on state affairs whenever possible, but such initiative was a first in all the time he had served him.

It was… truly rare.

In the imperial study, aside from the piles of state affairs, the imperial desk was also covered with letters of congratulations from various kingdoms. These were official royal messages sent from other countries, all wishing to attend the wedding of his uncle in person.

His uncle had specially asked the Bureau of Astronomy to calculate an auspicious day, choosing between the second of February and the sixteenth.

On the second of February, Aunt Liu would leave from Xinghua Village to marry, and by then, the Grand Canal would have been unblocked, allowing for travel by water. The journey would take around ten days.

Upon arrival in the capital, it would just in time coincide with the sixteenth of February, an ideal day for their wedding.

By then, he would not only have his uncle, but also his aunt.

With his aunt, they would truly be a family.

Perhaps, for him, this would be the best ending.

Even if there came a day when he could break free from the puppet strings that controlled him, he would never be able to…

He was an emperor, destined to have a harem of three thousand beauties and countless heirs.

He has everything.

Except for love.

“Your Majesty, we have arrived at the imperial study,” the young eunuch reminded him once more, a look of confusion in his eyes.

The emperor had said he would come to the study to handle state affairs, particularly those concerning the prince’s wedding. But now, he was standing by the door, lost in thought. They had been waiting here for nearly a moment.

Was the emperor distracted? 

Or was his cold still affecting his mind?

Feng Mohan shot a glance at the young eunuch. “Newcomers are always so talkative. You don’t know when to speak and when to remain silent. I’ll have the chief eunuch from Jingshifang teach you properly next time.”

The young eunuch, “…” What did I say wrong?

With the New Year festival not yet over, envoys from foreign royal families had already begun arriving in the capital. Feng Mohan had assigned senior ministers to handle the reception, ensuring nothing was overlooked.

He had visited the King’s Manor a few times, initially thinking that with the King gone to Xinghua Village, things might go awry if he didn’t personally oversee the situation. But it turned out, he had worried for nothing.

With the King absent, everything in the manor remained well-organized. The ever-capable old steward had long since instructed the servants to prepare for the wedding. The entire manor was decorated with lanterns and red silk, filled with auspicious symbols, and even the bridal chamber began to be arranged.

When the king left, he had left behind a layout plan he had drawn himself.

Following the instructions on that plan, the preparations were made, almost as though the prince himself were present.

There was no room for someone like him, a novice, to intervene.

He was unnecessary.

To prove that he still had some use, Feng Mohan went straight to the imperial treasury upon returning to the palace, carefully selecting everything he thought would be suitable for the newlyweds as wedding gifts. When the day of the wedding arrived, he would personally deliver them.

Back in Xinghua Village, the preparations were also in full swing.

The Lantern Festival had passed, but the festive atmosphere in the Liu family courtyard and the entire village of Xinghua had not faded; instead, it grew even stronger.

Every day, people came and went from the village.

They were all from surrounding villages, as well as from the town, county, and state, who had heard of the upcoming marriage between the King of Nanling and Lady Ruyi, and had come personally to deliver their congratulations and gifts.