The prince longs for me every night after mastering thought-reading
Chapter 409 - 379: It’s okay if she doesn’t become the Empress, holding back from taking action,

Chapter 409: Chapter 379: It’s okay if she doesn’t become the Empress, holding back from taking action,

Because the road was narrow, it was inconvenient to ride a horse.

The Emperor dismounted from his horse, tossed the reins to the Guard behind him, and then walked on foot.

The road had just been wet with snow and rain, making it slippery.

Eunuch Li, fearing that His Majesty might fall, quickly reached out his hand, "Your Majesty, please be careful."

The Emperor placed his hand on Eunuch Li’s and looked down at the mud under his feet, dirtying the surface of his Dragon Boots and splattering his hem with numerous specks of mud.

As an Emperor, when had he ever walked on a muddy road?

It was only because he had to find the Empress that he had to do so.

Just then, the sound of horse hooves came from behind, the urgency of their beat signaling the rider was in a hurry.

With a neigh from the horse, the rider deftly jumped down from the horse and jogged up to the Emperor, dropping to one knee.

"Your Majesty, this is an urgent letter from eight hundred li away."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor took the letter from the Guard’s hand, opened it, and pulled out the message.

After reading the letter, the Emperor’s face grew grim, "Return to the palace immediately."

Eunuch Li shouted, "Prepare to return to the palace!"

Stepping on the muddy road, the Emperor went back to his original spot, mounted his horse, and hastened to the Imperial Palace.

Inside Fuyao Residence

The Empress had been practicing for quite a while and was now gasping for breath.

"No more, no more, I truly am getting old. Just a bit of sword practice and I’m already exhausted."

Ye Chu took the sword from her hand and spoke with a gentle voice, "You are simply out of practice. How can you speak of being old?"

The Empress sat down at the round table and drank the hot tea Qing Ying handed her, taking a couple of sips to soothe her throat.

"You do not know, within the palace walls, wielding weapons is not permitted, and as the Empress, I must set an example for the rest of the harem. Otherwise, I cannot govern by virtue."

As Ye Chu sat down, Qing Ying passed him a cup of tea, which he took a sip from, "Are you happy in the palace?"

The Empress paused in her tea-drinking motion and sighed, "I cannot say I’m happy. Inside the palace walls, it is all scheming and deception. How could that compare to the ease and freedom outside the walls?"

Ye Chu knew all of this well. It was also why he didn’t want her to enter the palace, but since it was her own choice, he couldn’t stop her.

"If you are not happy, then why stay within those four walls?"

The Empress looked at Ye Chu, her tone helpless, "I am the Empress. If I do not stay within the palace walls, where else should I be?"

Ye Chu looked steadily at Chang Wenling, "Aling, if you are unhappy, then it’s alright not to be the Empress."

"Every time I get angry, I think it’s alright not to be the Empress. But some things are just beyond my control." The Empress stared at the teacup in front of her and took another few sips.

Ye Chu observed the girl who once bubbled with liveliness turn into a melancholic woman, and it pained his heart.

"If you wish, I can ensure you won’t have to worry about anything afterward."

The Empress looked at Ye Chu. She knew every word he said was serious and he meant to follow through on them.

"Thank you for your kind offer. The path was my choice, and even if it’s tough, I have to follow it through unless..."

Ye Chu chuckled softly, "Aling, you don’t need to make your decision in haste. You can think about it. Life isn’t long, you shouldn’t make yourself unhappy."

The Empress looked at Ye Chu for a while, so long that Ye Chu thought she might agree to his suggestion.

"I suddenly understand why that old monk took a liking to you."

Ye Chu’s eyes paused, then he laughed softly, "Why is that?"

The Empress exclaimed, "You know so much, and you see through things so clearly. If I were like you, I wouldn’t be in this situation."

"Is that so?" Ye Chu laughed again softly. How could he see through things so clearly? If he did, he wouldn’t have been so persistent for so many years, unwilling to let go.

The old monk once told him he had too much attachment. If he let go of his obsessions, he could become an enlightened monk.

Ye Chu couldn’t help but laugh at the thought.

Suddenly, the Empress cracked a smile, "You haven’t tried hotpot yet, have you? Let’s have hotpot for dinner, so you can taste this worldly delight."

Ye Chu, seeing her expression, grew curious, "Is that so? Is it delicious?"

The Empress looked proud, "Of course, you’ll know once you try."

Ye Chu smiled lightly, "Then I shall look forward to it."

The Empress asked Qing Ying to tell Chun Xi that they would have hotpot for dinner tonight.

Because Chun Xi knew how to prepare hotpot, and the others did not.

By the time dinner came, Chun Xi had everything ready for the hotpot.

Since Xiao Jinyan didn’t eat spicy food, a Yin Yang hotpot base was prepared.

There were more people, so twice the usual amount of ingredients was prepared.

For those who loved hotpot, when the broth in the pot began to boil, they couldn’t help but pick up their chopsticks and place their favorite ingredients into the pot, especially beef, lamb, and meatballs.