Chapter 345: Chapter 345: The Suffering Wife VS The Mistress (Part Thirty-One) Chapter 345: Chapter 345: The Suffering Wife VS The Mistress (Part Thirty-One) Gu Shengyin encountered Emperor Xiande for the third time in the gardens of the Duke of the Stateās residence.
Was the Emperor really that idle? After these encounters, Gu Shengyin had fully understood her loverās thoughts.
āThis servant girl pays her respectsā¦ā she began, making to curtsey.
Qin Shao hurriedly supported her, āJunior Sister, thereās no need for such formality. You and I will soon beā¦ā He stopped himself in time, swallowing the words āgetting married.ā
Junior Sister must be very shy. What if she runs away if I say it out loud?
They say one turns foolish before the one they love, and clearly, the wise and insightful Emperor was no exception. He had forgotten if Gu Shengyin were truly shy, and really wanted to avoid suspicion, she would have made an excuse to leave the moment they met.
Although Gu Shengyin wouldnāt mind declaring her feelings for her lover right away, exchanging sweet nothings, Liang Chenyu evidently wasnāt familiar with the Emperor, let alone deeply in love.
Gu Shengyin spoke, āYour Majesty, now that we are as we areā¦, itās better to avoid suspicion in public.ā What needed to be said had to be said.
At this moment, Qin Shaoās mind was quick, āJunior Sister also said it applies in public, but as there is no one here in this garden, letās consider it a private interaction, shall we?ā
Gu Shengyin: ā¦
Qin Shao, looking at his Junior Sisterās astounded expression, found it extremely adorable.
He felt the need to express his feelings to his Junior Sister clearly, thought for a moment, and decided to be direct.
āI have long admired you, Junior Sister. Choosing you as the Empress is not my motherās wish, but my own desire.ā
The young Emperor was handsome and charming. He gazed at the girl whose head reached just to his shoulder, his eyes brimming with a depth of affection that could drown one.
With such deep, affectionate gazes from the most supreme man under heaven, there are indeed few women who could resist such seduction.
Gu Shengyin blushed ānaturally,ā this time disregarding all decorum, she covered her face and ran off.
Left alone, Qin Shao stood there, smiling at her retreating figure: Indeed, no matter what she looked like, Junior Sister was always so beautiful.
When Gu Shengyin arrived at the front, her face was still slightly flushed. Lady Meng saw this but said nothing.
She wasnāt foolish, with Qin Shao coming once, twice, three times, Lady Meng had long known who her daughter was meeting.
Although she muttered about impropriety, Lady Meng felt pleased at heart. She knew her own daughter; the two would just see each other face to face and would not do anything disrespectful.
What did it mean for the Emperor to make such an effort to see her daughter repeatedly? It showed he held her daughter in his heart.
Suddenly, Lady Meng remembered the times in her youth when she and Grand Tutor Liang would meet secretly. At that time, their marriage was already agreed upon, and being mutually in love, they would meet secretly even if they didnāt speak a word; just sitting together made them feel immensely content.
Although the Emperor was comparatively older, he had never been known to favor any noble lady; presumably, he was also full of longing and love for his future wife.
Thus, Emperor Xiande and his future Empress grew more affectionate with each meeting.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince of Zhenbei and his cousin were ready to be married.
The imperial decree for the marriage set a rapid date, with the auspicious day occurring just a month after the issuance.
What could be done in one month?
For a household like the Prince of Zhenbeiās Mansion, even taking a concubine involved many considerations, let alone a legitimate Crown Princess.
But with the limited time, some arrangements had to be simplified, and naturally, the new Crown Princess would have to make do with less prestige.