Chapter 161: Becoming Empress
The next day was the morning court assembly.
Lan Wu had been worried all along, wondering if Chu Mingheng would simply skip the morning court assembly and stay by her side.
To prevent this from happening, Lan Wu woke up even earlier than Chu Mingheng.
Since becoming an imperial concubine, she had never woken up this early. It was winter now, and the sky was still dark when she rose early in the morning. The biting cold wind chilled her to the bone.
Lan Wu moved around Chu Mingheng to get off the bed but hesitated, glancing back at him.
She leaned close to Chu Mingheng and called out to him, “Your Majesty?”
Chu Mingheng’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, as if he had been awakened.
Though not fully awake, his mind had already recognized the person before him. He wrapped his arms around Lan Wu’s waist and pulled her back under the covers.
Only then did he slowly respond with a hum.
Lan Wu poked her head out. “Your Majesty, do you remember you have to attend court today?”
Warm breaths fell heavily against her neck, as if he had fallen back asleep.
But Chu Mingheng clearly wasn’t asleep. After a moment, he replied to Lan Wu, “It’s fine to skip court.”
Hearing this unsurprising answer, Lan Wu almost felt like laughing.
She forced herself out of his embrace and asked Chu Mingheng, “What, are you planning to become a tyrannical ruler?”
“Even if you want to be a tyrannical ruler, you can’t drag me down with you.” After saying this, Lan Wu got off the bed and went to find the letter on the desk.
The letter was tucked beneath a book. Chu Mingheng hadn’t let anyone touch it last night, and Lan Wu hadn’t opened it herself. Now, she picked it up and handed it to Chu Mingheng.
“It’s for you.”
Chu Mingheng sat up on the bed, reached out to grab Lan Wu’s arm, and pulled her into his embrace. He was about to open the letter in front of her but hesitated, glancing down at Lan Wu before covering her eyes. “Don’t look for now.”
If he didn’t want her to look, then she wouldn’t. She didn’t care anyway.
The sound of paper unfolding reached her ears. Lan Wu’s eyes were covered, and she could only feel the warmth of his palm against her skin. The faint scent of cold incense from last night’s bath lingered in the air—not overpowering, but soothing and pleasant.
She waited for a long time. Having woken up early, she began to feel drowsy again as she was held motionless. Unable to resist, she asked Chu Mingheng, “Have you finished reading?”
The sound of paper being folded followed, and then Chu Mingheng replied, “I’ve finished.”
As he spoke, Chu Mingheng removed his hand from her eyes.
Lan Wu observed his expression, noticing that he seemed colder than usual, his eyes filled with complex emotions. But when he looked at her, a smile spread across his face.
“What’s wrong? What does it say?” Lan Wu asked curiously. “Can I read it?”
Even if this letter hadn’t been given to Chu Mingheng, he would have known what his past self intended to do. And since the letter had been left behind, it was meant for Lan Wu to read.
“Ah Wu, do you want to become Empress?” Chu Mingheng didn’t immediately hand her the letter but instead asked a question first.
Lan Wu was stunned by his words. Her wide eyes couldn’t hide her surprise and unease, and the way she looked at Chu Mingheng seemed to say he was joking.
She pointed at herself. “Me? Become Empress?”
Then she quickly realized, “Is that what the letter says?”
Chu Mingheng neither confirmed nor denied it, simply telling her, “There’s no one else but you. That position is reserved for you.”
Lan Wu urged him to calm down. Not to mention she had just been appointed Guifei, and the investiture ceremony hadn’t even taken place yet—now he was already offering her the position of Empress. Wasn’t he afraid she might choke on it?
“Being my Empress means sharing the same blanket in life and the same grave in death. No one can ever separate us.” As Chu Mingheng said this, he seemed to recall something. His warm palm caressed Lan Wu’s face, and he let out a soft chuckle.
For no apparent reason, Lan Wu felt a shiver run down her spine. She quickly grabbed his hand and held it to her chest, leaning closer to whisper gently, “These matters are still far off. I’m saying this for your own good. If the court officials find out you intend to make me Empress, they’ll surely pile countless memorials before you. You’ll get angry again, and anger isn’t good for you.”
Chu Mingheng listened to her gentle words but only asked Lan Wu one question: “Ah Wu, just tell me—do you want it or not? As for the rest, I will naturally handle it for you.”
Lan Wu bit her lip and pulled back slightly.
Becoming the Empress, the mother of the nation—this was something she had never dared to imagine. Yet here was Chu Mingheng, asking her as if all she had to do was nod, and he would place everything before her.
Did she want it or not?
Lan Wu could lie to Chu Mingheng, but she couldn’t lie to herself.
Of course, she wanted it.
In her previous life, from the very beginning, she had only dreamed of soaring to great heights, unwilling to remain a lowly servant who bowed and scraped, enduring humiliation. A dancer was still a servant, no better off. She had sought wealth and status on her own, trudging through countless hardships. Though she had walked into a dead end, she had won the Emperor’s heart, which was why she had been granted this second chance at life.
Now, Chu Mingheng was asking if she wanted to become Empress…
Lan Wu hesitated for a moment before finally giving a slight nod. She lifted her eyes, looking at Chu Mingheng uneasily.
Chu Mingheng pulled her closer, pressing a warm kiss to her forehead, and said in a low voice, “Good.”
If she wanted it, he would place the position of Empress right before her.
And then?
“There’s no rush…” Lan Wu looked at him hesitantly and said, “There’s one thing.”
She twisted her fingers lightly and spoke softly, “I must go to Changyong Mountain. You already promised me yesterday.”
Unexpectedly, Chu Mingheng didn’t show much of a reaction. He simply said, “I know.”
“Then… do you agree?”
Chu Mingheng didn’t answer. Instead, he held her tighter, as if he wanted to crush her but couldn’t bear to. After a moment, his hoarse voice sounded beside her ear. Instead of agreeing, he reminded Lan Wu, “Take care of yourself. If anything happens to you, I won’t listen to any more of Huifan’s impractical nonsense.”
“And don’t use yourself to force me to compromise again. If it happens once more…”
Before Chu Mingheng could finish, Lan Wu hurriedly covered his mouth, anxiously saying, “Alright, alright, I understand.”
Being lectured by one Chu Mingheng was enough—now she had to endure it again? What kind of logic was that?
Just then, a sound came from outside the hall.
It was a palace attendant announcing the time, urging His Majesty to rise and attend court.
Lan Wu promptly stood up, her spirits lifting as she said, “I’ve never really helped you put on your court attire before. Let me assist you.”
Speaking of which, whether in her previous life or this one, Lan Wu rarely followed the rules of rising before the emperor to serve him in dressing and washing after becoming an imperial concubine. In her previous life, it was because Chu Mingheng always left her sore and aching from the night before, making it impossible for her to get up. In this life, it was entirely because she had been spoiled by the emperor of her previous life, making her too delicate.