I estimated that after being confronted by An Jin, the Eastern Palace had reflected and finally understood the importance of “keeping a low profile.”
That evening, my meal portion doubled. My father-in-law and An Jin kept adding dishes to my bowl, and even my mother-in-law secretly glanced at my lower abdomen, seemingly misunderstanding something.
An Jin praised my approach before the empress and promised to completely resolve the royal marriage arrangement. No matter how many worries and doubts I had, they were dispelled by his single statement.
He had never failed to keep a promise.
A few days later, during a break, the emperor summoned An Jin and me to the palace.
I knew it was about the marriage arrangement and felt somewhat nervous. However, as we were about to ascend the dragon path in Yijing Hall, An Jin suddenly reached out and held my fist hidden in my sleeve. He separated my clenched fingers and interlaced his own between them, palm to palm.
I looked at him in surprise. His features were shrouded in the perpetual thin mist of the imperial city, and though I couldn’t see clearly, it made me feel at ease. In that moment, I understood his meaning: Don’t be afraid, I’m here.
Just thinking of these four words made my nervousness vanish. As long as he was by my side, I feared nothing.
The empress remained dignified and noble, her expression unreadable. The emperor’s face was benevolent, with two small mustaches, his narrow eyes pausing momentarily on our tightly touching sleeves before his smile remained unchanged.
One was cold and heartless, the other cunning and sly – both equally difficult to deal with. This was my inner thought.
The emperor first exchanged pleasantries, praising our conjugal love as a model of harmony. Then, he meandered through recent weather and popular spring outing spots in Yanfeng City. The irrelevant topics made me drowsy.
This emperor was even more prone to digression than my own father.
An Jin was accustomed to the emperor’s meandering conversation, occasionally responding appropriately and vaguely agreeing.
As the emperor continued, An Jin interjected: “May I ask why Your Majesty has summoned us?”
The emperor suddenly remembered: “Oh, right. Someone, bring seats.” Being seated meant the main topic was finally about to begin.
