Hongli smiled slightly, and selected a few beaded flowers and a pair of gold-inlaid ruby butterflies from the makeup box. When he was about to tie her hairpin, Xianyue suddenly raised his hand to stop her and said, "Yongzhen will not last for a hundred days."
But, I don’t want to wear these things.”
Hongli was silent for a moment and said in an almost pleading tone: "How about just making an exception for this day?"
Xianyue looked at him for a moment, and finally let go of her hand, letting him put on the gorgeous beads and flowers for herself. Surrounded by green beads, the woman in the mirror gradually became dignified and gorgeous.
Those eyes alone were always lacking in life.
Hongli looked at her intently, with an indescribable tenderness and attachment in his eyes. For a long time, he caressed Xianyue's cheek and said softly: "My queen is still the same as before, so beautiful that it's heart-breaking.
It’s within reach!” As he said that, he said to Xiao Wu: “Go and send the painter over immediately.”
Xianyue said in surprise: "Why do you need to pass on the painter?"
Hongli smiled and said: "Of course it is for me and you to draw portraits. Speaking of which, our last portrait was painted five years ago."
Xianyue didn't say anything else. Soon, Xiaowu brought the painter in. It took almost an hour to paint a portrait. Hongli was afraid that Xianyue would be unable to sit still because of her frail body, so he let her half-lean on him while he held her tightly.
He shook Xianyue's hand.
After more than half an hour passed, the painter stopped writing, took off the drawing paper, and respectfully handed it to Hongli, "Your Majesty, please take a look."
It must be said that this painter's painting skills are extremely good. He painted Hongli and Xianyue so lifelike, and even the charm of each other was outlined in the painting.
"Very good." Hongli nodded with satisfaction. After ordering the painter to go down, he handed the portrait to Xianyue and said, "What do you think?"
Xianyue did not look at the portrait, but said calmly: "As long as the emperor likes it."
The smile on Hongli's face gradually faded, replaced by an extremely sad look, "This is the last portrait between me and you, do you really not want to take a look at it?"
Xianyue looked at him in surprise, not understanding why he suddenly said such words. But what she didn't expect was that Hongli, who had been smiling just now, was actually crying. Tears fell one after another, quietly falling from his eyes.
Drops in the eyes...
Xianyue said in confusion: "Why are you crying?"
Even though his eyes were blurred by tears, Hongli still stared at Xianyue without blinking, and said hoarsely: "Because I can't let you go, and I can't let go of my queen!"
His words made Xianyue seem to understand something, her expression gradually became excited, and she said in a trembling voice: "Are you... willing to let go?"
Facing her gaze, Hongli said with difficulty: "Yes, I let go and will no longer bind you with my life. You... can do whatever you want and go wherever you want!" He had obviously made a decision, but he really said
When he said it, he was still heartbroken, like a thousand arrows piercing his heart; because this meant that after today, he would never see Xia Yue again, nor the queen he had loved for more than thirty years!
Xianyue understood how difficult this decision was for Hongli. She stroked Hongli's cheeks wet with tears and choked with sobs: "Thank you... Your Majesty."
Hongli didn't speak, he just hugged Xianyue tightly. He couldn't let go of the woman in his arms, but he also didn't want to see the person he loved most in his life living in torment and pain every day.
After a long time, he let go of his hand, looked at Xianyue, who was also full of tears, and said sadly and hopefully: "Can you please allow me again in the next life?"
There is no way out in this life, we can only hope for the next life.
After a moment of silence, Xianyue said: "In the next life, can you not be an emperor?"
Hongli nodded without hesitation, "Okay, in the next life, I will not be the emperor, and you will not be the queen. There will be no three palaces and six courtyards, and no intrigues. We will be an ordinary couple!"
They loved each other so much, but Yongxing's death was like a gap that could never be crossed, standing in front of them, making it impossible for them to walk hand in hand.
His answer made Xianyue laugh with tears in her eyes. Although Hongli gave her a lot of pain, at least... he truly loved her. "Well, I will promise you the next life." After a moment, she added.
Said: "Only you are allowed!"
Hongli laughed and shed tears, "Remember what you promised me, not to reincarnate alone. If I can't see you by the Naihe Bridge a hundred years later, I won't spare you!" After Xianyue nodded,
, he glanced around Kunning Palace and said sadly: "After you leave, no one will take over Kunning Palace." Hongli's words were tantamount to a promise to Xianyue that he would never return to Kunning Palace for the rest of his life.
Make a queen!
Xianyue coughed several times and said, "Can I ask the Emperor for one more thing?"
Hongli didn't ask what was going on, but said directly: "You tell me, I will definitely do it for you!"
"After my death, I will not be buried with the following rites, nor will I have a national funeral!" Hearing this, Hongli's expression changed with horror, and he immediately refused: "No, if I go by what you said, wouldn't it be equivalent to me secretly dethroning you?
Absolutely not!"
Xianyue smiled slightly, "The emperor just said that he would definitely do it for me. Why did he regret it after such a short time? Did the emperor forget the four words 'Jun Wu Xiyan'?"
"Of course I remember it, but I didn't know that you made such a request. Even if you say that I broke my promise, I will never agree."
Xianyue looked at him and said, "Does the emperor think this position of queen is important?"
Hongli said without hesitation: "Naturally."
Yes, the queen has a mother who honors the world, and is a high position that all women in the world must look up to. Is there any woman in the world who doesn’t want to be a queen who honors the world!
Xianyue smiled bitterly and said: "But to me, the position of queen is like a shackles and a burden, which makes me very tired. I don't want to have to bear all this after my death; and if there is a national funeral, it will definitely consume the national treasury and increase the burden."
The burden of the people.”
"But..." When Hongli was about to say more, Xianyue knelt down on the bed and said, "Please, Your Majesty, grant me your permission!"
After a long stalemate, Hongli finally relaxed and said, "Okay, I promise you."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." His words made Xianyue smile as brightly as she had not seen in a long time.
On this day, they seemed to have returned to the quiet days of husband and wife's love a few years ago, whispering, holding hands and looking at each other. How wonderful it would be if time could stop at this moment...
Unfortunately, everything will eventually come to an end.
Under the lantern, Hongli and Xianyue sat side by side at the table. In front of them, they each had a glass of wine. They looked the same, but one was poisonous and the other was non-poisonous.
Xianyue was the first to hold up the wine glass and said softly: "I would like to wish the Emperor good health and the Qing Dynasty to be immortal forever!"
Hongli held the wine glass and said with a sad smile: "With you gone, all this means nothing to me. I would rather live a shorter life so that I can reunite with you sooner."