Chapter 7
The Golden Guard arrived half a month later.
The previous night, the bell had tolled nine times. The emperor was dead.
Dawn was whitening in the east, its first light faint.
The guards stood in ordered ranks on either side and called together,
“We respectfully welcome Her Majesty the empress back to the capital.”
My tears burst forth at once. Worry mingled with the smile I could not suppress.
“Is the crown prince safe?”
Their commander answered respectfully. “The late emperor passed away. The crown prince became the new emperor last night. He ordered us to bring Your Majesty back to the palace first thing this morning.”
Only then did I seem to notice he had called me empress. I looked taken aback.
“But the crown princess…”
“I know only that His Majesty ordered me to escort the empress back to the capital. I know nothing else.”
I nodded thoughtfully, joyful at having survived disaster.
“Then I must trouble you all.”
The Golden Guard escorted me from the country residence to the palace.
When I saw Lu Feibai again, he was the new emperor, wearing a pearl-studded jade-dragon crown.
Even in mourning clothes, he was full of vigor, without a trace of the grief or dejection of someone who had lost a parent.
I knelt in a full obeisance and wished His Majesty ten thousand years.
He helped me up himself and pulled me into his arms.
“Zhang’er… my dear Zhang’er.”
Within moments, tears fell onto his shoulder like beads from a broken string.
I no longer restrained my feelings. “Feibai, Zhang’er never wants to leave you again.”
At that moment, I became once more the young girl he spoke of, with eyes only for him.
He held me tighter. “If my teacher hadn’t told me everything, I would never have known my Zhang’er was so brave.”
At his praise, I blushed. “If I can help you, I’m willing to do it.”
Lu Feibai was deeply moved.
Xianrong had concealed herself too well. Without Father’s help and mine, he would likely already have fallen into her trap.
I let Father take all the credit for our suspicions about her.
As for me, I was merely traveling for pleasure when I happened to discover two gold mines in operation.
Finding them curious, I wrote to Father.
Father and I had long wondered how Xianrong could persuade forces from the martial world to serve her.
Our investigation revealed she was secretly mining gold!
Mineral deposits, like grain, salt, tea, and horses, belonged to the imperial house.
Xianrong and her allies had seized two gold mines for themselves.
Everyone in the bustling world came and went for profit.
With a gold mine, she need not worry about finding people willing to serve her.
In Father’s account, that was when he first sensed something amiss.
After a detailed investigation, he confirmed Princess Xianrong’s disloyal intentions.
Only then did he inform Lu Feibai.
Pleased by Father’s honesty and loyalty, Lu Feibai declared on the spot that I would be his empress.
“My accession ceremony is in a month. It will also be your investiture. Zhang’er, will you receive the people’s homage with me and share the splendor of a prosperous reign?”
I did not show the delirious joy or overwhelming gratitude he expected.
Instead, I refused.
“Feibai, I long to be your wife. But the crown princess is still alive. If you demote your wife to a concubine, the censors will surely protest.”
“Besides…” I smiled sorrowfully. “My reputation is ruined. Would making me empress not taint you too?”
“How long will you keep concealing things from me? You knew the temple visit was dangerous, yet you used yourself as bait.”
“I chose the wrong path and parted from you for three years. Now that we can recover what was lost, will you walk this stretch of road with me again?”
Weeping with joy, I threw myself into his arms and resisted no longer.