Chapter 126: Stealing Half a Day of Leisure

Even while staying in the outskirts of the capital, Lin Miaomiao learned the news that the Emperor was selecting new consorts. She looked toward the direction of the palace gates, and Li Yanhe sighed, saying, "Do you know why the General's Manor remains safe?"

Lin Miaomiao shook her head, asking, "Why?"

Li Yanhe glanced at her and said, "To ensure the Great General would fight wholeheartedly at the border and to persuade my mother to willingly become the Crown Prince's secondary consort, the late Emperor granted her a military seal commanding one hundred thousand troops. That was her dowry."

Lin Miaomiao looked at him in disbelief. A handsome smile played on Li Yanhe’s lips as he added, "Now you know why nothing can happen to my mother."

"Because in this palace, no one dares to bully her. She holds military power in her hands."

Lin Miaomiao nodded. They shared a moment of silence before continuing their carriage ride to the manor in the outskirts of the capital.

As someone born and raised in the modern era, Lin Miaomiao actually knew very little about farming. In her past life, she had almost no opportunity to see peasants working the land. Watching the farmers here, she and Li Yanhe were greeted warmly by those who recognized them.

Lin Miaomiao smiled and returned their greetings. After touring the fields, the two retired to the manor to rest. While Lin Miaomiao sat nearby, Li Yanhe began to till the soil for his flowers. Watching him work, a wave of nostalgia washed over her, making her eyes sting. Her mother had loved gardening. In the past, the thing Lin Miaomiao hated most was being told to water the plants while she was watching television.

To her, all those green plants looked exactly the same; she couldn't tell them apart. Once, when her mother was away on a business trip, she and her father neglected the garden. Upon her mother’s return, they discovered several pots had withered. Lin Miaomiao still remembered her father, trying to appease her mother, turning to her and snapping, "Look at you! I told you to water them, but you didn't. I’m so busy at work, and you couldn't be bothered either. Look, they’re all dead!"

Back then, she had been so angry at her father’s behavior that she didn't even eat dinner that night. Recalling it now, she felt a sense of urgency, yet it also seemed humorous—a bittersweet memory.

Not wanting to disturb Li Yanhe as he tended to his flowers, Lin Miaomiao picked up her sketchbook and began to draw with a homemade pencil. The courtyard was quiet; the servants of the Prince’s residence knew better than to disturb their master.

Seeing the couple, Nanny Zhao sighed to herself. Her young mistress’s greatest wish in this life had always been to live in peace. Unfortunately, that wish had not been granted, but seeing her son now able to distance himself from the intrigues of the imperial family was, in its own way, a source of joy.

As Nanny Zhao stood lost in thought, she caught a glimpse of a robe and immediately recognized who it was. Just as she was about to kneel, the Emperor, Yongchang, gestured for her to remain silent. She had no choice but to stand aside. The Emperor watched the pair, finding their quiet, individual tasks surprisingly harmonious.

Li Yanhe paused in his tilling and looked up, catching sight of Lin Miaomiao. A happy smile spread across his face. Seeing him smile at her, Lin Miaomiao squinted back, her expression radiant. In her smile, Li Yanhe found a sense of peace he had never known before; this, he realized, was what it felt like to have a home. Having spent over a decade drifting on the frontiers, he had grown weary of the bloodshed. Life was good now.

After returning the soil to the pots, Li Yanhe stood up, wiped his hands, and found himself face-to-face with the Emperor. He sighed and began, "Your Majesty—"

The Emperor waved a hand, interrupting him. "Rules are for the rigid; people are living beings. That formality is unnecessary here."

Li Yanhe nodded. "Yes, Father."

Lin Miaomiao noticed the Emperor as well and rose from her chair. The Emperor picked up her drawing, nodded, and said, "A fine talent. This is quite good. When you have time, come to the palace and paint a portrait for the Noble Consort and me."

Lin Miaomiao nodded. "Very well. I will come when I can. Though, I wonder if Your Majesty will have the time then?"

The Emperor didn't take offense; instead, he laughed. "I will certainly make time."

They had originally planned for a picnic at the manor, but with the Emperor’s arrival, they had to adjust. Lin Miaomiao had Nanny Zhao buy more food. They sat around the table, enjoying simple cold dishes, home-cooked stir-fries, and the cookies and sandwiches she had made that morning.

The Emperor looked at the simple fare, realizing how long it had been since he had eaten such home-style cooking. As a prince, he had eaten meals like this, but the person who used to cook for him in the deep palace was no longer willing to accommodate him.

Seeing the look on the Emperor's face, Li Yanhe guessed his thoughts but remained silent. He turned to Lin Miaomiao and said, "This is enough. Don't you always say we shouldn't be wasteful? This will do."

Lin Miaomiao nodded. "Oh, right, there's one more dish in the pot. It’ll be ready in a moment."

As she spoke, she felt a sudden sense of maturity, as if she were truly a wife hosting a guest. She remembered her own mother doing the same when guests visited—her father chatting with uncles while her mother smiled from the kitchen. In that moment, she understood what it meant to be someone’s wife.

The final dish, shredded pork with garlic sauce, was served. As she sat down next to Li Yanhe, the Emperor looked pleased. "Once you two have a few sons, I shall truly be a man of great fortune."

Lin Miaomiao didn't respond, merely offering a polite smile. She had often heard in her modern life that being an emperor was a high-risk profession. It was exhausting work, and a conscientious ruler had to worry about endless affairs of state.

She looked at the man, who was approaching his forty-fifth birthday. She knew that in this era, life expectancy was short, and forty-five was considered elderly. The years had left their mark on his face, yet his natural, intimidating authority remained. He was still a handsome man—Li Yanhe looked much like him, as if the Emperor were simply Li Yanhe twenty years older.

The Emperor caught her staring. "What are you looking at? Is there something on my face?"

Lin Miaomiao shook her head with a smile. "I just realized how much Li Yanhe looks like you. Looking at you, I can see what he will look like in twenty years."

The Emperor, who had never heard such a thing, was momentarily stunned before laughing. "Indeed! He is my son; of course he resembles me."

Lin Miaomiao nodded. "At first, I thought that even children born of the same dragon are all different, but looking closely, I can see the similarities between you and Hanyuan."

She used Li Yanhe’s courtesy name, Hanyuan. After the meal, as the Emperor prepared to leave, he patted Li Yanhe on the shoulder. "The old saying goes, 'While parents are alive, do not travel far.' I haven't seen you in many years, and I hope you will stay by my side for a while longer. If you have time, go to the palace and speak with your mother."

Li Yanhe smiled. "Rest assured, Father. I have grown lazy; it makes little difference to me where I stay. I only seek peace and simplicity."

The Emperor nodded and boarded his carriage. The moment he left, the smile vanished from Li Yanhe’s face. Watching this transformation, Lin Miaomiao teased, "I don't know why, but seeing you switch faces so quickly—if I didn't know you better, I'd think you were plotting something wicked."

Li Yanhe shook his head. "He wants to keep me here now. Why didn't he say that in the past?"

Lin Miaomiao understood. She knew he had been sent to the border at fourteen because the Emperor feared the power of the General’s Manor.

Li Yanhe did not return to the palace, but the Imperial Noble Consort, Yuan Chuxia, soon learned that the Emperor had dined at his manor. She sat in her chair, sighed heavily, and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she picked up her tools and resumed the restoration of some ancient documents.

That evening, the Emperor visited her quarters, leaving the new palace recruits green with envy. None of them realized that their only purpose in the harem was to stabilize the political situation—in the end, they were nothing more than chess pieces.