Chapter 1423: A small inn on the border
When the emperor passed away, he left Min'an a peaceful and prosperous era.
He also believed that this daughter, whom he had personally chosen, would make the Shan Dynasty even more grand and glorious.
But before he died, he called her to his side and talked to her alone.
"I am very satisfied with your ability. You have done a good job over the years."
Emperor Shan leaned on the bed and showed a very satisfied expression to Princess Min'an, but it was fleeting, and then he became extremely serious again.
"The only thing I am worried about is your love affair with that zither player. As a woman, if you indulge in love, the people of the world will suffer with you."
"Father."
Princess Min'an knelt obediently before Emperor Shan and looked up at him.
"I understand my responsibilities as an emperor. But since an emperor can have three thousand beauties in his harem, why can't an empress have love? I know the importance of this."
"If you keep dozens of concubines, I won't worry about it."
Emperor Shan smiled weakly, showing a fatherly expression to Princess Min'an for the first time, "Forget it, since I have chosen you, I will trust you this time. A hundred years later, don't let me down."
In the past ten years, Emperor Shan had wanted to ask someone to give Futi a cup of poisoned wine many times, but he never had the heart to do it.
Princess Min'an has always been a qualified and excellent crown prince. It's just that she has a little bit of personal bias, and Emperor Shan couldn't bear to make his daughter sad.
"My son, I will obey my father's teachings."
Princess Min'an looked at Emperor Shan and her eyes slowly turned red.
In her eyes, the Shan Emperor has always been the most wise and powerful person, from the time she started planning things until now. But he is about to die, and the Shan Dynasty will depend on her in the future.
"Do your best. Your father believes in you." Emperor Shan raised his hand and patted Princess Min'an on the shoulder like an ordinary father for the first time.
That night, the sound of funeral bells spread throughout the imperial city.
Futi, who was sitting in a corner, also heard the funeral bell and sat up in shock from her bed.
In fact, he couldn't sleep well these days. Princess Min'an hadn't shown up for many days, which made him feel that something big was going to happen, and the death knell now proved his guess.
Even in the past few days, Futi thought that someone from the palace would come to give her white silk and poisoned wine, and she kept waiting, but she didn't expect that the death knell would come in the end.
He put on his clothes and stood up. There was a bright moon in the sky, and the reflection on the ground looked like a layer of bright snow.
He was born into a scholarly family, but his father favored his concubine over his wife. Later, when his mother died, he was framed by his stepmother and convicted, so he fled from home in order to survive.
After several years of wandering, he became a zither player, but suffered from a number of health problems.
The cold weather was severe that year and everyone thought they would not survive that cold winter.
When I lost consciousness, my hands were tightly grasped.
The girl sat by his bed and calmly told him, "You won't die. I'll find someone to treat you."
The snow outside was so heavy that her clothes on her shoulders were wet, casting a small shadow.
How could I not be tempted?
But the princess is like the cloud on the moon, and he is the mud under his feet, and they are never from the same world.
No matter how poor he was, he was unwilling to give up his pride.
So after Princess Min'an said that for the first time, she decisively refused.
But in the past ten years, Princess Min'an never mentioned it again. She just came to listen to him play the piano in her spare time like she did in the past, just like when they first met.
Futi stayed awake all night and had no idea what day it was outside.
The servant beside him went out early to inquire, and when he came back, he said in a hoarse voice: "It's very quiet outside. They say that His Highness... His Highness will succeed to the throne."
From then on, she was no longer a princess, but a real queen.
Futi plucked the strings of the zither, and no one knew what she was thinking.
Half a month later, the queen successfully ascended the throne.
Then, when the moonlight rose, she quietly came to his courtyard.
This was beyond Futi's expectations, and she stared at her in a daze under the candlelight.
"It's okay that you didn't leave. I was worried that you would leave the Imperial City."
Min An took off his hood, looked at him and sighed, "Futi, I like you, but I won't force you. The rest of my life is long, can you stay by my side?"
Even though she had become the queen, she always referred to herself as "I" in front of him.
Futi lowered her eyes for a while.
Finally, he walked over and their eyes met under the candlelight.
"it is good."
Regarding Empress Min'an, the official history only records that she worked hard to govern the country, further expanded the territory of the dynasty externally, and made the people live and work in peace and contentment. She was a rare wise ruler.
However, the story of the next generation of legendary empress and the zither player would be recorded in the unconfirmed unofficial history and quietly circulated among the people.
However, Futi will not be the Queen's vassal, nor will she be an ambiguous male favorite.
He is still himself, a zither player whose extraordinary music lingers in the ears for three days.
Pride and love are always the same.
You can also have both.