Dawn forayed into the bamboo hut in the form of a soft beam of the early sun. Everything was quiet in the room except for the gentle breathing coming from Ye An and Xi Chen as they remained entangled in the bedsheets. Outside, the sun rose gradually until their marital bed was flooded with daylight.
Ye An slowly opened her eyes and couldn't stop the smile on her face when she watched at how peaceful Xi Chen looked as he slept. She pulled a hand out of the blankets and brushed a strand of hair that fell across his face, reveling in the silkiness of his hair. Ye An scooted in for a closer look at Xi Chen. At her husband. And Xi Chen instinctively reached out to tuck her into him. Ye An let out a little startled gasp which was followed by a widened smile. She placed a soft kiss on Xi Chen's chest and stayed there for a little while. When she was ready, Ye An gingerly removed the arm around her and left the bed to get dressed in silence. A few strides and she was at the door. Turning around to cast another glance at the room, at the decorations, the red canopy, and Xi Chen's silhouette underneath it, Ye An took everything in before blowing out a deep breath. It was time for her to return to being Emperor Ye An.
After a quick wash up, Ye An headed straight to the temple to look for the head monk. She hadn't had the chance to learn of both Sze Chang's and Prince Adlai's temporary residence here and figured that the head monk would have the answers. Ye An had to meet her cousin and the foreign prince to discuss their strategy before they make their move towards the capital. After asking around, Ye An found the head monk with his back to her, crouching over something on the ground in the garden behind the temple.
"I didn't know that there was a garden here." Based on how Ye An's boots were sinking into the soil, it seemed as if spring had made its appearance overnight.
"Ah, Miss An." The head monk stood up and bowed at Ye An in greeting. "This humble garden is no match to the exquisitely designed gardens in the capital. It is simply called a garden because plants grow here." The head monk waved a hand across the small area. "And since we're deep in the icy gales of winter most of the time, not many religiously tend to this garden." A serene smile curved over the head monk's weathered face as he turned towards the object that he was earlier engrossed in before Ye An's arrival. "Even I, only came because I heard that this little thing sprouted overnight."
Ye An took a few steps so that she was now viewing the small plant with the head monk. It was a small green bud. The damp patch of soil around it already thawed and showing their deep mahogany color.
The head monk turned towards Ye An. "Miss An, do you know what plant is this?"
"Um.. No..?" Ye An couldn't help but feel incredulous at the question. Not only was she no botanist, all she could see of the plant was only a green nub.
Some of the thoughts running through Ye An's head must have shown on her face because the head monk guffawed. "That was merely a rhetorical question, Miss An. This one right here is a jade plant that I had planted two years ago. It missed the sprouting season last year. I wasn't sure that they would sprout this year. But alas! It sprouted!" The head monk couldn't help the satisfied smile across his face.
Ye An smiled at the head monk's obvious enthusiasm. "Well, even though I do not know many things about plants, I do know that each of them has their own meaning. So what is the meaning of a jade plant?"
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THE DAY EMPEROR: 阳明王 【The Night Emperor Book 2】
ऐतिहासिक साहित्य"There are enough bad things in life, hold on to whatever it is that gives you joy." In the months after Ye An had ascended to the throne, she has learned about all the secrets that were kept from her. Secrets that had spanned generations. But is th...
