“Guifei, please accept the Shengzhi.”
Liu Cheng respectfully handed over the decree. “In the coming days, Milady should spend time with your family. When the time comes, the palace will send someone to escort you in.”
Trembling hands, a flustered heart—Su Tuan’er felt the Shengzhi burning in her grasp.
She glanced back at her father and brothers; they looked even more worried than she did.
Su Tuan’er steeled herself and accepted the Shengzhi, thanking the emperor for his grace.
She knew she could not show even the slightest hint of reluctance.
Because if she uttered a single word of refusal, her father and brothers would defy the decree without regard for the consequences.
After Liu Cheng left, General Su summoned Su Tuan’er to the study and looked at her gravely. “Tuan’er, if you are unwilling, tell your father. I will find a way out of this.”
The thought of his precious jewel entering the palace to become the emperor’s young consort left a bitter taste in General Su’s mouth.
“Father, entering the palace is actually not so bad. Since the emperor has made me Guifei, he surely will not treat me poorly.”
Su Tuan’er forced a smile. Her father was advanced in years, his hair now fully silver, and he had already worried enough over her frail health. She could not let him worry any more.
If she was fortunate enough to survive, she could still be his daughter. If not, at least she would not bring trouble upon them. This was the only thing she could do for them now that she occupied this body.
“The emperor is violent-tempered and unpredictable, and your health is fragile. Serving a ruler is like lying beside a tiger… I had planned, once your health improved, to find you a good young man from an ordinary family.”
General Su turned his face away and let out a deep sigh.
“Tuan’er thinks the emperor is quite good,” Su Tuan’er consoled him. “He is a man who rules the world, governing with skill and letting the people of Qingbei live in peace. Marrying such a man is no loss for me.”
“Does Tuan’er truly think so?” General Su said seriously. “The palace is full of intrigues, and none of those harem consorts are easy to deal with.”
“Father, rest assured. I simply won’t provoke them,” Su Tuan’er said with a calm smile. “Though ordinary families don’t have three palaces and six courts, because of my weak constitution, no one has come to propose marriage these past few years. Everyone considered me bad luck—only the emperor did not mind.”
General Su sighed heavily again, feeling that his daughter’s words were not without reason.
“Since Tuan’er has no objections, your father will say no more.” He looked at her with affection. “Rest assured, as long as your father is here, I will protect you.”
Su Tuan’er smiled and nodded.
Once she entered the palace, her father would likely no longer be able to protect her…
Gu Yanbei’s thoughts were unfathomable. She had no idea what awaited her.
Over the next few days, Jiangjun Fu bustled with activity.
General Su hired the finest embroiderers in Shengjing to make several sets of clothing for Su Tuan’er, and her three older brothers scoured the markets for the finest rouge, powder, and jewelry.
Cuicui, meanwhile, brewed nourishing soups for her every day, saying she needed to build up her strength so she could serve the emperor well and soon bear a little prince.
Everyone was busy preparing for Su Tuan’er’s entry into the palace—except for Su Tuan’er herself, who watched the lively commotion with mixed emotions.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. At dusk, under her father and brothers’ reluctant gazes, Su Tuan’er boarded the carriage bound for the palace.
The distance from Jiangjun Fu to the imperial palace was considerable. Su Tuan’er lifted the curtain and watched the scenery outside for a while, growing drowsy.
She shifted into a more comfortable position, closed her eyes, and rested.
The night deepened gradually, and a crescent moon hung in the sky casting a cold, clear glow. The carriage wheels creaked and groaned along the broad, serene palace road.
After a long stretch, the carriage finally came to a stop before a palace gate. Cuicui lifted the curtain, gently roused Su Tuan’er from her slumber, and helped her down from the carriage.