Chapter 256: Chapter 255: Return to DuSang Yan felt her face flush with a sudden warmth as she listened to his words.


    She pushed him away, coyly turning her head, "What are you saying? I don’t understand."


    This man couldn’t go a day without driving.


    Throughout the journey, his hints had nearly become overt declarations.


    Although they had already been very intimate, they hadn’t yet broken through the final barrier.


    It was really going to happen.


    She was still nervous.


    He Ying, pushed away, wasn’t annoyed; pulling her hand to his chest, he smiled and asked, "Place your hand over your heart, can you truly bear to leave me as a monk forever?"


    He swore: he was definitely the only Emperor in the history of Da He who, after establishing an Empress, was still forced to live in chaste solitude.


    And this Empress was the most precious in his heart.


    He couldn’t get angry or scold her.


    He could only spoil her.


    Sang Yan’s hand rested on her own chest, feeling her uncontrolled heartbeat.


    It was all because of his teasing.


    She pulled her hand away, her face red, and said, "I know. Let’s talk about it when we get back."


    Seeing her face blushing as if it would bleed, He Ying couldn’t bear to tease her further.


    If they continued, knowing her shy nature, she might ignore him for days.


    In the end, he would be the one to suffer.


    He Ying sighed, holding her in his arms, "Alright, Ah Yan, I’ll hold you as you sleep; you won’t have nightmares anymore. Go back to sleep, I’ll wake you when we arrive."


    "Okay."


    Sang Yan nestled into his broad and warm embrace, adjusting her position, breathing in his pleasant scent, let out a comfortable hum, and soon, she fell asleep.


    She slept until it was dark.


    The procession had also reached the Capital City.


    Officials from the Capital City, having received the news early, came to welcome the Emperor.


    They waited at the gates of the Capital City, forming a long queue.


    On both sides of the queue were soldiers holding torches.


    The outermost were the onlooking commoners.


    When the commoners learned of the events in Quanzhou, their adoration for the Emperor grew, and seeing the slowly arriving procession, they spontaneously shouted, "We welcome the Emperor back to the Capital! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"


    Their voices resonated through the skies.


    And also woke Sang Yan.


    She opened her eyes, taken aback, "We’ve arrived?"


    He Ying nodded with a smile, "Mhm, we’ve arrived."


    Sang Yan’s face lit up with joy as she lifted the curtain to look outside—


    Two rows of burning torches lit up the night.


    She could clearly see the Sang Family at the very front of the line of officials.


    The original host’s father, Sang Kun, along with his wife Ms. Lin and son Sang Jue, stood on their tiptoes, craning their necks to look over.


    The trio must have been scared by her disappearance as well, right?


    Thinking of the reason for her disappearance, she inevitably thought of Jiang Ke, felt a pang of pain in her heart, and was somewhat uncertain how to face Jiang’s parents.


    Not all of Jiang’s family had come.


    It was Jiang’s father who had come.


    As the Marquis Zhongyi, it was natural for him to come.


    Sang Yan looked at him and felt he had aged even more, his brows knitted with worry—could he be concern for his younger son, Jiang Ke?


    Jiang Ke...


    She withdrew her hand, and the curtain blocked her view, cutting her off from Jiang’s father’s troubled face.


    But not seeing him didn’t mean she could forget.


    Jiang Ke was dead.


    Both brothers of the Jiang Family were dead.


    And both deaths were inseparably linked to her.


    The shadow of the husband-killing fate loomed over her again.


    Her heart grew heavy, and even breathing became uncomfortable.


    He Ying had been paying close attention to her subtle expressions and saw that she had glanced at Jiang’s family. Seeing her pained expression now, he knew the reason.


    "Ah Yan, I will take good care of Jiang’s family."


    He wrapped her in his arms, consoling her, "Don’t think about him anymore. It’s all in the past. The end he met, he had his own reasons for it."


    Actually, what he wanted to say was that Jiang Ke deserved his fate and reaped the consequences of his actions.


    But the dead should be respected.


    He didn’t want to speak ill of him and make Sang Yan uncomfortable.


    Sang Yan also knew that Jiang Ke had brought misfortune upon himself, but emotions often trampled over reason, making her heart ache and feel bitter, "I just... think it’s such a pity."


    Jiang Ke was so young.


    Only eighteen years old.


    Such a beautiful age.


    Every time she thought about it, she felt suffocated with discomfort.


    "It’s too much of a pity."


    "Mm. I know."


    He kissed her forehead and urged her to compose herself, "The officials have come to welcome us, you still have to meet them."


    Sang Yan understood the importance of appearances, hurriedly asking someone to bring over a copper mirror, first fixing her hair, then adjusting her clothing, before taking He Ying’s hand and stepping down from the carriage.


    This was the moment that attracted everyone’s attention.


    All present kneeled, "Long live the Emperor, long may he reign—"


    As for the woman by the Emperor’s side?


    How could a woman who had been abducted by bandits become the Empress?


    Besides, the wedding hadn’t even taken place yet!


    "Long live the Empress, may she live for a thousand, thousand years!"


    The one shouting this was Sang Kun.


    And he was the only one shouting.


    The scene became quite awkward.


    Sang Yan also felt embarrassed, a queen hailed by only one’s own father is worse than not being hailed at all.


    The original owner’s father really knew how to "save face" for her!


    She felt that there could be no greater social demise on such a public stage.


    He Ying hadn’t expected the other ministers to pretend blindness, neglecting to greet Sang Yan.


    Could the woman he esteemed so highly be treated with such disregard?


    "How dare you!"


    He asked sternly, with a cold expression, "Is this the manner in which you greet the Empress?"


    Most ministers shrank back in silence.


    But there were always those fearless of death, even risking it to speak out.


    "Without a proper marriage ceremony, how can one be deemed the Empress?"


    This statement came from the Imperial Censor, Feng Ji.


    He had repeatedly pressed He Ying in court to produce an heir, eventually angering him and being stripped of his official position and sent home.


    But after He Ying left the Capital City, he reinstated Feng Ji’s position and put him in charge of overseeing the officials.


    There was no choice, his experience was significant, and his integrity was unquestionable, able to suppress those demons and goblins.


    Actually, He Ying held the Feng Family in high regard, and respecting Feng Yicheng also meant showing deference to his grandfather, Feng Ji, but this old man always had a habit of leading the charge in saying things he did not like to hear.


    "Imperial Censor Feng, regardless of whether there was a grand wedding or not, she is the Empress in my heart."


    He stood up for Sang Yan and supported her.


    Feng Ji thought of the rumors—Miss Sang had been in exile overseas, even mingling with the Beiqi Prince, her purity uncertain, how could she be Empress Da He?


    Not to mention she was a widow with a husband-killing fate!


    Previously, following the Emperor’s whims was their ineptitude. Now, they could not concede, no matter what.


    "Your Majesty, please be cautious with your words!"


    Feng Ji knelt on the ground, his expression serious, "With ancestral regulations above us, I hope the Emperor will act according to the proper procedures. Without having had the grand wedding, without bestowing the phoenix seal, without paying respects to the ancestors, how can she be called the Empress?"


    Now, in front of all the officials and people, it wasn’t good to directly confront the Emperor.


    The Emperor had always been soft-hearted rather than hard-headed.


    To injure his pride would mean none could bear the consequences.


    In any case, there was no rush, they could simply drag it out.


    He Ying was not easily fooled, and once his stubborn temperament was aroused, he demanded they lower their heads, "Regulations are dead, people are alive. I am the sovereign of this nation, and if I say she is the Empress—"


    He was prepared to assert his royal authority.


    "Your Majesty—"


    Sang Yan did not want He Ying to return to the capital and immediately sour relations with officials, so she spoke out, "I am tired, let’s return to the palace."


    He Ying could clearly see through her intentions, pausing, he nonetheless complied with her wish, "Then let’s return to the palace first."


    Sang Kun, seeing how things were, timidly spoke out, "Your Majesty, I have come to welcome my daughter back home. My wife has longed so much for her daughter she’s nearly cried her eyes blind."


    As a father, naturally, he missed his daughter after being separated for months.


    And his wife, Ms. Lin, had been incessantly weeping for Sang Yan these past few months.


    Now that she had returned, naturally, there should be a family reunion.


    He Ying also knew that Sang Kun’s words made sense—after all, they were family, and there must be countless things to say after months apart.


    But how could he feel at ease?


    Thinking it over, he asked with a stern face, "Sang Kun, you’ve lost the Empress once; do you intend to lose her again?" sea??h thё ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.