The red paint on the palace walls was peeling away, exposing the mottled bricks and earth as if recounting the vicissitudes of time. My hand trembled slightly as I held the ink stick, watching the ink in the inkstone gradually thicken, and in a daze, I was transported back to my youth. At that time, he was not yet the exalted Emperor, but merely a gentle and jade-like young man who would hold my hand and swear a lifelong vow beneath the peach blossom trees.
"How does Jiāng Xuán treat you after your marriage?" His voice was low and hoarse, breaking the silence of the study. I looked at his profile as he concentrated on reviewing the memorials, his once-familiar face now tinged with a sense of unfamiliarity and alienation. He never once raised his head to look at me, as though I were merely an insignificant official.
"Replying to The Emperor, he treats me exceptionally well." I lowered my gaze and spoke softly. As my words trailed off, a subtle silence filled the air. I knew that for him, this answer might provide a form of release, yet it was also laden with an unspeakable bitterness.
Chapter 236