4 Times married to my enemy

Chapter 14 : He had imagined this scene countless times

Chapter Fourteen (Double Update Combined)

This smile left everyone a bit stunned. Qin Shuhua rarely smiled; even his subordinates had hardly seen their master laugh more than a few times. But Qin Peng was different; in her memory, Qin Shuhua often smiled. He usually liked to pretend to be serious, but when he wanted to laugh, the corners of his eyes and brows were filled with mirth, and he couldn't suppress the smile at the corners of his lips.

He was particularly afraid of people touching his armpits. When they used to play together, she liked to tickle him there, and if she touched him, he would laugh out loud, rolling on the bed and begging for mercy.

However, this smile had not been seen for many years, and now that she suddenly saw it, Qin Peng couldn't help but steal a few more glances.

The other party raised his eyebrows and met Qin Peng's gaze, his eyes carrying a hint of nostalgia: "If the princess wants to be the Princess of the State, then so be it. But once you become this Princess of the State," Qin Shuhua curved his lips, "just don't cry."

"Your Highness is joking," Qin Peng looked at his smile, licked the corner of her lips, her little tongue peeking out, making people's mouths dry. The people around couldn't help but feel their hearts race a little faster, but only Qin Shuhua's expression remained unchanged, as if he saw nothing. He turned to Li Shuda and said, "Then, Your Majesty, is this matter settled?"

"You've settled it, so let it be settled," Li Shu replied somewhat reluctantly, her expression showing some unwillingness: "As a woman, what can I say?"

Qin Shuhua did not respond, lowering his head to take a sip of tea. Qin Peng also remained silent, focusing on adjusting her skirt.

The two of them tacitly avoided Li Shu, who felt even more unwilling and wanted to say something. Qin Peng stood up and said, "Since the matter is settled, let it be so. Mother, there are still some matters at my in-laws' house, so I will take my leave."

Having said that, Qin Peng swayed her waist and walked out gracefully. Qin Shuhua put down his teacup and also stood up: "Since Your Majesty has already agreed, I will have the eunuch draft the decree. If Your Majesty sees no problem, then seal it. It is getting late, so I will take my leave as well."

"Fine then..."

Li Shu replied somewhat reluctantly. Qin Shuhua had completed the usual courtesies and then turned to leave.

Once outside the Changle Palace, where the Empress Dowager resided, Jiang Chun finally voiced the doubts he had been holding back for half a day: "What were you laughing about just now, sir?"

"I saw her shadow," Qin Shuhua's voice was gentle, "and it made me happy."

Jiang Chun had been serving beside Qin Shuhua for almost ten years, following him from Beiyan to Qi State, and naturally understood who the "her" Qin Shuhua referred to was.

In Qin Shuhua's heart, there had only ever been one person, but that person had left too early.

In the first few years after she left, Qin Shuhua sealed away everything related to Zhao Peng, feeling that by doing so, he could forget about that person.

But the result was that he spent sleepless nights, quickly becoming emaciated. Jiang Chun was frightened and brought out things from the storeroom, arranging them. When Qin Shuhua saw the room filled with that person's belongings, he cried on the spot.

He wept like a child in the hall, clutching her tablet and refusing to let go, even taking it with him to sleep, only then could he finally get some rest without completely exhausting himself.

Afterward, he began frantically collecting everything related to that person. But apart from the items, he found himself disgusted by anyone who resembled Zhao Peng in any way.

Some officials, hearing of his deep love for Zhao Peng, sent many women who resembled her—some in appearance, others in personality... but all were driven away by Qin Shuhua.

However, as time went on, that person's belongings became fewer and fewer, and Qin Shuhua could no longer find traces related to her.

From panic to habituation, then to indifference.

Then one time, a girl fell down, and despite Qin Shuhua's typically cold demeanor, he unexpectedly helped her up.

At that time, Jiang Chun found it strange, and Qin Shuhua explained, "When she fell, she reminded me of Pengpeng when she was little."

"Isn't it true that you usually dislike girls who resemble your wife?"

"I used to dislike them," Qin Shuhua's eyes held bitterness at the time, "but there are too few traces of her, and I can't find or grasp them. What can I do?"

What could he do?

He could only lower his standards and be particularly gentle and forgiving towards everything related to her.

Due to a chance encounter with someone related to her, he felt joy; due to a serendipitous discovery of memories associated with her, he felt happiness.

Thus, when he first saw Qin Peng at the Huguo Temple, he was exceptionally patient with her. This patience stemmed from that person; in his heart, anything that bore a resemblance to her deserved kindness and tolerance.

Now that he saw her increasingly resembling that person, he actually didn't mind.

The world had gained another shadow of Pengpeng. He knew his Pengpeng was gone, but having this little bit of comfort made him feel very happy.

Seeing the tenderness in Qin Shuhua's eyes, Jiang Chun felt an indescribable discomfort. Qin Shuhua did not notice the emotions of his guard, adjusted his clothes, and said lightly, "Let's go."

Meanwhile, Qin Peng returned gracefully, feeling extremely happy. After visiting the elderly Lady Wei, she had someone serve her food and went into the room to eat.

Upon entering, she saw Wei Yan lounging on the couch, reading a storybook. She walked over, directly snatched the book from Wei Yan's hands, and tapped his head, saying, "What a lazy thing, aren't you coming to eat?"

Hearing this, Wei Yan felt somewhat unconvinced and stood up, saying, "Sister-in-law, that's not fair. How am I being lazy? I'm just reading!"

"Reading some boring folk tales?" Qin Peng sat down at the table, raising an eyebrow: "A border general reads this every day, and you're not embarrassed, I'm embarrassed for you."

"Isn't it because you only have these in your room?" Wei Yan followed her to the table, picked up his chopsticks, and impatiently said, "I was just casually looking, and it turned out to be quite interesting."

"Interesting?" Qin Peng was somewhat surprised: "What do you find interesting?"

"Just... that kind of lifelong love story," Wei Yan sighed: "I read in the story that the girl waited for the general to come back, waiting until her hair turned white, and then when the general finally returned, they looked at each other, and the girl asked, 'Are you well, my lord?' I was almost brought to tears!"

Wei Yan took a bite of food and continued, "If there was a girl who treated me like that, I would willingly die!"

Qin Peng laughed and said while eating, "Look at you! I've been waiting for your brother for ten years, haven't I?"

Hearing this, Wei Yan's heart stirred. He looked up at Qin Peng, who had a gentle and calm expression, eating her food bite by bite, surrounded by an indescribable atmosphere of tranquility that made him feel for the first time that he was home.

Returning to a place where he could eat with that person, chat, tease each other, and enjoy peace and happiness.

He had imagined this scene countless times.

But since he turned fourteen, he had rarely returned home. Whenever he did, the place was bustling like a festival thanks to Lady Wei, yet it lacked that bit of peace and warmth. Now, for the first time, having a simple meal with someone felt like a strange emotion surged within him.

He always wanted someone to be there to guard a feeling of his; this point...

Qin Peng had already waited for his elder brother for ten years.

Perhaps in this lifetime, she would continue to wait.

He felt a bit envious and somewhat sour, just as he was about to ask something, Qin Peng said, "But I don't have any feelings for your brother. We met once when we got married, and he left that very night. So I tell you, don't think too much about it. Sometimes a woman waiting for you her whole life might not even be due to love."

"Then... what could it be?" Wei Yan felt that Qin Peng was somewhat challenging his values. Qin Peng raised her head, thought for a moment, and said, "Maybe she just doesn't want to marry; being a widow is quite good."

Wei Yan: "..."

He suddenly felt that his sister-in-law had many stories.

"However," Qin Peng picked up a piece of food, glanced at Wei Yan's not-so-good expression, and added, "there are still many girls who wait for love. Don't be discouraged; being a bit naive is quite nice."

Wei Yan: "..."

Qin Peng kept Wei Yan hidden and then inquired about the news.

Qin Shuhua's troops had been stationed in Xuanjing, and Wei Yan's army would not arrive for another five days. Qin Shuhua's men were still searching for Wei Yan, and once Wei Yan's troops arrived, he could appear openly.

During this time, Grand Scholar Zhang Ying had come to see Qin Shuhua many times, inquiring when he would withdraw his troops. Qin Shuhua simply replied, "Once His Majesty ascends the throne and the situation stabilizes, I will naturally withdraw my troops."

This statement was reasonable, and thus, out of helplessness, Zhang Ying could only urge the Ministry of Rites to hastily move up the date of Qin Ming's ascension by a full ten days.

Qin Peng received the news and felt very happy. She dusted off the letter and said to Wei Yan, "Look, the people from the Ministry of Rites are like cotton; they can be fat or thin, depending on how they are squeezed. When I asked, they told me that the coronation ceremony would take at least half a month to prepare. Now that Zhang Ying asked, it can be done the day after tomorrow."

"Most of the six ministries are Zhang Ying's people," Wei Yan smiled: "Sister-in-law, don't be angry. That's just how they are; getting angry at them will only make you die of frustration."

"What am I angry about?" Qin Peng raised an eyebrow and glanced at Wei Yan. That look was full of charm, making Wei Yan's heart skip a beat, and he hurriedly turned his gaze away. Qin Peng, unaware that she had already mastered the art of flirting, found it strange that Wei Yan was avoiding her and continued, "I'm angry that they ruined my face; they can't afford to compensate for that."

"That's right; what sister-in-law said is absolutely correct."

Wei Yan hurriedly flattered her, fearing that if Qin Peng suddenly became unhappy, she might cry, and he would have no way to deal with it.

Thanks to Zhang Ying's push, the coronation ceremony was held the next day, coinciding perfectly with the day Wei Yan's troops arrived in Xuanjing.

The night before the coronation ceremony, Wei Yan's troops arrived. The Wei family army stationed outside the city, and when they set up the "Wei" banner, there was panic in the city. Zhang Ying personally came to the Wei family. At this time, Wei Yan had already met with the Wei family generals who had come. When Zhang Ying arrived, he met with him in the room.

Qin Peng lazily sat by, listening to their conversation. Seeing her, Zhang Ying frowned and said, "Your Highness, this old man is discussing state affairs with General Wei. Could you please step aside?"

Hearing this, Qin Peng chuckled softly.

She thought to herself that now in her own home, he wanted her to step aside. When she began to preside over state affairs, Zhang Ying would probably want to blow her away.

But she did not want to conflict with Zhang Ying at this moment, so she stood up and went into the room.

However, just as she entered, Qin Peng sensed something was wrong. She felt a warm flow coming from below, gasping in surprise, and said to Chun Su, "Quick, bring me my menstrual supplies!"

Qin Peng had never had a good constitution. After being in the Huguo Temple for a long time without proper care, when her period came, the pain was severe, especially on the first day.

That night, she felt some discomfort, curled up in bed, her breathing somewhat unstable. When she woke up the next day, Wei Yan came to pick her up and saw her pale face, unable to help but ask, "Sister-in-law, are you okay?"

Qin Peng held a warming pot, weakly waving her hand in silence.

Wei Yan and Qin Peng rode in a carriage, arriving early at the altar, but other officials had arrived even earlier. By the time they got there, a large number of lower-ranking officials were already present. Qin Shuhua, as always, arrived early and was already standing on the steps in front of the altar.

Within the Wei family, only Wei Yan held an official position, and most officials did not know about Wei Yan's return and were not familiar with Qin Peng. When the Wei family's carriage arrived at the altar, many were still somewhat taken aback, unsure which lord's carriage was causing everyone to make way.

Because they didn't know, the carriage attracted extra attention, and everyone looked towards it, waiting for it to stop.

The carriage rolled up to the closest spot to where the high-ranking officials were standing and finally stopped. The coachman dismounted, set up the footstool, and respectfully said, "My lord, we have arrived."

After speaking, a hand reached out from inside.

It was a man's hand, broad and long, with thin calluses, clearly a result of years of martial training.

That hand rolled up the curtain, revealing the person inside.

He wore a purple official robe, embroidered with a majestic qilin on the front, and had a waist tag that allowed him to move freely within the palace, indicating his prominent identity.

He was extremely handsome, not delicate like the scholars of Xuanjing, but carried a ruggedness from the north, with naturally smiling eyes that made it hard to tell if he was smiling or not.

Among the officials present, even those who had never seen Wei Yan had heard of his name. The purple robe embroidered with the qilin was a dress only a first-rank military general of Qi State could wear, and there were only two young first-rank military generals in Qi State: one was the well-known Qin Shuhua, standing above, and the other...

Was Wei Yan of the Wei family.

As soon as he descended from the carriage, everyone was secretly shocked. When they recalled the troops that had appeared outside the city the previous night, they immediately understood what was happening.

Wei Yan had returned.

Not only had he returned, but he had also brought troops with him!

Having just experienced a palace coup, all the officials were particularly sensitive to this. They stood by the altar, feeling very uneasy, their gazes fixed on Wei Yan, not daring to look away, scrutinizing this suddenly returned general, pondering his intentions for coming back to the capital.

Wei Yan stepped down from the carriage but did not approach Qin Shuhua as they had expected. He stopped beside the carriage, slightly bowed, raised his hand respectfully, and said, "Sister-in-law, we have arrived."

Sister-in-law?

Everyone was momentarily stunned, but soon reacted.

Who was Wei Yan's only sister-in-law now?

Wasn't it the current young emperor's sister, the Fourth Princess Qin Peng?

Wei Yan's call of "sister-in-law" reminded everyone of this long-forgotten woman and clarified his reason for appearing in Xuanjing.

The young emperor was not without support; the Wei family was the backing of this long-ignored Sixteenth Prince!

With this layer of understanding, when Qin Peng leaned out of the carriage, everyone's internal evaluation of this woman had completely changed.

She was not just a princess, a widow; in the future, she would also be one of the central figures of power in Qi State.

Qin Peng naturally knew what these people were thinking. She smiled and leaned out, saw Wei Yan's outstretched hand, and understood he was paving the way for her. She placed her hand in his palm and stepped down from the carriage.

Her movements were elegant and noble, her demeanor dignified and gracious, with a slight smile at the corners of her mouth, reminiscent of a blooming peony, poised and beautiful.

Wei Yan remained low-key beside her, giving her enough face. With the help of her maid, she stepped down the steps and walked towards Qin Shuhua. As Qin Shuhua watched the woman dressed in splendid, intricate palace attire, adorned with heavy accessories, approaching him, he momentarily felt dazed, as if he were transported back to the day he married Zhao Peng at the age of sixteen, when that person walked towards him step by step, supported by maids, in a fiery red wedding dress.

However, this thought was fleeting. When Qin Peng reached Qin Shuhua and greeted him with a smile, saying, "Your Highness, may you be well," Qin Shuhua had already regained his senses, nodded with a calm expression, and returned the greeting: "Princess, may you be well."

One was the designated regent, and the other was the designated Princess of the State, standing as aides to the government, positioned on either side of the steps below the altar, waiting for Qin Ming to arrive as emperor.

Qin Peng was in severe pain in her abdomen, but fortunately, she was used to putting on a façade, so it was not apparent. Before Qin Ming arrived, the scene was chaotic. Qin Shuhua glanced at her and asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"

"Ah... huh?!" Qin Peng was somewhat incredulous. She was confident she was acting very well, yet this person still saw through her?!

Qin Shuhua noticed her confusion, lowered his gaze, and said, "You keep raising your hand to fix your hair."

This was Zhao Peng's habit.

When she was nervous or uncomfortable, she liked to play with her hair, a habit she didn't even know she had.

He knew about this small habit of hers but didn't remind her. She always pursued perfection in her actions and hated it when things were not done properly. If she wanted to pretend nothing was wrong, she had to make everyone believe she was fine.

He feared that if he told her about this habit, she would deliberately change it, making it even harder to understand her inner feelings.

He had thought this habit was unique to Zhao Peng, but seeing Qin Peng frequently raising her hand to fix her hair today, he couldn't help but ask. When Qin Peng showed a look of surprise, he knew she was indeed uncomfortable.

He couldn't help but feel a bit amused, his heart softening. He guessed, "Is the princess experiencing abdominal pain?"

"Your Highness is overthinking," Qin Peng regained her composure, feeling a bit flustered. She thought to herself that Qin Shuhua had really become like an old monster after not seeing him for years, able to see through everything. She hurriedly adjusted her state and smiled, saying, "I'm fine."

Qin Shuhua nodded, not paying attention to her lie, called over a guard, and whispered a few words.

After a while, they saw Qin Ming's carriage approaching from afar. At that moment, a maid suddenly came to Qin Peng's side and nudged her. Qin Peng turned around and saw a bowl of red sugar water placed on a tray.

"Your Highness, please use this," the maid said respectfully. Qin Peng looked at Qin Shuhua suspiciously. Qin Shuhua's hands were clasped in his sleeves, waiting for Qin Ming's arrival, and said lightly, "Drink it; it won't poison you here."

Qin Peng: "..."

Her abdominal pain was severe, and seeing the red sugar water made her feel a bit greedy. So, with a sense of resignation, she raised it and took a sip.

After drinking, her abdomen felt warm, but she felt inexplicably awkward inside.

Qin Shuhua remained silent, standing beside her, waiting for Qin Ming to arrive.

When Qin Ming arrived, the ceremony began under the guidance of the officials of rites. Qin Peng stood beside as an ornament, kneeling when needed and standing when required.
After the sacrificial rites to the heavens were completed, the remaining coronation ceremony proceeded to the palace. A grand procession followed the dragon carriage into the palace, demonstrating their respect and solemnity. Qin Shuhua and Qin Peng walked on either side of the first row, closest to Qin Ming. After standing for the entire morning, Qin Peng was already feeling overwhelmed; now, as they walked, halfway through, she felt dizzy. Stumbling forward, Qin Shuhua quickly grabbed her arm, allowing her to regain her balance and preventing her from falling.

After he held her arm, he walked closely beside her, his expression calm as he said, "Keep walking; if you fall, I will catch you."

This was the coronation ceremony, and any mishap would be considered ominous.

Qin Peng understood this principle, so she immediately straightened her back and continued forward.

Qin Shuhua released her arm but remained very close to her, as if fulfilling his promise, which gave Qin Peng a vague sense of security.

She quietly glanced back at the man beside her; his features were handsome and delicate. If Wei Yan's rugged northern features could be called handsome, then Qin Shuhua was truly a quintessential southern gentleman, possessing a refined elegance reminiscent of ink wash painting, strikingly handsome.

He stood beside her, fully aware that he was an enemy, knowing that he had once poisoned her with his own hands, and that the two subsequent deaths were intricately related to him. Yet, she still couldn't help but feel an inexplicable sense of stability because of his presence.

Qin Shuhua's assumption that she was about to collapse led him to calmly say, "The path of life is always difficult; sometimes we can only grit our teeth and move forward."

"Your Highness," his voice echoed through time, causing Qin Peng to feel a sense of disorientation, as if she were fourteen again, encountering this young man.

At that time, he was wearing a lake blue outer garment, holding her, who had just lost her mother, in his arms.

That day it rained heavily, and he held her, crying in the rain, just the same.

Every word he spoke to her was, "This is the path you chose."

"Cliffs and precipices, you must climb; thorns and thickets, you must walk."

"Eventually, you will reach the end."

But the difference was that back then, after saying this, the young man would press his lips together and softly add, "And I will be with you."

Now, he walked beside her but did not say this line.

It felt as if those words had been lost in the dust of time, completely consumed and leaving no trace.