After Rebirth, My Wife Turned Out to Be Myself - Chapter 14

As soon as Xie Anyu returned from the Martial Arts Ground, she saw that the palace servants in her Wanyi Palace all had their heads lowered, looking quite constrained.

Xie Anyu: ?

“Qingcui, who came?” Anyu asked, pulling over a familiar maidservant.

Qingcui whispered, “Her Majesty has come and is resting in Wanyi Palace.”

Xie Anyu raised an eyebrow: “Is the bed in her sleeping chambers broken?”

Qingcui turned pale with fright, “Mistress, you mustn’t speak like that.”

Xie Anyu patted Qingcui’s shoulder, “Alright, alright, I know.”

Qingcui: …

Mistress, can you please not be so fearless! That’s Her Majesty!

She guessed that within this imperial harem, the one least afraid of Her Majesty was probably her mistress.

Qingcui sighed, and just as she was about to speak, she saw Xie Anyu had already lightened her steps, opened the door, and walked in.

Qingcui: !

Xie Anyu crossed the large room and came to her own bed.

There was a lump on the bed. Someone was sleeping quietly, peacefully resting their head on her pillow, their sleeping face serene.

Xie Anyu didn’t disturb her.

It was just that a strange feeling arose in her heart—

Although she was the daughter of a general and didn’t fuss over trifles, she actually had some little-known quirks, for instance… she didn’t like others touching her pillow.

That was her secret to sleeping soundly every day.

Right now, Xie Wan was sleeping on the very pillow she had brought from her boudoir in the General’s Manor.

She really ought to flip her off it.

But she was the Emperor.

And the reason she could go to the Martial Arts Ground now was because of her.

Xie Anyu struggled and hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she still didn’t wake the person on the bed.

She thought, I’ll just lend you the pillow for a while, just for a little while!

Seeing Xie Wan sleeping so soundly, her breathing steady, Xie Anyu couldn’t help but crouch down to observe her closely.

With those peach-blossom eyes that hid so many things closed, she looked much more harmless. Her eyelashes were also long, and her features were relatively soft; no wonder everyone said she was weak.

And her complexion was pale, with almost no trace of rosiness on her cheeks.

Truly a sickly person.

“Consort Wan, how long are you going to keep staring? Am I that good-looking?” The person who had seemed fast asleep with closed eyes suddenly spoke.

Anyu jumped, startled, “You were awake?”

“Just resting my eyes. Who knew I’d see Consort Wan staring at Us so intently.” Only then did Xie Wan slowly open her eyes on the bed. Her eyes were clear, without any drowsiness.

She was a light sleeper.

This could be considered an aftereffect of experiencing the battlefield.

The slightest movement could wake her, and she would regain her senses at the fastest speed.

Xie Anyu’s gaze drifted, clearly a little embarrassed about being caught peeking: “…I was just curious what Her Majesty was dreaming about.”

Xie Wan looked at her with a smile, “Consort Wan cares so much about Us, even curious about Our dreams.”

Anyu: “…”

“Didn’t dream much, just dreamt that We married Xu Shengwen, doted on him excessively, and nearly handed over this Da Yue Empire to the Xu family,” Xie Wan said as if discussing a trivial matter.

Anyu’s eyes widened upon hearing this, and she finally looked at her with a complex expression: “Your Majesty, dreams are the opposite of reality.”

Xie Wan chuckled lightly: “Right. They are the opposite.”

“Is the Xu family forcing Your Majesty to marry Xu Shengwen?” Xie Anyu belatedly asked this question.

Xie Wan: “How would the Xu family dare force Us? But the officials will probably submit memorials asking Us to select consorts.”

Xie Anyu asked curiously: “Select consorts? Can this consort go watch?”

Xie Wan: “…No.”

“Stingy,” Xie Anyu pouted.

Xie Wan said with a grin: “Consort Wan wants to go watch?”

Xie Anyu nodded.

She liked watching lively events.

“Then Consort Wan should strive to become the Empress.”

Xie Anyu: !?

Her? Become Empress?

“I… I…” For a moment, Xiao Anyu didn’t know how to respond. Becoming Empress, was that something they could discuss now?

Xie Wan smiled: “That’s right, become the Empress and you can watch the selection.”

Xie Anyu became discouraged, pouting: “I know, then I won’t watch the selection.”

Xie Wan: ?

“Consort Wan doesn’t want to be Our Empress? A consort who doesn’t want to become Empress is not a good consort.”

Xie Anyu said righteously, “But I want to leave the palace in the future. Compared to being Your Majesty’s consort, I still want to be a general of Da Yue.”

This statement stunned Xie Wan.

Then she laughed, laughing heartily, even her eyebrows crinkled with joy.

Some wanted to be her consort, willing to give up official positions, imprisoning themselves in the palace for power.

Some were already her consort, yet tried every means to escape, only wanting to rush to the free battlefield.

Xie Anyu: ?

“What is Your Majesty laughing at?”

“Nothing. Don’t take those few words just now to heart, Consort Wan.” Xie Wan looked her up and down, “The Empress We choose must be a motherly example to the realm in the future. Someone like Consort Wan…”

Xiao Anyu was currently still wearing the training uniform issued by the Imperial Guards, her forehead stained with sweat, her small face also dusty.

This dusty boyish look really wouldn’t do.

Xie Anyu: “…”

“You…” Xie Anyu puffed up her cheeks, “I share Your worries, yet Your Majesty jests with me?!”

Xie Wan got up cheerfully and patted her head, “Why say such things? No matter who the Empress is in the future, We will definitely favor Consort Wan the most.”

Xie Anyu: !

“Smiling fox, who knows how many words are true,” Xie Anyu muttered under her breath.

“Since Your Majesty is awake, I’ll go bathe.” Xie Anyu turned to leave, not wanting to stay here and listen to her coaxing.

Xie Wan watched her retreating back with a smile, “We had Zhaoxia bring dinner. Come eat after washing up.”

Hearing this, Xie Anyu’s ears twitched, and she immediately turned back with a smile: “Okay!”

She no longer asked what dishes there were; after all, every time Xie Wan asked her to eat, every single dish was guaranteed to be her favorite.

Seeing ‘herself’ smiling happily, Xie Wan couldn’t help but feel pleased too.

Such a child-like temperament, overjoyed by just a little food.

Just as Xie Anyu left, Zhaoxia pushed the door open and entered, her expression urgent—

“Your Majesty, an eight-hundred-li express message, a personal letter from Official Li has arrived.”

Xie Wan’s smile quickly faded, “Present it.”

“Yes!”

Xie Wan tore open the envelope, the letter paper flattening between her fingers.

On the letter were Li Mingxin’s carefully chosen words: “The lands in the north have indeed, without exception, shown signs of drought. The farming households are deeply worried, and this year’s wheat harvest is likely to be… dismal.”

“The drought has already appeared, but the government offices have taken no action. I sent people to inquire, but the officials said they had received no orders from above.”

“The major grain merchants in the north have already sensed the problem. Many grain merchants have begun hoarding grain. I fear that in another half month, grain prices will multiply several times over.”

“Your humble servant boldly judges that this northern disaster involves widespread implications. Please, Your Majesty, be prepared for the need for continued support.”

“…Additionally, thank you, Your Majesty. Your servant has rendezvoused with Second Young Master Xie. The thirty-odd men Master Xie brought are all skilled hands. Your servant is preparing to rush to various cities, carrying Your Majesty’s decree to take control of the official granaries. This matter is already urgent.”

“…”

Two thin sheets of paper, yet they detailed the situation in the north meticulously.

Xie Wan frowned.

She had originally thought that by taking precautions and sending Li Mingxin north with disaster relief funds and grain in advance, she could prevent the disaster in time.

But she had ultimately overlooked the scale of this drought and the other variables within this disaster.

Grain prices will rise, so she will impose a price limit order on the north!

She wanted to see who would dare profit from this national crisis!

Another point was what Li Mingxin mentioned… subsequent support.

If the grain in the north is insufficient, it will inevitably have to be transported from the south.

Transporting southern grain north, although the journey is long, southern grain is the final guarantee against famine.

Indeed, as Li Mingxin said, she, on her end, also needed to be prepared at all times.

Whether it was money or grain, it was a considerable expense for the national treasury…

Xie Wan put away the letter, her eyes flickering indecisively.

It didn’t matter if the national treasury was empty, nor if her private treasury was empty. The coffers of certain ministers in court were likely abundant.

It seemed she would have to move against these corrupt officials ahead of schedule.

When Xie Anyu returned after bathing, she saw Xie Wan writing something at the table.

She curiously craned her neck to look.

And was surprised to find her father’s name among them.

“Consort Wan, General Xie has been idle recently. We are thinking of giving General Xie the task of confiscating homes. What do you think?”

Xie Anyu paused, “Confiscating homes?”

“Such a lucrative task falls to the Xie family?” Anyu tilted her head, saw the list she had written on the paper, and wondered: “Confiscate these people’s homes?”

The list was densely packed. Anyu scanned it and even saw the name of the Minister of Revenue…

Anyu swallowed hard, “Have they committed crimes?”

Xie Wan’s voice was slightly cold, “Yes.”

“…What crime? I haven’t even heard.”

Xie Wan looked up and smiled: “The verdict isn’t set yet. This imperial decree will have to wait three days before being issued.”

Anyu blinked, “Oh, Your Majesty telling me this means you want me to inform my father in advance?”

“Not entirely stupid,” Xie Wan praised.

Xie Anyu glared at her, “So this was the real reason Your Majesty invited me to dinner.”

She knew it; showing unsolicited kindness meant ulterior motives.

“We are just asking Consort Wan to relay a message. We want to move against these people, We just don’t know if the Xie family… if General Xie is afraid of offending court officials.”

Xie Anyu waved her hand: “How dare we not obey the ruler’s command. Besides… stop tricking me, this is just like last time, deliberately done for the Xie family to see.”

Xie Wan hadn’t expected her to see through it and actually smiled: “We must always let General Xie and Eldest Young Master Xie believe that We genuinely want to save this Da Yue.”

After speaking, Xie Wan lowered her head to write again.

But Xie Anyu’s fingertips twitched slightly.

‘Save’, why did she use the word ‘save’.

At this time, Xie Anyu didn’t understand, nor did she dwell on it.