After Rebirth, My Wife Turned Out to Be Myself - Chapter 74

Xie Wan arrived at her courtyard.

Her younger aunt was already having people clean, but Yuntao was nowhere to be seen.

It hadn’t been long since Anyu had returned to stay here for Great General Xie’s birthday banquet. The courtyard had only accumulated a few more fallen leaves.

“Winter has arrived, and there are more withered branches and fallen leaves. Your Majesty, why don’t you sit inside?” Xie Qingyun didn’t react much upon seeing her, merely offering a shallow bow and speaking gently.

Because she had dismissed the imperial harem but kept only Anyu, the Xie family members who were unaware of the truth inevitably misunderstood her, thinking she had forced Anyu to stay in the palace.

But her younger aunt… her attitude towards her seemed different.

Xie Wan didn’t go inside. She simply sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard. “I have long heard that Madam and Anyu are like mother and daughter. This time, I… did not send her back to the Xie manor. Is Madam not angry with me?”

Xie Qingyun was startled and quickly said, “Your Majesty, please forgive me. Yuntao was very disrespectful to Your Majesty. He… was unaware of the situation and only thought that Elder Sister was forced.”

“I wasn’t asking about Yuntao. But it seems Madam is ‘aware of the situation’?”

Xie Qingyun stood where she was, smiling. “Anyu spoke with me a little. For her to be treated so well by Your Majesty is Anyu’s good fortune.”

Naturally, it was. Marrying into an official’s family, it was unavoidable for a husband to have three wives and four concubines. For Anyu to enjoy a lifetime with one person now was a good thing. What’s more, Anyu already liked Her Majesty.

To be able to exclusively possess the person she liked, in this environment, how could it not be considered good fortune?

“Perhaps I am merely using her to control the Xie family?”

Xie Qingyun sighed. “This commoner doesn’t understand matters of the court. As Anyu’s aunt, the existence of the Xie family can help Anyu obtain the person she likes. I think that’s very good.”

Xie Wan gently curved her lips. “Madam, please sit.”

Xie Qingyun could only obey and sit down, her expression showing no constraint.

In Xie Wan’s memory, her younger aunt was always gentle, so gentle that it seemed she could tolerate all of her willfulness and childishness. Even after Xie Wan entered the palace, her younger aunt always found ways to send messages or small trinkets into the palace for her.

Those brief words and those ordinary trinkets seemed to be the only glimmer of light in her years of solitude.

To Xie Wan, she was like a mother.

But this kind of younger aunt did not live to see the Da Yue Empire stable.

After the internal rebellion was quelled, the Da Yue Empire had barely a moment to breathe before war broke out.

Ajirui was a shrewd ruler, well aware of the principle of striking while the iron is hot. She almost without hesitation allied with the East Ming state, and their combined forces invaded the northern border of the Da Yue Empire.

There were very few usable generals; all the Xie family members who could go, went.

Under the leadership of the new emperor Ajirui, West Jin advanced like a broken bamboo, while the morale on the Da Yue Empire’s side was astonishingly low.

Her younger aunt died in this battle, which could be described as tragic.

Sitting in this courtyard with Xie Qingyun again now, Xie Wan felt as if she had lived through another lifetime.

“Did Your Majesty agree to Anyu?”

Suddenly, the person beside her spoke.

Xie Wan turned her head to look at her.

“Anyu once told this commoner that she said she liked Your Majesty, but also that Your Majesty would not fall for her. This commoner, however, said that no one would dislike our Xie family’s little Anyu.”

Hearing this, Xie Wan naturally thought of Anyu, and her eyes softened. She nodded gently. “Yes, no one would dislike her.”

Even she herself liked this age of herself the most.

Xie Qingyun naturally saw the sudden tenderness in her eyes and also smiled. “Then this commoner is relieved.”

Xie Wan was silent for a moment. “Anyu’s family is my family. Madam need not be so formal in the future… just be more at ease.”

“Yes.”

Seeing that she remained respectful, Xie Wan could only smile helplessly. She was, after all, the Emperor; it was impossible for her younger aunt to be ‘at ease’. But even so, she was already content.

Just then, the courtyard gate was suddenly pushed open.

Xie Yuntao stood at the entrance, leaning on a broom. He glanced at the Emperor beside his mother, then shifted his gaze away, huffing, “Mother… I’m here to help.”

Xie Qingyun got a headache as soon as she saw her son. Half-grown boys were the most difficult to advise.

“Where do you need to help? You should go back to your own courtyard.”

“I’m not going back.” Xie Yuntao strode in. “I’m here to sweep the courtyard.”

Xie Qingyun was about to say something else when she suddenly heard a maid calling her from the back courtyard. She looked at her son, then at Xie Wan. Seeing that Xie Wan’s expression remained gentle, she said sternly to her son, “You are not to do anything disrespectful to Her Majesty!”

Perhaps because of their conversation just now, or perhaps a strange feeling in her heart, she felt that Her Majesty might not get angry with Yuntao.

With that thought, Xie Qingyun went to the back courtyard.

And Xie Yuntao walked closer with the broom.

“Please move aside, Your Majesty. I need to sweep the courtyard.” Xie Yuntao was still a teenager, his face immature, and his dissatisfaction seemed written all over it.

“Am I blocking my little cousin?” Xie Wan asked with a smile.

Xie Yuntao was stunned for a moment. What did she call him?

“I am Xie Anyu’s little cousin!” Yuntao gritted his teeth. He wasn’t her little cousin!

“Anyu is my wife. Her little cousin is naturally also my little cousin, isn’t he?” Xie Wan said nonchalantly.

Upon hearing this, the young man tightened his grip on the broom. “My sister didn’t marry you willingly!”

Xie Wan’s smile grew wider. “Oh, did you ask her?”

Xie Yuntao confidently raised his head. “My sister said she dislikes sickly people the most!”

“I am not a sickly person.”

Xie Yuntao thought to himself, you can’t even have children, and you’re not a sickly person? Wasn’t it you who vomited bl00d profusely at Second Uncle’s birthday banquet last time? But on second thought, the Emperor didn’t get sick willingly either… the poison was also given by someone else…

Forget it.

“My sister likes people who know martial arts! At least… at least they must know martial arts!” This sentence was made up by Yuntao.

When did I ever say I liked people who knew martial arts?

Xie Wan was about to speak.

She heard her little cousin continue relentlessly, “In short, Your Majesty doesn’t like my sister either, right? I’ve heard that Your Majesty likes people who are good at reading and writing poetry! My sister has disliked reading those literary things since she was a child!”

He was just short of adding, you two aren’t suitable, hurry up and send my sister back to the manor!

“Who says I don’t know martial arts?”

The young man was still talking to himself. “The Xie family won’t rebel, so stop holding onto my sister…” He said half of it, and finally registered Xie Wan’s words, blankly/stupefied: “Huh? You know martial arts?!”

“I heard that my little cousin intends to become a martial arts champion and has even gone to the martial arts academy in the capital. I wonder how your skills are?”

“You… want to spar with me?”

“Mm.”

The young man’s subconscious reaction was, is this sickly Emperor crazy?

Xie Wan narrowed her eyes. “My little cousin is afraid?”

As soon as she narrowed her eyes, the young man felt an inexplicable fear, but how could a Xie family son admit defeat? “Spar, I’ll spar. But if you get injured, you can’t… you can’t punish me.”

“Alright.”

Xie Qingyun heard the noise outside and realized something was wrong. She hurried back from the back courtyard and saw her son, covered in dust, and Her Majesty standing calmly to the side… and the broken broom on the ground.

Xie Qingyun’s heart skipped a beat, but upon closer inspection, the atmosphere seemed different from what she had imagined.

Her Majesty’s hand was on Yuntao’s shoulder, smiling. “You lost, Yuntao.”

Her son, who only listened to his older siblings’ discipline, hung his head and said, “I lost. You know martial arts…”

Yuntao was a little annoyed. If he had known she wasn’t a sickly person, he would have been more serious! He underestimated her!

“Now, what else do you have to say?”

“I didn’t promise you anything,” Yuntao said cautiously. “I certainly didn’t gamble my sister’s future with you!”

Xie Wan patted his head. “What are you thinking! Even if you agreed to that bet, I wouldn’t!”

The young man pursed his lips. “Anyway, I lost. Do whatever you want.”

“Then call me Elder Sister.”

Xie Yuntao was stunned for a moment.

Xie Wan smiled. “What’s wrong?”

Xie Yuntao shook his head, a little dazed. “Nothing. Is that all?”

“Yes.”

“Oh… Elder Sister.” Xie Yuntao said reluctantly. But strangely, he wasn’t particularly resistant to calling the Emperor ‘Elder Sister’. How to put it, it reminded him of something from when he was little.

When he was little, he would fight with his older sister because he wasn’t convinced. Every time his sister beat him up, she would also smile and put her hand on his shoulder, “Yuntao, call me Elder Sister.”

Strange, he would actually remember these old things.

Xie Wan gently rubbed his head, a smile on her lips.

“Clatter.”

A light sound made the two of them turn their heads simultaneously.

“Mother…” Xie Yuntao immediately became nervous. When did his mother stand there?

Xie Qingyun picked up the prayer beads that had fallen to the ground. “I didn’t hold onto these beads properly.”

Xie Yuntao didn’t think much of it.

His mother was a Buddhist and liked to hold a string of prayer beads in her hand to play with.

“Thankfully they didn’t break.” Xie Qingyun smiled lightly, then said, “Yuntao, weren’t you here to sweep the courtyard?”

“Oh… sweep.” Xie Yuntao looked at the broken broom on the ground and said awkwardly, “Mother, I’ll go get another one.”

Xie Yuntao patted the dust off his clothes and went out.

Xie Wan turned back and met Xie Qingyun’s gaze, seeing the hint of almost unconcealed scrutiny in her eyes.

Xie Wan smiled. “Madam?”

Xie Qingyun shook her head. “There are still things in the back courtyard. This commoner will not disturb Your Majesty.”

She seemed a little absent-minded.

Xie Wan watched her retreating figure and fell silent.

“Your Majesty.” A familiar voice suddenly came from the wall on the other side.

Xie Wan turned her head. Xiao Anyu was perched on the wall, looking at her with a face full of smiles.

Xie Wan: “…What are you doing there?”

“Watching you expose yourself,” Anyu said, tilting her head.

Xie Wan raised an eyebrow and said nothing.

Anyu whispered, “Your Majesty said you wouldn’t tell them. But if they figure it out themselves, then there’s nothing that can be done, right?”

“No one would believe something so unbelievable.”

“But what if?”

Xie Wan lowered her gaze slightly.

If they could recognize her… she couldn’t deny the hint of happiness in her heart.

However, this emotion lasted only a moment. Xie Wan stepped towards the wall and saw that Anyu was even happier than herself, so she couldn’t help but feel like teasing her. “Then have you not considered that if they knew who I am, they would try to stop us from being together?”

Xie Anyu was startled.

Clearly, she hadn’t thought of that.

Xie Wan felt even more pleased.

Anyu mumbled, “It’s too late for them to stop us now. I’m already married to Your Majesty.”

Hearing Anyu say this, her lips curved up even higher. “That’s true. Then how long will Lady Consort Wan stay on the wall?”

“Speaking of which, I have something to say! Your Majesty, why did you spar with Yuntao? Your body hasn’t fully recovered yet!”

“I know what I’m doing.” Yuntao underestimated her; she could win by being clever.

Seeing that she really seemed fine, Anyu smiled and said, “Then, does Your Majesty know if you can catch me?”

Before Xie Wan could react with surprise, Anyu leaped down from the wall.

Xie Wan instinctively reached out, stretching forward to catch her.

Seeing this, Anyu completely relaxed and threw herself into her arms.

She stumbled slightly but didn’t let Anyu fall at all.

“Your Majesty.” Anyu buried her head in her shoulder, inhaling the faint scent on her clothes.

“Mm?”

“Even if they try to stop us, I still want Your Majesty to have family. I want to see you smile freely in front of people other than me.”

“Even if they know who Your Majesty is, they won’t expose you. They will only quietly treat you well. I have confidence in that.”

The muffled voice came from within her embrace, but it almost made Xie Wan’s eyes turn red.

She tightened her arms and softly responded—

“Okay.”