The Minister Behind the Curtain Chapter 145

That night, Feng Lezhen suddenly awoke from a dream. She stared at the still-sleeping Chen Jinan for a long while before quietly getting out of bed.

It was autumn. The night air in the capital carried a distinct chill, and the stone floors were even colder. Still, she refused to wear shoes, walking barefoot across the icy tiles. The palace attendants standing guard saw her and rushed to bow and inquire, but she waved them off.

Just like that, she walked out of the palace hall alone and into the garden, where she sat down.

The stars were bright and numerous tonight—it would surely be a beautiful day tomorrow. The garden was already filled with blooming chrysanthemums, vibrant and lush, creating a scene of colorful cheer. Yet within this beautiful setting, she sat in silence for a long time.

A breeze stirred, stealing away the last warmth from her body. She shivered, about to call for someone to bring a cloak when, all of a sudden, a cape settled gently over her shoulders.

A glint of amusement flashed in her eyes. “When did you wake?”

“Not long after Your Majesty did,” Chen Jinan replied, moving to kneel in front of her. He lowered his head to gently wipe her feet. “Why did Your Majesty suddenly come out?”

“I had a nightmare,” she said quietly. “I dreamed… that I gave birth to a son.”

Chen Jinan’s hand stilled. He looked up at her.

It was in the third year of their marriage that Feng Lezhen had unexpectedly become pregnant.

For the nearly childless imperial clan, her pregnancy was a monumental blessing. But to her, it wasn’t a joy.

“If the child was a boy,” she said softly, “even if the officials today dare not bring up abdication while I still have power, what about when I grow old and he comes of age? Will I still be able to protect my throne?”

“Even if I raise him to be perfectly filial and obedient, willing to wait for my passing before taking the throne—will he dismantle everything I’ve worked for? The female officials I painstakingly promoted, the women who finally dared to dream like men—will they be sent back home to birth sons and cook in the kitchen?”

“If he has children of his own one day, will he pass the throne to a capable daughter—or a useless son?”

“I don’t want to think the worst of everything,” she said slowly, “but most men in this world speak with the same tongue. I don’t know if he would be any different. And if he isn’t… then all I’ve accomplished, all I’ve schemed for over the years—how would that be written in his and his historians’ records?”

She was nearly thirty when she finally conceived her first child, yet there wasn’t a trace of joy—only cold rationality. “I’ve been on the throne for years now, yet many officials still hope for a man to be emperor. It’s not stupidity—it’s deeply rooted ideology. To change that will take decades, even centuries. We’ll have to wait for the old stubborn ones to die off, and only then will new ideals take hold. It will take at least two or three generations of monarchs. If the next emperor is a man, all I’ve done could be undone overnight.”

After all this, Chen Jinan was silent for a long time. At last, he took her hand and said, “What if it’s a girl?”

“I can’t take that gamble,” she said, looking at their joined hands, her expression finally softening. “I thought my body was no longer capable of bearing children, so I planned to adopt a daughter from the imperial clan. I never expected this exception.”

Just like before, she didn’t want to pass the throne to someone of distant blood. But between leaving no heir, or birthing a son who might undo her life’s work, she’d rather adopt a daughter and raise her herself. Only a daughter might truly understand her thoughts, her ideals—and carry them forward through generations.

Chen Jinan sank into deeper silence. Only when a candle on the nearby table was blown out by the wind did he finally speak.

“I’ll follow Your Majesty’s lead.”

“Jinan…”

“To be at Your Majesty’s side… is a blessing earned over several lifetimes,” Chen Jinan said, cutting her off gently, meeting her gaze with quiet seriousness. “I’ve never wished for children. I only wish… to stay by Your Majesty’s side for a long, long time, and watch as you do the things you want to do.”

Feng Lezhen slowly exhaled a warm breath and opened her arms to embrace him. “Do you think I’m extreme?”

“To completely overturn some things, extremity is sometimes necessary—I understand,” Chen Jinan replied. He could feel the damp warmth against his collar, and his heart suddenly ached. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have let you…”

“What does this have to do with you?” Feng Lezhen laughed lightly. “I was the careless one. I forgot that after all these years of nourishing my body, it had almost fully recovered. I didn’t expect to get pregnant.”

“Nourishing…” Chen Jinan paused, suddenly recalling something. “Your Majesty, don’t be so quick to give up on the child. Why don’t we call for Doctor Shen to take a look? His medical skills are excellent—he can surely tell whether it’s a boy or girl.”

Feng Lezhen hesitated, then nodded in agreement.

A month later, Shen Suifeng arrived and confirmed that the child she carried was a girl. A few more months passed, and her daughter was born.

The autumn night was bitterly cold. Even with a cloak, it couldn’t bring much warmth.

Feng Lezhen watched as Chen Jinan carefully rubbed her feet. Her icy feet gradually warmed in his hands.

“During those months of pregnancy, I was often afraid,” Feng Lezhen said slowly. “Afraid the delivery wouldn’t go well, afraid the court would waver if they found out, and afraid Suifeng lied about it being a girl just to help me keep the child.” She chuckled. “I trust him so much, yet in this matter, I kept doubting. You were the only one I could believe. I even made you test him in secret—only once you confirmed it did I truly feel at ease.”

“Doctor Shen only cared about Your Majesty’s health,” Chen Jinan said.

Feng Lezhen’s smile faded slightly. “It’s fortunate, then, that heaven hasn’t been unkind to me—letting me give birth to Heyuan.”

At the mention of their daughter, a soft warmth filled Chen Jinan’s expression. “Heyuan is doing wonderfully. Lately, she’s even started helping you with things—she’s really got your manner.”

“She’s my daughter. Of course she’s like me,” Feng Lezhen raised an eyebrow slightly.

Chen Jinan chuckled. “Yes. Your Highness’s daughter, of course, takes after Your Highness.”

It had been so many years since he last called her “Your Highness” that Feng Lezhen was briefly stunned. She met his gaze, and for a moment, it felt like they were back in the Princess Residence.

Those days had been chaotic, busy, and difficult—but solid and grounding. Lately, everything felt a bit… dull.

In the moonlight, Feng Lezhen studied Chen Jinan’s features carefully. After a while, she raised her hand and touched the corner of his eye. “You’ve got a wrinkle here.”

“Does it look bad?” Chen Jinan asked.

Feng Lezhen replied, “No. You always look good, Jinan. No matter what.”

A smile spread in Chen Jinan’s eyes. He stood and lifted her off the stone bench onto his back.

Feng Lezhen gasped and quickly clung to his neck, then grumbled, “At our age, you’re still doing such childish things.”

In my eyes, Your Highness will always be young and beautiful.

In his youth, Chen Jinan had barely known how to speak. Now that he was older, he had learned how to say the sweetest things.

Feng Lezhen laughed, gave him a light slap in protest, but still let him have his way.

Carrying her on his back, Chen Jinan walked slowly along the path. After a while, he suddenly asked, “I heard that the governor of Yue City recently sent Your Majesty a musician—very handsome, and skilled at the zither. Why haven’t you mentioned it?”

Feng Lezhen laughed silently. “Even if I didn’t bring it up, you still found out, didn’t you?”

Chen Jinan pursed his lips. “Your Majesty kept him in the side palace for almost ten days. Hard not to notice.”

“Jealous?” Feng Lezhen chuckled.

Chen Jinan glanced at the moonlight. “I wouldn’t dare. You know, Your Majesty can do anything you want with me.”

Feng Lezhen’s heart softened. She pinched his earlobe in comfort. “Don’t worry, nothing happened. It’s just that… he looked so much like an old acquaintance. I kept him a few extra days. But I sent him out of the palace the day before yesterday.”

“…Actually, I saw him once,” Chen Jinan admitted, since she’d been forthright.

Feng Lezhen didn’t seem surprised. “So? Isn’t he very much like Fu Zhixian?”

“Not just in appearance—even his demeanor is similar,” Chen Jinan replied. “For the Yue City governor to find such a person… it must’ve taken effort. I wonder what he’s hoping to get in return.”

“What else could it be? Sending someone into the palace always comes down to power,” Feng Lezhen’s gaze turned cold. “I hate these kinds of ploys the most. And yet he dared try it—seems I’ve been too gentle lately, and he’s forgotten who he’s dealing with.”

A glint of amusement flashed in Chen Jinan’s eyes. “Sounds like this new governor just kicked a steel wall.”

Feng Lezhen said nothing, only tightened her arms around him.

After a while, she said suddenly, “That musician… was born the same day Zhixian died.”

Chen Jinan froze, his expression calm. “Such a coincidence is rare. If Your Majesty regrets sending him away, I can always bring him back.”

Feng Lezhen gave a soft laugh. “Let it be. Even if he really were Zhixian’s reincarnation, without his past memories, he’s no longer the same person. Rather than keeping around a substitute and constantly being reminded of the past, I’d rather talk more with you and look ahead to the future.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Chen Jinan murmured.

Feng Lezhen curved her lips in a smile and looked up at the night sky.

The moonlight was lovely tonight. The chill from her earlier nightmare had long been dispelled by Chen Jinan’s warmth. As she rested on his back, she suddenly spotted a strand of silver in his hair.

Nineteen years of marriage already… The boy she’d rescued from the coal mines had become a refined, dignified Imperial Husband in the eyes of the world.

And the two of them—clearly no longer young—had moved beyond the awkward pulses of early love. Their life together had grown calm, settled. If someone had told Feng Lezhen twenty years ago that her future days would be spent fretting over groceries and firewood, she would’ve scoffed. But now… it felt nice. Truly nice. The empire was at peace, all was well—what more could she ask for?

“Chen Jinan.”

“Mm?”

“Tomorrow’s a day off. Let’s go outside the palace and get a potato cake.”

Chen Jinan chuckled helplessly and responded with a gentle “Alright.”