Chapter 190 - 165: The Beauty in My Eyes

"How could that be?"

Lu Ronghua was stunned, instinctively dismissing the absurd possibility. She even laughed as she spoke, "Sister Zhaoyi, Xuanzhu Garden was built in Xihua Garden by the Emperor’s special decree. How could it possibly be your design?"

Lu Ronghua’s skepticism was not entirely unfounded.

Before marriage, young ladies from prestigious families were taught needlework and embroidery, or the art of managing a household. At the very least, they pursued romantic arts and literature, learning to write beautiful prose. But no one taught their daughters how to design a garden to their liking.

After all, it wasn’t exactly a skill that would earn a concubine any extra points.

Moreover, the design of Xuanzhu Garden was novel and unique, unlike anything Lu Ronghua, who had grown up in the Capital, had ever seen. She didn’t believe the daughter of a minor rural official could possess such broad horizons and imaginative ideas.

"I was the one who asked Gu Zhaoyi to design it," Xie Che spoke up. "Once she had finished the blueprints, I ordered it built in Xihua Garden. Her incessant questions just now were because she wanted to inspect the fruits of her labor."

There was no blame for Lu Ronghua in his tone.

After all, when he had given Jiang Xian the task, he hadn’t truly expected her to work. He simply saw that she liked to keep busy, so he indulged her by giving her something to do. "The design for Xuanzhu Garden is excellent. I like it very much. I’m just curious, why did you design it with a party of three in mind, Gu Zhaoyi?"

Xie Che was prone to overthinking, and his first thought was of Chen Changzai.

’That woman sticks to you like glue.’

’Other concubines wish for as few rivals as possible on an outing. But Jiang Xian, of all people, actually begged me to bring Chen Changzai along... Don’t tell me she wants to bring her along even for a stroll in the garden!’

Jiang Xian shook her head. "There’s also Zhao’er, isn’t there?"

Going on an outing with both her parents was a joy she had never experienced.

But even if you’ve never eaten pork, you’ve seen a pig run. Every time a holiday ended, she would hear her classmates share stories about where they had gone with their families. Selfishly, she hoped that when Zhao’er was old enough to attend the Shangshufang for his studies, he could also tell others that he had visited Xihua Garden with his father, the Emperor, and his mother, and boast about the beautiful scenery in the garden his mother had designed.

Xie Che’s expression softened. "Lu Ronghua, you may return first. I have more to discuss with Gu Zhaoyi."

Lu Ronghua wanted to brazenly say that she could stay and listen.

But she considered that she had only just arrived at Xihua Garden. There would be plenty of time in the future; there was no rush to compete for favor. So, with a graceful curtsy, she withdrew. Soon, only the Emperor and his concubine remained in Xuanzhu Garden. Even the attending Palace Attendants were perceptive enough to retreat to a respectable distance.

"Your Majesty just said you truly liked the garden I designed. Is that true?"

Xie Che nodded.

"I was only able to come up with these new designs thanks to Your Majesty’s good fortune."

"Thanks to my good fortune? I don’t recall giving you any pointers."

"Your Majesty granted me permission to freely enter and select items from the Luanqi Library. Although there were many things I didn’t take, I had the chance to admire them inside. They are vastly different from the objects we are used to in Yan Chi, but they possess a unique charm. It would be a wonderful thing if they could all be brought under the domain of Yan Chi."

A true "King Juan" doesn’t just find work for herself; she drags her boss into the grind with her.

’Yan Chi is strong, so why not look overseas?’

’The Westerners are not yet under our rule, and there are many wonderful things in the Western World. She refused to believe the Emperor wouldn’t be tempted.’

Xie Che, however, was reminded of the self-sounding clock she had modified and presented to him. "You certainly are interested in things from the Western World. It seems the objects in the Luanqi Library aren’t enough to entertain you; now you have your eyes on foreign lands."

Still, as he gazed at the garden design, the likes of which he had never seen, Xie Che couldn’t help but feel a stir of interest.

But right now, he didn’t want to talk about serious matters.

He took Jiang Xian’s hand and sat down with her. Sunlight filtered through the dense leaves, dappling her face. "Do you know why this place is called Xuanzhu Garden?"

Jiang Xian shook her head. "Any name Your Majesty chooses is bound to be a good one."

’The boss’s taste is always god-tier.’

Xie Che asked, "Then if it were you, what name would you give it?"

Jiang Xian actually had a name in mind. "Wanfu Changle Shengming Garden," she said. "It would express my sincerest blessings and praise for Your Majesty."

Nearby, Liang Yuyin felt goosebumps prickle all over his arm.

’What kind of name is that, Lady Zhaoyi!’

’If word of this got out, people would die of laughter!’

’Sucking up to this extent... does Her Ladyship have no shame?’

In modern times, this would be like someone creating a small garden and calling it the "Many-Blessings-Forever-Happy-Most-Holy-and-Prosperous-Garden." If you hung a sign with that name outside your house, every neighbor who passed by would have to peek inside, just to see how amazing the owner and the garden could possibly be. A rebellious teenage son would see it and never want to come home again.

Liang Yuyin gave Lady Zhaoyi a deep look. ’As expected of the harem’s most favored concubine, a true master of flattery. But she should be careful not to overdo it.’

"I think the name you came up with is also very good."

However, the Emperor was no ordinary man. He thought the name was excellent and befitted his status. "Xuanzhu means ’moon.’ Have you forgotten the title I bestowed upon you? In my heart, you are a Moon Palace Fairy, my immortal beloved concubine. We arrived in a hurry today, but I will issue a decree later. Without your permission, no one else may enter Xuanzhu Garden. This is a landscape you painted for me, and I will not come to Xuanzhu Garden with anyone else. When Zhao’er is a little older and can walk, I will bring him here."

Under all of heaven, there is no land that is not the Emperor’s.

If the Emperor commanded it, a concubine had to obey, even if it meant attending him alongside another woman. In this era, neither the Emperor nor any man in the realm was taught the concept of fidelity.

But love is self-taught. It makes one naturally consider things from the other’s perspective.

Hearing the Emperor’s promise, Jiang Xian felt not a single ripple of emotion. Instead, she was a little puzzled. "Is it because I haven’t done a good enough job?"

’If the Emperor wanted to bring other concubines here to enjoy the scenery, it would only further prove how well I designed it.’

"I would like to enjoy the scenery with Your Majesty," she said, "but since you are being sincere with me, I shall be honest with you as well. I’ve had a rather weak sense of beauty and ugliness since I was young, so I’m afraid I would be wasting this fine scenery." She paused. "I do, however, truly wish to bring Zhao’er here to see it."

Jiang Xian said this frankly, her tone light and her expression smiling.

It was as if all the beautiful things in the world had nothing to do with her.

The man before her, however, was born with the conviction that all good things in the world should fall into his hands. He believed he deserved the most noble treatment; if he were to fall in love with a cloud, even the clouds in the sky ought to stand still for him.

A true dragon raised in a nest of wealth and power, a man who held the entire nation in his hands. He took her hand and said, "But when you drew the blueprints for Xuanzhu Garden, you must have been aiming for beauty. You do understand what is good, you just haven’t realized it."

Xie Che smiled, a gentle quality to his thin lips.

"I hadn’t thought of it that way."

Jiang Xian considered this for a moment, then said, "When I was designing Xuanzhu Garden, all I thought about was what would be beautiful in Your Majesty’s eyes."

Xie Che froze.

Ever since that time she was attending the sick, he had sensed that this woman was heartless. Yet, just when he managed to harden his heart, she would say something sentimental at the perfect moment, causing it to soften again. He felt both angry and tender toward her, and could only let out a soft sigh.

What is love?

’Even if it’s for her own benefit, for her to be this considerate of me... even if it’s not love, it surpasses the love others have given me.’

"Look closely,"

Xie Che cupped the back of her head, lowering his own until they were eye to eye.

It was an act of great disrespect to look directly at the Emperor’s face, but he wouldn’t let her look away.

"Look closely, and see what is most beautiful in my eyes."

In his eyes, she could see her own reflection.