Empress, Can I? [Transmigration + GL] - Chapter 55

The weather in April was neither too hot nor too cold—the perfect time for an outing.

Many chose this season to pay respects to their ancestors.

The court granted a three-day holiday so officials could return home—some to bathe, some to kiss their wives, and others to burn paper offerings.

Xuan Jingchi, rarely blessed with a short break, grinned and said, “Yueli, let’s go out of the palace for fun.”

The virtuous and well-mannered Empress was stunned, her eyes widening. “Out of the palace?!”

“Of course! With weather this nice, we should go enjoy the greenery and flowers. Why stay cooped up inside?” Xuan Jingchi coaxed. “Yueli, you’ve never seen the bustling streets of the capital, have you? As the ancients said, ‘Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles.’ If we want to broaden our horizons and understand the people’s lives, we must venture out more.”

Xiao Yueli replied, “When I was little, I went to my uncle’s house with my mother and once played on the streets with my cousins. But after that, I never went out again.”

“Perfect, then I’ll take you out.” Xuan Jingchi said eagerly. “We’ll just go for one day and return by nightfall.”

“But, Your Majesty, what about ancestral worship?”

“Well, my sister will handle it. And if not, there’s always Xuan Jingming and Xuan Jingmou. Since they’re so eager to be emperor, they must be diligent in their worship.”

Xiao Yueli shook her head. “Your Majesty, your safety is paramount. Anything could happen outside the palace. I believe it’s too risky.”

Xuan Jingchi naturally understood what “anything” referred to.

“We’ll just go for a quick trip and return right after. Even if someone has ill intentions, how could they possibly predict that I’d leave the palace today—or where I’d go?”

With that, she called for Chenxiang. “Today, you’ll wear my robes and sit in the side hall. Read, drink tea, nap—do whatever you like, just don’t speak or come out.”

Chenxiang panicked. “Your Majesty, you want me to impersonate you again?”

“Smart! Exactly that!”

Unable to dissuade her, Xiao Yueli sighed. “Then summon General Wang Zhan.”

Finally, Xuan Jingchi and Xiao Yueli styled their hair into less ornate buns and changed into two sets of simpler, less extravagant casual outfits. Wang Zhan led a horse and, along with eight guards who had also changed into civilian clothes, followed the Emperor and Empress out of the palace.

The streets were bustling with activity, lively and vibrant, with vendors hawking their wares enthusiastically and energetically.

As they strolled, Xiao Yueli marveled at how much the capital had changed over the past decade.

Xuan Jingchi, on the other hand, was brimming with curiosity, asking about everything unfamiliar: “What’s this?” “What’s this used for?” “Can this be eaten?”

Xiao Yueli smiled and patiently explained each one to her.

When they reached a pastry shop, Xiao Yueli exclaimed in surprise, “This shop is still here! When I was little, my brother used to buy treats for me here. Their pine nut candies are the most famous.”

Hearing this, Xuan Jingchi immediately volunteered, “I’ll buy some for you,” and turned to enter the shop.

Xiao Yueli tugged at her sleeve. “No need. They’re too sweet—I can’t eat them now.”

But Xuan Jingchi insisted, “That won’t do. Even if you don’t eat them, I still want to buy some and try them—to taste the candies little Yueli once enjoyed.”

With that, she walked into the shop.

The shop was crowded with customers buying cakes, pastries, and candies. As soon as the clerk spotted Xuan Jingchi standing there, he greeted her warmly, “Miss, what would you like?”

“Do you have pine nut candies?”

“Pine nut candies? Of course—they’re our specialty!”

Seeing they were sold in packets, Xuan Jingchi said, “Give me two packets.”

The clerk eagerly handed them to her. “Twenty coppers.”

It was then that Xuan Jingchi realized she hadn’t brought a single coin with her. A brief look of embarrassment crossed her fair face as she turned toward the door and called, “Wang… Little Wang, bring the money.”

Wang Zhan, the Imperial Guard commander, was momentarily stunned—he was the only one in their group of guards with the surname Wang—before realizing the Emperor was summoning him. He promptly stepped into the shop.

The clerk blinked at the towering, dark-skinned, and imposing figure of “Little Wang,” taken aback that such a burly man could be called “Little.”

“Give him twenty coppers,” Xuan Jingchi said, then happily skipped out of the shop.

Standing on the street, she eagerly tore open the packet, picked out the prettiest-looking candy, and held it to Xiao Yueli’s lips.

Xiao Yueli reached out to take it, but Xuan Jingchi shook her head, evading her hand and stubbornly insisting on feeding her.

Blushing at the intimate gesture in the middle of the crowded street, Xiao Yueli hesitated. But with the candy persistently held to her lips—and knowing Xuan Jingchi wouldn’t relent—she finally gave in and ate it as more and more passersby began to stare.

Xuan Jingchi grinned. “Is it good?” Only then did she withdraw her hand, satisfied, and pop a candy into her own mouth—immediately contorting her face in reaction.

Oh my! So sweet! This sweetness is going to kill me!

Two stunning beauties standing on the street instantly drew the attention of passersby, many stopping to gaze in admiration.

“Whose daughters are these? So extraordinarily beautiful!”

“Look at their noble bearing—they must be young ladies from official families.”

“Nonsense! How would young ladies from good families appear in public? Don’t they always stay secluded at home?”

“In my opinion, they’re probably martial heroines with extraordinary skills.”

“No, look how ethereally beautiful they are—they might be celestial maidens descended from heaven.”

Xuan Jingchi frowned as she heard their increasingly absurd speculations, even suggesting they weren’t human.

Wang Zhan raised his voice sharply, “Enough of this nonsense! How dare you gossip about our mistresses!”

His towering figure and booming voice finally made the reluctant crowd disperse.

After strolling for a while under the midday sun, Xuan Jingchi felt warm from walking. Glancing up at the sky nearing noon, she said, “Let’s rest at a tavern.”

Taking Xiao Yueli’s hand, she led her toward the same tavern she’d visited during her angry horseback ride out of the palace.

With the lunch hour and scorching sun, the streets were less crowded than earlier, though many still passed by. Seeing the two intimately holding hands and whispering with smiles, onlookers couldn’t help but smile themselves.

Under the warm sunlight and gentle breeze, the radiant beauty of the laughing maidens formed a picturesque scene that naturally lifted everyone’s spirits.

“Yueli, their spiced snails here are truly excellent,” Xuan Jingchi enthusiastically recommended, even producing a silk handkerchief to wipe Xiao Yueli’s cup, bowl, and chopsticks.

The guards at nearby tables sipped tea discreetly, inwardly astonished—the Emperor personally attending to the Empress! Unprecedented! Absolutely unprecedented!

They concluded the pampered emperor must be experiencing the novelty of serving others outside the palace.

A cheerful waiter approached and brightened upon recognizing Xuan Jingchi. “Why, it’s you, honored guest!”

“You recognize me?”

“Sir, we servers meet countless people and develop sharp eyes. While I can’t remember every patron, ones as generous and exceptionally handsome as you—well, heh heh…”

His meaningful chuckle and lingering gaze at Xuan Jingchi made his recognition clear without further words.

Wang Zhan bristled at the waiter’s improper staring but was stopped by Xuan Jingchi’s warning glance.

“And this is…?” The waiter’s eyes gleamed anew at Xiao Yueli, marveling at encountering two peerless beauties in one day.

Xuan Jingchi frowned. “Must we declare our identities to dine here? Even Yingtian Prefecture’s regulations aren’t this intrusive.”

The waiter recoiled from this velvet-gloved rebuke, realizing from their bearing that these were formidable nobles.

“My apologies, honored guest,” he backtracked hastily. “Force of habit—please don’t take offense.”

“Enough. Bring all your signature dishes—especially those spiced snails.”

“Got it,” the waiter said cheerfully. “Our head chef has recently come up with a few new signature dishes. I’ll bring them all for you to try.”

With that, he hurried downstairs.

Soon, the food and wine arrived. Xuan Jingchi served Xiao Yueli some dishes, saying, “Yueli, try this.”

Xiao Yueli took a bite—the conch meat was tender, crisp, and delicious. She nodded, “It’s very good.”

She looked at Xuan Jingchi and asked, “To this day, I still can’t figure out why you suddenly left the palace that day. What made you so angry?”

“Ah? Well…” Xuan Jingchi hadn’t expected her to bring this up and immediately stammered, burying herself in her food as she mumbled, “It was nothing. Just… a sudden urge to go out for a walk and get some fresh air.”

“Your Majesty, were you troubled by something back then?”

“Mm, yes… I was… I couldn’t write poetry, my martial arts were poor, and my archery wasn’t sharp either.”

Xuan Jingchi rambled on, skirting the real issue. Looking back now, both times she had lost her temper and lost control of her emotions, it had been because of Xiao Yueli.

“So that’s it. I thought it might have been because I did something wrong.”

Xuan Jingchi: “…”

Xiao Yueli smiled gently and said in a soft voice, “Your Majesty, you’re doing very well now. As an emperor, poetry isn’t an absolutely essential skill.” She patted Xuan Jingchi’s hand reassuringly. “If you hadn’t left the palace, we wouldn’t have found such delicious conch.”

The entire second floor had been reserved for Xuan Jingchi and her party, while the first floor was packed with diners, the clinking of cups and lively chatter filling the air.

With wine flowing freely, conversations soon turned animated.

“Have you all heard about what happened outside the southern city today?”