Duke Wei’s Mansion.
He Yi at last beca the Duchess, but her imperial decree was still not forthcoming.
So said the Emperor seed to still rember that forr Duchess Wei.
Indeed, in those years, He Tian had been gravely ill nurous tis, constantly hovering at Ghost Gate.
Both Master Hui Tong and everyone at the Imperial Hospital were at their wits’ end—other than saying, "Do what we can and leave the rest to fate," they had no other words to offer.
And yet, it was this very feeble body that everyone thought would fail, which sohow dragged on for more than a decade.
Rumors started to spread among the people suggesting it was the dicinal herbs bestowed by the Emperor that had saved Lady He’s life.
Lady He managed to cling to life, getting through each brush with death miraculously, all thanks to the Emperor’s favor.
Although it sounded like a far-fetched tale, the facts about Lady He were laid out plainly before everyone’s eyes.
This caused many nobles in the Capital City to mutter in private: could it be that she really was under the protection of the Emperor’s Dragon Energy?!
So of the older ministers, as they approached the end of their natural lifespans, would have their families try by all ans to obtain an audience with the Emperor.
The Emperor:... of course, was delighted.
Being regarded as a life-saving Bodhisattva, even an Emperor would feel extrely pleased.
Moreover, because the dicine he bestowed was imbued with Dragon Energy and could cure diseases and prolong life, his status as Emperor seed to gain even greater credibility.
He had in a sense, beco deified!
Regardless of what others might think, as long as Lady He could stay alive, albeit bedridden, the Emperor could maintain his lofty position upon the Divine Altar.
Therefore, the Emperor was very regretful of He Tian’s passing.
Several years after He Tian died, the Emperor still rembered that there was such a woman whose life had been extended by his Dragon Energy.
In the Emperor’s eyes, perhaps Lady He was the only true Duchess Wei.
Kang Mo must have also sensed He Tian’s special significance to the Emperor. That’s why after He Tian’s death, suppressing his long-held wishes and He Yi’s repeated entreaties, he pretended to mourn for He Tian for two years.
After putting on enough of a show, Kang Mo then found a way to wed He Yi.
Not long after He Yi entered the doors, Kang Mo submitted a petition for her official imperial decree.
But, the Emperor did not respond.
"...This, this isn’t anything to worry about, back then He Tian’s decree was also delayed for three or four years, only after I achieved military rits did His Majesty approve it!"
Whether Kang Mo’s words were ant to comfort He Tian or to convince himself, it was uncertain.
Nevertheless, regardless of whether He Yi was successfully consoled, Kang Mo received an important reminder: "Right, the Snow Lotus Saint is stirring up trouble again in the Southwest, a battle there is inevitable."
When that ti cos, he would volunteer for military service.
Once he had achieved military rits, he could then ask the Emperor to give He Yi the respect she deserved!
He Yi:...
She felt aggrieved, but there was no other solution, and she dared not show it.
Over ten years had passed; she was no longer that naive woman whose eyes and heart were filled only with love.
Without a matchmaker’s arrangent, she bore a child out of wedlock, and although she was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Marquis Yongchang’s Mansion, she was forced to hide in the deep mountains, disguised as a Taoist nun.
It had been an arduous wait until He Tian’s death, yet Kang Mo did not imdiately bring her back to the Capital City.
Kang Mo actually wanted to observe mourning for that woman!
What a joke, a grand joke indeed.
In this day and age, it was the won who maintained chastity for their deceased husbands, where was the logic in a husband observing mourning for his wife.
Did Kang Mo also want to earn himself a Chastity Arch?
Having already passed her twenty-seventh birthday, He Yi was no longer naive and understood Kang Mo’s concerns well enough.
...So, Kang Mo didn’t love her as much as he claid he did.
In fact, He Yi had long realized this—a true heart, emotions, and love were nothing compared to power and wealth.
If Kang Mo truly loved her, he wouldn’t have wasted more than ten years of her ti, let alone allow her to beco the laughingstock of the entire Capital City.
He Yi held great expectations for Kang Mo, and her admiration and love for him were profound.
But, she suffered disappointnt ti and again, sinking into a quagmire she couldn’t escape.
In the end, He Yi completely gave up on Kang Mo.
As for his many explanations, He Yi showed no sign on her face, but in her heart, she didn’t believe a single word.
Believe what?
Back then, she had trusted Kang Mo too much, which is why she ended up in her current predicant.
After surviving the mourning period, she then had to contend with the scrutiny of the Grand Madam and the Princely Heir.
Whenever she recalled the condescending, picky, and disdainful looks from the Grand Madam, the Princely Heir, and others, He Yi’s heart ached.
As if in their eyes, she, the legitimate eldest daughter of the Marquis Yongchang’s Mansion, was probably not even comparable to a remarried village woman from the countryside!
But, no matter what, no matter how humiliating the experiences, she had lived through them.
She could finally return to the Capital City with dignity and re-enter the circles of the nobility there.
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