Prime Minister Yan looked at the Emperor speechlessly.

That day, Lin Zi Xuan acted like a child as he directly ordered for the servants to prepare for the Empress's return. He nagged on almost everything that made people wondered whether the Emperor was thinking straight or not.

Naturally, no one said those words out loud.

They simply obeyed what he ordered them to do.

Feng Ning returned to the Imperial Palace with Imperial Doctor Wu. The Emperor gave excuse that she was recuperating and that she also stayed in the hospital to research medicine.

At first, some people were skeptical.

But when the medicine began to spread, a lot of people were singing praise for the Empress.

This little scandal was soon forgotten.

It has been two years since that time. There was also another important good news from the Imperial Family.

And that was the Empress got pregnant.

Countless gifts were sent to celebrate it. It was to the point that the servants were dumbfounded. The amount of the gifts alone was more than enough to fill a large big hall.

It was very full.

Ever since the Empress got pregnant, the Emperor also changed considerably. He always spent every single available break he had to accompany the Empress. Even if that break was barely half an incense stick of time.

Just like today.

Prime Minister Yan was holding the report in his hand as he watched the Emperor accompanying the Empress to sit in the garden. As for what they were talking about, he naturally didn't know.

"Prime Minister Yan, it wouldn't be easy to talk with His Majesty," Imperial Doctor Wu said bitterly.

There were still some works to do.

But it was just... a bit hard to separate the two of them when they saw the harmonious scene in front of them. They would feel that it was a crime to make the Emperor and the Empress stay away from one another even for a few incense stick of time.

While the two of them had to wait, Feng Ning was enjoying the wind.

She didn't really think that much when she first come back, but she was greeted with her servants crying for her. It seemed that her disappearance had caused them to worry so much. It took her a long time to coax them so that they would calm down.

It was only after she come back that she realized that there were a lot of people who cared for her.

The ministers were also waiting for her return.

Whether it was because they wanted her idea or because they really wanted her as the ruler, she didn't know. It was just, having them being happy for her return make her feel warm too.

However, Feng Ning is still the quiet Empress.

No one aside from Imperial Doctor Wu and the Emperor knew that she actually could speak. Feng Ning herself didn't use her voice much as it was very low and hoarse, not really like that of a woman.

Lin Zi Xuan allowed her to do whatever she wanted in the palace.

A month after her return, one of the palaces was changed to become a garden for her to plant various herbs. It was to the point that Feng Ning was speechless by the vast area he had prepared.

At the same time, there were a lot of servants to help her tend the herbs this time.

She didn't have to take care of all of them personally.

A year after her return, Feng Ning found out that Lin Zi Xuan's mother was practically exiled. Even though she was still in the palace area, she was put in the farthest and coldest place where she was not even allowed to step out.

Feng Ning had seen the place, but she decided not to step in.

There was no need for her to provoke Empress Dowager Qi more than necessary.

And a few months earlier, Feng Ning found out that she was pregnant. The news strikes her like a bolt of thunder in a clear day. After all, she was only 17 years old about to turn 18 years old when she first heard the news.

If this was her previous world, she would still be underage.

When the baby was born, she would be in her 18 years though.

Still...

The difference in the concept between the two worlds caused this to be something normal instead. After all, women become adults when they were 15 years old in this world and there were many of them who got pregnant just a few weeks or even months after their marriage.

Hers instead took quite a long time.

*cough*

"Ning'er, it's not good to stay outside for long." Lin Zi Xuan held Feng Ning's hand. "Let's go inside, okay?"

Feng Ning looked at Lin Zi Xuan. He would talk in normal tone from time to time, but when they were only alone, he would talk to her in this coaxing tone. At first, she was not used to it, but it didn't seem to be that bad after some time.

Feng Ning nodded.

"Good."

Lin ZI Xuan pampered her greatly and allowed her to be willful. She was not tasked to do anything and even in the morning court, she could skip at will. Not that Feng Ning did that, but when she carried her child, she did ask for a lot of breaks.

Even before that, Lin Zi Xuan would not allow her to work herself too hard.

She becomes the idle Empress.

...

Time passed quietly.

Feng Ning gave birth to a son and didn't have any plan to have another child. Unfortunately, her husband seemed to disagree and kept on persuading her.

In the end, she gave birth to another son after a few years.

And when the first son was old enough and had gotten married, Lin ZI Xuan handed the throne to his son and decided to accompany his wife all the time.

Even with no one around, he would still take care of her very well.

Feng Ning asked him why and Lin Zi Xuan just laughed.

"This is my promise to you until the end of my life."

A promise?

Feng Ning looked at her husband and stretched her hand, tugging his sleeve while her head leaned to his chest. This life... might be filled with some annoying beginning. However, it is not a bad life.

- The End -

...

Hey there, this is the end of The Quiet Empress, my ninth story in Webnovel (and probably at different number in other sites XD).

Thank you for reading until the very end.

It's just a short story since I'm trying to make one. I hope that you enjoyed the story.

There will be one epilogue about the future, which I'll post later. And after that, the story is completely done. (Oh right, there are still some side stories depending on the result of the vote, which will be posted at much later date)

Once again, thank you.

With love,

Sorahana