ATNCF: Chapter 125 Relocating the Capital (Part Two)

 The next day, they proceeded with the scheduled departure. At Pei Ji's request, Li Zhi delegated most of the responsibilities to the female officials of the Six Bureaus.

As the procession started and slowly moved out of Chang'an, the two of them sat together in a spacious carriage, chatting closely.

Because of the travel arrangements that day, Pei Ji had a rare day of leisure. After hearing the news of Li Zhi’s pregnancy the night before, Empress Dowager Li had sent some items early that morning. The couple had not yet had time to look at them closely, and now, opening the packages together, they found that they contained clothes and items Pei Ji had used in his childhood.

The garments and items, though showing signs of age, were neatly kept and spotless, indicating they had been well-preserved over the years.

Pei Ji gazed at them in a daze, unable to resist reaching out to touch each piece.

During his childhood, he had spent much time apart from his parents. Seeing these items brought back many memories.

Li Zhi smiled as she watched him in a daze. She picked up a round, colorful ceramic xun and waved it in front of him, raising an eyebrow, “I didn’t know my Sanlang was so accomplished, playing the xun at such a young age!”

Pei Ji snapped back to reality, seeing her adopt a playful, elder-like demeanor when speaking to a child. He mimicked her, saying, “Yes, Big sister doesn’t know much but sanlang not only played the xun but also rode horses and practiced archery.”

Saying this, he took the xun from her hand, weighed it, and brought it to his lips to test it before actually playing.

The xun’s deep, sorrowful tone was hauntingly beautiful, and the melody he played was filled with a timeless and mysterious elegance. However, due to years of disuse, Pei Ji’s playing was rusty, and the tune came out intermittently, sounding somewhat amusing and childlike.

Li Zhi reclined against a cushion, listening with a smile. When he finished, she shook her head in mock seriousness, “Sanlang, it seems you haven’t practiced properly in a long time. This won’t do. With playing, if you neglect it for a day, you’ll become rusty. You need to practice diligently!”

Pei Ji laughed and nodded repeatedly, caressing the xun in his hands, “Yes, I need to practice well so I don’t get rusty. I still have to teach our child how to play in the future. This xun was brought back by my father when I was six or seven, from an official duty trip. I’ll pass it on to our child.”

As he spoke, he carefully placed the xun back.

The carriage hit a bump in the road, causing Li Zhi to sway slightly and lean closer to him.

He took the opportunity to pull her into his arms, as if worried she might get hurt.

“By age, I should be older than you, yet you always act like an elder sister.”

Li Zhi glanced at him sideways, her eyes full of flirtatious charm, “What, are you unhappy about that?”

Pei Ji couldn’t help but laugh, leaning in to kiss the corner of her eye gently, shaking his head, “I wouldn’t dare. Sanlang listens to big sister.”

Li Zhi’s cheeks tickled from his kiss, and she laughed, nestling softly into his embrace.

Their lighthearted companionship made the otherwise tedious journey pleasant.

Over the next few days, although Pei Ji resumed his routine of handling governmental affairs, he constantly took care of Li Zhi, especially supervising her meals and medicine personally every morning and evening.

Traveling was different from being in the palace, where supplies were abundant. However, before leaving, Pei Ji had personally instructed that Li Zhi be well-nourished. As a result, along the journey, she was provided with daily herbal tonics prepared by the imperial physicians. By the time they reached Luoyang, she hadn’t lost weight from the journey but had instead gained a healthy glow.

In the palace at Luoyang, she examined herself in the bronze mirror, measuring her waist with a soft ruler, and sighed over the extra half-inch, her face full of worry.

“We’ve been in Luoyang for so long. I thought if I walked around more each day, I could slim down. But this half-inch just won’t go away.”

Pei Ji happened to return to the bedroom from the front hall and saw her in this state. His previously expressionless face immediately brightened with a smile.

He walked up behind her, placed his hands on her waist, and gazed at their reflection in the mirror. “How could it return to normal so quickly? With a child, your belly will only get bigger. This half inch is clearly our child's doing.”

As he spoke, he guided her hand to rest on her slightly protruding belly. “Feel this. What other pregnant women do you know who, besides their bellies, haven't changed a bit in shape?”

Li Zhi felt much better hearing his unabashed praise. She turned left and right in front of the bronze mirror, confirming that the extra half inch was indeed due to the slight bulge in her belly. Only then did she feel at ease.

Pei Ji also took a good look at her in the mirror. In just this short while, his eyes grew a bit dim. He had been wrong earlier. Besides her growing belly, other subtle changes had appeared on her body, adding a mature allure to her already enchanting beauty.

“Li Niang,” his voice was slightly hoarse as he re-wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her neck, “by now, it should be over three months, right?”

Li Zhi was taken aback. She calculated the time and nodded, “Yes.” Looking up, she met his gaze in the mirror and immediately understood the meaning behind his words.

It had been so long. Although he had been disciplined enough to simply hold her to sleep each night, he must have been holding back a lot. Not to mention, she herself was also feeling a bit tempted.

She glanced down at her barely noticeable belly and smiled. Looking up again, she leaned back into his arms while letting her hand trace lightly over his collar, her delicate fingers occasionally pulling it open to reveal his undergarment before releasing it again.

“Although it's been over three months, I haven't asked the imperial physician yet.” She raised her eyes, boldly observing him in the mirror.

Pei Ji felt as if it were summer. His whole body was burning up. The clothes on his chest were being tugged back and forth, letting in cool air that seemed to cool him down momentarily, only to make him feel even hotter when they stuck back to his skin, as if they might ignite at any moment.

He grabbed her mischievous hand and twisted it behind her, simultaneously lowering his head to plant gentle and firm kisses on the skin of her neck, causing her to tremble involuntarily.

“I’ve already asked. The imperial physician said your pregnancy is stable and it’s safe.”

In truth, he had been worried about her consuming so many supplements without showing much of a belly. So he asked the physician about her condition every day, feeling reassured only when he learned that she was fine.

Li Zhi turned her head, rubbing her lips against his.

She tried to unbutton her clothes but found her hands tightly held behind her back. She could only twist her body slightly and extend her fingers to untie his belt.

The belt hooks and jade ornaments clinked together, producing a clear, melodious sound.

“You should be gentler with me…”

She looked at him with a hint of grievance, hoping he would release her.

But Pei Ji didn’t comply. Instead, he pulled off his belt, removed the jade pieces, and used the remaining silk to loosely tie her wrists.

He feared hurting her, so he bound her lightly, just enough to restrain her a little.

“I will be gentle, but I can't let you move around too much, or I don’t know what I might do…”

With that, he led her to the inner chamber, carefully laying her down on the edge of the bed despite her disgruntled expression.

…

Much later, when everything had finally settled down, Li Zhi couldn’t resist poking his chest.

"Sanlang, you're getting more and more unruly these days!"

Earlier, she had alternated between acting coy and feigning anger, going to great lengths to finally have him untie the silk from her wrists. Yet, before she could retaliate, he had her firmly pinned down again.

Pei Ji held her hand, gently biting her fingertip, then soothingly stroked her back. "I told you before, I’m not a good person. If I could be honest with you, would I have ended up like this?"

Thinking about the past, Li Zhi couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, alright. I misjudged you. Who would have thought that a well-dressed young gentleman would turn out to be so relentless?"

After a while of playful banter, Pei Ji asked, "How did your visit to the Hanlin Academy go today?"

The Hanlin Academy, established within the palace, had long been an institution that gathered learned scholars, particularly those skilled in poetry and prose, responsible for drafting edicts and writing official documents.

Li Zhi had been contemplating her role as empress and felt she should work for the welfare of women across the empire. After much thought, she decided to start with the common people.

The laws of the Yan dynasty, inherited from previous dynasties, included many favorable to women. However, literacy among the common people was rare, let alone an understanding of the law. Even with these laws in place, women couldn't utilize them.

Li Zhi decided to start in Luoyang by establishing a few offices specifically to assist women with legal issues. If successful, she planned to gradually expand this initiative nationwide.

But before taking any action, she needed to thoroughly understand the various laws. After sharing this idea with Pei Ji, he suggested selecting a few law-savvy scholars from the Hanlin Academy to explain the laws to her daily. Today was the first day.

Hearing him ask about this, Li Zhi nodded and praised, "The three scholars are highly learned. Their explanations were very clear and easy to understand. Today, not only did I attend, but I also selected ten low-ranking female officials from civilian backgrounds in the Six Bureaus to listen as well. If they can master what they've learned, they can help implement this initiative."

Pei Ji watched her as she spoke with such enthusiasm, a look quite different from her usual demeanor, and his eyes grew even more tender.

He had noticed her kindness and inexplicable compassion towards the women around her even when she was still confined. Seeing her finally able to do something she wanted, he naturally felt happy as well.

"You're very clever." He kissed her on the forehead. "You've chosen to start with areas that won't shake the foundations but will benefit the people."

Li Zhi understood his meaning. "You men have ruled the world for so long that you're used to it. Even if you treat me well, I'm sure many people still have their doubts. I can't confront them directly, or it would waste your goodwill. Helping ordinary people in need is beneficial to most and a genuinely good deed. It should naturally be done."

She wasn't foolish. She knew that even Pei Ji, deep down, believed that the world should be ruled by men. He was just more respectful and honest than others.

But this bit of respect was already immensely precious. Not just here, but even in her own time, this level of respect was hard to come by for many people.

"Sanlang," she sat up and looked at him seriously, "if you face difficulties outside, don't bear them alone. I know you care for me, and I would be distressed for you too."

Pei Ji's body suddenly trembled, looking at her with a mix of surprise and emotion, his throat seeming to choke up.

After a long moment, he pulled her into his arms and softly said, "Alright."

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