Chapter 96 Chapter 96 She actually... is just like this...

Zhao Qingyi pondered his words, suspecting he was teasing her again. She pressed her small hand against his chest, which was leaning towards her, "Not here..."

They had heard noises in the corners here before, and the sound insulation was not good.

So when faced with his closeness, Zhao Qingyi felt like facing a formidable enemy.

Chu Yuanhe chuckled and brushed her delicate nose. "I just wanted to kiss you. What are you thinking?"

They agreed to kiss, but ended up getting on the bed while kissing.

“…”

Zhao Qingyi was so breathless from the kiss that his rough hands were still roaming freely, deliberately stirring her heartstrings.

She knew that this man never kept his word when they were intimate.

However, his kiss was so comfortable that Zhao Qingyi lost her resistance. Just when the slender hand with distinct joints was about to go under her skirt, the door of the private room was knocked open.

Now it was Zhao Qingyi's turn to be at a loss, and she curled up in the man's arms.

A murderous look flashed across Chu Yuanhe's handsome face as he glared viciously at the disturber.

Princess Silver Moon chuckled twice, then quietly stepped back. "Excuse me..."

She thought Zhao Qingyi was the only one here, but who would have thought...

It turns out that this seemingly dignified Princess Chenhua, the future Queen of Daliang, is quite similar to herself in some aspects.

The door closed again, and Princess Yin Yue realized belatedly, wait, there's a man in the room hugging the county lady!

Who is he? The Emperor of Daliang?

Didn’t you say you were sick?

She went back again, this time politely knocking on the door. After two knocks, the man in the private room said impatiently, "...Get lost!"

Having guessed the other party's identity, Princess Yin Yue restrained her expression and coughed lightly, "I am the legitimate princess of Yueling Kingdom. May I invite you to meet me, the county lady?"

Now that she is here, she still has some big gifts to give out. Although she has changed her mind and plans to marry the Prince of Pingxi, she must not forget to please him.

If we can establish a good relationship with this highly favored future queen, it will be of great benefit to Yueling Kingdom in the future.

Zhao Qingyi came down from Chu Yuanhe's arms, straightened her clothes, went to open the door, and they greeted each other.

Princess Yin Yue invited with a smile, "If you don't mind, would you like to come to my place and sit for a while?" She had all the tea, wine and delicious food available.

While talking, he quickly glanced behind Zhao Qingyi. The private room was clean and tidy, but empty. There was no one else there except a man, and his purpose was not to eat and drink.

It can be seen that she had indeed disturbed other people's good things just now.

Chu Yuanhe came out with a dark face and protected Zhao Qingyi behind him, obviously not liking her approaching.

Princess Yin Yue had no choice but to explain her purpose. "Zhao Manyi is in my hands. The county lady has the final say on how to deal with her."

After a long time, when Zhao Qingyi heard the name again, he was a little stunned, but then he became indifferent.

Princess Yin Yue was trying to do a favor, so she naturally didn't hide anything. She explained in detail how Zhao Manyi found her and how she instigated her to cause trouble for Zhao Qingyi.

Last time in Qiantang, Zhao Qingyi was busy with important matters and had not cared about Zhao Manyi since Jiang Yuanwai's death. If the other party had just left and walked far away, she would not have sent someone to look for him to settle the score later.

But it’s different if you ask for death yourself.

Chu Yuanhe observed her expression and understood her decision clearly. He asked Princess Yin Yue to bring the people over, and the others waited in the No. 1 private room.

Chu Yuanhe was undoubtedly the most comfortable among the people present, while Chu Tianba sat next to Princess Yin Yue, with his head lowered, but his red ears were still visible.

Princess Yin Yue was straightforward and brought up the marriage with Chu Yuanhe on the spot. She had decided to marry the Prince of Pingxi. She said that she was marrying the prince, but her tone sounded like she was getting married.

Zhao Qingyi drank tea and watched silently.

Compared with Princess Yin Yue's graceful and elegant appearance, Chu Tianba, a strong and powerful man, actually looked shy.

Didn't Princess Silver Moon say she likes masculine guys...

Chu Yuanhe did not immediately agree to Princess Yin Yue, but looked at Chu Tianba, wanting to hear his opinion. Of course, he was just listening and not necessarily adopting it.

Chu Tianba hesitated for a long time, not knowing how to start. He felt that it was too fast, but he had just been taken advantage of, and it seemed not good to be irresponsible.

The atmosphere in the private room was weird.

When Zhao Manyi was brought up by the guards of Yueling Kingdom, she was still wearing the dirty and torn inner garment, her hair was disheveled, and there was a handkerchief stuffed in her mouth. She was struggling and sobbing. The guard kicked her in the knee and she fell to her knees in front of Zhao Qingyi.

She raised her eyes in panic and met those clear eyes, and shrank back in fear.

Zhao Qingyi is going to be the queen. If she catches herself now, she will definitely suffer. She hasn't found Jun Ge'er yet, and she doesn't want to die.

Chu Yuanhe frowned, "To cut the grass, you have to root it out. Doesn't she still have a son?"

There are no secrets under the feet of the emperor. He knew the news that Jun Ge'er had escaped from Zhuangzi, and his whereabouts were also under control.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Manyi sobbed even harder and stopped running away. She knelt in front of Zhao Qingyi and kowtowed. Her mouth was blocked and she couldn't speak. She could only kowtow and beg for mercy, hoping that they would let Jun Ge'er go.

Zhao Qingyi looked at him coldly without saying a word.

Soon, the imperial guards rushed into Qingyun Teahouse. Deputy Commander Lin Feng personally carried a child upstairs and left the child next to Zhao Manyi.

Li Junren was still confused. He was just walking on the road when a group of imperial guards surrounded him and took him away without saying a word.

Before he could recover from his shock, Zhao Manyi, with tears in her eyes, rushed over excitedly, Jun Ge'er, her Jun Ge'er was back!

She glanced around, trying to see if her precious son was injured. Seeing that he was safe and sound, with no scars except for being thin and skinny, she felt a little relieved.

But Li Jun pushed her away. He had already seen Zhao Qingyi. Even after a lifetime, he recognized his adoptive mother at a glance.

He knelt upright, kowtowed to Zhao Qingyi, and called out incoherently, "Mother, mother..."

Zhao Manyi froze instantly, her eyes wide open in disbelief, as if the sky had fallen.

Jun Ge'er actually called Zhao Qingyi "mother" in front of her, his biological mother?

At this moment, someone took out the handkerchief from her mouth, and she started cursing, "You unfilial son, I am your real mother!"

Li Jun ignored her, didn't even look at her, and looked at the young woman sitting in front of him with red eyes.

He finally saw his mother from his previous life. She was even younger, more beautiful, and more graceful than the one he had seen in his dream. Her aura was not just that of a mistress of a wealthy family, but she already had the air of a queen who ruled the country.

During the days he escaped from Zhao Manyi, he wandered around the capital and begged for food. He had heard the news that his stepmother was going to be the queen, and he was almost going crazy with joy.

Since his stepmother is the queen, doesn’t that mean he is the queen’s adopted son?

Even if he was just an adopted son, that was a noble status that many people could not match, and he couldn't wait to curry favor with him.

"Mother, Jun'er knows he was wrong. I hope you can be magnanimous and forgive his past mistakes." He confessed with tears in his eyes, saying that he would serve his stepmother well in the future, study hard and take the imperial examinations, and bring honor to his stepmother.

He will correct all the mistakes he made in his previous life. Now that he has repented, he wants to be a good man and a good son to his stepmother.

Li Jun was very glad that he had that dream, which gave him the opportunity to change his life and change his stepmother's life. He would never do such a foolish thing again in this life. He would take care of his stepmother in her old age and see her to the end of her life, and atone for his sins by her side.

Li Jun talked a lot, and his words were so sincere that he even burst into tears.

Zhao Qingyi's face was slightly moved only when he heard the word "atonement", but it only lasted for a moment.

She understood why Jun Ge'er had changed so much. A child of only four or five years old could so calmly and rationally abandon his biological mother and turn to her. It turned out that he was also reborn.

Did he remember what happened in his previous life and compare it with this life, and finally realize her good intentions?

Or to be more direct, she was going to be the queen, and Baba escaped to be her son.

A mocking smile appeared on Zhao Qingyi's lips. Seeing that she had no biological children, he set his sights on her again, wanting to suck her blood again and use her thoroughly.

As expected of Li Che's offspring, he is naturally cold-hearted and disloyal, and doesn't recognize his relatives.

Looking at Zhao Manyi again, she felt pity but did not hide her gloating, as if to say, look, look at your good son, your beloved Jun Ge'er, it turns out to be a little beast who doesn't recognize his relatives.

He didn't come here to recognize his mother, but to recognize his power and status.

Zhao Manyi's heart sank when she heard this, and she felt like she was falling into an icy cave. She tearfully scolded Jun Ge'er for how he treated her and cried about all the grievances she had suffered because of him in her life.

If it wasn't for Jun'er's legitimate status as a legitimate son, why would she let Li Che bring him back to the capital? Why would she have wanted Zhao Qingyi to adopt this child?

How could she later endure so much grievance and willingly become Li Che's concubine?

She could obviously be the legal wife. As long as Zhao Qingyi died, Li Che would marry her in a sedan chair. But she endured it for the sake of Jun Ge'er and to take care of him. After Luo Shi was plotted against by Li Che, she still married into the Li family as a concubine.

Jun Ge'er didn't mention any of these things. He only remembered that she was forced to hide in Qiantang. He thought that she went to Qiantang to enjoy herself. Little did she know that every day in Qiantang, she was thinking about how to bring Jun Ge'er to her side.

"...Do you know how much bullying your mother has endured for you?"

After the Jiang family fell, she still couldn't find Jun Ge'er, so she risked her life to come to Beijing again. If it weren't for this child, she would have fled with her gold and silver jewelry to a place where no one knew her and lived a comfortable life.

But she was worried about him, so she had to come back regardless of her life or death. However, she was robbed and bullied on the way. She thought about dying countless times, but when she thought of Jun Ge'er, she thought of how pitiful he was, as he was so young and had no parents.

That's why she didn't commit suicide, but endured humiliation until now, all for Jun Ge'er!

"How could you do this to me? I'm your mother. How could I not want you? How could I hurt you?" Zhao Manyi covered her chest and cried.

Li Jun seemed not to hear her and looked at her with extremely cold eyes, as if he was just looking at an unrelated stranger.

Zhao Manyi collapsed. She had no place to vent her anger, but she still couldn't bear to hit Jun Ge'er. The only curse she said most was "unfilial son."

Ultimately, all the misfortunes were caused by Zhao Qingyi.

She started scolding Zhao Qingyi, calling her shameless and saying she had stolen her husband and her son. Qiao Yue slapped her twice, "You're using foul language! I don't want your tongue anymore!"

After the lesson, Qiao Yue's heart was still pounding. She would be the queen's personal maid in the future, and she couldn't humiliate her master. She had to show her strength, so she used all her strength in the two slaps, which made Zhao Manyi's mouth bleed and she felt dizzy.

Even so, Li Jun still didn't care about her at all.

Chu Yuanhe's voice was light and airy, "Since you still miss your husband, go and accompany him."

He planned to have Li Che torn into pieces by five horses when the emperor and empress got married. After all, Li Che had sworn a solemn oath that he would never make any mistakes. If he broke the oath, his head and body would be torn apart, and he would not die a good death.

The punishment of being torn apart by five horses was just right for Li Che.

Now that Zhao Manyi is here again, let this pair of dogs and bitches go on the road together, so that they won’t be lonely on the road to the underworld.

When the imperial guards came to arrest people, Zhao Manyi started shouting like crazy again. The sweat towel was put back to block the noise, and the private room finally returned to peace.

As for that child...

Chu Yuanhe took a sip of tea and waited for Zhao Qingyi's decision.

She only said lightly, "Don't call me mother. I only have one adopted son, Jiao'er."

If it was the little brother Jun from before, he had not grown up yet and had not done many wrong things in this life. It would have been enough to leave him on the farm to fend for himself. But the one who came back now was Li Jun who had grown up in the previous life.

He knew very well what he had done, yet he still came to her crying and making hypocritical confessions, which made her feel sick. Besides, she, Zhao Qingyi, was not the kind of person who would go back to her ex.

If she doesn't care about Li Che, why would she care about a cheap son?

"Your father committed the heinous crime of treason and should have been executed along with his entire clan. Li Jun, if you stay at the manor, I can ignore it and spare your life."

But he escaped and let her know that he was reborn. How could she leave any hidden dangers for herself and Daliang?

Li Jun's thin body shuddered. He had never expected that his stepmother, who was so kind in his previous life, would say such cold words. He realized that something was wrong and turned around to escape.

He was a child and was short, so the Imperial Guards were not on guard and let him take advantage of the opportunity to slip out from under the gate. The Imperial Guards' deputy commander, Lin Feng, immediately wanted to lead his men to chase him.

Chu Yuanhe stopped the people and did not let the imperial guards chase after them in a big way. It would not look good if there was a commotion and it would damage the reputation of Qingyun Teahouse. Li Jun was just a child who could not lift anything with his hands or shoulders, and he had no father or mother. What could happen if he escaped alone?

He even had to rely on outsiders to escape from Zhao Qingyi's manor, and he still wanted to escape from Shangjing safely?

Chu Yuanhe did not mobilize the imperial guards, but sent a secret guard to keep an eye on it.

Zhao Manyi was taken to prison, and the jailer considerately imprisoned her and Li Che in the same cramped and dark cell.

As expected, when he saw Li Che, Zhao Manyi started to go crazy again, rushing forward to beat and bite him. Although Li Che was a man, he had just had his tendons cut before, and he could only barely resist Zhao Manyi's madness.

After a few days, the jailer reported back that the two men had fought each other until their heads were broken and bloody. The cell was filled with a foul smell of blood, and there were bloody scratches on the wall from fingernails...

Zhao Qingyi still learned all this from the casual conversation of the two maids.

At that time, Tan Yue and Qiao Yue were having a pleasant conversation with several imperial guards. They listened to second-hand information and enthusiastically wrote it down in the booklet they carried with them. Qiao Yue, in particular, was very demanding about every detail. Some imperial guards wondered what she was doing.

Qiao Yue smiled and shook her head.

She doesn't want to say anything, she wants to do great things quietly.

Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, the day for the official reception of Yue Ling's envoy. The Shangyi Bureau delivered the tailored palace dress and headgear early. After finishing her makeup, Zhao Qingyi entered the palace in a grand manner, surrounded by the imperial guards and palace maids.

Worried that the banquet would be boring, Chu Yuanhe specifically ordered that all family members of the fourth rank and above could enter the palace, but the banquet would be arranged outside the Golden Palace. The advantage was that there were more people, so it was quite lively.

Among those close to Zhao Qingyi, the eldest princess held a high position, and Zhang Wanyan was the daughter of the Prime Minister. Their tables were all in the palace, second only to her, the future queen. The Meng, Feng and others were arranged together with the table of the Yongning Marquis' Mansion.

As for Zhao Wenyi, she was the wife of the prince of the Marquis's Mansion. Because she was pregnant not long ago, she also came to their side and had a lot of topics to talk about with Zhang Wanyan, who was also pregnant.

Now with the addition of Princess Silver Moon, the few of them had a very pleasant conversation.

On Chu Yuanhe's side, the negotiations with Yueling Kingdom were also going exceptionally smoothly. Just because Princess Yinyue was going to marry Prince Pingxi, Daliang would be obligated to lend troops.

The Yueling Kingdom promised that after unifying the Western Regions, it would be willing to become a vassal of Daliang and sign a twenty-year non-war agreement. During the twenty years, the two countries would continue to pay tribute, and the two countries would trade with each other and maintain friendly exchanges.

There was singing and dancing in the Golden Throne Hall, and the atmosphere was peaceful and harmonious.

In this harmonious atmosphere, Zhao Qingyi suddenly retched, and the palace maid hurriedly brought a spittoon.

Several former noble ladies, now ladies of high rank, were stunned, and then they gave her obscure and concerned looks as if they had a tacit understanding.

Could this be... morning sickness?

Zhao Qingyi didn't think about anything else. When she was intimate with Chu Yuanhe, she never did it inside. However, the two maids realized that something was wrong. They silently calculated the date of the county lady's menstruation in their hearts, and it was delayed for more than half a month without them realizing it.

Qiao Yue was smart and worried that outsiders might overthink things, so she immediately came to smooth things over, saying that the county lady had eaten too much greasy food in the morning.

After the negotiation, Chu Yuanhe's attention returned to Zhao Qingyi. Because they were not married yet, he didn't want to keep her by his side in public. He just glanced at her from time to time.

Seeing her face pale and vomiting while holding the spittoon, Chu Yuanhe could no longer sit still. He quickly stood up and asked her what was wrong.

Zhao Qingyi used the maid's trick, intending to say that it was nothing and that it would be fine after a while. Unexpectedly, Chu Yuanhe simply picked her up and ran out, calling for the imperial physician as he ran.

The people in the hall looked at each other in panic, "..."

Your Majesty is so nervous, could it be that the county princess has been poisoned?

Zhao Qingyi once again wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into. "I just didn't have much appetite after seeing all the delicacies on the table. It's not like I'm sick."

"You can't hide your illness and avoid seeing a doctor." Chu Yuanhe didn't care. He carried the man to the side hall and asked Liao Yuanpan to come in person.

Poor old judge Liao rushed over in a hurry. Just as he was about to greet him, Chu Yuanhe grabbed him by the back of the neck and said, "Stop talking nonsense and take my pulse quickly."

Zhao Qingyi had recovered a lot by now. He smiled helplessly and said that he was fine and there was no need to worry.

But when Judge Liao felt her pulse, she could no longer laugh.

"County... Your Majesty's pulse is smooth, like beads rolling on a plate, which is a happy pulse." Court Judge Liao changed his words very quickly, and then knelt down to congratulate Chu Yuanhe.

Chu Yuanhe was stunned for a moment. Pregnancy?

Is he going to be a father?

So sudden!

After he came to his senses, he rushed to the bedside and apologized for his previous recklessness. He thought Zhao Qingyi was sick and unwell, so he ran away with her in his arms.

"I ran for a while earlier. Will it have any effect on the Queen's health?"

Judge Liao was both amused and confused, "It's His Majesty who is running, not the Empress." Even if she is pregnant, she is not that fragile. Zhao Qingyi is in good health, and it seems that both mother and child are safe.

Zhao Qingyi was completely stunned until Chu Yuanhe's warm big hand gently covered her flat belly, and then she felt the reality of it all.

It's unbelievable that she got pregnant like this?

Is she already pregnant with Chu Yuanhe's child?

Could it be that she had recently been in contact with Zhang Wanyan and Zhao Wenyi and caught their pregnancy... Otherwise it would be impossible. Chu Yuanhe occasionally indulged in sex, but he was very careful at the last moment.

But Liao Yuanpan would not be wrong. It was impossible for him to make a mistake in diagnosing a mere pregnancy pulse. Chu Yuanhe wanted to find a few more imperial doctors to confirm it, but since it concerned Zhao Qingyi's reputation, they had not yet officially gotten married.

...Yes, the top priority now is to get married as soon as possible!

Chu Yuanhe quickly asked Fugui to ask the Imperial Observatory to fabricate an auspicious date, the sooner the better, and the arrangements for the emperor and empress's wedding should also be brought up as soon as possible.

Fugui immediately went down to give orders, and the atmosphere became tense and stagnant for a while.

Except for Zhao Qingyi's family, everyone else who came to visit Zhao Qingyi in the side hall was stopped outside. The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet passed in this muddle.

Overnight, Zhao Qingyi became everyone's darling. She was precious before, but now that she was pregnant, it was different.

After learning the truth, Meng and Feng rushed back home to prepare the wedding items. Fortunately, Zhao Huaiyi had foresight and started preparing the dowry early.

Zhao Qingyi stayed in the palace, and Chu Yuanhe stayed with her almost every step of the way. He postponed all unimportant court affairs and ordered the palace to focus on preparing for the wedding.

The Imperial Astronomical Observatory was very quick and calculated the nearest auspicious day overnight, which was set on the first day of September half a month later.

Zhao Qingyi was completely at a loss. Her plans were completely disrupted. Ever since Dean Liao diagnosed her with pregnancy, she became like a fragile porcelain doll. Chu Yuanhe insisted on keeping her by his side, asking her to live in the Zichen Palace from now on and have someone accompany her wherever she went. He would feel anxious if he didn't see her for a while.

Tan Yue Qiaoyue also acted quickly and moved all her things into the palace within two days.

Fugui frowned at first and reminded, "There is everything in the palace."

"You don't understand." Qiao Yue retorted, "The things our queen is used to using cannot be easily replaced."

Within a few days, traces of Zhao Qingyi were spread throughout the Zichen Palace. Because there were so many things, he even occupied Chu Yuanhe's private vault.

"Isn't the Queen going to live in Fengyi Palace?" Zhao Qingyi didn't understand. She remembered that when Chu Yuanhe pretended to be the Prince of Pingxi, he specially asked someone to take her to Fengyi Palace for a stroll and asked her if she liked it.

Why did he let her live in the emperor's own bedroom and move her things here? She felt a little embarrassed and always felt like she was occupying someone else's nest.

Chu Yuanhe's attitude was surprisingly tough, "No, I'm worried about you living alone."

Zhao Qingyi was at a loss for words and asked him what he was worried about.

Chu Yuanhe looked serious, pursed his lips and said, "I... I just remember that you once... had a miscarriage."

A miscarriage is half the price of a woman's life. He felt distressed when Zhao Qingyi got hurt and couldn't even imagine what she would look like if she had a miscarriage.

Zhao Qingyi was stunned again. She could hardly remember the things he cared so much about. Many memories of her past life had gradually become blurred in her mind.

But that didn't stop her from feeling completely soft-hearted when she heard these words.

Zhao Qingyi held his hand, letting his broad palm wrap around her. "It won't happen this time, because you are by my side."

Liao Yuanpan said that she was in good health. In this life, Chu Yuanhe treated her with great care. Apart from the bed, he never made her suffer at other times, nor did he give her any hardship like a mean mother-in-law...

Thinking of this, Zhao Qingyi's eyes lit up, "By the way, do your father and mother know about our wedding?"

In terms of age, Chu Yuanhe's parents were only in their forties, in the prime of their lives, but they abdicated early, so she had never seen them in both of her lives.

However, Zhao Qingyi regretted asking the question as soon as she asked it. She was really slow-witted. The imperial edict with the seal of the retired emperor was still in the Zhao family. The retired emperor must have known of her existence. He just abdicated early, which did not mean that he no longer cared about Daliang.

"If you're curious, I'll take you to find them after you give birth." Chu Yuanhe paused, as if recalling some not-so-pleasant past, and touched Zhao Qingyi's belly. "What do you say...if this baby is a prince, how about making him the crown prince?"

Just like him in the past, he was born as a prince, and when he was sixteen or seventeen years old, his father, the emperor, and his mother, the empress, gave up and ran away, leaving him to support the Liang Dynasty.

But from the perspective of the Emperor and the Queen, this is a good idea. At least they are now living the life of a fairy couple.

Zhao Qingyi gave him a glare in annoyance.

You're already plotting before the child is even born?

In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the emperor and empress's wedding. At dawn, the sky was a soft pale white. Inside and outside the imperial city, everyone was celebrating and there was a lot of noise and bustle.

Zhao Qingyi bathed and burned incense under the careful service of the palace servants, and put on an intricate and elegant red phoenix robe. Her soft and beautiful face was delicately made up, and her black hair was tied up strand by strand by the female officials. Finally, the most senior maids brought the phoenix crown and solemnly placed it on her black bun.

Because Zhao Qingyi was pregnant with the prince, the Ministry of Rites removed many unnecessary formalities, but the solemnity and grandeur of the wedding ceremony were not reduced at all.

The red sun melted gold, the palace was majestic, and beneath the nine-tiered steps, a hundred-foot-long red brocade stretched out from Chengtian Gate like a long river, reaching the golden carriage of the phoenix where the empress was.

An official from the Ministry of Rites read a lengthy verse while holding a long book in his hand. Finally, the sound of bells and chimes solemnly fell from the high platform, followed by the playing of drums and music.

Chu Yuanhe was wearing a crown embroidered with twelve patterns of the sun, moon, mountains and rivers in gold thread. With a nervous heartbeat, he walked slowly towards Zhao Qingyi.

Although they had been intimate countless times, this was the first time for both of them to see each other in formal attire. The moment the emperor and empress held hands, the tassels of the phoenix crown on Zhao Qingyi's head trembled like stars, and every pearl sparkled in the sunlight.

But Chu Yuanhe's gaze was fixed on the face with rosy makeup under the phoenix crown. The moment their eyes met, there was joy and deep affection in each other's eyes.

He supported her as they climbed the red brocade steps, step by step ascending the platform under the gaze of all the officials. Wherever his clothes brushed past, elegance and grace surged, until the emperor and empress stood hand in hand at the top of the red steps.

Zhao Qingyi took over the Queen's seal, and the two of them paid homage to the ancestors of heaven and earth together.

After the ceremony, all officials knelt down and shouted "Long live the emperor".

After accepting the worship of the last lady, Zhao Qingyi finally breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the bedroom with the support of Tan Yue Qiaoyue. It was already dark at this time, and she didn't have to wait long before Chu Yuanhe arrived.

The palace maids serving in the Purple Palace knew the rules for the emperor and empress. After saying a few auspicious words, they put down the wedding wine and left.

Chu Yuanhe walked over and took off the phoenix crown for her first, "Are you tired?"

"It's okay." Zhao Qingyi pinched the back of her neck, feeling sore. "It's just that the Phoenix Coronet is a bit heavy..."

Instructions had been given in advance to reduce the weight of the phoenix crown as much as possible, but it was the Queen's phoenix crown after all, so it would not be realistic to make it too plain. Such a heavy thing would make one tired after wearing it on the head for a long time.

Zhao Qingyi couldn't help but mutter a few words, saying that being a queen was really tiring.

"Just this time. From now on, you can do whatever you want. If you don't like it, don't wear it." Chu Yuanhe sighed and laughed, then pulled her onto his lap, letting her rest her head on him, and gently massaged her neck with his big palm.

Zhao Qingyi had been tired for most of the day, and now she was comfortably squinting her eyes and enjoying the emperor's service, occasionally letting out a few comfortable hums like a kitten.

Perhaps some relationships are difficult to change once they are formed. Until now, Zhao Qingyi still cannot treat Chu Yuanhe as the emperor who is high above him. It has become a habit for him to order him around and enjoy him.

Chu Yuanhe himself was used to it and didn't think there was anything wrong with such behavior. He also enjoyed it.

After massaging, she remembered that there was still wedding wine, which was considered complete only after drinking it. Because Zhao Qingyi was unexpectedly pregnant, the wine was replaced with sweet fruit juice, which was served in a glass cup and had a charming rouge red color.

He filled the glasses himself and brought one of them to Zhao Qingyi's lips. They drank from each other's hands, but neither of them had any intention of letting go. Their arms were intertwined, their eyes met, and they were so close that they could hear each other's breathing.

The man's eyes were too deep and too focused. Zhao Qingyi's face flushed. "What, what's wrong?"

"I just think that Banban is particularly beautiful today." Chu Yuanhe has always been generous with his praise for her.

His gaze moved away from her sparkling almond-shaped eyes, slowly moving down to fix on her lips that had just drunk the fruit juice. His rough fingertips fell at the same time to wipe away the remaining drop of fruit juice for her.

The rouge red color spread across his fingertips, making the cherry lips look fuller and more attractive.

It looked very kissable, and he wanted to kiss it too.

Zhao Qingyi understood the darkness in his eyes, her face flushed red, she was clearly drinking only fruit juice, but she looked drunk. The moment Chu Yuanhe leaned over, she leaned back and gently pushed his strong chest with her bare hands.

Chu Yuanhe understood that she was worried about the child, "I'll just give it a kiss..."

"No, no." He has a bad record and often breaks his word in bed.

Chu Yuanhe clasped his hands in front of his chest and sighed, "I'm not the kind of person who doesn't know how to behave..."

He cherished her body more than anyone else, even more than Zhao Qingyi herself, but tonight was their wedding night, their legitimate wedding night.

Normally when they were together, he wished he could be together all the time, let alone on such an important day.

He secretly cursed the child for coming at such a bad time.

The man's refreshing breath enveloped her. Zhao Qingyi couldn't refuse his closeness and compromised, "Just... a kiss..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Chu Yuanhe kissed her lips. His kiss was not passionate, but he held her lips gently. Then, his clever tongue began to lick the fruit dew on her lips and swallowed the lip balm together.

Without lip balm, Zhao Qingyi's lips became redder and more beautiful.

The only sound in the quiet room was the ambiguous sound of lips and teeth entangled together, until Zhao Qingyi fell limply out of breath, and their lips barely separated, leaving behind a thin silver thread.

Chu Yuanhe suppressed the burning waves in his stomach and held her lower back, "Shall I take you to bathe?"

The two began to bathe before dawn, but after a tiring day, they still sweated a little. Zhao Qingyi loved cleanliness and had trouble falling asleep at night without washing.

Zhao Qingyi blushed and hummed softly, allowing the man to carry her into the bathroom.

The bathing process was also very careful. Chu Yuanhe personally took off her complicated clothes, leaving only the last thin layer. Zhao Qingyi declined, "Let Tan Yue Qiaoyue do it."

Chu Yuanhe raised an eyebrow in dissatisfaction, "Dislike me?"

"No." Zhao Qingyi pondered for a moment, "I... I was thinking about you..."

Chu Yuanhe chuckled, his voice hoarse, "Banban really underestimates me."

In the past, my willpower was weak, and I just wanted to please her and win her favor. Of course, I also had the selfish desire to seek my own well-being.

Chu Yuanhe vowed that he could do it.

Only then did Zhao Qingyi let go.

The two of them embraced each other and immersed themselves in the pool. Chu Yuanhe would also touch her belly. She was less than two months pregnant, so her belly was not obvious, and it felt no different from usual.

After just a few rounds, the thunder in heaven ignited the fire on earth.

From the moment she agreed to the other party, Zhao Qingyi knew that tonight would not be that simple. She took the initiative to move forward, put her arms around his strong waist in the pool, and helped him.

Chu Yuanhe was flattered.

The queen in his arms scolded him, "...Why are you pretending?"

Although his mouth was fluent, his face was hot and his cheeks were as red as smoke.

At the same time, the curfew in Shangjing City was lifted to congratulate the Emperor and Empress' wedding. Suzaku Street was bustling with people, and countless gorgeous fireworks shot into the night, making a series of bangs and explosions, filling the sky with fireworks, comparable to the brilliance of stars.

On the first day of September in the tenth year of Dingxi, the young emperor finally got his wish and married the girl he had loved for two lifetimes as his queen.

When the bustling night scene in Shangjing came to an end, Chu Yuanhe had already returned to the couch with Zhao Qingyi in his arms.

The candlelight in the hall was dim, and in the gauze curtains scattered at the four corners of the dragon bed, figures overlapped, fingers intertwined. From then on, the emperor and empress were of one mind and would never leave each other until they were old.

——The main storyline ends here.