Normally, there would be a maid responsible for picking up the dishes at this time.

But since it's a family dinner, there's no need to go through the trouble.

"Thank you, Auntie."

"Haha, good boy." The Queen Mother nodded with satisfaction. "Are you used to living in the ancestral home?"

"Um."

"The emperor won't listen, and he won't stay." The empress dowager picked up her chopsticks. "He's clamoring to go to Fengshan, and he's also asking Little Ning'er to lead the army to the east to attack Goguryeo. He wants to fight again, and he wants to go to Linzi... Even if it's hard, you have to go to Linzi with him."

"It's fine."

Shen Qinghe spoke softly.

When a general led his troops into battle, his family members were required to remain in Chang'an. This was a disguised form of hostage, to prevent them from defecting to the enemy. Every outrageous rule often had an even more outrageous premise.

However, the Queen Mother did not want them to be separated so soon after their wedding. She specifically allowed Shen Qinghe to accompany Ning Que to Linzi, and she had already arranged for personnel to build a separate palace in Linzi.

"Aunt, you're wrong." Ning Que smiled and said quickly, "Actually, my royal brother didn't want me to go, but I insisted. You know my personality; I love to travel. I've lived my whole life, and yet I've never seen the ocean. My senior brother often told me that his biggest dream was to leave the palace and live by the sea. He'd wake up early every morning and see the sun rise over the sea."

"A palace... by the sea? You're going to build it by the sea?" The Queen Mother frowned and whispered, "The seaside is very humid, so it might not be comfortable."

"fine."

Ning Que smiled and waved his hand.

He was just joking.

Mainly because I don’t want the Queen Mother to worry.

For him, living anywhere is fine.

"You don't have to speak well of the Emperor." The Empress Dowager said gravely, "You are leading the troops on this Eastern Expedition, which is very dangerous. The Emperor has no compassion at all, and he has allowed you to take the risk of going to Linzi."

"Mom, you can't do this..."

Emperor Feng was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

Why does the Queen Mother favor Ning Que...