He spoke the last half of the sentence somewhat hastily, as if he was eager to explain it to her.

Rong Qingqing pursed her lips, afraid of revealing her smile.

However, he put it too subtly.

What wicked thoughts! It's clearly seduction.

And the fact that he didn't even glance at her suggests that Hua Yin was standing in front of him under the moonlight at that time.

Tsk tsk, that woman looks so sickly, but I didn't expect her to be so fierce and shameless!

"How's her figure? Is it better than mine?" She suddenly moved closer to him, staring intently at him. The thought of Hua Yin standing naked in front of him, trying to seduce him, made her very uncomfortable. Besides, did Xie Jingrun really not even glance at her?

"Didn't I say I didn't even look at her? How would I know?" Xie Jingrun blurted out without thinking.

Seeing his reaction, Rong Qingqing let go of her resentment, curled her lips, and said insincerely, "That's a real pity."

Upon hearing this, Xie Jingrun narrowed his eyes, only then realizing that what she had just said was a deliberate bluff.

He said with a hint of helplessness, "You really don't trust me that much?"

Rong Qingqing said cheerfully, "I do believe you. If I didn't believe you, I wouldn't be sitting in the same carriage with you today."

"Then why did you test me?" Xie Jingrun frowned.

"Let's see if you're going to lie to me," Rong Qingqing said matter-of-factly.

Xie Jingrun said unhappily, "After all this talk, you still don't believe me."

"Hua Yin spoke to me like that. If I didn't trust you at all, I would have broken up with you by now," Rong Qingqing said irritably.

"So, you and Shangguan Yanran were just putting on an act in front of me?" Xie Jingrun raised an eyebrow. "You're not that old, but you're quite cunning." As he spoke, he pinched her fair cheek in an annoyed tone.

"Who told you to attract unwanted attention?" Rong Qingqing slapped his hand away, turned her head away, and didn't want to talk to him.

Xie Jingrun turned her body around and said in an almost ingratiating tone, "Yes, it's all my fault. You can punish me as you see fit."

Rong Qingqing stared at his handsome face for a while, then smiled and said, "You may be spared the death penalty, but you will not be spared the punishment. So, I will punish you by not allowing you to sleep in the bed tonight."

Upon hearing this, Xie Jingrun frowned. This "punishment" was even more severe than beating him.

Since their wedding, the two have always shared a bed. He has gotten used to holding her while sleeping at night. If he is not allowed to sleep on the bed, how can he hold her?

His thin lips were pressed tightly together, and his voice lowered, "Could we change to another one?"

Who would have thought that His Majesty the Emperor would behave like this in front of His Majesty the Empress?

This is too humble, too lacking in status!

Their dignity has been completely shattered!

Changlin and Changfeng, walking on either side of the imperial carriage, were thinking to themselves.

Both of them possessed considerable inner strength, and naturally, they overheard the conversation between the Emperor and Empress inside the carriage.

The two secretly wiped away their sweat.

"You still want to bargain?"

Inside the carriage, Rong Qingqing raised her voice slightly, clearly displeased, "You're the one who did something wrong, and you're the one who wanted to be beaten and punished. Now that things have come to this, you're the one who refuses to accept the punishment! I'm only punishing you by not allowing you to go to bed, I'm not forbidding you from setting foot in Yuxian Palace, what else do you have to complain about?"

Xie Jingrun thought to himself: I'd rather you beat me up than prevent me from sleeping in bed. That's absolutely unacceptable.

He pondered for a moment and said, "Actually, in the end, I didn't do anything wrong. Why should I pay for someone else's mistake?"

Rong Qingqing raised an eyebrow. "Oh, whose fault is that? Mine?"