“Mother, I didn’t mean it just now. I just missed Father Emperor so much. But I know that you miss Father Emperor too, so I agreed to let you have him first. I’ll get closer to Father Emperor after we eat.”

After saying that, Cheng Huan immediately let go of Ming Xiu's leg and ran away, as if something was chasing her.

Mingxiu was stunned, not understanding what had happened. She looked down at her legs, then at Chenghuan who had already disappeared, and touched her head blankly.

She turned to look at Kangxi, who was sitting on the couch, smiling at her. Just now, when she was being favored, he wasn't acting like this. What had happened in such a short time?

It must be related to Kangxi. Mingxiu walked over, annoyed, grabbed Kangxi's arm, and leaned against her.

"Your Majesty, what did you just say to Chenghuan? She has changed so much."

Kangxi looked at Mingxiu, who was leaning against him like she had no bones, but didn't say anything to her. He simply put his arm around her waist and leaned back to make her more comfortable before saying, "It's nothing. I was just saying that if you take away all her toys, she will obediently go out."

Mingxiu lay on Kangxi's lap and rolled her eyes: "Your Majesty, all you do is ruin my reputation. How could I do such a thing? At most, I would just prevent her from going out to play for a few days."

Kangxi glanced at her with amusement: "Alright, you've talked about the child. Did you miss me while I was away?"

Mingxiu looked up at Kangxi's face, which was noticeably thinner and rougher, and nodded: "Of course, I was just walking outside and said that I missed Your Majesty, but Your Majesty just came in carrying the child and didn't care about me at all."

Kangxi reached out and touched Mingxiu's face: "Aren't you afraid that people will laugh at you?"

Mingxiu pouted: "What's so funny about that? I just miss Your Majesty so much. Can't I even hug you?" As she spoke, she put her arms around Kangxi's neck and looked at him: "Your Majesty, have you missed me while you've been away?"

Kangxi was softened by Mingxiu's straightforward words. When he heard Mingxiu ask him a question, he didn't speak, but just nodded, and then lowered his head to kiss her.

If he didn't want Mingxiu, why would he go to Yonghe Palace right after returning, getting ready, and meeting the Empress Dowager?

The two hadn't seen each other for so long that the kiss lingered for a long time, until Mingxiu was a little out of breath and pushed Kangxi's shoulder in protest before it finally ended.

Although Mingxiu didn't know what Kangxi was doing on this trip, she knew it must have been very arduous for him to have lost so much weight.

Mingxiu was heartbroken; his once handsome face now looked much more aged. She quickly instructed the kitchen to prepare some dishes for him tonight to help him recover.

Also, send someone to inform Yinreng to come over for dinner tonight.

Then he let Kangxi rest in the room for a while. The weariness on his face showed that he hadn't rested well.

Emperor Kangxi did not object to Mingxiu's arrangement, as he had indeed not rested well during this period.

After watching Kangxi fall asleep, Mingxiu quietly came out and glanced at Chenghuan. Seeing that she was having fun in the toy room, she ignored her.

She first went to the kitchen to check on today's dishes, made some adjustments, and then continued to tend to the flowers and plants she had arranged in the yard.

I mixed up all the flowers and plants in the yard, and then planted a pomegranate tree, which I've recently started to like, along with some other flowers from the corners.

Of course, she couldn't bear to take her roses away; she still dutifully planted them in her little garden.

Over the years, the roses in Mingxiu Palace have grown into a large area.

She planted flowers in every nook and cranny, and her favorite thing to do was to pick some every day when they bloomed and put them in her room; just looking at them made her happy.

Mingxiu still really enjoys messing around in her palace. Maybe it's something in her Chinese blood, but she just loves to tinker with her own little corner of the world.

I feel happy for a while after each time I finish something.

After everything was tidied up, the sky gradually darkened, and it was at this moment that Yinreng arrived at Yonghe Palace, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Mingxiu had several elaborate dishes prepared by everyone tonight, all of them hearty dishes: roasted lamb chops, braised pork, honey-glazed roasted chicken, foie gras, her favorite roast duck, frozen vegetables, plus a sweet soup and a savory soup.

This is more than enough for the three and a half people. Cheng Huan can't be counted as one, only half, because her little belly can't eat much.

Mingxiu first served Kangxi food and soup, and only started eating herself after everyone else had started eating.

I put a little bit of food in Chenghuan's small bowl, then let her sit in her special chair, and she started eating by herself while holding the bowl.

She doesn't need anyone to look at her at all.

Mingxiu didn't show favoritism and also served Yinreng a few dishes. Seeing that everyone was eating, she started eating too.

Although she didn't bring back the master chef who made the best roast duck when she returned from Shengjing, she did bring back the chef's secret recipe.

So this time, the small kitchen made roast duck that was still drying, and it tasted quite good. Of course, Mingxiu didn't treat them badly and gave them plenty of money.

Since they wouldn't go to Shengjing to compete with him for business anyway, the master chef was happy to accept the money and write down the recipe in detail.

After the four of them had eaten and drunk their fill, there was hardly anything left on the table. This was mainly because Yinreng and Kangxi were both big eaters. Kangxi was an adult and had a lot of daily energy expenditure, so it was normal for him to eat a lot.

Yinreng is currently in the growth stage. As the saying goes, a half-grown boy can eat his father out of house and home. Although Yinreng could not possibly eat Kangxi out of house and home, he certainly ate quite a lot.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Mingxiu took Chenghuan for a stroll in the courtyard, while Kangxi took Yinreng to the study to attend to some matters.

By the time Mingxiu and the others returned from their walk, Yinreng and Kangxi had already finished their conversation.

It was getting late, so Yinreng took his men back first. Chenghuan, having done a lot of exercise that day, had someone carry her to wash up and go to bed early.

Only Mingxiu and Kangxi remained in the room. The adult world naturally has its own way of getting along.

Especially the two of them who hadn't seen each other for a long time, the sounds of their lovemaking never stopped all night.

The next day, the palace became lively again. With Kangxi back, the competition for favor naturally resumed, especially among the women in the harem, who were overjoyed, as if they had been parched for a long time.

Mingxiu listened to all the commotion and gossip outside the palace; there was quite a lot to hear.

But that's just something to listen to; what she cares about most right now isn't...

They were not the Uya clan, but rather the clan that had been silent for a long time.

Mingxiu had disliked her for a long time, especially after learning that she had also contributed a lot to the Empress Dowager's scheme against her, Mingxiu disliked her even more.