Chapter 232 The Night Is Short

Hongzhao took out a bright yellow booklet and waved it in front of Fucha, gesturing for her to open it and take a look, despite her puzzled expression.

Fucha Yingjun curiously put down her fan and took the booklet with both hands. After opening it, she was stunned when she saw the first page.

"Sir, this is..."

Hongzhao waved his hand dismissively—"Father just instructed... to select two women. These are all eligible women from the Han Banner Army. They will enter the manor with the concubine and become concubines. Just pick whoever you like. I will take them back to Father in two days to report back."

Fucha Yingjun stroked the gold-embossed patterns on the cover of the booklet. She was not ignorant of its value; this was clearly a booklet presented to the Emperor and Empress by the Ministry of Rites, and then selected from among the best. Given her father's temperament, the Crown Prince would surely have to decide on it personally for it to be considered perfect.

But now only two words are echoing in her mind—"Don't worry."

Since the Crown Prince wanted to put her at ease, why did she need to be so "clever" as to point it out?

She nodded slightly, then carefully looked through the names, portraits, and biographical information on the pages.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Hongzhao watched Fucha intently as he flipped through and compared the documents, but he didn't disturb him. He poured himself a cup of tea and picked up the letter that Zhaohui had sent to study it again.

The cleanup work in Japan was much more difficult than Hiroaki had initially imagined, so much so that Michie's return trip was delayed by several days and she is still adrift on the island.

His Majesty's consistent style is to prioritize quality over quantity, and this booklet clearly demonstrates that. Counting on his fingers, there are exactly ten people, and even if we compare them, it won't take much time.

If it weren't for the fact that the timing was too close to prepare these women for entering the palace, the Emperor would have ordered the Empress to hold a flower-viewing banquet to see them in person.

Fucha Yingjun raised her head from the booklet, gently rubbed her sore eyes, and smiled, "Truly, it's worthy of Father Emperor's approval. I'm almost dizzy from looking at them all; they all seem so good."

"Have you figured out anything yet?" Hongzhao asked.

Fucha nodded and handed over the booklet in her hand. Hongzhao also leaned closer to her.

Fucha gently turned back to the first page and lightly tapped the name at the top.

"This younger sister seems quite nice to me, what do you think, my lord?"

Hongzhao followed her delicate, slender fingertips and saw that her onion-like nails were pointing at a familiar name.

"Gao Xiyue."

Hongzhao's lips twitched involuntarily. Hmm... it's not impossible.

Her father was the Grand Canal Commissioner, and his meritorious service in controlling floods earned him the Emperor's favor. As the daughter of a meritorious official, this is probably why she appears on the first page of this booklet.

Fucha observed the Crown Prince's expression and saw that he neither expressed joy nor displeasure, but merely glanced at him indifferently before nodding. "Alright, then she counts as one. Who's next?"

Seeing that the Crown Prince had agreed, Fucha pinched a small crease on the page with Gao Xiyue's name, then shook it off and turned to the last page—"Your Highness, what do you think of this woman named Su Luyun? Although her family background is not outstanding, the slight smile in her portrait is very pleasing to my eye."

Hongzhao's brow twitched. So... this was a meeting of acquaintances, and they were all there for him.

He vaguely remembered both of them. Gao Xiyue was somewhat similar to Consort Hua from the beginning—beautiful, arrogant, and inevitably haughty due to her family background. But the difference was that she still respected the Empress, which made things easier.

Su Luyun... Hongzhao didn't have a deep impression of her. He only remembered that she was gentle, fertile, and seemed to have silently taken the blame for a lot of things. In short, she was an honest person.

“Alright, Yingjun’s decision is final.” He gently patted the table and took the booklet from her hands—“Then it’s settled. I’ll show it to Father tomorrow.”

The matter was resolved, but ever since Hongzhao finished reading the letter, he had been staring at his newlywed wife, his mind wandering. An idea gradually surfaced in his mind.

He only had one fertility pill left. And the pill's effects would wear off in just three months.

The Emperor had always hoped to see his child born and then personally issue an imperial edict to name the child on that day. Now there was really no way, but if he could use this pill and learn that Yingjun was pregnant, he would at least be a little happier, and it would be a way of fulfilling his wish.

Thinking about what Yingjun had mentioned about her third sister-in-law, her expression showed that she wasn't entirely unconcerned. If she could have a child at this time, it would surely put her mind at ease.

"Master? What are you thinking about, so lost in thought?" Fucha reached out and waved her hand in front of Hongzhao's eyes, which were fixed on her, and tilted her head curiously to look at him.

Hongzhao blinked and suddenly came back to his senses—"Oh...I was thinking...thinking about our child."

"child?"

Fucha Yingjun was taken aback at first, then blushed and lowered her head to touch her lower abdomen, her voice filled with shyness—"Your Highness, how come you're getting so indecent?"

It's only the first day of their marriage, and this is... a bit too hasty.

Seeing her like this, Hongzhao's smile widened from five parts to eight. He propped his head up and curled the corners of his mouth. His casual posture gave him a roguish air. "What's wrong with you being indecent? My word is law. Who knows, it might actually happen."

After saying that, he leaned on the armrest and moved closer to Fucha, who was looking down and not looking at him, and asked softly in a low voice, "Yingjun, tell me the truth, if you are really pregnant, are you happy?"

Fucha Yingjun had always known that the Crown Prince was intelligent and noble, but she never knew that he also had such a shameless side.

She gave a soft hum, her lips trembling for a long time before she finally couldn't utter a word against her will. She could only glare at him with her gentle yet captivating eyes, "Of course... I'm extremely happy."

Upon receiving this look from his wife, Hongzhao couldn't help but chuckle twice and slump back down.

My eyes caught sight of the prepared iced tea, and on a whim, I picked up the teacup. Under the cover of my sleeve, I saw a small spherical object fall into it, disappearing without a trace almost the instant it touched the water.

He brought the cup of tea to Fucha Yingjun in a pretentious manner—"Come, Yingjun, I'm offering you tea instead of wine to apologize. I wasn't trying to make fun of you just now; I was simply longing for our child."

"The weather's perfect for an afternoon nap. After our tea, we can't waste this beautiful evening..."