After Qin Erye was fined, he still hoped that Concubine Qin could give birth to a boy, especially when the current emperor was seriously ill. If Concubine Qin could get pregnant at this time, it would also make the emperor happy.

Concubine Qin was the niece of the late queen, so perhaps the emperor valued Concubine Qin more at this time.

The Crown Prince had not yet ascended the throne, and the Crown Princess had not yet become the Empress. After the Crown Prince ascended the throne and became the Emperor, perhaps he would not have canonized the Crown Princess as Empress.

Historically, it wasn't uncommon for a crown prince to appoint another woman as empress. If it was the will of the previous emperor, then the new emperor would have to obey the will left by the previous emperor.

Master Qin Erye did not dare to go to the emperor and say these words. At most, he asked people to talk about the late queen in front of the emperor to remind him of her.

The chief eunuch beside the emperor was not stupid. How could he possibly talk about the late empress? He had been with the emperor for so many years. Even if the emperor died, he would have found a way to live a good life.

If he always talked about the late queen in front of the emperor, wouldn't that make the imperial concubine who had been taking care of the emperor unhappy?

The living cannot compare with the dead, but if others keep mentioning the dead, it will be even more difficult for the living to compare with the dead.

When the chief eunuch heard that a young eunuch was talking about the late queen, he walked over directly.

"How old are you? How would you know these things?"

"Go, do something."

"Don't just stand here."

The eunuch didn't know whether the emperor heard what those people said, but he couldn't let them continue talking. The emperor would definitely notice something was wrong.

The chief eunuch entered the palace and said, "Two young eunuchs were talking over there. I've already let them go."

"They've seen my poor health, and they're all acting like this." How could the emperor not be aware of their thoughts? "Has Concubine Qin in the Eastern Palace been causing trouble again recently?"

The emperor hadn't paid much attention to Concubine Qin, but those outside liked to grumble. Some even said that after the emperor passed away, Concubine Qin's life might be even more difficult.

Haha, Concubine Qin is just a concubine. So, does Concubine Qin want to be the queen?

The royal family did not owe the Qin family a queen, so the emperor would not allow the prince to make Qin concubine the queen. The emperor had read many history books, and some emperors made powerful women the queens, but the current emperor would not do that.

If the current emperor did so, he would have made Concubine Cen the queen instead of Qin.

"Concubine Qin has asked the imperial physician to take her pulse several times," the head eunuch said. "Perhaps she wants to get pregnant soon."

"With a family like the Qin family, why would they want children?" The emperor thought of the third prince. To prevent him from getting involved in those struggles, he didn't let him learn much. But the Cen family still pushed the third prince to fight for the throne, and the Cen family still did things that hurt the prince.

The emperor believed that for a family like the Qin family, Concubine Qin could continue to stay in the palace, but there was no need for her to have children. If Concubine Qin gave birth to a son, the Qin family might become like the Cen family.

The emperor wanted the late queen's family to live a better life, but that didn't mean he was willing to involve them in the fight for the throne.

The eunuch did not speak. He only knew that the emperor was not a fool. When the emperor was seriously ill, those people thought that the emperor would be soft-hearted and would think about making up for his regrets in the past.

Those people are wrong. The current emperor is not an ordinary person.

The imperial concubine knew what those people were doing. Were they trying to get the emperor to order the prince to make Concubine Qin the empress, or were they trying to get the emperor not to make her, the imperial concubine, the empress before his death?

The imperial concubine did not think about becoming the queen, nor did she think about what she wanted the emperor to do before his death.

When the imperial concubine came over with the soup, the emperor was leaning on the bed.

"This is the chicken soup I simmered for three hours," the imperial concubine said. "Your Majesty, please try it."

"Try it." said the emperor.

The emperor drank a few mouthfuls of chicken soup and stopped drinking.

"I'm tired of eating the food made in the imperial kitchen," the emperor said. "Aren't there a lot of fresh food out there? Boiled fish and other things. Let's have someone buy some."

The emperor suddenly wanted to try something outside. "No, let's go out together. It's better to eat food outside. That's where it tastes better."

"If the emperor wants to go out, then go out." The imperial concubine did not stop the emperor. The emperor's health was so bad, why should they stop him?

The emperor just wanted to go out and try some food, there was nothing wrong with that.

It’s impossible that the emperor is almost dying and they still don’t allow him to eat those things.

"No need to prepare too much," the emperor said. "Just take a few people with you. Even if something really happens and I lose my life, that won't matter."

"Don't worry, I'll let them make all the arrangements," said the imperial concubine.

"I will go with you alone, no need to bring anyone else." The emperor had no intention of bringing other concubines from the harem.

"Yes." The imperial concubine looked at the emperor. It was okay with her. If the emperor wanted to go out with other concubines in the harem, she would not say anything.

The emperor looked at the imperial concubine and thought that since he had not made her queen, he could only wait for the prince to make her queen dowager.

Although it is cold in winter, there are still many people setting up stalls on the streets. They have to make money to support their families.

The emperor and his concubine were sitting in a carriage, dressed as ordinary people. They quickly got out of the carriage and walked around the street.

"It's really lively." The emperor rarely traveled around. When he was a prince, he went out more often. After he became emperor, he rarely went to those places and spent most of his time staying in the palace.

The emperor read the memorials, knowing that he had been in the palace all this time, and that it was inevitable that he might be blinded. He also had secret guards and spies at his disposal, so he had to wonder if the court officials had other intentions, if they were trying to deceive him.

"Rong Ning also opened a herbal medicine shop. Would you like to go and try it?" asked the imperial concubine.

"No, let's just eat on the roadside." The emperor said, "The food on the roadside is real."

The emperor did not think of going to the herbal medicine shop opened by Rongning County Lord. Going to these people's shops is just to taste the delicious food, and there is nothing else to see. The emperor just wanted to go to the roadside stalls outside to see how these people are doing.

"Give me a bowl of mutton soup." The emperor sat on the chair.

The chairs at the roadside stalls were not very good, but the emperor did not feel uncomfortable. When someone offered him a cushion, he waved them away.

The emperor didn't have a cushion to sit on, so the imperial concubine didn't have one either.

"Big Brother, how long have you been selling mutton soup here?" the emperor asked. "How's business?"

"It's been about twenty years," said the owner of the mutton soup stall. "Business has been good in the last one or two years, and more people are buying mutton soup."

"Oh?" The emperor was puzzled. "It wasn't good before?"

"It was fine before," the boss said. "Before, not many people drank mutton soup. They didn't have much money, and they didn't know if they could fill their stomachs for the whole year, so fewer people bought the soup. Now that there's more food, those people will occasionally buy the soup."

Don't underestimate those who occasionally buy broth. If there are more people and different people buy it occasionally, business will be much better.

"There are more people selling food on the street now," the boss said. There weren't so many people selling these things before, but now there are more people, so the competition is even more intense. "We've been selling here for many years, and everyone knows how delicious our food is, and the portions are generous, so it's worth it."

"Then you are all very grateful to Princess Rongning?" asked the emperor.

"Hello, Princess Rongning, and hello, Emperor." said the boss.

"The emperor hasn't researched those things yet," said the emperor.

"But the Emperor believes in Princess Rongning's research, and the culture fluids sold by the court are not expensive," the boss said with a smile. "Everyone praises Princess Rongning, and they also praise the Emperor."

In fact, the emperor knew that the people might not be so grateful to him, and they would think that he should do those things. But this is not important. What is important is that these people live well and the court is stable, then the emperor can be said to have achieved his dream.

"I think they like Princess Rongning more." The emperor said deliberately.

"That's right." The boss looked around. "But don't say it lightly, or you'll cause trouble for others."

The common people don't care who becomes emperor; they just want to live a good life. As long as they can live a good life, anyone can be emperor.

In other words, as long as Princess Rongning develops those things, no matter which emperor it is, as long as the court knows how to promote those things, that's enough.

"Yes, don't cause trouble for others." The emperor chuckled.

"Actually, it's nothing," the boss said. "Look at the door god on the door. That's not the emperor, right? But matters like this are not for us ordinary people to decide."

Who knows whether the royal family will care about these things? If the royal family does care about these things, then wouldn’t they be harming Princess Rongning?

However, most people still speak well of Princess Rongning outside. The boss added, "Some people followed Princess Rongning to build a greenhouse, and they actually managed to grow something and make a lot of money."

"Don't they say that greenhouses use up glass?" asked the emperor.

"As long as you have some money and a quick mind, you can always make money." The boss thought that he just didn't know how to grow those things, otherwise, he would give it a try. "Sometimes, you still have to be bold and try. Even if I'm old, I don't dare to try it. I'll just sell my mutton soup."

"It tastes good." said the emperor.

The emperor thought selling mutton soup was not a bad idea. It seemed that letting Rong Ning be the director of the research institute was a very correct choice.

The imperial concubine didn't say much, she just drank the mutton soup. Although this mutton soup was not as delicious as the one made by the imperial chef in the palace, the imperial concubine still drank a lot.

There’s an air of freedom outside, which makes ordinary things taste even better.

On the roadside, the emperor saw vendors selling vegetables and fruits. They thought, "It's so cold, there shouldn't be so many fruits for sale in the past."

"These are all grown in greenhouses," the vendor said. "They were just picked this morning and are very fresh."

"Yes, it is good." The emperor looked at the vegetables.

"Would you like to buy some?" asked the vendor.

"Okay, buy some." said the emperor with a smile.

The imperial concubine looked at the vegetables, and they were indeed growing well.

"If you like, you can also go to the greenhouse to have a look. There are other vegetables there." The vendor said, "We also go there to buy goods."

"You are purchasing goods, why do you let us come over to see it?" The emperor was puzzled.

"Some people are just curious and want to see," the vendor said. "They ask why these vegetables are still available at this time of year."

The vendors collected their money, and usually at this time of year they would work less, or go off to do other things, mainly because it was cold and there wasn't much to pick outside.

They might be waiting for plum blossoms to bloom, or they might collect petals and make things to sell. Others might work for other families to earn some hard-earned money.

When the prince went to see the emperor, he learned that the emperor was temporarily out of sight, so he did not ask any further questions.

On the street, the emperor and the imperial concubine happened to see Liu Yulian and He Xiyuan not far away. The young couple were shopping.

The emperor pulled the concubine and turned around. The concubine was still confused, "What?"

"Rong Ning is here," the emperor said. He wasn't afraid of seeing these people. He just thought it was quite interesting. He hadn't done this for a long time.

In the past, when the emperor was young, if he met someone he didn't want to see on the street, he would sometimes run to the side quickly. But now he couldn't run anymore, so he turned his back to those people.

If Rong Ning saw them, she and He Xiyuan would come over. Of course, maybe they would just pretend not to see them and not disturb each other.

But the emperor still turned around. He wanted to experience a feeling that he had not experienced for a long time.

"Rongning?" The Imperial Concubine didn't turn around when she heard this. She just thought they weren't shameful, and there was no need to do this.

"She has a good relationship with your nephew." The emperor sighed, they were childhood sweethearts.

"The relationship between them is indeed good." The imperial concubine thought of what Old Madam He said outside. Old Madam He was a very snobbish person, but this person was clearly snobbish.

Princess Rongning was so powerful, so Old Lady He didn't bother with those things. She just praised Princess Rongning outside, letting people outside know how satisfied the people in the Chengguo Mansion were with Liu Yulian.

He Xiyuan would always go to see Princess Rongning from time to time. The imperial concubine thought that both He Xiyuan and Liu Yulian had good tempers.

If it were someone else, the man might feel that the woman is too capable and overshadows his own beauty, and that what he has might be said to be dependent on the woman; while the woman might also feel that her future husband is not capable enough and that there is no need to continue the engagement since her future in-laws have wanted to cancel it.

All we can say is that there is a destiny between He Xiyuan and Liu Yulian. If it were someone else, they might have already parted ways.

"They tried hard to get closer to each other." The imperial concubine said that when others wanted to separate the two people, they still walked closer to each other and did not push the other person away.

After a while, the emperor turned his head. He looked around and saw the backs of Liu Yulian and He Xiyuan. The two people finally walked past.

"Young man, you should get out more often," the emperor said. "You can't come up with anything if you stay in the research institute all day. People like them need to have brains and ideas."

"Indeed." The imperial concubine replied.

The emperor did not think that Liu Yulian should not go out more often. Liu Yulian was still young and she had done other research.

"Why don't we go to the herbal medicine shop she runs and have a look," the emperor said. "See how her business is going. She was complaining about being poor a while ago."

"How can she not be poor?" The imperial concubine said, "There are many places to spend money, and their family has little money... It's not like before."

If it were the former marquisate, the Jingning Marquisate would not be so poor.

Nowadays, the Jingning Marquis Mansion does not have that many things. Compared with other powerful people in the capital, the Jingning Marquis Mansion really has nothing.

After Liu Yulian and He Xiyuan bought some things, they went to a restaurant for dinner. Liu Yulian took He Xiyuan to her own restaurant, which was convenient and free.

"..."The emperor never expected that he and the imperial concubine still couldn't escape these two people.

The emperor and the imperial concubine had just arrived and met in the store.

The emperor wondered how these two could come so quickly, but they were seen. Before they could speak, the emperor said, "Let's eat together."

"Okay." He Xiyuan said.

Since the emperor had said so, it was difficult for He Xiyuan and Liu Yulian to disagree.

In the box, several people sat at a table.

"Why not go to another restaurant?" the emperor asked, "Why go to your own restaurant?"

"I'm poor," Liu Yulian replied. "I don't have that much money, so I won't let others make money. I can just go to other restaurants occasionally, but I don't have to go every time."

Liu Yulian said that she is not very stingy and she helps others make money.

"It's okay to eat at home," the emperor said. "This herbal medicine shop is doing good business, and there are quite a few people."

"It tastes good." Liu Yulian said, "It has a fragrance, so they like it."

Some wealthy people like to maintain their health, and Liu Yulian encourages them to do so and get them to like these medicinal foods. It's enough for them to eat them occasionally.

It's easier to make money from those people, and some people will buy them back home to feed the elderly.

Liu Yulian's shop does not sell expensive vegetables, but rather ordinary ones that many people can afford.

After the dishes were served, the emperor said, "Eat as you please, no need to be so restrained."

The emperor ate little, and he had been eating less since he fell ill. He had just had some mutton soup, so he hadn't eaten much recently. He just came out for a walk, wanting to taste the food.

"Speaking of which, we should also prepare some dowry for you." The emperor looked at Liu Yulian. Liu Yulian was so young, and the Marquis of Jingning's Mansion did not have that many things.

Although what Liu Yulian has is acceptable, it is still far inferior to those noble ladies with their gorgeous wedding dresses.

The emperor thought that even if he couldn't see Liu Yulian and He Xiyuan get married, he could still give them some gifts.

"It's still early." Liu Yulian said.

"It's getting late. Time flies." said the emperor.

"I should prepare something for you." The imperial concubine said with a smile, "When a woman gets married, she should have something in her hands."

Liu Yulian and the other three just chatted and didn't talk much about business.

Liu Yuqin had lived in the research institute compound for several days, and she felt that there was nothing good about the people here. Every one of them was not a good person. When she spoke to them, they would often refute her and say that what she said was wrong.

These people have not read much, why do they treat her like that?

"What kind of people are they?" Liu Yuqin didn't like those people, but she had her own purpose, so she could only endure it here.

Xiao Dayu knew that Liu Yuqin didn't like those people, but he had no choice. He didn't have that much money, so it would be difficult for him to borrow money to buy a house.

"I'll think of a solution after a while. Otherwise, should I rent a house outside?" Xiao Dayu said.

"No need, just live here." Liu Yuqin gritted her teeth. She had not achieved her goal yet.