Xia Zhengqi nodded listlessly: "Yes, I am so busy that I am dizzy, and the blind Duke of Weiguo has come to make things worse."
As Xia Zhengqi spoke, he cleared a space on the desk. The queen brought the porridge over in tacit understanding and handed Xia Zhengqi a spoon.
"Your Majesty, Deng Yirou was indeed too arrogant and willful. She brought this disaster upon herself. However, she is the Duke's daughter after all, so due respect must be given."
As he spoke, Xia Zhengqi had already gulped down half a bowl of porridge.
"Ruoyu, I understand what you're saying. I just sent him away. He's really annoying to watch. Let's talk about it tomorrow."
"By the way, where is our precious daughter? Why didn't you bring her with you?" Xia Zhengqi said and scooped another spoonful of porridge into his mouth.
The Queen burst out laughing: "You, don't you see what time it is? Miao'er has already gone to bed."
Xia Zhengqi looked up blankly at the copper kettle dripping by the window: "Oh, it's so late. I was so busy that I forgot the time."
"The dragon's health is the most important thing, Your Majesty." The Queen's eyes were full of concern.
"Okay, okay, I'll stop here for today." Xia Zhengqi put down the spoon, took out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, and stood up to stretch his muscles.
A cool autumn breeze blew in from the window. The queen walked towards the window and said: "This autumn night wind is a bit chilly."
Xia Zhengqi also turned his head to look out the window. The night sky was pitch black, and a bright crescent moon hung in the sky, exceptionally bright.
"Ruoyu, come with me for a walk. The night is so beautiful tonight, and I need some help digesting my food." Xia Zhengqi walked over and took the queen's hand.
The palace was quiet at night. The flat and wide palace road was empty, with only a few palace lanterns still lit.
The emperor and the empress walked hand in hand casually on the palace road. Debao and Yingxue tactfully slowed down their pace and kept a distance of about ten meters from their masters.
"Ruoyu, do you still remember that year when we first moved into the palace?" Xia Zhengqi looked at the queen gently.
"The palace is so huge, with so many paths, you can't even recognize your way around. Chengnian got into trouble, and when you tried to hit him, he deliberately ran around the palace, making you miserable."
Xia Zhengqi couldn't help but laugh.
The Queen pulled Xia Zhengqi's hand coquettishly and said, "Your Majesty, don't talk about this."
"Your Majesty, do you still remember the Shaohua Palace where we temporarily stayed before the Kunning Palace was renovated?"
"Of course I remember. Shaohua Palace is in a bad location, and you suffered a lot at that time." Xia Zhengqi held the queen's hand tightly in his palm.
"In the first year of moving in, on Chengwan's birthday, Your Majesty and I planted a paulownia tree with our own hands." The Queen looked up at Xia Zhengqi.
The queen was half a head shorter than Xia Zhengqi, and her pretty face just reached Xia Zhengqi's shoulders.
"Well, the sycamore tree left a deep impression on me. It's been almost 20 years, and I don't know how big it has grown."
Xia Zhengqi stared blankly at the night sky, then suddenly said, "Why don't we go check out that tree now?"
"Now?" The queen opened her mouth in surprise.
"Yeah, why not now."
Xia Zhengqi actually showed a mischievous smile, and the twinkling stars in his eyes reminded the queen of the time when they had just gotten married.
At that time, Xia Zhengqi was just an incompetent prince with no pressure. After marrying Xiao Ruoyu, he took her out to play all day long.
Horse racing, hunting, boating, cricket fighting...
Xia Zhengqi pulled the queen up and started jogging. For a moment, the two seemed to have returned to their youth.
Debao and Yingxue were both surprised to see the Emperor and Empress lift up their robes and run away. They looked at each other and hurriedly ran after them.
When the two men ran breathlessly to the palace road outside Shaohua Palace, they saw a lush paulownia tree in the distance, with its branches sticking out from the palace wall.
Looking more closely at the tree trunk, it is already as thick as a washbasin.
The emperor and empress stopped and looked up at the paulownia tree.
"Look, Your Majesty, I didn't expect it to have grown so big." The Queen happily pointed in the direction of the paulownia tree, her tone carrying a hint of the innocence of a little girl.
A warm feeling suddenly surged in Xia Zhengqi's heart. He couldn't help but pull the queen into his arms and gently sniffed the hair of the woman in his arms.
"Ruoyu, after all, our first child is already 18 years old. He is about to get married and have children."
The emperor and empress hugged each other tightly, and the bright moonlight fell on them like a veil.
Suddenly, the queen's nose twitched slightly and her brows frowned.
"What's wrong?" Xia Zhengqi keenly noticed the queen's abnormality.
"Ruoyu just smelled smoke, it's so strange."
After hearing this, Xia Zhengqi unconsciously focused his attention on his nose and sniffed hard.
“It does smell like smoke.”
Xia Zhengqi waved to Debao, who was ten meters away, and whispered, "Go check nearby to see where the smell of smoke is coming from."
Debao agreed and immediately ran away in small steps.
About half an incense stick of time later, Debao came over pulling a crying old lady.
I saw that the old lady's hair had turned white, and she had a sloppy bun on her head with a plain silver hairpin inserted in the bun. She was wearing a bamboo cloth robe that was washed white, and she had no jewelry on her body. She looked old and shabby.
"Don't cry for now, and answer the questions honestly later." Debao scolded the nanny in a low voice.
"Your Majesty, I saw this old nanny burning paper money in the abandoned Guangyang Palace." Debao walked up to Xia Zhengqi and reported with his head down.
"Your Majesty, please spare my life!" The old nanny knelt down in front of Xia Zhengqi, sobbing.
"Burning paper in the palace is a taboo, old nanny. I see that you are already old, how could you violate such a taboo?!" Xia Zhengqi frowned.
"I will never dare to do that again. Please spare my life, Your Majesty!" The old nanny was shaking with fear.
"Mammy, why are you burning paper in Guangyang Palace?" the queen said in a gentle tone.
"This old slave is giving...giving..." the old nanny stammered.
"Tell the truth and I will spare your death." Xia Zhengqi deliberately slowed down his tone.
"This old servant is burning paper for his former master, Madam Baili..."
When Xia Zhengqi heard the word "Bai Li", he felt his whole body freeze.
"Who are you talking about? Madam Baili? Is she the mother of Empress Dowager Baili?"
Seeing the emperor and empress's gentle attitude, the old nanny's panic subsided a little. She stopped crying and replied, "That's right."
"Then who are you?" Xia Zhengqi opened his eyes wide in surprise.
"I was originally a maid in the Baili family, and later followed the Empress Dowager Baili into the palace."
Xia Zhengqi and the Queen were both shocked, and they looked at each other tacitly.
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