Surprisingly, she ate a bowl of rice and drank a bowl of soup.
Looking at the food she had devoured, Rong Qingqing looked utterly dejected.
What happened to the hunger strike?
She was so ashamed and furious that she threw down her chopsticks, climbed back into bed, and lay there like a corpse.
Not long after, a palace maid came in and cleared away the food. When she saw that there was not much food left, a look of surprise flashed across her face.
Rong Qingqing could almost feel the disdain in the palace maids' eyes.
She despised herself.
The Imperial Study.
Xie Jingrun was dealing with matters that he had missed a day of official business.
Did she eat dinner?
In the quiet study, Xie Jingrun's voice suddenly rang out.
Changlin stood quietly to the side, and upon hearing this, immediately replied, "According to the palace maids of Yuxian Palace, the princess has a good appetite and ate a lot."
Xie Jingrun paused, a look of surprise in his eyes.
...
It was late at night, but Rong Qingqing was not sleepy at all. To pass the time, she started practicing yoga on her bed.
However, after several sets of movements, Xie Jingrun still did not appear.
Unable to contain herself, she walked to the door and called out, "Has the Emperor arrived yet?"
"Princess, I've inquired and found out that His Majesty has already retired for the night," a palace maid replied from outside.
Upon hearing this, Rong Qingqing almost swore.
She'd been waiting here for so long, and all she got was Xie Jingrun already comfortably going to sleep?
She was extremely frustrated. She picked up the teacup on the table, intending to smash it on the ground to vent her anger.
But when she felt the warm, smooth texture of the jade under her hand, she couldn't bear to drop it and instead gently put it back.
She then turned to look for cheaper items that she wouldn't feel bad about breaking, but after searching around, she still couldn't find her "target".
Did Xie Jingrun anticipate that she would smash things in anger, so he deliberately replaced all the porcelain in the room with valuable pieces?
She sullenly lay back on the bed and gave Xie Jingrun a good scolding.
However, what frustrated her even more was yet to come.
For several days in a row, Xie Jingrun did not show up.
Rong Qingqing was locked in her bedchamber and couldn't go anywhere; she was going crazy.
It was time for dinner again, and the palace maids brought in the food.
"I'm not eating." Rong Qingqing truly had no appetite this time.
Even the best patience has been worn down over the past few days.
No matter how delicious the food in the imperial kitchen is, all she wants now is to get out.
The palace maid didn't take her words to heart, and after putting down the food, she left.
However, when I came back in to clear the dishes, I was surprised to find that the dishes were still clean and the food on the table was untouched.
Seeing the person lying motionless on the bed, the palace maid dared not neglect her duties. After leaving, she reported the matter to Xie Jingrun.
Xie Jingrun didn't take it seriously when he found out.
He knew Rong Qingqing well; she was the kind of person who wouldn't mistreat herself even in adversity. It didn't matter if she missed a meal; she would eat next time.
On this day in court, the ministers, seeing that the emperor had been on the throne for nearly two months and there was still no sign of him establishing an empress or taking concubines, became anxious and submitted memorials to advise, "Your Majesty, the country cannot be without an empress for a day. It is time to establish an empress."
Xie Jingrun placed his fingers on the armrest of the dragon throne and tapped it lightly.
Feeling that he had subdued Rong Qingqing after imprisoning her for several days, he asked, "In your opinion, which young lady is worthy of being my Empress?"
Upon hearing this, the ministers realized there was a chance and began to voice their choices.
"In my opinion, the Prime Minister's daughter is dignified and gentle..."
"In my opinion, the daughter of the Minister of Revenue is exceptionally talented and beautiful..."
"In my opinion, the princess of the Duke's mansion..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com