Thinking of this, Princess Huaiyin's eyes flashed with jealousy. After a long while, she said casually, "In such a large harem, there is not a single concubine. The Emperor truly dotes on the Empress. There has never been such a precedent in the history of dynasties. Even ordinary families usually have three wives and four concubines. Alas, the Empress is truly blessed."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but recall her youth. Back then, the late emperor had many concubines in his harem, and new women entered the palace almost every year, making it very lively. She had fought her way up in the harem to achieve her current status.
Thinking back to the hardships of those years, and comparing them with everything Rong Qingqing enjoys now, she suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.
After a long silence, she sighed and said, "Since there has never been such a precedent in any dynasty, it is naturally impossible for this generation to break the rule. The emperor and empress are still young and have just gotten married, so it is only natural that they are in love. In a few years, after their feelings have faded, the emperor will take new concubines into the palace without me having to say anything. Why should I go out of my way to arrange things for him? I will not only fail to get a good word from him, but I will also end up being disliked by everyone."
Princess Huaiyin's expression turned pale.
I don't understand how my mother suddenly understood. Before, she was always targeting Rong Qingqing, hoping that the emperor would have more women around him and that Rong Qingqing would be neglected by the emperor.
She opened her lips, but ultimately said nothing.
...
The imperial estate was not far from the capital, and at noon, the group returned to the palace.
Upon receiving the news, Xie Jingrun led his men and hurried to the palace gate to meet the person.
As soon as Rong Qingqing stepped out of the carriage, she spotted Xie Jingrun.
After not seeing him for a few days, she suddenly felt a sense of trepidation at being close to him.
While I was in the imperial estate, it was alright, but now that I've suddenly seen people, that feeling has become clear.
She bit her lip as she watched the man approach.
"Haven't had enough of the carriage ride yet? Don't want to get off?" The man's teasing voice had barely entered her ears when Rong Qingqing immediately snapped back to reality. Looking at the man's outstretched hand, she placed her hand on it.
Xie Jingrun took her hand and helped her down from the carriage.
The distance between the two suddenly closed, and Rong Qingqing suddenly felt a little dizzy. Especially when she smelled his fresh and pleasant scent, she blushed for some reason.
Xie Jingrun stared at the blush on her face for a while, suppressed the urge to pull her into his arms, squeezed her hand, and then reluctantly let go of her hand.
Rong Qingqing suddenly felt a little disappointed. She looked up at him, but when she saw his pale face, she was startled and asked, "You look very unwell. Are you sick? Have you summoned the imperial physician?"
She asked two questions in a row without realizing how anxious and worried she sounded.
Hearing this, Xie Jingrun felt a warm feeling in his heart, and looked at her steadily with his dark eyes. "I'm fine. I probably caught a chill while sleeping last night."
Rong Qingqing frowned slightly. "What do you mean, nothing's wrong? We need to summon a royal physician to take a look right away."
From last night until now, Xie Jingrun finally showed a faint smile and whispered in her ear, "So concerned about me?"
Rong Qingqing's face flushed slightly, but at this moment, she couldn't care less about being shy. She nodded earnestly, looking at the smile that seemed to overflow in the man's eyes. After thinking for a moment, she said quite seriously, "Of course I care about you. You are the ruler of a country, and your health is a matter of national importance. Not only do I care, but everyone does..."
Seeing the man's face darken, she finally couldn't continue speaking, stopped talking, and looked at him with a smile.
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