Ling Shumo wrapped one arm around Lu Jinshu's waist and gently stroked his back with the other hand. "Don't blame yourself anymore. I don't blame you. Haven't we reconciled?"
As she said this, she ordered her servant to bring an ice pack and carefully applied it to Lu Jinshu's swollen cheek. Lu Jinshu finally burst into laughter.
Ling Xihe looked at his father crying and laughing, with a confused look on his little face.
Ling Shumo moved closer to Lu Jinshu and pecked his lips lightly.
Lu Jinshu pushed her away in shock, and angrily scolded her, "Xihe is still sitting here, aren't you afraid of teaching the child bad things?"
When Ling Xihe was mentioned, Ling Shumo's expression became serious. She looked into Lu Jinshu's eyes seriously and said, "In order to prevent Xihe from being framed by those with ulterior motives in the future, I have thought carefully about it. When her illness is completely cured, I will take her with me to educate her personally. I want to see if there will be those blind and evil people who dare to put their hands on Xihe after she lives in the Yangxin Palace."
Ling Shumo was truly fed up with the intrigues within the harem. Although she didn't have the energy to manage everything, she could still protect the people she valued most. She pulled Lu Jinshu to her chest, interlocking their fingers. Her eyes grew colder, "I've been a hands-off manager for too long. It's time to shake things up in the harem."
Ling Shumo had implemented drastic reforms in the previous dynasty, using iron-blooded tactics to intimidate treacherous ministers, but she had always maintained a laissez-faire attitude towards the harem. To her, the men in the harem were dead, and after their deaths, at most they could be replaced with new ones. It had no impact on her daily life.
But recent events had gradually changed her attitude. By not caring about anything, she was indeed saving herself the trouble and energy. But over time, some people, inspired by her deliberate indulgence, would become increasingly reckless. She never knew when they would go behind her back and cause a major mess. By then, even if she regretted it, it would be too late.
Lu Jinshu was a man who knew how to control his emotions. After being comforted by Ling Shumo, he wiped away the tears from his face without showing any pretense. He asked, "Your Majesty, how will you deal with He Huaichen?"
Ling Shumo said calmly, "Didn't I say this just now? I will graciously allow him to attend his sister's celebration banquet. At the banquet, I will ask General He's opinion and then make the final decision."
Lu Jinshu was not so easily fooled. He got to the bottom of the matter and said, "Your Majesty must have other ideas in mind. Please tell me, I beg you. Otherwise, I won't be able to sleep tonight."
Ling Shumo could no longer maintain her stern expression after hearing Lu Jinshu's plea. She chuckled softly, but kept the secret, "You'll know when the time comes. If I tell you in advance, there won't be any surprises."
Lu Jinshu bit his lower lip and reluctantly agreed, "Well, I'd like to see what surprise Your Majesty has prepared. You must not let me down."
…
Late April. The weather is starting to get warm and then turn cold.
The day He Huiyuan arrived in the imperial capital, a light rain began to fall. Despite the victory, her mood was as gloomy as the weather. Three days earlier, she had received shocking news: her brother had the audacity to plot to poison the Crown Princess.
This was a capital crime! Such a crime was enough to exterminate her entire He family. He Huiyuan wanted to go to the palace immediately to plead for her brother, but according to the rules, she needed to go back to the general's mansion first and change into a new set of clothes suitable for entering the palace to meet the emperor.
When they arrived at the gate of the He Mansion, her husband, Bei Yiqian, was already waiting in the drizzle with the masters and servants of each household. Bei Yiqian had been standing there for at least half an hour, and the soft, smoke-like silk shoulder-length gown he was wearing was already half-soaked.
Bei Yiqian didn't even hold an umbrella himself. When he saw his wife returning home, he immediately took the umbrella from the servant and walked to He Huiyuan's warhorse.
As soon as He Huiyuan dismounted, Bei Yiqian immediately held an umbrella over their heads. He looked at his mistress, his eyes filled with concern. "During the days you were fighting on the front lines, I knelt before the statue day and night, praying that nothing would happen to you. Now that you've finally returned safely, I can finally feel at peace."
Bei Yiqian was the eighth prince of the now-extinct Beilin Empire. He had originally been taken as a war trophy and served He Huiyuan. However, he was quite resourceful. He started out as a nameless concubine, later became a concubine, and recently was promoted to the position of head of the General's Mansion.
Not only that, He Huiyuan originally had a concubine and several maids around him, but after he entered the mansion, He Huiyuan dismissed all the people in her backyard for him.
Many noblemen and noblemen mocked Bei Yiqian, calling him a prince of a fallen nation without a mother's family. But they all secretly envied him for being a man with a good life.
During the days she was away from home, He Huiyuan had been thinking about spending some quality time with her husband. However, because of He Huaichen's frame-up of the Crown Princess, she had lost all hope and could only force a smile at Bei Yiqian. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I don't have a single wound on my body. Moreover, I beheaded the Ninth Princess of the Qilan Empire on the battlefield this time, and I plan to present it to Your Majesty as a gift."
Hearing He Huiyuan say that she was fine, Bei Yiqian's lips curled up into a faint smile. His hand gently stroked his belly, "My dear daughter, listen, Daddy didn't lie to you, did he? Your mother is an extremely brave and skilled general."
He Huiyuan's eyes widened. She was shocked at first, then ecstatic. "You're pregnant?"
Bei Yiqian smiled and nodded, "Yes, the baby is almost five months old. Otherwise, why do you think my belly is so bloated? It can't be because I've gained weight, right?"
He Huiyuan also touched her husband's belly. Her face was originally very happy, but she didn't know what she was thinking about, and a struggle appeared in her eyes.
Bei Yiqian was able to be favored by He Huiyuan because of his keen intuition about He Huiyuan's mood changes. He realized something was wrong in an instant, put away the smile on his face, and asked in an uneasy voice, "Are you hiding something from me?"
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