Jiang Rao has been suspicious about something lately.
She knew that her dreams were only fragments.
Then...what were those details that she didn't dream about like?
Even if things really unfolded as in the dream, would Rong Ting ever be as kind and gentle as he is now?
Unfortunately, no matter how much she thought about it, this question remained unanswered.
Jiang Rao's heart felt so heavy that she could hardly breathe, and her expression looked solemn.
Sometimes, it's just too hard to tell right from wrong.
In the dream, he treated her very badly, but now he treats her very well.
She was once extremely afraid, but now she began to stand on his side and only wanted to find the good in him.
She picked up the cup on the table again, took two sips of tea, and suppressed the thousands of thoughts in her mind.
Those blue-clad secret guards...she wouldn't investigate or ask about them.
Don't ask anymore. There's no need to ask.
She saved her life and reputation because of the people he arranged around her, which was enough to offset the slight doubts and confusion in her heart.
There were some things he didn't want her to know. Since she had already determined that he would not hurt or scare her, but would only care for her and love her, she could choose not to know.
Just let him feel at ease.
The tea had been left for a long time and had turned from hot to lukewarm.
Jiang Rao took a few sips of warm tea, and her fluctuating emotions gradually calmed down.
She was not the type to be bothered by things to begin with. She had been feeling depressed these past few days, almost like a moldy wet wood in the rainy season. Now that she had finally seen the light, she felt much better.
She slowly put down the teacup, put aside what she was thinking, and thought of what Concubine Yun had said just now, and said softly: "There are people outside who say this, but not many, they are just gossipers who like to gossip and easily believe in gossip. Most of those people are mediocre and like to stir up trouble. My aunt just needs to be happy, and there is no need to pay attention to the rumors outside."
When something happens to the Seventeenth Prince and Father-in-law Xu, more and more people will be able to see the truth.
Even if the world cannot see clearly, now that the Queen is doomed, at least the history books will not be unfair.
The voice moistened by tea was particularly soft. Concubine Yun smiled faintly, glanced at Jiang Rao, and seemed to be hesitant to speak.
She saw that Jiang Rao didn't seem to care and never reminded her.
Once Emperor Zhaowu passed away, the future crown prince might be her husband.
Since the succession of the throne has always been unpredictable since ancient times, she did not dare to assert anything in advance. She could only take it one step at a time. If the person who succeeded to the throne in the end was really Rong Ting, she couldn't say whether she was willing or not.
If the only person who succeeded to the throne was Rong Ting, she would naturally benefit greatly.
It’s just that she was tired of living in the palace and didn’t want Jiang Rao to be the same.
She was extremely unwilling to let Jiang Rao live the life she had lived.
Emperor Zhaowu and Empress Jiahe were childhood sweethearts, but didn't he show any mercy to the empress in the end?
Even though she was the beneficiary, the queen's hypocritical tactics were not to be exposed, but it was not uncommon for two people to grow up together as childhood sweethearts and then grow old to hate each other.
She wanted to remind Jiang Rao, but didn't want to scare her with some unfounded speculations. After listening to Jiang Rao's conversation, she just smiled and said nothing.
The little girl saw things very clearly herself, and there was no need for anyone to point fingers or make arrangements for her.
Concubine Yun held her cheek and looked at Jiang Rao for a while, then said with a smile: "Don't worry about what people say outside, I was just teasing you."
She summoned a maid who served in Jinxiu Palace and said, "Bring some of the new angelica tea that has just arrived in the palace."
After the maid left, she smiled and looked back at Jiang Rao, "This angelica tea is very suitable for nourishing your body. Take it back and remember to drink it often."
Jiang Rao was relieved to hear that Concubine Yun did not mention the booklet again, and nodded in agreement.
…
Coming out of Shuxiang Palace, Jiang Rao passed by Jinxiu Palace when leaving the palace.
She did not look inside. When the sedan chair passed by, the palace maid inside looked out and told Queen Jiahe that Jiang Rao had passed by.
Empress Jiahe sat by the window, her hair disheveled and her face haggard. After she heard the news reported to her by the palace maid, she turned her head slightly and sneered, "You just gained some power for a while and came to see me make fun of you."
She suddenly closed her eyes and could no longer curse.
When she thought of the Seventeenth Prince being imprisoned, she clenched her fingers tightly and looked resentful.
Now, Jiang Rao is not the only one who laughs at her. How many people inside and outside the palace are not laughing at her?
One wrong step leads to all wrong.
So what if her methods were despicable? This is how she has been living for so many years. Without these means, how could she have sat on the throne of queen?
Everyone in the palace is like this, who can be cleaner than who? She is the most suitable queen to hold the Phoenix Seal.
Emperor Zhaowu handed the Phoenix Seal to the seductive Qin Yun, clearly wanting the world to laugh at him for being lustful and immoral.
She hated it so much!
Empress Jiahe suddenly started to cough violently, one cough after another without interruption.
It felt like he was almost coughing out all his internal organs.
The maid who used to serve her in every detail was reluctant to come forward. Queen Ren Jiahe was coughing so hard that she didn't move at all.
If a concubine in the harem loses the emperor's favor and something happens to her parents' family, she will have no one to rely on in the palace.
Queen Jiahe cursed the snob in her heart.
She knew very well how difficult it was for a helpless person to survive in a palace where the strong bullied the weak.
It's more than just difficult, it's true to say that everyone can be bullied.
She knew this clearly, which was why she dared to use such vicious means to deal with Rong Ting, who was just a child back then.
It was because his biological mother died early and had no family power behind her. Emperor Zhaowu only took care of him for a while when he was just born, and soon turned his attention back to the court and other children. That child was really like an ant on the ground. Even if he was stepped on to death, it would not attract much attention and care.
But she never expected that one day she would end up in such a situation.
She was obviously a noble lady from a noble family, and she should not have suffered any injustice...
Empress Jiahe coughed for a long time before she stopped. Her pale lips trembled constantly and tears welled up in her eyes. "Ask someone to tell Yuan'er to not admit his mistakes no matter how much pain he feels."
She was used to giving orders in front of the palace maids and eunuchs in a domineering manner, and even in this situation, she still used a commanding tone that could not be contradicted.
But when she saw that the maid was just listening and didn't move to leave, her heart suddenly became confused. She softened her voice and begged, "Tongxiu, you have been with me for so many years, and I have never treated you unfairly. Please do me this favor. If Yuan'er is safe, I will avenge my previous shame sooner or later, and you will definitely benefit from it."
The palace maid named Tongxiu walked out of the inner room and out of Jinxiu Palace silently.
But she did not follow Empress Jiahe's instructions and really tried to spread her words. Instead, she found a palace maid from another palace and chatted with her.
After returning to Jinxiu Palace, Empress Jiahe asked her whether she had delivered the message, and she perfunctorily said that she had.
Those who can survive in the palace have some vision.
Instead, she was allowed to serve in Jinxiu Palace and could not be assigned to other palaces.
I'm already unlucky enough. If I continue to work for the Queen, I'll be implicated... There's really no need to do this just for the little favors the Queen gives me verbally.
Inside and outside the imperial city, where is there no place where the strong do not bully the weak?
No one had offered a helping hand to the young Rong Ting before, and now no one was offering a helping hand to the Queen.
…
As Jiang Rao was on her way back home, a light drizzle was falling on the street.
The raindrops were like needles, soft and dense, falling on the bluestone slabs on the ground and melting into them in an instant, changing the color of the bluestone slabs on the entire street from indigo gray to blue.
Jiang Rao listened to the sound of rain, lifted the car curtain and looked out.
The city was shrouded in mist and rain. The shops on the other side of the street looked dim, but the leaves of the poplar and willow trees on the street looked as green as if they had been washed new and had been waxed.
Jiang Rao originally liked to look at this misty scenery, with blue sky and green grass. Just one look at it would make her feel very good. After meeting Rong Ting, she gradually lost this feeling.
People with leg injuries are most afraid of rainy weather.
Even after Rong Ting recovered, he behaved like a normal person and never complained about leg injuries or pain.
But a while ago, he was ill for so long?
Although Jiang Rao didn't have much reference, even if she was as weak as she was, if she took medicine properly, she would be well in three or four days at most... Thinking about it this way, his body... must have left a root of disease, which is why he was sick for so long.
Jiang Rao thought about this and looked at the rain outside. No matter how blue the sky was or how green the leaves were, she still felt upset. She asked the coachman to change the route and go to the clinic.
She stayed in the clinic for two moments, her body drenched in the smell of medicine.
It was already evening when Rong Ting returned home. His cloak was soaked by the rain, and there were faint water marks on his shoulders and hems. Noticing the smell of medicine on Jiang Rao, he paused before taking off his cloak and asked, "Did you go to Concubine Yun's place today?"
His voice was low and gentle, and from the tone, it sounded like a casual question.
Jiang Rao nodded, stretched out her hand, stood on tiptoe, and helped him take off his cloak.
She was so close to him that the smell of medicine was even more obvious.
Naturally, he didn't hate the smell on her, but there shouldn't be this kind of herbal smell in Shuxiang Palace.
Rong Ting's eyes darkened a little. Jiang Rao took his cloak away and said in a blaming tone, "You haven't recovered completely from your illness yet. It's raining outside, why don't you hold an umbrella?"
Rong Ting said casually, "I came back too hastily."
After dinner, Jiang Rao went out for a while, and when she came back, she had a bowl of medicine in her hand.
She handed the medicine bowl to Rong Ting, holding her breath and not wanting to smell the bitter taste of the medicine. "I saw it was raining outside, so I went to the clinic and brought back some tonic medicine."
Rong Ting took the medicine and looked down at the medicine bowl.
Originally wanted to ask the secret guard, she went to the Shuxiang Palace
Besides, where did it go...
After all, the smell of medicine on her body was definitely not left from her visit to Shuxiang Palace.
It turned out that he went to the clinic to get medicine for him.
People who have suffered a lot will feel satisfied with a little sweetness.
He had nothing to fear, except that he would never have these sweet things again.
He had always known that she had been worried since the Shangsi Festival.
At first I thought she was upset because she was frightened after being attacked.
It can be seen that she was very interested in asking about the results of the interrogation of the Seventeenth Prince, and her shining eyes had nothing to do with fear.
If he didn't know her character, he would even misunderstand that she was the one who set the hook first, causing the Seventeenth Prince to act rashly.
She had been worrying for a few days, but she felt better after a trip to Shuxiang Palace. She really liked her aunt and could be cheered up just by seeing her. Rong Ting's eyes dimmed, "If I drink this medicine, will you be happy?"
Only he knew the comparison in his tone. Jiang Rao was not a worm in his stomach, so she didn't know what he was thinking. Seeing his gloomy look, she thought he didn't want to drink the medicine. She pointed at the table and urged him, "Don't your knees feel uncomfortable when it rains? If you hesitate any longer, the medicine will get cold and even harder to drink. I'll be happy when you're better."
Rong Ting waited until he heard the last sentence before taking any action. He raised the bowl and drank the medicine in it in one gulp.
His arm dropped, and he placed the empty medicine bowl on the table. A few longans rolled over on the table. He raised his eyes slightly and saw Jiang Rao lying on the table, playfully rolling the longans in her hand towards him. When she met his eyes, she laughed, "Use the longans to press the taste of the medicine."
Rong Ting held the longans in his hand, pressed his fingertips on the thin skin and rubbed it twice.
He just looked at the little girl smiling in front of him, and the annoyance in his heart just now faded away.
She... should be considered to be happy because of him.
His complexion became much better, and the feeling of arguing with Concubine Yun in his heart also weakened. His thin lips curled up slightly, and he held the unpeeled longans between his fingers and played with them.
Although it was clenched in the hand, it was not peeled open.
Having to take medicine for many years has made him accustomed to the bitter taste of medicine, but his dislike of sweetness has not changed.
Jiang Rao saw that he was just playing with the longan in his palm without peeling it or eating it. Even if he usually concealed it well, she could tell what his taste was like.
I don’t know what my preference is, but at least I don’t like sweet things.
"Today I brought back some delicious tea from Shuxiang Palace. Would you like some?"
He was always easy to feed, which made her want to feed him more.
Besides, she tasted the angelica tea and found it tasted really good.
"What kind of tea?"
"Danggui tea, I heard it was a tribute from Lingnan. I tried some, it's really good. If you add some honey to it, it tastes very sweet. If you want to drink it, I'll ask the maid to remove the wolfberries and red dates from it and boil some with spring water."
After Jiang Rao finished speaking, she watched carefully to see if Rong Ting would agree.
She had only asked him before whether he liked sweet things.
He nodded without thinking much at that time, but she thought about it and always felt that he was taking her taste into consideration.
If he agreed to remove the red dates and wolfberries from the angelica tea this time, she would almost know that he really didn't like sweet things.
But Rong Ting didn't say anything for a long time. He just frowned slightly and looked at Jiang Rao strangely.
His eyes were like cold stars, and Jiang Rao was stunned by his gaze.
Could it be that he knew what she was thinking?
He's so smart that he might not be able to see...
But how could it be so easy to tell what she was thinking?
Jiang Rao stood up, found the tea, poured a pot of hot water, and placed a cup in front of Rong Ting. "This tea is said to be good for the body. Since it is good for the body, why don't you try it? If you like it, you can bring some to your government office..."
Rong Ting coughed and interrupted her, "You really don't know...what kind of tea this is?"
"Isn't it angelica tea?" Jiang Rao looked confused.
"Danggui, red dates, and motherwort." Rong Ting pinched the teacup with his fingers, shook it a few times, then raised his fingers and picked up the lid of the purple clay teapot on the table.
He looked at the green and red things floating in the water and smiled slightly.
The low laughter made Jiang Rao feel troubled and uneasy.
He put down the teacup, stood up, walked to the door, closed it, and returned to the inner room.
Jiang Rao moved to sit at the table, leaning close to the purple clay teapot, looking at the dried red dates floating up and down in the tea, her face full of confusion.
She repeated "Danggui, Red Dates, and Motherwort" several times in her mind, but she just couldn't figure out what was so funny about these herbal names.
Rong Ting wanted to tease her when he saw her ignorant look. She was not stupid, but too lazy. After being married for so long, she had no sense of being a wife and had not done any homework. He dared not tease her too hard for fear of angering her. He bent down slightly and whispered in Jiang Rao's ear, "This angelica tea that the imperial concubine gave you is both tea and medicine."
Angelica is a common name for medicinal herbs. Since it has the effect of conditioning the body, Jiang Rao is not surprised at all that these things can be made into medicine.
It can be made into medicine, there's nothing funny about that, right?
Jiang Rao tilted her head and saw Rong Ting bending down even deeper, his thin lips close to her ear, his voice very low and hoarse to the point of being somewhat ambiguous, "Angelica, red dates, and motherwort, these together are most beneficial to a woman's health. There is a saying among the people that... it is beneficial to conception."
He had seen too many secret affairs in the harem. Before marrying her, he was always worried that someone would use those means on her. He paid special attention to those medicines and ingredients that might be beneficial or harmful to women's bodies.
She worries about everything about the people she cares about, but becomes stupid when it comes to her own affairs.
Although he was dissatisfied that she cared about so many people, which took up a lot of his place in her heart, he was secretly happy because he could see her character.
The only person who can protect her best is him.
Jiang Rao's breathing stagnated and the tips of her ears turned red.
Good for conception...
Fortunately, before she left, she was glad that her aunt didn't stuff any indecent booklets into her hands.
This stuffed thing is not as good as a booklet!
She kept the booklet and hid it, and she thought this tea was a genuine health-preserving tea. After she came back, she cooked it and tasted it. She thought it tasted good...
No wonder her aunt had such a big smile on her face when she left Shuxiang Palace.
"I...I..." Jiang Rao murmured twice, not knowing how to explain. It took her a long while to come back to her senses. The red tips of her ears did not fade away. "I really didn't know. This is the first time I know it today."
She was confused, and even her words were confused.
"I think……"
Jiang Rao was eager for Rong Ting to talk to her about something else, so she asked hurriedly, "What are you thinking about?"
Her turning around gave Rong Ting the opportunity to hug her around the waist.
"child."
He carried...her...to the couch, half leaning against the bedside board, and asked Jiang Rao to face him, his eyes gloomy and eager, "I want to have a child."
Jiang Rao blushed and her heart was beating fast because of the way he looked at her.
She was afraid of pressing on his injured leg, and she had no idea where to put her own legs. She subconsciously refused, "It's a rainy day, your legs..."
"No problem."
He looked at her trying desperately to move her knees aside, trying to get up on the bed in a panic instead of pressing on him. He suddenly laughed and rubbed her head. After rubbing, he didn't let go of his hand and pressed her head down and gave her a light kiss on the forehead.
He put his other hand on her waist and kissed her down little by little. Nothing could make him feel more at ease than holding her in his arms. When he kissed her and hugged her, he always used the ruthlessness that was willing to sacrifice his life. He clasped Jiang Rao's head with his fingers and plundered her like crazy.
Jiang Rao's hairpin fell to the side with a click, her hair was disheveled, and the tip of her tongue was numb. When the force on the back of her head loosened slightly, she heard him call her "darling" in her ear.
The voice is a little hoarse, and particularly deep and sexy.
Her legs suddenly went limp and her waist was held in his hands. She couldn't escape and realized she couldn't avoid it, so she gradually stopped struggling.
I could hear the rustling sound of clothes being taken off and his breathing becoming increasingly heavy.
There is rain outside and there is wind outside.
The rain didn't stop. Just by listening to the crackling sound of the rain, I could imagine how dark the sky outside was and how damp the base of the wall was.
She had never experienced the discomfort of her knees on a rainy day, but even if she hadn't, the thought of him becoming uncomfortable in such weather made her feel uncomfortable.
Only two white undershirts were left on his body. The clothes are all there. The ties at the collar had been loosely//bitten//off.
Jiang Rao lowered her eyelids, and suddenly raised her hands to hold Rong Ting's face.
"I." After she said one word, she paused. In just one word, her earlobes and behind her ears turned red.
She swallowed and said the rest of the words in one breath, "I'll do it, don't move."
Rong Ting's body tensed up, his deep and dark eyes fixed on Jiang Rao, his Adam's apple moving slightly.
He subconsciously didn't take her words seriously, but stared at the little girl's movements with a dim look.
There was still a blush on Jiang Rao's face, and her lips were moist and soft. She lowered her eyelids, and her teeth slightly loosened as she bit her lower lip. She didn't know where she got the courage and strength from, but she put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him from half-leaning on the bed board to a position where he was completely leaning on the bed board.
She glanced away, not daring to look at him, and because she had little experience, she was afraid that her posture would be wrong, so she wanted to follow the drawing in the booklet exactly, in exchange for a few glances at him.
Her almond-shaped eyes were sparkling like a lake blown by the wind. Her pupils were flickering, and her soft white cheeks were turning red and hot, so hot that she felt like smoke was coming out of her head.
Rong Ting's breathing became heavier
A lot heavier.
As he watched her movements, he realized that she was not talking nonsense.
He tensed his forehead, veins faintly showing, and after a while, he asked in a hoarse voice, "Can you?"
Jiang Rao bit her lips for a long time, and finally nodded as if she had made a great decision.
Her fingers were trembling for unknown reasons, and she took a long time to unbutton her half-loose shirt. Her expression gradually became more strained, and she gave up and lowered her head to unbutton his.
When she lowered her head, her untied black hair fell down like a waterfall, covering her hands that were on Rong Ting's shoulders. Her movements were full of clumsiness and unfamiliarity. Her voice was trembling slightly but with a firm tone as she argued, "I will."
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