“Alright, if Jiang’er feels lonely in the East Palace, then have someone clean up the palaces next to Yichun Palace.”
"If I like any girl to be my sister, I will order people to send betrothal gifts and bring them back. In the future, the Eastern Palace will be lively, not only will Jiang'er not be lonely, but I will also have more places to go."
Jing Yan felt frustrated and wanted to see if Yue Jiang cared about it, so he went along with what she said and then secretly observed her expression.
As he looked him over, Jing Yan saw Yue Jiang raise her head and glance at him. Their eyes met, and a sense of nervousness washed over Jing Yan.
It's unclear whether she was afraid of hurting Yue Jiang's feelings or if she would simply agree magnanimously.
Yue Jiang gazed quietly at Jing Yan's expression, trying to ascertain whether he was telling the truth. As she watched, she suddenly realized that Jing Yan was probably doing it on purpose.
If he truly had ulterior motives, he wouldn't have asked her for a bunch of people right away. He wasn't a womanizer by nature, nor did he fit the hypocritical, two-faced style of someone who wanted everything. He wasn't pretentious enough.
Unless he had done something to make Jingyan feel neglected.
Some people, the more they feel they are not valued, the more stubborn they become, and then they sulk.
Yue Jiang chuckled to herself. Could it be that she hadn't been teasing Jing Yan enough lately, making him feel uneasy?
"Your Highness, I do enjoy lively gatherings, but won't you be overwhelmed by a bunch of sisters?"
"In other words, can Your Highness handle it, and can the Crown Prince's accounts be maintained?"
"Now that everyone has been brought into the Eastern Palace, are the men outside no longer going to marry?"
More than forty years ago, the Jing Kingdom suffered a severe blow from the An Kingdom, resulting in a devastating impact on all aspects of its economy, a shrinking population, and a shortage of labor.
Thus, the State of Jing had a clear rule regarding marriage and population: people of different classes were limited in the number of concubines they could take, in order to rationally distribute the limited population so that the population of the State of Jing could grow.
Even a crown prince like Jing Yan cannot break the law, even if his restrictions are more lenient than those for ordinary people.
But the Crown Prince's money is limited. Winning a battle doesn't mean that Feng, which defected from Jing, can make up for Jing's losses over the past forty years.
We can't afford to support a bunch of people who come here only wanting fine clothes and delicacies. Any spare money should be used to replenish the national treasury to defend against foreign enemies.
Unless they all come in to drink plain porridge, they won't even have enough to eat, let alone compete for food, so how can they compete for favor?
As for Yue Jiang, she would never use her own money to support someone else.
The three questions in a row left Jing Yan completely bewildered; he never expected Yue Jiang to analyze things so rationally with him.
Of course, this also shows that Yue Jiang was thinking about material things first and didn't care about him at all.
Jing Yan felt an even greater sense of frustration, but rationally he believed that Yue Jiang was right; she had been a very competent Crown Princess.
He once reminded Jing Yan how ridiculous his initial worry that Yue Jiang would make him lose heart and ambition was.
But Jingyan was particularly annoyed that she didn't give him any consideration for their feelings.
"Besides this, you have nothing..."
“Your Highness, I know that it is human nature to be fickle and easily bored. You may be tired of me. If I cannot keep you, it is good if there are others who can make you happy.”
"But Your Highness must exercise restraint and not indulge in excesses that could harm your health."
Before Jingyan could finish speaking, Yuejiang raised her hand to wipe away her tears, her words filled with thoughtfulness and consideration.
Jing Yan could no longer maintain his composure and was eventually defeated. He quickly walked over to Yue Jiang, sat down, and picked up a handkerchief from the needle basket to wipe her tears.
Helpless, he said, "Jiang'er, you've misunderstood me. I have no intention of taking anyone in as a concubine."
Yue Jiang snatched the handkerchief from Jing Yan's hand, gently moved away, and turned her face away, speaking clearly and logically.
“That’s not what I meant. Why did Military Advisor Rong Ying speak so strangely just now? Your Highness said he was cautious, but I think there was something behind his words. It’s obvious that Your Highness was trying to cover something up.”
Each word, like a soybean, came at Jing Yan. He silently grumbled in his heart at Rong Ying, thinking it was all because of his previous deliberate teasing.
Jing Yan sighed and didn't rush to comfort Yue Jiang anymore. Since he had already made her cry, he asked her some questions.
"Is Jiang'er so concerned about Rong Ying's words because she doesn't want me to be shared with someone else?"
“I’m willing to give it up,” Yue Jiang said, glancing back at Jing Yan.
Hearing such a straightforward answer, Jing Yan took a deep breath and secretly clenched his right hand, thinking that this was Yue Jiang's answer.
To everyone's surprise, Yue Jiang took a deep breath and slowly replied, "Of course it's fake."
Jing Yan: "..."
Yue Jiang: "As the Crown Princess, of course I should be willing to give up my husband, and I should be generous enough to do so with a smile. But I'm not that generous in my heart. Who would push their husband away?"
"I am not yet so magnanimous as to say I am willing to part with it, but Your Highness has already taken a liking to it. This makes it seem as if the vows Your Highness made to me before were empty words. Even a noble and unparalleled Crown Prince has moments when he does not keep his word."
Yue Jiang's words were clearly a complaint against Jing Yan, but Jing Yan unconsciously curved his lips into a smile.
His clenched hands under his sleeves gradually relaxed, and the frustration in his heart dissipated considerably.
Yue Jiang pretended not to see the smile that bloomed on Jing Yan's lips and continued to sigh.
"I am also unfortunate. I am pregnant with Your Highness's child and I have to clean the palace for Your Highness's new lover."
"Alright, if I weren't so infatuated with Your Highness, I could have congratulated you with a smile long ago. Why would I be so heartbroken and disappointed? I'll make arrangements for someone to go now."
As she spoke, Yue Jiang, supporting her belly, tried to get up, but Jing Yan realized what was happening and quickly stopped her, chuckling to himself.
Although he didn't know how much of Yue Jiang's words were true, at least she wasn't "abandoning" him.
"Alright, Jiang'er, it's tiring to talk so much, so stop teasing me. You know perfectly well whether I want to take a concubine or not."
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
