Seeing Qin Qi sit down, the Empress frowned and turned to look at Emperor Yuming, only to see that he also had a complicated expression on his face.
The Empress sighed softly. How could it not be complicated?
Emperor Yuming originally intended to marry Princess Zhaoyang to Lu Chuan, but Minister Lu was ungrateful and bluntly stated that his son was in love with Qin Xi. Emperor Yuming remembered that his face turned pale at the time, but he refrained from anger. After all, Minister Lu had never shown favoritism towards either side, and he couldn't very well blame him.
As the mother of the nation, the Empress was undoubtedly a truly virtuous and capable wife. She advised Emperor Yuming to grant Minister Lu's request for a marriage, but instead of Qin Qi, she arranged for his second son to marry him. Even though the latter was so angry that he smashed a vase, he still heeded the Empress's advice and betrothed Qin Qi to the good-for-nothing Lu Huai.
Before issuing the decree, Emperor Yuming had thoroughly investigated Lu Huai's background. He found him to be a womanizer and a gambler, a complete scoundrel, which reassured him before granting the marriage.
Who would have thought that after being married for so long, Lu Huai not only failed to ruin the relationship between Prime Minister Qin and Minister Lu, but Minister Lu also showed signs of siding with the Prime Minister's faction.
Emperor Yuming recalled that on the day of the New Year's banquet, Minister Lu had actually toasted along with Prime Minister Qin, which was not a good omen.
The Empress couldn't understand what was going on either. Qin Xi said that to save face, but what about Lu Huai?
On the day she went to the palace to express her gratitude, she could tell that their relationship was only superficial. After all, she was an experienced woman; she could tell the difference between true and false love at a glance.
But after that, Lu Huai, who was originally a playboy, seemed to have become a different person. He stopped gambling and whoring, and there were even reports from spies that he had been spending several days in his study, supposedly studying hard through the night?
Could it be that Qin Xi really has some kind of magic that can make Lu Huai, this prodigal son, turn over a new leaf?
The Empress frowned deeply, unable to understand the reason, and felt that things were getting increasingly out of control.
Just as I was thinking about it, I suddenly heard Shangguan Jingci speak.
"Mrs. Lu is indeed very beautiful and charming, just as beautiful as Miss Cai."
Qin Xi lowered her eyes, "Your Highness is too kind. I am already a married woman, and naturally cannot compare to Miss Cai, who is still in her budding stage."
Since she had already mentioned it, she couldn't very well not say a few words of praise. Qin Xi looked at Cai Yueshi and smiled slightly, "I had only heard that Miss Cai was a rare beauty before, but today I have finally met her."
Cai Yueshi returned her a courtesy of equal respect, saying, "Madam Lu is too kind to me."
...
Following Cai Yueshi, many other young ladies stepped forward to showcase their talents, but none were quite as stunning as her.
Consort Qin sat to Emperor Yuming's right, a step lower than the Empress on his left. She rested her chin on her hand, her fingertips idly twirling on the table.
"Is my beloved concubine finding this boring?" Emperor Yuming frowned and asked in a low voice.
Consort Qin shook her head upon hearing this. Seeing that his eyes were filled with her image, she returned a charming smile, circling her tongue around her lips, which made Emperor Yuming's lower abdomen tighten.
But then she innocently blinked.
"Cough, cough." He clenched his fist and coughed twice. This barely suppressed his anger, but it drew everyone's attention, and even the dancers in the hall almost made a mistake in their dance.
The Empress couldn't help but look over, her handkerchief crumpled in her hand, the sharp nail guards nearly piercing her.
"Your Majesty, are you feeling unwell?" she asked, her brows furrowed and her voice filled with concern.
The courtiers were even more flustered when they heard her ask that question, and even Shangguan Jingci looked over.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
