Chapter 187 The Emperor and Empress Dispute
Fengyi Palace.
Xie Zhenrong was still upset about the emperor giving the eldest prince a dragon pendant.
Nanny Zhuang gave some consolation again.
It was not until the second prince opened his mouth and indicated that he was hungry that Xie Zhenrong calmed down from his anger.
After the wet nurse finished feeding the child, Xie Zhenrong said, "Feed some more."
Madam Zhuang hurriedly advised: "Your Highness, you can't feed him anymore. He will vomit if he eats too much."
Xie Zhenrong disagreed.
"Nanny, you always say this, but Xing Zhi still eats a lot."
She insisted: "Children will be healthy only if they can eat well."
As she spoke, Xie Zhenrong told the wet nurse to continue feeding.
The second prince's wet nurse wanted to persuade him but didn't dare to, so she could only continue feeding the child.
When the little guy smelled the fragrance of milk, he immediately leaned forward to suck it. His cheeks bulged with the sucking movement, and he looked very happy.
Nanny Zhuang was a little worried. This child really could eat a lot, twice as much as other children. She hoped that nothing would happen to him.
Maybe because he eats a lot, the second prince grows fast and is much rounder than other children of the same age.
The Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager also loved the Emperor's legitimate son very much, and would ask Xie Zhenrong to bring the child to them from time to time to have a look.
The Empress Dowager was also a little worried when she saw the child who was too chubby.
"Have you asked the imperial physician to check the child's pulse? How often?"
Xie Zhenrong replied, "Every three days, without missing a single time. Doctor Luo said the child is healthy, but a little restless at night."
The child loves to cry and always makes a fuss several times every night.
Xie Zhenrong couldn't bear to leave her child, so she put the child to sleep in her own bedroom.
I haven't slept well recently, so my eye bags are a little dark.
The Queen Mother interjected, "It's nothing for a child to be noisy at night. Xu'er also loved to make noises at night when she was little."
Xie Zhenrong laughed when she heard this: "Did the emperor really love to cry and make trouble when he was a child?"
The Queen Mother nodded. "Yes, he cried every night and refused to eat even when fed. The imperial physician examined him and said there was nothing wrong with him. He got better as he grew older."
Xie Zhenrong was originally exhausted because of not sleeping well at night, but after hearing what the Queen Mother said, she immediately felt not tired at all.
This child looks like the emperor...
Later, whenever the child cried at night, she would be happy and not anxious or worried.
Nanny Zhuang looked at the abnormal excitement in her eyes and her heart began to pound.
The next day, Madam Zhuang persuaded Zhen Rong to thank her.
"Your Majesty, the young prince has many servants around him. You don't have to do everything yourself. You should spend more time caring for the emperor."
Xie Zhenrong has not had sex with the emperor since she became pregnant, not even after she finished her confinement period.
No, strictly speaking, she had not had sex with the emperor for a long time before she became pregnant.
If she hadn't added some ingredients to the emperor's meal that time, she would not have been pregnant later.
The emperor was very angry with her because of this.
When Xie Zhenrong thought of this, he felt secretly resentful.
She and he were married, did he really hate her so much?
Even when he came to her on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, he would lie down properly and act like Liu Xiahui.
As soon as she took the initiative, he got up and left.
Over time, she no longer dared to act rashly.
But every time she smelled his scent, she couldn't help but wonder, if it was Wen Li'er lying on the bed, would he have been impatient for a long time?
Because of this matter, she felt very upset and resentful.
The drugging that time was an idea her mother came up with.
After struggling and hesitating for a while, she finally got off despite her nanny's advice, but she regretted it all the time.
She could clearly feel that since that incident, there had been an unbridgeable gap between them, as if they could never go back to the way they were before.
As Xie Zhenrong thought about it, her eyes began to turn red and tears welled up in her eyes.
But thinking of the upcoming audition day, she forced herself to calm down.
Which man in the world doesn't love power and be lustful?
The emperor is the ruler of a country and is still so young. Xie Zhenrong doesn't believe that he will remain chaste forever for the sake of a woman and no longer favor other women.
Even if I don't have sex with her anymore, what about the young and beautiful one?
Xie Zhenrong gritted his teeth, a hint of madness flashing in his eyes.
Thinking of this, Xie Zhenrong became a little excited.
She instructed Luoxia beside her, "Today, go and invite the emperor to have dinner."
"yes."
Luoxia went to invite him immediately.
Yan Shixu was reviewing memorials at the time. When he saw the palace maids from Fengyi Palace coming to invite him, he agreed.
Seeing that it was almost dinner time, he ate in his own palace before going to Fengyi Palace.
Inside Fengyi Palace, candlelight flickered.
The yellowish light reflected Xie Zhenrong's delicate face after she had carefully made herself up.
Xie Zhenrong is not bad looking, but a little too thin.
Today she wore a stone-blue dress made of chiffon with bamboo embroidery;
The sleeves and hem of the dress have small hidden patterns on them, and a ribbon of the same color is tied around the waist, which makes the figure more graceful.
There is a simple white jade hairpin on her head, and the head of the hairpin is decorated with tiny peach blossoms, which is fresh and elegant.
If you look closely, you can see that her outfit is somewhat similar to Wen Li'er's.
Upon hearing the announcement of "The Emperor has arrived", Xie Zhenrong immediately stood up to greet him with a dignified and gentle smile.
"Your Majesty, you are here." She deliberately made her voice soft and bowed slightly.
Yan Shixu stepped into the hall and his gaze lingered on her in surprise.
However, there was no excessive emotional fluctuation, he just nodded lightly.
"Well, let's set the table."
At the dining table, Yongtai tried his best to test the poison for the emperor.
To be honest, he felt a little embarrassed for the Queen.
If the queen didn't have a criminal record, he wouldn't have tested the poison again after the queen's people had already tested it.
Xie Zhenrong seemed completely unaware of the deeper meaning of Yongtai's action.
She tried her best to find topics to talk about, trying to narrow the distance between herself and Yan Shixu, and personally picked up a piece of food with chopsticks and put it into Yan Shixu's bowl.
Seeing this, Yongtai hurriedly tried the dish that Xie Zhenrong picked with the silver needle in his hand.
After making sure there was no problem, Yan Shixu picked up the dishes and ate them casually.
Xie Zhenrong was a little annoyed and tried hard to suppress a smile.
"Your Majesty, has everything been going smoothly at court lately?"
Yan Shixu spoke calmly and with dignity: "You don't need to ask too much about the affairs of the court."
Xie Zhenrong's expression froze for a moment, but she soon put on a smile again.
"Yes, Your Majesty is very busy with government affairs, so I shouldn't bother you too much. I just think of your hard work and want you to feel more at ease in Fengyi Palace."
Yan Shixu nodded: "The Queen is thoughtful."
After eating a few bites, Yan Shixu put down his chopsticks.
He looked at Xie Zhenrong and asked, "The Queen asked me to come here today, but is there anything you want to tell me?"
Xie Zhenrong nodded: "Your Majesty, the selection of concubines is approaching. I think it would be a good thing for the country and the family if Your Majesty were to be surrounded by virtuous people. However, as the Empress, I am in charge of the six palaces. If there are new sisters entering the palace, I hope Your Majesty will show more favor to the harem and not let the sisters feel cold."
Yan Shixu picked up the tea and took a sip before looking at her and saying, "Let's forget about the talent show this year."
Xie Zhenrong's defense was instantly broken, and the chopsticks in his hand fell to the table in shock.
"Your Majesty, how can this be done?"
Her voice was already piercing. "The selection of concubines is a rule set by our ancestors. It's also a major event for the expansion of the royal family and the enrichment of the harem. How can it be abolished so easily?!"
Yan Shixu put down the teacup, his expression calm but with a firmness that brooked no room for questioning.
"I have made up my mind. The court is unstable now, and I need to focus all my energy on handling government affairs. The selection of candidates is too complicated and I have no time to take care of it."
Xie Zhenrong immediately retorted, "Your Majesty, there's no need to spend time or energy on this matter. I'll leave it to you. My mother and grandmother will also help you select women of both talent and virtue. With these newcomers by your side, you'll find some peace of mind amidst your busy schedule. Furthermore, this is a good way to balance the forces within the court, and will only benefit your control of the overall situation."
Yan Shixu frowned slightly, his tone already somewhat displeased, but he still patiently explained.
"I don't need women in the harem to balance the power in the court. I just hope that this harem can be peaceful and harmonious, without unnecessary disputes and chaos."
After that, he added: "It's good like this now."
Xie Zhenrong almost couldn't catch his breath.
Is this good now?
I'm afraid you only regard Wen Li'er as your woman now, and the others are just decorations!
"Your Majesty, the selection of concubines concerns the dignity of the royal family and the reputation of the country. It is also for the purpose of expanding the royal family. I hope Your Majesty will reconsider. Besides, the Empress Dowager will not agree to it."
Yan Shixu stood up and said, "I will personally go and speak to the Empress Dowager. Please go to bed early, Empress."
After saying that, Yan Shixu stood up and left.
Xie Zhenrong looked at his receding back and was so angry that she overturned the dining table.
Bowls, chopsticks, and plates fell to the ground with a clatter.
Xie Zhenrong stood among the broken porcelain pieces, tears streaming down her face.
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