As soon as the Fifth Prince finished speaking, he received a hearty kick from the Second Prince. He could only cover his foot and howl.
"My second cousin and I have a pure brother-sister relationship, there's no such thing as childhood sweethearts. And I'll tell you in secret, my second cousin has someone he likes!" Zhou Qiongyue said this last sentence mysteriously, which indeed successfully piqued the interest of the Empress and the Emperor.
After Zhou Qiongyue finished speaking, she pretended to cover her mouth, as if she had said something wrong.
After listening to what Zhou Qiongyue said, the emperor and the empress looked at the second prince Li Jingchen in surprisingly consistent manner. The main reason was that the second prince was their legitimate son, and the position of the principal wife was very important.
The second prince Li Jingchen could only glare at Zhou Qiongyue, meaning, you accepted my things, and this is how you explain it to me?
Zhou Qiongyue looked at the Second Prince, whose ears were red, and glared back without hesitation. From the perspective of the others, it seemed that while Zhou Qiongyue and the Second Prince had a good relationship, it wasn't the kind of relationship they had imagined.
The emperor and the empress couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. The emperor felt that the Zhou family could not produce another empress, otherwise the threat from the foreign relatives would be too great.
The queen truly felt sorry for her niece who had grown up so close to her. Entering the palace was not easy, and being queen was even harder. She still hoped her niece could live a happy and stable life.
The Second Prince, Li Jingchen, met the gazes of his father, the Emperor, and his mother, the Empress, and could only speak: "She is the eldest daughter of Marquis Xuanping. I am deeply attracted to her."
Zhou Qiongyue sat next to the queen, looking like she was watching the fun.
Seeing Zhou Qiongyue like this, the Queen knew that her niece had really thought it through, and she felt relieved instantly. As for her son's wife, she had no say in the matter; everything depended on the Emperor's wishes.
Moreover, in the Queen's view, the situations of men and women are different. As long as Yue'er is not harmed, it doesn't matter who her son likes. If the main wife is not suitable, there is still the position of concubine. Anyway, as long as the emperor has no objection, she has no objection either.
The emperor was silent for a while, and only said one sentence, "We'll talk about it later!"
In fact, the emperor said this because he was reluctant to agree. In the original book, he agreed so readily mainly because he didn't want his son to marry Zhou Qiongyue.
Now that Zhou Qiongyue was no longer a threat, the Emperor felt that the Xuanping Marquisate was too powerful. Not only did his ancestors have meritorious service, but the current Xuanping Marquis was also in charge of the Ministry of Personnel. He was not comparable to an idle marquis like Cheng'en Marquis.
Li Jingchen still wants to fight for it.
But the Queen interrupted, "Okay, Yue'er is hungry too, let's have lunch first!"
The Queen was able to give birth to two children in the harem and raise them up. She also had some experience in understanding the Emperor's mind. She had already sensed that the Emperor did not want to agree.
Li Jingchen saw that his mother had spoken, so he had no choice but to give up. He thought that he would persuade his mother in private, and then the mother and son would work together, and his father would probably agree.
On the other hand, Zhou Qiongyue next to her was a little gloating, thinking that if the heroine had a chance to do it again, this time just as a concubine, she would definitely look very happy.
Even though it didn't work out, Li Jingchen didn't get angry and remained active at the table. Zhou Qiongyue would occasionally chime in, and with the Fifth Prince Li Jingyu around, the meal was a very harmonious one.
Especially Zhou Qiongyue, this was her first time eating imperial meals. Although her manners were still good, she ate a lot.
Even the emperor couldn't help but tease, "Yue'er has had an illness, and her appetite has improved a lot."
Zhou Qiongyue praised without hesitation: "I miss the food here from my uncle and aunt. You can't get such cooking skills outside."
"Foodie!" Li Jingchen blurted out.
"Chen'er!"
“Second brother!”
The Queen and the Fifth Prince Li Jingyu both stared at the Second Prince with disapproval.
Li Jingchen's backbone and the like, that is non-existent. In front of his family, he does not have this thing, "I was wrong, I am a foodie, I am a foodie..."
Seeing Li Jingchen like this, everyone couldn't help laughing. The emperor was in a good mood in this atmosphere. Only when he was with the queen could he feel the strong family affection.
It's not the poor acting skills of those in the harem that can be seen through at a glance. So although the queen is not the emperor's favorite concubine, she is the person he trusts the most.
After the meal, the emperor returned to the front. Before leaving, he did not forget to tell Zhou Qiongyue that if she found someone she liked, she could come to him for marriage.
Of course Zhou Qiongyue happily agreed. After all, in this era, being granted marriage by the emperor was an honor.
As soon as the emperor left, the queen took Zhou Qiongyue's hand and said worriedly, "Yue'er, tell your aunt honestly, do you really think that?"
"Aunt, don't worry! I really think so. When the time comes, I will have you and my cousins to support me. Who dares to treat me badly? I don't know how comfortable my life will be then.
Besides, my second cousin seems so clueless, so let it go!"
The Queen nodded as she listened. She felt Yue'er was right. Even Zhou Qiongyue's final complaint made sense to the Queen. She knew her son well. Even though he had someone he loved, nothing was more important than power.
As long as there is a conflict between the two, his son will choose power without hesitation. People in the royal family are all hard-hearted.
The fifth prince, Li Jingyu, also echoed, "Second brother is not good enough, cousin, I will introduce you to someone better later."
Second Prince Li Jingchen: You three, watch your words, I'm still here!
The Queen rolled her eyes at her son and said casually, "Don't you already have someone you like? Why don't you just go and work hard on yourself? Why are you standing here?"
"Ah? How can I try? Mother, please talk to father for me!" Li Jingchen quickly jumped to the other side of the queen, ready to persuade his mother.
The Queen calmly pulled Li Jingchen's hand away and said, "I have no other options. Your father is clearly afraid of Marquis Xuanping's power. You figure out a solution yourself!"
Seeing that his mother refused to help, Li Jingchen could only frantically glance at Zhou Qiongyue, hoping that his cousin could speak up for him.
Zhou Qiongyue: "Second cousin, what's wrong with your eyes?"
"Ignore him." The queen patted Li Jingchen on the back and told him not to do anything naughty under her nose.
Li Jingchen felt that he had finally put this matter on the table and was unwilling to give up this opportunity. "Mother, you can't be partial. Just help your son!"
After he finished acting coquettishly with the Queen, he looked at Zhou Qiongyue again, "Cousin, Miss Xie is also your friend, please help us!"
Zhou Qiongyue pointed at herself in disbelief, "You said Miss Xie is my friend?"
"Yes, I heard your conversation with Miss Xie at the birthday party of the old lady of Xuanping Marquis." Li Jingchen had an expression that said, "Don't try to hide it from me."
When the queen heard her son say this, she looked at Zhou Qiongyue curiously.
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