"I heard that the emperor has been doting on the imperial concubine recently!" Seeing that the atmosphere in the warm room had become a little solemn, Chen Congyan smiled and changed the subject, talking to several young ladies about the developments in the palace!
"Noble Concubine Rong has outstanding looks, so naturally she can be favored by the emperor. What a pity, alas..." Speaking of Noble Concubine Rong who is as beautiful as the sky and as elegant as a fragrant orchid, people are reminded of Concubine Rong Xian who lived a quiet life in the deep palace all her life and could not even have children. Guan Sirou sighed deeply!
No matter how favored the women in this palace are, it is useless if they have no offspring. Everything is just empty talk!
Once the emperor passed away, she would either be buried alive with him, become a nun, or be imprisoned in the cold palace!
The fate of Concubine Rongxian was relatively good. At least she had a family with immense wealth that could rival a country, and this family was relied upon by the emperor. Therefore, she was able to live out her life in the palace!
And those who have no family background have a life story that is truly miserable, sad and lamentable!
"But, I heard that Princess Yao has been kept in Ronghua Palace these days. Perhaps this Concubine Rong can impress the Emperor?" Qin Yian put away his frustration at this time. He had finally been able to leave the house to relax, so he naturally couldn't let the concubines down, so he also joined in the discussion!
When Qu Feiqing heard everyone's discussion, she just sat quietly aside. At this moment, she was very annoyed with everything in the palace!
If Concubine Rong could truly impress the Emperor, then why did the Emperor keep Princess Yao in Ronghua Palace? It was obvious that he wanted a beautiful woman but didn't want to see Concubine Rong give birth to an heir. He simply kept the already grown and conscious Princess Yao in Ronghua Palace to give the Rong family an explanation!
Such thoughts are deep, but extremely cruel. Using the Rong family's money but not treating the Rong family's daughter well, the Jiang family's imperial way is really chilling!
After such analysis, Qu Feiqing couldn't help but think of the Queen Mother. The resentment she had towards the Queen Mother gradually dissipated. She felt that the Queen Mother was just a pitiful person!
"Oh, why do you always pick such heavy topics?" Xiahou An'er joked with a faint smile when she saw the ladies' faces becoming serious as they spoke.
Everyone couldn't help but look up at the princess of the Xiahou clan. They saw that she had beautiful eyebrows and eyes, and was truly a beauty who was no less beautiful than Concubine Rong. However, when they remembered that Prince Rui had requested for an imperial decree to grant the marriage in the hall before, they all felt that it was not worth it for the princess!
After all, no matter whether Prince Rui is now under lifelong house arrest in Prince Rui's Palace by Emperor Yugan, his actions that day have already damaged the reputation of the princess of the Xiahou clan. It will probably be difficult for her to choose a husband's family in the future!
But now seeing Xiahou An'er's lively and cheerful personality, it is a bit surprising, and I can't help but admire Xiahou An'er more!
Qin Yian looked at the bright smile in Xiahou An'er's eyes and was the first to smile. Then he turned his gaze to Qu Feiqing and said softly, "Sister Fei, this Princess An'er is indeed worthy of being the cousin of the King of Chu. Her temperament is somewhat similar to that of the King of Chu's wife!"
When Yun Qianmeng was rejected by Prince Chen, she did not give up on herself. She attended various banquets with grace. Her dignified manners and intelligent responses subconsciously changed people's previous impression of her!
And now Princess Xiahou is so optimistic and cheerful, which really makes people like her!
After hearing this, Qu Feiqing's eyes immediately fell on Xiahou An'er, and she replied with a smile, "Now that you mention it, they do have some similarities! However, Meng'er's temperament is more calm, while An'er is more lively!"
After all, the two people live in different environments. Xiahou An'er has been a princess of the Xiahou clan since she was a child. She is loved and cared for by her grandfather, father, and brothers, so she is naturally cheerful and lively!
Although there are not many people in Yun Xiang's Mansion, it is full of dangers and dangers. If Yun Qianmeng is not careful, Su Qing and others will not let her go. Therefore, Yun Qianmeng's temperament has become more steady and cautious!
"But have you noticed that Han Hanlin's sister is also an interesting person?" At this time, Guan Sirou, the granddaughter of the Hanlin Academy's president, said with a faint smile, "Dad always mentions this year's new candidates when he comes home. He likes Han Hanlin and Kong Hanlin the most! He says that Han Hanlin is calm, witty, and well-read, a rare talent! However, we attended a few banquets and found that Han Hanlin's sister is not as calm as her brother. She is actually quite cute!"
Speaking of Han Yu, several young ladies recalled the scene where Han Yu was sleeping on the table during the Lantern Festival banquet this year. They couldn't help but cover their mouths with their handkerchiefs and laugh. The atmosphere in the warm room suddenly became relaxed because of Guan Sirou's words!
"Yes! This Miss Han is really a freak! In Xichu, no matter whether she is a princess or a daughter of a commoner, which one does not pay great attention to her appearance! But she actually fell asleep at the palace banquet! Although it is a bit indecent, she is honest and cute, unlike some young ladies who speak in a pretentious and disgusting tone!" Qin Yian has always been outspoken and shows no mercy to people he doesn't like. In this respect, he is exactly the same as Prime Minister Qin!
At this time, Qu Feiqing thought of what Yun Qianmeng had mentioned to her, and imagined her brother being speechless after being refuted by Miss Han, so she also smiled along with the other ladies!
"But I think Han Hanlin has a bright future!" At this time, Guan Sirou spoke again!
Han Che is an editor in the Hanlin Academy and a direct subordinate of Lord Guan. Lord Guan naturally knows Han Che's abilities best, so Guan Sirou is also more clear about Han Che's future career!
Concubine Qu then spoke, "The Emperor appointed Han Che as a compiler in the Imperial Academy and granted him the title of Shujishi. I believe Han Che will achieve great things in the future!"
"I heard that the old lady has been worrying a lot about my sister's marriage recently. Don't you have a candidate you like? If this Han Hanlin can become the real prime minister from the reserve as everyone speculates, you might as well consider it! After all, in Xichu, there are really not many people who can match you! I heard from my father that Han Hanlin usually only studies in the Hanlin Academy and stays in the Han Mansion. He even seldom participates in banquets between various mansions! Besides, the population in the Han Mansion is simple, you might as well consider it!" Seeing that Qu Feiqing had no feeling of rejection towards Han Che, Guan Sirou smiled and spoke!
After all, among those present, Qu Feiqing was the oldest. In addition, although the rumors that spread in the palace last time were finally confirmed to be the work of a palace maid, Qu Feiqing was still implicated, which did some damage to her reputation!
Han Che came from a poor family, so Qu Feiqing would be marrying down from her parents' family and would not be treated unfairly. In addition, Han Che's career was promising and if he achieved something in the future, it was not impossible for Qu Feiqing to become the prime minister's wife or even a princess!
Regardless of the considerations, Guan Sirou felt that Han Che was a good candidate!
However, Qu Feiqing had never expected to hear these words from Guan Sirou. A slightly thin but proud figure flashed through her mind. A bitterness welled up in her heart, but she could only feign anger and said, "You girl, you are talking nonsense! I have nothing to do with that Han Hanlin, and you dare to say such nonsense! If you hadn't come to the mansion recently, I would have thought you were sent by my grandmother!"
Guan Sirou immediately moved closer, put her arms around Qu Feiqing's arms, and begged for mercy, "Okay, it's my fault! Sister Fei, don't be angry!"
"You!" Qu Feiqing was shaken by Guan Sirou and could only smile and shake her head!
As they were chatting, they saw a housekeeper from Qin Xiangfu's residence led by a housekeeper from Fuguogong's residence coming to the outer room. She looked anxious and her eyes were full of worry, which made Qin Yian, whose mood had finally improved, suddenly feel uneasy!
"Mammy, why are you here?" The laughter at the table stopped because of the nanny's serious expression, and everyone's expressions also became solemn!
"Miss, the Prime Minister felt a little unwell after leaving the court today, so the Master specially ordered me to take you back home!" The nanny walked slightly closer to Qin Yian and whispered in her ear!
Hearing this, a trace of worry flashed across Qin Yian's eyes. He immediately turned around and apologized to Qu Feiqing, "Sister Fei, Daddy sent someone to take me back to the mansion. I'll take my leave now!"
Seeing that Qin Yian looked calm but had a burning look in his eyes, Qu Feiqing stood up and said understandingly, "I wanted to keep you for dinner before leaving, but since your father is busy, I won't keep you anymore!"
After he finished speaking, he stood up with several other people and personally sent her to the door of the Prince of Fuguo's Mansion. Everyone whispered a few words of comfort to her, and then watched the carriage of Prime Minister Qin's Mansion leave!
Seeing Qin Yian leave, Chen Congyan and Guan Sirou looked at the sky outside and saw that it was getting late, so they said goodbye and left one after another!
Qu Feiqing and Xiahou An'er were just turning around to go back to Tingyuxuan when they saw Qu Changqing riding a horse to the Fuguogong Mansion!
"Brother!" Qu Feiqing was a little surprised that she could see her brother returning home before dark!
Ever since Qu Changqing took over as the Minister of Justice, he has been working diligently and always busy until the middle of the night before returning home to rest. Today, Qu Changqing was very happy to be able to see her brother so early!
"Sister Fei, I'm going back to Prime Minister Chu's Mansion. I'll come to see you another day!" Xiahou An'er smiled and spoke when she saw Qu Feiqing's happy look. Then she bowed to Qu Changqing who had dismounted and was walking towards her, and turned around to get on the carriage of Prime Minister Chu's Mansion!
After the carriage from Prime Minister Chu's residence disappeared from sight, Qu Changqing's gaze turned to his sister. Seeing that she was only wearing a light pink slanted-collar jacket, he said in a somewhat reproachful tone, "Why didn't you put on a cloak before going out? Although it's spring now, the morning and evening chills are still quite strong. Be careful not to catch a cold!"
Qu Feiqing looked at her brother who is now the Minister of Justice. Although Qu Changqing is more serious than before, he is still very caring towards his sister. Qu Feiqing felt warm in her heart, and then followed Qu Changqing into the gate of the Fuguo Mansion!
"I'm just coming out to see you off! It won't be a problem for a while!" Although Qu Feiqing said this, the maids and servants who served her did not dare to be negligent. They immediately took the cloaks that had been prepared and put them on her to avoid being questioned by the eldest young master!
The brother and sister walked slowly in the garden of the Prince of Fuguo's Mansion. Now the garden was gradually showing the colors of spring, with tender buds emerging on the branches. Even the birds began to perch on the branches, chirping and chatting with each other, which made people feel happy just by looking at it!
"Didn't I invite the young ladies to dinner today? Why are they all saying goodbye and leaving now?" Although Qu Changqing was busy on weekdays, he was well aware of what was going on in Qu Feiqing's courtyard! Especially after what happened in the palace, he was extremely careful to protect his sister to prevent such a thing from happening again!
Seeing Qu Changqing asking the reason, Qu Feiqing paused slightly, lowered her brows and thought for a moment, then whispered, "Yi An just mentioned that Prime Minister Qin suddenly felt unwell recently and left in a hurry. I'm afraid it was because of this!"
Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed across Qu Changqing's eyes. Every day when he went to court, he heard Prime Minister Qin speak in a sonorous and powerful voice. How could he suddenly feel unwell?
"Is anything serious?" Prime Minister Qin was frugal and upright throughout his life. Although he did not have close relations with the various governments, he was a person whom Qu Changqing admired. Naturally, he was concerned about his physical condition!
Seeing her brother so worried, Qu Feiqing could only shake her head helplessly. "When the nanny from Prime Minister Qin's residence came to take Yi An away, she also reported very quietly in Yi An's ear. We didn't hear clearly! Brother, is there something wrong?"
"It's okay! Let's go to Ruilin Courtyard! It's been a long time since I paid my respects to grandma!" Qu Changqing suppressed the feeling in his heart, his serious expression eased a little, and a faint smile appeared in front of his sister, leading her to the Ruilin Courtyard of Old Lady Gu!
Because Chu Nanshan is temporarily staying in Prime Minister Chu's residence, only Xie, Chu Qingyang, Chu Jie and the two sisters of the Xie family are left in Prince Chu's residence!
However, Chu Qingyang went to the Wen Mansion to study, leaving early and returning late. On weekdays, only the four people from the Xie family stayed in the mansion!
As spring comes and flowers bloom, Xie's body is gradually recovering!
Although she suffered a severe injury this time, due to proper conditioning, Xie's complexion is now rosy and smooth, and even more charming than before!
"My child greets mother!" Chu Jie accompanied Xie for a walk in the garden of Prince Chu's mansion, but saw Chu Qingyang returning from class. Passing by the garden corridor, he saw his mother and sister walking on the cobblestone road in the garden, so he immediately came over to pay his respects!
"You're back! Jie'er, let's go back to the house!" Mrs. Xie looked at her son whom she hadn't seen for a long time, and a hint of pride as a mother appeared in her eyes. She led her two children back to her courtyard!
But Chu Jie and Chu Feiyang knew exactly what Xie was up to!
Although his grandfather has not been in the Prince Chu's Mansion recently, their every word and action will probably not escape Chu Nanshan's eyes!
"What have you learned from Teacher Wen recently?" After returning to the inner room and dismissing all the maids and servants, Mrs. Xie poured a cup of hot tea for her son and then asked!
Chu Qingyang always had a smile on his face when facing his mother and sister. When Xie asked about his studies, he humbly replied, "My son has been studying Go lately! The teacher's Go skills are truly unparalleled. While I was defeated with conviction, I also learned a lot and my Go skills have improved a lot! When Master Wen returned today, he told me that Prime Minister Qin seems to be... ill!"
While speaking, Chu Qingyang always looked at his mother with a smile, and his deep eyes contained unpredictable thoughts!
"Really? Prime Minister Qin is already seventy years old, and birth, aging, sickness and death are normal! But the two official positions he holds now are crucial. The Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate guides the direction of public opinion in the court, and the Left Prime Minister can be said to be the emperor's confidant! If Prime Minister Qin has an accident, these two positions will be vacant, and I wonder who will fill them!" The smile on Xie's face gradually faded, but her eyes were full of satisfaction as she looked at Chu Qingyang!
"Mother, Prime Minister Qin is ill, but I don't know how serious his illness is!" Chu Qingyang was well aware of the importance of the two official positions held by Prime Minister Qin, but now he was more concerned about whether Prime Minister Qin was simply ill. This made Chu Qingyang feel a little uneasy!
"Mom, there is something strange here, obviously..." Compared to Chu Qingyang, Chu Jie was more impatient and almost couldn't help but say what was in her heart. Fortunately, Xie glanced at her coldly, which made Chu Jie shut up!
"This is quite strange! It's just that Chu Feiyang is far away from Kyoto now, and the forces of all parties don't want to make too much noise. Otherwise, if the emperor summons Chu Feiyang to the capital, I'm afraid he will lead the army in his hands to the capital! With him around, who dares to be presumptuous in front of the emperor? Qingyang, you don't have to think too much. Just live your life as you should! Play chess with Teacher Wen well, okay?" Xie said to Chu Qingyang with a mystery in her words!
"Yes, mother!" However, when Chu Qingyang heard his mother mention Chu Feiyang's name, a hint of dissatisfaction flashed across his eyes!
"Alas, your father is also worrying! He has not woken up after so many days!" Speaking of Chu Pei, Xie felt worried. She then took out the letter that had just been sent from Youzhou from her sleeve and handed it to Chu Qingyang!
Chu Qingyang took the letter and read it quickly. His handsome eyebrows immediately knitted together. After thinking for a while, he finally said, "It shouldn't be like this. This should be..."
Chu Qingyang stopped talking halfway. She had read the same doubt in her mother's eyes, but now that she was in Prince Chu's Mansion, there were some things that she naturally could not say openly, lest others overhear them!
Chu Jie rubbed the handkerchief in her hand and asked with a worried look on her face, "Mom, is Daddy's life in danger?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Chu Qingyang and Xie both looked at Chu Jie with reproachful eyes. Chu Qingyang even scolded her in a low voice, "Little sister, don't talk nonsense! Daddy is the father of the King of Chu after all. How could he just stand by Daddy and not save him? Isn't he afraid of being scorned by the world?"
"But..." Chu Jie frowned, but swallowed the rest of her words because of the cruelty revealed in Chu Qingyang's eyes!
"Okay, you've worked hard all day, go back to your room and rest!" But at this time, Xie asked Chu Qingyang to go back to his room to rest, and she got up and walked back to the bed. With Chu Jie's help, she slowly lay back on the bed, and then closed her eyes tiredly!
Seeing that their mother was not feeling well, Chu Jie and Chu Qingyang bowed and left the inner room!
"Hey, is Auntie asleep now?" Coincidentally, Xie Yuanyuan and Xie Wanwan came to the outer room and saw Chu Qingyang and Chu Jie sitting there with heavy expressions, so they asked softly and did not rush into the inner room rashly!
"Why is my cousin here?" Seeing that it was the two sisters from the Xie family, Chu Jie's expression relaxed a little and she asked in a low voice!
At this time, Xie Wanwan and Xie Yuanyuan were looking at Chu Qingyang. Seeing the gloom hidden in his eyes, their hearts skipped a beat. They immediately lowered their heads and slowly replied, "We wanted to come and chat with our aunt. Now that our aunt has gone to bed, let's come again tomorrow!"
Having said that, the two of them left the outer room without waiting for Chu Jie to ask them to stay!
The imperial palace, Ronghua Palace!
It was already dinner time, but unexpectedly today the Queen came to visit Princess Yao in person with her maids, and Concubine Rong naturally accompanied her the whole time!
However, since the Queen had not returned to the palace for dinner, Concubine Rong ordered the palace maids around her to go down and prepare dinner!
"Since the Queen is having her meal here, I will have my meal with you as well!" At this moment, Emperor Yu Gan strode into the side hall of Ronghua Palace without even letting Eunuch Yu pass on a message!
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!" The Queen was delighted to see Emperor Yugan coming. She immediately took Princess Yao's hand and walked forward, leading Concubine Rong to salute!
"Everyone, get up!" Emperor Yugan looked at Princess Yao's happy expression, and then glanced at Concubine Rong's beautiful and elegant face. Then he half-bent over and opened his arms to Princess Yao, saying lovingly, "Yao'er, come to your father!"
"Father!" Princess Yao was naturally overjoyed to finally see her father and mother at the same time. She immediately threw herself into Emperor Yugan's arms, hugged his neck and said coquettishly, "Father, Yao'er loves to see you the most!"
As she spoke, Princess Yao stretched out her hand to the queen beside her!
The Queen saw her own daughter's efforts, and seeing that Emperor Yugan did not show any displeasure in his eyes, she walked carefully towards Princess Yao and held her daughter's hand. For a moment, Ronghua Palace, which originally belonged to Concubine Rong, seemed a little redundant!
However, despite everything that was happening before her eyes, Concubine Rong remained calmly standing aside. There was no loss in her eyes, no jealousy on her face, and her calm expression seemed as if she had not noticed the Queen and her daughter's rejection of her. Although she was not standing next to Emperor Yu Gan, she could not be ignored because of her outstanding appearance, and Emperor Yu Gan could not help but look at her a few more times!
"Tell the imperial kitchen to prepare dinner well!" Emperor Yu Gan walked towards Concubine Rong while holding the little princess in his arms, and gave instructions to Eunuch Yu!
"Yes, I obey your command!" After hearing Emperor Yugan's order, Eunuch Yu immediately left the side hall and whispered to the eunuchs at the door, asking them to prepare dinner well and not to spoil Emperor Yugan's fun. Then he stood outside the door of the side hall, waiting for Emperor Yugan's new orders at any time!
"Why did the Queen come to Ronghua Palace today?" Putting the little princess on his legs, Emperor Yugan took a piece of cake from the plate on the table and fed the little princess bite by bite, while also taking the time to ask the Queen!
The Queen and Concubine Rong sat down carefully after Emperor Yugan took his seat!
However, compared to Concubine Rong who carefully chose a seat far away from Emperor Yugan, the Queen carefully chose a seat closer to Emperor Yugan!
Seeing Emperor Yugan asking her this question, the Empress put on a polite smile and looked at Concubine Rong softly before speaking softly, "Your Majesty, Concubine Rong has been taking care of the little princess for many days, and I feel a little guilty about it. Since the weather is getting warmer today, I decided to go to Ronghua Palace to sit down. I hope Your Majesty won't blame me for my own decision!"
As she spoke, the Queen stood up and knelt...
"Get up!" Emperor Yugan said indifferently. Seeing that the little princess was choking, he ordered the wet nurse to carry Princess Yao down and feed her some water!
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Seeing that Emperor Yugan had no intention of blaming her, the Queen breathed a sigh of relief. She then stood up and slowly sat down on the edge of the stool. Then she smiled and said, "Your Majesty, Concubine Rong has been so devoted to Yao'er that I was almost unable to hold her just now!"
The Queen was smart and could see that Emperor Yugan still loved the little princess very much. As long as her topic did not leave the little princess, Emperor Yugan would naturally not ignore her and only focus on Concubine Rong!
Although she cannot compare to Rong Rong in terms of family background and appearance, she has the advantage that Emperor Yu Gan is willing to let her give birth to a prince or princess for him. Based on this point alone, Rong Rong will never have a chance to stand out in this palace!
Even though Rong Rong is in favor now, if Emperor Yugan passes away one day, the one who laughs last will still be herself!
"Your Majesty, you are too kind! All this is just the work of the wet nurse and the palace maids. I dare not take credit for it!" Rong Rong just stood up elegantly and bowed to the queen. Her words were as cold as usual, and it was impossible to tell what she was feeling at the moment!
However, the Queen was not angry because of her coldness. After all, even when facing Emperor Yugan, Concubine Rong still had a calm expression, and Emperor Yugan also tolerated her rudeness. Why should the Queen make herself unhappy? Even if she punished Concubine Rong for etiquette, she would probably indirectly offend Emperor Yugan!
"Sit down! We're a family, why so many rules?" Emperor Yugan was a little annoyed by the two of them standing up and bowing all the time. He gestured for Concubine Rong to sit down, then said to the Queen, "Since Yao'er is so kind to Rong'er, the Queen must be relieved!"
The Queen had not expected Emperor Yugan to say such words. Her heart trembled suddenly, and the faint smile on her face became a little forced. Her hands, placed on her knees, tightly twisted the handkerchief in her hands. It took a long time for her to recover. She said softly, "Your Majesty is right. Yao'er is well taken care of by Concubine Rong. I am indeed relieved! However, there is one thing that worries me, and I don't know whether I should say it or not!"
"Speak!" Emperor Yugan picked up the teacup in front of him and took a sip, then casually allowed the queen to express her doubts!
"Yes!" The Queen looked at Princess Yao who was having fun not far away, and a mother's worry appeared on her beautiful face. Then she slowly said, "Your Majesty, the little princess is grown up now, and she also knows that I am her biological mother. She usually only listens to my teachings! If she stays in Ronghua Palace for a long time, I am afraid she will be lacking in educating the child! After all, Concubine Rong is not Yao'er's biological mother. I am worried that Yao'er will not accept Concubine Rong's teachings! Yao'er is the emperor's princess. When she grows up, she will be a role model for women all over the world to learn from. You really can't be careless in teaching her. Please think twice, Your Majesty. If you can let me take care of Yao'er, I will do my best!"
As she spoke, the Queen knelt down in front of Emperor Yugan with tears in her eyes, and vowed not to get up unless Emperor Yugan agreed!
After hearing what the Queen said, Emperor Yugan frowned slightly, and then his eyes turned to Concubine Rong, who was sitting calmly at the farthest point. Seeing her acting as if she was not involved, he suddenly felt unhappy and asked, "Concubine Rong, what do you say?"
Hearing this, the Queen couldn't help but look up at Emperor Yugan's side, her eyes full of surprise and grief. She didn't expect that at this time, Emperor Yugan would first ask about Concubine Rong, who had nothing to do with Yaoer!
At this time, Emperor Yugan was staring at Concubine Rong intently, which made the Queen heartbroken. Her eyes, which slowly lowered, were filled with hatred!
After spending some time with Emperor Yugan, Rong Rong had long been accustomed to his burning gaze on her, but no matter how passionate it was, it still couldn't make her heart move!
Especially at this time, there was another queen kneeling beside Emperor Yugan who was heartbroken by him. Rong Rong never felt that it was an honor for Emperor Yugan to focus on her. Instead, she felt that the queen's today might be her tomorrow, or that her tomorrow might not be as good as the queen's today!
How could such a heartless person make her heart moved?
Concubine Rong slowly stood up, then knelt on the ground and spoke softly, "Your Majesty, the Empress and Princess Yao are mother and daughter. I am naturally happy to see them loving each other! And the Empress' words are all for Princess Yao's future. Only a biological mother would think so much about her child, which shows how much the Empress cares about and loves Princess Yao!"
Even though Concubine Rong disliked Emperor Yugan, it didn't mean she would be led by the Empress by the nose! This answer seemed to be on the Empress' side, but it didn't offend Emperor Yugan. This was enough to prove her cleverness!
"Really?" After hearing Concubine Rong's answer, Emperor Yugan uttered these two words softly. His half-closed eyes gradually revealed an unfathomable aura, and his fingers lightly resting on the table tapped the table rhythmically, which made the Queen and Rong Rong feel nervous. They understood that Emperor Yugan was the most dangerous!
"Does Concubine Rong think that she cannot surpass her biological mother?" After a while, Emperor Yugan asked this question in a low voice, but the queen's face turned pale instantly, and her body, which was originally kneeling straight, instantly changed to kneeling and sitting on the ground!
Rong Rong also did not expect that Emperor Yugan would ask her back a question. Whether she answered this question in the affirmative or in the negative, she would offend one of the two people in front of her!
Emperor Yugan didn't give Concubine Rong a chance to speak. He just played with the teacup in front of him and slowly said, "The Queen Mother and I are not biological mother and son, but she treats me like her own son! As long as I put my heart into it, I believe that even if we are not biological mother and son, it won't be a big problem! Concubine Rong has always been intelligent. I believe that with Concubine Rong's intelligence and talent, she will properly handle the concerns that the Queen just expressed. Isn't that right, Queen?"
The queen only felt two extremely cold eyes coming from above her head. Cold sweat was already oozing out of her face which was parallel to the ground, and her trembling lips did not know how to speak!
If one agrees with Emperor Yugan's words, then Princess Yao will be handed over to Concubine Rong!
But if she denied Emperor Yugan's words, she would be charged with the crime of disobeying the emperor's order, and even if she was the queen, she could not afford to be punished!
For a moment, the queen's body trembled slightly, but she bit her lower lip, stubbornly not letting herself rashly answer this dilemma in an impulsive situation!
"Your Majesty!" At this moment, Eunuch Yu outside the door walked in quickly!
"What's the matter?" Emperor Yugan felt unhappy when he didn't get a response from the Queen. He then glared at Eunuch Yu with some anger, hoping that he really had something important to report, otherwise don't blame him for being angry!
"Your Majesty, someone from Prime Minister Qin's residence just reported that Prime Minister Qin is ill!" Eunuch Yu was standing outside the door just now, but he also heard what the Queen and others said. He also knew that the Emperor was in a bad mood at the moment. If there was no urgent matter to report, he would not want to bump into him at this critical juncture!
"Sick? Prime Minister Qin was fine this morning at the court, how come he's sick all of a sudden?" After saying that, Emperor Yugan stared at Eunuch Yu with suspicion, checking to see if there was any panic expression on his face!
Eunuch Yu has been with Emperor Yugan for so many years, how could he not understand that the emperor's expression at this moment clearly showed that he suspected that he had accepted benefits from the empress or Concubine Rong, which was why he risked his life to run in at such an important moment!
But he felt so wronged. He clearly didn't get a single copper coin, yet he was still suspected by the emperor. No one could stand up for him, so he could only bite the bullet and continue to explain, "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Qin is seventy years old this year, and his health is naturally not as good as that of the younger generation! As the saying goes, illness is like a mountain falling, and I'm afraid it's just like Prime Minister Qin!"
Seeing that Eunuch Yu's eyes showed no sign of evasion, Emperor Yugan turned his gaze away. He then stood up and said to the Queen and Concubine Rong, "Have your meal by yourselves! As for Yao'er's matter, there is no need to mention it anymore!"
After he finished speaking, he was about to leave...
"Your Majesty..." But the Queen suddenly rushed over, tightly grasping the hem of Emperor Yugan's clothes, raised her pitiful face, looked at Emperor Yugan with pleading eyes, and burst into tears, unable to speak...
Seeing her like this, Emperor Yugan thought of his grandmother's home, his eyebrows twitched slightly, and then changed his words, "Let's talk about this another day!"
Having said that, he turned and left, leaving only the queen to see him off with tears of joy!
"In that case, I will take Yao'er back to the palace first!" After wiping the sweat and tears from her face, the Queen stood up with grace, but there was a hint of coldness in her eyes when she looked at Concubine Rong!
Even though Concubine Rong did not take advantage of the situation just now, Emperor Yugan's previous behavior showed that Concubine Rong was a scheming person. If he did not take the initiative, he was afraid that the throne of the queen would be lost in the end!
"Yes!" Unexpectedly, Concubine Rong agreed without hesitation!
This made the Queen even more angry. She felt that this was a provocation from Rong Rong to her. Relying on the Emperor's favor, she did not take her, the Queen, seriously. She was so generous in letting her take Yao'er back. She was probably just trying to take the child away from her with a clear conscience to show how favored she was in the palace now!
Concubine Rong looked at the Queen's expression as she tried her best to hide her emotions. She knew what she was thinking at the moment, but she did not point it out or comfort her!
She wasn't in the mood to laugh at others, nor did she possess the compassion and mercy of Nun Jiuxuan, who saved all living things! Furthermore, even if she offered words of comfort to the Queen, she probably wouldn't appreciate it!
Watching coldly as the Queen ordered the palace maids to pack up the little princess's clothes, Rong Rong half-bent her knees and sent these uninvited people away!
When she left the side hall, she looked up and realized the moon had already risen to the middle of the sky. This beautiful day had been spent in endless speculation and jealousy. It was obvious that the women in the palace were truly pitifully boring...
"Master, let's go back to the bedroom and have some rest! It's so windy outside, be careful not to catch a cold!" The personal maid stepped forward and carefully helped Rong Rong walk towards the main hall!
"Yunhe must have arrived in Youzhou!" Rong Rong raised her right hand, hooked the loose hair around her ears behind her ears, and asked the palace maid beside her in a very low voice!
"Counting the days, the young master has probably been here for several days!" The palace maid was Rong Rong's dowry girl, so naturally she knew more!
Hearing this, Rong Rong smiled slightly and couldn't help but sigh that the Rong family seemed cold-hearted, but they were the most affectionate!
Even though he knew Yun Qianmeng was already married, Yun He still threw himself into her wholeheartedly. He did this without any regrets. Although it was sad to watch, wasn't it also a kind of happiness?
But I don’t even dare to hope for such happiness!
Shaking her head in self-mockery, Rong Rong said calmly, "Go back!"
At this time in Prime Minister Chu's residence, Qu Changqing was sitting in the room, while Chu Nanshan was sitting behind the table writing furiously. After a while, he called Jiao Da who was outside the door!
"Your Highness!" Over the years, Jiao Da has become accustomed to calling Chu Nanshan "Your Highness"!
Chu Nanshan sealed the envelope and handed it to Jiao Da, saying, "Send it out!"
"Yes, Your Highness!" After taking the letter, Jiao Da put it against his chest and then turned and left!
Seeing that his work had been completed, Qu Changqing also stood up and bowed to Chu Nanshan, saying, "Your Highness, I am taking my leave!"
Chu Nanshan saw that the business was done, and he saw that Qu Changqing, a martial arts expert, had finally arrived in the mansion. How could he let him go easily? He walked up to him, put his arm around Qu Changqing's shoulder and dragged him to the courtyard. He said loudly, "Your father is just a scholar, but you are both civil and martial. I like you very much. Today, I will practice with you, and I will take it as a reward for your escape!"
Before he finished speaking, Chu Nanshan's palm wind was already approaching Qu Changqing's face!
Qu Zhangqing had been trained by Chu Feiyang for so many years, so his martial arts skills were naturally not bad. He reacted instantly and dodged Chu Nanshan's attack with a sideways move. While he was surprised at Chu Nanshan's agility, he did not dare to underestimate this fierce general because of his age...
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