The next morning, Murong Wan went to the palace to see the Empress, ostensibly for a heart-to-heart talk with her sister, but in reality, only the two of them knew the truth. After Murong Wan entered, Empress Lin Yiran dismissed all the eunuchs and palace maids.
The two sisters talked for a long time, until almost noon, before Murong Wan finally left Kunning Palace.
Empress Lin Yiran instructed people to prepare lunch and went directly to the Imperial Study.
Imperial Study
Rong Yuan was quite surprised to see the Empress personally delivering lunch.
"Yiran, what brings you to the Imperial Study today?"
Empress: "Your Majesty, I have come today to discuss something with you."
When the Emperor heard the Empress say this, he must have something important to say, otherwise the Empress would not have disturbed him so easily while he was working.
After lunch was set out, the Emperor waved for everyone to leave, and he and the Empress ate lunch together.
"Your Majesty, our Xiao'er is already seventeen. We've been trying to find a suitable husband for her, but either she disagrees or we're not satisfied. I have a candidate in mind now, and I wonder if Your Majesty would like to hear about him?"
Upon hearing this, Rong Yuan realized that the Empress had come to discuss Xiao'er's marriage. He had thought it was something else entirely, but Xiao'er's marriage was also very important.
Rong Yuan: "Oh, then Yi Ran, tell me about it."
The Empress slowly spoke: "The person I want to mention is Feng Qingyun, the eldest son of the Feng Prince's family. You have met that child. He is a handsome, talented, and exceptional young man."
Rong Yuan was relieved to hear that the child was Feng Qingcang's son, after all, he had watched the child grow up. He just didn't know when the child had crossed paths with his daughter.
This old Feng family, their daughter kidnapped his Aqi, and now their son wants to kidnap his daughter too? What kind of people are they? Humph.
Rong Yuan: "Yi Ran, did someone say something to you?"
Empress: "Hehe, it's Wan'er again. She came over early this morning, saying that her son and Xiao'er are getting along quite well, and she wanted to know our opinion. I said, this girl, she's always gone out of the palace for so long, turns out she's going to the Prince Feng's residence."
Rong Yuan nodded. If it were the Phoenix Prince's residence, he wouldn't have any objections. However, with the Kingdom of Tianzhu about to come and offer birthday greetings, he was very busy and couldn't afford to pay attention to the feelings between these young people.
What does Yi Ran mean?
The Empress said, "Of course I like that child, but it mainly depends on His Majesty's opinion. However, as a mother, I am getting old and always want my child by my side so that we can feel at ease."
Rong Yuan understood the Empress's meaning upon hearing her words. He, too, longed to have his children by his side.
Alright, I'll ask Feng Qingcang after court tomorrow and see what he thinks. If possible, it wouldn't hurt to make a decision first.
"Yiran, I understand what you mean. Don't worry, I will not use my child's marriage to stabilize the country."
The Empress was moved by Rong Yuan's words; he had always understood her thoughts best. Since that incident, it seemed Rong Yuan had never truly let go.
“Your Majesty, you need not worry. That was her own choice back then. That person has never blamed you, and Qi’er has never resented you either.”
When Rong Yuan heard the Empress mention that matter, it was as if he had been transported back to the past. If time could truly turn back, he might have stopped that person from marrying another to consolidate the Qinglong Kingdom's power. Far from her own homeland, she would have died tragically in a foreign land, her body never even returning home.
When Rong Yuan thought about this, he felt guilty towards her and Qi'er, which is why he treated him even better. This is why the concubines and princes, unaware of the situation, became jealous of Rong Qi.
Seeing Rong Yuan recalling the past, the Empress walked behind him and gently massaged his temples. It was as if she had been doing this for a long time, and she was very skilled at it.
Rong Yuan held the Empress's hand: "If you don't think about it, you won't have a headache. It's good that you, Rong Zhan and his wife, Feng Qingcang and his wife, and all of us are still here. It's so good."
The Empress nodded in agreement: "In the blink of an eye, the children have grown up, and we have all grown old."
"Who's old, Father? My father isn't old at all. He's in his prime. Anyone who says he's old, I'll show them what I'm made of." The voice arrived before the person.
As soon as he finished speaking, the door to the Imperial Study was pushed open again, and Rong Xiao walked in.
"You little brat, do you have any princess manners at all? You're so loud and boisterous," Rong Yuan said, looking at his most beloved daughter.
Rong Xiao: "Hehehe, I was just missing Father. Did Father scold me because he felt I disturbed your time with Mother? Shall I leave?"
The Empress said, "You child, what nonsense are you spouting? You deserve a beating."
Rong Xiao stuck out her little tongue like a spoiled little girl.
Looking at his daughter's playful appearance, Rong Yuan felt even more strongly that he couldn't let her marry far away. Otherwise, with her little temper and quirks, she would suffer a lot, and he couldn't bear to see her like that.
The family of three chatted happily in the imperial study.
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