Upon arriving at the hunting grounds, the two changed into light riding attire. Meng Guqing, acting as the demonstrator, planned to first try riding the horse to get a feel for it before taking Qingyin with him.
A moment later, Meng Guqing looked at the white horse that the servants had brought over. They said it was a rideable horse, but it was actually just a young foal. She frowned as she looked at the foal that she hadn't ridden since she was twelve.
He said, "Bring another horse, one that is an adult."
The steward leading the pony looked apprehensive, his heart pounding as he glanced nervously at the Empress, whose brows were furrowed. It was indeed they who led the pony, but it was precisely because of the person riding it that usually only the princes of the palace would occasionally come to ride and shoot, but the ladies of the palace would never do so.
Most women in the Qing Dynasty were reserved and conservative, and those associated with martial arts tended to stay away from such things, unlike Mongolian women who were more untamed and less bound by rules. Therefore, few Manchu or Han women knew how to ride horses, so the horse stewards didn't think the Empress was particularly skilled at riding. Moreover, judging from the Empress's words, it seemed she was even riding with the Emperor's new favorite, Consort Wan, which made them even more worried. That's why they brought the pony over.
"Your Majesty, this little horse can be ridden..." Sensing the Empress's sharp gaze, the steward's voice grew softer and softer.
In the end, he was just a servant and could not make decisions for the empress. The steward could only nervously lead over a large horse. It was a red steed with an elegant figure and a shiny coat. At a glance, you could tell that it was well taken care of by the people below.
Meng Guqing's eyes lit up with admiration at first glance at the horse's excellent condition. He stroked the horse's head, and the red horse obediently lowered its head.
With a swift movement, Meng Guqing flipped onto the red horse, his movements smooth and practiced.
Seeing the Empress's obviously experienced demeanor, the steward was much more at ease and stepped aside to keep watch, so as not to disturb his mistress's enjoyment.
Qingyin, on the other hand, successfully demonstrated her "green tea" skills, for example:
"The Empress is amazing! The way she mounted the horse was so beautiful and graceful, she's definitely different from everyone else."
"Wow, the Empress looks like a battle-hardened general on horseback!"
"I never imagined that the Empress could also shoot arrows! She's amazing! How can there be such a skilled woman!"
...All sorts of nice-sounding, free words came crashing down on Meng Guqing.
Two hours later, Meng Guqing's lips still hadn't fallen. If it weren't for the people sent by the emperor, Meng Guqing would have loved to take the little green tea girl, Yinyin, back to her Kunning Palace so they could sleep side by side all night and she could tell Yinyin about her heroic deeds in the past.
During this period, Qingyin's relationship with the Empress progressed rapidly, and her relationship with Emperor Fulin naturally improved a lot as well.
A third mistress also frequently appeared in Qiming Palace, namely the Empress. The main wife, Fulin, was jealous and gritted his teeth when he saw the Empress appear in front of him and pull Wanwan away.
Every day, without fail, the Empress would drag Wanwan away, and their actions were incredibly intimate. Seeing this, Fulin wished he could turn into a human wall to block the two of them, in order to avoid the Empress's covetousness towards Wanwan.
Ha, if the Empress weren't a woman, he would really suspect that she might have some other abnormal thoughts about his Wanwan.
Thinking about it, Fulin was in a bad mood because of his unsatisfied desires and jealousy towards the Empress for several days, especially when he saw some officials in the court speaking openly or secretly in front of him, saying that Wanwan was a wicked concubine who brought disaster to the country.
When the emperor was displeased, he would take it out on these officials.
Subsequently, a barrage of veiled and sarcastic remarks rained down on the faces of these officials, leaving some blushing red and pale.
When he returned to Qiming Palace, he once again presented Qingyin with that calm and elegant face.
Qingyin didn't intend to leave the emperor hanging forever. After all, as a human being, she also had desires. So one day, she pretended to be moved by Fulin's behavior and naturally went along with him.
Then, on their wedding night, the red candles went out and were lit again, and they called for water several times throughout the night.
The next day, Fulin got up with a beaming smile. Before going to court, after changing his clothes, Fulin stood by the window, gazing at his fair and delicate face, which looked even more delicate on the red velvet quilt. He looked for a long time before reluctantly leaving under Wu Liangfu's repeated urging.
Before leaving, he reminded the servants to keep their voices down so that the Empress could rest a little longer.
For the first time, Qingyin had gotten used to waking up early, and it was the first time she had gotten up before the sun was high in the sky. Looking at the teasing look on A'an's face, she blushed slightly and said, "Change into that peach-pink dress."
Ah An smiled and said, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Song An, who had brought the clothes, blushed as he looked at Qingyin's body covered in ambiguous marks. "The Empress doesn't know how to be gentle with her sister. She's being so rough. How can Her Majesty's delicate body withstand this?"
Song An misunderstood the Emperor. Qingyin's body had been transformed to the extreme by the beauty pill, and her skin was as delicate as a baby's. It was easy to leave a mark with a light touch. However, this body of ice-cold skin and jade bones only looked extremely fragile. In fact, it was more normal than most people, but it looked a bit scary.
In the imperial court, the officials also noticed the emperor's good mood.
After all, anyone could tell that the emperor would suddenly turn into a smiling man and speak normally after making a stern rebuke in court.
However, they were also extremely wary of the emperor. After so many days of his irritability, his sudden gentle demeanor was like a wolf in sheep's clothing trying to befriend them. It seemed like a trap, so the officials in the court became increasingly obedient.
Fu Lin was overjoyed. He felt that Wan Wan had brought him good luck, otherwise why hadn't he encountered any troubles lately?
Three months later, time flew by, and news broke that Qingyin was two months pregnant.
The Empress Dowager originally had some ideas, but they were completely dispelled when she heard that Qingyin was pregnant with twins. She was happy all day long, hoping that Consort Wan would give birth to the children safely. As for the gender, it didn't matter. She had never thought about twins. Whether it was a boy or a girl, with Consort Wan's beauty, the two little girls would be very beautiful. Just thinking about the two little girls who might look like Consort Wan calling her "Grandmother" made Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang very happy.
The news of Qingyin's pregnancy stirred up various emotions within the palace, ranging from anticipation to resentment. Consorts and Consort An, who were already pregnant, were filled with both jealousy and fear.
Upon returning to her residence, Yuehua Palace, the maids waiting there quickly surrounded her, carefully tending to their mistress, who looked noticeably unwell after returning from paying her respects at Kunning Palace. One of the maids, who had an ordinary appearance, cautiously asked, "Your Highness, is something troubling you?"
An Ying, unable to contain her anger, shoved Tao Yue, one of her trusted confidantes who had come forward. Her usually pretty brows furrowed tightly as she said sarcastically, "Can't you see? I'm obviously very annoyed!"
The maid Tao Yue, who was pushed and almost fell, showed a slight look of panic on her face, but quickly straightened up and covered it up.
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