He knew he had indeed gone too far this time. He hadn't explained everything clearly, and now he was asking Jiang Tian to enter the palace. It was only right that she refused.
But if she refuses, the child will lose his identity.
He put her in a difficult situation; it was his fault.
But she still chose to compromise.
He always felt indebted to a woman like that.
"No, I won't confine you to that deep palace. Why would I restrict someone's freedom? The palace has the best imperial physicians and the most meticulous care. Once you've given birth there and the child is older and no longer afraid of the bumpy journey, I'll send you away from the palace. I mean what I say."
Jiang Ting's tone was very firm; he was not one to go back on his word.
This time it really was his fault.
He underestimated Jiang Tian's disgust and avoidance of him, causing their relationship to fall into a stalemate again.
He felt terrible, but he still had to clean up the mess because it was indeed his mistake that he hadn't told her beforehand.
"...Alright, then let me know when you're leaving."
Jiang Ting noticed the indifference in her tone, and his heart pounded: "Aren't you resentful of me? It's my fault for not explaining these things to you clearly."
"I don't blame you. Actually, I don't care about these things either. If the capital can provide a better environment for the child, it's fine to go. Perhaps you don't know me very well. If I don't care about someone, then I won't have much emotion about anything concerning him."
“Going to the capital is the result of my weighing the pros and cons. As you said, going to the capital will allow the child to be born legitimately. As long as the child is safe and healthy, and you are willing to let me take him away, I can accept any arrangement.”
After saying all that, Jiang Tian summed it up in three words: she didn't care.
She didn't care about Jiang Ting at all, so she didn't have any particular feelings about his arrangements.
As long as it doesn't harm her, and as long as Jiang Tian can figure it out herself, then there will be no obstacles in her way.
Jiang Tian is a very open-minded person.
However, this acceptance is based on the fact that she doesn't love him and has never had any unusual feelings for him.
Even though they had a child together, in her eyes, Jiang Ting was still an outsider.
Faced with the facts, Jiang Ting felt a pang of sadness.
But what can be said?
He couldn't go back on his word, break his promise, snatch her into the palace, and watch her wither away.
This is not how you love someone.
Jiang Ting's father, the emperor, left him with a cautionary tale.
He witnessed too many women tragically departing from the palace.
"Okay. I'll make the arrangements."
Not long after, Jiang Ting was about to set off back to the capital.
To the surprise of the officials, they had assumed that the emperor would not bring any more women back to the capital—so many beautiful women had returned empty-handed, and they had gradually given up.
But the emperor's heart is indeed unfathomable.
On the carriage returning to the capital, there was an extra woman.
It is said that this woman came from a scholarly family, was beautiful and elegant. The emperor was captivated by her at first sight and, overjoyed, married her.
Upon departing for Beijing, the woman was properly placed in the queue for those returning to the capital.
The emperor wanted to take her back to the palace to bestow honors and make her one of his concubines.
Many women were green with envy.
They practically tore the handkerchiefs in their hands to shreds.
They had worked so hard for so long, and it was understandable that the Emperor hadn't seen them; the beauties all assumed that none of them had been selected this time.
But one woman happened to catch the emperor's eye; it was truly a matter of timing and fate.
However, these women were seasoned veterans of the pleasure quarters, and since the emperor had taken a liking to them, they would not belittle themselves.
A person with both talent and good looks will never lack a confidant.
The women in Jiangnan could take it easy, but the concubines in the imperial palace couldn't at all.
They couldn't even believe they were hearing what the emperor had done.
Two years have passed; I've been alone in the cold palace for two years.
They thought that entering the palace would bring them endless wealth and glory, but once inside, they realized it was a cage that devoured people without spitting out their bones.
No one understands how devastating loneliness can be to a person.
But they always had some hope in their hearts, and that was the emperor.
The emperor was so handsome and powerful; he was the best husband they could ever imagine, after all, the ruler of a country must be a figure worshipped by all women.
At first, everyone was ambitious and wanted to demonstrate their status and climb the social ladder by vying for favor.
But they later discovered that the emperor was heartless.
He never skimped on their food or clothing, and there was never any deduction or withholding of anything during the late emperor's reign.
The Emperor always provided them with ample supplies of excellent quality.
Putting aside the mental anguish, they have also enjoyed many comfortable days in the past two years.
After all, the emperor never enters the harem and never visits them. If they want to scheme against each other, there's no one to watch them, and they can't even find an opportunity. So why bother?
The concubines had a hard enough time just getting through each day, as the time was just too boring.
The emperor had never appointed an empress, and the palace was filled with ordinary concubines of similar rank, so they couldn't really start a fight.
After many days of gloom, they didn't even know what to do to get the Emperor to look at them.
But apart from not entering the harem, the emperor treated them very well.
During the reign of the late emperor, there were countless concubines in the harem. Many high-ranking concubines had to share rooms with others, making the rooms extremely crowded.
The best things were reserved for the high-ranking concubines, while the lower-ranking concubines lived lives worse than pigs and dogs.
Those were the truly difficult times, after all, even survival couldn't be guaranteed.
The imperial harem is now completely peaceful.
There were indeed two batches of concubines who entered the palace one after the other, but the number was not large. The harem was spacious enough that there was no need for two people to squeeze into one room.
The meals they ate were also carefully prepared by the imperial kitchen, and were delicious and clean.
The emperor was very kind. He had a library that he allowed his concubines to visit, and he even allowed their families to visit them in the palace every month.
Every month, these concubines would meet with their family members.
Family members were also very worried.
They sent their best daughter in with the intention of climbing the social ladder.
Perhaps the emperor will bestow the title of empress upon one of these concubines.
Every time the emperor visited his daughters in the palace, their families would urge them to find a way to win the emperor's heart.
The Emperor is still clueless. Once he does, they will be able to win his heart in one fell swoop, which would be a meteoric rise to power.
Everyone dreams this dream, and we grit our teeth and persevere.
But the emperor was willful and self-willed, and he was able to restrain himself even at the prime of his life.
Many people were filled with apprehension, wondering if this was all they could ever live for.
Is the emperor inherently indifferent to women?
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