When Liu Heng came in, Lin Yuqiao was painting in the room.
After the ceremony, everyone else left on their own. Liu Heng peeked out and saw what appeared to be an unfinished portrait on the table.
"What's this?"
Liu Heng had given up hope on her painting skills. He had never seen a portrait painted without clothes, showing only two legs, with the subject holding a cane between them, and no hair or hat.
"This is the little golden figure I'm going to give to Mangxia as a reward! After the painting is finished, I'll have the craftsmen forge it into pure gold."
Lin Yuqiao was extremely excited. She had been hiding behind the screen all afternoon, and after witnessing Mang Xia's superb acting skills, she had been thrilled ever since. It was also thanks to Mang Xia's flawless acting and eloquence that her plan succeeded.
Talented people deserve awards, so she wanted to award Mang Xia the highest honor in her heart, symbolizing acting prowess—an Oscar. Or, to localize it, it could be called the "Qin Dynasty Imperial Harem Oscar."
"What's with this strange little golden statue?"
Upon hearing that she was going to print out a physical object based on the portrait, Liu Heng couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.
"You don't understand, that's just how it is."
Lin Yuqiao continued to busy herself and gave a perfunctory reply.
"Is Mangxia the palace maid who tricked Hanyu into revealing the truth this afternoon?"
The name sounded somewhat familiar. After thinking for a moment, Liu Heng remembered that she was the person Wei Jiang had mentioned who was pretending to be Consort Ning's confidante.
"Yes, that's right, it's her. Thanks to her, my plan to catch the thief behind closed doors worked, so she should be rewarded."
Liu Heng had something to say to her, but seeing that she was busy painting portraits and had no time for him, he decided to help her finish her work first.
"Your drawing is so bad, how could any craftsman possibly make it?"
Taking the pen from Lin Yuqiao, Liu Heng sketched a long robe, beard, hair, and hat on the portrait with a few strokes. After finishing, Liu Heng looked at it from left to right and still felt it was very strange. He put it aside and took out another piece of paper to redraw it.
"Ha ha……"
Lin Yuqiao watched as Liu Heng completely localized the little golden figure she had drawn, adding a hat and robe, and even a cane in his hand. It looked so out of place, a bizarre combination of Chinese and Western styles, that she laughed until tears streamed down her face.
"Do you want to draw an older person?"
Liu Heng wanted to redraw a portrait that met aesthetic standards, and remembering that her previous drawing included a cane, he asked.
"No need, no need, this one is fine. I'll send it to the goldsmith later and have him make a portrait of it and send it over."
Lin Yuqiao leaned on Liu Heng's arm and quickly stopped him from drawing a new one. She couldn't stop laughing, thinking how weird it would be if the drawing was based on this portrait.
After instructing Qingming to take the portrait away, Lin Yuqiao, in a good mood, put her arm around Liu Heng's waist and asked him to feed her some snacks.
“I know about Han Yu’s matter, and I’ve already asked Li Si to handle it. You know that Han Yu was behind it, so why didn’t you just tell me directly instead of going through all this trouble?”
This was also what Liu Heng couldn't understand. Han Yu was such a vicious palace maid. If he knew what Han Yu had done, he could have just told her and let him handle it. Why did he need to go to such great lengths?
Looking at Liu Heng's expression, Lin Yuqiao was certain that Han Yu would not have a good ending. While she felt relieved, she also couldn't understand his confusion.
Was she wrong? There was no evidence at the time. What if he didn't believe her if she spoke up?
"I handled it so well. First, I controlled Fei Chen, and then I used this trick within a trick to make Han Yu acquiesce and even find out that she used the yellow kernel fruit."
Lin Yuqiao made a lotus seed pastry herself and said as she put it in her mouth.
After she casually swallowed the pastry in her mouth, she noticed that Liu Heng's expression was very serious, and he was looking at her with deep eyes. "You don't believe me?"
In fact, after learning about Lin Yuqiao's series of actions, including controlling Feichen to make her cooperate with her plan, asking him for the waist token from Consort Ning's palace and Wei Jiang, and having Mang Xia put on a show, he felt a tightness in his chest.
She kept quiet about who hurt Mengmeng, and went to all this trouble in private just to tell him that Hanyu was the murderer. Clearly, she didn't believe him and insisted on having conclusive evidence before telling him.
Was she afraid he wouldn't believe her, or was she afraid he would protect Han Yu?
“It’s not that I don’t believe her, it’s just that I don’t have any evidence. At the time, I couldn’t just convict her based on my guess. What if she didn’t admit it and instead said that I was framing her?”
Hearing Liu Heng's words, Lin Yuqiao looked very aggrieved, her eyes widened, her lips slightly pouted, and the corners of her mouth turned down slightly.
This was her imitation of Mengmeng's expression when she was being roughly kneaded by her. She didn't know if Liu Heng would fall for it, but every time Mengmeng made this expression, she wanted to pounce on her and kiss her even more.
“Since you suspect her, you must have your reasons. Tell me, and I can’t help but believe you. Han Yu is just a female official. If she doesn’t admit it, then torture her. There are special interrogation rooms in the palace, and there are plenty of ways to deal with people who don’t tell the truth.”
Liu Heng was somewhat saddened by Lin Yuqiao's distrust of him.
Looking into Liu Heng's dark eyes, Lin Yuqiao felt a little uneasy.
"If I really tell you without any evidence, aren't you afraid that I'll use her beauty and the fact that you've suddenly taken a liking to her as a pretext for revenge?"
Gently tugging at Liu Heng's clothes, Lin Yuqiao looked at him, feeling as if she was waiting for a significant answer, just like when she asked Liu Heng not to have sex with other women. Her heart was filled with unease.
"No, because I know my Joel isn't that kind of person."
Liu Heng placed his hands on Lin Yuqiao's shoulders and said very solemnly.
He wasn't one to openly express his feelings, but looking into her vulnerable yet expectant eyes, his heart softened.
As an emperor, he had great ambitions. He wanted to achieve great things and leave his mark on history, carrying forward the legacy entrusted to him by his predecessor.
Therefore, he devoted most of his energy to the country and its people, and the small part of his affections for his children that he kept to himself was also willingly given to her.
Liu Heng knew he wasn't someone who fell in love easily. In his life, meeting the person in front of him was enough. He had given her all his tenderness, so how could he not trust her?
Upon hearing his words, Lin Yuqiao's body trembled slightly with excitement. She covered her mouth with her hand, and tears streamed down her face.
His words moved her more than a hundred thousand "I love you"s.
"I'm sorry, I was just afraid you'd be attracted to other women. That Han Yu is quite beautiful too... Waaah..."
Sobbing, Lin Yuqiao offered a jumbled explanation, wishing she could lay bare her heart to him. At this moment, she felt deeply guilty for her previous petty and unfounded assumptions about him.
With a sigh, Liu Heng chuckled at her words and pulled her into a tender embrace.
"I'll let it go this time, but don't doubt me again in the future."
After the clouds cleared and the fog lifted, Liu Heng's mood improved. He quietly embraced the person in his arms, his chin stroking her hair.
"Actually, it's not my fault. Who told you to be like the flesh of a holy monk, something that would grant immortality if eaten? Every demon would want to take a bite."
After calming down, Lin Yuqiao became restless again. She rolled over a few times, knelt on his lap, hugged his neck, and started to speak without restraint as usual.
Indeed, Liu Heng was not only the top leader of the Qin Dynasty, but also a handsome man. Sleeping with him meant wealth, honor, and prosperity for one's family. Countless women in the harem wanted to get a share of his wealth.
"Then which fairy are you?"
Having grown accustomed to her various strange metaphors, Liu Heng patted her butt.
"It doesn't matter which cave I'm from, you're my flesh!"
Hearing Liu Heng cooperate, Lin Yuqiao became even more excited. After saying this triumphantly, she kissed his high nose bridge, gradually sliding down to the corner of his lips, and then down to his neck, licking the throbbing artery on the side of his neck.
Then, the meat that wanted to eat was counterattacked by its own "meat".
Two days later, the Empress also heard that Han Yu, the female official of Zhaoren Palace, had been arrested for trying to steal precious books from Tianlu Linlang outside the palace and was later given poison by His Majesty.
"Why would this female official suddenly have such a bad idea and go on to steal precious ancient books? It must be because Lin used some underhanded means. Not only is Lin narrow-minded, but she is also becoming more and more audacious and reckless, unable to even tolerate a female official."
Because Han Yu had concealed the fact that she had secretly attacked the Third Prince very well, the Empress believed that Lin Yuqiao was jealous of Han Yu's beauty and Liu Heng's favor towards her, and therefore deliberately tried to harm her.
Although the death of a female official was insignificant, Lin Yuqiao's methods of eliminating dissidents and her great influence on Liu Heng greatly alarmed the Empress.
"Hasn't Your Majesty ever suspected that someone used underhanded tactics?"
Granny Zhou shook her head, only learning that Han Yu's matter had been handled very swiftly and efficiently. After the lost ancient book was found in her room, she was given poisoned wine, and her body was hastily sent out of the palace.
"Hmph. His Majesty indulges her too. If this continues, Lin will likely dominate the harem and won't even respect me."
The Empress, perceptive as she was, couldn't help but think more deeply about the matter.
"In my opinion, Your Highness need not worry. His Majesty likes to indulge her, so let him indulge her. Who knows, one day the Consort might ruin herself."
With a slight smile, Granny Zhou comforted the Empress.
After thinking it over, the Empress felt that what Zhou Mama said made sense. Liu Heng didn't seem like the kind of person who would overturn everything for a woman. If the Consort continued to be audacious and reckless, courting her own death, even Liu Heng wouldn't be able to tolerate her in the end.
"Sigh, now I'm worried about the Crown Prince's marriage. I wonder which family the Emperor wants to choose."
Then she remembered what she cared about most, and the Empress's brow remained furrowed. She had tentatively brought it up with Liu Heng before, but he only said he would think it over and then there was no further news, which made her even more worried.
What if Liu Heng chooses a crown princess for Liu Kang whose family background is not good enough and who is not virtuous?
After some time, when the Empress could no longer bear it and sent someone to request an audience with Liu Heng, she finally received a positive response.
"I have met the granddaughter of Vice Minister Li. She is indeed virtuous and well-mannered, and is worthy of being a wife in the Crown Prince's palace."
Upon hearing that Liu Heng had finally made up his mind to choose Li Hanyan, the granddaughter of the Grand Secretary Li, as his Crown Princess, the Empress was overjoyed and quickly echoed his decision.
Since the Emperor rarely visits Kunning Palace, Granny Zhou and her entourage busied themselves serving water and tea, hoping to persuade Liu Heng to stay.
"When you have time, bring the Li family girl in for another meeting. She is indeed very good. I will first speak with Vice Minister Li and ask her to keep her granddaughter. After Kang'er finishes mourning the year after next, I will issue an edict."
Liu Heng didn't even drink a cup of tea before leaving Kunning Palace after finishing his speech.
Since the Crown Princess had finally been chosen, and since the Empress had become accustomed to Liu Heng not staying in Kunning Palace for long, she didn't pay much attention to it, feeling more gratified and excited.
Although Vice Minister Li is old and will not become the Grand Secretary in the future, he still carries a lot of weight in the cabinet and is a powerful and influential figure among all the civil officials in the court.
With such a powerful family as her wife's family, the Crown Prince's position will be even more secure. Once she chooses two more Crown Princesses of similarly strong backgrounds for Liu Kang, she can worry less and look forward to holding her grandson.
Furthermore, there was another reason why the Empress was so excited: Liu Heng's willingness to marry Liu Kang to a girl from a powerful official's family showed that he was not worried about the Crown Prince becoming too powerful and still had expectations for him.
In the days that followed, the Empress was so immersed in the happiness of her son's marriage being settled that she didn't pay much attention even when she heard that the Consort was pregnant again.
She understood that even if the Imperial Concubine had another prince, what good would it do? The Fourth Prince was probably not much older than her grandson.
Now, it is Consort Ning's second son who is of more concern to the Empress. Liu Yan is also coming of age. After the mourning period ends, not only will Liu Kang marry the Crown Princess, but Liu Yan's wife will also be decided.
Princes of the Qin Dynasty are generally initially granted the title of Duke, and after marriage, they are granted their own residences, receive a base salary, and participate in political affairs. Liu Yan is still studying, yet he's already putting so much pressure on Liu Kang; who knows what will happen if he actually enters officialdom.
Consort Ning's background is not high, and Liu Yan does not have a strong in-law family to support him. It is possible that Consort Ning will have to find another wife with a powerful background for Liu Yan. If Liu Heng agrees, how can Liu Kang, the crown prince, sit securely?
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