"Your Majesty, it's getting late. You should go to your other sisters' places today!"
Seeing that Liu Hong was holding his son and showed no sign of leaving, Song Yue couldn't help but gently persuade him.
That's just her nature; she's content with the emperor's favor and doesn't crave exclusive privilege.
Of course, as the empress and the mother of the nation, she naturally had to have a broad mind like her husband. She did not want the emperor to neglect the other concubines because of her, and to be seen as a petty woman.
Although Song Yue's tone was gentle, it was firm. Liu Hong knew that even if he refused to leave, she probably wouldn't let him into bed again.
Faced with his wife's thoughtful request, Liu Hong naturally wouldn't let her down.
Furthermore, one should set an example by having more children.
"Alright then, I'll listen to Yue'er!"
With that, Liu Hong handed his son to Song Yue, said a few comforting words, and then left Weiyang Palace, heading towards the palaces of the other concubines.
Standing at the crossroads leading to more than a dozen palaces, Liu Hong stopped in his tracks, unsure of which way to go.
"Zhang Rang, where do you think I should go?"
Liu Hong, who suffers from decision-making difficulties, couldn't help but ask Zhang Rang for his opinion.
"Your Majesty, we're going to everywhere anyway, so there's no question of which way to go first."
Zhang Rang's answer was very tactful; despite his current status as a close attendant of the emperor and his high position, he was still quite capable.
However, he dared not interrupt when faced with the emperor's women.
"You're right, we can't leave any of them out...!"
Liu Hong chuckled, then randomly chose a direction and walked over.
Upon reaching the palace gate, Liu Hongcai noticed that this was Consort Yin Li's bedroom.
The palace maids at the palace gate, seeing the emperor approaching, excitedly ran into the palace to report to Consort Yin.
Soon, Consort Yin, dressed in gorgeous clothes and with exquisite makeup, also came to greet them outside the palace with a happy expression.
"Your Majesty, I am unaware of your arrival and have failed to greet you properly. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!"
"Haha~, my beloved concubine, please rise!"
Liu Hong smiled and stepped forward, took Yin Lifei's hand, and helped her up.
Feeling the Emperor's affection, Consort Yin was overjoyed, and a blush appeared on her face.
Since entering the palace, although the emperor has never mistreated her and has frequently bestowed various rewards upon her, he often stays overnight at Weiyang Palace and rarely comes to her.
Of course, she only thought about it in her heart and did not dare to feel the slightest bit of jealousy towards Song Yue, who had given birth to the eldest prince.
"Your Majesty has not yet eaten, has he?" Consort Yin asked.
Liu Hong smiled and said, "Not yet, my beloved consort, please prepare more today. I will dine here!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!!"
Consort Yin happily agreed, leading Liu Hong into the palace while waving to the palace maid beside her.
The palace maid bowed and then hurriedly went outside to prepare a meal for Liu Hong.
Liu Hong then pulled Yin Lifei to sit down and began to inquire about her well-being.
Although Liu Hong devoted himself entirely to national affairs, he was no stranger to sweet talk for girls.
Like this: You are the most beautiful star in the sky, having you is such a blessing, I often think of you in my dreams at night...
The emperor is, after all, the emperor. Even the most corny love words sounded incredibly romantic to Consort Yin.
A few tender words were enough to make her eyes well up with tears, and she longed to snuggle right into Liu Hong's arms.
The two had been intimate for a short while when several palace maids brought in food.
Knowing that the emperor disliked waste, the palace maids prepared only six dishes...
"Come, my beloved concubine, let's dine together!!"
As he spoke, Liu Hong pulled Yin Lifei toward the dining table, and the two sat down side by side.
"My beloved concubine, try this!"
Liu Hong picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork, and brought it to Yin Lifei's lips.
With the continuous promotion of greenhouses in recent years, not only the imperial palace, but also ordinary people can often eat some green vegetables in winter.
Seeing the food the emperor was serving her, Consort Yin opened her mouth with a happy expression and began to chew slowly and deliberately.
"Your Majesty, please try this, it's your favorite!"
After swallowing the food in her mouth, Yin Lifei also picked up a piece of braised pork and handed it to Liu Hong.
"Ah~!"
Liu Hong let out an "Ah!" and opened his mouth wide, just like a hippo waiting to be fed.
"Pfft!"
Seeing the emperor's exaggerated actions, Consort Yin couldn't help but laugh out loud, and the piece of braised pork on her chopsticks almost fell off.
The palace maids attending to them also wisely lowered their heads, not daring to look.
And so, the two fed each other with their chopsticks, creating an atmosphere of ambiguity and harmony at the dinner table.
After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Liu Hong took Yin Lifei's hand and strolled outside the palace for a while before returning to his bedchamber.
In the candlelight, Consort Yin's delicate face was bathed in an even brighter glow, making Liu Hong's breathing quicken. He then swept her up in his arms and carried her toward the bed.
The curtains fell, and melodious sounds echoed through the palace, the flickering candlelight seemingly dancing in accompaniment...
The next morning, Liu Hong got up early, feeling refreshed, and began to get dressed, leaving Yin Lifeng, who looked exhausted, still lying weakly in bed.
After dressing neatly and spending a brief moment with Consort Yin, Liu Hong returned to Deyang Palace.
It was now the end of the year, and Liu Hong needed to approve all the year-end summary reports sent by local governments.
While Liu Hong was busy, Yang Ci also summoned all the officials of the Ministry of Rites for an emergency meeting.
Upon hearing Yang Ci relay the Emperor's decree, the officials of the Ministry of Rites enthusiastically spoke up, proposing various slogans to encourage childbirth and different methods of publicity.
After the meeting, the officials of the Ministry of Rites went into full swing, some writing articles and others seeking connections.
Just one day later, the headline of the Great Han Daily featured the emperor's policy of encouraging childbirth.
The title is also quite novel: "His Majesty, for the sake of future generations, disregards his fatigue and single-mindedly focuses on having children. We, the younger generation, should follow suit closely..."
Meanwhile, various slogans were posted on bulletin boards and streets throughout Luoyang.
Examples include: a good person giving birth to eight children, a heroic mother having many sons, and having many sons leading to wealth...
Teahouses, taverns, and street storytellers began to spread the word, promoting the benefits of having more children and the court's preferential policies to the people.
Those young people who were already married also actively responded to the emperor's call and began to work hard with their wives.
Those who were not yet married began to ask matchmakers everywhere to propose marriage.
For a time, the entire city of Luoyang was focused on the topic of "having children".
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