"It's my fault," Qin Sheng said.
The two had been married for some time and had been intimate frequently, with the imperial physicians from the palace coming to examine their pulses every few days.
But if it's not there, it's not there.
Why blame you?
Yue Rongheng drank his porridge, then looked up at her, "Do you think it's because your husband is getting old..."
"..."
Qin Sheng: "...Your Highness is not even thirty yet. Some people are fifty or sixty and still can do it."
She realized her mistake only after she finished speaking.
How could a princess say such a thing? It's simply... a bit shameless!
Yue Rongheng laughed out loud, "Well, it seems we still need to step up our efforts from now on."
Qin Sheng didn't know how the topic had veered off to this.
Before she could even blush, Yue Rongheng had already picked her up and made her sit in a chair.
"Alright, alright, I'm letting you know these things so you're aware of them, not so you'll look gloomy."
...
The year-end is approaching.
The weather was getting colder day by day, but there were still many banquets and parties held by various mansions. The invitations were being sent to the Regent's Palace and were piling up like a mountain.
The offer from the other residence could be declined, but the offer from the Princess's residence was one that could not be refused.
When Qin Sheng arrived, it was already quite lively. The wives and daughters of high-ranking officials in the capital had all come, as well as princesses and noblewomen from the royal family.
There were unfamiliar faces and familiar faces.
Although Qin Sheng kept a low profile, she was now the Regent's Consort, so her arrival still attracted a lot of attention.
Of course, some of these gazes were filled with envy, while others were filled with jealousy.
But Qin Sheng didn't care. She was talking to the princess and occasionally had to entertain the ladies next to her.
However, the sight of a pair of eyes watching her made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.
After a few times, Qin Sheng looked back and saw a quiet and gentle face. It took her a while to remember who it was.
---The niece of the late Princess Suqin's family, I think her name is Wanyi.
In terms of seniority, she is Yue Rongheng's cousin, but back then, Wanyi almost became the regent's wife.
When we returned home, it wasn't too late.
Qin Sheng ran into Yue Rongheng at the gate of the Regent's Palace. He was riding back on horseback, carrying something in his hand.
It's a package of sugar cakes.
"You're back so early?" Yue Rongheng asked, casually reaching out to tidy up Qin Sheng's hair at her temples.
He performed this action with remarkable naturalness.
Qin Sheng smiled and said, "I was afraid you wouldn't see me when you came back, so I apologized to my elder sister and came back first."
The couple chatted all the way back to the courtyard.
Qin Sheng ate two pieces of the sugar cake that Yue Rongheng brought back. It was bought from a pastry shop outside, and it didn't have much sugar in it, which suited Qin Sheng's taste perfectly.
After taking a shower, she suddenly felt a churning in her stomach, but she only gagged a few times.
"What's wrong?"
Hearing the commotion, Yue Rongheng rushed in and immediately grabbed Qin Sheng's hand, asking, "Where do you feel unwell?"
"No, I probably just ate too much."
It was late at night, and Qin Sheng was determined not to call for the imperial physician, so she said she was sleepy and wanted to go to sleep.
She was indeed tired and fell asleep soon after lying down. However, Yue Rongheng couldn't fall asleep and eventually his gaze fell on her lower abdomen.
...
The next day, the imperial physician came to take Qin Sheng's pulse, but he could not detect any pregnancy.
"The princess has just some indigestion. She should eat a light diet for the next few days and drink two doses of herbal medicine," the imperial physician said.
Qin Sheng was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this.
Yue Rongheng showed no sign of it. He even personally escorted the imperial physician to the courtyard and inquired about Qin Sheng's other physical condition.
"Your Highness..."
Qin Sheng waited for Yue Rongheng to come in, looking at him with a complicated expression, "How about I go to the temple to pray to Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, for a child when I have time?"
"What are you worshipping?"
Yue Rongheng didn't believe in these things. He hugged her and said, "Don't worry about the baby. I'm not worried at all. Just focus on eating and sleeping well."
...
This year's New Year was not very good.
Several large towns in the north were hit by snow disasters one after another, and the national treasury was drained of silver like water.
As the regent of Da Xiang, Yue Rongheng never stayed in the capital for years, instead taking disaster relief funds, grain, and winter clothing to the north to provide aid.
Qin Sheng's brother, Qin Yu, also went.
The atmosphere in the capital was somewhat somber.
Qin Sheng summoned several stewards from the manor and instructed them: "This year, there have been successive snow disasters in the north, and there may be disaster victims coming to the capital. Prepare more food and warm clothing, and find more doctors. If you can't find any outside, take my token to the palace to call for imperial physicians. Set up sheds outside the capital to distribute porridge. They are all people of Da Xiang. If they had no other way to survive, they would not have traveled thousands of miles to the capital."
"You must be more attentive and meticulous, understand?"
As the Regent's Consort, Qin Sheng possessed her own token symbolizing her status, and she gave all her instructions meticulously.
Without uttering a single question, the managers all accepted the order and left.
Within two days, Qin Sheng's prediction came true, with disaster victims arriving in the capital from two different directions.
Fortunately, she had already arranged for preparations in advance.
A slightly rudimentary shed was erected outside the capital city, which could temporarily provide shelter from the wind and rain, as well as hot porridge for three meals a day.
At first, only the servants of the Regent's Palace were busy outside the city gate. However, after only two or three hours, the servants of the Qin Palace also brought food and pots and pans over, followed by the servants of the Princess's Palace.
Then, one after another, came the major aristocratic families of the capital.
Inside the palace.
Despite his young age, Yue Rongxiao was extremely anxious and overwhelmed by the disaster.
The Imperial Uncle had only been married for a few months, and he didn't even stay to spend the first New Year with the Imperial Aunt before hastily setting off for the north to help with disaster relief.
But there's nothing I can do.
He still had to stay in the palace to deal with those ministers who only knew how to form cliques, and the more he thought about it, the angrier he became, unable to eat or sleep.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"
The old eunuch who had served Yue Rongxiao since he was a child rushed in with a joyful expression, knelt down and bowed, panting as he said, "...The disaster victims outside...they have all been settled one after another!"
"What?"
Yue Rongxiao was puzzled. This matter was being handled by the Ministry of Revenue and several hundred Imperial Guards. When did these people become so efficient?
Especially that old fox, the Minister of Revenue, he's so stingy, it's like he's being asked to give money away every time.
"Yes, it's the Regent's Consort..."
The old eunuch finally caught his breath and recounted everything that had happened outside the city gates from yesterday to today.
Upon hearing this, Yue Rongxiao's first reaction was: "My aunt... used the money from the Prince's mansion?"
Although the Imperial Uncle didn't say it, Yue Rongxiao knew a little about it. The Regent's Palace's annual income was either used to pay for military expenses or for other expenditures.
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