In the imperial garden in winter, the flowers that once competed with each other in beauty are now nowhere to be seen, replaced by flower beds covered with white snow.
The lake water in the garden had long since frozen into ice, like a huge mirror, reflecting the surrounding pavilions and towers.
Xuan Ling held Sheng Xiyan's hand and admired it together.
When Sheng Xiyan saw the rouge plum blossoms, Xuan Ling immediately went up to pick one and asked, "Do you like it, Your Majesty?"
"I like it. Your Majesty, you picked plum blossoms for me from the palace a while ago. My favorite is the Rouge Plum. You also said that its bright color can make the dull winter day colorful."
As soon as she said that, the same picture appeared in Xuan Ling's mind. He did say that.
"I even picked some plum blossoms and pinned them on your hair?"
"Yes!" Sheng Xiyan begged, "Your Majesty, can you still give me a flower?"
Xuan Ling didn't say anything, but took action, picked the best-blooming plum blossom, and carefully pinned it on her bun.
Looking at Sheng Xiyan's face again, this little woman has such a beautiful appearance, as if she is right in his heart.
Unconsciously, he reached out to caress her face, "The imperial concubine's beauty is more dazzling than the plum blossoms and the most precious treasures in the world."
His eyes were gloomy, and tears welled up in Sheng Xiyan's eyes. She snuggled into his arms and wrapped her arms around his slender waist.
Xuan Ling did not refuse and pulled the goose down cloak to cover her, leaving only the back of her head exposed.
He didn't know what this feeling was, but he felt very fulfilled and happy inside.
It feels like eating honey, like sitting on clouds, or like roasting hot charcoal.
"Father! Mother!"
Jiang Jiang and Le Wen ran over, their faces red from the cold.
Sheng Xiyan asked, "Baby, do you think the plum blossom hairpin that Father gave Mother looks good?"
“It’s really beautiful.”
Sheng Xiyan felt some fetal movement, cried out, and gently stroked her pregnant belly.
Xuan Ling asked gently, "Is your Highness all right? Are you tired from walking?"
Jiang Jiang laughed and said, "Father, it was my younger brothers and sisters who kicked Mother! They also kicked me today!"
Sheng Xiyan smiled sweetly, "Your Majesty, do you want to touch our baby?"
Xuan Ling placed his palm on her abdomen, and the bulge in her pregnant belly moved as if she was raising her toes or stretching out her fist.
The moment the emperor felt the fetal movement, his fingers trembled slightly - the blood connection broke through the control of the insect for a moment.
"My Lady, what are the children saying?"
"He's probably greeting the emperor," Jiang Jiang said with a smile.
Sheng Xiyan suddenly burst into tears: "The emperor always said that he would personally teach me how to ride and shoot arrows..."
Xuan Ling gently held her in his arms, and the two of them caressed her pregnant belly hand in hand.
I played with Jiang Jiang and Le Wen for a while.
Xuan Ling thought Sheng Xiyan would definitely beg him to accompany her back to Guanju Palace, but unexpectedly she said obediently, "Your Majesty, I'm sure you still have many memorials to review. I will take Jiang Jiang back first."
Xuan Ling was stunned. "My beloved concubine, don't you have any requests?"
Sheng Xiyan adjusted his cloak and said, "I want to stick to the emperor all the time, but I know that the emperor has government affairs to deal with, not to mention the emperor..."
She hesitated to speak, as if she wanted to say - wasn't it you who kicked me out of the Yangxin Palace?
But she didn't say it, just smiled sweetly.
"Father, I'm going back!" Xuan Ling waved his hand and watched the mother and son walk away.
Hey, this girl, she didn't even invite me to have dinner with them or do anything else?
I clearly feel that she is so dependent on her, but she is so sensible that it makes me feel distressed.
On the way back to Guanju Palace, Hua Xia asked in confusion, "Your Majesty, why didn't you beg the Emperor to accompany you just now?"
Sheng Xiyan held a gilded enamel hand warmer in her hand and said with a smile, "I am trying to arouse the emperor's interest, but I am also keeping him in suspense. This will make him more eager to be with me and miss me."
The next day, around noon.
It was Xue Qiong's conferment ceremony. Because she was a princess married to a foreign alliance, envoys from Wusun came to attend the ceremony, which was held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Emperor Xuanwu and Empress Duan sat on the throne.
Xuan Ling glanced at the first seat for the concubines below, which had been empty. She whispered to Eunuch Fu, "Why didn't the imperial concubine come? Are you feeling unwell?"
Eunuch Fu said, "The imperial concubine said she was not feeling well, so she did not come. She sent a congratulatory gift to the princess."
Xuan Ling nodded slightly, feeling uncomfortable for some reason.
Xue Qiong, wearing the auspicious attire of a consort, walked in slowly holding the hand of her maid, looking at the emperor with burning eyes.
The insect behind Xuan Ling's ear flashed slightly, and his mind was filled with the woman in front of him again.
After the ceremony of conferring the title of consort, a palace banquet was held in the Linding Hall.
The Wusun envoy presented a gift, saying, "Your Majesty, Wusun presents you with our most precious princess. Our two countries will forge a friendly alliance like Qin and Jin. We hope that the Celestial Empire will open up border trade for the benefit of the people of both countries."
Since this matter concerned state affairs, Xuan Ling said solemnly, "Today is the palace banquet for Consort Qiong's enthronement, so we won't discuss official business."
Xue Qiong signaled the envoy not to say anything more and personally went to the throne to toast Xuan Ling.
The other concubines secretly cursed, "Why should she sit on the throne? Could the emperor even reward her with a seat beside him?"
Xue Qiong poured a glass of wine, knelt beside Xuan Ling, and said in a delicate voice: "Your Majesty, my legs are sore, can I sit here?"
Queen Duan looked at her meaningfully but said nothing.
Xuan Ling looked at the empty first seat below, feeling disappointed, and said calmly, "My beloved, you have overstepped the bounds."
Xueqiong was rejected and felt ashamed and embarrassed, so she stepped down from the throne.
Hearing Concubine Jia mocking her, "Someone wants to get special treatment just because he was newly canonized, is he worthy of it?"
Concubine Liang said, "Isn't it just learning from Concubine Chen? It's a pity that you didn't learn it and became a joke."
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