The Emperor brought Concubine Shu, who was seriously ill, back to the palace, but he met the Empress Dowager who came out of the palace in person to greet him. She stopped the Emperor and refused to allow Concubine Shu to enter the palace on the grounds that the illness had infected others.
The Queen Mother did not spare Concubine Shu. She had finally cultivated a favorite concubine who completely captured the heart of the Emperor. She used sweet words to make the Emperor gradually alienate the Empress and listen to her mother. Even if she was not the daughter of the Chen family, it did not matter. As long as the favorite concubine was loyal and willing to work for her, the daughter of the Chen family would slowly climb up in the future. As long as she was supporting her from behind, she would always be successful. But this girl was unlucky. How could she recover from such a rash? The Queen Mother could still distinguish between the important and the unimportant. A capable chess piece could be abandoned, but the entire palace could not be destroyed to protect her. If the disease was passed on to her sons and grandsons, it would be even more unprofitable!
On the way, Ji Qing had advised the emperor: Concubine Shu's condition was too serious, and the imperial physician had also said that she would be cured. It would be better to leave her in the imperial farm outside the city for treatment. The emperor refused and said calmly: "I promised Concubine Shu that I would stay with her through life and death. Why should I be afraid of such a minor illness? The imperial physician's office must do its best to cure Concubine Shu for me, otherwise you can all go home and farm!"
Ji Qing didn't dare to say anything else. He ordered the two eunuchs beside him to go back to the city first to report the emperor's return and to be ready to welcome him.
His subordinates were not there to eat for free, so after getting the hint from his eyes, they returned to the palace to find the Queen Mother.
The Emperor and the Queen Mother confronted each other for a while. After the Queen Mother's teachings, the Emperor finally listened to his mother's advice and put the overall situation first. He walked to the side of Concubine Shu's carriage and comforted her through the gauze curtain. He asked her to cooperate with the imperial physician's treatment and said that he would come to bring her back to the palace in person when she recovered. Then, amid Concubine Shu's heart-wrenching sobs, the Emperor walked past the Queen Mother with a stern face and without looking back, and entered the palace surrounded by the crowd.
Following the emperor's instructions, the doctors of the Imperial Medical Clinic tried their best and treated her carefully for more than a month. Finally, Concubine Shu recovered. The emperor was overjoyed and could not wait to run to the imperial farm outside the city to pick her up. However, when the emperor saw his beloved concubine, it was as if a basin of ice water was poured over his head. All his enthusiasm disappeared. He came quickly and left even faster. After comforting Concubine Shu, he left the imperial farm twice as fast as when he came, using the excuse that he was too busy with state affairs. That night, news came from the palace: Concubine Shu was weak and sickly, and was recuperating in another farm outside the city. Dozens of doctors in the Imperial Medical Clinic were old and could not perform their duties, so they ordered them to retire and return to their hometowns out of the capital.
Xu Junying, who accompanied the emperor to visit Concubine Shu that day, could not persuade Meimei and had to tell the truth: he did not enter the room and did not see Concubine Shu who had recovered from her illness, but he vaguely heard Ji Qing say that there were some dark marks on Concubine Shu's face, which looked fine from a distance, but not beautiful when viewed up close.
Meimei sighed and said, "This is the deep love of men! It turns out that he only loves beauty!"
A young girl, just because her stunning appearance was ruined, instantly went from being a beloved concubine to an abandoned woman left to fend for herself! How many men are truly love-sick? Concubine Shu does not deserve sympathy. It is good enough that the queen spared her life, but as a woman, Meimei still feels that it is too cruel. The various means of fighting in the palace make her palpitate. The emperor, who she originally had high hopes for, is so cold-hearted that he is almost heartless, which makes her feel chilled.
She was in a bad mood for all kinds of reasons and ignored Xu Junying that night, not allowing him to get close to her. Xu Junying inexplicably became a substitute for the heartless man and was rejected by his wife. He was so anxious that he tried to coax her here and there, but to no avail. He complained bitterly and finally used his usual method - forcing Meimei into his arms with brute force to prevent her from running around. He hurriedly expressed his loyalty and poured out his heart, promising that he would never be as absurd as the emperor, and that he would hold her hand and live with her until the end of her life, and would never abandon her no matter what happened. He spoke a lot of things in a halting and stammering manner. Only when Meimei had heard enough did she let him go.
Xu Junying wiped his sweat and secretly complained that his old friend, the emperor, was unreliable and had caused him to be implicated for no reason, but soon he felt that the suffering was worth it. After abusing others, Meimei became full of love, passionate and charming. She took the initiative to kiss, tease and serve him. Under his caress, she fully bloomed like a flower. He was fascinated and bravely possessed her. She gave her gently, and the passion rippled. They loved each other with all their heart, reaching the peak of happiness again and again. The couple hugged each other tightly to enjoy and protect this happiness together. At this moment, nothing in the world can separate them. In their hearts and eyes, there is only each other they love the most!
Three months later, just after the New Year, the queen successfully gave birth to the fifth prince. The palace was filled with joy. During the period before and after the New Year, five or six princes and princesses were born, which made the queen mother very happy. The concubines in the harem expanded the royal family with rare strength. The good news spread frequently, and the civil and military officials in the court and the common people were happy to hear it, and they all said that this was a sign of national prosperity.
The emperor, however, gradually became numb from his initial excitement and joy. Later, when someone came to report, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, XXX has given birth to a little prince," he just said "hmm" calmly. He would give rewards if they were due and go to see the baby in person if they were due. Being a father? It's nothing great!
The Queen Mother was also happy in another way—the Prince of Qi was about to have a child! The Queen Mother felt relieved that this little boy finally understood his mother's efforts, had enough of playing around, and was willing to have children and reproduce.
Ever since he consummated his marriage with Lin Runan in the tent after drinking, the Prince of Qi refused to face Lin Runan no matter what. He left on the pretext of inspecting his fiefdom. More than a month later, Lin Runan's period did not come, and she panicked and went to find Meimei. Meimei urged her to go to the palace to find the empress dowager. The empress dowager asked the imperial physician to check Lin Runan's pulse and found that she was pregnant. She then raised Lin Runan in the palace like a treasure and informed the emperor, asking him to send someone to urge the Prince of Qi to return to the capital.
When the King of Qi got the news, he had no feeling except for the quick flash of Lin Runan's pretty face with a slightly contemptuous expression in his mind. What is an heir? Giving birth to children and raising offspring is not as important to him as playing a game of polo with full concentration and vigor.
He drank too much that night, but he was not so confused that he couldn't tell the difference between men and women. Lin Runan lay on top of him, and he reached out to touch her face. Her delicate skin, her faint fragrance, suddenly made him feel a surge of desire. He has always been a man of action, so he would do it first and talk later. If he wanted to try, he might as well start with his princess!
Lin Runan was wearing men's clothing, simple and neat, without any accessories that a woman should have. He undressed her with ease, and everything went smoothly and naturally. Just like that, he and Lin Runan became a real couple!
It was hard to describe the feeling. He forced his way into her body, suppressing her struggles, and galloped forward from slow to fast, gaining some kind of satisfaction and pleasure from her slight moans and cries of pain. Over and over again, he experienced it, releasing himself in her tight body until he collapsed from exhaustion...
He ran away before dawn the next day. He could say he was running away, but he didn't want to see Lin Runan. He was afraid that he would lose control and have someone send her away! Although they were husband and wife, the more he thought about it, the more it didn't feel right. How could he... want a woman
The person who truly possessed him was Jian Yu. Qin Er became Cen Meimei. He began to convince himself that he wanted to possess a woman. When Meimei left the Xu Mansion and was waiting for the divorce, he was preparing. In order not to disappoint Meimei in the future, he tried to summon the maids from the palace to sleep with him and try to experience the love between men and women, but he failed. Facing the naked maids, he had no desire at all. He refused to touch their exquisite bodies and even did not want to see them afterwards. He asked the steward to send them away.
He once thought that the person lying under him would be Cen Meimei, but only for Cen Meimei, he was willing to change for her!
But now everything has changed. Cen Meimei has succumbed to the secular world and to her husband. Her past unruly nature was just an illusion. She is not free and easy enough. She refuses everything he does for her and refuses to give up her past for him. Instead, Lin Runan, the arrogant noblewoman in the past, calmed down and followed him around. She would not leave even if he was scolded or beaten. She watched him playing with his male favorites with cold eyes. He could play as he pleased during the day, but would chase him back to his room to sleep at night, saying that she was ordered by the empress dowager to take care of him. When he met Jian Yu in his dreams, she would slap him awake and shatter his beautiful dream. In a rage, he beat her severely, and even the empress dowager could not bear to see the purple marks on her body. She secretly rebuked him for going too far and for at least considering her status as a princess... Later, being inseparable became a habit, and beating her and being fought back by her, and the two of them often fighting silently in the room also became a habit. However, he no longer used too much force. This stubborn, clingy little woman who was willing to do anything for the sake of friendship was his princess in name, and it seemed that he really should not treat her badly.
In May, the King of Qi first released Shan Yong to return to the capital, bringing with him a caravan of local gifts. When they arrived in the capital, they went straight to the King of Qi's palace and put the gifts into the warehouse. No one was sent to deliver them. Su De could not help but come to ask the Queen of Qi. She did not care about other things, but the dried fruit Tianhong Fruit from the King of Qi's fiefdom was famous all over the world. After eating one, she wanted two. If you dare not give her one, she will come to look for it every day!
Lin Runan held her big belly and said with a blushing face, "They are all in the storeroom. Princess, just go and get as many as you want!"
The Prince of Qi always did outrageous things, so Shan Yong conveyed the message clearly: the ones in the palace have been arranged to be sent there, and those who enter the Prince of Qi's mansion are all the princess's, and no one else is allowed to send them!
Su De happily had a cart of dried fruits taken away. Lin Runan would of course not listen to Prince Qi all the time. She went into the warehouse and carefully checked them, and asked the steward to sort these good things out. She picked up some of each and loaded one cart to be sent to Weiyuan Marquis' Mansion, and another cart to be sent back to her mother's home. After that, she dared not touch anything. She knew the prince's childish temper. It was okay for her to be a little willful, but if she touched his bottom line, he would turn against her.
Shan Yong returned to Beijing for two days, and with the help of Princess Qi, he married Ruixue from Cen's house. A month had passed since the wedding date, and Shan Yong followed the King of Qi in his fiefdom. Although he didn't say anything, he was already anxious and furious. His absent-minded appearance made the King of Qi kick him hard several times before letting him return to Beijing. On the day of the wedding, Ruixue knelt on the ground crying and kowtowed three times to Marquis Weiyuan and his wife. Shan Yong also knelt down hurriedly and vowed to obey the rules set by Marquis Weiyuan's wife, that he would have only one wife in this life, and that they would support each other until old age. Meimei looked at Ruixue, who was shy and happy, and nodded with a smile. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)