Xiao Yichen nodded and said, "Yes, Xiao Yimo said that if I like to worry about the country for him, he would be more than happy. Now he can sit and enjoy the mountains and rivers, recite poems and paint, all thanks to me for being so angry for my beloved. He also asked me to thank you."
Ji Lingxue twitched her lips, "He has changed a lot. When I accidentally ran into him in the dark prison, he didn't think like this."
Xiao Yichen said: "The original ideas will always change as time goes by, and you will understand many things that you couldn't understand before."
Ji Lingxue nodded, agreeing with Xiao Yichen's statement. There were many points that she didn't understand at first, but now she gradually understood them.
Xiao Yichen said, "Just listen to Madam Rong and rest in your room to take care of your baby these days. If you feel bored, I will take time to come back and accompany you to relieve your boredom."
Ji Lingxue sighed and touched her still flat belly and said, "They say a mother is honored by her children, but why don't I feel honored at all because of the baby in my belly?"
Xiao Yichen smiled and said, "When the baby in your belly comes out, you will be honored as a mother with a child!"
Ji Lingxue rolled her eyes and asked, "Do you favor boys over girls?"
There are many examples in the picture book. As long as the heroine gives birth to a daughter, she is despised by her mother-in-law and her husband. In the end, the mother-in-law takes two concubines on the grounds that the heroine cannot give birth to a son. After that, there are endless quarrels in the backyard. It is so pitiful.
Xiao Yichen reached out and stroked Ji Lingxue's face, smiling and saying, "If the first child is a daughter, she will become the most honorable princess of this dynasty. I promise you that I will not let her marry far away, will not let her marry someone she doesn't like, and will not let her become a tool for a marriage of convenience."
Ji Lingxue was silent for a moment, then asked, "So, you like your daughter?"
Xiao Yichen said: "They are all our children, sons and daughters alike."
Ji Lingxue asked, "What if the ministers in the court ask you to expand the harem on the grounds that the emperor has no children?"
Xiao Yichen narrowed his eyes. It turned out that this was what Ji Lingxue was worried about.
He pulled Ji Lingxue up, hugged her from behind, and stroked her belly with both hands, as if he could feel the little life growing in his palms.
Xiao Yichen said: "I have thought about this problem, we can just change the national law."
Ji Lingxue blinked, "What national law?"
Xiao Yichen said lightly: "The people of Dongqi are monogamous. If an official of the third rank or above is found to have a concubine, he will be dismissed from his post."
Ji Lingxue twitched her lips, "Isn't this bad?"
Xiao Yichen said, "I have the final say in my world. Besides, I am also an experienced person. I am very troubled by the large number of wives and concubines at home. Later, I looked through the history books and found that there were indeed people in history who only married one wife. Wang Anshi was the only prime minister in Chinese history who did not use a sedan chair, did not take concubines, and did not have any inheritance after his death. Sima Guang was the prime minister in history who did not take concubines. He had only one wife, and his wife was infertile for life, and he did not remarry! I will follow their lead and encourage the court officials."
Ji Lingxue was completely relieved. As long as she wouldn't be used as an excuse to take a concubine,
After March...
The weather was getting hotter and hotter. Mo Xiang was carrying a chilled watermelon that she had just fished out of the well and was walking towards Chenhua Palace. At the door, Madam Rong was taking a nap against a pillar. Mo Xiang walked over and patted her shoulder, "Madam, why did you fall asleep here?"
Rong Mama opened her dim eyes and saw that it was Mo Xiang. She patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. "It turned out to be Mo Xiang. You scared me so much that I thought something happened to the queen."
Mo Xiang covered her mouth and laughed, "The Queen is only six months pregnant, and the fetus is now stable. What can go wrong?"
Rong Mama stood up and patted the dust off her clothes and said, "That's good. The maid brought some watermelon. Tell the queen to eat less, as it will cause edema."
Mo Xiang nodded, holding the watermelon and walked into the hall, "Master, the chilled watermelon is here... Master..." Mo Xiang walked around the screen, put the watermelon on the table, turned around and looked behind him. There was a dragon-shaped gauze curtain hanging down to the ground behind him, but Ji Lingxue was not there.
Mo Xiang was startled, and turned to ask Aunt Rong who had just come in, "Madame, where is the Queen?"
Where did the Queen, a pregnant woman, go on such a hot day? Mo Xiang could understand that Ji Lingxue had been confined for three months in the name of pregnancy protection, so it was normal for her to go out for a walk and get some fresh air today, but... why did she go out alone
Madam Rong slapped herself and said, "I deserve to die. How could I have lost the Queen?" Ji Lingxue was taking a nap on the bed just now, so she went out to guard the door. However, the sun was warm today, and she fell asleep while basking in the sun. She didn't know how long she slept. Where did she go from now on? If something happened to her, how would she explain to the Emperor
Mo Xiang twitched the corner of his mouth. Doesn't it hurt to slap himself so hard
Mo Xiang comforted her, "Mammy, don't worry. The Queen won't run away. She may have gone to the Imperial Hospital to see the Second Prince of Dayan."
Upon hearing this, Madam Rong nodded quickly, turned around and walked out. Mo Xiang hurriedly chased after her, "Madam, please walk slower!"
In the Imperial Hospital, Ji Lingxue sat in front of the bed. Ruge had recovered a lot after taking various high-quality tonics. He leaned against the head of the bed and smiled at Ji Lingxue, "You have gained a lot of weight recently."
Ji Lingxue twitched the corner of her mouth, touched her face subconsciously, and sighed: "Eat more and sleep more, people become lazy, and naturally gain weight."
Ruge chuckled, "I've been awake for quite a while, and you didn't come to see me. I thought you had lost your memory and forgot about me."
Ji Lingxue said: "I just got back to being able to move around."
Ruge asked, "But your different identities restrict you too much?"
Ji Lingxue nodded, "I have learned a lot of palace rules and etiquette, and I have finally made it."
Ruge laughed cheerfully, "Then let me congratulate you..." As he spoke, his eyes moved around Ji Lingxue's belly. Today, Ji Lingxue deliberately wore a skirt that didn't show her figure. She touched her belly from time to time, and he always felt that it was a little weird.
Ruge asked tentatively: "Did you have a stomachache today..."
Ji Lingxue's hands froze, "No..."
Ruge said "oh" and changed the subject: "Do you know what the first thought that came to my mind when I opened my eyes?"
Ji Lingxue raised her eyebrows, "Are you wondering if you are in hell?"
Ruge smiled, "You really guessed it. I have fought with Yuchi Gongru before, and I know all his martial arts. But since we forced him off the cliff, he has practiced a kind of evil martial arts. I have no chance of winning this time against him in the cold palace. The only thing I wanted at the time was to stop him. As long as you are safe, life or death is not important."
Ji Lingxue's eyes were red, and the bloody scene of that night played again in her mind. She seemed to still hear the dripping sound of blood and the feeling of her heart beating so fast that she couldn't breathe.
Ji Lingxue said: "Ruge, thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have had such a smooth coronation ceremony. I owe you a big favor. If you need me for anything in the future, just let me know." As he spoke, Ji Lingxue patted his chest, looking very righteous.
Ruge chuckled, and couldn't help but said coldly, "Lingxue, I just hope that you can live a happy life, so that I can feel happy."
"Empress!" Rong Mama's voice came from outside the door, "I finally found you!"
Ruge smiled, "The person who is looking for you is here!"
Ji Lingxue stood up and coughed, saying, "I'm leaving first. You should have a good rest. I'll come to see you another day." After that, Ji Lingxue picked up her skirt and turned to go out.
Ruge shouted from behind Ji Lingxue: "Remember to bring some delicious food next time you come. In this Imperial Hospital, the most I eat is medicine. My mouth is bitter and I can't taste anything."
Ji Lingxue walked to the door and turned around and said, "I'll ask Mo Xiang to bring you some delicious food tomorrow." She winked playfully, turned around and left with Rong Mama.
As soon as they left the Imperial Hospital, Aunt Rong followed Ji Lingxue and reminded her, "Queen, you are the head of the harem now, so you should not see men outside of your family."
Ji Lingxue explained: "Ruge is not a stranger, he is my sworn brother."
Rong Ma said: "My brother is also a foreigner, and he is the second prince of Dayan. You think it's nothing, but have you noticed..."
"What did you find?" Ji Lingxue asked casually.
"I noticed that the emperor looked unhappy every time you mentioned him?" Madam Rong answered cautiously.
Ji Lingxue paused, thought for a moment and shook her head, "Madam, you are too sensitive, why didn't I notice it?"
Rong Mama smiled so hard that her eyes wrinkled. "I am an experienced person, so I can see things more clearly. I have no other intentions. I just hope that the Queen can pay more attention to the Emperor. Men also need attention sometimes."
Ji Lingxue: “…”
That night, Ji Lingxue changed her clothes early and lay in bed. Xiao Yichen did not come back until very late. The plague in Jingzhou was under control, but heavy rains hit Jiangnan. The dam had been in disrepair for a long time and was washed away by the heavy rains, submerging 100,000 acres of rice fields and more than 10,000 households. The people were displaced, and the court was anxious at the moment.
During Xiao Yimo's reign, although a sum of money was allocated every year for the construction of dams, floods still occurred. Xiao Yichen slammed the table and directly ordered Chi Feng to take people to provide disaster relief and investigate the tricks of the dams.
Xiao Yichen rubbed his temples. He found that after becoming emperor, he slept less and less, and had more and more worries.
He quietly lifted the quilt and lay down beside Ji Lingxue, reaching out to touch Ji Lingxue's slightly bulging belly. Only this feeling was warm and belonged to him.
Ji Lingxue shrank back, hugged Xiao Yichen's arm, and whispered, "You're back."
Xiao Yichen hummed softly, rubbed Ji Lingxue's head and said, "Go to sleep."
Ji Lingxue hummed, "You've been coming back so late lately, but what happened in the court?"
Xiao Yichen said: "Some things did happen, but they have been dealt with. Xue'er, do I suddenly regret being the emperor?"
Ji Lingxue opened her eyes hazily and glanced at Xiao Yichen. After confirming that it was him, she closed her eyes again and leaned on his shoulder again, "You don't have a fever, do you..."
Xiao Yichen's mouth twitched, "No, I'm serious."
Ji Lingxue said: "There is no regret medicine in the world, just keep going, it will get better."
Xiao Yichen nodded, "Come to think of it, there are no variables in the world, and not everything can go smoothly..."
(End of this chapter)