Song Jinyu was dressed in the formal attire of the princess consort. Along the way, she murmured to herself, "Is it too hot today, or am I wearing too much?"
Niaoniao smiled and said, "Your Highness, you seem a bit impatient today."
"However, the prince has told us that we don't need to say much. Just put all the blame on him if anything happens."
Song Jinyu felt a bit embarrassed. But when she actually faced the mother of the nation, she thought being a princess consort was really boring, extremely so.
Counting the day of her wedding, this was the third time Song Jinyu had met the queen.
The queen stroked her armor and sized her up. "You're a beauty..." No wonder Prince Yu, Zhongli Mingye, was willing to give up the Qingyuan Army just for her.
However... thinking of Rong Qing'er, the queen said, "There are two concubines in the Liuzhou Prince's Mansion who were bestowed by me before."
"Now that you're the princess consort of Prince Yu's Mansion, choose a day to bring them to the capital with you."
Song Jinyu looked blank. Why was the queen so concerned about Prince Yu's harem affairs? Despite thinking so, she still replied obediently, "This is the prince's private matter. It's all up to him." It was true. Why should she interfere in Zhongli Mingye's concubines' affairs?
The queen was dissatisfied with her answer. "Anyway, you're in poor health and can't serve Ye'er for the time being."
"Instead, you can let those two concubines serve him first. In the future, if they give birth to children, you can claim them as your own." What? Song Jinyu sneered. The queen was really abnormal.
"If you have any difficulties, I can also choose some daughters of court officials and bestow them upon Ye'er," the queen said leisurely as she looked at the newly - wed princess consort of Prince Yu. She had long heard that Zhongli Mingye doted on Song Jinyu very much and had never wronged her. Now... by bestowing concubines, she was going to stir up trouble in Prince Yu's Mansion.
"Then I'll trouble Your Majesty the Queen to take the trouble... If the prince agrees, I have no objection."
She had only been married for half a month, yet the queen was the first one to cause trouble. Song Jinyu felt extremely disappointed. The queen was also the mother of the crown prince.
The crown prince still had no legitimate son. Now that the princess consorts of Prince Yong and Prince Cheng were about to give birth to sons, the queen might be anxious. Thinking of this, Song Jinyu gave a gentle smile. "Your Majesty..."
"I've only been married for a short time. Prince Yu's Mansion has always listened only to the prince." Yes, no matter what the queen said, she would push it all onto Zhongli Mingye. Moreover, since she had just gotten married, the queen surely wouldn't bestow concubines, otherwise, the clan would mock the queen.
When Concubine Shu got the news, her face immediately darkened. She regained her composure and asked, "Where's the emperor?"
"Your Majesty, the emperor has gone to the Cooling Pavilion today," the maid reported.
"Go and wait outside the queen's palace. If any eunuch in the palace asks, just say that I've newly obtained some Jiangnan silk and want to give it to the princess consort of Prince Yu."
After staying in the queen's palace for nearly half an hour, Song Jinyu received many rewards. There was nothing special about the others, but there was a faint strange fragrance in the things given by the queen.
If it were someone else, they surely wouldn't be able to smell it. But Song Jinyu came from Tianmen Mountain, and she had smelled the fragrance of Miluo flowers before.
This kind of flower was cold in nature and harmful to women's bodies.
In ancient times, prostitutes often used it to fumigate their clothes and bedding to prevent pregnancy.
The queen actually had such a "good thing"? Song Jinyu shook her head and told Niaoniao to keep it far away.
Concubine Shu looked at Song Jinyu from side to side. Seeing that Song Jinyu remained calm, she didn't say much. She just told her personal maid to give Song Jinyu many pieces of jewelry.
"If you have nothing to do, just stay in the prince's mansion... well..."
"There are many intrigues in the palace. You... and Ye'er should be more careful." Concubine Shu exhorted her like an ordinary mother. Song Jinyu was a bit touched. "Okay... Mother Concubine."
Concubine Shu joked with her, "You've grown more beautiful. No wonder Ye'er was reluctant to return to the capital! " This was a complaint about Zhongli Mingye not returning for the New Year. Song Jinyu blushed and twisted her handkerchief with both hands. "Mother Concubine... the prince misses you very much..."
"Good child, try to enter the palace less in the future."
She really liked Song Jinyu and was also worried that as a newly - made princess consort, she would have to face a complicated situation. If she couldn't handle it, it would still be her son who would be in trouble.
However, Concubine Shu also believed that since this girl could make Zhongli Mingye beg to marry her, she must have something extraordinary about her.
After having lunch with Concubine Shu, Song Jinyu took a rest in the side hall and then left the palace. As soon as she got out of the palace gate, she saw the carriage of Prince Yu's Mansion waiting for her.
Song Jinyu walked over and saw Zhongli Mingye waiting for her. "Eunuch An said that the queen bestowed many treasures on you?"
"Yeah!"
She originally didn't want to tell him, but she had to show those problematic pieces of jewelry to Zhongli Mingye.
"What's the problem?"
Song Jinyu sighed. "It's cold in nature, harmful to women's bodies, and can cause infertility for life." Zhongli Mingye's face immediately darkened. Was the queen anxious because the crown prince still had no legitimate son? How dare she scheme against him!
"What else did she say?"
Seeing his gloomy face, Song Jinyu hesitated whether she should tell him or not. But Zhongli Mingye was waiting for her. "She said I should bring the two concubines from Liuzhou back to the capital."
She felt inexplicably blocked in her heart and didn't say anything for a while. "What do you think?"
"What do I think about what?" Song Jinyu didn't understand what Zhongli Mingye meant.
"Bringing those two concubines back to the capital."
Song Jinyu said impatiently, "How would I know? If you want to bring them here, just do it. It has nothing to do with me."
"Besides! Which man in your royal family doesn't have three wives and four concubines?" Although her words were confident, Song Jinyu's eyes were a bit strange.
She felt inexplicably angry, so her tone was naturally a bit sharp.
"Then fine..."
Fine what? Song Jinyu's face darkened. "Just one thing, don't let them show up in front of me..."
"Heh..." Zhongli Mingye looked at her seriously. "Since you don't care about me, why do you care about my concubines?"
"I don't care either!"
The angrier she got, the colder her face became, and she simply ignored him. Song Jinyu thought things over. The palace was a complicated place, and she must stay far away from it in the future.
If he dared to bring them back, don't blame her for being rude.
But... what right did she have to be like this towards him?
When they returned to the mansion, they parted on bad terms. Micui noticed the tense atmosphere between them and felt a bit embarrassed. "Dinner is almost ready. These two..."
Sure enough, Song Jinyu told Niaoniao to reply, "I ate too much for lunch. I don't want to eat."
Zhongli Mingye's face darkened, and he suddenly lost his appetite. But... he didn't want to go to find Song Jinyu either.
These days, the two of them had been torturing each other. It all started from the day when Song Jinyu pointed an arrow at him!
Under the night sky, he felt a bit exhausted.
All along, it had been Zhongli Mingye chasing after Song Jinyu. Even if he was hurt, he would immediately put aside his worries and coax her.
But today, he didn't want to anymore.
The wine flask in his hand was empty. Suddenly, he threw it into the lake, and a splash of water rose. In the quiet night, it seemed so abrupt.
Just like his mood.
She had said, "If you want to bring them here, just do it. It has nothing to do with me."
Yes, what did it have to do with her? This had always been his one - man show.