The moment Ning Yue entered, Zhongli Mingye's expression softened considerably.
The ministers quietly withdrew.
Empress Ning Yue smiled and presented him with a bunch of blooming wintersweet. "Look at these wintersweet blossoms. They're in full bloom, their fragrance filling the air, and the buds are like beeswax."
Zhongli Mingye took the flowers and, by the way, pulled her into his embrace. "You smell even better..." Since ascending the throne, he had become increasingly busy.
Although he didn't handle every matter personally, there were numerous drawbacks left over from the previous emperor's reign that needed to be rectified one by one.
Ning Yue turned over and gently massaged his temples. "I'm thinking of finding a tutor for Dayuanbao. Who do you think would be suitable?"
"I've already had this in mind for some time, but I just haven't had the chance to discuss it with you."
Just as the couple was discussing Yuanbao's enlightenment in the imperial study,
Outside the door, Eunuch Lianluo raised his hand and blocked the maid Yingxiang. "The empress is inside. You're not allowed to enter the imperial study."
Yingxiang felt a bit disappointed. "This is the new lotus seed soup made in the imperial kitchen. Your Majesty should drink it while it's hot to savor its sweetness."
Lianluo stared at her coldly. "I'll take it in. You wait here!"
He whipped his whisk hard onto his arm and reached out to take the soup. He knew exactly what these maids were thinking. One by one, they were all waiting for the emperor's summons.
But Zhongli Mingye was not a man indulging in women, and their beauty was not even a fraction of the empress's.
Shaking his head, he carried the soup in.
However, as soon as Ning Yue took a whiff, she knew that this lotus seed soup was not ordinary. It actually contained the aphrodisiac fragrance. "Who sent this?"
Ning Yue's eyes turned cold as she got off Zhongli Mingye. Her beautiful eyes shot out a terrifying look that made Lianluo tremble.
After living together for so long, the couple had become more and more alike in their demeanor.
Lianluo quickly knelt down. "It was the maid Yingxiang!"
Ning Yue remained expressionless as two words escaped her lips: "Kill her." She wouldn't give any woman a chance, not even a lowly maid.
Zhongli Mingye's eyes were inscrutable, but he didn't interfere either. He never meddled in the affairs of the harem. He had only said to everyone in the palace, "In this palace, only the empress has the final say!"
What he meant was that the empress could do as she pleased!
As a result, all the people in the Xia Dynasty's palace were replaced by Ning Yue's people. The old servants from the former Prince Yu's Mansion had also become the supervisors of the inner palace.
Now that this incident had occurred, the empress bore a great responsibility. But with Zhongli Mingye's favor, no one dared to question her.
Zhongli Mingye pulled her into his arms. "Don't be angry. You can do whatever you want with these people. Your words are my imperial edicts."
Lianluo trembled at these words. The emperor truly doted on the empress.
From now on, he had to be more vigilant.
Ever since Eunuch Lianluo took the soup in, Yingxiang had been on tenterhooks.
Before long, Lianluo quickly brought people to gag her and dispose of her.
Before she died, Lianluo said, "Trying to drug the emperor in front of the empress. Are you tired of living?"
Yingxiang died quietly, but the news gradually spread in the harem. When the current Empress Dowager Shu heard about this, she was somewhat dissatisfied.
It had been a full three years since Zhongli Mingye ascended the throne, and he only had one son and one daughter by his side.
As an emperor, his offspring was really meager.
She couldn't sit still any longer. When she rushed to Chen'en Hall, she happened to see Dayuanbao holding Princess Yuan Ruo. The two little children were so pink and tender that they were extremely adorable.
"Grand Empress Dowager..." The childish voice was so sweet. Empress Dowager Shu forgot what she had come for. Her maid Qinglian quickly reminded her,
but she didn't care.
She reached out to take Yuan Ruo. "Let grandmother hold you!" As soon as the soft and fragrant little baby was in her arms, she grabbed the tassels on the empress dowager's clothes.
The maid Qinglian was a bit anxious. She had finally persuaded the empress dowager to come and persuade the empress not to monopolize the emperor's favor.
Now, the empress dowager was surrounded by the crown prince and the princess.
She was already twenty - three years old. In two more years, she would be released from the palace. After living in the palace for more than a decade, she had long been accustomed to the glory and wealth. If she was released from the palace, she would only marry a low - ranking official, and there was no guarantee that she would be the main wife.
If she became a concubine, she might as well stay in the palace as a concubine.
So, she was waiting for an opportunity. She had been waiting for the emperor to grow tired of the empress for three years. She had constantly heard about what the emperor had done for the empress.
When the empress gave birth to the princess, the emperor stayed up all night. He wasn't even afraid of bad luck and held the empress's hand, almost in tears.
Right after ascending the throne, he announced to the world that he would not take any concubines in his lifetime.
Qinglian sneered. How was that possible?
It was just a passing fancy for a year or two. When the empress grew old and haggard, even the emperor himself might not be able to resist.
She had tempted Yingxiang to send the drugged lotus seed soup. She didn't expect the empress to detect the trick and immediately execute Yingxiang. Qinglian also took this opportunity to fan the flames in front of the empress dowager.
Who would have thought that when the empress dowager came to question the empress, the crown prince and the princess were actually there. Now the empress dowager was only focused on enjoying family happiness and completely forgot the purpose of coming to find the empress.
Qinglian suddenly interrupted. "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, be careful. The princess is getting heavier. It's always better to be cautious." Empress Dowager Shu smiled,
"You're the most considerate one around me."
Dayuanbao pouted. "You, this maid, have no manners at all! Are you saying that the Grand Empress Dowager is old and useless?" Qinglian was greatly surprised and immediately knelt down. "Qinglian has absolutely no such intention! Please, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, investigate clearly..."
The empress dowager was just happy holding Yuan Ruo. Suddenly being reminded by Qinglian, she felt a bit unhappy. "It doesn't matter..."
"Grand Empress Dowager, the people around you should be more capable. Mother often says that it was not easy for you to raise Father. She told us to be more filial to you." Dayuanbao snuggled up to Empress Dowager Shu. "Now that you're living happily, I'm really happy."
After saying that, he glared at Qinglian.
Empress Dowager Shu was so happy with Dayuanbao's sweet talk that she completely forgot about finding Song Ningyue.
Qinglian awkwardly retreated, unable to hide the hatred in her eyes.
After playing with Dayuanbao for the whole afternoon, Empress Dowager Shu left contentedly. She never saw the empress from beginning to end.
When she returned to her own palace, she recalled what Dayuanbao had said. "Mother is still young. She should give Yuanbao a few more younger siblings of the same blood..."
Of the same blood?
Empress Dowager Shu remembered the late emperor. He had numerous concubines. Several princes had fought each other desperately for the throne. Because they were not born of the same mother, they had no scruples when they attacked each other.
Immediately, she extinguished the thought of persuading the empress to be more generous.
After all, Song Jinyu had almost lost her life in the Minjiang River to save her back then.
Qinglian was a bit anxious. She didn't want to be released from the palace when the time came. There was no better opportunity at the moment, so she could only take better care of Empress Dowager Shu.
When Ning Yue learned about this, she rewarded Dayuanbao that night.
She personally cooked fried fish cakes for Dayuanbao. The siblings ate to their hearts' content.
Looking at the sleeping siblings, Ning Yue's thoughts drifted away. It wasn't that she didn't want to be generous; she just couldn't.
In this lifetime, she just wanted to monopolize Zhongli Mingye. Have children with him and live a happy life.
Moreover, their children had to grow up safely and healthily.
Thinking of this, she stroked her flat abdomen. It was time to have another child for Zhongli Mingye. Immediately, she couldn't sit still.
She rushed straight to the imperial study.
"No more!" Zhongli Mingye shook his head. Since Yuan Ruo was born, he didn't dare to let Ning Yue get pregnant again.
On the day Yuan Ruo was born, Ning Yue had almost exhausted all her strength,
which had also frightened Zhongli Mingye.