"That phrase was exactly what you told me!"
Hearing this, Tang Youyou took a deep breath and averted her gaze from Rong Jiangyu's sincere eyes. She simply couldn't stand those teary ones.
Tang Youyou forced a smile awkwardly. "I've taught you a lot more than that. Why did you only pick up this one?"
In an instant, Rong Jiangyu's face flushed bright red. He began to foam at the mouth and stole a glance at Tang Youyou beside him, as if dropping a hint.
The next moment, he went crazy and started chasing after her. In a flash, the dynamic between them changed completely.
She ran, and he chased. But she wasn't helpless...
Tang Youyou finally reached the main hall, only to bump straight into a warm embrace. When she looked up, she saw that it was Rong Xun.
However, he acted as if he knew nothing.
Rong Xun asked, "Your Majesty the Queen, what brings you here?"
As Rong Xun spoke without batting an eyelid, Tang Youyou deliberately forced back her nausea, stuck out her pink tongue, and tilted her head to gently lick the wound on her hand.
She smiled and said, "I came here because I hoped to meet Your Majesty. I heard some strange noises just now, so I came to check it out. Who would have thought I'd run into a madman!"
Rong Xun's dark eyes seemed even deeper as he stared intently at Tang Youyou, making her heart skip a beat.
Tang Youyou lowered her eyes. After a moment of thought, she said again, "Your Majesty, why don't we go back? It's quite scary here."
Looking at the delicate Tang Youyou, Rong Xun was skeptical, but he still twitched his eyes and smiled slightly.
"Sure."
Finally, Rong Xun sent Tang Youyou back to the Cool Breeze Palace. Then, the little eunuch informed him of an urgent matter, so he rushed back to the Administrative Hall.
In the main hall, all the ministers were present.
Their faces were extremely solemn, as if something big had happened.
Su Minhuai stepped forward seriously and said, "Your Majesty, the barbarians on the border have been invading repeatedly. If we keep tolerating them, they might even break into Jiangcheng one day!"
Hearing this, Xu Songming, who was standing beside Su Minhuai, also stepped forward and said, "Exactly! We should strike first to prevent more trouble. Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, we should send troops to catch the barbarians off guard."
Both of them spoke forcefully, but Rong Xun fell into deep thought. He had just ascended the throne, and his foundation was far from stable.
If he sent troops to war at this crucial moment, the national treasury might be emptied, and the entire Ming Dynasty would be consumed from within. But if he insisted on fighting, the burden on the national treasury would be shifted to the common people.
However, even the common people would reach their limit one day, which might lead to uprisings in the country.
After much thought, Rong Xun fell silent.
Suddenly, he looked up at the ministers and simply said, "We'll discuss this matter in a few days. I'm tired."
Hearing this, the dozens of other matters that needed to be reported were postponed once again. Su Ningde also said, "Your Majesty has so much to attend to. All the ministers should go back early. We'll discuss it another day."
At this, the ministers dispersed in a rush.
In an instant, Rong Xun was left alone in the empty main hall.
He pondered for a long time but still couldn't come up with a solution. Then, he glanced at the corner.
A dead soldier slowly emerged. He seemed to blend in with the darkness, coming and going without a trace.
His face was covered by a large black mask, and only a pair of extremely clear eyes could be seen beneath it.
Rong Xun said, "In the next few days, keep a close eye on the Queen. Report any abnormalities to me immediately. And also keep a close watch on the Crown Prince!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the dead soldier disappeared instantly, merging with the darkness once again.
At this moment, Rong Xun's eyes were bloodshot. He slightly raised his eyebrows and looked at Su Ningde, who was slowly approaching the door, with a hint of amusement.
Su Ningde also noticed something was off about Rong Xun. He flattered and said, "Your Majesty, if you're in a bad mood today, you can skip the concubine selection and have a good rest."
However, something unexpected happened. Rong Xun, who usually resisted the concubine selection, actually waved at Su Ningde today, just like calling a dog.
Su Ningde was patient enough. With a flattering smile on his face, he leaned in.
"Your Majesty, please select a concubine."
The shrill voice made Rong Xun feel a bit uncomfortable. He directly picked up Wen Ruxue's token.
Clang.
Su Ningde immediately carried the wooden board and left in a hurry.
On the other side, Wen Ruxue was shocked when she received the news. Knowing that the Phoenix and Luan Carriage was coming soon, she excitedly tidied up her clothes and hair. Soon, wearing the most beautiful hairpin, she walked step by step to the door.
Su Nian'e, who had been eavesdropping on the other side early on, was full of jealousy. With her scarlet eyes, she sneered at Wen Ruxue angrily.
"So what if you get the emperor's favor once? Do you really think His Majesty will like a slut like you? A woman from a brothel will never be able to show her face in public."
Hearing this, Fuzi, who was standing beside Wen Ruxue, immediately got angry. She retorted, "Please, Your Highness Su, know your place. Think clearly about who the mistress of the Xianfu Palace is. Don't just yell blindly all day long!"
Being retorted like this, even the eloquent Su Nian'e was left speechless. She knew that in this matter, she had no way to defend herself.
Su Nian'e watched from afar as the Phoenix and Luan Carriage came and took the exquisitely dressed Wen Ruxue away. She couldn't help but shed tears of frustration.
She had completely lost, defeated by the woman she despised the most, a former prostitute.
Wen Ruxue, who was brought to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, carefully pushed open the door of the main hall. Seeing Rong Xun taking a bath inside, she subconsciously looked away.
It wasn't until Rong Xun got out of the water that she slowly approached him.
She whispered tentatively, "Your Majesty, why did you summon me here today? Is there anything you need me to do?"
Hearing this, Rong Xun just frowned coldly and replied, "Go and grind the ink. Keep me company while I work."
Compared to being driven away by Rong Xun, this sentence gave her great hope.
It meant that Rong Xun didn't hate her or resist her. Instead, he was starting to get closer to her.
Just as she was about to go and grind the ink, a voice came from behind her. She heard Rong Xun say, "About what happened during the day..."
Before Rong Xun could finish, Wen Ruxue quickly said, "Your Majesty, don't worry. I don't mind the Queen's punishment. I'm not that petty."