"Father?"
"Father?"
The King of Dongzhou was so lost in thought that he didn't respond until Dongfang Yinuo called him twice.
"What's up?"
"Father, do you think what I said is right?"
The King of Dongzhou looked at Lady Jinse, who looked aggrieved with tears in her eyes.
Then he looked at his daughter, who was calm and smiling.
He could only nod.
"Of course."
Lady Jinse lowered her head.
It seemed that she was sulking with the King of Dongzhou.
Dongfang Yinuo had someone present the birthday gift to Lady Jinse.
She also said, "Lady Jinse may not be familiar with the affairs in the palace yet. Judging from your reaction just now, it seems that no maid has taught you the palace rules properly."
"Just right. My mother is the mistress of the harem, the Queen of Dongzhou. She has been in charge of the harem for decades. As my mother's daughter, I don't have many other skills, but I know quite a lot about this aspect. Now I've also made some progress in etiquette. So the birthday gift for you is a booklet recording the palace rules. Lady Jinse is intelligent. If you really have feelings for my father, you should attach great importance to the palace rules, right?"
Lady Jinse bit her lips and replied, "This servant will study hard."
"Jinse doesn't understand these things, and I haven't asked her to study them specifically. Yinuo, as my daughter, it's really thoughtful of you to prepare this gift."
The King of Dongzhou naturally protected Lady Jinse.
Even though Dongfang Yinuo was his own daughter with Dongfang Ruoxi, he had never regarded her as his real daughter.
After all.
In his eyes.
Dongfang Yinuo had the surname "Dongfang". She was from the Dongfang family, which was in opposition to him.
"Father is joking. If Lady Jinse really cares about you and you're willing to accept her, she will have to learn the palace rules sooner or later, right?"
The King of Dongzhou fell silent, looking a bit unhappy.
Dongfang Yinuo turned to ask Lady Jinse.
"Lady Jinse, what do you think?"
"This servant will study hard."
"That's good. Lady Jinse is really worthy of being the woman my father has taken a fancy to. You're so sensible. Before, I respected that you were new here and didn't understand the palace rules. You didn't have an official title, so you rarely paid grand palace salutes when you saw me. Now that I've given you this booklet recording the palace rules, if you're still ignorant in the future, don't blame me for taking you as an example to rectify the improper atmosphere in the palace."
"Dongfang Yinuo, she is my woman!"
"Father!" Dongfang Yinuo's voice also got a bit louder.
There was not only anger but also a hint of wetness in her eyes.
She suddenly raised her voice, but when the King of Dongzhou and others looked at her, her expression softened a bit.
"Father, I'm your child, and I also have your blood in me."
She hated.
Her mother was ill in bed, but her father was holding a grand banquet in the palace for a woman.
Now he was even protecting a woman and showing such a look to her in front of everyone.
Dongfang Yinuo added, "Father, I came here on Uncle's behalf. He has been fighting battles and guarding the border all year round. But when he heard that you've taken a fancy to Lady Jinse, he asked me to bring this gift. Father, Uncle couldn't come and asked me to apologize to you."
Every word of Dongfang Yinuo seemed dignified and flawless.
In fact.
It was a veiled warning to the King of Dongzhou.
Even though his power was great, he shouldn't forget that it was the people under the Dongfang family who were guarding the border of Dongzhou.
The world of Dongzhou was founded by the Dongfang family.
His position as the King of Dongzhou was only stable because of the Dongfang family.
If he really acted recklessly for a woman at this time and word got out, see how much popular support he, the King of Dongzhou, would have left.
The tense face of the King of Dongzhou suddenly relaxed.
He smiled and said, "Look at you. Why are you so serious? You're my daughter. I've always supported everything you do. Isn't it like this since you were a child? Don't you remember? When you were a child and were willful and wanted to ride a horse and shoot arrows, but the horse was too wild. So I let you ride on my neck. You were so happy then."
"Of course I won't forget."
It was precisely because she couldn't forget.
It was because the dream her father had woven for her since childhood was too beautiful. It was because he never taught her right from wrong and just let her grow up freely. No matter what she wanted, no matter right or wrong, he would give it to her.
Once upon a time, Dongfang Yinuo thought that was fatherly love.
She thought that there should be no one in the world who loved her more than her father. Even Uncle was very strict with her on weekdays.
Until.
Later, she made a big mistake.
Until she received a secret letter from her mother when she was in the Hailing Kingdom.
Only then did she know.
All the so - called love and fatherhood were illusory.
What the King of Dongzhou cared about was the power in his hands.
From childhood to adulthood, she was just a pawn in his hands.
He indulged her just to make her useless and extravagant, so that everyone in Dongzhou would only feel disgusted when they mentioned Dongfang Yinuo, the little princess of Dongzhou.
She was the first pawn for her father, the King of Dongzhou, to destroy the Dongfang family.
Over the years.
The Dongfang family had no male heir. It was very likely that this father had a lot to do with it.
The Dongfang family had declined to this point.
She had an inescapable responsibility.
But now.
She had already woken up and seen everything clearly.
This so - called father actually still wanted to tie her up with that ridiculous family affection from her childhood.
"That's right. Yinuo, even if Jinse has no great merits in serving me, she has put in a lot of effort, right? I was a bit too harsh just now, but I know that Yinuo won't be angry with me. Right?"
"Of course I won't be angry with Father. Father, you still love me as much as when I was a child, right?"
"Of course."
"No matter who it is, no one can destroy the relationship between our father and daughter, right?"
The King of Dongzhou was taken aback.
He deliberately avoided Lady Jinse's resentful gaze.
He laughed it off and said, "Naturally, naturally."
Then he had someone offer a seat for Dongfang Yinuo. To show that he meant what he said, he even arranged Dongfang Yinuo's seat beside him.
Unfortunately.
Now Dongfang Yinuo was no longer a naive girl.
She was no longer a little girl who could be deceived by the King of Dongzhou's few words and a couple of candies.
"Yinuo, watch the play. Let's watch the play together. Look how touching the story of Xue Pinggui and Wang Baochuan is. Xue Pinggui, as the emperor, finally enjoyed the happiness of having two wives. Wang Baochuan waited in the cold kiln for so many years. It was not in vain."
These words.
Were also a hint to Dongfang Yinuo.
He was the King of Dongzhou.
He had been benevolent enough not to take concubines for so many years because of Dongfang Ruoxi. Now he was determined to have Lady Jinse. As the king, it was the most normal thing to enjoy the happiness of having multiple wives.
"Jinse, what do you think of this play?"
The King of Dongzhou looked at Lady Jinse beside him with a smile in his eyes.