Lin Qiao, who had been hesitating whether to follow Luo Nanchen back to the Hall of Diligent Government, immediately stopped hesitating and quickly withdrew her steps.
She immediately resumed her dignified and imposing demeanor. "So it's the Grand Tutor. What brings you to the Palace of Eternal Joy?"
Hearing Lin Qiao's voice, Pei Liyu hunched over and turned around. He looked old and decrepit, with tears streaming down his face. "Your Majesty, you must make a decision for us—"
Lin Qiao's heart skipped a beat. She vaguely remembered that the last time Pei Liyu came to her asking for a decision was when he wanted Luo Nanchen to hold a draft for concubines...
Could it be that since Zou Lurui, the only one selected into the palace, had been childless for nearly a year, Pei Liyu had the same thought again?
No way. This time, no matter what, Lin Qiao would not agree to Luo Nanchen holding another draft for concubines.
Even if there was a draft, she would not agree to any more concubines entering the palace.
She also had a little temper and could get jealous.
...Although she didn't show it often.
Lin Qiao sighed. "The Grand Tutor is getting on in years. You should take care of your health... Come in with me."
Pei Liyu replied, "...Thank you, Empress Dowager."
Then Pei Liyu was helped up by two young eunuchs. He hunched over, looking extremely frail.
As Lin Qiao walked, she suddenly thought that at Pei Liyu's age, as a veteran official of two generations... he must be at least seventy years old. It was time for him to retire and return to his hometown, right?
Even if he didn't retire and return to his hometown, he should at least stay at home and rest. Why would he still get involved in the matter of the draft for concubines?
This was simply unreasonable!
When they entered the room, Chunhua and Qiuyue were very surprised that Lin Qiao had returned to the Palace of Eternal Joy. They didn't understand why or how she had returned.
But they immediately reacted and didn't disgrace the Palace of Eternal Joy. Then they brought chairs and tea for Lin Qiao and Pei Liyu.
Lin Qiao was calm and composed. She got straight to the point. "Just say what you want. If I can do it, I will definitely try my best to help you."
Pei Liyu had sat down on the chair tremblingly at first, but when Lin Qiao said this, he then knelt down shakily. "Empress Dowager, please save the country and the Emperor..."
Lin Qiao didn't understand. What had happened to Luo Nanchen? Why did she need to save him? Clearly, it was Luo Nanchen who had sent her back to the Palace of Eternal Joy just a moment ago.
...Could it be that something had really happened to Luo Nanchen? That's why he had sent her back in such a hurry? And told her not to think too much no matter what happened?
Lin Qiao felt a bit distracted.
But with an old man like Pei Liyu kneeling in front of her, she couldn't maintain her composure anymore. She quickly helped Pei Liyu up.
"What happened to Luo Nanchen... No, what happened to the Emperor? Is it really worth such a fuss?"
At this moment, Lin Qiao actually felt a bit unsure.
Because Luo Nanchen had looked different from usual just now. In the past, he had always found ways to prevent her from returning to the Palace of Eternal Joy. Well, today he had sent her back himself.
Lin Qiao felt a bit restless.
When Pei Liyu got to this point, he wanted to start wiping his tears again. "Your Majesty, the Emperor is in big trouble. The Yunjin Dynasty will have no heirs, and the country will be finished..."
Lin Qiao tried to hold back the vein throbbing on her forehead. "Get to the point."
"Your Majesty, the Emperor... wants to establish a male empress!"
Lin Qiao: "???"
After Pei Liyu's intermittent explanation for nearly an hour, Lin Qiao finally sorted out the whole story.
It was like this.
A month ago, on the day when Luo Nanchen and his entourage had just returned to the capital, Pei Liyu had resigned and was going to retire at home.
Since Pei Liyu was from the capital, the so - called "retiring and returning to his hometown" didn't really apply to him.
He just wanted to recuperate at home.
Originally, Pei Liyu thought that after retiring from office, he could live a carefree and unrestrained life.
Unexpectedly, a bolt from the blue had caught Pei Liyu off guard.
One day, in the court, after all the officials had presented their memorials, Luo Nanchen announced something that made all the civil and military officials too scared to make a sound.
"I want to establish a male empress."
Although the civil and military officials were too scared to make a sound, after they came to their senses, they all thought that this was a major event related to the country and began to protest collectively.
After all, the law could not punish everyone, and Luo Nanchen couldn't punish all the civil and military officials.
But the officials knelt in front of the Hall of Diligent Government for several days, and Luo Nanchen ignored them. He didn't even attend the morning court.
He just told Mo Xiujie to collect the memorials and send them to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
During those days, Luo Nanchen didn't have to get up early, didn't have to attend the morning court, and didn't have to face the officials' faces. He slept soundly every day holding Lin Qiao in his arms.
But the civil and military officials thought it was unacceptable. Seeing that kneeling collectively didn't work, they thought for a while and then collectively went to Pei Liyu's mansion to complain.
As a veteran official of two generations, Pei Liyu had a strong sense of responsibility. He regarded the development of the Yunjin Dynasty as his life - long mission. He resolutely went to Luo Nanchen to protest.
His protest words were very euphemistic. "Although an old official shouldn't interfere, Your Majesty, should you go to the Imperial Hospital to have a check - up? Is there any hidden illness that you're not convenient to talk about?"
Or: "Your Majesty, it's okay if you have some special hobbies, but... can you not establish a man as the empress?"
Or even more humbly: "Can the man dress up as a woman for the ceremony of establishing the empress?"
Luo Nanchen rejected them all.
And his attitude was very firm.
After that, Pei Liyu thought that it would be more useful to find Lin Qiao, so he came to the Palace of Eternal Joy and knelt for several days.
And Luo Nanchen clearly knew that Pei Liyu had gone to the Palace of Eternal Joy to beg Lin Qiao. Maybe in order not to expose the fact that Lin Qiao had been living in the Hall of Mental Cultivation all day long so early, he had deliberately sent Lin Qiao back to the Palace of Eternal Joy.
Lin Qiao didn't know what his purpose was.
But Lin Qiao knew... when Luo Nanchen said he wanted to establish a male empress, he definitely didn't have a candidate.
Lin Qiao pretended to nod. "I understand. Grand Tutor, can you let me think of a way and then tell you?"
Pei Liyu bowed deeply again. "Thank you, Empress Dowager. This old official will take his leave."
After Pei Liyu left the Palace of Eternal Joy, Lin Qiao finally showed the confused expression that she had been holding back for a long time. "...What on earth is Luo Nanchen up to?"
Unexpectedly, before Lin Qiao could finish being confused, she heard a noise by the window. Before she could react, she was hugged from behind.
She subconsciously wanted to resist. When she was about to step on the other person's instep, she suddenly realized...
It was Luo Nanchen.
Probably no one else would dare to casually enter the Palace of Eternal Joy, jump through the Empress Dowager's window, and hug the Empress Dowager.
Lin Qiao shook her head helplessly. "What are you doing?"
Luo Nanchen chuckled. "Which thing is Xiao Lin referring to?"
This low chuckle echoed in Lin Qiao's ears. It was extremely effective, nice, numb, and sexy. Lin Qiao even had a hard time resisting it.
Lin Qiao turned her head, trying to break free from Luo Nanchen's alluring grasp. "It's, it's the matter of establishing a male empress..."
Luo Nanchen was very naughty. The more Lin Qiao dodged, the closer Luo Nanchen got to her ear and kept blowing air on it.
Lin Qiao couldn't stand it. "Luo Nanchen, "behave yourself..."
Luo Nanchen then answered the question properly. "Because if I directly said I wanted to marry Xiao Lin as the empress, there would surely be people objecting. So I came up with something more extreme first to let them get mentally prepared."
There is a saying that when you want to open a window, there will surely be people who won't allow it. But when you want to tear down the roof, people will then accept you opening a window.
It's the same principle. Luo Nanchen just reversed the order.
Otherwise, it would be too obvious. There would always be some smart officials among them who could figure it out.
Lin Qiao wanted to ask something else, but Luo Nanchen started to act up again.
After saying the serious part, Luo Nanchen started to blow air on Lin Qiao's ear again and even began to kiss her gently.
Lin Qiao felt a bit weak in the knees.