Lin Qinghe's gentle smile eased Zhang Qianqian's apprehension. Taking a deep breath and steadying herself, she said, "Your Majesty, we humbly beg that the Empress, with great understanding and for His Majesty's sake, and for the prosperity of the royal lineage, would implore the Empress to select consorts for His Majesty, to fill the inner palace!"
As expected, Lin Qinghe raised an eyebrow but remained silent, her smile not reaching her eyes.
Lin Qinghe dismissively said, "Regarding the selection of consorts, I am too lazy to meddle. You may as well speak to His Majesty directly. If His Majesty agrees, then so be it. There's no need to come to me."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Qianqian and the others' faces turned grim.
It was precisely because You Rong refused to budge on the matter of selecting consorts that their fathers had worn their lips thin, kneeling before the Imperial Study for a day and a night with no effect, which led them to this last resort of asking the Empress.
Lin Qinghe's words easily left Zhang Qianqian and the others speechless, and she grew somewhat bored. Lazily, she said, "If there's nothing else, you may all withdraw. I wish to quietly enjoy some flowers."
Zhang Qianqian and the others exchanged glances, filled with both anxiety and anger.
One of them, the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Revenue, had once met You Rong and was enamored with him. Her sole desire was to enter the palace as a consort. Unable to contain herself, she pointed at Lin Qinghe and said furiously, "Her Majesty the Empress is so consumed by jealousy. Is she not afraid of being ridiculed by the world if this spreads! If only you alone remain in His Majesty's harem, and yet you have not conceived an imperial heir... what face do you have to sit in the position of Empress!"
When this woman spoke, Zhang Qianqian and the others were startled and quickly pulled her back. "Miss Liu, please, do not speak further. Disrespecting Her Majesty the Empress is a grave offense!"
"She is not afraid. If she can act in such a manner, why should she be afraid of us speaking? I..."
Lin Qinghe's eyes narrowed, a cold smile playing on her lips. Just as she was about to speak and deal with them, a sharp voice from an eunuch interrupted.
"His Majesty arrives!"
Lin Qinghe raised an eyebrow.
He came so quickly. He didn't even give her a chance to engage in palace intrigue. How tedious...
Zhang Qianqian and the others' faces changed drastically, and they quickly knelt to pay their respects. "Your humble subjects greet His Majesty."
Lin Qinghe remained seated on the lounge chair, making no move to stand, which caused them to frown.
They had heard that Her Majesty the Empress had been raised in the countryside by servants. It was true; she had no manners.
But what astonished them next was that You Rong walked directly to Lin Qinghe. He showed no intention of blaming her for not rising to greet him, naturally took her hand, and spoke to her softly, "I heard from the palace maids that you have been enjoying flowers in the Imperial Garden without even having lunch. Aren't you afraid of starving yourself?" Su Dan Novel Network
Lin Qinghe's eyes curved, and she smiled charmingly, her smile now reaching her eyes. "I'm not hungry. Besides, is this my fault... Your Majesty didn't come back to have lunch with me."
"Yes, yes... it is my fault, all my fault. From now on, no matter how busy I am, I will return immediately to have meals with you."
Lin Qinghe nodded with a smile. "Mm."
As the two were in a tender embrace, Zhang Qianqian and the others were left to the side. You Rong hadn't even ordered them to rise, and besides feeling awkward, their half-crouched positions were becoming unbearable. Their faces paled, and sweat beaded on their foreheads.
Finally, Lin Qinghe nudged You Rong, subtly gesturing towards them. "Your Majesty, Miss Zhang and the others are still here."
You Rong feigned a late realization, but he didn't even spare them a glance, blandly stating, "All of you may withdraw. The Empress and I need to return to the Palace of Heavenly Purity for lunch."
As You Rong led Lin Qinghe away, Zhang Qianqian and the others were filled with disappointment. The legitimate daughter of the Minister of Revenue, the one surnamed Liu, looked resentful, gritting her teeth. She finally couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty! You favor the Empress so exclusively, are you not afraid that the common people will accuse you of being a foolish ruler swayed by his consort! Furthermore... Her Majesty the Empress has been married to you for over a year, and still has not conceived. Your Majesty has no imperial heir yet. Are you not afraid of failing the ancestors of the royal family?!"
As these words were spoken, Zhang Qianqian and the others, as well as the palace maids, all broke out in a cold sweat for Miss Liu.
This was blatant self-destruction!
You Rong, holding Lin Qinghe's hand, stopped. He turned around, his expression cold as he looked at Miss Liu, and scoffed, "So what? Let alone the Empress not being pregnant now, even if she could never bear an imperial heir for me in her entire life, I wouldn't care!"
When You Rong finished speaking, everyone present was shocked. For an ordinary person to say this would be astonishing, let alone for You Rong, who was the emperor.
Miss Liu, Zhang Qianqian, and the others were all stunned.
You Rong's deep eyes narrowed, and he warned, "Go back and tell your fathers that there are plenty of capable individuals who wish to share my burdens, and my court does not need any one person to function! Also... from now on, anyone who dares to upset the Empress will be dragged out and beheaded directly!"
The palace maids responded in unison, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Zhang Qianqian and the others' faces turned deathly pale, and they trembled.
You Rong paid them no mind and left with Lin Qinghe without looking back. Once their figures had completely disappeared, the timid young ladies were so frightened that they burst into tears.
Palace of Heavenly Purity.
Lin Qinghe watched You Rong serve her food, her thoughts drifting. This made You Rong ask with a hint of confusion, "What are you thinking about? You seem so lost in thought... are you still unhappy about what just happened?"
Lin Qinghe shook her head. "...No."
"Then..."
Lin Qinghe's gaze towards You Rong became somewhat complex. After a moment of hesitation, she finally voiced her inner thoughts, "Does Your Majesty truly believe that it's fine even if I can never bear you an imperial heir?"
You Rong chuckled at this, his large hand caressing Lin Qinghe's cheek. "So that's what you were thinking... What's there to think about? No, I feel incredibly fortunate to have your company by my side. I am content and ask for nothing else."
The You Rong before her was not the one from modern times. His thinking was entirely that of an ancient person. In ancient times, men placed great importance on offspring, and furthermore, as an emperor, he truly didn't care at all?
"Then... what about your throne? When you grow old, won't there be no successor?"
You Rong dismissively said, "When that day truly comes, I will choose an intelligent and capable child from the royal clan to be adopted as my son and establish him as the Crown Prince. This matter... you need not worry about it anymore. I only wish for you to stay by my side always. You need not concern yourself with anything else."
Lin Qinghe lowered her gaze slightly and murmured "Mm." Her outward expression was calm, revealing nothing, but inwardly, You Rong's words had stirred a great wave.
After lunch, You Rong caressed Lin Qinghe's cheek and said softly, "I will go to the Imperial Study to handle state affairs now. I'll return later to have dinner with you. If you feel bored, have the palace maids accompany you for a walk in the Imperial Garden."
Lin Qinghe nodded. As You Rong's figure reached the door of the hall, a sudden impulse overtook her. She ran over and hugged You Rong from behind.
You Rong was taken aback. He raised his hand, grasped Lin Qinghe's, and asked with slight confusion, "What is it?"
Lin Qinghe buried her face in You Rong's back, her expression unreadable, and said in a low voice, "Nothing... I just wanted to tell Your Majesty that I love you..."
You Rong smiled warmly, gently pulled Lin Qinghe's arms from around him, and turned to face her. He smiled and said, "I know." Then he lowered his head and kissed her.
At this moment, the system's prompt sounded: "Progress bar increased by two percent, total progress bar at ninety-five percent."