Concentious Palace.
The Empress Dowager heard that the Emperor first rushed into the fiery inferno to save people, ignoring his own danger, and then brought Jing Zhao Rong back to live in the Taihe Hall, which greatly displeased her.
She sat on the soft cushion in the Cheng Ning Palace, her eyes were cold and stern, and her fingers gently tapped on the railing, each time and again, as if she were hitting everyone's heart.
"Go and call the Emperor to come to me."
The empress dowager instructed the maid beside her, and the maid hurried away after receiving her orders.
Taihe Hall, with flickering candles, reflected a faint tenderness.
Yu Yao and Emperor Jing lay half-recumbent on the bed, chatting, looking like a pair of ordinary spouses in affection, with a faint smile on their lips.
"Your Majesty, there's someone from the Cheng Ning Palace. They say the Empress Dowager is summoning you."
Lv Xi's voice came from outside the bedroom door.
The face of Emperor Jing was momentarily stained with impatience and irritation, but it disappeared in an instant. As an emperor, the imperial order cannot be disobeyed, nor can the mother's command.
But soon, it was replaced by tenderness.
He turned to look at Yu Yao, his eyes full of unwillingness and longing, "Yaoer, the Empress Dowager summoned me. I have to go and see her. You can rest assured, don't wait for me. Go ahead and sleep first."
Yu Yao smiled softly and nodded gently: "The emperor can rest assured that the minion will take care of herself. However, on the other side of the Empress Dowager……"
Her words carried a hint of concern.
Emperor Jing held her hand tightly, offering her comfort: "It's nothing, I have my own judgment. You just need to rest assured and deliver the baby. I'll take care of the rest."
Having said that, he got up to straighten his clothes and walked away with long strides.
Within the Cheng Ning Palace, the atmosphere was solemn.
The Empress Dowager sat at the head of the table, her face dark with displeasure, clearly dissatisfied with Emperor Jing's decision.
The palace maids stood in breathless silence, not daring to breathe a sound.
The atmosphere was so serious that it was as if the ice and frost had frozen.
Emperor Jing stepped into the Cheng Ning Palace, glanced at the atmosphere inside the hall, and did not pay much attention.
"Son, I pay my respects to the Empress Dowager."
The etiquette was not lacking in courtesy, yet there was a hint of carefree freedom.
Upon seeing Emperor Jing arrive, the Empress Dowager's face was stern, and she cut straight to the point: "Jian'er, you rushed into the fiery inferno to save people without considering your own safety, which is an act of benevolence. I won't say much about that. But you have arranged for Jing Zhao Rong to live in the Taihe Hall, which is an important place for handling state affairs and resting. When can concubines of the harem live there at will?"
Emperor Jing smiled gently, "Empress Dowager, Jing Zhao Rong is pregnant and the Marble Peony Palace was destroyed by a great fire. As a son, I am concerned about her delicate health and think of her unborn child. That's why I placed her in Taihe Hall. All I did was follow my heart, hoping that she could have a comfortable and safe place to give birth."
The Empress Dowager frowned and continued, "Jian'er, your following your heart has gone too far. I also heard that you have issued an edict to reduce the number of concubines in the harem paying respects, and you have forbidden the Jing Shi Hall from submitting green ticket lists every day. Do you think the rules of the harem are worthless to you?"
Emperor Jing casually tucked up his robe and sat down, lying diagonally, "Mother, I am merely seeking comfort in this way. There are so many women in the harem, and having to pay respects every day seems cumbersome to me. As for the green ticket lists, recently I have only wanted to be with Jing Zhao Rong. Seeing those lists only feels boring."
The Empress Dowager coldly snorted: "When will your promiscuous nature change? You were very intimate with Zhuo Gui Ban before. Zhuo Gui Ban was almost always by your side, day and night. Now you favor Jing Zhao Rong, and you act like a person who changes his mind every day. How can this allow the harem to be in peace?"
Emperor Jing looked at the Empress Dowager with a look in his eyes and a trace of unrestrained faint smile on his lips:
"Mother, I am merely searching for someone who is truly to my heart's content in the harem. My past with Zhuo Gui Ban was nothing more than a flirtatious affair. Now, only Jing Zhao Rong occupies my heart. The kind of affection I yearn for is one that lasts a lifetime with one person, like birds soaring freely in the sky, desiring to rest in one place."
The Empress Dowager's face grew increasingly gloomy: "Jian'er, you are the emperor, not an ordinary person. The Three Palaces and Six Departments were established by our ancestors to ensure the stability of the empire. How can you casually destroy them because of your own personal feelings?"
If it weren't so unbearable, she wouldn't care about his mess in the harem. Don't make her old bones angry.
Emperor Jing seemed not to notice the Empress Dowager's gloomy expression, "Mother, I understand my identity and also know the ancestral rules. But I want to pursue what my heart desires within these rules. I am willing to create a new world for my own emotions in this palace, while also paying attention to court affairs and not letting the state fall into turmoil."
The Empress Dowager, angry, stood up: "Your Majesty, don't think this is a trivial matter. Your decision will cause dissatisfaction among the women in the harem. The families behind those consorts are entangled and complex, and there will certainly be disputes in the court as a result."
Emperor Jing also sat up, looking directly at the Empress Dowager's eyes, with a confident and seductive gaze: "Mother, I am not afraid of these. I will handle all the relationships well, and will not let the court be disordered by matters in the harem. My emotions, I want to be the one who makes the decisions."
The Empress Dowager was so angry that she grabbed the teacup beside her and threw it towards Emperor Jing, scolding him: "Emperor, you are really blinded by that woman's beauty!"
Emperor Jing heard this and laughed lightly, quickly dodging aside with agility.
The teacup brushed his clothes, flying past him, making a "click" sound when it hit the ground, shattering into several pieces. Tea water splattered everywhere.
Seeing that the Empress Dowager was quite upset, Emperor Jing teased instead: "Mother, see how you're in a hurry and upset. Won't you want to start getting wrinkles early? Although the dear father has already passed away, I don't want to see your flower-like beauty fade away…"
The Empress Dowager was so enraged by his disrespectful words that she nearly fainted. She raised her hand to strike him, but paused halfway.
Expressing her heartfelt concern, she said earnestly: "Jian'er, don't forget your identity. You are the ruler of a country, and you should be serious."
Emperor Jing, upon hearing this, became more serious and withdrew his teasing expression.
If the Empress Dowager knew that he had slept with the father's woman, who was now pregnant, and even wanted to be with her for a lifetime, she might be even more angry...
The dear father probably would have been so angry that he would have wanted to flip the coffin lid…
He said seriously, "Mother, what is this all about? I am only pursuing my true feelings."
Mother is always so rigid, with no sense of fun. That's why she didn't gain the favor of the dear father when she was young.
The Empress Dowager was so angry that her chest heaved violently, half believing his nonsense, and coldly snorted: "Sincerity? You crawled out of the Empress Dowager's womb. What can't she know? Your sincerity has lasted more than three months already."
Emperor Jing inwardly sighed, why were they all looking at him like that? This time, he was really serious.
But he also doesn't want to explain to the Empress Dowager or say more meaningless words.
He bowed to the Empress Dowager: "Mother, do not worry about your son's affairs. It's more important to take care of your health and enjoy a long life. I will leave now."
The Empress Dowager was so angry that she felt a blockage in her heart. She helplessly waved her hand, as if shooing away a fly.
After leaving the Cheng Ning Palace, Emperor Jing felt a mix of five flavors in his heart.
He thought about the Empress Dowager's words while quickening his pace back to the Taihe Hall.
When Emperor Jing returned to the Taihe Hall, he saw Yu Yao sleeping soundly. The candlelight flickered on her face, casting a warm, yellow glow that made her look serene and peaceful.
His heart was like being gently brushed by feathers, full of softness and love.
He took off his outer robe, lay down beside her, and cuddled her to sleep.
The night grew deeper, and all was quiet.
Emperor Jing was awakened by a sudden instinctual urge in his dreams.
He, being a womanizing man, was quite enthusiastic about matters of the heart and body.
These past few weeks, having been at odds with Yu Yao, he hadn't been with any woman for over a month. Normally, he would sleep alone in his palace, and with his troubled mind, he could withstand not calling a concubine.
With the warm and fragrant woman in his arms, and the misunderstanding resolved, he suddenly felt a strong desire to control himself.
He turned uncomfortably, his gaze falling on Yu Yao's protruding belly. It rose high, like an insurmountable barrier.
Emperor Jing lay in bed, tossing and turning, his mind tormented.
He tried to shift his thoughts away from that aspect.
He turned to the side, with his back to her, trying to suppress the discomfort.
But there was an overwhelming sensation, as if millions of ants were crawling inside him, making him extremely restless.
The bedding was untied, and his hand unconsciously reached down.
He glanced at Yu Yao sleeping beside him and felt a bit awkward.
He quietly got up, threw on a robe, and walked towards the side hall.
Yu Yao didn't sleep soundly. The slight noise made by Emperor Jing when he got up startled her awake.
She opened her eyes with confusion, found the dog emperor was not beside her, and wondered in her heart.
What was the dog emperor doing in the middle of the night?
Was he unable to resist, secretly looking for women to indulge himself?
Thinking about it, she was a little angry and disappointed.
But she couldn't help but want to follow and see for herself.
She wrapped herself in a cape and followed the direction where the dog emperor had gone, trying to move as quietly as possible.
In the side hall, Emperor Jing leaned against a column, his body trembling slightly, and his face was filled with strange expressions, as if he felt comfortable and delighted.
Yu Yao had already secretly come to the door of the side hall.
When she saw what the dog emperor was doing, she couldn't help but "puff" and laugh.
Emperor Jing heard the laugh and turned around in shock. Seeing Yu Yao standing there with her eyes and eyebrows crinkled in laughter, he blushed instantly, feeling so embarrassed he wished he could crawl into a crack in the ground.
"Your Majesty, what are you……"
Yu Yao, holding back her laughter, asked.
I thought the dog emperor was looking for a woman, but I didn't expect him to be...
Emperor Jing was so embarrassed that his face turned bright red, stuttering as he said, "Yao'er, I... I couldn't help myself. I was afraid of hurting you and the fetus in your belly, so..."
She walked towards him with a smile, her eyes filled with mockery: "Your Majesty, you are really quite amusing."
She knew that the dog emperor was very much a womanizer, and she preferred to endure herself, avoiding even calling a concubine, which was already quite rare.
The harem is not short of women. With just a word from the dog emperor, it would not take long for concubines to be brought over to attend to him.
She found it both amusing and touching.
Emperor Jing awkwardly lowered his head, not daring to look at her, and his handsome face flushed with embarrassment.
It's so...embarrassing...
Yu Yao glanced at his face, which was flushed with embarrassment, and she softly laughed. She walked over and gently cupped his face, speaking tenderly, "Your Majesty, you can control yourself like this, and it fills my heart with admiration. After the child is born, whatever you want to do, I will comply."
Emperor Jing heard these words and his eyes brightened. He tightly hugged her, "Really? Whatever I want to do?"
Yu Yao saw the brightened look in his eyes and suddenly realized she might have said something wrong. She quickly added, "Your Majesty, I also have my own limits. Don't try to play the same games with me that you did with Shuguigui…"
She had also heard something about it from the system, so she couldn't accept it.
Emperor Jing was curious. How did Yu Yao know what he had done with Shuguipan?
But he didn't think much about it and said, "Yao'er, I won't do that to you."
What he said was the truth.
That was completely abuse. He didn't care about how Shuguipan felt, or considerate of her emotions. He only cared about satisfying himself.
But even if he wanted to, he wouldn't treat her like that.
It was a respect and love that came from the bottom of his heart.
