"Your Majesty, what kind of gift should be sent for the Empress Dowager's birthday?" Yiu stood by and asked. Full collection

  Su Jing shook her head, "This palace also doesn't know, the empress dowager is offering sacrifices to Buddha, this palace was thinking of sending some rare books, but rare books are hard to come by, if they're not extraordinary, the empress dowager probably won't think much of them."

  "I think that giving gifts is about the sincerity of one's heart. Since she is already the Empress Dowager, precious treasures are probably nothing new to her. Moreover, what does the Empress Dowager have to do with Your Highness?"

  "Besides, she doesn't like Your Highness, so whatever is sent will be nitpicked," Su Jing continued her sentence, "In that case, let's choose a gift that others can't find fault with."

  However

  "But others will still find fault with you," Su Jing continued, in the palace, it's always like this, for people you don't like, they can't help but think of all sorts of ways to make you lose face, let alone those who have already gone beyond dislike towards her.

  She sighed and said, "Let me think for a moment."

  It was at night, when Zong Zhengjin stepped into the gate of Guan Yu Palace, that he saw her standing idly by the corridor door. Perhaps she had a premonition, for in the next second, she turned around and smiled charmingly.

  Zong Zhengjin strode over and caught her, "What are you running for?"

  Su Jing tightly grasped his arm, with a smile at the corner of her mouth, "No, I'm not happy to see Your Majesty coming, am I?"

  Zong Zhengjin's face turned serious, "Next time this can't happen again. What if you slipped and weren't careful? In short, there won't be a next time."

  "Alright, alright, no next time," seeing him seemingly disbelieving, she added a sentence, "I guarantee it."

  Zong Zhengjin shook her head, knowing that she must have put it out of her mind. But thinking about it, she wasn't someone who lacked tact either; taking care of herself a bit more would be enough.

  "Why did you run outside today?"

  Su Jing pulled on his arm, "Your Majesty, accompany your concubine for a walk."

  Zong Zhengjin had asked the imperial physician, and since it was beneficial for pregnant women to get some exercise, he nodded in agreement and accompanied her on a leisurely stroll around the courtyard, treating it as a way to alleviate boredom.

  Su Jing walked a short distance before unconsciously leaning half of her body weight on him, and slowly inching forward.

  Zong Zhengjin was speechless, he had always known she was lazy, but seeing her again today, he still didn't know what to say, so he casually brought up a topic, "Do you get bored staying in the palace every day?"

  Su Jing shook her head, "It's alright, Your Majesty doesn't come to accompany me every day, does he?"

  "What about White Day?" He's busy with government affairs on White Day and rarely comes over.

  Su Jing stood in front of him, "Thinking that Your Majesty would come to see me at night, I didn't feel the time was long. To read the latest chapter of this book, please go to 800"

  Zong Zhengjin chuckled and rubbed her nose, "Do you have a bit of the dignity of a noble lady?"

  "What I said is all true, why must Your Majesty be so hard on me?" Su Jing pouted in dissatisfaction.

  Zong Zhengjin sighed, "What if I hadn't come?"

  "I thought the Emperor would come tomorrow, he will surely come one day, besides, I am so beautiful, why wouldn't the Emperor want to see me?"

  Zong Zhengjin listened to her muttering, her voice getting smaller and smaller, but he felt more and more out of tune. "Do you think I'm infatuated with your beauty?"

  "Guān guān yú jiū, zài hé zhī zhōu, chén qiè rú hé yě suàn shì yī gè yǎo yǎo shū nǚ ba," Sū Jìng diào xué zhe tā tiāo méi, jiǎ le jiǎ yǎn.

  Translation:

  "Guān guān yú jiū, on the islet in the river, how can I also be considered a virtuous and gentle girl?" Su Jing raised an eyebrow, batting her eyelashes.

  Zong Zhengjin hooked up the corner of his mouth and said, "Yao Yao is indeed true, so let's just say she's a virtuous woman."

  "Your Majesty," Su Jing stomped her foot in protest, "I am a virtuous woman, if you don't believe me, you can ask others, everyone says that Zhenxiu is gentle and elegant, captivating people's hearts."

  Zong Zhengjin turned a blind eye to her self-praise, but after some thought, it seemed true. She always appeared as a proper and demure lady in front of others, strict and square, even speaking little.

  But in front of him, it's not like that.

  Still as a maiden, swift as a rabbit, this poem describes her perfectly. Compared to her reserve and subtlety, gentle and soft nature, he would rather she be like this always.

  She must not know, her lively appearance is so angry and hurtful, soft and sticky, with a gentle voice to coax, and a spoiled look, every time she can make him unable to bear to agree to her, spoil her, indulge her.

  Su Jing saw him smiling silently, turned around and said, "If Your Majesty doesn't covet the beauty of his concubine, then this concubine admits that she covets the beauty of Your Majesty."

  Zong Zhengjin regained his senses, "I am a man, where did this beauty come from."

  "Men also have good looks, Your Majesty is the most handsome and elegant man in my heart, with a face as beautiful as jade and eyes like bright stars."

  Zong Zhengjin was once again rendered speechless by her flattery, "If you have something to ask of me, just say it directly."

  "Huh? How did Your Majesty know?" Su Jingyun was puzzled, her face showing confusion. "Your Majesty is truly wise."

  Zong Zhengjin held her back and said, "If you're not going to say it, then don't."

  "Say it," Su Jing pulled on his arm, "I've said all I'm going to say."

  Seeing him staring at her, she felt a bit embarrassed, turned her face away and hid for a moment. "Isn't it the Empress Dowager's birthday soon? I don't know what gift to give, can Your Majesty help me come up with an idea?"

  Zong Zhengjin's mouth twitched, and he had gone to great lengths for such a trivial matter. In his opinion, it was worth racking his brains over, but to him, it was just a matter of moving his lips.

  "About this matter"

  Su Jingxi heard his tone and seemed to have never taken it to heart, "Apparently so."

  Zong Zhengjin was amused by her expression, "Recently, the Luocheng area suffered a drought, and the people were suffering. Therefore, this time the Empress Dowager's birthday will not be grandly celebrated, and your previous ceremony of granting titles will also be exempted. You can wait until after you give birth to pay respects, it won't be too late."

  Zong Zhengjin carefully observed her expression, seeing that she did not show any signs of grievance, as he had expected. He smiled and said, "So you only need to prepare a roughly similar gift, forget it, I'll help you prepare one."

  Su Jingxiang nodded in agreement with his words, "The Emperor is indeed the best."

  "Hmph," Zong Zhengjin's expression showed disdain.

  Su Jingxi didn't get angry or scared, instead she pulled him into the house, "Your Majesty, have a cup of tea, you must be tired from walking so much."

  Zong Zhengjin was amused by her dog-legged appearance again, "You sit down, lest you feel unwell later."

  "By the way, I was thinking of sending a few more people to your palace. You'll need extra hands after giving birth, what do you think?"

  "All right, I was planning to drag the Emperor for a while longer and then bring it up with him again," Su Jing said with a smile, looking pleased with herself.

  Zong Zhengjin saw that she was indeed unaffected and only then did he slightly put his mind at ease, "They will protect you, I can also be more at peace."

  Su Jingxi actually didn't think there was anything special about it, perhaps because she understood her own heart's intention, and to her, he was good no matter what, especially when it came to things that were good for her.

  As for whether she peeked or not, and whether she told secrets or not, she thought there was nothing that couldn't be seen in the light of day. Besides, she believed he didn't mean it that way.

  "Okay."

  The two of them simply bathed and then went to rest without mentioning it again.

  Yanqing Pavilion

  "Your Majesty, the Emperor is still staying in Guan Yun Palace," a small palace maid walked in, shrinking her body and said in a low voice.

  Du Wanru was enraged as soon as she heard it, and when she turned around, she saw that she looked timid like a mouse. Extremely angry, she walked over and slapped her twice on the ears, "Are you afraid of me?"

  The palace maid hastily knelt down, "I dare not, I dare not, begging master to forgive the crime."

  She was assigned to serve this master a few days ago, thinking that Du Xiaoyi would give birth to the only imperial heir, and she could also rise with the tide. But now her life is worse than death, every time she thinks of the miserable situation when the previous palace maid died, she is even more afraid to cry.

  Du Wanru sneered and smiled slightly, "You don't dare to, not that you can't," she said, kicking her body fiercely with her foot.

  The palace maid didn't dare to cry out in pain, she had endured several solid kicks, seeing that she seemed a bit tired, only then did she continuously knock her head on the ground, "Master spare my life, Master spare my life."

  Du Wanru rubbed her forehead. Ever since she gave birth, or rather, ever since her child was taken away, she had become the way she is now.

  She lived a life that was not good, without favor, and her only child became someone else's daughter-in-law. The empress dowager didn't even see her again after she gave birth, although she had become a lesser consort, but still just a lesser consort.

  Every time I think of Su Jing, who entered the palace with her and is now a ranked imperial concubine, pregnant with child, even so, the Emperor has been going to Guan Yun Palace every day for these past few days, regardless of wind or rain. It's ironic that when she was pregnant before, until the child was born, the Emperor didn't visit her once.

  Even she heard that her son didn't even go take a look.

  The difference is really too big, the distance is really too far.

  All these things make her wonder how she can be willing.

  "Where is that cheap woman, Du Wan?" Du Wan walked into the side chamber of Zhi Xuan Yuan, scanned around but didn't see anyone, and asked aloud to a nearby little palace maid.

  The palace maid had long been familiar with Du Wanru's temperament and immediately knelt down, "Reporting to Young Master Du, she..."

  As she saw her hesitating for half a day, still unable to say where Du Wan was, she had already lost patience and walked forward, just about to take action, when she heard a voice from behind, "Why make it difficult for a palace maid?"

  Du Wanru hooked the corner of her mouth, originally a delicate and beautiful face, if it were before, it would be considered passable, with more dressing up, she would also be a woman with a unique flavor. However, at this moment, her hair was slightly disheveled, her eyes were fierce and cruel, and her entire face was somewhat distorted, under the reflection of the dark night, she seemed to have a bloodthirsty ferocity.

  "Don't make it difficult for the palace maid, then come and make it difficult for my good sister instead."

  Du Wan furrowed her brow, ever since someone told Du Wanru that her premature birth was because of her own fault, Du Wanru had torn off the hypocritical mask she wore every day. These days, it has become a common occurrence for her to scold and mock her with words.

  Unfortunately, the case was not solved, and she remained the number one suspect. With no one to turn to, she could only passively endure Du Wanru's accusations every day, and her body was also suffering from old wounds that had not healed before new ones were added.

  Palace Concubine (Yi Shu)

  Gong Shu