The Empress Dowager's voice was also happy, but when the two of them spoke to Hailing at the palace gate, her cheeks flushed slightly.
At the palace gate, the eunuch's voice rang out: "Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress."
"Get up," Hai Ling said, gesturing for the eunuch to rise. The two people who were chatting happily in the hall stopped abruptly. The Empress Dowager couldn't help but laugh: "Look, people are really hard to understand. They come to you in a flash. Ling'er is here."
Hai Ling walked over, first bowed to the Empress Dowager, and then replied, "Yes, Hai Ling has come to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager."
The Empress Dowager reached out and pulled her up, sitting her down beside her. She said affectionately, "My child, why are you still being so formal? You should call me Mother Empress."
"Mother, Ling'er understands."
Hai Ling respectfully addressed the Empress Dowager as "Mother." The Empress Dowager carefully examined her for a moment and asked with concern, "I heard that someone poisoned you the night before last. Are you alright now?"
"No, Ling'er's poison has been neutralized. She was a little weak at first, but she's much better after resting for a night."
"Don't be careless. Have the imperial physicians in the palace give you a thorough check-up later, and also have them prescribe some nourishing medicine to help you get in shape. You're too thin."
The Empress Dowager was so kind, not at all like the wicked mother-in-law I had in mind. It seemed that she didn't have to worry about the difficult relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
"Thank you for your concern, Mother," Hailing said with a smile. The atmosphere in the hall was very harmonious. The Empress Dowager looked at Ying Mama on the side and instructed, "The white fungus and lotus seed stew I just asked you to make is here. Have someone bring it over so that Ling'er can have some nourishment."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Seeing that the Empress Dowager and her daughter-in-law got along well, Granny Ying was naturally pleased. She beckoned to a palace maid on one side of the hall to bring over the things prepared for the Empress.
In a short while, the white fungus and lotus seeds were served, and the Empress Dowager and Hailing ate and talked.
When the conversation inadvertently touched on Ye Lingfeng's childhood, the Empress Dowager stopped what she was doing, her eyes darting around, still showing signs of pain, and slowly becoming misty with a damp look.
“Ling’er, treat Feng’er well from now on. He has suffered so much. When he was little, I sent him up the mountain to learn martial arts from his master. You have no idea. He should have been at the age where he could have been nestled in his parents’ arms, but instead, he was dressed in only a thin shirt and practicing martial arts on the mountain. He had no playmates, no fine clothes, only the hard work of practicing. And he was so sensible. He never complained. When he saw that I was sad, he would obediently say to me, ‘Mother, don’t be sad. Feng’er will practice martial arts well and will take good care of you in the future.’ At that time, my heart felt like it was being torn apart by a knife, as if someone was cutting flesh out of my body.”
As the Empress Dowager finished speaking, she began to cry. Hailing quickly took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and handed it to her, gently comforting her: "Mother, don't be sad. Everything is over now. No pain, no gain. Yesterday's hardships have led to today's achievements, so you deserve the most credit."
Hai Ling's heart ached too. She never expected that Xi Leng Yue, the rumored ruthless and cold-blooded man of the Cold Demon Palace, had such a heartbreaking past. Beneath his peerless beauty lay the blood and tears he had shed. A cute little child of two or three years old, who should have been cherished and cuddled by his parents, was forced to endure hardship and practice martial arts day after day. That's why he was so cold-hearted. But it was precisely because of his past efforts that he had achieved everything he had today.
However, Hai Ling wondered what had happened in the palace that year that caused a concubine of the country to be forced to flee to the common people with her young son. She dared not ask any further questions.
This is inside information about the royal family; why should she ask so many questions?
The old woman on one side advised the Empress Dowager to take care of her health and not to be sad. Now that the Emperor has ascended the throne, everything is developing in a good direction, so she should not think about the past.
The Empress Dowager finally stopped crying, and Hailing comforted her for a while longer. The Empress Dowager felt a little better and kept reaching out her hand to hold Hailing's.
"I know that His Majesty has agreed to marry only you. I am somewhat unwilling, but since he insists, I will let him have his way. From now on, you two must love each other dearly."
The Empress Dowager spoke the truth, and Hai Ling was not angry. On the contrary, she was glad that her mother-in-law was reasonable. If her mother-in-law had insisted on this, she would have been in trouble. Ye Lingfeng would have been caught in the middle and it would have been difficult for him to put himself in the middle. This also showed that the Empress Dowager really loved Ye Lingfeng.
Hailing nodded. Since she had married him, it was naturally because she cared about him wholeheartedly.
"Don't worry, Mother, Ling'er will take good care of the Emperor."
As they were talking inside the hall, a eunuch's shrill voice rang out from outside the hall: "His Majesty has arrived."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager laughed first: "What's going on today? Whoever I'm thinking of comes here. My tongue is very eloquent!"
Upon hearing her words, Granny Ying breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the Empress Dowager's worries had finally subsided. She quickly smiled and chimed in, "Your words are always accurate. Didn't you just mention wanting a grandson? I believe there will soon be a child in the palace."
These words made Hai Ling blush deeply, but Ye Lingfeng had already strode in. Hai Ling stood up and bowed first. Ye Lingfeng reached out and pulled her up, then bowed to his mother and spoke gently.
"What are you talking about? It's so lively."
Granny Ying had always been by the Empress Dowager's side and had watched the Emperor grow up, so she naturally had some respect for him. Therefore, she chimed in, "The Empress Dowager was just saying that the Emperor and Empress were wondering when they would have a grandson for her to raise."
Upon hearing this, Hai Ling felt even more awkward. She had already embarrassed herself last night, and the topic was still being brought up this morning. Her delicate face, which was hanging down, seemed to be flushed with blood. She was the epitome of a little woman, and Ye Lingfeng's heart fluttered at the sight. No matter what expression this girl had, it was impossible to look away.
Seeing her awkwardness, he felt reluctant and said, "Granny Ying, I haven't had breakfast yet. Is there anything to eat?"
After saying that, he pulled Hailing to sit down. Earlier, when he returned to Qingqian Palace to visit Hailing after the morning court session, he learned that she had come to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager, so he came over again.
Upon hearing the Emperor speak, Granny Ying quickly ordered someone to prepare breakfast. Ye Lingfeng glanced at the pastries on the table and waved his hand, saying, "No need, I'll just have some."
He then started eating. Hailing sat beside him, poured him some tea, and carefully handed it to him, saying with concern, "Be careful, don't rush."
The two women looked on with happiness. The Empress Dowager and Granny Ying exchanged a glance and then laughed at the same time: "It seems we've become an eyesore. I'm tired. Granny Ying, help me back to rest for a while."
Hailing was speechless. Her mother really knew how to tease her all the time.
Once the Empress Dowager and Granny Ying left, Hailing felt the burning gaze of the man beside her, as if he wanted to devour her.
"Ling'er, you look so beautiful right now."
Hai Ling looked up at Ye Lingfeng, somewhat bewildered. He wasn't usually one for sweet talk, so what was wrong with everyone this morning? Thinking this, she subconsciously reached out and touched Ye Lingfeng's head, then her own, muttering to herself.
"You don't have a fever, so why are you being so sweet?"
Ye Lingfeng was both amused and annoyed. He reached out and pulled her hand down, smiling as he reminded her, "Who made me recite the Six Rules for Training a Husband last night? The first one is to express your love to your wife from time to time, so that she can feel my love right now, isn't it? You see, I'm strictly enforcing Ling'er's Six Rules."
Hai Ling thought about it seriously, and realized it was true. Last night, she did make him memorize the six rules for disciplining a husband. She had originally written them down to punish him, but she didn't expect him to actually follow them.
"Good job, good job."
"Shouldn't there be a reward?"
Ye Lingfeng blurted out, and Hai Ling's face turned red. He wanted a reward? Could it be...? No, no, maybe he didn't mean that. I'm just overthinking it. I was embarrassed enough last night. Thinking of this, I asked seriously, "What do you want?"
“Give me the Zhenlong Chess set that you won from Ji Shaocheng.”
As expected, it wasn't what she thought. Hai Ling breathed a sigh of relief, thankfully she hadn't embarrassed herself. But just as she was feeling relieved, Ye Lingfeng leaned down again and kissed her cheek, his magnetic and alluring voice saying, "This is an extra."