“If he were truly unwell, it would be fine; he would simply be avoiding it. As the heir of the Ningnan Marquis’s mansion, if he were healthy, would he still be able to live such a leisurely life?” Last time, Hai Ling took a serious look at the heir of the Ningnan Marquis’s mansion. Although his health was not good, it was not to the point that he could not take up an official post. He simply did not want to enter the officialdom.
"I see."
Ye Lingfeng suddenly realized something, and at the same time thought of something else: why couldn't he find any suitable people? He had to find them himself; they couldn't just pop up on their own. Furthermore, he had to make people believe that following him would lead to a bright future, so that they would be willing to risk their lives for him.
"If Wenbin, the heir of the Marquis of Ningnan, is really as you say, then he is indeed a talented person."
As the two were talking, darkness fell. Shi Mei led the two men in and stood at a distance, respectfully asking, "Your Majesty, shall we have dinner?"
"Bring it in."
They were really hungry. Whenever the two of them were together, they had a lot to talk about, and before they knew it, time had passed. Ye Lingfeng looked at Hai Ling with affection and smiled, then ordered Shi Mei and dinner to be served.
Dinner was served, and the two began to eat. This time, they didn't talk much, but Ye Lingfeng's gaze towards Hai Ling was filled with a burning flame, as if it was about to melt the little woman beside him. Under such a gaze, how could Hai Ling possibly eat?
After eating a simple meal, Ye Lingfeng carried Hai Ling back to his palace.
Inside the palace, the lamplight flickered gently, filling the room with a warm, red glow.
The lingering passion of last night seemed to still permeate every corner of the palace. Hai Ling was placed on the bed, and Ye Lingfeng leaned over to gaze at her, one hand supporting his head, the other gently tracing Hai Ling's cheek, inch by inch with great care. In his eyes, she clearly saw her preciousness, a kind of cherishing that even he himself could not match.
Hai Ling gazed at him intently, a hint of autumn color slowly spreading between his brows, like the fiery red frost-covered leaves of late autumn, captivating all who beheld him. In his dark, jade-like eyes, there was a rich, intoxicating fragrance, slowly igniting an intoxication that drew one in, one from which one could never awaken. Hai Ling couldn't help but reach out and touch his cheek, then softly uttered two words.
"evildoer."
Ye Lingfeng's lips curled into a captivating smile, and he leaned down to bite her lip, whispering softly, "I just want to seduce you."
He, who had never cared about appearances, felt a little sense of accomplishment at this moment, because at least he could use his looks to seduce this little vixen from time to time.
The room was filled with passion. His tall body pressed down, sealing her small mouth in the lingering night.
A faint voice echoed from inside the palace: "Ling'er, I was born to seduce you."
These words, though spoken in the darkness, were both arrogant and domineering, yet also full of tenderness and affection.
When the Emperor and Empress got married, according to the ancestral rules, the Empress should have hosted a banquet for the noble ladies of her maternal family. However, the Ji family did not have any extra people, only Lady Ye. Fortunately, the Emperor granted a special pardon, allowing Ji Cong and Ji Shaocheng to attend the banquet together.
Only one table was set up for the banquet. Since there weren't many people, it was a family reunion meal. Ye Lingfeng originally wanted to come and keep Hai Ling company, but he thought that if he came, Ji Cong and Ji Shaocheng would feel uncomfortable. It would be better to let their family have a good time, so he didn't show up.
Inside a side hall of the Qingqian Palace.
The three members of the Ji family stared at Hai Ling and noticed that the girl's face was radiant with happiness, and they were relieved.
It seems the Emperor truly dotes on this girl; they can finally rest assured.
However, Ji Shaocheng still felt a pang of pain in his heart, but fortunately, after suppressing it, he felt much more at ease.
At the table, Ji Cong did most of the talking, while Ji Shaocheng rarely spoke. Hai Ling looked at him with concern.
"Brother, what's wrong? You're not eating much, and you don't look well. Are you sick?"
Hai Ling would never have thought of anything deeper; she considered Ji Shaocheng as her real brother.
Ji Shaocheng shook his head and laughed heartily: "It's nothing, I've just been feeling a little unwell these past two days. Don't worry, sister, we military officers don't suffer from these minor ailments."
After Ji Shaocheng finished speaking, Ji Cong nodded and said, "Ling'er, don't worry, he'll be fine. As for you, you should rest and recuperate. Are you still feeling weak?"
After Ji Cong finished speaking, Hai Ling broke out in a sweat. She was a little weak, but it had nothing to do with the poison. It was caused by their intimate moments. But how could she tell the Ji family about this? She raised her eyebrows and smiled gently, "The poison is gone now, Father. Don't worry. I'll be fine in the palace."
There were no concubines in the palace, only her. The emperor and the empress dowager doted on her. If there was anything to do, it was that she spent all day in the palace, which was very boring. However, she soon found something to do.
While Hailing was talking to Ji Shaocheng and Ji Cong, she noticed that Madam Ye had been eating quietly the whole time without saying a word. She couldn't help but ask with concern, "Auntie, are you not used to the food in the palace?"
Ye Shi trembled, somewhat unable to believe it. This was the first time Hai Ling had addressed her like that. She quickly stood up and said in a flustered voice, "Your Majesty, please don't say that. This humble woman really, really?"
She choked up and couldn't continue. Even when Cheng'er could call her "Mother" before, she had never been this excited.
In fact, Hailing had already forgiven Ye Shi long ago. She had suffered the punishment she deserved and had never harbored any ill will towards her. So, dwelling on the past would be exhausting. Now, as long as the Ji family is doing well, that's enough.
“Auntie, this is a family dinner, please sit down. Don’t call me ‘Your Majesty’ anymore, just call me Ling’er like Father does.”
"Your Majesty, what is this?"
Ye wanted to say that this was against etiquette and rules. Even if the Empress was kind, they would never disregard the rules. Ye herself was a young lady from a respectable family and received a formal education, so she rarely overstepped the rules. It was only later, when she fell deeply in love with Ji Cong, that she became a shrew.
"Since Ling'er told you to call her that, then call her that. Don't spoil the fun."
Ji Cong stopped her, and Ye Shi nodded and sat down again. Ji Shaocheng looked at Hai Ling, deeply impressed.
What this younger sister did is truly admirable; one could say that even a man wouldn't possess her magnanimity and courage.
Therefore, she was fortunate to have met such a person.
The person with the most discerning eye in the world is Ye Lingfeng. He brushed away the dust and returned the pearl to its rightful owner. If Feng Zixiao had truly treated her that day, he could imagine that his throne might not have been destroyed.
The banquet ended in a warm and joyful atmosphere. After the banquet, Ji Cong and Ji Shaocheng consciously got up to take their leave. They were aware that entering the palace today was a special pardon from the emperor. However, Ji Cong did not forget to remind Hailing: "Ling'er, if the emperor bullies you, you must tell your father. The daughters of the Ji family are not so easy to bully."
Although he cheered for his daughter, he knew that the emperor would never bully her. Everything the emperor had done was obvious to everyone. There were many rumors in the world that Emperor Xie of Beilu had a favorite empress who was stunningly beautiful and deeply loved by the emperor, who promised to be his only favorite for life.
However, Ji Cong was still afraid that his daughter would be bullied, which is probably something that every parent would worry about.
Hai Ling smiled and nodded, then saw them out of Qingqian Palace and ordered the eunuchs to escort them out of the palace.
In the afternoon, I went to my bedchamber to rest for an hour. When I woke up, my maidservant Mei reported that Zhang De from the Inner Court had come and had investigated the current eunuchs and maids in the palace. He had come to report back.
Releasing palace maids and sending elderly eunuchs back to their hometowns to live out their retirement are urgent matters.
The national treasury is empty, yet it still supports so many idle people who gather to cause trouble, fight, brawl, drink, and play around.