Las cosas malas suceden a menudo

Capítulo 157

Situ Xingyun smiled slightly and sat down next to Qingyun.

Seeing him staring at her, Qingyun raised an eyebrow and asked, "Has Xingyun not eaten?"

Situ Xingyun's eyes flashed, and he smiled, "Indeed."

Eunuch Tao, standing to the side, exclaimed softly, "Your Majesty..."

Situ Xingyun's face darkened.

Eunuch Tao immediately fell silent, trembling with fear. The Emperor had clearly already dined! Eunuch Tao thought for a moment and understood. It turned out the Emperor wanted to dine with Princess Xiangxue.

Qingyun was taken aback. He should have had dinner by now! She had only asked politely, but now she felt compelled to speak.

"Qingyi, add more bowls and chopsticks."

"Yes, Princess."

After the bowls and chopsticks were brought, Situ Xingyun was indeed preparing to begin his meal. At this moment, Eunuch Tao stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, please allow this servant to test for poison first before tasting the food."

"Could Xue'er possibly harm me?" Situ Xingyun frowned.

"Xingyun, let Eunuch Tao test for poison! After the last poisoning incident, if Xingyun gets sick from eating in the Snow Palace, I won't be able to clear my name no matter what."

Situ Xingyun thought about it for a moment and agreed.

After Eunuch Tao finished his examination and confirmed that there was no poison, dinner continued.

Situ Xingyun placed a piece of Qianyun cake into Qingyun's bowl. Qingyun remembered what Li Ge had said today—"Now we can only act according to circumstances and try our best to maintain this balance."

She hesitated for a moment, but did not refuse.

Situ Xingyun was immediately delighted, and the corners of his lips involuntarily turned up.

In a daze, Situ Xingyun thought he had returned to the time when he was in the Pingyan Prince's Mansion, when it was just him and her, and there was no one else. Those days were so beautiful.

A soft light appeared in Situ Xingyun's eyes.

Qingyun looked up and caught a glimpse of the tenderness in Situ Xingyun's eyes, a hint of mockery flashing within them. But then, upon reflection, Qingyun felt a pang of pity for Situ Xingyun.

He was the emperor, the master of Fengxi. Standing at the highest point, overlooking the world, he possessed supreme power, an unparalleled status, and endless riches and honors, yet he was the loneliest man in the world. And that loneliness was something no one could understand.

Suddenly, Situ Xingyun noticed Qingyun's swollen lips.

His pupils contracted, and he asked in a somewhat suppressed voice, "Did Xue'er go to the Prince of Ande's residence today?"

Qingyun was taken aback, but she still nodded.

Seeing her completely unperturbed, Situ Xingyun became even more annoyed, but he couldn't bear to get angry at her, so he could only sullenly eat the rice in his bowl and swallow it down forcefully.

After dinner, Situ Xingyun suddenly had dozens of portraits of women delivered to Qingyun for her to admire.

"Xue'er, why don't you pick one out and see which one you like better?"

Qingyun gave Situ Xingyun a strange look, but seeing that his expression was natural and there was nothing wrong, she agreed. After sitting down, Qingyun carefully examined each painting one by one.

"The women in these paintings are all beautiful, but I wonder about their talents and knowledge?"

At this moment, Eunuch Tao stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, the woman in the first painting is the Prime Minister's eldest daughter. She is proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and she is also kind-hearted."

Qingyun nodded and said, "The first one is not bad."

Eunuch Tao continued, "The second painting is of the daughter of Imperial Physician Li; her medical skills are decent, and she is also skilled in embroidery. The third painting is of the daughter of the Prefect of Changzhou; she is talented in singing and dancing, and has a dignified demeanor. The fourth painting is..."

As Qingyun listened, she suddenly felt something was off. Why did this scene look so much like a talent show?

After a moment's hesitation, Qingyun asked, "Is the palace going to select concubines? I remember that the selection is usually held in the autumn. However, if Xingyun is going to select concubines, the Prime Minister's daughter is really unsuitable. The Prime Minister already holds a high position and great power, and if he were to marry his daughter, the entire court would be filled with resentment. The woman in the third picture is also not very suitable. Judging from her attire, one can definitely tell what kind of behavior she usually displays. Her shoulders are half-exposed, and her eyes are seductive. Such a woman would probably be immoral if she entered the palace." After a pause, Qingyun suddenly thought of Wuxia, that simple yet stubbornly adorable girl.

She lowered her eyelashes, concealing the disgust that surfaced in her eyes. Suddenly, Qingyun couldn't help but feel a deep sense of melancholy. Every day, the palace seemed to be a stage for the drama of "new concubines laughing, old concubines weeping." There were so many women in the palace; thankfully, she had almost fallen in love with this Emperor Fengxi.

Situ Xingyun grew increasingly annoyed as he listened. Seeing her calm expression, two flames gradually rose in his dark, jade-like eyes. But then, as if suddenly remembering something, the flames vanished in the blink of an eye, and a strange glint flashed in his eyes.

He asked softly, "Which one does Xue'er like?"

The soft voice gave Qingyun a sense of conspiracy. With a flutter of her eyelashes, Qingyun raised her eyes and stared intently into Situ Xingyun's eyes.

His eyes were deep and unfathomable.

Suddenly, Qingyun was startled, and a conjecture gradually surfaced on the surface.

She pursed her lips and lowered her eyes, concealing the complex emotions within them.

After a long while, she finally raised her eyelashes, her long, slender lashes casting a shadow in the candlelight. She rolled up all the paintings in front of her, one by one, and placed them back into the original box before finally closing the lid.

The lid made a dull thud when it hit the box.

At this moment, Qingyun looked up at Situ Xingyun, her tone resolute and steady, "The Prince of Ande can only have one queen. And that person is Qingyun."

The entire Snow Palace was suddenly filled with dark clouds, as if lightning and thunder would strike at any moment.

Situ Xingyun's eyes darkened. Seeing Qingyun's resolute expression, he coldly said, "Don't even think about it." With that, he turned and left.

Eunuch Tao quickly followed behind.

Qingyi walked to Qingyun's side with some concern and asked softly, "Princess, what should we do?"

Qingyun smiled quietly, reassuring Qingyi, "Don't worry. I have a way." Then she instructed Qingyi, "Qingyi, go to the Prince of Ande's mansion later and ask Lige for a medicinal herb."

"What herb?"