It's not that women who don't do these things are inherently bad; it's just that in the current era, women with a certain level of strength are the ones who can live the freest lives.
Chu Qing was relieved after hearing this. To be fair, he didn't dislike the existence of the protagonist, but he really disliked protagonists who liked to cause trouble, like the female lead in this case.
If possible, of course they don't want the main character's presence to interfere with their lives.
The seven days of prayer at the temple came to an end, and the flowers in the courtyard were still blooming beautifully. The young prince was still a little reluctant to leave.
After noticing his slight mood, Chu Qing asked Xiao Zhu to prepare brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and had Xia Xia sit under the flowering tree in the temple to paint a picture for him.
Although meat is forbidden in temples, the kittens that have made their homes there have all become quite plump. One of them ran over and lay down next to Xiaxia to sunbathe.
Xiaxia liked them very much, so she didn't chase them away. Instead, she cautiously watched her father for a while, hoping that he would add the two kittens to his painting later.
When Wei Yutang finished his work and came over, he saw this scene. He walked over and sat down next to Xiaxia. The little prince pouted unhappily when he saw that it was his father.
"Father, how old are you?"
"If Xiaxia doesn't know, she can ask the teacher."
Xia Xia knew, but she wasn't very happy. A gust of wind blew by, and petals fell on Chu Qing's shoulder, but he was so engrossed in painting that he didn't pay any attention to them.
Chu Qing thought the scene in front of him was the best, but in the eyes of Wei Yutang on the other side, he was an absolute beauty holding a calligraphy brush.
Upon returning to the capital, Wei Yutang ordered that the two men be exiled as slaves.
How dare His Majesty commit such filthy acts in the temple during the prayer period! No one thinks His Majesty did anything wrong in this matter.
The sinners needed to have words tattooed on their faces. Before they left, Chu Qing took a look and saw that the female lead and supporting characters, who were originally very beautiful in the story, were in a sorry state and looked no different from beggars on the street.
They were exiled to very far places, places that were usually only for those who had committed serious crimes. Most criminals died on the way there.
The female protagonist died halfway to that place due to acclimatization problems, and her last bit of charisma completely dissipated.
Chu Qing felt relieved after hearing the news. He didn't want to waste his energy on unimportant people anymore. If possible, he would rather spend more time with His Majesty and the young crown prince.
When the young prince was eight years old, Wei Yutang suddenly suggested that he could go to Jiangnan and take Chu Qing with him to visit his maternal grandparents' home.
The original owner grew up in Jiangnan. When Chu Qing first heard the news, many familiar scenes flashed through her mind, and she nodded with a smile.
"Where's Xiaxia? Is Xiaxia coming along too?"
The young prince, who was practicing calligraphy there, still had a touch of childishness on his face. Hearing those words, he suddenly raised his head.
He didn't want to stay in the capital alone, so after asking the question, he put down his pen and went to pretend to be pitiful to his father.
Over the years, Xiaxia has long since figured out the situation clearly.
Although the emperor held all the power, he generally listened to his father.
All I need to do is appease my father, which means I've skipped the middle step.
Wei Yutang originally planned to take Xiaxia with him. Now that the Crown Prince is still young, he can go twice. When he gets older and has to deal with state affairs together, he will probably not have the energy for that.
Chu Qing had Xia Xia sit beside him, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and looked at Wei Yutang with a smile.
"Does Your Majesty truly have the heart to leave Xiaxia in the capital?"
"That's right, that's right."
The two somewhat similar faces, one big and one small, were staring straight at him, making Wei Yutang rub his temples in exasperation. When had he ever said he wouldn't bring them anymore?
Amidst his helplessness, there was also an indescribable tenderness. The people he loved and the continuation of their bloodline were all by his side. The love and warmth of home were enough to heal all the traumas of his childhood.
"Let's go together; such opportunities are rare."
"Yay!"
Xiaxia happily asked the nanny to take him back to pack his luggage. He had never been to his father's maternal grandparents' house before, but he had heard that it was a very beautiful place.
Chu Qing's maternal grandparents' home is a typical Jiangnan water town, where the drizzle is misty and the lotus leaves seem to stretch as far as the eye can see.
Xiaozhu didn't come along this time, and Chu Qing was too lazy to let those people serve her. She held an oil-paper umbrella in one hand and Xiaxia's hand in the other.
Dressed in a moon-white outfit, he sat in a small pavilion deep in the lotus leaves and played the zither for a while. Xiaxia, as always, was the most supportive, constantly praising her father for playing so beautifully.
Wei Yutang stayed at Chu Qing's maternal grandfather's house to discuss some matters with his maternal grandfather.
Jiangnan has always been a place that produces talented people. Chu Qing's maternal grandfather was a man who had many students, and some of the students he taught were also very outstanding.
However, most of these students were traveling and loved freedom, which Wei Yutang had long felt was a pity.
He possesses great talent but is unwilling to serve in the imperial court. The only possibility is that this old man in front of him can persuade him.
After hearing what the emperor said, the maternal grandfather did not agree immediately. Even he felt a headache thinking about his disciples, which was indeed a pity.
However, these are things that are ultimately beyond his control.
The emperor's decree that all women in the land could attend school truly made up for the maternal grandfather's regret that his daughter could only marry and stay in the backyard.
For this reason, he was willing to help the emperor this once.
"Your Majesty, you know that those disciples are free-spirited and love freedom. They only want to travel all over the world. I can write a letter to them and see if they will come back. Whether they return depends on their own wishes."
"That's natural."
The matter was settled, and Wei Yutang, knowing that his maternal grandfather had done his best, did not say anything more.
Chu Qing's health seemed to have improved a lot after arriving in Jiangnan, perhaps because he grew up there.
Fortunately, they found another doctor who changed Chu Qing's prescription, and after staying in Jiangnan for nearly two months, they returned to the capital.
Chu Qing took two more years to recover before the imperial physician diagnosed that there was nothing wrong, but she still needed to pay close attention to her health.
At the Qixi Festival banquet, Wei Yutang no longer stopped him from drinking. After drinking two cups of wine, Chu Qing became somewhat drowsy. When he returned to his bedchamber, Wei Yutang saw his chapped lips and wanted to bring him a cup of tea.
As soon as he stood up, Chu Qing grabbed his wrist, opened her eyes, and her eyes seemed to be misty.
"His Majesty……"
Chu Qing's voice was somewhat slurred after he got drunk, but when he softly called out "Your Majesty," there was an inexplicable sense of dependence that he didn't usually show, which made Wei Yutang subconsciously walk over and sit down next to him.
"His Majesty……"
"Um?"
Wei Yutang reached out to tidy his hair, but unexpectedly Chu Qing suddenly turned her head to look at him and kissed his hand.
A tingling sensation slowly flowed through the point of contact, and in the night, only the sound of my heartbeat grew louder and louder.
At this moment, Wei Yutang's breathing became somewhat erratic. He kept reminding himself that Chu Qing was weak because he was drunk, not because he thought so.
"Your Majesty, why aren't you looking at me? Is it because I'm not pretty?"
Chu Qing brought her face close to Wei Yutang's, pursing her lips slightly to express her dissatisfaction, much like Xia Xia's usual demeanor when she didn't want to work hard because she had too much homework.
"Beautiful, Ah Qing is naturally the most beautiful."
"Then Your Majesty may not take a few more looks, but perhaps you're tired of seeing them... I'm not that petty. Tomorrow I'll instruct the servants to help Your Majesty select some new women, how about that?"
Even so, one could sense from the somewhat threatening look in Chu Qing's eyes that it was as if he was saying that Chu Qing was indeed a petty person.
If I were to actually have such thoughts, I fear I would not be able to step into this palace again tomorrow.
"I won't get tired of it, there's no need, having you alone is enough."
Wei Yutang didn't read it just now because he was afraid to, fearing that he wouldn't be able to control his impulse.
A true gentleman remains unmoved even when his beloved is by his side.
Unfortunately, he was not a gentleman; all he wanted was to crush the person in front of him into his arms.
He wanted to do this, but he was also afraid of upsetting him. These two completely contradictory thoughts tore at Wei Yutang's rationality.
Chu Qing put one hand on Wei Yutang's shoulder, tilted her head and stared at him, then leaned in and gently rubbed her nose against Wei Yutang's nose in a very intimate way.
Their breaths could have intertwined, but Wei Yutang, too nervous, subconsciously held his breath when Chu Qing leaned in, and a vein throbbed on his forehead.
Before he could even speak, Chu Qing kissed his lips.
"His Majesty……"
The string of reason snapped completely because of those two simple words, and before Chu Qing could even react, their situations had instantly reversed.
Outside, the moon hung on the treetops, and inside, two figures were intertwined. Amidst their disordered breathing, a slightly hoarse voice rang in Chu Qing's ear.
"Don't call me Your Majesty, call me Husband."
...
The next day, near noon, Chu Qing finally opened her eyes, leaned against the headboard in a daze, too lazy to even get up.
He had made ample preparations before doing that, but it didn't seem to be of much use.
Wei Yutang, who grew up on the grasslands and was a brave and skilled warrior, had been exposed to the winds of the desert since childhood.
The original owner grew up in the water towns of Jiangnan and was pampered, which was like going back and forth between heaven and hell.
Xia Xia was sent to the General's Mansion by Wei Yutang under a random excuse. Otherwise, he would definitely have come to find Chu Qing. He left Chu Qing there for a few days to recuperate.
After court that day, Wei Yutang quickly finished processing the memorials, but hesitated for a long time before going into the Empress's palace, unable to make up his mind to go in.
It wasn't until lunchtime that he instructed Xiaozhu to open the door.
At this moment, Chu Qing was leaning against the soft couch, holding a book in her slender, jade-like hands. As she turned a page, she noticed the man who walked in out of the corner of her eye.
He is clearly an emperor, but his behavior now seems somewhat furtive.
Wei Yutang held a cup of tea in his hand and presented it to Chu Qing with a smile on his face.
"Your Majesty is magnanimous; please don't hold it against me."
He wanted to restrain himself, but the woman was the one he had loved for so many years but could never have. Just one look from her could drive him crazy, let alone in that situation.
Before this, Wei Yutang had never discovered that he actually had such a wicked sense of humor.
Seeing Chu Qing's porcelain-white face flushed slightly, and tears streaming from his beautiful eyes as he stared at him begging for mercy, besides feeling sorry for him, he also wanted to see him cry even harder.
Chu Qing casually put the book aside, turned her head to look out the window, and didn't really want to pay attention.
The servants outside had already brought out lunch. Wei Yutang wanted to move closer to Chu Qing and sit down, but he didn't dare.
Even though Chu Qing had explained it to him before, Wei Yutang still had some uncertainty in his heart.
In the past few years, firstly, he was concerned about Chu Qing's health, and secondly, for Wei Yutang, such a scene was something that only appeared in his dreams, and he did not want to destroy it casually.
If possible, keep this person by your side, even if you treat each other with the coldness of family.
After last night, all the insignificant little barriers buried deep in his heart melted away, making Wei Yutang only want to stick close to his Aqing.