Gratified, Lu Chen opened his purse only to see a small green-haired turtle in it. Lu Xi said, “Daddy, this turtle can live a very long life. Xi’er wishes Daddy a longer life than the turtle.”
Qiao Jinniang chuckled. “Xi’er is really filial.”
Little Lu Xi took out another purse and gave it to Qiao Jinniang. “This is for you, Mommy. If Daddy has one, Mommy must have one too.”
Qiao Jinniang opened her purse, and there was also a green-haired turtle in it. “…”
Lu Chen handed the two green-haired turtles to the imperial maids and said, “Keep these two turtles in the lotus pond.”
“Yes, Your Royal Highness.”
The three of them were all wearing clothes with the same pattern and color today, and Qiao Jinniang didn’t forget to wear jewelry from Jewelry Pavilion. Although she had married into the East Palace, she still had to earn money.
Before the banquet, Fulu came to the East Palace for Qiao Jinniang. She happily came in and said to Qiao Jinniang,
“Yesterday, a female student from Qingming Academy called Zhou Shihui came to Chang’an. You have to help me win her over. We must not let Qin Miaomiao take her into her gang.”
Qiao Jinniang said, “But Qin Miaomiao doesn’t want to fight with you anymore. What kind of grudge do you have against each other? Why do you hate her so much? Don’t scare that little girl.”
Fulu sat in front of Qiao Jinniang and said, “Actually, Qin Miaomiao and I are cousins. Her grandfather and my grandfather are brothers.
“At that time, my father had to give up the military power of the Qin family because he wanted to marry my mother.
“So my father chose my mother over the position of Duke Qin and gave up this position to his uncle, Qin Miaomiao’s grandfather.
“When we were young, Qin Miaomiao and I were good friends, but one day, she actually said that my father was unfilial and cowardly to give up the nobility title left by the ancestors of the Qin family.
“And she said that a man was supposed to defend his family and his country and make meritorious deeds, not to please a woman humbly.
“How dare she scold my father? If my father hadn’t given up the position of Duke Qin to her grandfather, Qin Miaomiao would not have been able to be the daughter of a duke! Humph!”
Qiao Jinniang said, “How old was Qin Miaomiao when she said this?”
Qin Miaomiao didn’t seem to be such a big-mouthed person.
Fulu said, “Eight years old. After that, we became mortal enemies!”
Qiao Jinniang: “…”
Wow, that was really a huge “debt of blood”, which started when they were only eight.
Fulu added. “I suspect that Qin Miaomiao was engaged to Lin Mo to show me that no man in the world would give up power and fortune to marry a princess.
“Otherwise, since the Lin family was so mean to her, why did she still want to resume the engagement with Lin Mo?
“There are so many good men in the world. Why does she insist on marrying Lin Mo who everyone knows has an affair with Princess Jinghua?”
Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, “I don’t think she wants to offend Princess Jinghua and ruin her own life just to anger you. Almost every girl in Chang’an wants to marry Lin Mo.”
“Then what about Zhou Siming?” Fulu said, “There are also many unmarried men in the royal family, and Lin Mo doesn’t even have a nobility title.
“Although she and Lin Mo seem to be a good match, Lin Mo has no nobility title. How can Lin Mo compare to Zhou Siming?”
Yuyan entered and said, “Your Highness, Madam, Miss Ruoyun, and Miss Qin are asking to see you.”
Qiao Jinniang quickly let them in. Seeing that Zheng Xiao was about to salute her, she stepped forward to support Zheng Xiao and said, “Mother, you don’t have to salute me.”
Fulu walked to Qin Miaomiao and said, “Don’t even think about taking Zhou Shihui into your gang, okay?”
Qin Miaomiao said, “I’m about to get married. Who would play this kids’ game with you again? Although you mocked my mother, I have forgiven you.”
Fulu was annoyed. “When did I mock your mother? It was you who scolded my father!”
Qin Miaomiao retorted. “If you hadn’t ridiculed my father for having too many concubines and hadn’t shown off how much your parents loved each other to me, how could I say your father didn’t deserve to be a man?”
Fulu said, “I just didn’t understand why you have so many brothers and sisters who were not born by your mother. I didn’t mean to mock anyone or show off!
“I just envied you for having many brothers and sisters. Humph, you’re really small-minded!”
Qin Miaomiao said, “You didn’t mean to show off? I didn’t want to hear how much your parents loved each other but you kept talking to me about that every day.”
Fulu: “I was not showing off. I didn’t know you didn’t like it. You never spoke your mind. Why didn’t you just directly tell me you didn’t want to hear that?”
Qin Miaomiao sneered coldly. “I have my dignity. How could I tell you about the fights and quarrels between my parents?”
“If you really took me as your friend, what if you told me? You never took me as your friend!”
Fulu and Qin Miaomiao began to quarrel again like what they did every time they met.
Qiao Jinniang quickly said, “Okay, stop it. If you want to quarrel, leave the East Palace.”
Fulu immediately shut up, and Qin Miaomiao didn’t say anymore either, but there was less tension between the two of them.
Zheng Xiao held Qiao Jinniang’s hand and asked, “I heard rumors from outside that the Crown Prince didn’t enter your palace for two consecutive days. Is it true?”
“But before your wedding, you were…”
Qiao Jinniang said shyly, “Fulu and Miaomiao haven’t been married, Mother. Don’t say this kind of thing in front of them…”
Zheng Xiao said, “You don’t have to be shy. If His Royal Highness really married you for your father’s power, you have to plan for yourself. Those vows before marriage should not be taken seriously.”
Qiao Jinniang said, “Don’t worry, Mother. His Royal Highness treats me very well.”
Zheng Xiao said, “Don’t eat humble pie like Ruoyun. Fortunately, Old Madam Qin has been sent to a manor by Duke Qin to recuperate.”
Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, “Mother, I won’t. Don’t believe those rumors. You’re going to give birth. Don’t think too much. We can take care of ourselves.”
Qiao Ruoyun responded absentmindedly. “Yes, Mother.”
Qiao Ruoyun looked listless, and the big dark circles on her face looked a bit scary.
Qiao Jinniang asked Qiao Ruoyun, “Sister, what’s the matter with you? Look at your dark circles that can’t even be covered with makeup. Did Brother-in-law bully you?”
Qiao Ruoyun forced a smile and said, “I’m fine.”
Qiao Jinniang summoned an imperial doctor to check Quoyun’s health.
The imperial doctor examined her pulse and asked, “Madam, may I ask how often do you have sex with your husband? How many times did you have sex in one night?”
Qiao Ruoyun was too shy to answer his questions, but they were not allowed to take their servants into the imperial palace, so she didn’t have a maid answering the questions for her.
Qiao Ruoyun had no choice but to bite the bullet and said, “My husband and I really want to have a child, so except when I am on my period, we slept together every day, and we had sex four to five times in a night.”
Fulu took a deep breath. “Wow, Qin Shu is quite strong!”
Qin Miaomiao stepped on Fulu’s foot. The two of them hadn’t been married! Shouldn’t she pretend that she didn’t understand what they were talking about?
Fulu shouted in pain, “Stop pretending! Who gave me those dirty novels back then?!”
Qin Miaomiao stepped on her foot even harder!
