The two who were lying on the chaise lounge frowned when they heard the sound from outside the hall.
Lu Chen wanted to ignore the voices outside, but Qiao Jinniang was no longer in the mood. She tidied up her clothes. “Lu Chen, if we had known each other since we were children, would you marry me?”
Lu Chen said, “Yes.”
Qiao Jinniang said, “Then why didn’t you marry Qiao Ruoyun?”
Lu Chen: “Qiao Ruoyun and Qin Shu were engaged since childhood. Qiao Ruoyun never entered the imperial palace to avoid trouble before getting married, so I didn’t even know her before, and even if I knew her, I wouldn’t like her character.”
Qiao Jinniang snorted. “So if I weren’t swapped with Qiao Ruoyun, you would definitely not have married me.”
“Who said that? I’m the Crown Prince. Even if you had married Qin Shu, I would still have snatched you over.”
Qiao Jinniang said, “Did you secretly read my novels?”
Lu Chen: “…”
At the door, Zhou Sisi’s voice became louder and louder. “Imperial Cousin, Imperial Cousin, Sisi is here. If you still don’t come out to see Sisi, Sisi will be angry.”
Qiao Jinniang walked to the door, opened it and said, “Hi, Sisi.”
Zhou Sisi trotted up to Lu Chen and stuffed a wood carving she had made into Lu Chen’s arms. “This is for Imperial Cousin.”
Qiao Jinniang who was ignored: “…”
Lu Chen returned the wood carving to Zhou Sisi and said, “Be good, Sisi. Keep it for yourself. There is no place for this in the East Palace.”
Zhou Sisi blinked her bright eyes, and Lu Chen’s figure was reflected in her eyes. She said, “Imperial Cousin can put it in your study. There is a big space in your study where you can put this wooden figurine.”
Lu Chen couldn’t refuse and he didn’t want Zhou Sisi to stay in the East Palace for a long time, so he agreed with her to put the wooden figurine in his study.
As soon as Zhou Sisi entered Lu Chen’s study, she picked up the little tiger that Lu Chen had placed on the chair. “What a cute little tiger!”
Lu Chen said, “Sisi, put it down. This is the birthday gift your cousin made for me.”
When Zhou Sisi put it down, her sleeves somehow knocked over the cinnabar ink that Lu Chen used to review memorials and the cinnabar ink spilled on the tiger, making it look as if blood stained it.
Lu Chen frowned and said in a low voice, “Someone take Miss Zhou to the Queen’s palace, and don’t let her step into the East Palace again.”
Zhou Sisi said with teary eyes. “Imperial Cousin, I didn’t do it on purpose. Sisi can make little tigers too. Sisi will make a little tiger for you.”
Lu Chen cherished this birthday gift very much. Although it was the least valuable of all birthday gifts he had received, it was made by Qiao Jinniang with her own hands.
Fearing that Little Lu Xi would spot it and take it away, he deliberately placed it in his study to accompany him to work.
Now it was destroyed by Zhou Sisi.
It was stained by cinnabar ink, and he didn’t know if it could be washed clean.
Standing at the door of the study and seeing the little tiger doll she made with her own hands was destroyed, Qiao Jinniang said in displeasure, “Why does everyone say she is still a child? If she is really a child, she will only like little dolls like this. How could she possibly destroy it?”
“Where is she?”
Lu Chen said, “I ordered someone to send her back to my mother’s palace.”
When Zhou Sisi returned to the Queen’s palace, the Emperor was accompanying the Queen for lunch.
When he heard the imperial decree issued by the Queen today, Emperor Huilin complained, “You dote on the Crown Princess too much. I had thought that I could at least have many delicious foods to eat after she marries into the imperial palace, but how long has it been since she was married? Except for those meat scones, she cooked nothing else at all!”
The Queen chuckled and said, “She is the Crown Princess after all. If she stays in the kitchen all day long, you might say that she is not worthy of being the Crown Princess. I heard that she is teaching the cooks in the East Palace how to cook. You can ask her to teach your cooks as well.”
“Boohoo, Auntie.” At this moment, Zhou Sisi trotted in and threw herself into Queen Zhou’s arms.
Emperor Huilin said, “Who is so daring to make Sisi cry?”
Zhou Sisi sobbed and said, “Auntie, Sisi accidentally knocked over, boohoo, the ink, and the ink spilled on the little tiger that Cousin-in-law made for Imperial Cousin. Boohoo, now Imperial Cousin doesn’t allow me to go to the East Palace anymore.”
Queen Zhou patted Zhou Sisi’s back and comforted her. “You shouldn’t have destroyed your cousin’s doll. Your cousin said that in a fit of anger. You just need to apologize to him and it’ll be fine.”
However, Emperor Huilin said, “Why did Chen’er act like a child? What kind of doll is that? How could he make this child cry so sadly?”
“Be good, Sisi, let me take you to the East Palace and let’s see if he dares to forbid you from entering.”
Zhou Sisi wiped away her tears and smiled sweetly. “Thank you, Uncle.”
In the East Palace, the imperial maids used a lot of soap, trying to wash off the cinnabar ink on the tiger doll, but it couldn’t be washed off.
Qiao Jinniang said, “Don’t wash anymore. Cinnabar is poisonous. Just throw this doll away.”
Lu Chen would use cinnabar ink to draw circles when reviewing memorials, and would not touch it, but the cinnabar on the doll would inevitably be touched by his hands.
It didn’t matter if Lu Chen touched it, but Qiao Jinniang was afraid that Lu Chen would touch Xi’er with the hand that had touched the cinnabar, or that Xi’er might play with the contaminated doll.
It was better to throw it away.
However, it was a pity that her several days of hard work was wasted. After all, she sewed the tiger doll stitch by stitch herself.
It was her birthday gift for Lu Chen, so it was made with meticulous care. She had embroidered the pattern of the little tiger for a long time.
Because of cooking, there were calluses on her hands. She was afraid that her hands might roughen the thread, so every time she touched silk threads, she was very careful, which hurt her eyes very much.
It was a pity to just throw it away, but cinnabar ink was poisonous.
Lu Chen said, “There’s no need to throw it away. I’ll lock it in a glass box.”
Qiao Jinniang said, “It’s better to throw it away. Cinnabar may have seeped into the cotton inside. If Xi’er finds it, he might be poisoned.”
Lu Chen always had a feeling that if he threw this one away, Qiao Jinniang would not make him a second one.
“Then if this one is thrown away, can there be a second one?”
Qiao Jinniang pointed to the sun in the sky and said, “It’s not night yet. Why are you daydreaming?”
Lu Chen was really annoyed with Zhou Sisi.
“Your Royal Highness, Your Highness, the little Highness is back. It’s time for lunch.”
When Qiao Jinniang went out, she saw Little Lu Xi plunged into Lu Chen’s arms and said, “Father, Mother, the little tiger!”
Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, “The little tiger? Does Xi’er like the little tiger?”
“Yes! But since that little tiger belongs to Daddy, I can’t take it. Aunt Nuomi said that children can’t touch other people’s things!”
Little Lu Xi said.
Qiao Jinniang said, “Mommy will make a new one for you so that Xi’er can play with it.”
Little Lu Xi leaned over and kissed Qiao Jinniang on the cheek. “Thank you, Mom.”
“His Majesty, Her Majesty, and Miss Zhou are here.” The voice of an eunuch came from the door.
Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen looked at each other and went to the gate of the East Palace to greet them.
