683 Untitled (1)
The Emperor was also a father, but he was different from all the fathers in the world. He was first the Emperor, then the father. In decades, the Empress had never seen such an Emperor who did not care about his image.
How could he spoil these children like this? Even he had never doted on Nangong Yan and Nangong Li so much back then!
Crack!
The Emperor’s old back cracked.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!” Eunuch Wang took a big step forward and carried the little black eggs off the Emperor’s back. These little fellows looked heavy, but they were actually even heavier when he carried them. No wonder His Majesty’s old waist cracked.
His arm was about to break from just hugging him, okay?
“Your Majesty, are you alright?” Eunuch Wang placed the little black eggs on the ground and asked anxiously.
The Emperor was in so much pain that he could not speak.
Xiaobao walked over, bent down, and tilted his head to look at him. “Does it hurt?”
It was originally quite painful, but after he asked, it didn’t seem to hurt that much anymore. The Emperor laughed dryly and said, “I’m fine.” As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt two gazes that could not be ignored. He subconsciously turned around and met the Empress’s gaze.
The Empress’s face was filled with shock and a trace of hurt and disappointment. His heart tightened and he said hoarsely, “Empress…”
The Empress left without looking back.
The Emperor could not care less about the injuries on his old waist. He instructed Eunuch Wang to call Consort Yun over and asked her to take care of the children before chasing after the Empress.
The Empress did not walk quickly, so she naturally heard his instructions. Even at such a critical juncture, he did not forget to settle down a few little fellows and even let Consort Yun come to his Dragon Palace. When did his place become a place that Consort Yun was qualified to step foot in?
The Empress got into the carriage. “Back to the palace!”
The Emperor did not stop her in public. He sighed helplessly, called for the palanquin, and followed her to the Empress’s palace.
When the palace servants saw the Empress and the Emperor return to the palace one after another, their expressions did not look too good. They tactfully retreated. Soon, only one trusted eunuch was left in the Empress’s bedchamber. However, after this eunuch received the Emperor’s gaze, he left dejectedly.
The Empress wanted to call someone to serve tea, but in the blink of an eye, she saw that the bedchamber was empty.
The Emperor coughed lightly and walked over while holding his aching waist. “Empress.”
“You still know that I’m your Empress.” The Empress turned her face away aggrievedly, not looking at the Emperor’s heavy gaze that almost crushed her.
The Emperor was a man, but he was not a fool. He naturally understood that his preference for the Vermilion Bird Palace would make the Empress unhappy, but after all, the blood of the Nanzhao Royal Family flowed in those children’s bones. He could not really ignore them.
“Empress.” The Emperor sat down beside the Empress.
The Empress turned around and ignored him. It was true that she was a virtuous Empress, but it was normal for her to throw a tantrum in front of her husband.
The Emperor tugged at her sleeve. “Are you angry with me?”
The Empress said indifferently, “How would I dare? My children have lost favor. I still have to live according to His Majesty and those little fellows’ wishes for the rest of my life. I don’t have the guts to be angry with His Majesty.”
The Emperor felt guilty and did not know how to tell the Empress. “…Yan’er’s matter concerns the country. I only punished her because she had gone overboard. Didn’t I not say anything when you picked her up from the dungeon of the Dali Temple?”
The Empress turned around in a fit of pique and choked as she said, “Then does Your Majesty remember how long it has been since you last came to see Yan’er? Is she still Your Majesty’s flesh and blood? No matter how big her mistake was, she has been punished now. The fetus in her stomach is gone and she’s half dead. Does Your Majesty only want her to die before you’re willing?”
The Emperor was silent.
Nangong Yan was a child he had doted on, but as long as he thought about how she had done so many unforgivable things, he was really unwilling to see her again.
The Emperor deliberately changed the topic. He looked at the hairband on the Empress’s head and asked, “Are your injuries better?”
It was fine if he didn’t mention this, but when the Empress heard this, she was even angrier. She was already bald from that little thing’s grip. Not only did His Majesty not distance himself from him, he even brought him to the throne room.
“Your Majesty,” the Empress said. “I heard that you brought that child to court and even introduced him to the civil and military officials. You even casually gave him the heirloom seal.”
It was really a sore point. The Emperor had finally forgotten the sad matter, but the Empress brought it up again. He touched his forehead helplessly and said, “The child is just playing. Empress, you don’t have to take it seriously.”
“Then what exactly is His Majesty’s plan?” The Empress asked.
