无翼乌工口里番无色无摭挡

The Emperor arrived at Splendid Palace.

He came in with great enthusiasm, waved at the kneeling maids and eunuchs at the entrance, and went straight into Concubine Jin’s room.

Concubine Jin was lying on the couch, eating melon seeds, listening to a maid playing the pipa nearby.

The room was cool and refreshing.

“The Emperor is here, Your Highness.” The maid whispered to remind her.

Concubine Jin raised her phoenix eyes, glanced at the Emperor, gave a faint response, and continued eating melon seeds.

She didn’t even bother to offer him a proper greeting, and giving him a look seemed like she was doing him a big favor.

The surrounding maids and eunuchs also appeared very calm.

It seemed like they had gotten used to this situation.

The Emperor walked up to Concubine Jin with his plump body and sat down casually beside her. He smiled and said, “Jin’er, I have some great news to tell you.”

He waved his hand to make the maid stop playing the pipa.

Concubine Jin put down her melon seeds and looked up at him.

The Emperor awkwardly said, “Continue playing, continue playing.”

“What are you doing here?” Concubine Jin asked.

“I have some good news to tell you. I haven’t even told the Empress yet.”

“What good news?”

“The child in the Princess Consort of Yu’s womb is a boy.” The Emperor looked at Concubine Jin’s beautiful face and rubbed his hands together, excitedly waiting for her to smile.

However, Concubine Jin just uttered an “Oh” and continued eating melon seeds. The Emperor asked, “Aren’t you happy?”

Concubine Jin replied, “It’s not me who’s pregnant, why should I be happy? This has nothing to do with me.”

“…She’s still your daughter-in-law, after all.”

Concubine Jin responded, “What’s so surprising about a daughter-in-law being pregnant? If you’d told me my own son was pregnant, I might have been shocked.”

The Emperor chuckled, “That would be a mess! What I mean is, now that my fifth son’s wife is pregnant with a boy, when the child is born, I can make my fifth son the Crown Prince.”

“That’s good,” Concubine Jin said, still coldly and elegantly eating her melon seeds, as if this issue concerning the whole world had nothing to do with her. The Emperor stretched out his hand to touch hers—

Concubine Jin looked at him and asked, “What are you doing?”

“I haven’t spent the night with you in a long time. Tonight…”

Concubine Jin interrupted, “You’re excited because your daughter-in-law is pregnant? You’re still thinking about this at your age. Don’t you have other concubines to visit?”

The Emperor looked wronged, “But you’re the most beautiful of all my concubines. Can’t I, as a man, have such desires? You’re a concubine, and you’re supposed to serve me. What’s with your attitude?”

Concubine Jin replied, “This palace is tired today and cannot serve Your Majesty. Please go to the Empress’s room.”

“The Empress no longer shares the bed with me…”

Concubine Jin suggested, “Then go to Concubine Huang, or Lady Ding. They’re all young and not ugly.”

“I want to be with you.”

“I just got my period.”

The Emperor came in high spirits and left with a crestfallen look.

The personal eunuch attending to him remarked, “Our Concubine’s temper grows worse. Why don’t you visit other courtyards? Lady Ding is also beautiful…”

The Emperor snapped, “Do you think I visit her just because she’s pretty?” “Your Majesty, please calm down. Your servant knows that you feel guilty for Concubine Jin and that’s why you always favor her and let her act this way.” “Back then, she was also a gentle and charming young woman. It’s all because of me that she miscarried… They were boy and girl twins, ah…” The Emperor sighed with heartache, “Though we had our fifth son later, Concubine Jin’s temperament changed. She barely cares for the boy, let alone me….”