"The King of Reid wants to meet you. He says he has gifts. Do you want to see him?" As the two of them slowly walked through the imperial garden, they reached the place outside the palace gate where the carriage was parked.
Du Guqing carefully helped Mei Qingxue into the carriage before saying, "I thought you would agree to meet him. Don't take what the Queen Mother said to heart just now. She's just anxious about us."
"Don't worry. What does the King of Reid look like?"
"He's tall and has strange hair. So, do you want to see him or not?" Du Guqing asked again before getting an answer from Mei Qingxue.
"Don't want to. Those who come to offer gifts should first take better care of their own people." Mei Qingxue shook her head. She didn't care about the gifts. She wondered why that person wanted to meet her. She wasn't famous at all.
"Alright, if you don't want to meet him, then don't. Father has already agreed to Guo Jun's marriage. Do you have anything else to say?" Du Guqing knew that his wife thought highly of Guo Jun.
"Let's go back to the mansion first," Mei Qingxue wanted to return to the Prime Minister's mansion. She couldn't wait to leave the palace even for a moment.
"Look how impatient you are." Du Guqing laughed. Now that they were in the capital, it was very convenient for them to visit the Emperor and the Queen Mother, as well as their parents. "It's so stuffy in the palace. It's better to go back to our own mansion quickly. There's no need to be so impatient. It's only half a mile away. We can go there whenever we want."
"What's wrong, Xue?" Du Guqing reached out and grabbed Mei Qingxue's hand, gently holding it in his palm. He looked at her worriedly. "Have I been married for a long time? Am I barren?"
Mei Qingxue's question made Du Guqing stunned. He didn't know what she was struggling with. "No, silly. Why do you ask?"
"Why do people all think that since I've been married to you for a long time, I should be pregnant?"
"Don't you want to be pregnant?"
"Du Guqing, it's not about whether I want to or not. Don't change the subject. Is it because I've been married to you for a long time and haven't given birth that they can find concubines for you? Tell me the truth!" This was probably the reason. Mei Qingxue understood the thoughts of the ancients very well. But now that it happened to her, she just felt uncomfortable. Even if she knew the truth that Du Guqing might be unfaithful to her, she was ready to leave. But it still made her feel a bit uncomfortable to give up her husband to others.
Mei Qingxue didn't know who would compete with her for her husband. Those who could probably were noble ladies or princesses and princesses from neighboring countries.
"You haven't been married for a long time. It's just that the Queen Mother is impatient. Others see her impatience and follow suit. If you blame me for this, I'll be really wronged." Du Guqing quickly explained. After knowing Mei Qingxue for so long, he also knew her personality. He knew that she wasn't an ordinary noble lady. If he tried to coax her with the usual methods for women, he would surely fail.
"But I feel really uncomfortable!" Mei Qingxue was only seventeen years old. She was always stared at because of her belly and urged to get pregnant. What the hell! Didn't men also have a responsibility if a woman couldn't get pregnant?
Don't think that a woman's infertility had nothing to do with men.
Mei Qingxue could only complain in her heart. Before, she could use Du Guqing's poor health as an excuse to delay. But now she couldn't. She could only lower her head and keep silent. Did she have to explain sperm, eggs, ovulation period, and fertilization probability to the ancients?
She wasn't that stupid. She wouldn't be a show - off like many time - travelers and be regarded as a genius or a monster. She only took action for her family. After living for ten lifetimes, this was the most unforgettable one for her.
"Alright, my dear Xue'er. I'll talk to the Queen Mother later and ask her not to make things difficult for you, okay?"
"The Queen Mother didn't make things difficult for me. Really. It's my fault that I haven't been able to get pregnant for so long," Mei Qingxue said with difficulty, blaming herself for this reason.
But in her heart, she was extremely aggrieved. Even cucumbers could get pregnant...
"It's my fault. I'm a bad husband. I've made Xue'er suffer. Please forgive me." Du Guqing would never miss this opportunity to get close to his wife. He immediately hugged his wife into his arms and comforted her in a gentle voice. His hands were also busy.
"What gifts shall we give for Guo Jun's wedding?"
"Why are you worried about this?" Du Guqing had no intention of thinking about other things. Holding his wife in his arms, he just wanted to be intimate with her. There was no room for other things in his mind. Mei Qingxue let his hands wander, thinking that he wouldn't be too crazy in the carriage. After all, Xuanqiao and Hanchao were following outside.
Du Guqing's hand secretly reached into Mei Qingxue's skirt.
Mei Qingxue quickly grabbed his hand and glared at him angrily. But she said, "Hanchao, after Yue Ru finishes her confinement, ask her to bring the baby to me so that I can share some of your good luck with pregnancy."
"Yes," Hearing the Crown Princess mention his wife and child, Hanchao beamed with joy and began to talk about how much his son looked like him. Du Guqing could only sigh and tidy up Mei Qingxue's clothes. He sat upright again and listened to his guard's self - satisfied chatter.
"Shouldn't the baby be one - month old by now?"
"Not yet. There are still two days." Hanchao said. Yue Ru was really a good woman who had followed the Crown Princess. She was generous and decent, and had given birth to a son for him. He was an only child before. Now that he had his own child, he was extremely happy.
Mei Qingxue knew how to get Hanchao talking. Seeing Hanchao talking non - stop and Du Guqing looking frustrated, she secretly covered her mouth and laughed.
"Hanchao, how are the new recruits you've been training?"
Seeing his wife laughing, Du Guqing's face no longer looked so gloomy. He suppressed his desire and endured it until night. He thought that at that time, it would be quiet and his wife wouldn't refuse him.
"Reporting to the Prince, the new recruits are quite good. They're willing to endure hardships," Training the new recruits was another thing that Hanchao was proud of.
"Very good. Keep it up. If necessary, increase the intensity of the training. Although there's no war now, we should always be prepared for it." This was a sentence Du Guqing had heard from Mei Qingxue. He thought it made a lot of sense and remembered it. When training the new recruits, he didn't just intensify the training when there was an emergency like before.
Soldiers could also be farmers in normal times. They should be able to hold both the hoe and the gun. This was an experience learned from the previous life, and it was just right to apply it now. Du Guqing carried out Mei Qingxue's casual words thoroughly.
"Let them work and rest properly. Don't push them too hard," Mei Qingxue whispered a reminder. Du Guqing immediately nodded understandingly: "I know this, my dear."
Du Guqing whispered in Mei Qingxue's ear: "Xue, I'm so uncomfortable!" He was so pent - up. Mei Qingxue had already noticed his erection. Even though she had an open mind from her previous life, she couldn't accept having others eavesdrop.
Not even eunuchs or maids!
"Then you have to endure it until we get back to the mansion. In the carriage? Do you think I'm some kind of prostitute you can pick up at will?" Mei Qingxue said dissatisfiedly. "Do you think in your mind that a wife is just an appendage of her husband and doesn't deserve respect?"
Most ancient men thought this way. Men were superior to women, and there were clear hierarchies... Everyone was unequal. These were all things Mei Qingxue didn't like. But she didn't have the ability to change the status quo of society. At most, she could change the small world within her sight.
"No," Du Guqing grabbed his wife's hand and put it on his chest, letting her feel his heartbeat. "You're the most important person in my heart. I'm sorry. I was just out of control just now. I never meant to look down on you at all."
Seeing Du Guqing's nervous and apologetic look, Mei Qingxue softened her heart. This man was already a rare one in this world. She really couldn't ask for more.
Asking for more would be too demanding.
"I just said that. I'm just afraid that you'll pull me to do something in the carriage. Firstly, I'll be embarrassed. Secondly, as the Crown Princess, you should pay attention to my status."
"I was too rash," Du Guqing looked at Mei Qingxue apologetically. Just now, he was almost out of his mind and was about to have sex with his wife in the carriage. Fortunately, Mei Qingxue stopped him in time. Otherwise, if others knew that the Crown Prince was having sex in broad daylight, it would not only damage his own reputation but also the reputation of the royal family.
"Alright, don't blame yourself. As long as you don't be so rash with others," Mei Qingxue thought that she would probably be sore and back - aching for a few days after getting back to the Crown Prince's mansion. That bastard was always so serious about that kind of thing.
Thinking of the times when she always ended up being sore and back - aching, Mei Qingxue gritted her teeth and hated Du Guqing secretly for a long time.
Seeing Mei Qingxue gritting her teeth, Du Guqing knew what was going on in her mind: "I'll try my best to control myself." If he couldn't control himself, it wasn't his fault. He had already tried his best.
"Didn't Li Yuefeng say that she didn't want to be a concubine? Do you have a good candidate for her?"
"Why do you suddenly think of this?" Du Guqing frowned slightly. Mei Qingxue always thought about others. Why didn't she think more about herself and him?
"I just suddenly remembered. A good woman should marry a good husband. You should take care of this. Don't think about using marriage to win over powerful officials. Without the support of the people, it's useless."
"I know this. Don't worry," If Du Guqing wanted to use women's marriages to win over powerful officials, his mansion would have been full of women long ago. Instead, Mei Qingxue was the only one in his heart. There wasn't even a special bedroom for him. It was all the Qingxue Pavilion of the Crown Princess.
His finger gently brushed across Mei Qingxue's chest, causing a shiver in both of them.
There was a purple butterfly pattern there, fluttering as if alive. Du Guqing would always remember the night seven years ago when he was thrown into the warm - water pool as a eunuch. That purple butterfly had been in his mind for six years. Finally, he could marry her. One could imagine how happy he was in his heart. But Mei Qingxue didn't know. She didn't know what was going on in that guy's mind all day long. But his heart was completely immersed in her. He couldn't help himself. He would probably never forget that cold moment, the sudden warmth, and that beautiful and dazzling purple butterfly for his whole life.