"I just don't believe that among thousands of eligible young ladies, the Emperor won't take a fancy to a single one!" Guo Qiner looked extremely displeased. Mei Qingxue had been in the palace for quite a while without showing any sign of pregnancy. Yet, she was still preventing the Emperor from expanding his harem.
However, Guo Qiner had forgotten what kind of life she had lived in the palace. Now, seeing that Mei Qingxue had no offspring, she conveniently overlooked her own days as a daughter - in - law.
Mei Qingxue knew that her mother - in - law was eager to have a grandson, and there was no reasoning with her. After all, in ancient times, the main concern was to continue the imperial bloodline.
Mei Qingxue wasn't angry. When she saw her mother - in - law going back on her words, she remained calm, with a smile on her face. "Your Majesty, although the Queen is the head of the harem, the final decision lies with the Emperor. You can ask His Majesty about this. Moreover, during the draft, I didn't interfere in the Emperor's decision - making at all. In fact, the Emperor had his own preferences and made some arrangements in advance. I was just following his orders."
If someone wanted to compete with her in terms of eloquence, they would need another five hundred years. If it weren't for Du Guqing, she wouldn't have been so lenient. She had no interest in testing whether she could anger her mother - in - law to death. Otherwise, Du Guqing would surely blame her for the rest of their lives.
Just now, she had signaled Xuanqiao to invite the Emperor. Since he hadn't come for a long time, Mei Qingxue knew that the Retired Emperor and the Empress Dowager had a plan. It was likely that the Retired Emperor had stopped the Emperor. Mei Qingxue wasn't afraid of what the Retired Emperor might say, but it was her mother - in - law who was giving her a hard time.
Moreover, she couldn't bring up her mother - in - law's past. If she made her cry, it would be considered a great disrespect. Now that the Empress Dowager wanted to lecture her, Mei Qingxue just nodded selectively.
"Continuing the imperial bloodline is of utmost importance. As the Queen, you have no offspring and you're preventing the Emperor from expanding his harem. This is a crime of disrespect," Guo Qiner said. After her trip to the south of the Yangtze River and with her current status, she had become much more assertive. Mei Qingxue had seen so many people in her long life. She knew exactly what the Empress Dowager was up to.
As long as Du Guqing didn't depose her, Mei Qingxue would remain the head of the harem. All the Empress Dowager wanted was for Mei Qingxue to give in and agree to select some concubines for the Emperor.
Mei Qingxue would never give in on this matter. If the Retired Emperor was bored and wanted to regain power, fine. They could live in any palace they wanted and renovate it as they pleased. But as for the matter of taking concubines, don't even think about it, unless Du Guqing divorced her.
Was she, Mei Qingxue, afraid?
If the Retired Emperor and the Empress Dowager forced her to this point, the Emperor would surely rebel.
She was absolutely certain of it.
Seeing that Mei Qingxue was so stubborn, Guo Qiner became even more annoyed. She thought that Mei Qingxue lacked the grace to be the mother of the nation, and thus had the idea of replacing the Queen.
Just by looking at Guo Qiner's eyes, Mei Qingxue could almost read her mind accurately.
The Empress Dowager was her mother - in - law, but she was also a woman living in the deep palace. Before getting married, she was a wealthy young lady. She hadn't experienced as much as Mei Qingxue. Among all the people here, only Du Guqing could make Mei Qingxue yield, because he was the love of her life.
"Your Majesty, as the head of the harem, you should have the grace to be the mother of the nation. A sparse harem can't show the Queen's dignity," Guo Qiner said. She just wanted to select some suitable women so that she could have a grandson soon. Initially, she had a good impression of Mei Qingxue. But seeing that there was no sign of pregnancy after more than a year, she became anxious.
She started to lecture Mei Qingxue, who just nodded, trying not to anger the Empress Dowager.
In the imperial study, the father - son relationship had reached a tense state.
"You're the Emperor. How can you let a woman have her way?" Du Guyou was so angry with Du Guqing that he didn't know where to put his hands. When Mei Qingxue talked to Guo Qiner, she still had some scruples. But when Du Guqing talked to Du Guyou, he had none. "If a man doesn't let his woman have her way, is he still a man?"
Du Guqing knew that Du Guyou had a large harem. In the past, he used to turn the jade tablets to choose his concubines. Now, there was only Mei Qingxue in the harem, and the Emperor was often driven to the study by the Queen. Was this appropriate?
Du Guyou and Guo Qiner were living comfortably in the south of the Yangtze River. They thought that there wouldn't be any problems with the draft, so they didn't return. However, they received a letter from a minister, learning that Mei Qingxue had messed up the draft. Immediately, they couldn't sit still and rushed back to the capital.
"You're the Retired Emperor now. Just enjoy your retirement. Why do you interfere in my harem?" Du Guqing knew what they were thinking. He wanted to rescue Mei Qingxue, but Du Guyou blocked his way. His anger was beyond words. "In the past, your concubines bullied my mother. Now, do you think that those past events will disappear just because she has the title of the Empress Dowager? I won't let my wife suffer the same grievances as my mother. I don't know how you persuaded my mother to come back to the capital and make things difficult for my Queen. Your plan won't succeed."
"But your Queen has no offspring. You should think about continuing the imperial bloodline," Du Guyou said, trying to suppress his anger and reason with Du Guqing.
"We've only been married for a year. I'm not in a hurry. Why are you?"
"I had three children when I'd been married for a year," Du Guyou said, only to see the sneer on Du Guqing's lips. "Really?"
Three children in a year? How could he be so proud to show off to his son? When Guo Qiner was still Concubine Qin, what kind of life did she live? His own son called the Queen mother and grew up away from his mother. He didn't like the cold and ruthless palace full of intrigues.
"Were those three children my elder brothers or sisters?" Du Guqing knew that none of Du Guyou's early children had survived. Du Guyou himself knew exactly what had happened. It would be meaningless if he were to say it. If it weren't for his good fortune, he, Du Guqing, wouldn't even have had the chance to be born into this world. A single emperor with only three sons?
"This..." Du Guyou was at a loss for words. He couldn't answer. He had had many children, but in the end, there were only three princes. "My son, but..." He had been too busy to take good care of them at that time. Now, he and Qiner had plenty of time. There shouldn't be any problems, right? But it seemed that his son had no intention of expanding his harem.
"Isn't it the Queen who's preventing you?" Du Guyou had received the news that the Queen was interfering in the Emperor's affairs in the harem, saying that she was obstructing the draft.
Now, it seemed that things weren't as he had thought.
Among all the people in the palace, only Du Guqing had experienced these things, so he knew the truth. Mei Qingxue probably didn't know much. At most, she would act like a little girl, getting jealous and envious.
Du Guyou looked at his son. He knew his son's character well. To persuade him, it seemed that he had to start with his daughter - in - law. He just hoped that Qiner was making progress and wouldn't make things worse.
Du Guyou also wanted to see how the mother - in - law and daughter - in - law were getting along. Du Guqing was also impatient to talk to his father. It was fun to turn the jade tablets, but what about all the troubles and lives in the palace?
Du Guqing wouldn't let his children experience what he had gone through in his childhood, nor would he let the woman he loved suffer the slightest bit of grievance.
When Du Guyou came to persuade him, he had made up his mind to rescue his wife. He firmly stood on Mei Qingxue's side. There were no concubines in the Mei family, and their family was harmonious. Every time he stayed at his father - in - law's house, he, as a son - in - law, didn't want to leave. He wanted such a life all his life. How could he find it in the palace?
He wondered why the Retired Emperor and the Empress Dowager had suddenly returned.
Thinking of this, Du Guqing patiently asked, "Who told you that the Queen was obstructing the draft?"
"No one. I guessed it," Du Guyou didn't want to reveal the person.
"Am I your son or is he? You just protect that person well," Du Guqing turned around and was about to leave. After walking a few steps, he turned back and said to Du Guyou, "If you want to come back and be the Emperor, just say it directly. I won't be attached to this position. I still prefer my Prince Rui's Mansion." Then he walked away without looking back, worried about how his mother was making things difficult for his Xue'er.
"Mother, I understand everything you've said. This country belongs to the Emperor. I'm just a woman in the harem," Mei Qingxue said slowly. "Mother, you know that a woman takes her husband as her heaven. Although the Emperor indulges me sometimes, I'm not confused."
"That's right. Then what's the matter with the draft?" The Empress Dowager praised Mei Qingxue and then turned the conversation back to the draft.
"Mother, you don't know," Mei Qingxue was about to explain when a bright yellow figure appeared in her sight. Her savior had come. If she had to kneel any longer, she would really get angry.
When Du Guqing saw that Mei Qingxue was kneeling, he remembered that Du Guyou had been holding him for a long time. Didn't that mean that his Xue'er had been kneeling for so long?
Du Guqing walked to Mei Qingxue's side lovingly. Instead of helping his wife up, he knelt in front of Guo Qiner.
"Mother, if you want to do something, do it to your son!" Du Guqing looked at his mother firmly.
"Qing'er, why are you doing this?" Guo Qiner didn't have the slightest bit of the Empress Dowager's airs in front of Du Guqing. Her previous arrogance disappeared immediately.
"Mother, I should love my own wife. I don't know what mistake Xue'er has made. Husband and wife are one. If you want to punish my wife, how could you forget about her husband?"
"Get up quickly. I didn't want to punish her. I was just chatting with her," Guo Qiner glanced at Mei Qingxue, hoping that she would say something for her.
Mei Qingxue pretended not to see.