Qifeng Palace.

Xiao Heng was sitting under the window, carefully embroidering a picture of peonies.

It was extremely quiet in the side hall, and the sound of needlework passing through cloth was particularly clear.

Jimei on the side was a little uneasy, and unknowingly made the various silk threads in her hand into a messy mess.

"What's wrong with you?" Xiao Heng asked softly, but the movements of his hands were not slow at all.

Zimei's hand loosened and the thread fell back into the sewing basket.

"Your Majesty, you haven't seen the princess in more than two years."

Xiao Heng said: "Yes, Xiaojiu and I have been separated for more than two years. Since she was born, we sisters have never been separated for such a long time."

Ji Mei smiled and said: "I have never seen triplets in my life. The princess and the second young master Huan are both good-looking. I don't know how beautiful the three young masters are!"

How about I go to the Duke's mansion and invite the Princess and the young masters into the palace?"

Xiao Heng smiled lightly and said: "Although you are not much older than Xiao Jiu, you can still be regarded as watching her grow up.

Don’t you know what her temperament is like?”

Jimei was speechless.

Of course she knew the princess' temperament.

In the fifteen years before getting married, the princess often ran away.

But every time she returned to Beijing, she would rush to the palace as soon as possible, and the Duke's Palace would be behind her.

This time it was particularly strange.

She returned to Beijing for the first time after getting married for more than two years. The princess was supposed to come to see the Queen yesterday.

But it's been a day and there's still no movement at all.

The queen is also strange.

In the past, every time she met the princess, even if it was just something as big as sesame seeds and mung beans, she could not be as calm as usual.

Now she can sit quietly under the window and embroider without even the slightest mess of stitches.

"Empress, your Majesty should know about the princess' return to Beijing, right?"

"I really can't do anything to you!" Xiao Heng put down Xiu's sewing and thread, picked up the handkerchief on the side and wiped the sweat from his palms.

"Your Majesty is the king of a country, how can his eyes and ears be comparable to ours?"

"Then why didn't he summon the princess?" Jimei asked again.

A faint cloud of sadness appeared between Xiao Heng's brows, and he raised his eyes and looked out the window.

In late autumn, the scenery in the palace is rarely desolate, and the flowers are still in full bloom.

But how many people have noticed the undercurrent surging under the cover of this tranquility and prosperity.

The storm was about to come, and the wind filled the building. The wind hadn't started yet, but she could already smell the heavy rain.

"Jimei, do you feel that His Majesty has changed a lot?" she said leisurely.

Jimei hummed.

Not just her, everyone in the palace felt the same.

Especially those who serve His Majesty, they are all walking on thin ice, and even a safe man like Mr. Nian has been beaten.

Xiao Heng sighed and said no more.

Your Majesty has changed, and his change began when Concubine Hua Guifei was thrown into the cold palace.

In the past two years, she and the Queen Mother had spent countless words and tried every means but could not figure out what Concubine Hua had done.

Even if she wanted to go to the cold palace to find out what was going on with the baby in her belly, she could not get His Majesty's permission.

Since then, His Majesty has become a different person.

Although he was not a lecherous person in the past, he would often come to the harem.

She doesn't favor any particular woman, but almost every concubine can be treated equally.

But in the past two years, he suddenly became a stoic person.

He only went to the harem a few times throughout the year, and always returned to the palace after dinner.

So in the past two years, except for the seventh prince Wei Jue, she had no more children in the harem.

His Majesty devoted himself wholeheartedly to government affairs and did several major things that benefited the country and the people.

However, when Jin and Li were in turmoil, he did not take the opportunity to use troops against the two countries. Instead, he voluntarily gave up the opportunity to unify the world.

These things made her puzzled.

As for Xiao Jiu, although they have tried their best to conceal her news, there is no way His Majesty has not heard anything about it.

He must have known that Xiaojiu had become the lord of Ruoshui City, and that she was protecting the Hua family brothers and sisters, but she still remained calm.

I thought he would have objections to the marriage between Xiao Wu and Miss Chunyu, and he should at least ask about the woman’s background.

But he agreed without saying a word, and even rewarded him with many priceless goodies.

Lord Chunyu was even prepared to enter the palace to persuade His Majesty, but in the end he failed to use it.

Now that Xiaojiu has returned to Beijing, no one knows what His Majesty's reaction will be and whether he can return to his previous appearance.

"Your Majesty, why don't you go find Eunuch Xiaonian and inquire about it?" Jimei suggested.

Xiao Heng shook his head: "No need, Your Majesty is suspicious. It would be bad if you anger Xiaonian again."

Jimei gave up her plan to find Eunuch Xiaonian, but unexpectedly he took the initiative to look for her.

Hearing that he was coming, Xiao Heng asked Jimei to invite him into the side hall.

"My servant pays my respects to the Queen." Eunuch Xiaonian gave a big salute.

Xiao Heng signaled him that there was no need to be polite, and asked with a smile: "You are not serving His Majesty in the imperial study, why did you come here?"

Young Master Xiaonian said: "Your Majesty asked your servant to inform your Majesty that tomorrow will coincide with your wedding day, and ask your Majesty to summon the Princess and the Second Young Master Huan to the palace so that the whole family can have a good meal."

Xiao Heng said: "You go back and tell His Majesty to come over early tomorrow, and I will arrange everything properly."

"Yes." Young Father-in-law responded.

"Send me plum blossoms to send you a happy new year for me." Xiao Heng ordered.

"Slave, please retire." Little Nian's father-in-law bowed and retreated.

After walking out of the side hall, Jimei tugged on Mr. Xiaonian's sleeve and pulled him to a quiet place.

"Xiaonian, how are you these days, Your Majesty?"

Xiaonian poked his head and looked around to make sure there was no one else around, then lowered his voice and said, "My temper has gotten weirder and weirder these days."

"How to say?"

"Although His Majesty did not like to come to the harem before, he still liked to summon important ministers in the Imperial Study Room, sometimes to discuss state affairs, and sometimes to talk about poetry.

In the past few days, I haven't wanted to see anyone, I didn't even bother to review the memorials, and I just leaned on the throne in a daze all day long."

"Ah?" Zimei's face turned sour.

Your Majesty, what does this mean?

Could it be that because he learned that the princess was going to return to Beijing, everything went wrong?

Eunuch Xiaonian swallowed: "Sister Zimei, the princess returned to Beijing yesterday, did she send someone to deliver the news?"

"No, the empress is not in a hurry at all, as if she doesn't care about the princess anymore."

"How is that possible!" Eunuch Xiaonian finally showed a smile: "The empress has always treated the princess as a daughter, and she is no worse than the prince and the others."

"Then go back quickly, otherwise you will be angry again if His Majesty can't find you." Jimei urged.

"Then I'll leave first. I haven't seen the princess in several years, and I miss her quite a bit." Xiaonian waved his hand and trotted away from Qifeng Palace.
Chapter completed!