Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 1014 - 1012_1

Chapter 1014: Chapter 1012_1

Prince An had already risen from his chair, but spotting a plate of rice dumplings on the table, he sat right back down. He picked up his chopsticks and took a tiny bit of the dumpling into his mouth.

The emperor’s face turned black at this sight. Was there no limit to his audacity! Those were intended for the Emperor Dowager!

The emperor soon joined in, promptly picked up his chopsticks, and began to eat.

Quiet all this while, the empress and the wife of Prince An followed suit.

Observing the four of them devouring the dumplings like hungry ghosts and completely engrossed, the Empress Dowager’s face darkened. Had the dumplings been laced with opium?

The Empress Dowager picked up a piece with her chopsticks and took a bite. Then...

In the blink of an eye, the plate was empty and everyone put their chopsticks down.

"Mother, I didn’t lie to you, did I? Are the dumplings delicious?"

The Empress Dowager’s face stiffened and she coughed. "I’m old, my teeth are weak and many things are difficult for me to chew. This rice dumpling is nice and soft, so I had a couple more bites."

"Yet most of the dishes on this table are stewed until they’re soft. They can be swallowed without even chewing! So, why did you only take a bite and stop eating?" Prince An didn’t hold back in taking apart his mother’s pretences.

Caught in the lie, the Empress Dowager glared at her troublesome son. "I’m tired, all of you leave! After the Dragon Boat Festival, I’ll be hosting a flower appreciation banquet in the Imperial Garden, so Xuanyi and Ruixi can choose concubines! Inform them so they can take a good look and pick the girl they like most."

Listening to her, the emperor glanced at his mother, puzzled about why she never learned from her experience to keep calm!

Having troubled her children her entire life, wasn’t she weary of causing further trouble for her grandsons?

Such proliferating lineage! An increase in the offspring of concubines would not be a blessing, but a curse! Had she not learned enough from what happened to the First and the Third Prince?

Also, the devious plots in the homes of other officials; the struggles between blood relations. Had she not heard about them? How could she still not understand!

Now, he only had a few legitimate sons. Each one stood out among the lot, they were united and loving; wasn’t this nice? The lineage needed quality, not quantity! As long as there was someone to inherit the throne in future, it was enough! The emperor was puzzled by the Empress Dowager’s thinking; his own father did not produce a large number of sons and daughters for the sake of expanding the royal lineage!

If so, with the Empress Dowager’s attitude, if the emperor had a harem of three thousand beauties, how could she still be alive!

He resolved then, he would not meddle in his son’s matters; as for how the Empress Dowager would act, he believed his sons could handle it appropriately.

As long as the Empress Dowager, leisurely as she was, insisted on prying into other people’s affairs, then let her children and daughters-in-law accompany her!

After the emperor left the Cining Palace, nobody took the words of the Empress Dowager to heart. What will happen to their children and grandchildren depends on their fate, they couldn’t manage too many things.

It was only then did the wife of Prince An realize that her son had been married for over a year, yet they still didn’t have a child!

Previously, because she was worried about her daughter, she had forgotten about it.

On a regular basis, her son and daughter-in-law had no problems, in fact, they were quite affectionate. But how had all this time passed without her daughter-in-law conceiving?

The wife of Prince An decided to find an excuse to have the imperial doctor check up on her daughter-in-law. If nothing was wrong with her, she couldn’t help but suspect that the display of affection between the two was merely a facade created by her son, to cover up the fact that he was attracted to men!

In the carriage, the wife of Prince An couldn’t help but voice her worry: "Your Highness, do you think Ruixi is still into men, and this show of affection with Yijin is just an act for us?"

Having heard this, Prince An was lost in thought. He recalled Shangguan Ruixi’s gaze towards Du Yijin, shook his head and said, "It doesn’t seem like it. Emotion-filled eyes can’t be imitated! Don’t worry! Our grandchildren have their own destinies, and we can’t rush the matter of having kids. Besides, now Ruixi’s heart is with the Crown Princess, they will have children eventually."

Listening to this, the wife of Prince An was somewhat relieved. Prince An was right, as long as the couple had a good relations, children would be born eventually!

Though, just to be sure, she decided to have a hearty tonic soup cooked for her son every morning and evening, to boost his vitality!

She didn’t believe that even with this, she couldn’t have a grandchild!

As the couple returned to the Wang Mansion and passed through the garden, they headed towards the main courtyard.

At this moment, a flute melody drifted over from some direction outside the mansion.

"This flute melody is so lovely! No wonder Zhuan’er likes listening to flute music. Wanru has also been practicing diligently recently! Since Wanru fell in love with playing the flute, I feel she’s become more lively!"

Hearing this, Prince An’s expression softened. "Having something to cling to is a good thing; she doesn’t need to be gloomy all day."

"I remember you also played the flute well when you were young, how come you don’t play now? Maybe you can teach Wanru if you have the time!" The wife of Prince An recalled the time when Shangguan Ruixi had a high fever as a child, and inconsolably cried. Prince An had then pulled out a flute and played a tune to calm him down.

Upon listening to the flute, Shangguan Ruixi had indeed stopped crying, and very quickly fell asleep.

Later, whenever Shangguan Ruixi felt unwell and cried incessantly, Prince An would play the flute to soothe him.

Gradually, as Shangguan Ruixi grew up, even when he wasn’t feeling well, he didn’t cry anymore, and Prince An stopped playing the flute as a consequence.

"I’m old now and don’t have energy. I can’t play a sound!" Prince An, shaking his head.

"Old? You’re aging like a fine wine!"

The couple spoke to each other as they walked back to their room.

In another courtyard, Shangguan Wanru had written down the musical notes and carefully translated them. Only then, having confirmed several times that there were no errors, did she zone out.

Super rice and super wheat, as well as those superior foods and medicinal herbs, were they all related to Xiao’er’s blood?

Shangguan Wanru instinctively knew how much money those products labeled ’superior’ could make!

If they could also grow these superior fruits, vegetables, and herbs, not to mention the seeds of super rice and super wheat...

Then they would be able to feed many soldiers. In ten years, they could take revenge for the Crown Prince. This was what she believed was true.

But was it that simple? Did they just need a few drops of Xiao’er’s blood to open the door to an enchantingly complex formation laid out by a mysterious person?

Did that place really require Xiao’er’s blood to open? Shangguan Wanru felt a troubling hunch that things were not as simple as they seemed, however...

If that’s not the case, why was it that in this world, only Xiao’er’s family could grow superior products?

Shangguan Wanru found herself torn...

At Prince Rui’s Mansion

Since the Empress Dowager didn’t dismiss her servants when she spoke, her words reached Shangguan Xuanyi’s ears that very night.

However, Shangguan Xuanyi didn’t pay it any mind, neither did he inform Xiao’er about it, in order to avoid causing her any distress. He would wait until the flower appreciation banquet day to tell Xiao’er.

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