The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 2)

Chapter 356 - Flattery

"The Emperor always watches me closely; can others not have children?" Ye Yun said intentionally. "The last selection was when I had just become pregnant with Jing'er, and now he is already two years old. Two years have passed, and next year, there will be another selection."

"Why does that sound so sour?" Ning Chen chuckled, pinching the hand of the person beside him.

Ye Yun shot him a glance and huffed lightly, "So what if it sounds sour? Am I not allowed to feel that way? I'm not someone who pretends to be magnanimous."

Ning Chen was still quite young, in his prime. Unless he himself called for it to stop, the selection would continue for a long time. During the previous emperor's reign, they only stopped selecting when he reached his forties. Ning Chen was still under thirty; even if he were to continue selecting until he turned forty, that would still be over ten years, meaning there would likely be four more rounds of selections.

Thinking about how newcomers would soon enter the palace made Ye Yun uncomfortable. Whether or not she was really jealous, people inherently prefer to maintain familiarity and control over their surroundings. Newcomers meant a lot of uncertainties.

Even though Ning Chen currently favored her greatly, she couldn't guarantee that she would always be in a stable position for decades to come.

"The royal selection is meant to expand the family line, ensuring the kingdom is passed down through generations. I already have four sons and three daughters; there's no need to bring in so many new people. For the sake of court stability, I can simply choose one or two to bring in," Ning Chen said gently.

He himself was not a man who coveted women; there was no need to select anyone for his harem. Moreover, the previous issues with Xie Shi and Yao Shi had made him extremely averse and disgusted with the palace's intrigues. The more people there were, the more likely there would be sordid affairs.

"I have already discussed this with the ministers. We won't hold a selection next year. Instead, we can directly choose a few good candidates from among the ministers' families. Looks and talents are secondary; what's important is a good character," Ning Chen added.

Since this was a serious matter, Ye Yun suppressed her previous arrogance and nodded.

"That's fine. The selection process does incur quite a bit of expense, so not holding it will save some money."

Ning Chen smiled and glanced at her, "You've become increasingly like a housekeeper over the past two years. You've grown up."

His teasing earned him a glare from Ye Yun.

As they chatted, the Fourth Prince grew restless and wanted to pull his parents into play with him.

Ning Chen, who had never played with children before, felt a bit lost, but seeing Ye Yun get up to join the child, he followed suit.

Playing with a little one was nothing more than chatting and stacking blocks, which was quite relaxing.

The family of three spent the afternoon that way.

Meanwhile, during dinner, Qin Wanrong had already moved to Jing De Fei's Zhongcui Palace and was accompanying her to dine.

"I don't know what you like to eat, so I had the kitchen prepare dishes to my taste. They're all things a pregnant woman can eat," Jing De Fei said with a smile.

Qin Wanrong nodded slightly, "Since I'm here with you, Your Highness, I will leave everything to your arrangements. With your protection, both I and the child in my womb will be safe."

Such obedience and compliance pleased Jing De Fei greatly. She personally picked up a piece of tender meat and placed it in Qin Shi's bowl.

"You're clever. I don't have much to instruct you on. As long as you remain well-behaved, I will naturally protect you. This can be seen as a token of my gratitude for saving the Second Prince's life."