To Be A Virtuous Wife

98

Chapter Ninety Eight

As He Heng walked up to her, Qu Qing Ju prepared to stand and properly greet him but was stopped when he gently pushed on her shoulder: "There's no need, zhen just came from muhou's palace, and came here to take a look."

Hearing that, Qu Qing Ju responded: "It had been planned for muhou to also come here, but who knew that the two of them would say that due to the complexity of the palace affairs, they wouldn't be able to attend this flower banquet." As she spoke, a hint of guilt appears on her face, as though it was her fault that the two Empress Dowagers were so busy.

"You're pregnant now and it's not necessary to do those burdensome matters," He Heng smiled as he sat down beside her, "Both muhou will understand." Towards the two Empress Dowagers, he was confident of their abilities.

Earlier, he had asked the taiyi. They said that during a woman's pregnancy, she can't be exhausted, and can't be angry, or else it would harm the body and the child. That was a big no-no.

Hearing He Heng say so, Qu Qing Ju smiled, "This is escaping from frustration into relaxation."

Even though he was sitting at the front of a crowd of women, He Heng wasn't the slightest bit unsettled. He even managed to disregard the womenfolk sitting below, full of ease as he chatted with Qu Qing Ju about some small matters, acting as though the other people were also pots of flowers.

Using a gap in the conversation, Qu Qing Ju looked down. All of the womenfolk seemed to be comfortably engaging in conversation with those beside them. The atmosphere hadn't cooled because the Emperor had arrived. They tried very hard to make the Emperor feel welcomed.

Qu Qing Ju felt that she couldn't waste the time of the womenfolk present and said: "Originally, everyone was to stay for a meal before leaving, but ben gong is pregnant. The taiyi has reminded many times not to sit long in the first three months so today, we won't keep everyone. To have neglected everyone so, ben gong hopes for everyone's understanding."

The womenfolk who had children stood in succession, thanking the Empress for inviting them as they mentioned that it was important to be careful in the first trimester. They also said that the Empress and the embryo inside were full of good fortune, and would smoothly coast and meet auspicious events along the way.

Qu Qing Ju smiled and let them leave. Before they left, she took another look at Qin Chao Yun. A pretty beautiful young girl. She knew how to show herself off. But it was a pity that she wore such plain clothes, but her slippers exposed her true nature.

If a person had to act, then they had to make it more realistic. Except for the normal hairpins, the plain clothing, how could she forget about her slippers?

The embroidered shoes of unmarried girls were frequently changed. Especially the kind that were encrusted with agate or pearls. Because it wasn't easy to clean, the pearls and agate would fall apart or the color would be wrong. So after they wore it once, they wouldn't wear it again. This caused families who didn't have the wealth to not frequently wear that kind of slippers.

This was where Qin Chao Yun had failed. If she had really preferred plain adornments, why would she wear that kind of slippers?

She might have had some schemes, some bravery but was still too inexperienced. It wasn't enough in front of He Heng.

Jin An Princess Royal had originally planned to privately talk with Qu Qing Ju after the banquet. But seeing the Emperor protect her so, she felt she didn't need to say those things and smiled as she left with the other womenfolk.

After the womenfolk left, the two of them returned to Tian Qi Palace to eat. Each dish was tested by a taijian before they started to eat.

The meat and vegetables of the dishes were perfectly complementing and all of them were beneficial to a pregnant mother and her child. Qu Qing Ju didn't like how the dishes became slightly less flavorful but still ate a lot.