The Queen sealed her heart and locked up her love, and the Emperor was trapped in the crematorium

In the end, Xiao Chengxu put away the wooden hairpin himself.

Xie Yaoqing said she didn't want something, and she didn't want it even though she saw the disappointment on Xiao Chengxu's face.

After returning to the palace, life was as peaceful as before, and she lived every day as usual. Only occasionally, the Queen Mother would call Xie Yaoqing to the Cining Palace and instruct her to do something in a roundabout way.

One moment she said that a certain concubine was restless and seemed to be trying to win favor recently; the next moment she felt that Xie Yaoqing was too lax in his management of the palace servants and that he should strengthen discipline... In short, the empress dowager just wouldn't calm down.

However, no matter what the Queen Mother said, Xie Yaoqing remained as steady as a rock, completely different from the suspicious look she had before. Obviously, Xie Yaoqing was no longer the puppet that she manipulated and fooled around with.

When the Queen Mother found that Xie Yaoqing was neither soft nor hard, she knew that she could no longer control this person. As a result, the Queen Mother seemed to gradually lose interest in making trouble. Apart from still frequent visits with Concubine Qi and Concubine Yi, she no longer asked about other matters, and acted as if she was enjoying her old age and not competing with the world.

Such peaceful days lasted until early September.

At this time of year, Xie Yaoqing would leave the palace for a while and stay in the Marquis' Mansion for a few days. Because during this period, one of the days was the anniversary of Xie Yaoqing's mother's death.

Xie Yaoqing attached great importance to family affection, especially to her mother who passed away early. When Xiao Chengxu knew about this, he gave Xie Yaoqing a special right - she could go back to the Marquis' Mansion to visit her family every year so that she could pay tribute to her mother.

At first, in the first two years after they got married, when Xiao Chengxu had not yet proclaimed himself emperor, he would personally escort Xie Yaoqing back to the Marquis' Mansion.

However, since he ascended the throne and became emperor, in order to avoid suspicion, he was no longer able to visit the Marquis' Mansion as frequently as before, but he did not restrict Xie Yaoqing from returning to the Marquis' Mansion.

Seeing that the day of visiting relatives was approaching, Xie Yaoqing instructed Zhiyu and others to pack their luggage and make all preparations two days in advance.

On the morning of the fifth day, Xie Yaoqing, along with a few of his confidants, quietly walked out of the palace.

During this period, the power to handle palace affairs was temporarily handed over to Concubine Zhuang and Concubine Jing.

In the Qianqing Palace, Feng An respectfully reported to Xiao Chengxu: "Your Majesty, the Empress has left the palace."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chengxu nodded slightly, indicating that he already knew about it, and then stopped asking about the matter.

As night fell and the lights came on, Xiao Chengxu subconsciously wanted to go to Kunning Palace out of habit. However, just as he was about to get up, he suddenly remembered that Kunning Palace was now empty, with only a few palace servants on duty, and the owner who lived there had left.

Thinking of this, Xiao Chengxu couldn't help but reveal a trace of melancholy and confusion on his face.

The sudden departure of the Queen made this once bustling palace become deserted and quiet. In this huge palace, he felt like he had nowhere to go.

Xiao Chengxu sighed softly and decided to give up his original plan. He simply didn't go anywhere and stayed in the bedroom of the Qianqing Palace to rest alone.

The next morning, just after the morning court session ended, Xiao Chengxu didn't even have time to change his clothes when he learned that the empress dowager had sent someone over, so he went to the Cining Palace.

When the mother and son meet, they are usually neither cold nor hot to each other. They exchange a few polite words and then go their separate ways.

However, the situation today was different. As soon as he stepped into the gate of the Cining Palace, someone brought steaming hot tea and exquisite and delicious snacks for Xiao Chengxu to enjoy.

The Queen Mother said with concern, "Your Majesty looks much thinner. I guess it's because you've been overworked with state affairs recently. State affairs are of vital importance, but Your Majesty must also take care of his health and must not neglect himself because of his busy schedule."

Xiao Chengxu shook his head gently and said calmly, "Thank you for your concern, mother. I am fine."

The mother and son had just chatted for a few words when suddenly, a young eunuch hurried in and bowed to report: "Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine comes to see you."

Hearing this news, Xiao Chengxu frowned slightly, and a subconscious feeling of annoyance surged in his heart. He couldn't help but suspect that the Queen Mother summoned him just as an excuse, and the real purpose was to get Concubine Qi to see him.

Taking advantage of the Queen's absence, she acted so impatiently, wanting to take this opportunity to push the person to him. The Queen had always said that her mother sympathized with her and understood her, but now it seemed that these were just superficial phenomena.

But it is not surprising. After all, her niece, Concubine Qi, has entered the palace. It is impossible for the empress dowager not to make plans for Concubine Qi.

The Queen Mother seemed not to notice Xiao Chengxu's dissatisfaction, or she clearly noticed it but deliberately turned a blind eye. When she heard that Concubine Qi had arrived, she immediately showed her joy and turned to Xiao Chengxu and praised him, "Yan'er is such a well-behaved and sensible child. She often comes to the Cining Palace to talk to me and has helped me solve many of my worries."

Xiao Chengxu said calmly: "The Imperial Concubine has served the Queen Mother with merit, and I will reward her. The Queen has always been filial to the Queen Mother, so she should also be rewarded."

When the empress dowager heard Xiao Chengxu mention the queen, the smile on her face faded instantly, and a hint of impatience flashed in her eyes.

The Queen is such a nuisance. Even though she is no longer in the palace, she is still quite disgusting.

The Queen Mother couldn't understand. Although the Queen was indeed very beautiful, with a stunning appearance, she couldn't make the king of a country obsessed with her to such an extent. She didn't know what tricks she had used to make the emperor obsessed with her and only see her.

While I was thinking about these things, Concubine Qi arrived.

Concubine Qi was wearing a light pink skirt with embroidered branches and piled flowers. The patterns on the skirt were so delicate that it seemed as if branches were swaying in the wind. Her skin was as white as snow, and her jade-like face was slightly powdered, making her cheeks look white and rosy, like a newly blooming white flower. The hollow butterfly gold hairpin on her head added a bit of charm to her. As she moved lightly, the gold hairpin made a series of crisp and pleasant ding-dong sounds, highlighting her unique charm and beautiful posture.

Concubine Qi bowed slowly, and said in a clear voice: "I greet the Queen Mother and the Emperor."