Water Reflects Peach Blossoms

Donghua looked at Siming behind him and said, "Su Jin should be fighting Le Xu now."

"The Emperor is as foresighted as a god." Realizing that Donghua had no intention of taking his inner thoughts to heart, Siming quickly used his usual strengths: "The Crown Prince's wife has always strictly followed the rules and never stepped out of line. She probably doesn't like Princess Su Jin acting according to her own pleasure."

Donghua said meaningfully, "Being a princess under the name of a prince's consort is just like this."

Siming understood immediately, but Jiang Ruan didn't show any intention of adopting Su Jin. He could only say, "Princess Su Jin is innocent and lovely. She will definitely have her own opportunities."

Miss Jiang would not take the initiative to help, but if Princess Su Jin went to ask Miss Jiang for help, it would be different.

Sure enough, when Su Jin hurried over to sit next to Le Xu, Le Xu asked her with concern, "What happened? Why are you so flustered?"

Not wanting to tell Le Xu about Jiang Ruan, nor did she dare to tell her about Emperor Donghua, Su Jin simply whispered, "The Heavenly Palace is too big. I just went out and accidentally got lost, so I panicked."

Le Xu understood: "From now on, take your maid with you when you travel."

Su Jin nodded: "Yes. Thank you, Empress Le Xu, for your concern."

"You were raised by me, so it's my duty to care about you." Le Xu was very satisfied with Su Jin's obedience, but when she saw a little bit of crumbs falling on her clothes, the expression on her face froze a little.

After a moment, she instructed Su Jin, "I know you haven't learned the dining etiquette of the Heavenly Palace well. You can't eat at a banquet, but you must know that you are Princess Zhaoren, personally appointed by the Heavenly Emperor. You can't let outsiders see you do anything wrong. No matter how hungry you are, you can only endure it and wait until you return to the palace to eat."

Su Jin looked at the snack crumbs on her lapel, mustered a little courage, and asked, "Empress Le Xu, if I don't learn dining etiquette, can I not eat out?"

Le Xu looked at Su Jin and said earnestly, "As those in high positions, we are respected by the people, but every move we make is related to the reputation of the royal family. We cannot let others laugh at us."

Su Jin lowered her head: "But I think filling my stomach is more practical."

"What?" Le Xu was surprised by Su Jin's rebuttal.

Su Jin raised her head and looked directly at Le Xu: "Is Empress Le Xu unhappy because of the responsibilities she shoulders?"

"But I think being a princess doesn't mean I have to turn myself into a puppet, indifferent to joy or sorrow, who only serves to make the royal family look good. I want to be happy, I want to have enough to eat, and I want to practice hard and become the pride of my parents."

Le Xu, who had been raised as a prince's consort since she was a child, was surprised. She softened her expression and said gently to Su Jin, "You are still young. I don't know how many eyes are watching you, waiting for you to make a mistake so they can ridicule and laugh at you."

"Everyone gets gossiped about behind their backs." Su Jin, however, took it easy: "Even someone as powerful as Emperor Donghua still has people gossiping about him behind his back. No matter how well I do, they will still talk about me. It's better to be happy and be myself. Once I become powerful and have made achievements, no one will dare to point fingers at me openly anymore."

"Who did you meet today?" Le Xu saw at a glance that someone must have said something to Su Jin.

"No." Su Jin shook her head: "I haven't met anyone."

"I just feel unhappy."

Le Xu sighed, her face mournful. "Who in heaven could possibly be happy? Even with a high position like mine, I still live under the laws of heaven, and because I have no children, I'm looked down upon."

Su Jin stopped talking. She felt that the self-pitying Empress Le Xu had not listened to her request at all. No matter what she said, Empress Le Xu would not listen.

Seeing Su Jin lowering her head, Le Xu patted her head and said, "Forget it. You just came to the Heavenly Palace and don't know the rules. I will patiently teach you in the future. But don't do that thing of secretly eating snacks again."

Su Jin agreed: "Su Jin understands."

From now on, she will no longer eat snacks secretly, she will eat them openly!

As he said this, he picked up a piece of dessert and put it into his mouth despite Le Xu's frozen expression.

……

Next to the lotus pond.

Walking on the covered bridge made of white jade, Jiang Ruan looked at the lotus flowers blooming in the white mist.

The fairy-like beauty did not make her feel comfortable, but instead made her sigh.

"Are you unhappy?" A clear and pleasant voice appeared behind him.

Jiang Ruan turned around and saw Donghua standing behind her.

White mist flowed from the edge of his purple robe. He walked up to Jiang Ruan and asked her in a gentle voice, "What's wrong? Who made you unhappy?"

The more attentive he was, the more depressed Jiang Ruan felt.

She turned and stared at a lotus petal. "I kind of miss the yard on earth. It hasn't been cleaned in years. I wonder what it's become."

Donghua said, "I have instructed the land god to clean the yard on time."

Jiang Ruan looked at Donghua in surprise, and her excuse was blocked again.

She wasn't actually worried about the mortal courtyard, but...

"I'm nice to you, aren't you happy?" Donghua hit the nail on the head.

Jiang Ruan nodded: "You are so good to me. I can't repay you. I feel heavy in my heart."

She felt like escaping from Donghua. The kindness he had shown her that she couldn't repay made her feel like she owed him something.

This kind of boredom would only get better when she was away from him.

She saw the rules of the Heavenly Palace from Su Jin, and also saw her own exception.

People always need to compare in order to know where they are and whether their life is good or bad.

In the past, when Jiang Ruan was in Taichen Palace, she had never had any contact with the women of the Heavenly Palace. But today, whether it was Le Xu or Su Jin who had just arrived at the Heavenly Palace, they were bound by the shackles of rules.

Jiang Ruan knew in her heart that her current freedom was all because of Donghua.

Zheyan also has a share, but in the Heavenly Palace where Zheyan’s forces cannot reach, she can do whatever she wants because of Donghua.

Standing beside Jiang Ruan, Donghua looked at her beautiful face, which was tinged with melancholy. His cold voice was tinged with joy and anticipation. "Ah Ruan, you care so much about my kindness to you and feel depressed. Can I understand that you have fallen in love with me?"

Having never thought about it in this way, Jiang Ruan immediately denied it: "Impossible! I just feel like I owe you..."

She raised her eyes to look at Donghua, and met his affectionate eyes.

Jiang Ruan looked away in embarrassment. She thought it might be because of the alcohol. She was very panicked. She was panicked because of the question Donghua asked her.

She felt extremely restless and annoyed, and turned around to leave the lotus pond.

Donghua grabbed Jiang Ruan's wrist, holding her back, holding that delicate wrist tightly in his hand, as if grasping the hope he suddenly saw today.

"Nothing is impossible in this world."

"Maybe you've fallen in love with me, and you're afraid that if I continue to treat you well, you'll lose control and sink into depravity. That's why you want to avoid me, hide from me, and don't want me to treat you well."

"If you are heartless, you won't care about my kindness to you. No matter how much I do for you, it will only increase your disgust. It's you who is sad that my efforts are not reciprocated by you."

"But Ruan, how do you know that everything I do for you is not my own will?"

"Why do you still have to run away from your own heart?"