Resisting the Wind and Splendor

The Empress originally thought that the Emperor had mixed feelings about the way he addressed Huo Qing as "Qing'er".

But the Emperor's words made her heart leap into her throat.

He compared the Fourteenth Prince to Prince Mo and Prince Jin!

The Emperor, his mind racing, gave a forced smile and replied, "Lady Qing's riding and archery skills are superb. With her guidance, Nian'er will surely grow up quickly."

"By the way, Your Majesty, Nian'er has been practicing calligraphy these days, and now her calligraphy is quite skillful. Why don't I have someone send Nian'er's calligraphy over to Your Majesty..."

"We'll see another day." The Emperor still had a smile on his lips, but he didn't even glance at the Empress.

The Empress followed his gaze and looked ahead, also staring at Huo Qing's figure.

Although she was a beauty, there were countless beauties in the harem, and Huo Qing's appearance was not particularly outstanding among the women in the harem.

What exactly did the old emperor see in her?

She pretended not to know the Emperor's intentions and said, "Madam Qing is indeed very capable, but she may not be suitable for Nian'er. I have found many teachers for Nian'er before, but each one could not last more than a month before resigning. I wonder how long Madam Qing can last."

"They couldn't persevere, weren't they all driven away by your scolding?" The Emperor coldly snorted.

The Empress was taken aback for a moment, then her expression changed immediately, and she hurriedly explained, "Your Majesty, I didn't..."

"You have too high expectations for Nian'er. He's only six years old, and you're already hoping he'll be as talented as his older brothers. Even if he's very capable, how could he possibly be that outstanding?"

The Emperor finally glanced at her, but that glance was indescribably sharp and cold.

"They didn't meet your requirements, so you drove them away, changed Nian'er's master after master, and made Nian'er so timid and cautious! Do you think I didn't know any of this?"

"Your Majesty!" The Empress jumped to her feet in fright, her expression panicked. "Your Majesty, I...I dare not..."

“Nian’er may not be doing well in your Qiankun Palace, but you are still Nian’er’s mother and the Empress. I can only give you some more chances to raise Nian’er well.”

The Emperor withdrew his gaze and looked at Huo Qing again.

The look in Huo Qing's eyes instantly softened and warmed, a stark contrast to the cold indifference she displayed when facing the Empress—a world apart.

The Empress clenched her fists tightly, took a deep breath, and tried to calm herself down.

He is the emperor, and his harem already has countless beauties.

Didn't she already know this? No woman can keep his heart forever. She was like that before, Yu Fei was like that later, and now Huo Qing is no exception to this fate.

What is she still hesitating about?

Didn't I see through it all along?

"Your Majesty, rest assured, this time I will definitely assist Consort Qing in properly educating Nian'er," the Empress said in a gentle voice.

"There's no need to tire her out; there's no need to be too strict," the Emperor instructed.

"Yes." The Empress pursed her lips, lowered her eyes, and dared not say anything more.

Having served the Emperor for so long, An Delu was well aware of his thoughts. He quickly looked at the Empress and said with a smile, "Today is the first time the Fourteenth Prince has studied under Lady Qing. This can be considered as him taking on a master. Since it is a master-apprentice ceremony, there should naturally be a ceremony. There's no better time than today, Your Majesty. Why not do it today?"

The Empress understood; the Emperor intended to keep Huo Qing in the palace all day.

She nodded and said, "I understand."