The Cold King Demands Love and Pleasure

The first day of the new year is supposed to be the day when the Empress and the Emperor sleep together, but the Emperor went to Consort Jing's palace instead. Isn't this a blatant slap in the face?

Although this wasn't the first or second time she'd been humiliated like this, each experience still left her feeling ashamed.

Especially on a day like today.

She glanced resentfully at Min Zhifu beside her, her tone cold, "Your Highness, how's the matter I assigned you going?"

"Reporting to Mother, it's already being done, it just needs some time!" After all, the two of them spoke rather cryptically in public.

"I can give you the time, but if you can't guarantee the outcome... you know what the consequences will be." The Empress's voice suddenly lowered as a threat.

After saying that, she turned and went back to the palace. She also understood that this kind of thing could not be discussed openly.

Min Zhifu hurriedly chased after him. Upon arriving at the palace, he dismissed the palace maids and cautiously probed, "Mother, you know what kind of person Prince An is. Our plan is probably..."

"What's there to be afraid of? Nine years ago, I was able to kill the First Prince. Nine years later, without his protection, let's see how long he can live!"

Unfortunately, she forgot that nine years ago, he was still young and needed others to protect him, but nine years later, he no longer needed anyone's protection!

"Mother, don't forget that was nine years ago. Using the same trick from back then might not be enough to deal with him."

"Of course I know that he is not the same person he used to be, which is why we need to deal with him as soon as possible. Otherwise, if we wait a few more years, do you think you will still be able to deal with him?"

Min Zhifu gripped the hem of his clothes tightly with both hands, his eyes filled with emotion. He had thought that his mother did not love him, but he never expected her to care for him so much.

The resentment in my heart also lessened considerably.

So he spoke his mind, saying, "Mother, this matter needs to be considered carefully."

"When did you become so cowardly? You're so timid and afraid of trouble. Consort Jing has already taken liberties with me. How are you going to plan things out?"

His voice trailed off, the warmth that had just risen in his heart vanishing after those words. It turned out that her aim in dealing with Min You'an was merely to cause Consort Jing the loss of her beloved son, thereby striking a blow to Consort Jing's arrogance. It wasn't for his own sake.

This kind of mother left him heartbroken. He could even feel every hair on his body twitching with grievance. He slowly raised his head, his voice tinged with accusation, "Mother, am I really your biological son?"

"Heh," the Empress chuckled coldly, "I do wish you weren't my son."

In this way, she would no longer have to recall that embarrassing memory.

"I know I'm not as capable as the fifth prince, but I've been trying my best. Why can't you see that, Mother?"

She turned her back, seemingly not having heard him, and waved her hand at him, "Go do it."

Min Rongfan appeared in the hall at some point, still as innocent and naive as ever, saying, "Happy New Year, Mother."

The Empress quickly glanced at Min Zhifu, intending to make him drop the topic he had just mentioned, and then her expression shifted to that of a loving mother. "Rong'er, it's so late, why don't you go back to sleep for a while?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd come visit my mother on the first day of the new year. I didn't expect my second brother to be here too. I thought I was the only one thinking about my mother!"

"What are you saying, Ninth Prince? Are you allowed to be filial but I'm not?" Min Zhifu was already dissatisfied with the Empress's favoritism towards her youngest son, but now she was indirectly saying that he was unfilial.

Uncle can tolerate it, but Aunt can't. Otherwise, how can she save face?

If we don't confront him, we'll be letting down the Emperor.

"Of course not, it was just a joke with my second brother, why take it so seriously?"

His playful demeanor made Min Zhifu feel as if his fully charged punch had hit cotton, leaving him completely unsatisfied.

"Alright, can't you, as the older brother, give in to your younger brother a little?"

Throughout his life, he hated it most when people said, "You're the older brother, so you can't give way to your younger brother. Just because you were born a few years earlier, does that mean you have to lose your rights?"

If he had a choice, he would rather have been born a few years later, so that his mother might have been able to love him more.

"Your subject was just joking with Ninth Prince." In the end, he decided to compromise.

"Get to work on what I've assigned you, and stop standing around here."

"Yes!"

Min Rongfan watched Min Zhifu's departing figure, his eyes dark and unpredictable. But in an instant, he was once again that sunny and innocent young man.

He chatted and laughed with the Empress.

Hearing the cheerful laughter coming from the hall from not far away, Min Zhifu couldn't help but turn around and look at the brightly lit palace behind him, and said sarcastically, "What a scene of motherly affection!"

In the North, the New Year is always accompanied by the sound of firecrackers. Before dawn, Xia Tongsheng was awakened by the sound of firecrackers.

"What's wrong? You've got money now, haven't you? One round of sex after another, don't you want any people to get any sleep?"

Yingling pushed open the door and said with a smile, "Is Miss still sleeping? Hurry up and get up to eat dumplings."

For northerners, the Chinese New Year is all about eating dumplings.

No, to be precise, Northerners can turn any festival into a dumpling-eating festival, and Xia Tongsheng, being a Northerner himself, has to admit that.

Xia Tongsheng picked up her shoes and stood up. Looking at the dumplings in her bowl, her stomach churned with acid. "I'm not eating anymore. Can I eat a few more next year to make up for it?"

"No way! If you don't eat, you're letting down all my hard work! You're disrespecting my character!"

"Little girl, you're quite something, you've even learned the word 'personality'!" he said, eating a dumpling.

During the Spring Festival, there were hardly any people on the streets, so Yanxiang and Wutongsheng were both closed.

According to custom, the gates will not be opened until the sixteenth day of the first lunar month.

Xia Tongsheng rarely gets a holiday, so she plans to take a few days to rest.

After the Lantern Festival, shops on the street gradually opened, and the streets were bustling with activity. Xia Tongsheng rubbed her belly and said, "Little one, you must be bored after not going out for so long. Let Mom take you to see the world!"

"Miss, if you want to go see the excitement, that's fine, but don't use the young master as an excuse." Yingling had seen through Xia Tongsheng's thoughts long ago and quickly teased her.

"You're not him, how do you know he doesn't want to go? He's definitely going to take the blame! Hurry up and get ready, we're going out in a bit!"

"So early? It's still a while before evening!"

"Yanxiang and Wutong are opening today, aren't you going to check on them beforehand?"

"Yeah, wait for me! I'm going to change my clothes."

When Xia Tongsheng arrived at Wutongsheng, the small restaurant was already doing very well. She only stayed there for a short while before heading to Yanxiang.

At this time, Yanxiang was already a place of singing and dancing.

As Jiao Liyuan's mother passed by the entrance of Yanxiang, she spat out a mouthful of saliva, "I'd like to see what you're going to do tonight!"