The Cold King Demands Love and Pleasure

That morning, when Min Youan got up, he specifically instructed Xia Tongsheng, "After court, I will come to pick you and Yi Yi up to go to the palace!"

She crawled into bed, pulled the covers over her head, and slumped into a state of utter despair. "Can I pretend I didn't hear that?"

"No!" Min Youan warned, "There's no room for discussion!"

Afraid that his tone might hurt her, he leaned down, pulled back the blanket, and gently kissed her forehead.

His gaze was so gentle that Xia Tongsheng sighed and gave up resisting. "Oh! I understand!"

Although Xia Tongsheng did not want to see the emperor, Min Youan had already agreed. If she did not go, wouldn't she be disrespecting the emperor and the prince?

As the prince's virtuous wife, she had no choice but to endure it!

As promised, Min You'an came to personally escort the mother and daughter to the palace after court. Seeing Xia Tongsheng's tense body, Min You'an put his arm around her and said, "It's not a trap, there's no need to be afraid!"

"I'm not scared at all!"

She is stubborn.

"Last Mid-Autumn Festival, it was clear that Father Emperor liked Yi Yi, so you don't need to worry!"

"Who knows if he really likes Yi Yi or if he's just pretending?" Xia Tongsheng worried that the emperor might be faking it, his aim being to lower their guard so he could secretly make his move!

However, Xia Tongsheng did not say these last words. After all, the emperor was Min You'an's father, so how could she criticize his father in front of Min You'an?

"If it weren't for you coming with me, I would never have taken Yi-yi to the palace by myself!"

In fact, Xia Tongsheng didn't understand either. The emperor clearly disliked her. From their many interactions, Xia Tongsheng could feel the emperor's disgust for her. If the emperor disliked her because of her status, then why did he like Yi Yi so much?

Is it because this child is more likable?

But the child is so young, he can't please the adults!

If a child is around three years old, that's the stage where they can talk, can be funny, and adults will deliberately act cute. But now, children at this stage just eat, drink, poop, and cry! Occasionally, when they're in a good mood, they might give the old man a smile!

Is it possible that the emperor, surrounded by scheming women every day, is particularly seeking a touch of innocence from Yi Yi? Is he simply satisfied with just seeing Yi Yi's angelic smile?

Pshaw! Nobody would believe that!

Min Youan, standing beside Xia Tongsheng, sensed her nervousness and comforted her, "Father just misses his granddaughter, don't be too nervous!"

"I'm not nervous, I'm not nervous!"

Although she said she wasn't nervous, her stiff body and pale face betrayed her anxiety.

This wasn't the first time I'd brought Yi Yi to the palace, but my worries had never subsided!

"I'll take care of everything. I promise you, no matter what, I will do everything in my power to protect Yi Yi, okay?"

Xia Tongsheng nodded, "This is your first child, you must protect her!"

Only after becoming a mother can one truly understand how strong and how vulnerable a mother is.

Sometimes I start to wonder if I have some kind of paranoia. I worry about my child's safety all the time. I worry that he will bump into something when we go out, choke when we eat, and fall when we sleep!

Min Youan carried the child and led her to the Royal Garden.

The emperor was already waiting for them in the imperial garden!

Even Consort Jing has come!

"Father, Mother!"

Just as Min Youan was about to kneel, the emperor quickly stopped him, saying, "No need for such formalities!"

Xia Tongsheng silently complained in her heart, "Damn it! Such differential treatment! Last time when I entered the palace, I almost fell to my death because I didn't perform the kneeling ceremony."

"Has the child been behaving well lately?"

When the emperor saw Yi Yi, his gaze was immediately drawn to her, and he couldn't see anyone else at all!

Consort Jing noticed the Emperor's infatuated look out of the corner of her eye and quickly reached out to hug Yi Yi, "Yi Yi, come here and let Grandma see you!"

Although Consort Jing is forty years old this year, she looks like a woman in her thirties because of her good maintenance!

Xia Tongsheng felt a little uncomfortable seeing such a young woman calling herself "grandma." In modern times, a woman this young would probably be thirty and still childless...

Seeing Consort Jing warmly take Yi Yi from Min You'an's arms, and the Emperor also approaching Consort Jing to tease Yi Yi, Xia Tongsheng understood that Consort Jing was just trying to use Yi Yi to attract the Emperor's attention!

Sigh, how can people be so materialistic!

How could her own daughter one day become a tool for the women in the harem to vie for the emperor's favor!

"This child is truly blessed to have won the Emperor's favor!"

Yes, being favored by the emperor would be the luckiest thing in the world for most people, but Xia Tongsheng refused to accept this favor! As the saying goes, serving a ruler is like serving a tiger, and she didn't want Yi Yi to live in such a situation.

They weren't children without parents, so they didn't have to please their elders like tragic heroines in novels to survive!

Now that she has parents, she doesn't have to worry about anyone else's feelings!

Compared to Xia Tongsheng's childhood, it was like heaven and earth. When Xia Tongsheng was an orphan, she had to be mindful of other people's moods no matter what she did. Sometimes, if she saw that the teachers at the orphanage had a bad attitude, she would obediently sit to the side.

She was too precocious and had no childhood.

But at that time, she had no means to escape that environment. She even began to slowly hide her feelings and accept her own incompetence!

But after arriving in ancient times, she discovered how happy it was to have parents and be able to live as she pleased. With someone spoiling you unconditionally, everything could change!

Therefore, she is willing to pass on this freedom and willfulness to her daughter!

The Empress watched the family's happy scene from afar, her fair face slightly flushed with anger. Why was it that Consort Jing, who was also the Emperor's woman, could live so comfortably, while she—the mistress of the harem—had to be reduced to having an affair with an old man?

Her intense jealousy made her repulsive!

She closed her eyes, calmed herself, and walked towards the emperor.

"Oh my, what a day this is! Why is everyone here?" The Empress stood before the Emperor, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects!"

"Okay, get up!"

The emperor's heart was still with Yi Yi, so naturally he didn't want to pay attention to the empress!

But of all those present, only the Empress understood him!

She knew that the emperor was actually seeing Shi Hua through Yi Yi!