bookcurios Chapter 118 Marrying a Concubine for He Tingxi
Chapter 118 Marrying a Concubine for He Tingxi
Ling Xiyue was stunned, thinking: His Highness mentioned this to me before, and I refused at that time on the grounds that pregnancy was hard, and said I would talk about it after I gave birth to the child. Now he mentioned it again, if I refuse again, His Highness will definitely be suspicious with his meticulous character, so it seems that I should agree for the time being?
"Okay, wait until I'm out of confinement and have recovered before you take over." Ling Xiyue nodded in agreement.
"Okay, it's settled." He Tingxi was overjoyed, and then he relaxed a lot.
"Yeah." Ling Xiyue nodded guiltily. She had been leaning in He Tingxi's arms and didn't dare to look at He Tingxi at all, for fear that He Tingxi would discover something.
At this moment, He Tingxi was immersed in joy and did not notice Ling Xiyue's abnormality.
After returning to Prince Yan's Mansion, Ling Xiyue went back to her room to rest, while He Tingxi went to the study.
After taking a short rest on the bed in the study, he sat down at the desk to handle his official business.
Around 3 p.m., Shi Hui came back. He went straight to the study and bowed to He Tingxi when he saw him.
"Your Highness."
He Tingxi looked up and was a little surprised to see that it was Shi Hui.
"Why did you come back so early today? Why don't you take a walk?"
"They have been playing for a whole morning. I was afraid that she would be tired, so I let her go back early to rest." Shi Hui told the truth.
"I see."
He Tingxi put down the documents in his hand, looked at Shi Hui, and asked curiously: "How is it? How do you feel after spending a day or two together?"
Upon hearing this, Shi Hui half-knelt on the ground.
"In reply to Your Highness, I am very satisfied with Miss Han Min. Thank you, Your Highness, for selecting the best girl for me." Shi Hui said gratefully.
"Stand up and talk." He Tingxi gestured to Shi Hui with his hand and said with a smile.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Shi Hui stood up.
"As long as you like her. After you marry her, don't be fickle and live a good life, okay?" He Tingxi instructed.
"Yes, I will." Shi Hui responded readily.
"Okay, if you have nothing to do, go and have a rest. You don't have to be on duty today, so I'll give you a day off." He Tingxi sent Shi Hui away.
"Yes, I'll take my leave." Shi Hui left the study room directly.
Watching Shi Hui step down, He Tingxi felt relieved. He had finally accomplished something important in Shi Hui's life.
A few days later, after discussion with Han Min's family, He Tingxi decided to set the date for Shi Hui and Han Min's wedding on February 26th.
Shi Hui was very excited when he learned the wedding date.
……
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month this year, Ling Xiyue did not go out for fun because she was pregnant and missed the lively Lantern Festival. Ling Xiyue felt sorry for it.
The eighteenth day of the first lunar month is He Tingxi's birthday. He Tingxi decided to hold a grand banquet at Prince Yan's Mansion in the evening and let everyone in the mansion drink to their heart's content.
After half past the Mao hour, He Tingxi and Ling Xiyue had breakfast together.
"Xiyue, I have to go to the palace to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager and others later. You are pregnant, so just stay in the house. I will go alone." He Tingxi instructed.
"Go to the palace to pay respects? Today is not a holiday, why do we have to go to the palace?" Ling Xiyue was very confused.
"Today is my birthday. I must go to the palace to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager and others. This etiquette is indispensable." He Tingxi said with a smile.
"So that's how it is. Then, Your Highness, you should go early and come back early. Be careful on the road." Ling Xiyue nodded in agreement.
"Ah."
He Tingxi, accompanied by Shi Hui, went to the palace.
He first went to the Yangxin Palace to pay his respects to the Emperor, then went to the Queen, and finally to the Empress Dowager's palace.
After greeting each other, I thought I could just chat for a while and then go back.
As a result, the Queen Mother sent away all the palace maids and eunuchs, leaving only Nanny An to accompany her.
Even Shi Hui asked him to wait outside.
At this moment, He Tingxi's heart couldn't help but skip a beat, and he had a bad feeling.
"Grandmother, is there something important?"
"There are some things I want to tell you." The Queen Mother said with a smile.
"What is it about?" He Tingxi saw the empress dowager smiling and suddenly guessed something, feeling uneasy.
The Queen Mother did not directly answer He Tingxi's question, but asked with concern: "How is your leg disease recovering?"
"In reply to the Empress Dowager, with the help of Dr. Jian, my grandson will be able to walk in March after recovering from his leg disease." He Tingxi told the Empress Dowager the date he had agreed with Jian Ye Shen.
"There are less than two months left, so it will be quick."
The Queen Mother nodded with satisfaction, and then she asked, "Then, when is Xiyue's due date?"
"Around May." He Tingxi told truthfully.
"Around May, after the baby is born, you have to do the confinement period and postpartum recovery. So Tingxi, you have to wait until around July before you can have a second child with Xiyue." The Queen Mother analyzed slowly.
He Tingxi looked at the Queen Mother and had already guessed what she wanted to do.
"Yes, the Imperial Grandmother is right. While Xiyue is recuperating, my grandson is also recovering from his leg disease, so it's just in time for him to recover."
As soon as she finished speaking, the Queen Mother frowned and said seriously, "When Xiyue gave birth, your leg disease had already been cured. How could it be just the right time?"
Seeing the empress dowager's stern face, He Tingxi did not dare to refute, so he could only lower his eyes and remain silent.
"Tingxi, you are already 23 years old this year. When your father was your age, he already had three or four children. But you? You have to wait until May to have your first child. Therefore, the Empress Dowager has decided to help you marry a concubine to help Xiyue share the task of bearing children."
The Queen Mother finally got to the point.
He Tingxi looked up suddenly when he heard this. Many thoughts flashed through his mind and he felt uncomfortable.
"Grandmother, why do you suddenly bring up this matter? You know that my grandson only likes Xiyue." He Tingxi tried hard to defend himself.
"Of course, the Royal Grandmother knows that you only have Xiyue in your heart, so the Royal Grandmother did not shake Xiyue's position as Princess Yan. I just helped you add a new concubine to share the task of giving birth to children with Xiyue. In this way, Xiyue's task of giving birth can be reduced a lot, and she will have a chance to breathe. The Royal Grandmother is thinking about her body."
The Queen Mother tried hard to defend herself.
He Tingxi kept looking at the Queen Mother, but he was thinking in his heart: I have never heard the Royal Grandmother mention this matter before, and suddenly, she proposed to marry a concubine for me. Someone must have said something in front of the Royal Grandmother? The only person in the harem who can convince the Royal Grandmother to do this is the Queen. The Queen is He Jingcheng's biological mother, so this matter was He Jingcheng's doing. Damn, it's him again.
When the Queen Mother saw that He Tingxi remained silent, she made a decision on her own.
"Tingxi, since you have no objection, it's settled. The Empress Dowager will choose one for you first, and when your leg disease is healed, you can marry her into the palace."
He Tingxi panicked visibly when he heard that the Queen Mother had made the decision without authorization. He hurriedly said, "Grandmother, I don't want to marry a concubine. Please think twice."