Chapter 726: Chapter 726: You Should Continue the Bloodline!

In Fengming Palace, Rong Si looked at the row of young girls below, each with their own distinct looks and graceful demeanor, and nodded slightly.

This group of girls included the children of high-ranking officials, actors, common women, and even a blonde with blue eyes smuggled in from the Western Regions.

It truly was a collection of all types from across the world—tall, short, fat, thin—ready for selection.

An old nanny brought over a bowl of tremella bird’s nest soup, and Rong Si ate it spoonful by spoonful, sighing.

"Mu’er, that child, doesn’t seem very interested in matters between men and women. Even now, he’s only been intimate with Ming Fei. How will we expand our Rong Imperial Family like this? It really is worrying."

"Your Highness, what His Majesty probably has in mind are court affairs. He is still young; there’s no rush for descendants."

The nanny serving Rong Si the soup advised.

Rong Si shook her head, frowning, her face full of melancholy: "Precisely because that child is in his prime, I’m worried! At his age, shouldn’t he be indulging in the company of women? But he... alas, could there be some hidden ailment?"

"Princess..."

The old nanny looked embarrassed, quickly clearing her throat. With so many people around, how could such things be spoken of lightly? If word got out, it would harm His Majesty’s reputation.

But she soon understood Rong Si’s intent. This was meant to give Li Qingmu a warning.

Yet the so-called hidden ailment was something someone in Zhaoming Palace would not accept.

"Come, Zhi Jin, come here and help me choose for His Majesty?"

Rong Si beckoned to Zhi Jin at her side.

Zhi Jin was momentarily stunned, reluctantly stepping forward.

She turned, looking at those petite figures, a trace of envy and resentment flashing in her eyes!

The youngest of them was only fourteen, the oldest eighteen, worlds apart from her twenty-eight years!

Her best youthful years were wasted on loyalty to Rong Si. Now that she finally had someone she loved, she couldn’t be by his side because of this loyalty?

Zhi Jin bit her teeth, filled with unwillingness!

"Zhi Jin, look at this one, how about this? And that one, truly beautiful?"

Rong Si commented one by one, as if truly selecting items.

With each comment from Rong Si, Zhi Jin’s inner resentment and unwillingness grew. When she reached a noble lady from a high family, Zhi Jin could no longer hold back, and said, "Your Highness, His Majesty is unlikely to like these!"

Rong Si lightly raised an eyebrow, looking at Zhi Jin, suddenly smiling: "Oh, what do you think he likes then?"

"His Majesty... His Majesty doesn’t like flamboyant ones."

"Oh, how do you know that?"

Rong Si narrowed her eyes slightly, smiling as she looked at Zhi Jin.

Zhi Jin felt guilty under her gaze, quickly lowering her head: "I... I... occasionally heard His Majesty mention... that the Empress dresses too flamboyantly or something..."

"Rude! His Majesty never said such things. Zhi Jin, are you trying to disrupt the affection between the Emperor and Empress?"

The old nanny suddenly shouted, frightening Zhi Jin to her knees: "Nanny Li, I didn’t, I’m telling the truth!"

"The truth? When did His Majesty ever say that?"

"When he was alone with me..."

Zhi Jin stopped abruptly at this.

Because she knew she shouldn’t have said that, but she couldn’t help it, and now she was in trouble!

Rong Si slowly turned around, looking at Zhi Jin, revealing a faint smile: "Do you... love His Majesty?"

In an instant, Zhi Jin felt as if struck by lightning, unable to move!

Her feelings for Li Qingmu were finally seen through by Rong Si. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

But... seen through is seen through, once exposed, there’s no need to hide anymore, so she simply said: "Yes! I’ve long been in love with His Majesty!"

"It’s really presumptuous, where is His Majesty someone you can fall for?"

The old nanny continued to scold her, but Rong Si stopped her.

Rong Si glanced at Zhi Jin indifferently, saying: "Stand up, why kneel? You’ve been with me for many years, haven’t you? Even if there’s no merit, there has been hard work. I won’t mistreat you!"

"Princess?"

Zhi Jin raised her head, looking at her in disbelief. What did the Princess mean by this?

...

"Your Majesty, please!"

Outside Fengming Palace, Li Qingmu, hands behind his back, followed Yin Li to the palace gate. Before entering, he smelled a strong fragrance.

These fragrances were perfumes from women, made by mixing more than a dozen, sometimes more, spices.

Li Qingmu looked at the palace gate, his brows tightly knitted.

He knew that it had hurt his mother that day, although he had explained later, which somewhat patched things up, Rong Si wouldn’t let him off without giving him a lesson, would she?

So, she sent women his way.

Alright, send them if you must; he wouldn’t touch any of them anyway!

He entered the chamber calmly.

"Long live His Majesty, long live, long live!"

Sure enough, when Li Qingmu entered, he saw a group of ladies seated there. Upon seeing him, they immediately stood to bow.

Li Qingmu passed through without expression, looking at the majestic woman behind the beaded curtain.

Rong Si lay quietly on a bed, a heavenly silkworm silk blanket beneath her, draped in a thin gown that accentuated her graceful figure.

She lay with her eyes closed, like someone in a dream.

Li Qingmu stepped forward, bowing with folded hands: "Mother."

Rong Si slowly opened her eyes, smiling warmly: "Mu’er, you’ve come?"

"Yes, may I know why you called me here?"

"It’s nothing much, just that I thought you’ve been overworked with state affairs these days, so I found some ladies to bring you joy." With that, Rong Si stood, took Li Qingmu’s hand, and led him to the women, "Come, Mu’er, quickly make your choice?"

Li Qingmu looked at these ladies, a flash of disdain in his eyes, and said lightly: "I’ll obey mother’s instructions."

Rong Si frowned at him.

This son, as long as he’s not in the court, is obedient to the point of absurdity, listens to her in everything, even when it comes to women.

But, she knew her own affairs best, and when Li Qingmu said that, it meant he would accept these women but wouldn’t touch them.

This child!

Why is he so disinterested in matters of men and women?

"Mu’er, so far, you’ve only truly been intimate with Ming Fei, right?"

"Yes!"

"Mu’er, this won’t do!"

Li Qingmu immediately felt a bit irritated but still gently asked: "Why?"

"An Emperor... should be one who extends his branches and leaves because only with unending offspring can you select the best and most suitable heir for the grand ceremony. But look at you now? One Empress, one Ming Fei, and other concubines haven’t been visited for even a glance, let alone the favor!"

Li Qingmu remained silent.

The Empress is just a figurehead; Ming Fei is where his heart lies.

As for the others? Let them be!

"Ah, Mu’er, do you know the Zhou Imperial Family of Ancient Times?"

Li Qingmu raised his head slightly, surprised: "Zhou Imperial Family?"

"Yes, in Ancient Times, they ruled this world for over eight hundred years, their Emperors known as Emperor Zhou!"