Unlimited estates for rural beauty-Chapter 669: The First Time the Empress’s Voice Sounded So Pleasant (4)

Dugu Chen descended the ninefold staircase, supporting her, his voice brimming with endless concern and indulgence, "Wife, why have you come? Didn’t I tell you to sleep a bit longer?"

After ascending the ninefold staircase, Feng Xuxu turned and smiled, "I got a cramp in my leg, woke up in pain, and upon hearing that the Emperor of Luo entered the palace today, your consort...".

"Your consort? I dislike this term; change it." Dugu Chen frowned, displeased as he looked at the person in his arms.

Feng Xuxu’s face flushed with embarrassment, before so many ministers, she was trying to give him face, yet she hadn’t expected that... her husband really was... it seemed she had overthought it.

The ministers kneeling below watched the Emperor and Empress banter so openly, and the Emperor’s affection for the Empress had reached an extreme. They thought it was understandable: when the Emperor was on campaign, the Empress took his place attending the court sessions. Now, it was just a matter of a small title. When compared, it truly was a trivial matter.

Lou Qianyu was quite envious of Dugu Chen and Feng Xuxu’s love. He had heard plenty about Feng Xuxu’s legendary life: a peasant girl by birth, though her mother’s status was noble, it was limited to that of a Holy Maiden of the Hidden Clan – moreover, a Holy Maiden who had been expelled from her clan. Having depended on her brother since a young age, later on, her grandparents wanted to marry her to a fool, and under duress, she had no choice but to volunteer to leave her clan. He was moreover curious about how such a sprout-like girl had caught the eye of the then bewitching monarch, especially since he was so arrogant back then and had never taken anyone seriously.

"Rise," Dugu Chen and Feng Xuxu said in unison as they sat down on the Dragon Throne, looking at the ministers still kneeling below, their cool voices melodiously ordering.

"Thank you, Empress," the ministers finally stood up after having heard the long-awaited words "you may rise".

Lou Qianyu was pulled back to reality by that abrupt statement, then lowered his head, taking a moment to compose his emotions.

"Lou Qianyu pays respects to Their Majesties. May Their Majesties live in peace."

Feng Xuxu followed the voice and glanced over, smiling lightly, "Emperor Lou, I trust you have been well."

"Qianyu is very well." He paused, then catching sight of Their Majesties’ belly, which seemed to be... he then smiled and said, "Congratulations to Their Majesties on being blessed with the Dragon Throne’s heir. Before long, a new life will be born."

Emperor Lou’s comment about new life touched the softest part of Feng Xuxu’s heart, her smile becoming even more sincere than before, "Yes, in a few more days, it will be five months."

"Emperor Jinghe is soon to be a father of three children, while I have yet to have even one," he said with a desolate expression, yet his words were predominantly self-mocking.

"If Emperor Lou wishes it, Luo Kingdom’s harem has plenty of women who would desire to bear children for you," the Prime Minister said in a voice neither cold nor warm. Had it been a woman, the undertones of jealousy might have dominated, but after all the Prime Minister was a man, so the implications were different.

Lou Qianyu was well aware of what the Prime Minister meant: he feared that his daughter would be married off, so he was indirectly reminding him. Lou Qianyu smiled wryly and said to his future father-in-law, "Right now, my harem is empty, for I have abolished it."

The sudden declaration was like thunder from a clear sky, stunning everyone present; the Prime Minister was especially dumbstruck as he looked at him. Feng Xuxu, however, pursed her lips and chuckled, winking at her husband and seeing yet another romantic person.

It took a while before the Prime Minister recovered. His somewhat trembling beard quivered as he awkwardly glanced at him, then turned and huffed, "Who knows, I didn’t see it." Although his voice was low, the sharp-eared Lou Qianyu caught it.

Lou Qianyu felt inclined to explain, but with Emperor Jinghe and the Empress present, he thought better of it and waited for Emperor Jinghe to make a decision.

Dugu Chen frowned, but Feng Xuxu’s eyes did not miss that, and she was even clearer about why Emperor Lou had come today; otherwise, someone wouldn’t have dragged her out of bed early in the morning and rushed here.

"Why the troubled look, husband?" Although she knew, she still asked, so as not to arouse suspicion in others.

Dugu Chen watched his mischievously blinking wife and felt a stifled laugh within. Squeezing her small hand gently, his face showed helplessness as he said, "Emperor Lou requests to marry the Prime Minister Residence’s legitimate daughter, Xiao Jiazhen."

"Cousin?" She exclaimed in surprise, then knit her brows and looked toward Lou Qianyu.

Seeing the Empress’s displeased face, the Prime Minister felt a sense of relief, initially thinking the Empress’s voice was quite enjoyable. But before he could fully savor it, the Empress spoke again.

"According to tradition, women of our nation shouldn’t marry abroad. Only the daughters of a defeated nation are sent away as part of a political marriage. Currently, our nation is not in such a scenario."

"The Empress speaks wisely," the Prime Minister said, his heart swelling with joy. If the Empress denied the request, then surely the Emperor would agree, and his confidence soared.

Dugu Chen saw his excited uncle, and his heart chuckled further. Knowing his wife well, he anticipated that the matter wouldn’t be settled so simply, and sure enough, as she spoke, it was just as he thought.

Feng Xuxu frowned again, her red lips parting lightly, "We can’t merely refuse Emperor Lou outright; he’s come a long way with sincere intentions, truly desiring to seek a bride."

At that moment, Lou Qianyu seemed to come to life, having thought the Empress was tactfully rejecting him. He nodded to Feng Xuxu seated above, "Indeed, for Miss Xiao, I have abolished my harem, wholeheartedly desiring to marry her. If I fail her in this life, then I will..."

"Oh dear, what a dilemma, what to do?" 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Feng Xuxu didn’t wait for Lou Qianyu to finish, as her lips parted in a troubled manner.

Her words made the hearts of both the Prime Minister and Lou Qianyu tighten, as they both fixed their eyes intently on her.