A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace Chapter 1272 - 1270: How Could I Ever Betray Her?

Xia Ruqing saw how wronged Yue Er looked and felt unbearably distressed, but she still hardened her face and scolded her.

"Yue Er!"

"I’m not angry, I’m just... so disappointed in you!"

"Why?"

Yue Er was very puzzled, the corners of her lips hooked in a cold smile.

"Mother, do you mean I’ve disappointed you?"

She felt even more wronged now, tears gradually shimmering in her eyes.

"I just can’t stand seeing someone bully you, that’s all!"

"Even if you think I’m wrong, even if you’re disappointed, I would still do it!"

"I’m not like you, doing nothing at all, just staying indifferent and letting others bully you!"

There was the same kind of angry disappointment in her tone.

In her view, Mother was in such a high position that dealing with a mere Honored Lady really wasn’t a problem.

So why not do it?!

"You!"

Xia Ruqing was furious!

How could Yue Er say that? How could she say such a thing?

Xia Ruqing forced down the sour sting in her heart and choked out,

"Yue Er, you have really let me down!"

"There are some things you don’t understand at all, you..."

Yue Er started to regret it a little.

It was the first time she had seen Mother so angry and hurt; guilt and self‑blame surged up, and she hurried to admit fault.

"Mother, I’m sorry, I said the wrong thing!"

"Mother, please don’t be sad!"

Xia Ruqing dug her nails hard into her palm, using the pain in her hand to suppress the grief in her heart.

Only after a good while did she recover, letting out a long breath.

"Yue Er!"

"I know you are a good child!"

"But you must understand, many things are not what they look like on the surface!"

As she spoke, she pointed into the distance.

Tears still clung to her eyes, but suddenly there was light in them; joy crept into the lift of her brows and the corners of her eyes, and her whole person seemed like a spring breeze, radiant and glowing.

Yue Er followed her gaze in confusion.

She saw that under the moonlight, behind the bamboo grove by the Taiye Pool, a figure was walking toward them.

She jumped in fright at first, then felt that silhouette looked inexplicably familiar.

She looked carefully, and her eyes instantly lit up as well.

"Father?"

"It’s Father!"

"Why is Father here at this hour?"

Xia Ruqing nodded.

"You see?"

"Everyone thinks I’ve fallen out of favor, that your father has started to neglect me. In fact, that’s not so at all!"

Xia Ruqing lifted her skirt and walked gracefully toward that figure.

Zhao Junyao also strode over in big steps.

The two met, their gazes interlaced; their fingers intertwined tightly as they stood side by side, looking every bit like an immortal couple. Where was there any sign of estrangement between them?

Yue Er was completely stunned.

"Father, Mother, you two..."

Zhao Junyao stepped forward, face stern, and fiercely "scolded" Yue Er.

"You little girl are far too out of line!"

Yue Er hurriedly lowered her head.

"Father, I was wrong!"

She was beginning to feel that this matter was not so simple.

She was beginning to feel that she truly was wrong, terribly wrong.

Zhao Junyao didn’t forgive her so easily; he kept his face cold.

"Well?"

"You only realize you’re wrong now? You were quite something when you were talking back to your mother just now!"

Yue Er’s face burned instantly.

"Father, wasn’t it all because of you?"

"I don’t know what you two are plotting; you act so real that even I was fooled!"

"I thought you had really betrayed Mother!"

Zhao Junyao raised a brow.

"I merely said one sentence, and you dared to go that far?!"

Yue Er pressed her lips together and didn’t dare say anything more.

Zhao Junyao stepped forward and tapped her little forehead.

"You, you!"

"Your mother is not angry because of what you said, but because of what you did!"

"You are the only Legitimate Princess of the Great Chu Dynasty. Your mind should not be filled with those dark schemes of the Harem, and you definitely shouldn’t be taking part in them!"

"Your mother and I racked our brains so you could go out into a broader world, so your horizons could be expanded, not so you could vie with some Honored Lady!"

"Do you understand?"

Yue Er thought about it; what she had done really wasn’t very good.

Just to deal with one Honored Lady, she had delayed her studies for several days and even pretended to be sick.

It wasn’t worth it, truly not worth it.

But she’d done it for Mother’s sake.

If she had known it would be like this, she wouldn’t have interfered!

But was she supposed to just stand by and watch Mother be bullied?

Yue Er’s heart twisted and turned, tangled beyond end.

Zhao Junyao patted her shoulder.

"Enough!"

"This time, I’ll spare you for the sake of your filial piety toward your mother!"

"If there is a next time..."

Yue Er’s heart tightened, and she jerked her head up.

"If there’s a next time and I see Mother being wronged, I’ll still stand up!"

"So... whether I meddle in these things or not ultimately depends on you, doesn’t it!"

Zhao Junyao froze, forcefully suppressing the fury that surged inside, and ground his teeth.

"You... go to bed! Right now, immediately!"

Yue Er’s eyes filled with tears as she pouted.

"Why are you being so fierce!"

"Since I was little you’ve never once yelled at me like this!"

Zhao Junyao’s face stayed cold.

"Is there going to be a next time? Do you still want to talk back to your mother?"

Yue Er was utterly depressed.

She had at least been busy for several days.

And neither Father nor Mother spared a word to comfort her?

One said she was a disappointment.

The other scolded her for ’making your mother angry’!

What kind of logic was that!

Fuming, Yue Er stomped her foot, then turned and ran off in tears.

Xia Ruqing, who had been silently standing to the side all this time, felt a little distressed.

"Emperor, weren’t you... a little too harsh just now?"

Zhao Junyao kept his face taut.

"No!"

"It’s because I’ve spoiled her too much!"

"If she causes trouble outside, I never get angry, but getting mixed up with the women of the Harem is something I will never allow!"

Xia Ruqing thought it over, then shamefully stood on Zhao Junyao’s side.

"I think you’re right this time!"

A Legitimate Princess of such status indeed shouldn’t be entangled with the Consorts.

But she had done it for her sake.

Later... she would just have to coax her properly!

Still, that girl’s temper was really just like Zhao Junyao’s.

Truly, like father, like daughter.

...

That night, Xia Ruqing went to Zhaochen Palace to spend the night.

She usually seldom went out and rarely appeared in the Harem, so even after several days, no one noticed.

Zhao Junyao held his endlessly familiar wife in his arms.

The pent‑up fire he’d been holding back for so long finally burst out all at once.

By Midnight, Xia Ruqing was rubbing her sore waist in pain.

"Emperor... you..."

Zhao Junyao timely covered her mouth.

"Shh! Don’t talk. Last time, be good... I’m about to explode!"

Xia Ruqing: "..."

"No, my waist is about to break! I can’t go on!"

"Last time, I promise!"

"You bastard... ah!"

A lamb in a tiger’s jaws; resistance was futile.

...

On the third day,

after court, Imperial Physician Zhang respectfully requested an audience in the Imperial Study Room.

After Zhao Junyao finished discussing state affairs with the Ministers, he had him brought in.

The two of them spoke in low tones for quite a long time.

In the end, Imperial Physician Zhang left, and Zhao Junyao had an extra little bottle of pills in his hand.

Zhao Junyao patted his chest, the corners of his mouth curling up; a sense of security he’d never had before filled his heart.

Imperial Physician Zhang’s words echoed in his ears.

"Emperor, this is the Cooling Blood Pill, one pill a day, non‑toxic and with no side effects. Stop taking it, and everything returns to normal at once!"

"It won’t affect your body or your functions in the slightest!"

Zhao Junyao thought about it, impatiently took out the little white porcelain bottle, and looked at it a few more times.

He thought to himself: Could such tiny little pills really be that powerful?