Empress Qiao remained silent, quietly watching her son.

Li Jing shamelessly continued: “Xiaoyu only thinks about me, and I have to accept this affection. However, this will make the Royal Mother look bad.”

“I entered the palace today to tell you this. Wanted to explain it to my mother to avoid any misunderstanding.”

Empress Qiao remained silent and stared at her son silently.

Li Jing coughed and asked, “Why do you keep looking at me like this?”

Empress Qiao said lightly, “I just want to see if you blush or have any conscience when you say something like this?”

Li Jing: “…”

Empress Qiao was elegant and reserved, neither aggressive nor unruly. Even when she gets angry, she could at best keep a calm face and couldn’t say anything bad. She doted on both her children very much and was reluctant to say harsh words.

When she was like this, it was already a sign of irritation.

Li Jing hurriedly lowered his body and softened his voice: “Royal Mother, please don’t get angry first, and listen to me explain slowly…”

“What’s the explanation for this?” Empress Qiao looked calm and interrupted Li Jing unhurriedly: “It’s just that Lu Mingyu wants to be the head of the family and chose today to expose Eunuch Cai’s affairs and give a blow to all the officials in the palace.”

“She doesn’t even pay attention to the people in this palace, and she has the support of you, the Second Prince. Everyone in the palace when they saw this battle, they won’t dare to have any small thoughts. Everyone is frightened and afraid of bowing their heads and obeying orders.”

“You’re eager to enter the palace and explain the truth to me because you’re afraid that I’ll be displeased with Lu Mingyu after hearing about this matter. You’re even more worried that when I question her, Lu Mingyu will show no respect and anger me, creating a rift between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law,” Queen Qiao said calmly.

“Thank you for your concern! I truly have a filial and considerate son! Always thinking of me and considering my feelings!”

Li Jing : “…”

Li Jing felt somewhat embarrassed and spoke softly, “Mother, please don’t be upset. I didn’t mean to deceive you. It’s just that it would have been better to expose Minister Cai’s betrayal of his master earlier. Xiao Yu didn’t mean any disrespect to you; she was just more concerned about my safety.”

Empress Qiao smiled instead of getting angry. “Yes, yes, yes, your wife is wonderful in every way. It’s mainly because I, as a mother-in-law, am not attentive enough, nitpicking over such trivial matters.”

“You shouldn’t stay here in my chamber either. Go back and spend time with your wife. Otherwise, I, your own mother, might start finding fault with you,” Empress Qiao said, dismissing him with a wave of her hand.

After saying that, she got up and went back to the bedroom.

…

Li Jing stepped forward quickly and stopped the angry Empress Qiao: “If the Empress is angry, just take it out on her son. Come on, slap me twice to vent your anger.”

As he said that, he put his handsome face in front of his mother.

Empress Qiao was furious and raised her hand reflexively. Her hand was in the air and she couldn’t wave it down.

It is said that a son is his mother’s heart. This statement is completely true. After carrying him for ten months and enduring the hardships of childbirth, the flesh and blood born from cries and tears were nurtured and raised with great care. Throughout this process, countless efforts and sacrifices were made.

What was the use?

As soon as they got married, their whole heart was devoted to their own wife. Just talk nonsense to fool your mother!

Empress Qiao gritted her teeth and put down her hands bitterly: “Get out of the way, don’t stop me.”

Li Jing was unwilling to give in: “Hit me a few times, and when you are no longer angry, I will get out of the way again.”

Empress Qiao patted her son a few times and her eyes were red: “What’s the use of having a son? If you don’t know how to be filial to your mother, you will make me angry.”

“I’m well aware of Lu Mingyu’s temper. On the day of the tea ceremony, even when your Imperial Grandmother tried to control her, she dared to openly defy her. She’s so fierce that she’s already scolding Eunuch Cai as soon as she enters the door, clearly showing that in her eyes, her mother-in-law, has no regard.”

“Only she cares about saving face? Don’t I matter?”

“This matter cannot be hidden from anyone, and it will spread soon. What will everyone think when the time comes? Others have married their daughter-in-law, and they are waiting for their daughter-in-law to be filial and respectful. When it comes to me, I have invited an ancestor back!”

“You keep saying for her. She didn’t even think about covering it up. Before she got married, she sent people to keep an eye on the Second Prince’s house. No one knew about the private exchanges between Eunuch Cai and Eunuch Guo, but she found out everything.”

“Where can such methods be used? She is an ordinary woman. If you don’t suppress her a little, but you still indulge her like this, you will spoil her to death.”

“Aren’t you afraid of being known as a henpecked husband and a weak husband in the future?”

Li Jing said softly: ” I have always known what kind of temper she has. Since I want to marry her, I won’t care about this.”

Queen Qiao, annoyed, gave Li Jing another pat. “Yes, yes, yes, you’re naturally affectionate. I am not. Stop trying to confuse me. If you’re going to endure hardships, that’s your business. Don’t expect me, your mother, to tolerate it along with you.”

Li Jing continued to admit his mistake: “Yes, it’s all my fault.”

Empress Qiao lost her temper and gradually calmed down. When she calmed down, she was a little annoyed again: “I was so angry that I didn’t know how to hit you. Did the beating hurt you just now?”

Li Jing replied in a low voice: “As long as the Royal Mother can calm down, she can hit me again.”

Empress Qiao, feeling a mix of anger, heartache, and helplessness, sighed after a moment. “Forget it, a grown son has a mind of his own. If you don’t mind it yourself, what’s the use of me being angry?”

“Stop hanging around here, go back! Tomorrow when Lu Mingyu tomorrow she comes to the palace to pay her respects, I won’t embarrass her.”

Otherwise, what else could be done?

Were you planning to let your son be caught in the middle and suffer from both sides?

Touched, Li Jing’s eyes welled up slightly. “Mother, I understand your concern for me. In my heart, both you and Xiao Yu are the most important people.”

Empress Qiao looked over with a glare.

Li Jing immediately added: “There is also the imperial sister.”

That was more or less the same.

Empress Qiao couldn’t help but nag for a few more words. “I gave birth to you two siblings. You are blood siblings, closer than anyone else in this world.”

Li Jing naturally didn’t argue at this moment, nodding obediently. “Mother is right. In the future, Xiao Yu and I will both honor and serve you, and we will also treat Royal Sister well.”

Empress Qiao’s temper eased slightly, and she responded somewhat self-deprecatingly, “No need to worry about honoring me, just don’t make me angry, that’s all.”

Li Jing smiled boldly and said, “Mother gave birth to a good son like me, so she deserves my devotion. How could I not honor and serve her?”

The Empress chuckled at being teased and playfully pinched her son’s cheek. “I’ve never seen you so smooth-tongued before. Now that you’re married, you’ve become quite the talker.”

That was true.

To be a good husband and a good son, you had to be thick-skinned and fearless. It didn’t matter if you got angry from both sides!

Li Jing smiled and said, “Mother, I’ve grown accustomed to living in the palace. These days, staying at the mansion without seeing you all the time feels strange to me. Tonight, I’ll stay in the Jiofang Hall and have dinner with you!”

Empress Qiao’s heart suddenly turned into a puddle of tenderness: “Okay.”

(End of this chapter)