The two children excitedly looked at their birthday gifts.

Yun Chu raised her head to look at the man standing before her.

He must not have slept all night. The whites of his eyes were filled with bright red bloodshot veins, the area under his eyelids was dark, and the bluish stubble gave his entire person a layer of dejection.

She already knew about what had happened in the palace last night. She knew that he had been working hard all along for their marriage.

She walked over, took out a handkerchief, and wiped the sweat from Chu Yi’s forehead: “You’ve worked hard.”

Chu Yi’s heart felt scalding hot.

He grasped her hand, his sharp lip line full of tenderness: “I’ll send the children to the palace first. I’ll go and return quickly.”

According to custom, on the children’s birthday, they would enter the palace to celebrate with his mother consort.

In the depths of Chu Yi’s profound eyes was thick, undilutable deep affection.

After confirming each other’s feelings, he wished he could be with the woman in his heart every moment.

“Chu’er, wait for me to return.”

He reluctantly released Yun Chu’s hand, picked up the two children, and walked out.

The carriage traveled smoothly along the main road. Chu Hongyu was a child who couldn’t sit still and lifted the carriage curtain to look around in all directions.

“Sit properly.”

Chu Yi spoke lightly.

In the past, as long as he spoke in this low tone, the little one would immediately sit up straight and proper, not daring to look around anymore.

But clearly, since living together with Yun Chu, every time he saw his father king, it was a father king with a pleasant countenance. The little one obviously wasn’t so afraid anymore.

He still pointed at the beautiful and interesting things outside the window, calling his sister to look together.

“Yu’er.” Chu Yi spoke again. “The marriage between your mother and me depends entirely on you.”

The little one immediately put down the curtain, turned his neck, raised his head and asked: “Father King, what do you mean by that? I don’t understand. Can you explain it more clearly?”

Chu Yi parted his lips and began to speak unhurriedly.

Soon, the carriage stopped at the palace gate.

The two children had difficulty walking, so Imperial Consort Yin had specially arranged for sedan chairs to come and receive them.

The sedan chairs traveled all the way to Changqiu Palace.

Imperial Consort Yin stood at the entrance to greet them. She was in especially good spirits from the joyous occasion, her complexion particularly radiant.

Early this morning, she had heard people say that last night Yi’er had trespassed into His Majesty’s sleeping quarters, and she had been scared out of her wits.

She had been thinking that after His Majesty finished court, she would stew some soup to send and plead for leniency for Yi’er.

As a result, she actually saw Eunuch Gao bringing an imperial edict to Changqiu Palace.

She had actually been conferred the title of Imperial Consort Yin.

She grabbed Eunuch Gao and asked a few questions, only then learning that Yi’er’s beloved, that farm girl, had actually been killed.

Without her having to personally act, that farm girl had been dealt with. She didn’t need to worry about mother and son becoming estranged. Not only that, but she had also been promoted to Imperial Consort because of it. Could such good fortune actually fall from the sky?

Imperial Consort Yin knew that her son’s mood must be very bad right now, after all, his beloved had died.

But that was fine. After enough time passed, he would naturally forget a dead person.

Her son’s bad mood didn’t prevent her from being in a good mood.

Seeing the sedan chairs arrive at the palace gate, Imperial Consort Yin approached with a face full of smiles: “My little darlings, did you receive the birthday gifts Imperial Grandmother had sent? How are they? Do you like them?”

The sedan chair curtain lifted. Imperial Consort Yin thought Yu’er would shout loudly and throw himself into her embrace like before.

Instead, she saw the little one with drooping brows and eyes, raising his head, his two big eyes brimming with tears.

The little girl also had teary eyes. She blinked lightly once, and tears burst forth from her eyes, falling drop by drop.

“Oh my, my little darlings, what happened? Why are you crying like this?” Imperial Consort Yin’s heart was about to break. She hurriedly gathered the two children into her embrace, one on each side. “Did your father king take out his bad mood on you two siblings? Don’t cry. Later, Imperial Grandmother will summon your father king to the palace and scold him severely, okay? Good children, don’t cry anymore…”

“Waaah!” Chu Hongyu hugged Imperial Consort Yin’s neck and wailed loudly. “Imperial Grandmother, it has nothing to do with Father King… waaah, hic…”

He had originally been fake crying, but as he cried, he started truly crying. He thought of some sad things, like his cricket dying, his pastry falling on the ground, his toy being snatched away by his sister… These matters, the more he thought about them, the sadder he became, and the louder he cried.

Chu Changsheng lay in Imperial Consort Yin’s embrace, also crying bitterly along with him.

The crying of the two children could truly be described as earth-shaking. Imperial Consort Yin’s ears were nearly deafened.

Her mood, which had originally been quite good, directly plummeted to rock bottom.

After crying for about half an hour, the two children gradually quieted down, drinking goat milk between hiccups, then eating some food.

Only then did Imperial Consort Yin speak up to ask: “Yu’er, we are little men. You mustn’t cry anymore, okay? Tell Imperial Grandmother, what exactly happened?”

“Father King said that Changsheng and I don’t have a mother anymore…” The little one said with a tear-stained face, looking aggrieved. “Originally, Father King had already found us a mother. She was very good to Changsheng and me, but Father King said she died… Changsheng and I will never have a mother’s love again, waaah…”

Imperial Consort Yin’s heart relaxed. So it was because of this matter.

She said gently: “The person who can be good to you and Changsheng isn’t only her. Imperial Grandmother will find you another mother, okay?”

“No, no, no, I only want her!” Chu Hongyu opened his mouth and began crying loudly again. “Imperial Grandmother is bad. I don’t want Imperial Grandmother anymore. I only want Mother!”

Chu Changsheng hugged her brother and cried loudly together: “Mother… I want Mother, waaah!”

The two children cried as pitifully as could be.

Imperial Consort Yin’s temples were about to explode.

She frowned. Although that woman’s status was lowly, the fact that she could make the two children miss her so much showed that she was genuinely sincere toward the children.

A person who was genuinely sincere toward the children had just died like that. It was truly somewhat pitiful.

The two children were both grieving to this extent, so Yi’er must be even more sad and sorrowful. Yet His Majesty had merely conferred upon her the rank of Imperial Consort and called it done.

This matter couldn’t just end like this!

Thinking of this, Imperial Consort Yin spoke: “Your Imperial Grandfather is the most capable person in the world. Come, Imperial Grandmother will take you to find Imperial Grandfather to think of a solution.”

Thus, the group walked from Changqiu Palace to the imperial study.

All along the way, the two children held back from crying, but as soon as they reached the entrance of the imperial study, their crying rang out, directly assaulting the Emperor’s eardrums.

Inside the imperial study, by the Emperor’s side was Talented Lady Qi, sitting on the Emperor’s lap. The atmosphere was getting heated when it was suddenly interrupted by the children’s crying.

The Emperor furrowed his brow: “Eunuch Gao, who is making such a commotion outside?”

Eunuch Gao pushed open the door and walked in to report: “In response to Your Majesty, it’s…”

Before he could finish his sentence, the two children stepped over the threshold and rushed in, charging toward His Majesty, directly pushing Talented Lady Qi off His Majesty’s lap.

“Imperial Grandfather!”

“Imperial Grandfather!”

The two children called out one after another, then hugged the Emperor’s neck and burst into loud tears, all snot and tears.

Talented Lady Qi: “…”

The Emperor: “…”

He had never imagined that the farm girl would hold such weight in the hearts of the two children.

Imperial Consort Yin’s heart felt balanced.