Su Yingxue was very confident, she was sure these words didnât come from Xiao Yuâs mouth. A scheming man like him wouldnât spout such mushy sweet nothings.
âYou⦠donât slander Brother Yu, he dotes on me so much! He really does! He gives me all the best things, and in the Qilin Garden, Iâm the only girl who can be with him. He would never take multiple wives and concubines! He surely doesnât have as many women as the emperorâs harem!â
Su Miaoyan was not to be outdone.
âWhat of it? No matter how many women there are in the emperorâs harem, none shall surpass me! Your sister, I am the one and only irreplaceable empress of the Great Cheng Dynasty! But you are different! Youâre just a young girl, and even though youâll come of age next year, if Xiao Yu grows tired of you, finding a new wife wonât be difficult. Even if he doesnât replace his wife, he could still dote on concubines and destroy his wifeâs standing. If you donât learn proper manners, win the affection of your in-laws, and command respect with your demeanor, life in the Xiao family could be much more miserable than mine!â
Su Yingxue painted a vivid picture, and Su Miaoyanâs conviction waned, âWould Brother Yu really treat me that way? Will there be many women in the Xiao family to share him with me? I donât want that! I want him to love only me for his entire life!â
âThat will depend on your ability!â
âThen sister, will the emperor love you for a lifetime, having only you as his woman?â
Su Miaoyan posed a soul-searching question.
Su Yingxue shifted slightly, and the water on top of her head instantly tilted.
The cool water trickled down her forehead, seeping into Su Yingxueâs eyes, the fiery look in them was instantly quenched quite a bit.
Qin Wanâs words resonated in her mind, âYingxue, whether as your tutor or as your grand aunt, I must advise you, never to bring your motherâs words and practices into the palace. Your mother indeed changed part of the world and affected many people, but after all, she is not a deity. Our era remains fundamentally the same as it has always been, not âmodernâ as your mother imagined.
For an ordinary man, to expect his undivided love is one thing, but the emperor is the revered Son of Heaven, ruler of the Great Cheng Dynasty. Even if his heart belongs only to you, his harem cannot possibly have just you. If in the future the officials petition the emperor to fill his harem for the sake of him and state affairs, you must not throw a tantrum at him, do you understand?â
She had not given Qin Wan a definitive answer at the time.
Because she didnât know if she could accept having other women in the harem besides herself.
âSister Xue, what are you daydreaming about? The water is almost gone!â
With Su Miaoyanâs crisp voice, Su Yingxue realized that the bowl on her head had tilted to one side, and the ice-cold water had all poured into her hair, soaking her clothes through.
Su Miaoyanâs voice attracted Qin Wan, who saw Su Yingxue drenched and her first reaction was not blame but concern, âAre you okay? That bowlful of water must be very chilling. Quickly go back to your room, change your clothes, and have a nice warm bath.â
She then ordered the servants to prepare it.
Su Yingxue apologized, âGrand aunt, I couldnât sit properly.â
âYou are distracted.â
Qin Wan saw through her at a glance, and handed her over to Zhilan to take care of her.
Zhilan helped Su Yingxue to the bathing room and as Su Yingxue soaked in the bath barrel, Zhilan washed her hair with hot water and carefully said, âMiss, youâve been pregnant for over three months now, so you canât use hair oil and spices. I will wash your hair a couple more times, it will still smell nice.â