The Cannon Fodder in Quick Transmigration Refuses the Usual Path

Chapter 605: The Arrogant Noble Consort Who Failed in the Succession Struggle 17

They said they were waiting for the weather to cool, but they actually didn't wait long. In November, before the light snow had even arrived, the imperial procession had already majestically entered a hot springs retreat located in the suburbs.

As mentioned before, aside from the emperor himself, An Ning and her daughter, along with a host of guards and palace servants, there was literally no one else.

Now this was a vacation. Not to mention how happily chattering Lingyi was along the way.

The various members of the rear palace who received the news early: "………"

Well, it wasn't unexpected anyway.

Everyone continued on, every few days, taking their children to play cards where they should, drink wine where they should. The biggest thing was that their top superior, the Emperor, was not here. No matter what, the Empress was, on the surface, a thoroughly warm and kind person.

She had always been tolerant towards these consorts of hers.

As for the future superior... well... she's still just a Beauty now! There's no point in rushing to curry favor, is there?

Moreover, after that earlier incident, Beauty Qi had now become the very embodiment of thick-skinned, ruthless, and petty-minded. Especially since most of them currently held a higher rank than her, and if they really met her, they would still have to pay their respects.

Low in rank yet high in ambition, and yet she was the Crown Prince's birth mother. Under the conflict of these two completely different statuses, with her petty-mindedness, it would be strange if she didn't secretly harbor resentment!Thinking about it this way, things aren't so bad now, right? After a brief day of silence, the palace also became lively again.

Of course, the liveliest place was still the hot springs retreat where An Ning resided.

The emperor wanted to recuperate, but that didn't mean he would completely set aside state affairs. Not only did the princes and the assembled ministers have to come anxiously to pay their respects and report on court matters every few days, but even Crown Prince Xiao Ye had to do the same. For any major matters in the court, none dared to make decisions on their own.

In addition, there were a bunch of eligible sons from noble and ministerial families coming over to compete and show off.

Although the future Imperial Son-in-Law candidate had been decided early, just in case, it was still necessary to keep a few backups for one's daughter. Especially since the emperor himself was in much better health now and wasn't in a hurry to marry off the princess.

With each passing day, it was truly lively.

So comfortable. Letting her entire body sink into the warm jade hot spring pool radiating with heat, An Ning, for once, thought of nothing and simply closed her eyes to enjoy it fully.

Ancient times, and in the middle of winter too, this place was the most comfortable.

Barefoot on the soft felt rug, after An Ning had finished tidying up, she specifically went to the newly repaired greenhouse to beautifully admire the flowers. By the time she came out, more than half a *shichen* had passed. After the first snow, today was surprisingly sunny. From the training grounds, the sharp sound of bowstrings twanging cut through the air from time to time, mixed with unstoppable cheers from the surroundings.

With both the current emperor and the princess present, these people naturally had to strive hard to show off. By the time An Ning arrived, the competition on the field had already reached a fever pitch.

"Thwack!"

Accompanied by a familiar sharp sound, the next moment, following the emperor's shout of "Excellent!", the surrounding noise grew even louder.

"Yue'er is here!"

Seeing her approach, Xiao Qi's expression unconsciously softened considerably. Disregarding the subtle glances secretly cast his way from those present, he reached out and helped her to his side before turning his head with a smile and saying:

"The one on the field is the son of the Duke Dingguo's household, the one I mentioned to you before."

Oh, what a coincidence!

An Ning, with rare interest, glanced down at the field. Unsurprisingly, the one who caused this stir was the young man in dark clothes currently at the center of the training grounds.

Amidst the cheers, the young man before them looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years old, yet he was quite tall for his age. At the moment, he wore a neat, narrow-sleeved long robe, his thin lips slightly pressed together, his features handsome yet not lacking in sharpness and severity. Although still young, years of training had given his physique a hint of solidity.

Then, looking at the arrow on the field that had hit the bullseye dead center.

Well, as expected of a military family. At such a young age, having such accuracy and strength was indeed quite good!

Of course, as the Noble Consort, An Ning's focus was always elsewhere.

Her gaze paused on his face for a moment before An Ning nodded. "Not bad. His looks are acceptable too!"

"Just not sure if he might be a bit dull!"

Judging by his attire, aside from the hair ribbon on his head, there wasn't a single brighter color to be seen on his entire person.

Xiao Qi, however, didn't mind. He reached over and took the jade-like hand beside him into his own.

"For a young man, being steady is also good." Being steadier would make him more suitable for entrusting with important responsibilities and taking care of others in the future!

As he spoke, he smiled and explained further. "This child has always been like this. Duke Dingguo campaigned on the battlefields in his early years, and several of his sons perished. Now, the ducal manor only has this bit of bloodline left. To uphold the family's prestige, his upbringing naturally had to be strict."

"Fortunately, this child hasn't failed to live up to his grandfather's expectations!"

Alright then. Both parents deceased, shallow familial ties.

It seems that not only have mother-in-laws throughout the ages been like this, but father-in-laws looking at potential sons-in-law are also similar. As for other matters, unlike the Song, Ming, or Qing dynasties, princesses of this dynasty have money and estates for income. If they want to remarry, it's still quite easy.

Watching the lively scene below, An Ning nodded, not very interested.

Xiao Qi wasn't surprised and turned to smile at their little daughter beside him.

"What does Lingyi think?"

Not far away, the ten-year-old Lingyi also nodded in a proper manner.

"Hmm... his appearance is acceptable, his martial arts are also not bad. Your daughter knew it, Imperial Father truly dotes on your daughter the most!"

Wasn't that the truth! After secretly comparing the husbands of her older imperial sisters, she had to admit that in terms of ability, handsomeness, and even being worry-free, hers was still the most pleasing.

This flattery, Lingyi delivered without a hint of guilt.

As for other matters, as long as Imperial Father was still around, an Imperial Son-in-Law? If unsatisfactory, just change him.

Despite being Imperial Father and Mother Consort's sweet little darling, as a royal princess, and an extremely favored one at that, with a mother consort who was arrogant and flamboyant, the current Princess Yongle was by no means lacking in the aloofness and arrogance of a ruler.

However, it was still too early to talk about all this. At least for now, the two got along quite well.

One was exquisite, luxurious, lively, and proud; the other was handsome, steady, and thorough in handling matters. Aside from Lingyi's occasional complaints about his monotonous taste, being old-fashioned, and not understanding what true luxury and exquisiteness were, they looked like a rather fine pair.

"Fine. Considering his taste isn't bad and he barely knows how to appreciate things, this princess won't hold it against him."

Putting other things aside, Her Highness the Princess loved gorgeous clothes and beautiful ornaments, and her tendency to love the new and loathe the old was truly learned ten out of ten from the Noble Consort. She was also fond of playing, being extravagant and flamboyant, lively and spirited, elegant and refined, neat and dashing...

As long as something was beautiful, it was within her range of appreciation. Sometimes, even within a single day, her clothing style could change several times, and her favorite ways to have fun could change at a whim, adhering to the principle of following her heart's desire.

Yet she had inherited the Noble Consort's beauty; no matter how she dressed up, she could shine brilliantly.

However, these were just amusing things to watch and didn't have much to do with An Ning. Although the original host's wish included a tiny bit about her daughter being well, it was still as they said: a royal princess, with her own exclusive luxurious mansion, subjects, guards, and the large annual income from her estates.

Her power, status, and life of luxury meant that an Imperial Son-in-Law was destined to be merely the icing on the cake.

As long as those above valued her and she could think things through, the possibility of future hardship wasn't great.

However, the child's father, perhaps because the hot spring water was warm and the soft jade and fragrant scents were truly wonderful lately, had started contemplating other things again recently.

Instead, within the small courtyard filled with the scent of plum blossoms, there was now, at some unknown time, a tall, slender figure holding a longsword.

Well, he danced quite beautifully, and it wasn't all just for show.

Seeing his beloved consort watching with rare fascination, her eyes holding an indescribable brightness, Xiao Qi, in the morning light, stubbornly danced for an extra half *shichen*, until he really couldn't hold on any longer, his limbs going weak... ahem...

It's not that this emperor's stamina is lacking, it's just that last night's exertion was excessive, Yue'er, ah...

Xiao Qi unconsciously rubbed his somewhat sore waist.