After being reborn, the empress only wanted to seduce the emperor and seize the empress's posit

Chapter 55 The concubine was elevated to the status of a secondary wife

"Chun'er, help me change my clothes."

After Lu Jingning finished bathing, Chun'er immediately brought him a wooden tray with his clothes and jewelry on it.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Chun'er carefully wiped Lu Jingning's body, and then dressed her in her clothes.

Lu Jingning slowly walked to the mirror, sat down, and gently combed her hair.

After Chun'er helped her with her hair and makeup, she looked at herself in the mirror and smiled with satisfaction.

She slowly walked out of the palace and headed towards the Hall of Mental Cultivation, her skirt swaying gently, like an orchid in the morning mist.

As soon as she arrived outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, she saw Lord Lu dressed in his official robes, about to go in. Upon seeing her, he quickly stopped, bowed respectfully, and said, "Your humble servant greets Noble Lady Lu."

Seeing this, Lu Jingning gently raised his hand and said softly, "Father, no need for formalities. Are you going in to see the Emperor?"

"In reply to your question, sir, that is indeed the case," Lord Lu said, bowing respectfully.

Lu Jingning nodded, stepped forward, and asked softly, "Father, how is Auntie doing lately?"

"Rest assured, Your Excellency, Aunt Zhou is doing well."

Lord Lu felt guilty thinking about what he had done to her in the past and dared not look her in the eye.

Lu Jingning parted her lips slightly, her words carrying a double meaning: "That's good. Father, you must take good care of yourself, after all, I'm your only useful daughter now."

After saying that, she smiled meaningfully, a smile that contained both tenderness and an undeniable threat.

After saying that, she lifted her skirt lightly and stepped gracefully into the gate of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, leaving behind an enigmatic silhouette.

Lord Lu watched her retreating figure, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. He raised his hand and wiped the sweat haphazardly, his eyes flickering uncertainly.

He felt a mix of emotions. How could a girl in her early teens feel so oppressed?

After regaining his composure, Lord Lu followed him inside.

"This concubine greets Your Majesty."

Lu Jingning put on that harmless look again.

"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Xiao Jingheng was overjoyed to see her arrive, completely ignoring Lord Lu beside him, and beckoned to her: "Come here, let me come to you."

"Your Majesty, isn't this against the rules?"

Lu Jingning bit her lower lip lightly, her eyes sparkling with shyness and playfulness, and said softly, "Your Majesty, isn't this against the rules?"

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Jingheng laughed loudly, his eyes full of doting affection: "Come here quickly, I'm fine here."

Lu Jingning smiled slightly, a hint of pride and sweetness in his eyes, and slowly approached with light steps.

Upon reaching Xiao Jingheng, she gave a slight curtsy, but deliberately raised her voice: "Yes, Your Majesty, this concubine obeys the decree."

Xiao Jingheng reached out to help her up, pulled her to his side, and looked at her with gentle eyes: "Little drunkard, are you sober now?"

Lu Jingning's cheeks flushed instantly, and she said coquettishly, "Oh, Your Majesty, please don't tease me. Father is still there, how embarrassing!"

As she spoke, she turned her head slightly and glanced at Lord Lu, who was standing respectfully to the side, out of the corner of her eye. Her shyness and reserve made people feel affection for her.

Xiao Jingheng then noticed Lord Lu and shifted his gaze to him: "My dear minister, please rise."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Xiao Jingheng's gaze was gentle, but his tone carried an undeniable authority: "My dear minister, I wish to build a Buddhist temple to pray for peace and prosperity for the nation. I entrust this matter entirely to you. You must handle it well and not betray my trust in you."

Lord Lu was startled, then a surge of indescribable joy welled up within him.

He hadn't expected Lu Jingning to be so favored by the Emperor, and that he himself would receive such attention as a result. Lord Lu immediately knelt to express his gratitude, his voice trembling with emotion: "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty. This humble subject will certainly do my utmost to live up to your expectations. Please rest assured, Your Majesty."

Xiao Jingheng nodded in satisfaction. Seeing this, Lu Jingning hugged his arm and said coquettishly, "Thank you for your trust in Father, Your Majesty. I believe Father can definitely handle this, right, Father?"

After Lu Jingning finished speaking, he looked meaningfully at Lord Lu.

“What Consort Lu says is true,” Lord Lu quickly echoed.

"Does my subject have any further questions? If not, you may leave."

Lord Lu hurriedly stepped forward, his expression solemn. Now that Lu Jingning was favored, he had to persuade her to put aside past grievances and rebuild their father-daughter relationship.

"Your Majesty, I have another matter to report."

Xiao Jingheng raised an eyebrow slightly, turning his gaze to Lord Lu, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry: "Oh? Is there anything else, my dear minister?"

Lord Lu took a deep breath, looked firmly at Xiao Jingheng, and then secretly glanced at Lu Jingning. She saw that her face was calm, but her eyes seemed to hold a deeper meaning.

He knelt on both knees, his voice filled with unwavering resolve: "Your Majesty, I humbly request Your Majesty's permission to establish my concubine, Zhou, as a secondary wife, to reward her for her many years of hard work."

A satisfied smile curved Lu Jingning's lips, and a smug gleam shone in his eyes.

Xiao Jingheng readily agreed to Lord Lu's request: "Since it is a matter concerning your family, I should do my best to help you. Granted."

Upon hearing this, Lord Lu trembled with excitement and immediately kowtowed to express his gratitude, his voice choked with emotion: "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty. I will take my leave now."

Xiao Jingheng waved his hand gently, his tone languid: "You may step down, my dear minister."

Lord Lu repeatedly agreed, and as he stood up, he looked at Lu Jingning as if asking him what he thought of his humble manners.

Lu Jingning tilted his head slightly, signaling with his eyes that he would accept the gesture of courtesy.

Seeing that Lu Jingning was satisfied, Lord Lu felt a great weight lifted from his heart.

Just after Lord Lu left, Lu Jingning suddenly hugged Xiao Jingheng and choked out, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Xiao Jingheng felt an indescribable heartache when he saw her tears.

"If it weren't for the Emperor's favor, I'm afraid I wouldn't have survived to the end."

Xiao Jingheng took Lu Jingning's handkerchief and gently wiped away her tears, then hugged her tenderly, saying, "Zhaozhao has suffered so much these past years."

Lu Jingning raised her head and looked at Xiao Jingheng: "With His Majesty here, I don't feel bitter at all."

Seeing that Lu Jingning's mood had eased slightly, Xiao Jingheng smiled gently and said softly, "Zhaozhao, I know you love Sichuan cuisine the most, so I specially ordered the imperial chef to prepare a few dishes today as a little surprise for you."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jingning's eyes flashed with surprise, followed by deep emotion: "Your Majesty, you actually remember? That was just something I mentioned casually."

Xiao Jingheng affectionately pinched the tip of her nose and smiled, "I remember every word you say. See, it's come in handy now?"

As he spoke, he clapped his hands lightly, and Eunuch Zhao immediately understood and ordered someone to bring the food up.

Xiao Jingheng took Lu Jingning's hand and helped her sit down before sitting down himself and picking up a piece of fish for her.

"Try it."

Lu Jingning slowly put the fish piece into his mouth, saying with a happy expression, "Delicious."

"Then eat more."

"Even the Emperor eats it."

Lu Jingning placed a slightly lighter dish in front of Xiao Jingheng.

"Okay," Xiao Jingheng said, feeling quite satisfied to see her enjoying the food.

(End of this chapter)