Chapter 290 Being both a father and a mother
After the palace maid brought the clothes, she stood by as usual and watched Xiao Heng undress Xiyue.
At first, when dressing Xiyue, he was afraid of hurting his daughter, so he moved very carefully and tiptoed, and even deliberately cut off all the armor that he had kept for many years.
Now he has become much more skilled. He can even free up his hands to catch her waving little hands and gently tickle her palms, making Xiyue giggle.
After putting her clothes on, Xiao Heng picked her up and sat her on his lap, staring at his daughter with a doting look on his face: "You little thing, look at the memorials on your father's desk that have piled up like a mountain, and you're still clamoring to be held by your father."
Xiyue raised her tender little hand and gently stroked Xiao Heng's brow.
This gentle touch instantly brought back an old image of another woman caressing her eyebrows deep in his memory, causing his heart to tremble and his throat to suddenly become dry.
But soon, he hid those feelings deep in his heart and forced a smile, but that smile was full of bitterness.
"Can't Yue'er see me frown?"
Yue'er waved her arms, but accidentally knocked a piece of paper on the table to the ground.
Xiao Heng lowered his eyes and saw that the memorial was actually a memorial to attack the State of Liu.
There were three memorials on the table, one for attacking the State of Liu, the other for attacking the State of Jiang, and the other for attacking the State of Yantai.
He was just thinking about which country to attack, and now the memorial to attack the State of Liu was overturned to the ground by Xiyue. Could it be... this was a hint from God?
At this moment, he suddenly remembered that after Chu Qichi's astronomical affairs were exposed, he insisted that Liu Yuetang's fate was too weak and could not bear such great blessings, and said that Xiyue was a lucky star.
Could it be that what he said was not entirely false?
The midwife that day also said that Xiyue was born on a good day and at a good time.
And now, this lucky star, borrowing the will of heaven, told himself to attack the Liu State first.
Just as he was thinking about it, someone came to report to the Queen Mother, and Xiao Heng hurriedly folded the several memorials.
Su Nanqing held the empress dowager's elbow, with his palm hanging outside the wide sleeves embroidered with silver thread and longevity patterns, and half supported and half protected the empress dowager as she walked into the inner hall.
"This concubine pays respects to the Emperor."
Xiao Heng didn't look up, but just gently shook the rattle to amuse the daughter in his arms.
"Rou Jieyu, why are you here?"
Su Nanqing said softly, "I am worried that the Emperor is too busy with state affairs to take care of his health, so I personally prepared this nourishing soup for you."
The Queen Mother looked at Xiao Heng sitting in front of the table with a heart full of pity.
Before, he was depressed all day long because of Liu Yuetang's death and drank to relieve his sorrow.
Later, his temperament suddenly changed. He devoted himself to state affairs, working day and night. He did not summon concubines to sleep with him, nor did he step out of Chengming Palace. He only slept for two hours a day. Within half a month, his face became increasingly haggard and thin.
The more this happened, the more afraid the Queen Mother became.
She was afraid that Xiao Heng would use state affairs to numb herself and force herself to forget Liu Yuetang's death.
Su Nanqing looked at Xiyue playing with the rattle, her eyes suddenly softened, and she slowly stepped forward: "Your Majesty, please talk to the Queen Mother for a while. I will hold the princess."
As she spoke, she reached out and hugged Xiyue.
As a result, Xiyue started to sob as soon as she fell into Su Nanqing's arms.
Su Nanqing quickly patted Xiyue's back and gently shook her, saying, "Oh~oh~ Yue'er, don't cry, Yue'er, don't cry, your aunt is here~"
The Queen Mother sighed softly and turned her gaze to Xiao Heng: "Emperor, you are busy handling state affairs during the day and taking care of the children at night. Even a man of iron would not be able to endure this. In my opinion... it is best for you to find a mother for the Second Princess."
Su Nanqing, who was coaxing Xiyue, heard this and a bright light flashed across his eyes.
Xiao Heng said, "I can handle it, and Yue'er is now recognizable and will cry if she leaves me."
The Queen Mother's brows furrowed, her tone filled with reproach and worry. "Can you handle this? Look at how thin you've become in the past two months! Has anyone in history personally cared for a princess's daily needs? Besides, Chengming Palace is for handling government affairs, not for raising children?"
Xiao Heng had a cold face and remained silent for a long time.
Although he was tired these days, he enjoyed it.
He personally dressed Yue'er, washed her, and changed her diapers. Apart from feeding her, he almost acted as both father and mother.
Just because Yue'er is the most precious pearl she has left in this world, he wants to put all his debt and love on this daughter.
During the long night, only with the company of his daughter did he feel less lonely.
Even so, she always cried at night, and I had to comfort her for half an hour as soon as I woke up.
Even so, the father and daughter hugged each other and cried together several times.
This just proves that Yue'er can only rely on herself right now.
And the only one who can support him is Yue'er.
Seeing that Xiao Heng was silent and seemed to be hesitating, Su Nanqing stepped forward with a smile and bowed slightly, "Your Majesty, why don't you give Yue'er to me to raise?"
Xiao Heng raised his head and looked at Su Nanqing with some surprise.
Su Nanqing's emerald feather-like eyebrows knitted slightly, as if filled with inexplicable sorrow. Her voice was extremely low and soft: "In the past, when Yue'er was in my sister's womb, I told her to call me Auntie and watch her grow up together. Now I'm gone..."
"You are just a concubine. What makes you think I would give you the daughter of the imperial concubine to raise?"
A frost suddenly formed in Xiao Heng's eyes, and he interrupted Su Nanqing in a harsh voice.
Su Nanqing was stunned for a moment, and her rouge-stained cheeks turned pale in an instant.
"Did Concubine Xi ever say before she died that she would give Yue'er to you to raise? Now that she's gone, you're setting your sights on the princess. Is this what you call sisterly love?" Xiao Heng frowned and stared at Su Nanqing with a stern look.
Although Yue'er is the second princess, she is his most beloved and cherished child.
Even if she had to choose an adoptive mother, it would be a royal concubine or a queen.
Su Nanqing is just a concubine, the daughter of a county magistrate. How can she be qualified to be Yue'er's adoptive mother?
Thinking of this, Xiao Heng hugged Xiyue, who was crying in Su Nanqing's arms.
Xiyue stopped crying as soon as she fell into Xiao Heng's arms. Her little nose was twitching. She was obviously very aggrieved, but she forced herself not to burst into tears, and only let out intermittent sobs.
Su Nanqing reacted quickly, lifted her skirt and knelt, tears welling up in her eyes. "Your Majesty, please calm down! I have absolutely no intention of presumptuous behavior. It's just that I see the Second Princess is so sweet and adorable, and she's my sister's child. I love her so much, that's why I wanted to raise her."
As she spoke, she bent over the ground and said, "It is my fault for not thinking carefully. Please punish me, Your Majesty!"
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