Chapter 35 Yu'er's Mother is Here
Su Jingyu leaned against his chest, shook her head, and said in a soft, whimpering voice, "I just feel heavy and lazy."
"Then lie down a little longer. I'm not busy today, I'll stay with you." Xiao Jingzhan lowered his head and kissed the top of her head. After helping her wash up, he gestured for the palace servants to bring over the warmed bird's nest porridge. He took the jade bowl, tested the temperature, and personally fed her spoonful by spoonful with great patience. Su Jingyu had become picky about her tastes after becoming pregnant, so he ordered the Imperial Kitchen to prepare a variety of exquisite and easily digestible dishes and snacks, hoping she would eat as much as possible.
After breakfast, Xiao Jingzhan helped her sit on the soft couch by the window. Although it was a bit bleak outside, the Liuli Pavilion was warm and cozy, the underfloor heating was just right. He picked up a travelogue and read it to her in a deep, pleasant voice, while his large, warm hands gently massaged her lower back. Su Jingyu comfortably closed her eyes, her small hands playing with the sash of his clothes, enjoying this ultimate pampering.
“Your Highness,” she suddenly remembered something, looked up at him with anticipation in her eyes, “when will Mother be able to enter the palace?”
Xiao Jingzhan put down his book, a slight smile playing on his lips: "I have made all the arrangements. My mother-in-law will be able to enter the palace the day after tomorrow. I will send someone to fetch her then. Would it be alright if she stayed with you at the Liuli Pavilion?"
Upon hearing this, Su Jingyu's eyes lit up with surprise. She wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a loud kiss on his cheek: "Thank you, Your Highness!" Having been away from home for a long time, she was emotionally sensitive during her pregnancy, and her longing for her mother grew stronger day by day.
Xiao Jingzhan hugged her tightly, his eyes full of doting affection: "My dear, why are you being so polite with me?"
Two days later, Su's mother, Zhou, entered the palace by imperial decree.
Previously, Madam Zhou was merely the wife of a seventh-rank county magistrate, but she was well-mannered and had a gentle appearance, revealing the charm she possessed in her youth. Stepping into the magnificent Eastern Palace for the first time, especially into the Glazed Tile Pavilion where her daughter resided—said to be no less grand than the Empress's bedchamber—she felt both excited and apprehensive.
When she was led by a palace maid and saw her daughter reclining on a soft couch covered with a thick white fox fur, her belly protruding and her complexion excellent, her eyes instantly reddened.
What shocked her even more was that the rumored aloof and dignified Crown Prince was sitting right beside her on the couch, peeling crystal grapes for his daughter with his own hands, his expression natural and affectionate, without the slightest air of a crown prince!
"Your subject, Zhou, greets Your Highness the Crown Prince and Consort Liang." Zhou quickly suppressed the turmoil in her heart and performed a proper and respectful salute.
"Mother-in-law, please rise quickly, there's no need for such formalities." Xiao Jingzhan offered a slight gesture of support, his tone gentle. "Yu'er has been thinking of you often lately, your arrival is a good opportunity to keep her company." His attitude was humble, giving Su Jingyu's family ample respect.
Su Jingyu was overjoyed to see her mother and struggled to sit up, calling out, "Mother!"
"Lie down quickly, don't move!" Zhou Shi and Xiao Jingzhan spoke almost simultaneously. Xiao Jingzhan had already reached out to support Su Jingyu, carefully protecting her waist.
Seeing the Crown Prince's attentive care for her daughter, Madam Zhou felt a great weight lifted from her shoulders, a mixture of relief and sorrow. She stepped forward, took her daughter's hand, and looked her up and down. Seeing that her daughter had not only not lost weight but had actually become a little plumper, with happiness and peace in her eyes, she finally felt completely at ease.
Xiao Jingzhan knew that the mother and daughter had something to say to each other, so he considerately stood up and said, "I'm going to the study to handle some government affairs. Please sit down, Mother-in-law. If you need anything, just tell the palace servants."
He then lowered his head and said softly to Su Jingyu, "My dear, stay with your mother-in-law and don't tire yourself out." Only then did he turn and leave, leaving them alone.
Once the Crown Prince left, Madam Zhou finally relaxed a bit. Holding her daughter's hand, her eyes glistened with tears: "Yu'er, His Highness... treats you so well." She had seen clearly just now that it was not feigned, but genuine love and affection.
Su Jingyu's cheeks flushed slightly, her eyes gleaming with happiness as she recounted to her mother how the Crown Prince had treated her. Madam Zhou listened with a mixture of surprise and joy, repeatedly chanting Buddhist prayers. The mother and daughter spoke intimately, filling the Liuli Pavilion with a long-lost warmth.
At dinner time, Xiao Jingzhan made a special trip back to dine with them. During the meal, he showed great respect to Madam Zhou, mentioning Su Mingyuan's upcoming appointment in the capital, his words conveying a sense of care and reassurance, which made Madam Zhou feel at ease. He continued to attentively attend to Su Jingyu's meal, his movements natural and fluid, as if it had become a habit.
Seeing all this, Zhou's last worry vanished. Her daughter had found such a wonderful husband; though from the imperial family, their loving relationship surpassed that of ordinary couples—truly a blessing earned through countless lifetimes.
That night, Zhou was arranged to stay in a side room of the Liuli Pavilion. Xiao Jingzhan personally helped Su Jingyu take a slow walk in the courtyard to aid digestion. The moonlight, like water, shone on their intertwined figures, creating a tranquil and beautiful scene.
"Your Highness, thank you," Su Jingyu whispered, leaning against him. Thank you for respecting her family so much, thank you for giving her such a perfect happiness.
Xiao Jingzhan stopped, cupped her face in his hands, and gazed deeply into her eyes in the bright moonlight: "Silly girl, you are my wife, and your family is my family. There is no need for thanks." He leaned down and kissed away her unfinished words, tenderly and affectionately.
The lights in the Glazed Pavilion shone warmly, illuminating the most tender corner of the palace in winter.
The next day, Xiao Jingzhan returned from court and had just stepped into the courtyard of the Liuli Pavilion when he heard his mother-in-law, Zhou, speaking with a smile, as well as his young wife's soft voice, seemingly saying something.
He waved to stop the palace servants who were about to announce his arrival, and approached quietly. Through a beaded curtain, the conversation inside could be heard clearly.
"...Mother, you don't know, His Highness may seem cold, but he's incredibly thoughtful." It was Su Jingyu's voice, filled with obvious sweetness. "A few nights ago, I just turned over and he woke up immediately. He asked if I had cramped up in my leg again and massaged it for a long time until I fell asleep before he stopped."
Madam Zhou smiled and said, "His Highness treats you exceptionally well. As I see it, you are even more loving than ordinary couples."
"Yes!" Su Jingyu responded readily, her tone full of dependence and pride. "Although His Highness is busy, he always spends time with his daughter whenever he has free time. He holds her while she reviews memorials, feeds her while she eats, and supports her while she goes for walks... Sometimes I feel like he's spoiling me so much that I'm becoming a useless person." As she spoke, she laughed first, her laughter as melodious as silver bells.
Standing outside the curtain, Xiao Jingzhan listened to his wife praising him and expressing her love so openly in front of his mother-in-law. He felt an indescribable warmth and comfort instantly flow through his body!
This was even more exhilarating than winning a battle or receiving praise from his father. A smile involuntarily spread across his lips, all the fatigue of the past few days vanished, and he was filled with boundless energy.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com