Chapter 560 The Only Princess
The emperor paid no attention to Consort Li; his eyes were only on the little girl in front of him who looked somewhat like Granny Zhou.
Xiao Zhouzhou's face turned blue and purple from being pinched, and she couldn't even cry.
Consort Li panicked and frantically tried to pull the hairpin out of her hair.
Just then, little Zhouzhou, who was on the verge of death, suddenly reached out her chubby little hand, grabbed the emperor's wrist, and called out with difficulty, "Father... Father..."
Little Zhouzhou has only just begun to babble, but she calls out "Daddy" very clearly.
The emperor looked surprised, and his hand involuntarily loosened. "You... what did you just call me?"
Little Zhouzhou, now able to catch her breath, looked at the emperor with her round, watery eyes and called out again, "Father... Father..."
This time, the two calls of "Father" were even clearer.
Consort Li stood there stunned for a moment. After a while, she stopped pulling out her hairpin and held the emperor's hand, saying, "Your Majesty, did you see that? This child calls you 'father.' She thinks you are her father. Just because she is destined to be with you, you want to kill her."
The carriage continued on its way, swaying slightly.
As the emperor looked at the little baby in front of him, a memory he had long forgotten suddenly flashed through his mind.
He had just ascended the throne at that time, and the empress was pregnant with Ruiyuan.
The two of them sat on rattan chairs in the Queen's palace, embracing each other as they looked at the bright moon in the sky.
Then we all hoped that the baby in her womb would be born safely.
The Empress gently stroked her belly, a worried look on her face, and said, "If this child is a princess, will the court officials want to choose a concubine for you?"
He embraced the Empress and laughed freely, "So what if she's a princess? I love her too. No matter what those old fogies say, I will never take another concubine in my life."
The Empress smiled, her eyes filled with tenderness as she looked at him.
He couldn't help but sigh, thinking that the Empress must have been attracted to him back then.
Under the bright moon, he listened to the movements in her belly, then smiled and said, "It would be even better if it were a princess. I love princesses the most. As long as she calls me Father, I will give her the best things in the world."
The Empress looked at him and smiled, gently stroking his hair, her voice as soft as the mist in an autumn night, "I don't need the best things in the world, just that our family is happy and healthy is enough."
This simple yet hopeful statement was long forgotten by the emperor.
Gradually, he even forgot the memories of that night.
Looking at the little boat in his hand, the emperor couldn't help but think that if he and the empress had a daughter, she would probably look just like this.
His eyes resemble his mother's, while his mouth and nose resemble his father's.
His nose is exactly like the Third Prince's; if he resembles the Third Prince, then he naturally resembles him as well.
Suddenly, as if possessed, the emperor said to Xiao Zhouzhou, "Call me Father..."
The little child sniffed, opened his innocent eyes, listened to his words, and obediently called out "Father Emperor" in a soft, not-so-standard voice.
The emperor visibly stiffened, and his sinister eyes softened.
It was as if the "Father Emperor" was being called by his and the Empress's child.
It was as if everything the two of them had hoped for that night had come true.
He slowly lowered the small boat and tossed it back to Consort Li.
"Take good care of her. When you return to the palace, tell outsiders that she is your and my child, my only princess."
The emperor had many concubines in his harem, and there were also several princesses, but they all died young one after another.
In this light, she truly is the only princess.
Consort Li held Xiao Zhouzhou tightly, feeling as if she had been skinned alive. She hugged the child tightly, as if afraid that the emperor would take her away again. "Yes, Your Majesty, I will take good care of her."
The emperor remained silent, leaning weakly against the carriage, staring blankly ahead as he asked, "Consort Li, do you think this divine physician can truly save me this time?"
Consort Li said flatteringly, "His Majesty will live as long as Heaven, so there is naturally hope."
The emperor was delighted to hear this and smiled at Xiao Zhouzhou, "After we return to the palace, please invite the best craftsmen in the world. I want to build the best palace for the princess."
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