Chapter 41 Palace
Zen Zhen had a bitter summer. After June, he began to feel listless, sleep deprived, and with a poor appetite, he had lost a lot of weight. At first, Lu Zhu was ecstatic, believing these were signs of pregnancy, but summoning the imperial physician proved a false alarm.
Chan Zhen didn't feel disappointed at all. She was still young and had been in the palace for less than half a year, so she was not in a hurry at the moment. But seeing Lu Zhu's disappointed face, she couldn't help but take her hand and said with a smile:
"How come you're even more lost than I am?"
Lu Zhu blamed herself and said, "It was because I was too anxious that the queen got too excited."
Chan Zhen smiled faintly: "I'm not anxious, so why should you be? When fate brings us together, the child will come naturally. I also want to thank you for calling the imperial physician. I feel much better now."
Seeing that there was nothing unusual in her smile, Lu Zhu couldn't help but sigh. Her Majesty was young, so there was no need to rush. But His Majesty's previous princes were already so grown up. It would take who knows how many years to raise the little prince after Her Majesty gave birth. How could she not be anxious?
But she also knew that it was useless to worry about such things, and it would make the Empress think too much, so she quickly calmed down.
"Your Majesty, please don't try to fool me. The imperial physician only checked your pulse, so how can you expect me to recover so quickly? I'll have someone prepare the medicinal food. Look how much thinner you have become these days. Your Majesty is also worried about you."
When you say "Your Majesty", His Majesty will arrive.
"I just heard that Fengqi Palace has hired a royal physician." Chen Dingyao strode in and asked worriedly, "Why are you still feeling unwell?"
Chan Zhen was already used to throwing away those rules when she was with him. When she saw him come in, she did not stand up to greet him, but just gave Lu Zhu a look and asked her to leave first.
After there was no one around, she boldly grabbed his sleeve and led him step by step to sit next to her. Because it was hot, she did not press her body against him as usual, but kept a little distance away.
"It was Luzhu," she said, still a little embarrassed when talking about it. "She noticed that I had a poor appetite these days and mistakenly thought I was pregnant, so she called the imperial physician over. But after the examination, it turned out that there was nothing serious."
Hearing this, Chen Dingyao's expression softened a bit. Seeing her blushing face, as if she was very shy, he smiled faintly and said, "There's no rush for this matter."
He stared at her flat belly and said, "Zenzhen and I still have a long time to spend together. What is coming will eventually come."
In his previous life, he and Zen Zhen were together for three years before Yuan Zhao came. In this life, Zen Zhen and he are in tune with each other, so he is not in a hurry anymore.
"That's what I told Luzhu too." Chan Zhen looked up at him, his eyes curved into two small crescents. "Anyway, no matter when this child arrives, Your Majesty will love him just as much, right?"
"Of course." He caressed her thinner face tenderly. She had always been more delicate than most, and after entering the palace, he had managed to keep her healthy, but with the onset of summer, she had lost weight again. "I plan to move to the Zhongnan Mountain Palace early this year to escape the summer heat. Chanzhen, please hold on for a few more days."
It was not long since the beginning of summer and it was not yet the hottest time of July. Zen had not expected to have to go to the palace so early.
"Then... do you need me to prepare anything?" His Majesty did this out of concern for her, so Chan Zhen naturally wouldn't spoil his fun.
During this time, she read a lot of poetry and books, and also knew the story of Ban Jieyu's refusal to ride on the chariot during the Han Dynasty. There was a note under the book praising this action, saying that Ban Jieyu could be a model for future virtuous concubines. However, Chan Zhen had reservations about this. Ban Jieyu's refusal to ride on the chariot was indeed a virtuous act, but the world did not see that she gradually fell out of favor with the emperor after that.
She thought that if she were His Majesty, and she happily bestowed upon her beloved concubine something precious only to be flatly rejected, she would definitely be unhappy. She would not actively ask His Majesty for anything, but as long as His Majesty's favor was not excessive and would not harm the country, she would gladly accept it.
Your Majesty has given so much for her, she cannot shrink back just because she is afraid of the eyes of the world. If she does so, Your Majesty will be tired and it will be detrimental to this relationship.
"I have already given an oral order, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be ready. If you are not feeling well these days, just rest more and don't worry about other things." Chen Dingyao said.
Chanzhen nodded. Since His Majesty had already ordered the Ministry of Internal Affairs to prepare, she would not force herself to get involved. If she got sick or collapsed due to an accident, it would require more people to worry about it.
Because the weather had been hot recently, His Majesty did not bother her at night. He just lay down beside her with his clothes on and talked in a low voice.
"There's a hot spring in Zhongnan Palace that's good for your health. Chan Zhen can take advantage of it to recuperate."
Zenzhen became interested. With her background, she had naturally never been to a hot spring before. She climbed onto his shoulders, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Is the hot spring big? Is it deep? Will I sink if I can't swim?"
"No." Chen Dingyao looked at her with a smile in his eyes, "I will support you."
Thinking of that scene, Zen Zhen couldn't help but blush, "I can walk by myself, holding on to the side. I don't want Your Majesty to hold me up."
She didn't believe that His Majesty could control himself and not do anything to her. She had been unwell for a while, and His Majesty had not touched her, nor had he gone to other palaces. It had been empty for a long time.
"Well... Chanzhen, just don't cry and beg me to help you when the time comes." Chen Dingyao said meaningfully.
Zenzhen gave him an embarrassed look and turned his back to him.
Your Majesty is becoming more and more dishonest.
Chen Dingyao laughed and hugged her from behind, his voice vague: "I won't tease you anymore, don't be angry with me anymore."
"I'm getting too hot, Your Majesty, please stay away from me." Zen Zhen struggled a few times, but gave up when he failed. However, he still refused to turn around.
"You can't do this." Chen Dingyao pressed his lips against the back of her neck. "When you like me, you get close to me at will, and when you dislike me, you drive me away. Chanzhen, you can't treat me like this."
Hearing him act so pitifully, Chan Zhen felt that she had gone too far. It seemed that after she realized His Majesty's unlimited tolerance for her, she became more and more spoiled in front of him.
So she turned from his arms, kissed his resolute chin in a friendly gesture, and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, please don't be angry."
Chen Dingyao looked into her sparkling eyes and couldn't help but laugh. He wasn't angry in the first place, he just treated it as a fun moment in bed, but Chan Zhen's reaction really made him happy.
"How can my Zen be so cute?" He kissed her eyes gently, "I won't bother you anymore. You're not feeling well, so you need to rest more."
"Yeah." Zenzhen snuggled up to him and closed his eyes in peace.
…
The palace is located at the foot of Mount Zhongnan outside the imperial city. It is quiet and cool in summer, with lush green trees and shades, making it a great place to escape the summer heat.
Chan Zhen was sitting in the Luan carriage, shaking all the way and couldn't help vomiting several times. He only managed to stay together thanks to His Majesty's support. It was not until he approached the foot of Mount Zhongnan that his complexion improved a little.
"Why is it so serious?" Chen Dingyao handed her some tea so she could rinse her mouth and said worriedly, "I'll ask the imperial physician to come over and take a look."
Chan Zhen held his hand and said weakly, "Your Majesty, I feel much better now. There's no need to bother the imperial physician. We'll be at the palace soon. Going back and forth on the road is really a waste of time."
Seeing that her complexion was indeed much better than before, Chen Dingyao gave up the idea and said, "Then when we get to the palace later, I will ask the imperial physician to come forward and treat her."
"Well, I'll listen to your majesty." Chan Zhen saw that he was frowning, and wanted to reassure him, so he joked, "I didn't react this strongly when I took the boat to the imperial city before. If Lu Zhu hadn't called the imperial physician earlier, I would have suspected that I was pregnant."
Chen Dingyao recalled that when she was pregnant with Yuan Zhao in her previous life, her reaction was even more intense than it was now. Apart from her round belly, she had lost a lot of weight.
"If I'm going to make you suffer so much, I hope the child won't come." He said, touching her belly.
In her previous life, giving birth to Yuan Zhao almost cost her half her life. After that, she was bedridden for a long time. At that time, she also took her anger out on Yuan Zhao, but Yuan Zhao looked more and more like her, so he unconsciously transferred his affection to her.
He admitted that he was selfish and cruel. Initially, he had intended to use the child to tie her up and win her back, but he later took his anger out on her because the child had damaged her body. His father was right. He was just that cold-hearted by nature. All his love was for one person, but he was extremely cruel to everyone else, not only his own brothers, but also his own children.
Zenzhen glared at him weakly: "What are you talking about, Your Majesty? I am not happy about this."
Retracting his thoughts from his past life, Chen Dingyao coaxed her, "I was just confused and talking nonsense. If Chan Zhen had my child, I would be overjoyed."
Chan Zhen didn't have the heart to argue with him about this anymore. She focused on looking at the scenery outside the window to divert her attention. After all, it wasn't the first or second time that His Majesty had been talking nonsense in front of her.
The Luan carriage traveled for more than half an hour before finally arriving at the palace.
There were many people on this trip, including concubines from the harem, princes and princesses, and some important officials from the previous dynasty.
Although His Majesty originally planned to bring only Chan Zhen into the harem, Chan Zhen was concerned about the heat in the imperial city and the discomfort faced by the concubines who stayed in the palace, so she asked for this grace.
Chen Dingyao agreed verbally, but in his heart he was thinking about arranging the others to live in a more secluded place so that they would not come out and get in his way.
Mingguang Palace, the largest of the palaces, sits at the very center of the imperial palace complex. Surrounded by flowing water, pavilions and corridors, it is dotted with exotic flowers and herbs, each vying for fragrance. As soon as Chan Zhen approached, he felt a gentle breeze on his face, refreshing his eyes and ears.
This is where she and His Majesty live.
The Imperial Palace was imposing and majestic at first glance, while the Temporary Palace was quiet and refined, a stark contrast to the Imperial Palace. If Chanzhen were to compare, she preferred the Temporary Palace's scenery. There were no endless walls surrounding it, only towering, steep mountains, which made her feel much more at ease.
Unfortunately, it is just a summer palace. After the beginning of autumn, the temperature here drops sharply and is much colder than the imperial palace. Chan Zhen can only stay here for two months at most.
While the palace servants were packing the clothes they had brought with them, Zenzhen took His Majesty for a walk nearby.
I looked up inadvertently and suddenly found that there seemed to be a Taoist temple halfway up the mountain, looming among the clouds.
Chen Dingyao followed her gaze and his eyes darkened slightly: "That's Ziyun Temple."
This dynasty believed in Taoism, and there were many Taoist temples with great popularity all over the country. Although Chan Zhen had no chance to visit a temple, he had heard that the largest Taoist temple in the country was Ziyun Temple, and that the owner, Taoist Xuanwei, was a master like a god, and was also quite respected among the royal family.
"Your Majesty, can you accompany me?" Zen Zhen asked.
However, His Majesty, who had always responded to her in every way, fell silent for the first time.
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