Chapter 353 Zhao Hede 14
"I received news yesterday that Zhaoyi's elder sister, Princess Gong, had successfully given birth to a son. As expected, the Empress Dowager Dingtao took the child away that same day, intending to raise him herself."
The foot that was kicking Yu Kezi's shoulder paused and asked, "Are you using the swaddling clothes I gave you for the baby?"
"Yes, mother said that Empress Dowager Dingtao had nightmares that night and could not sleep all night. She couldn't get up after just two days." After Yu Kezi said this, he immediately felt that Zhaoyi's mood had improved a lot, and he couldn't help feeling happy.
"Well done. Then what about the Queen and Ban Jieyu practicing witchcraft?"
Yu Kezi's lips curled up slowly, and his originally dull face suddenly became sharp. "Of course, the Empress and Ban Jieyu are jealous of you, the Concubine Zhaoyi, who monopolizes your favor. That's why they are trying to use witchcraft to win back His Majesty's favor."
As he spoke, Yu Kezi saw Hede still staring, so he thought for a moment and added, "Oh, in the previous dynasty, someone from the Wang family wrote a letter saying that Your Majesty's current lack of an heir was due to the Empress's lack of virtue. Naturally, the Empress was filled with resentment, so she also cursed the Grand Marshal and the Empress Dowager."
"It's a pretty good story, but if someone finds out about this, I won't protect you."
Zhao Hede rolled her eyes at her and stretched her feet in front of her.
Yu Kezi lowered his eyes, held Hede's feet with one hand, picked up the clogs on the ground with the other hand, carefully put the shoes on Zhaoyi, and followed Hede obediently.
"I must write to my sister, and send her some more tonics. When that old hag dies, she'll have time to come and see me."
………
After coming out of the Queen Mother Dingtao's bedroom, Zhao Feiyan looked exhausted. Her already slender figure became even thinner, and her face was full of sorrow, no longer as happy as before.
"Your Highness, you come here every day before dawn to take care of the Queen Mother, and you are always being bullied and scolded by her. If you continue like this, how can your body bear it? The Queen Mother will not let you see the little prince."
Yang, the palace maid whom Zhao Feiyan trusted the most, looked at her princess with a distressed look on her face. Although she knew that Zhao Feiyan would not listen, she still couldn't help but persuade her.
Feiyan shook her head repeatedly. "The Queen Mother has been unable to sleep lately and has fallen ill. This is why I have an excuse to come here every day. I might even run into the child one day. If the Queen Mother recovers from her illness, I'm afraid she won't even let me in."
"Why don't you go and ask His Royal Highness Prince Gong again? With his help, perhaps the Queen Mother will agree?"
"No, Your Highness has argued with the Queen Mother time and again over me. Rumors have even circulated in the palace that His Highness is unfilial. Now, I go to the Queen Mother's bedroom every day to tend to her. This allows me to see the child while also restoring our reputations. This is a good thing."
In just a few months, Zhao Feiyan was no longer as naive and foolish as she once was. She was strong-willed by nature, and she had always been weaker than the Empress Dowager Dingtao because of her long-standing fear, but these emotions disappeared when the child was taken away.
At this moment, she was like a lioness who had lost her child. She acted much more decisively and ruthlessly. After discovering that her husband was unable to take the child back from the Queen Mother, she forced herself to get out of bed on the third day after giving birth to serve the Queen Mother on the sickbed.
She was prone to losing weight, and taking care of the empress dowager these days was even more tiring. She used to be considered slim, but now at first glance she looked like just a bag of bones, even more sickly than the Empress Dowager Dingtao who was lying in bed. Not to mention outsiders, even the palace maids around the Empress Dowager Dingtao treated her much better.
"Your Highness, there's a letter from the palace."
Zhao Feiyan had just sat down to drink some water when she heard what Yang Gongren said. She quickly put down the water, snatched the letter, and unfolded it impatiently. She read the letter in her hand carefully word by word, and when she raised her head, tears fell.
"Your Highness, please stop crying. It hurts your eyes."
As Yang Gongren spoke, she presented a red sandalwood box. Feiyan opened it and found several bottles of pills sealed inside. She picked up one of the bottles of tonic medicine, confirmed that it had not been opened, and poured two pills into it.
I don’t know if it’s a psychological effect, but I really felt my body gradually warming up, unlike the past two days when I always felt like there was a hole in my body and I was always cold.
After dinner, Feiyan, who had originally planned to take a short rest, woke up and found herself lying on the bed. Prince Gong, who had returned at some point, was leaning against the bed and watching over her.
Zhao Feiyan slowly got up with the help of the bed. The sweet and dreamless sleep made her feel rarely satisfied and she felt much better.
Her movement also woke up Prince Gong beside her. The man narrowed his eyes, surprised to see her awake, and hurriedly said, "Quickly call the chief physician in."
After the chief physician finished taking the princess's pulse and confirmed that she was fine, Liu Kang finally relaxed. He hugged his wife in fear and said, "Fei Yan, you really scared me to death. Fortunately, you are okay, otherwise I would not know what to do."
"It's all Feiyan's fault. I made Your Highness worried."
Prince Gong shook his head, his expression filled with guilt and pity. "It's all my fault. I'm useless. I... couldn't protect you and the child, and could only let the Queen Mother embarrass you. If I had known this would happen, I would have taken you to the mountains and forests, saving you from the daily suffering of being confined to Dingtao Palace."
"As long as Your Highness is here, I don't feel any hardship."
Zhao Feiyan lay in Prince Gong's arms, her eyes filled with admiration and love. "If I could have won Your Highness's favor and given birth to a prince, I would have no regrets even if I died immediately. However, if that were to happen, Feiyan wouldn't dare nor would she want Your Highness to be left alone forever. I only ask Your Highness to consider our past friendship and allow my child to attend a ceremony to ease my longing for him."
"I don't allow you to say such things. You will definitely live a long life and grow old with me." Liu Kang comforted her again, but he was more determined in his heart.
No matter what, he could not bear to watch Feiyan become depressed and sick. Thinking of the Queen Mother Dingtao who also said that she was seriously ill but could not find the cause of the disease, he was even more convinced that his mother was deliberately making things difficult for Feiyan.
Thinking of this, Liu Kang plucked up his courage and ran to his mother's palace for the fourth time.
As soon as he entered, he happened to hear his mother's cold voice: "Since she is already dead, let her family drag her away."
Liu Kang felt a chill run down his spine at the emotionless words spoken by his mother.
"Kang'er, why are you here so late? Is the princess okay?"
Fu Yao was the first to notice her son's distraction. She was a little surprised, but then she realized, "Did the princess ask you to come here? Is it about Xin'er again?"
"Xin'er?"
"Well, I named this child Xin, which means joy. I hope this child will be safe and happy in the future, and everything will go well for him."
A warm smile appeared on Liu Kang's originally serious face. "Liu Xin, it is indeed a very good name. Mother, you are so thoughtful."
"This is my only grandson, your eldest son, so I naturally have to pay attention to him." Fu Yao said this, and a sickly flush appeared on her pale face. "When you, Kang'er, take the throne, Xin'er will be too..."
"Mother! Do you know what you are saying?"
Liu Kang interrupted Fu Yao in disbelief, "You've spent so many years cultivating yourself, ordering the careful construction of Dingtao Palace, and never mentioned those thoughts again. I thought you'd given up those absurd ideas long ago, so why are you saying such outrageous things now?"
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