Chapter 74 "Emperors Fighting for Food".
Chapter 74: Snatching Food ==
"Is Her Majesty the Empress inside?" The young emperor hadn't changed out of his dark dragon robe with cloud patterns; he must have rushed over after court. He asked in a gentle voice.
"Your Majesty, the Empress is inside," the wet nurse replied, her expression seemingly troubled.
Xiao Yu's expression darkened. He stepped inside. Behind the screen depicting a vast landscape, his wife leaned against the canopy bed, gently coaxing their infant daughter in her arms. Her white undergarment was open, revealing her snow-white, delicate skin, while their daughter was obediently suckling at her breasts.
Xiao Yu rubbed his temples and walked over to her. "Didn't we agree to have the wet nurse feed you?"
After her daughter was born, Su Wanyue wanted to breastfeed her herself, but considering her wife's weak health and the fact that the newborn was prone to crying, breastfeeding herself would be too much of a strain on her. So the emperor told Su Wanyue that the baby should be fed by a wet nurse. Imperial Physician Zhang also prepared the herbal medicine. However, the woman's breasts were still prone to swelling at first. The physician said that it would definitely be relieved in another half month. Therefore, the baby girl's breast milk was all taken away by the emperor.
Hearing him say that, Su Wanyue glared at him and retorted, "I'm her mother, what's wrong with feeding her once?"
"I am late. I will not hold those ministers accountable tomorrow." Xiao Yu smoothed the non-existent wrinkles on his robe, nodded casually, and sat down by the bed.
That's not what she meant at all...
The little girl, having eaten her fill, narrowed her beautiful eyes and uttered a soft, sweet voice, clearly very happy. Children usually want to sleep after eating and drinking their fill, so seeing this, Xiao Yu stood up and said, "Shouldn't she be sleeping? I'll take her to the wet nurse to take care of her."
Su Wanyue carefully handed the swaddled baby girl to him, saying, "Your Majesty, please be careful. If you wake her up, she will definitely cry again."
The little girl is usually very well-behaved, but if she gets hungry or is woken up while she's sleeping, she immediately bursts into tears and no one can soothe her.
Xiao Yu glanced at his wife, hummed in agreement, handed the baby girl in swaddling clothes to the wet nurse, and returned to the bedroom. He saw his wife wiping her chest with a handkerchief, and a storm brewed in his phoenix eyes. "Let me do it."
So the handkerchief in Su Wanyue's hand ended up in the man's hand. Xiao Yu skillfully soaked the handkerchief in hot water, wrung it out, and then covered his wife's chest with it. Su Wanyue's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she closed her eyes a little.
"You still feel very uncomfortable," Xiao Yu asked, taking in her expression.
Su Wanyue quickly opened her eyes and glanced at him, her tone even faster, and with a hint of reproach.
"Husband, hurry up."
Xiao Yu stared thoughtfully at her flushed face, then suddenly understood. He gently but firmly pressed the hot towel against his wife's face, and the pain and tingling sensation instantly subsided. Su Wanyue's tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed. Once he was sure she was no longer in pain, the man lowered his head and gently licked her.
He treated her as if she were savoring a delicacy, controlling his strength gently and skillfully so as not to make her feel uncomfortable. Only after confirming that there was nothing left did he raise his head and solemnly wipe his wife's fair and delicate body. At this moment, his wife's cheeks were like peach blossoms in April, and her eyes were misty and fleeting, but she would not look at Xiao Yu.
The young emperor raised an eyebrow and helped his wife adjust her clothes. "Wanwan, there's no need to be shy. You're not feeling well, and I'm happy to help you."
"Then I should thank my husband?" Su Wanyue raised her eyebrows slightly and asked in a soft voice.
“There’s no need for thanks between husband and wife.” Xiao Yu poured himself a cup of cool tea and looked at her with a smile. “If Wanwan really wants to thank me, then I’ll make it up to her when she’s fully recovered.”
Unable to argue with him, Su Wanyue stopped talking. She then brought up another matter with Xiao Yu, "Seventh Sister came today. I think Seventh Sister might have feelings for Lord Nan. Husband, you can keep an eye on it."
Xiao Yu nodded slightly, his slender fingers brushing through his wife's dark hair. "Nan Qiong wrote that your brother will be coming to Bei Li next month."
Su Wanyue and Qin Jue, siblings, have always had a good relationship. Hearing that her brother could come, Su Wanyue's almond-shaped eyes lit up with a smile. Xiao Yu cupped her face and kissed her on the lips, saying, "So happy."
With so many people she cares about, the number of places left for him is dwindling, and the emperor felt a pang of jealousy.
"Of course I'm happy that my brother can come."
Xiao Yu gently stroked her dark hair. He wondered if his brother-in-law would bring other people with him this time. Xiao Yu's expression deepened, but he didn't show it to his wife.
Of course, he was careless last time, but he certainly won't be careless this time. He will firmly protect his wife and the person who should belong to him.
===
Qin Jue stepped into Bei Li again half a month before the New Year. Xie Cheng and Zhou Heng were the people who came to greet him at the city gate. Qin Jue first asked Zhou Heng about his sister's situation, and then went to the Nanwang Mansion to visit the Nanwang.
Initially, Su Wanyue and Xiao Yu planned to bring the Prince of the South to Beili, but the Empress of Nanqiong refused. After all, the Prince of the South was a member of the royal family and a general who could fight on the battlefield. If he went to Beili, who would the Empress of Nanqiong consult if anything happened? Qin Jue said that the Imperial Uncle was already at the age where he should enjoy family life. If he continued to stay in Nanqiong, he would truly become a lonely person. Perhaps feeling guilty, the Empress of Nanqiong agreed.
The Prince of Nan's Mansion is right next to the Prince of Cheng's Mansion. Its layout and arrangement are very exquisite, just like the Prince of Nan's Mansion in Nanqiong. Qin Jue looked at it and remained silent for a moment. This emperor of Beili not only treats his sister with care, but also treats the people around his sister with care.
Qin Jue took a sip of tea, looked at his radiant uncle, and asked, "Uncle, are you settling in well in Bei Li?"
"At first, I was definitely not used to it, but I got used to it completely later. After all, Wanwan is my only blood relative in this world."
If it weren't for the daughter he still had to raise, the Prince of Nan would have surely gone with his wife. Qin Jue understood his unspoken meaning and smiled, "Just as you said, Uncle, the reunion of father and daughter is more important than any wealth, fame, or fortune. Uncle, you must have seen Xi Xi by now, right?"
When Bei Li wrote to Qin Jue that the little princess's name was Xiao Chengxi, Qin Jue was taken aback. Logically speaking, since his sister and the emperor had such a good relationship, they shouldn't only have one child. But then Qin Jue thought about it again. Pregnancy is already a painful experience for women, and the emperor certainly didn't want his sister to suffer anymore. So you can see how precious this little girl is.
Qin Jue had already sent the gifts he wanted to deliver to the palace. After seeing the Prince of Nan, he was also preparing to go to the palace.
"When Xixi was a month old, I went to the palace to see her. She is just like Wanwan, especially her eyes," the Prince of Nan said with a gentle smile. Not to mention that the Empress Dowager adored her, the Prince of Nan was also reluctant to let go of his little granddaughter when he held her.
"My sister's beauty is already stunning, and Xixi has inherited her looks, so she's bound to be a beauty in the future." Qin Jue smiled and echoed the words of the Prince of Nan. He still remembered when his sister was a child and served as a companion in the palace, all the young noblemen in the capital tried their best to win her favor, but they dared not be too abrupt because of her status.
After chatting with the Prince of Nan for a while, Qin Jue finally went to the palace with his eunuch. He had thought he would have to see His Majesty before he could see his sister, but to his surprise, his sister was in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Before he even entered, he heard the little girl's giggles, and Qin Jue couldn't help but smile as well. Eunuch Zhou went in to report to Qin Jue, and a moment later, he came out and said, "Crown Prince Qin, His Majesty and the Empress invite you in."
"Your Majesty, sister." Qin Jue followed Eunuch Zhou inside. As if sensing someone's approach, the little girl in Su Wanyue's arms looked around.
"Please have a seat, elder brother." Xiao Yu slightly raised his hand. "Serve some tea."
Su Wanyue put down the rattle drum in her hand and said to her gently, "Xixi, this is your uncle."
The little girl was only a little over a month old. Although she couldn't understand what her mother was saying, she still cooperating by babbling. Qin Jue got up and came to her, taking out a small toy from his lotus-shaped sleeve to tease the little girl. "Xixi, I'm your uncle."
The little girl opened her hand to take it, but Qin Jue moved it slightly away. Unable to reach it, the little girl waved her lotus root-like hands and laughed crisply, as if she knew that Qin Jue was just playing with her.
Qin Jueqing's face was full of smiles. Seeing the lively and well-behaved little princess reminded him of his younger sister when she was young. Now, this is the best time.
Upon arriving in the capital, Qin Jue did not stay at the post station but instead stayed temporarily at the Prince of Nan's residence.
Many things happened in the capital that year. On New Year's Eve, the Seventh Princess and Nan Shao asked His Majesty to grant them a marriage, and Qin Ruofu was very satisfied.
***
In the winter of the second year of Chengxi's reign, the capital city was blanketed in a heavy snowfall, a symbol of a bountiful harvest. Coincidentally, the next day was Princess Xiao Chengxi's first birthday banquet. His Majesty announced a tax reduction and a general amnesty during the morning court session.
Su Wanyue did not appear at the princess's full moon banquet last time, but at the princess's first birthday banquet this time, the ladies naturally came to the Jiaofang Palace to pay their respects to the Empress, saying, "This humble woman greets Your Majesty the Empress."
"Ladies, please rise."
The ladies raised their heads and saw the Empress at the head of the table, dressed in a bright red peony and phoenix robe, her hair styled in a high bun, adorned with golden phoenix hairpins. Her skin was already fair, but the red color made it appear even whiter. Her eyebrows and eyes were like dark ink, her face was beautiful, and a faint smile played on her lips. She was truly more radiant and charming than the peonies in the courtyard.
The ladies exchanged glances, wondering why the Empress seemed even more beautiful after giving birth to the princess.
Half an hour later, Xiao Yu arrived at Jiaofang Palace, and the wet nurse brought out the little princess. The little princess could already walk. As soon as she saw Su Wanyue, she struggled to get down from the wet nurse's arms, and said in a childish voice, "Mother."
The wet nurse, afraid that she would fall, quickly put her down, saying, "Princess, be careful."
The little girl was shorter than a person's thigh and walked with a stumbling gait, making the ladies hold their breath in fear that she would fall. Su Wanyue steadily picked up the exquisitely beautiful little girl, whose laughter was like the sound of silver bells, and kissed Su Wanyue on the cheek.
The emperor looked at his wife and daughters with a gentle expression, and then the group moved to the imperial garden.
The items for the princess's first birthday banquet, which were drawn by lot, were prepared by the Imperial Household Department. They included writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, rouge, jade, gold, silver, and precious stones, as well as musical instruments, chess, poetry, and paintings. The Prince of the South added a sword, while the Emperor and Empress added... an imperial seal. Everyone was astonished.
The entire Imperial Garden was filled with people craning their necks, all eager to see what the little princess would grab.
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