Chapter 79 The bet is good
In truth, Qingzan had never dreamed of a life filled with wedding candles and wedding ceremonies. Back when she was working for the old lady, she'd heard a young maid she worked with dream about the days of wedding candles swaying in the sky, and her husband painting her eyebrows.
Wife. This word is even more strange and distant, not only to her, but also to the emperor of a dynasty, isn't it the same?
Maybe she shouldn't blame him so strongly. Even a saint and emperor is still a mortal. As a mortal, it is impossible for him to do whatever he wants and he has to succumb to the fate.
Qing Zan's hands dropped to her side, grabbing a pleat of her brocade skirt, and she talked about many irrelevant things: "How has Lingxi been these past two days?"
The emperor replied, "The rash has subsided."
He had visited her twice. Lingxi was born prematurely and weighed less than an ordinary baby. He felt a little less solid when holding her, as if she were a ball made of frost and snow. Anyone who could do such a thing to a baby, no matter who he was or for whose sake, should not be kept.
Qing Zan asked again, "How is Concubine Hui's investigation going?"
The emperor continued, "There has been no activity these past two days, but I suspect we haven't gained anything."
Qingzan sighed unconsciously. If the case was really traced back to Concubine Zhao, Concubine Hui would probably be in a dilemma now. She was a poisonous snake back then, and now she is a pollen. She tried her best to take care of the palace affairs for the Zheng and Zhao families, but she was defeated by her careless cousin time and time again.
And Concubine Ming Shu, so preoccupied with her son's schemes, made him the easiest target for others to exploit. Most people in this world, it turns out, always end up going in circles, with things going against their wishes.
Qing Zan said calmly, "Today is your Majesty's birthday. It only comes once a year. I will accompany your Majesty to have a bowl of birthday noodles."
She wanted to open the door to give the kitchen instructions, but then she remembered it was locked from the outside. She had no choice but to push open the window and lean out. She saw Doukou and Suoying in the courtyard, seemingly trying to rescue her. Xun Huan and her maidservant were guarding the door like a hen protecting her chicks, preventing them from approaching. The two sides were battling each other, and the festive atmosphere of the previous few days, which had faded, was rekindled by this playful banter.
Qingzan was reluctant to speak up to greet them and interrupt the moment, but fortunately Doukou saw her first, quickly slipped away, and ran over in small steps.
After Qingzan told her to make the longevity noodles, she pointed at the door with her eyes. Doukou understood and nodded quietly to her, intending to steal the key from Xun Huan later.
Before the window was even closed, her body sank into a deep, warm embrace. The emperor embraced her from behind, his palms resting lightly on her swollen belly. As he lowered his head, his nose and lips brushed against her ear. "Do you agree, huh?"
Qingzan hurriedly loosened and pushed her fingertips that were clinging to the edge of the window frame, blocking the eyes outside the window.
But he didn't answer him.
Seeing her remaining silent, the emperor lowered his eyes to glance at her belly, and a plan came to his mind: "Would you like to make a bet with me?"
Qing Zan hesitated and asked, "What bet?"
Xiao Fang smiled gently and said, "Let's use the child in the womb as a gamble. Using this essence of heaven and earth, this newborn pearl, to determine the future of its parents, how about that?"
This bet seemed fair to both parties, but Qing Zan felt that if she made the bet with him, she would be fooled. Her once unbreakable will suddenly became a 50-50 possibility.
Xiao Fang provoked him, "Why, you don't dare to gamble with me on fate?"
Qingzan bit her lip and thought, let's just leave it to fate. It was fate that my mother met Duan Ruoxu, and it was fate that she met the late emperor. Her meeting the emperor was also fate's influence. Perhaps if it all ended in fate, he would give up completely.
"Then why not make a bet on odd or even? If it's twins, I'll start all over again, Your Majesty. If it's a single, we...will be even from now on."
Xiao Fang sneered and said, "You have a good idea."
Qing Zan: "Your Majesty, do you still remember the wandering sorcerer I met in childhood? He once said that I was destined to have a son and a daughter. Your Majesty, are you really not betting on twins?"
The emperor's voice fell intimately into her ears, and he said hoarsely, "It's hard to have twins. I can't bear to let you give birth to them."
"If Qingqing really believes it, why don't you bet on it?"
Qingzan smiled faintly, and seeing that she couldn't deceive him, she no longer insisted.
Then just leave it to fate for once. After all, going against fate is always too difficult and painful.
She made up her mind and said, "Very well, if this baby is a girl, please let me go from the palace. I don't want my daughter to be born into an imperial family. There was Zhaojun in the Han Dynasty who was sent as an envoy to the frontier, and there was Wencheng in the Tang Dynasty who married into the desert. Once they received a salary, they had to shoulder the responsibility of a country. I can't bear to see her like that, so I beg Your Majesty to let us live as ordinary people, mother and daughter, and live ordinary lives."
Xiao Fang listened to every word, and then agreed thoughtfully: "Okay, what if it's a son?"
Suddenly, his palm covering her abdomen trembled in surprise, and he felt a rhythm under his palm, like the beating of a small drum from the inside out, as if playing and responding to him.
Is this fetal movement?
While feeling delighted, he also nervously checked the expression of the woman in his arms, fearing that the movement would cause her pain. However, he saw that she seemed to be accustomed to it, and was just breathing slightly, probably because she was tired of standing with her hands on her stomach.
But even though she was tired, she refused to lean on his arms. She didn't have to force herself to hold on. He was right behind her, ready to support her at any time.
The emperor's heart can accommodate all nations and rivers, but now he can't even wait for a little girl.
Qingzan not only did not collapse into the emperor's arms, she did not even say as the emperor wished that if he were the prince, she would reconcile with him. She only said: "Your Majesty, you ask knowingly."
The emperor could only think positively. At least this moment of hugging was enough to relieve his endless longing.
But he didn't even dare to restrain her, for fear of disturbing her. He didn't dare to explore the beautiful place that was within his reach, but he was already intoxicated.
Just a moment longer.
After a moment, he laughed and said, "I want to hear you say it yourself, is that not possible?"
Just at this moment, there was a knock on the door. Qingzan finally woke up with a start and pulled herself out of the emperor's arms.
Doukou opened the door, quickly placed a bowl of fragrant longevity noodles on the long table covered with a bright red brocade tablecloth, and then quickly left.
A large bowl of noodles was served on two small plates and two pairs of chopsticks. Qingzan, feeling uncomfortable with the emperor's gaze, took the initiative to sit down and pick the noodles from the large bowl, dividing them between the two bowls. She smiled palely and said, "I've never tasted longevity noodles since I was a child. This time, I'm doing you a favor, Your Majesty."
Since it was longevity noodles, they were served endlessly, reeking of everyday life. It didn't quite contrast with the festive atmosphere, but they served the same purpose. The emperor was happy to share his meal with her, wrapping it in a few green onions and finishing it without a frown.
Even though what he really wanted to share with her was the golden cup of honeyed wine and the wedding wine, he knew that the fact that they could spend this moment together peacefully was because she was doing it for his birthday.
Then the palace servants came in and helped the emperor rinse his mouth. The emperor threw away his handkerchief and dismissed everyone. When only the two of them were left, he spoke in a deep voice, "Qing Zan."
Qingzan raised her eyes: "What's wrong?"
Xiao Fang didn't say anything, but just thought that it would probably be impossible to let her become an ordinary citizen in this life.
If he can't do it, then neither can she.
It was not until Xu Delu came over to urge him that the banquet was about to begin at Wu Yu Tower that the emperor reluctantly got up.
When he left, Qingzan was still sitting at the desk. He called her name and took advantage of the moment when she turned her head to kiss her between the eyebrows. However, Qingzan saw through his intention and put her hand on her forehead first.
The emperor's kiss continued to fall on the back of her hand, which was as delicate and thin as glaze.
Perhaps because he had rinsed his mouth and wiped the water off with a handkerchief, the kiss seemed exceptionally gentle and dry.
It seemed like the emperor's sincerity and restraint, without any trace of lustful dampness or heat.
After the emperor left, Xu Delu glanced at the almost empty noodle soup and saw a few green onion tips floating in it. He immediately thought something was wrong. He had been busy trying to find out from both ends and was focused on what was happening in Wu Yu Tower. He had even forgotten to tell the chef not to throw onions in the soup, as His Majesty never eats that stuff!
But if you take another look at the shiny bottom of the bowl, you will realize that whether you know it or not is not that important.
The important thing is that this is given to Your Majesty by the noble concubine.
*
After the banquet, the Emperor summoned Imperial Physician Lin to the Taiji Hall. Originally, Imperial Physician Fang had been in charge of Qingzan's pregnancy, but under duress, he had confessed to nearly collaborating with the Empress to frame someone for a false pregnancy. The Emperor, of course, would not allow such a person to remain with Qingzan, so he appointed Imperial Physician Lin instead.
Imperial Physician Lin would go to Chengluan Palace every few days and report to the emperor from time to time.
"How sure are you?" the emperor asked.
The old doctor stroked his long white beard and pointed with a profound tone, "Thirty to fifty percent."
The emperor, who was originally reading on the Arhat couch, suddenly looked up and slammed the scroll onto the couch beside him. His eyes were sharp and pointed: "There are only two options for having a child: a boy or a girl. I don't even need to feel the pulse to know that there is a 50% chance of each. But you are so lucky, only 30% to 50%?"
Doctor Lin bowed his head hurriedly, not daring to say anything more. "It's based on the half and half, plus another 30% to 50%."
Xiao Fang understood something, his eyes narrowed and he said, "So you are deliberately trying to fool me."
Doctor Lin was horrified, bowing even lower. He said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I dare not do this. It is just that we have always had a relationship with both men and women. This is the virtue of doctors!"
If he hadn't noticed Master Ying was feeling a bit depressed when he cut off her pulse a while ago, he would have thought that His Majesty was too embarrassed to be embarrassed when interacting with others, and that was why he was giving her the cold shoulder while secretly caring about her. He thought that if he told His Majesty that the baby was a prince, perhaps His Majesty would be more considerate of the pregnant woman... He would never bring it up on his own initiative.
But Your Majesty seemed calm at the time, not caring about the man or woman. Why does he seem to be interested now?
Doctor Lin said in a deep voice, "You don't know, some families in the countryside, once they know the gender of a baby, if it's a girl, they will kill it in the mother's womb as soon as possible, so that she can have another child..."
Emperor: "Oh? I heard that ordinary doctors can't tell the gender of a baby?"
Doctor Lin replied, "A doctor's heart is like a parent's. Sometimes, even if they can make a diagnosis, it becomes impossible."
Traditional Chinese Medicine is so profound that it can tell a person's diet and lifespan at a glance, so how could it be helpless in this matter? But if the rumor that observation, auscultation, questioning, and palpation alone can't determine the gender of a baby was true, then there would be fewer babies dying in the womb.
The emperor nodded slightly, then suddenly remembered something: "This matter must not be told to the noble concubine."
Doctor Lin asked confusedly, "Why?"
The emperor once again held the book in one hand, picked up a page, and flipped through it leisurely, lowering his thin eyelids in a secretive tone: "Just think of it as a doctor's love for you."
She had chosen the man and woman first, so it couldn't be considered as him cheating her. Besides, if she knew him a little better, she would know that whether he could keep her or not was a matter of fate.
…
After leaving Taiji Hall, Imperial Physician Lin thought it would be a good opportunity to stop by Chengluan Palace to take the patient's pulse. If the mother wasn't healthy, the child would suffer. Princess Lingxi was already frail, and he had to take good care of Concubine Ying's child at all costs.
Who would have thought that just as his buttocks touched the cushion of the Zhaoshui Palace, Imperial Physician Lin heard the woman sitting opposite him ask, "I would like to ask, Imperial Physician, at this time of year, can you tell whether the baby in my belly is a boy or a girl?"
Imperial Physician Lin was taken aback, his brow furrowed in thought, sensing something was amiss. Why were both the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine asking about this today?
However, the emperor's warnings, which were both kind and severe, are still fresh in our minds, and just thinking about them makes us tremble with fear.
The imperial physician wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his sleeve and responded carefully, "I wonder if the noble concubine is hoping for a prince or a princess?"
It was late at night and the lights were on. The young palace maid with black bun and green clothes had trimmed the candle wick. She lowered her eyes and thought of the bet with the emperor, and there was a bit of difficulty between her lips and teeth.
The shadow of her long eyelashes cast a long shadow over her snowy cheeks before she softly said, "All is well."
-----------------------
The author has something to say: Let us congratulate the dog for seeing a little ray of hope [sunglasses]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
