Chapter 83 The Prince's Unwavering Devotion
The imperial edict had already been issued, but Qingzan's current health problems meant the enthronement ceremony had been postponed until June. Furthermore, she couldn't bear to leave Chengluan Palace anytime soon, so the emperor ordered the renovation of Fengzao Palace, allowing Qingzan to remain in Chengluan Palace to await her birth.
But everyone had already changed their address to calling her the Queen.
It was unprecedented for the queen not to live in the imperial palace.
Qingzan sometimes asked the emperor if doing so was a bit willful.
Seeing her so worried, Xiao Fang felt both worried and happy. He didn't want her to have to worry more because of him, but he also felt that she was considering him, which made him feel a little sweet.
He certainly advised her not to do so: "The palace is your home. You can live wherever you want. Even if it's Taiji Palace, why not?"
Qing Zan immediately saw through the emperor's wishful thinking. She walked across the soft carpet in the bedroom and said angrily, "Who wants to live in Taiji Hall?"
But she also knew that the side hall in Taiji Hall where she once lived had always maintained its original appearance, waiting for lovers.
In just one year, he had the privilege of having three burrows and no longer had to wander around.
The emperor gathered her into his arms. He had every counter and table in the Zhaoshui Palace's bedroom covered with velvet, as he felt most assured that she would remain here peacefully to await her birth.
Besides, the Taiji Palace has too many people coming and going. If someone with ill intentions deliberately approaches her, wouldn't it be impossible to guard against them?
Anyway, he comes here every night, no matter how far away he is.
When he thought about it this way, he suddenly felt that maybe he was the one who made her defenseless. With this thought, the emperor couldn't help but lower his eyes and smiled.
The woman sitting on his lap immediately raised her goose-fat neck slightly, trying to check his expression alertly and confusedly.
The two of them looked up and down, their eyes meeting at the same time.
The following whispering was as passionate as boiling water in an instant, without the long process of gradually heating up. To reach the top, they intertwined their fingers and kissed each other.
Qingzan's hair was tied up in a loose and casual bun today. Chanyi said that combing it too tightly would hurt the scalp. When a strand of fragrant black hair fell in front of her eyes, she couldn't move her hands or exert any strength to deal with it.
Unfortunately, the emperor's hands were also very busy at this moment. One hand gripped hers more and more tightly, while the other hand, with its knuckles as sharp as bamboo shoots, was stretched out to support her behind her back, helping her share the burden of pregnancy.
So he actually used his nose to push away the strand of hair and rubbed it under her ear. Qingzan even heard an intoxicating inhalation sound like a deep sniff. In an instant, half of her face and neck seemed to be electrified, numb and tingling, making her almost tremble with moan.
It was April at that time, the spring air was surging and the fragrant breeze filled the city.
April is also the season when peonies are in full bloom. The next day, the emperor sent over a dozen pots of peonies to decorate the courtyard.
In fact, there is no shortage of rare flowers in the yard. The people below almost continuously offer the most beautiful and seasonal flowers, as if the Chengluan Palace has the most noble soil, which is enough to make all the flowers bloom in full splendor.
But this was a thoughtful gesture after all, so Doukou and Suoying held the green hairpins on both sides and carefully helped the person out.
The eunuch who delivered the flowers immediately introduced the names of the flowers like announcing the names of dishes.
When Doukou first heard that some pots were called "Qingxin Beauty", she heard it as "Qingxin Beauty" and blushed, saying, "This is too straightforward!"
The young eunuch thought for a moment and realized that she had misheard, so he hurriedly explained, "This is a new variety that His Majesty ordered our greenhouse to improve and cultivate. Although the outer circle of petals is pink and white, the center of the flower is green, which just matches the Empress' maiden name. Please have a look, aunt." As he spoke, he reached out and picked up the nearest pot on the ground, pulled it forward, and invited people to take a closer look.
Doukou: "Alright, alright, put it down now, don't waste your energy, be careful!"
She gave each of the coolies who were moving the flowers a piece of money for tea and sent them away.
The steps in front of the hall were lined with peonies, jasmine, hibiscus, and azaleas, all of which were either rare or novel. They stretched all the way to the center of the courtyard, leaving no room for the peony. Qingzan walked all the way to the bottom of the steps and finally got a close look at the beautiful Qingxin woman.
When I lowered my head to look at the flowers, I felt a sharp pain in my waist.
The pain seemed to spread from deep within her body. Qingzan was in so much pain that she could hardly speak and dared not move. Fortunately, the palace servants saw that something was wrong and had already surrounded her tightly.
Pingting hurriedly instructed, "The master is about to give birth. Hurry up and call for help. Call the imperial physician and the midwife, and also call Chanyi!"
The remaining palace maids supported Qing Zan and walked into the palace, but the waves of pain still made it difficult for them to walk.
Qingzan actually didn't suffer much since she became pregnant. Even during the most depressing period, she didn't feel such suffocating pain.
At this moment, the crowd suddenly fell silent. The palace servants had all seen the arrival of the newcomer, yet they were all extremely nervous. They didn't dare to let go of their master, but they were also instinctively intimidated by the majesty of the heavens. They were all stunned and unable to react.
It was only a moment, and after a moment, a pair of big hands broke through the silence and picked up the pale-faced woman.
The palace servants finally regained their ability to think, and they all felt relieved, rejoicing that the emperor had come so that their masters would suffer less.
Amidst the noise of people talking, Qingzan could only hear the silence of the world.
She asked, "Why is Your Majesty here?"
At this moment, I suddenly felt like crying.
It is said that a mother is strong. Before meeting him, she had learned how to be tough and endure pain patiently. But just when she felt a little powerless and a little scared, he appeared beside her.
He taught her to be strong time and time again, but he also indulged her weakness time and time again.
At this hour, at any other time, the emperor's court meeting would not have ended yet. She never expected him to show up, so it was no wonder she was surprised.
Xiao Fang answered every question: "Didn't you say it would be around in the next two days?"
Qingzan's body had undergone some changes in the past two days, and she secretly guessed that she was about to give birth. However, the discomfort was very mild and did not affect her daily life at all. She did not disturb others, thinking of observing for another two days and asking Chanyi, so she casually mentioned it to the emperor.
I didn't expect that this day would come so soon.
What Qing Zan didn't know was that because of this sentence, the ministers were forced to improve their efficiency during the morning court sessions over the past two days. The emperor, who used to keep his emotions to himself and rely on others to guess what he was thinking, now said it clearly:
"My wife is about to give birth, I don't have time to waste with you."
The ministers could only condense their language and quickly and efficiently pick out important matters to report. Before submitting the report, they had to weigh carefully whether it was necessary to report the matter to the emperor or whether they could solve it themselves.
For the emperor, the most important person is undoubtedly his queen.
In fact, it takes some time from the start to the actual start of delivery. All the palace servants in Chengluan Palace have been arranged in an orderly manner. Qingzan drank a bowl of honey water and half-reclined to rest.
Xiao Fang was even more nervous than her. He sat beside her and stared at her intently.
The midwives were all very experienced and had delivered countless babies. They were not very nervous at first, but with the emperor watching them right in front of them, they became inexplicably nervous and anxious.
One of them tried to persuade the emperor to step out and take a break. In the past, few men were willing to accompany women during childbirth, let alone stay with them like this. It wasn't that other husbands were unkind, but they were all bound by ancestral rituals, and those rituals often declared the delivery room unclean.
But the person in front of him is the emperor. What kind of etiquette and laws can suppress the emperor?
The midwife said politely, "Your Majesty, I think it will take a while. It wouldn't be a problem if you go out and rest for a while. I will send someone to call you when the Empress is about to give birth."
The emperor, however, stood firm as a rock, not moving an inch.
Just thinking of something, he suddenly said: "Under any circumstances, protecting her is the most important thing."
At this moment, Xiao Fang suddenly reconciled with his previous emotional knot.
He was once dissatisfied with being a tool for his father to compensate his mother, unwilling to be a vassal under the word "Yuan", and suffered from the fact that no matter how he performed, he could not get real recognition.
But when it was his turn, he wasn't much better.
It's just that he was speaking from the heart, not out of guilt after weighing the pros and cons.
He suddenly felt lucky that she had discovered the truth of that old case, saving him from being trapped by it for the rest of his life. Even when he was in love with her, he had to make many calculations, worry, and be uneasy.
The midwife had no idea that the emperor had so many twists and turns in his mind, but she understood as soon as she heard what the emperor meant. He meant that the fetus in the womb was not as important as the mother, and he wanted them to try their best to minimize harm to the mother.
But there is no danger at the moment, so why should we consider protecting the big and the small?
Qingzan had originally wanted to conserve her strength, but now she finally had to open her eyes. She turned around and angrily dismissed him, saying, "Your Majesty, are you cursing me? Please get out of here! You're making everyone else nervous!"
After saying that, he turned his head and lay on his back. In fact, he was a little nervous.
The emperor was unusually persistent: "I will not leave."
He took her hand and clasped it with his palms.
Qingzan closed her eyes resignedly.
The lump of flesh and blood in his stomach seemed to sense something and stopped testing the patience of the people in the hall. He stretched himself and wanted to come out.
…
Qingzan fought and fought with all her might, but in the end she fainted with a cry.
When she woke up, the baby was not there, nor was the emperor. Only Doukou and Suoying were standing by her bed, one on each side.
She wanted to smile at them to let them know she was safe, but for a moment she didn't know whether to smile to the left or to the right.
Somehow, between the great joy and anticipation, there was also a hint of indescribable fatigue and emptiness in my heart.
Subtly noticeable.
Suo Ying seemed to have been crying, her voice a little hoarse. She smiled and said, "Sister is finally awake. She suffered so much this time, we must make up for it! Fortunately, the little prince was sensible and didn't stay out. Otherwise, I would definitely beat him up to avenge my sister!"
As soon as she opened her mouth, the emperor came in from outside.
The two little girls were driven out.
I just happened to go get the tonic soup that was hot on the stove.
Xiao Fang walked to the bedside and said, "I was afraid of disturbing you, so I read some memorials outside for a while."
Qingzan finally asked the question that she hadn't had time to ask Suoying and Doukou: "Is it a boy or a girl?"
Xiao Fang teased her, "It's a little fox. I had him hidden."
Qingzan was still barely breathing, but her expression showed she was trying hard: "Is that a male or female fox?"
Xiao Fang couldn't bear to teach her to speak any more, so he smiled and said, "It's the little prince. You can't leave. Should I have someone bring him here?"
Qingzan just nodded, but in fact she didn't really care whether it was a boy or a girl. After all, he was her baby, and she couldn't wait to see him right now.
"Has Your Majesty decided on a name for him?"
Before the wet nurse could bring the baby over, Xiao Fang leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "Thank you for your hard work, Madam. You have done a great job this time. But I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you again. Shall we decide on a name together?"
Qingzan was of course willing to do so.
Chang.
She finally chose this character from a number of auspicious characters that symbolize grandeur and brightness. The prince's name should be composed of "Huai" and "Ri", so the little prince was called Huaichang.
Xiao Fang: "Eternal day?"
Qingzan held the little baby in her arms, stretched out a finger to tease it, and the baby wrapped her fingertip with its entire fist.
Qingzan's heart was filled with joy that almost overflowed: "Chang is happy, I hope Chang'er can be happy and content in this life and get what he wants."
Xiao Fang naturally agreed. He also hoped that the mother and son would live a happy and comfortable life and get what they wanted.
But Yongri’s intention is also very good.
Isn't she his eternal sunshine?
Brilliant and everlasting.
*
After recuperating for a few days, Qingzan began to think about the arrangements for the palace maids in Chengluan Palace. She had previously thought that if she could leave the palace, she would naturally ask the emperor for an imperial decree to allow those who wished to leave the palace to leave, and those who wished to continue serving in the palace to be assigned to good places.
But now that she couldn't leave, there was no rush. Some things didn't need to be said openly, so she asked Suoying and Doukou to tell the palace maids privately that if anyone didn't want to waste their time in the palace, they could come to her. As master and servant, she would naturally find a way for them.
If you have other difficulties, you don't have to endure or hide them, just come to her.
Now she is no longer as weak and powerless as before, but she asks herself that it is not the work of one person to get to this day safely. Now that she is the empress and has the phoenix seal in her hand, she is willing to be their benefactor.
How is this not considered enjoying the benefits of palace power?
Many people came to visit during this period, and Concubine Ming Shu also came with the eldest prince in her arms.
"Huaixuan was clamoring to see you one moment, and then his brother the next. He couldn't concentrate on his studies. I really had no choice but to come and join in the fun."
"Please forgive me, Your Majesty the Queen?"
Qingzan had heard many people call her Empress Dowager and thought she was gradually getting used to it, but this was the first time that Concubine Ming Shu called her that.
When their eyes met, Qingzan noticed that Concubine Ming Shu seemed to have something to say, so she asked the wet nurse to take the eldest prince to see his younger brother.
When they were alone, Concubine Ming Shu said, "Even if you had a good mother who helped you ascend to the throne, I wouldn't be completely convinced. It's just that in terms of virtue and talent, you are better than others."
"I didn't know that my brother had planted someone around Zhao. He was stripped of his power and left the capital. I don't know when we'll see each other again. I can't be sure if he really instructed that palace servant to instigate Zhao to attack Lingxi. But I definitely won't."
"The outcome between you and me is still undecided. Huaixuan is the eldest son, and Huaichang is the legitimate son. Can we still compete fairly?"
Qing Zan smiled, neither saying yes nor no, but simply said with a faint smile: "It depends on the child's feelings. It's not up to adults to decide who wins or loses in a child's matter. When they grow up, they can take it away by themselves."
Concubine Ming Shu also smiled with relief.
She thought about it for a long time before saying these words to her, because she was sure that once the person in front of her opened his mouth, the emperor would definitely offer the throne to her.
As the Son of Heaven, he actually has weaknesses.
However, now that someone has said this, Huaixuan is not without any chance. Even if it is only 10% or 20%, it is enough, and he can still hold his destiny in his own hands.
*
Qingzan can't stand the wind now, so she has added several layers of gauze on the windows. When the room needs ventilation, she moves to another bedroom.
But spring waits for no one, and this narrow room can no longer hold her.
Xiao Fang could only coax him: "Be good and take a rest. I have a gift for you."
It would have been fine if he hadn't said it, but after he said it, Qingzan became curious. Now that she had everything she needed, what gift would he give her?
Unable to withstand repeated interrogation, the emperor finally confessed. He ordered an abandoned nunnery not far from her mother's tomb to be taken over by the royal family and renamed it Shuyun Nunnery. In the name of her mother, all orphans and weak girls in the world were taken in. Anyone who was in distress could ask for a bowl of porridge in the nunnery to tide them over.
He asked her if she was satisfied, "Don't you plan to use all the money I give you to build a charity hall when you leave the palace one day?"
Qing Zan was surprised and asked, "How did Your Majesty know?"
Xiao Fang: "You can't wait to ask me how much money it will take to set up the charity hall. How can I not guess?"
Qingzan was not embarrassed when the truth was revealed: "Then Your Majesty, take me to see it."
When he didn't respond, she would pull his sleeve, and even occasionally bend down to do it.
Xiao Fang was pleased with it, but he refused to buy it, insisting, "Wait until after the ceremony of establishing the queen."
The ceremony to establish the queen is scheduled for June. The ceremony will be as grand and complicated as it is grand, and she will definitely be exhausted by then. Therefore, it will not be counted until she is out of confinement, but at least she will have to wait until she is fully recovered.
That will take a long time.
Qingzan really didn't understand the connection between the two. She didn't have to use any strength to leave the palace in a carriage. At most, she would wear thicker clothes to keep warm and take more precautions. She could just take a look from a distance, which would not hinder her recovery.
He then asked, "Your Majesty, are you still afraid that I will take this opportunity to escape?"
Unexpectedly, the emperor nodded seriously and said, "That's right."
He put his arm around her and said, "Unless, Madam, you admit that you are willing to stay, rather than being forced to do so by circumstances."
Qingzan wanted to laugh. Wasn’t it obvious whether she was willing or not?
She said softly, "Yes, I am willing... willing to marry you. It's not for reward, but for our everlasting friendship."
"Husband."
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The author has something to say: Is it sweet?! There is probably only one more chapter left, I will write it shamelessly~
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