Chapter 116 Try your best to bring him back!
"Let's go in first, it's going to be windy outside." As soon as Emperor Jingyuan spoke, everyone went inside.
As soon as he entered, Xihe distributed the gifts he brought back to everyone. Even the servants in the Fuhua Palace got a share. For a moment, the palace was filled with joy.
Concubine Chen even placed all of Xihe's favorite dishes in front of the little girl, and the small bowl in front of her was piled high.
Zhao Chengning took a bite of dried cabbage and said, "Mother, why didn't I get this treatment when I came back a month ago?"
Concubine Chen didn't even raise her head, concentrating on wiping her little daughter's mouth. She only said lightly, "You are sixteen years old! Do you still want me to wipe your mouth?"
Zhao Chengning shuddered at the thought of that scene, and said with a sad face, "Mom, I was clearly talking about vegetables."
Xihe ate a lot before she slowly stopped to catch her breath. After hearing this, she asked, "What did mother prepare for my brother's return?"
Zhao Chengning glanced at the dazzling array of dishes and said rather weakly, "A bowl of soup."
"No more?"
"No more." Although it was far inferior to his sister's, Zhao Chengning didn't feel dissatisfied at all. He remembered what the person who delivered the soup said, and his face became more cheerful. "But... that bowl of soup was made by my mother herself! You never thought it would be possible!"
Since entering the palace, Concubine Chen rarely cooks. She will only open the small kitchen when her two children make a lot of noise.
"Wow, that's great~" Xihe clapped his hands in a polite manner.
Concubine Chen finally looked up at her silly son and asked, "Did I make this myself?"
When did she cook? How come she didn’t know?
"Yes, mother, I am so touched..." Zhao Chengning was about to express his gratitude in a torrent of words, but was caught off guard by Concubine Chen's next words.
"Your Majesty took a sip and found it too unpalatable, so he asked me to send it to you." When she was in her own palace, Concubine Chen was too lazy to call herself "this palace" and always addressed herself as "you" or "me".
“…”
Zhao Chengning's smile froze on his lips, neither up nor down. After a long moment, he slowly tilted his head to look at the silent Emperor Jingyuan and asked in disbelief, "Father thought it was unpalatable, and then... gave it to me?"
Stared at by three pairs of eyes, Emperor Jingyuan felt embarrassed for the first time, but his expression remained unchanged, maintaining the dignity of a king and father. "I am concerned about your health. Although it tastes bad, it is good for your health."
Zhao Chengning listened quietly to Emperor Jingyuan's nonsense, then touched his face helplessly and looked at Concubine Chen, "Mother, just tell me, were you the one who picked me up?"
He actually gave him something that the emperor wouldn't drink! And it was so hard to drink!
And he actually drank it all happily.
"That's not the case." Concubine Chen smiled brightly. Before Zhao Chengning could show any joy, she immediately said, "You fell from the sky."
"Puff!" Xihe burst into laughter, his eyes full of joy looking at his beautiful mother.
Concubine Chen is usually dignified and serious, and rarely jokes. I didn't expect that she also has the potential for dry humor.
"You might as well say that I was picked up." Zhao Chengning sighed depressedly, feeling disappointed.
Xihe quickly took a piece of the braised lion's head that Zhao Chengning liked and said, "Brother, don't cry. Brother, eat it~"
Zhao Chengning was just putting on airs, and Xihe gave him a way out, so he backed down.
"My sister is still good to me~"
"Okay, let's eat." Perhaps because the scene was so warm, Emperor Jingyuan rarely had a cold expression.
The meal was extremely joyful and the whole Vanity Palace was filled with laughter.
After returning, Xihe slept for several days in a row to gain weight. When she woke up, she went to Mingyue Palace to find Xiao Mingxuan.
The former court was also busy. Within two weeks, Prince Anyuan's affair was thoroughly investigated. The Minister of the Central Secretariat was ordered to draft an imperial edict, which was widely publicized. The evidence of Prince Anyuan's treason was irrefutable, and his title was revoked. All nine clans were imprisoned. The Liu family was convicted of the same crime, but only three clans were imprisoned. Furthermore, before being imprisoned, Prince Anyuan's son had implicated Marquis Yun, infuriating Emperor Jingyuan and demanding the Yun family be imprisoned. However, the Empress Dowager of Shoukang Palace cried, raged, and threatened to hang herself if the Yun family was imprisoned. This further infuriated Emperor Jingyuan, causing chaos at court for several days.
When Xihe was called to Yuanyang Palace, he saw Liu Yuan, whom he had not seen for a long time.
"Strange uncle~"
The files submitted to the Ministry of Justice for archiving did not mention Liu Yuan, only saying that it was discovered by people sent by His Majesty. Xihe asked Zhao Chengning, and Zhao Chengning told her that this was the intention of Emperor Jingyuan.
"Little boy...little princess." Liu Yuan almost called out the name they used in Jiangnan, but now they were not in Jiangnan, but in the imperial city, so he quickly changed the name.
In front of Emperor Jingyuan, Liu Yuan looked very serious, without any trace of laziness.
Xihe looked at him strangely and ran towards Emperor Jingyuan, "Daddy, I'm here. Is there anything to eat?"
Maybe it was because she ate too little in Jiangnan, but Xihe always felt hungry since she returned to the imperial city. The amount of food she ate on weekdays was not enough for her. But Concubine Chen was afraid that she would have indigestion, so her daily meals were strictly controlled. Xihe would sneak to Emperor Jingyuan's place every day to get some cakes.
"Why are you hungry again? How can your little belly hold so much?" Emperor Jingyuan knew that his little daughter had been able to eat a lot recently. He was not afraid of eating too much because he could afford to feed her, but he was afraid that eating too much would harm her body.
"I'm just hungry. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I haven't eaten in a while?" Xihe didn't know what was going on, but she just loved to eat. Her appetite now was twice as much as before. "Don't worry, Daddy. Mom asked the imperial physician to check me out. I'm fine."
Hearing this, Emperor Jingyuan breathed a sigh of relief, "I'm glad you're okay. It might be because he's growing stronger."
Xihe is already six and a half years old. She is no longer the skinny little girl at the beginning. She has lost some of her baby fat and is growing taller like a willow branch.
Sanping brought over some pastries, and Xihe quickly thanked him, "Thank you, Uncle Sanping."
Sanping smiled and said, "Princess, you are too kind."
Xihe was busy eating when she glanced over and saw Su Zhongqian standing silently by the side. She quickly winked at him.
Su Zhongqian then bowed respectfully.
Emperor Jingyuan then spoke, "Liu Yuan, I didn't have your contribution recorded. Do you feel resentful?"
Liu Yuan quickly lowered his head, "I dare not. The fact that I was able to return to the Imperial City alive is already a great favor from the Emperor. How dare I resent Your Majesty?"
Emperor Jingyuan showed a hint of satisfaction in his eyes and nodded imperceptibly, "I have heard about your matter from them."
Coincidentally, Xihe spoke first. The next day, Zhao Chengning came to him and repeated the story. That afternoon, Xu Qingcheng requested permission to enter the palace and repeated the story. That evening, Su Zhongqian submitted a secret memorial and repeated the story.
In just two days, Emperor Jingyuan heard the same thing four times, and his ears were almost callused.
Little did they know that they were all trying hard to lift Liu Yuan up and bring him back to the imperial city.
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