A bowl of plum juice allowed Lin Wanwan to sleep soundly, but it also reignited Xiao Che's "fatherly heart," which had only been quiet for a few days.
The Empress's discerning tastes must be a testament to the extraordinary talent and uniqueness of the prince in her womb!
The moment this thought arose, Xiao Che's already intense "knowledge anxiety" escalated once more. He felt that simply adjusting his diet was far from enough. He needed to lay the most solid foundation for his unborn child from a more...mystical level!
So, that night, the lights in the Imperial Study were lit up all night again.
Xiao Che dismissed everyone and took out a rare book from a hidden compartment deep within the dragon throne. The book was even older than the "Pregnancy Safety Manual," with a yellowed cover and the four large characters "Royal Secret Manual" embroidered in gold thread.
It is said that this is a parenting guide personally written by the founding emperor, specifically left to his descendants. Its value far surpasses any classic texts or historical records.
Xiao Che was overjoyed and began to study it word by word by candlelight.
"...The Emperor said: The foundation of a dragon's offspring lies not only in the nourishment of the acquired, but also in the nurturing of the innate..."
He nodded repeatedly, deeply agreeing with what he saw.
Immediately afterward, a line of bold red ink annotations caught his eye, instantly brightening his gaze!
"Every day at Chenshi (7-9 AM), when the sun rises in the east and purple qi (auspicious energy) comes from the east, it is also the time when the dragon qi of the true dragon emperor is at its strongest. If the emperor can take his pregnant wife to a place of outstanding natural beauty, bathe in the morning light, and breathe in the purple qi, then the dragon qi can pass through the mother's body directly to the fetus, nourishing its muscles and bones, strengthening its spirit, and making it intelligent and strong from childhood, extraordinary from ordinary people..."
Upon seeing this, Xiao Che slammed the book shut!
This is it!
Found it!
He found an ultimate secret to a safe pregnancy that was even more advanced and royal than "food supplements"—Qi supplementation!
Use his, the dragon's aura of the true dragon emperor, to nourish the future true dragon emperor! This is simply the most perfect and impeccable solution in the world!
A strong sense of mission and pride instantly filled his chest. He felt not only as a responsible father, but also as a great pioneer who would nurture a wise and benevolent ruler for the Great Liang Empire!
So, from the second day onwards, Lin Wanwan's "good days" came to a complete end.
Just past dawn, the sky was still tinged with the pale light of dawn, and the entire palace was still immersed in tranquility.
Lin Wanwan was sleeping soundly when she suddenly felt someone gently nudging her.
"Wanwan, wake up, it's time."
"Hmm..." she mumbled sleepily as she turned over, "It's not even dawn yet..."
“It will be too late once it’s light.” Xiao Che’s voice carried an undeniable solemnity. “The dragon’s aura waits for no one. Get up quickly, I will take you to a good place.”
Half an hour later, Lin Wanwan, still in a semi-sleepwalking state, was being half-dragged and half-carried to the center of the Imperial Garden by the energetic Xiao Che, who was now wearing a thick cloak.
The Imperial Garden was filled with fresh air in the early morning, damp with dew and fragrant with flowers and grass. But Lin Wanwan had no mood to appreciate it; all she wanted was to return to her warm, soft bed.
"Your Majesty... what are we doing here?" she asked, yawning, tears welling up in her eyes.
“A walk.” Xiao Che’s answer was concise, but his face held a solemn expression as if he were performing some kind of sacred ritual. “This place is where the dragon veins of the imperial palace converge, a place of outstanding natural beauty, most suitable for… nourishing the dragon embryo.”
As he spoke, he took Lin Wanwan's hand and began a mysterious ritual called "taking a walk," which was actually "showing off the dragon's aura."
If it were just a walk, Lin Wanwan would have considered it pregnancy exercise. But soon, she discovered that this "walk" had extremely strict, even... bizarre, rules.
“No, you’ve gone the wrong way.” After taking only a few steps, Xiao Che suddenly stopped, pulled her back a step, and solemnly corrected her, “The Secret Manual says that this ritual must conform to the principles of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. First, face left and take nine steps to correspond to the supreme position; then face right and take nine steps to harmonize the Yin and Yang principles. Only by repeating this cycle can the dragon energy be combined to achieve the best effect.”
Lin Wanwan: "..."
Her brain completely shut down.
First turn left nine steps, then turn right nine steps?
This isn't a stroll; it's clearly drawing a Bagua diagram!
And so, in the next hour, the most peculiar scene in history unfolded in the Imperial Garden.
His Majesty the Emperor of Daliang, dressed in a dragon robe, with a solemn expression, led his sleepy-eyed, lifeless Empress in a strange, mechanical, and precise "nine steps to the left, nine steps to the right" gait in the open space of the Imperial Garden, like two marionettes.
Round and round.
All the palace maids and eunuchs watching from a distance craned their necks, their faces filled with confusion and bewilderment, yet they dared not utter a sound. They could only frantically speculate in their hearts: what new royal ceremony, one they couldn't understand, was His Majesty and the Empress performing?
Lin Wanwan was so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open. She was practically hanging on Xiao Che, being mechanically dragged along by him.
She simply couldn't understand why this usually wise and insightful emperor always seemed to make the most absurd mistakes when it came to "child-rearing."
She yawned, habitually looked up, wanting to see the emoji above his head and seek an answer.
On Xiao Che's serious and handsome face, the emoji above his head was radiating a golden, sacred light.
It was a chibi-style little emperor wearing a dragon robe, striking a "Kamehameha" pose, his whole body radiating golden "qi," which was being continuously absorbed by a chibi-style little empress with a protruding belly next to him.
Above the emoji is a line of bright, bold text, exuding a domineering, albeit somewhat childish, aura.
[Absorb! Absorb quickly! My son is destined to be a dragon among men! .jpg]
Upon seeing this meme, Lin Wanwan couldn't help but almost choke on her own saliva.
She finally understood.
This emperor truly sees himself as a walking "dragon energy power bank"!
Watching him do the most absurd thing in the world with such a serious expression, the grumpiness she felt from being woken up vanished instantly, leaving only helplessness, amusement, and doting affection.
That's enough, that's enough.
As long as he's happy.
In this absurd yet heartwarming atmosphere, a discordant voice suddenly rang out.
"Pfft—"
It was a laugh that was being suppressed, yet still clearly audible.
The laughter wasn't loud, but in the eerily quiet Imperial Garden at that moment, it was like a thunderclap from a clear sky!
Everyone's eyes immediately turned to the source of the sound.
In the crowd, a newly arrived, ill-mannered palace maid was blushing furiously, desperately covering her mouth with her hand, while her shoulders continued to heave uncontrollably. Clearly, she had been so amused by the comical scene of the Emperor and Empress "drawing a Bagua diagram" that she could no longer contain herself.
In an instant, the air in the entire Imperial Garden seemed to freeze.
All the palace servants wore expressions of utter terror. They looked at the young palace maid with eyes full of pity, as if she were a dead person.
How dare you... mock His Majesty!
Xiao Che's steps also suddenly stopped.
He slowly turned his head, and his eyes, which had been immersed in the "Dragon Qi Nourishment" ritual, instantly turned as cold as frost. The emperor's wrath contained within them made the morning air seem to drop several degrees.
He fixed his icy gaze on the oblivious palace maid, his thin lips parting slightly, about to unleash his fury.
However, just before he could speak, Lin Wanwan, who was beside him, spoke first, in a lazy and charming voice that was full of grievance and a hint of coquetry.
"His Majesty……"
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