Jiang Shaohua was busy with political affairs and had no ti to tend to the illness, so Elder Changning, Cui Du, substituted for the Emperor to keep watch at Jingyang Palace. The Imperial Physician handled the pulse diagnosis and prescription, while Mr. Zhao and Eunuch Lin prepared the dicine and fed als. Cui Du actually had nothing much to do, just stayed by the bed and occasionally greeted him.
Even so, he received praise from everyone. In and out of the palace, when Cui Du is ntioned, who doesn’t extol, "The Imperial Consort is truly virtuous"!
Grand Empress Dowager Zheng felt stifled watching Cui Du but couldn’t drive him away, so she simply ordered soone to bring Prince Ping over.
Prince Ping didn’t understand the need for a patient to rest quietly, so as soon as he arrived, he shouted and ran around noisily. In no ti, Grand Empress Dowager Zheng was driven to a headache: "Cui Du, take Prince Ping to play outside for a while. I want so peace and quiet."
Cui Du was also more than happy to accompany Prince Ping, agreeing with a response and leading Prince Ping to play in Jingyang Palace.
Jingyang Palace is the largest palace in the inner court, with corridors that wind dozens of ters. Prince Ping loves playing hide-and-seek the most, crouching in a corner. Cui Du saw him from afar but pretended not to find him. Prince Ping laughed gleefully, and only then did Cui Du follow the sound and find him.
Prince Ping got up and rushed over, so Cui Du had to pick him up: "Hey, you little chubby, getting heavier and heavier."
In the entire Imperial Palace, Prince Ping was the most carefree, eating, sleeping, and playing every day, neither learning to read nor practicing martial arts. Life couldn’t be more blissful. Over the past six months, Imperial Concubine Fan had lost a lot of weight, and Grand Empress Dowager Zheng had also slimd down considerably, but only Prince Ping, like a stead white bun, had gotten fatter.
"Brother-in-law, I want to ride a horse!"
Prince Ping shouted joyfully.
Cui Du didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: "Don’t be silly! You’re so heavy, if you ride on , I’d collapse."
"I don’t care, I want to ride a horse." Prince Ping fussed, scratching Cui Du habitually. Cui Du dodged, avoiding his face, but his neck was scratched, leaving a mark.
Cui Du hissed.
Eunuch Ge, standing nearby, was startled and imdiately knelt down, apologizing on behalf of Prince Ping: "Elder Changning, please calm down. Prince Ping didn’t an to harm you!"
Elder Changning is the Emperor’s consort, and in the inner court, that is equivalent to the Empress’s status. Although Prince Ping is noble, he shouldn’t leave scratch marks on Elder Changning. If news of this incident reached the Emperor’s ears, Prince Ping’s days would beco difficult.
Cui Du steadied his mind and laughed: "Eunuch Ge, get up. Prince Ping was just playing with , not intentional. Such a small matter doesn’t deserve your kneeling apology. Rest assured, I won’t report to the Emperor."
Since Prince Ping’s birth, Eunuch Ge had been serving him, and it had been eight years now. Whether out of loyalty or habitual servitude, in any case, Eunuch Ge was very attentive to Prince Ping. He only got up after kowtowing three tis.
Prince Ping wasn’t entirely clueless, sowhat frightened by Eunuch Ge’s panic, blinked his clear big eyes, and his voice beca much smaller: "Brother-in-law, don’t be mad!"
Cui Du’s heart softened, pinching Prince Ping’s chubby cheek: "I’m not mad, but from now on, don’t scratch people at whim. You can’t scratch your brother-in-law, and you can’t scratch Eunuch Ge either, understood?"
Prince Ping obediently nodded.
Though Prince Ping might forget shortly, Eunuch Ge was touched to tears.
As a eunuch working in the palace, being favored by the master ant special treatnt, and others would regard them differently. Most eunuchs did not have it easy, often viewed with disdain. Even soone as favored as Mr. Zhao could still suffer punishnt with a single order from Grand Empress Dowager Zheng. Who sees them as people?
Elder Changning, however, was different.
He looked at everyone with the sa gaze, without differentiating between high and low. He truly spoke and acted with kindness.
The lower one’s status, the more sensitive one is to this kind of respect. Not only Eunuch Ge, but other eunuchs who interacted with Elder Changning all admired and wanted to be close to him.
Only such an Elder Changning is worthy of Da Liang’s Empress.
...
"What happened to your neck?"
The bloody mark on Cui Du’s neck was conspicuous and couldn’t be hidden. Jiang Shaohua noticed it imdiately and frowned.
Cui Du laughed: "It’s nothing. When playing with Prince Ping, he reached out and scratched , that’s all."
Jiang Shaohua still frowned: "This Jiang Hao needs proper discipline. He’s always jumping around without any manners."
Cui Du chuckled: "He’s just a mischievous child who knows nothing about manners."
After a pause, he said softly: "Privately speaking, I hope he always stays this way. If he truly learns manners and acts and speaks properly, it would beco a trouble for you."
Such words might seem cold, but they are indeed true.
Jiang Shaohua sits securely on the Dragon Throne because of the support of the ministers, and also the backing of the Grand Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager Li. If Prince Ping grows up and becos sensible, even if he’s simple-minded, as long as he appears normal, soone might think of supporting him for the throne. It might lead to a great disaster.
Therefore, let Prince Ping continue living carefree!
With Prince Ping living happily, Jiang Shaohua also avoids a great trouble.
Such unspoken thoughts can only be whispered when the couple is alone.
Jiang Shaohua glanced at Cui Du: "You’ve beco more perceptive."
Cui Du smiled silently: "Being by your side every day, one is bound to learn a little."
Jiang Shaohua laughed, rolling her eyes at him, personally fetching the dicine to apply so ointnt for him.
Cui Du embraced her swollen belly and said softly, "What’s happening in Yu State won’t be resolved in a day or two. Don’t let it bother you too much."
Jiang Shaohua replied: "I know, I won’t stress and affect the pregnancy, don’t you worry either. Eat and sleep well."
As Jiang Shaohua’s due date approached, Cui Du beca increasingly anxious, often waking up in the middle of the night to watch Jiang Shaohua’s belly till dawn.
Cui Du nodded, reached out to feel his daughter, and massaged Jiang Shaohua’s swollen legs and feet.
...
The First Year of Zhao Ping quietly passed amid complex political and military affairs.
The new year arrived amidst a flurry of snowfall.
According to palace rules, on the first day of the new year, ministers should enter the palace to offer greetings, and titled ladies must also enter the inner court to pay respects.
However, this year was special; the Emperor, heavily pregnant at more than nine months, could go into labor at any mont. In the inner court, Grand Empress Dowager Zheng was bedridden, unable to rise, Imperial Concubine Fan hadn’t appeared in a long ti, and Empress Dowager Li was still engulfed by the loss of Emperor Taihe, completely uninterested in organizing the palace banquet.
The Emperor directly ordered the cancellation of all palace banquets this year, sparing the ministers the trouble of rushing through the snow.
The peaceful days lasted just a few days until the sixth day of the new year when the latest news from Yu State reached the Capital City. The Yu State Army had occupied Ruyang County.
This news was soon overshadowed by another significant event.
On the night of the sixth day, the Emperor was taken with labor pains and was assisted into the delivery room.
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