thefictionvixens Chapter 299 Using one's own brothers as a whetstone is too petty!
Chapter 299 Using one's own brothers as a whetstone is too petty!
The sixth prince trembled, and upon meeting his father's stern gaze, he became very nervous. "Your Majesty, I..."
She's not even two years old yet, and she can't speak very fluently.
Shen Shixi laughed, "Alright, don't be afraid, your mother won't hit you or scold you!"
My mother is a good person. My mother said that my mother is very good, but my father is very fierce.
The first time he saw his father, the Emperor, he had no concept of a father and found it terrifying, tears streaming down his face. Li Yuanke, seeing this, became even more annoyed and ordered, "All of you, leave!"
None of them were to his liking.
This is like a farmer who works hard to cultivate the land and sow seeds, only to find that when harvest season comes, not a single grain of good food is grown in the entire field!
The children were bewildered by the rejection. Shen Shixi said, "The Second Prince is the eldest, and you are the big brother. Take your younger siblings away and tell them that if the princes and princesses are sleepy, they should go back first. I should go back too!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" The Second Prince was overjoyed at being given such an important position.
The eldest princess looked down on her; the son of a disgraced concubine, what was she so smug about!
And the Empress, humph, deliberately making things difficult for her. She is, after all, Father Emperor's first princess. When the opportunity arises, I'll teach her a lesson!
Once the champion of the willow archery competition is decided, Shen Shixi will be heading back. After the emperor presents the awards, he doesn't watch anymore. For the dragon boat race, he appoints Prince An to oversee the proceedings while he accompanies the empress back. The empress is pregnant, and he has no intention of leaving her for even a moment.
The two sat in the carriage, and Shen Shixi could barely keep her eyes open. She took a nap on his body. The imperial carriage entered Lizheng Gate and changed to a dragon palanquin. Li Yuanke carried her all the way, and when they stopped in front of Qingyan Hall, Li Yuanke carried her back into the hall.
It was very hot today, but it was alright as long as we weren't in the sun. Caiying knew that the Empress was pregnant and afraid of the heat, so she took a small piece of ice and placed it in a corner, which brought a touch of coolness to the palace.
Li Yuanke stayed with her for a while, then woke up. Shen Shixi was still sleeping, and she slept until sunset. Li Yuanke was a little worried, so he asked Imperial Physician Zhang and Jiang Lingyou to come and take her pulse.
"Her Majesty the Empress is in good health, the pregnancy is stable, and everything is fine!"
Li Yuanke was relieved. He touched Shen Shixi's belly, eagerly anticipating the baby inside her. It was less than three months old, but her abdomen already showed a slight curve.
Shen Shixi was woken up by his touch, and opened her sleepy eyes, "Li Yuanke, what time is it?"
"It's almost late Shenshi (3-5 PM), get up, have dinner and then go back to sleep."
Shen Shixi got up with his help. She felt a little weak after sleeping for so long. "Li Yuanke, do you think I'm pregnant with a sleeping god? Will this child be very lazy and only know how to sleep all day?"
Li Yuanke glanced at her stomach, suppressing that all-too-familiar urge to vomit. "Don't talk nonsense. The imperial physician said this is a normal reaction. Relax and don't overthink it. It's definitely a healthy baby!"
Shen Shixi laughed, "What are your thoughts after seeing your sons and daughters today?"
Li Yuanke glared at her. "They're all just whetstones for your son. What could I possibly think?"
Shen Shixi cupped his face and kissed him. "Don't talk nonsense, Li Yuanke. Although they are not my children, I watched them grow up. In the future... my son will definitely be the most outstanding."
His whetstone was never his brothers, but the world, his court officials, foreign tribes, and the well-being and safety of the people! To use one's own brothers as a whetstone shows a narrow-mindedness!
The Empress Dowager did not go to Jinming Pond to watch the willow-shooting ceremony today. Ever since Li Yuanyin's princess was chosen, all her attention has been focused on her youngest son's wedding, and more than 800,000 taels of silver have been spent on wedding preparations.
She took out all her savings for her funeral and used it to decorate her youngest son's home.
Qingruo came in and told her, "Your Majesty, today at Jinming Pond, Her Majesty the Empress herself said that she is pregnant."
The Empress Dowager was furious upon hearing this. "So, all that talk about her cold uterus and weak constitution was just an excuse. She's been using contraception all along. And yet the Emperor favors her so much. He even accompanies her to the last few days of the month when she needs to change her clothes. How can she be so heartless!"
She forced the Pei family into rebellion and secured the position of Empress before agreeing to bear the Emperor's child—it's utterly outrageous!
The Empress Dowager felt extremely sorry for her eldest son!
As a concubine, her primary duty upon entering the palace was to produce offspring for the royal family. How did she accomplish this?
Qingruo's original intention was that the Empress Dowager couldn't be unaware of the Empress's pregnancy, so she quickly spread the news.
Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager came up with this idea.
Qingruo didn't know how to begin.
"Qingruo, summon the Emperor to see me!"
The emperor is currently residing in Qingyi Garden, while the empress dowager remains in the palace. In this sweltering heat, why bother bringing the emperor all this way?
"Your Majesty, His Majesty spent the day shooting willows at Jinming Pond. He must be tired. Prince Guo's wedding is approaching. On that day, we should invite His Majesty back. It will not only bring honor to Prince Guo, but you and His Majesty can also have a chat."
The Empress Dowager, recalling the Emperor's treatment of her, felt genuinely displeased. "We shouldn't have let Shen into the palace in the first place. She caused discord between me and the Emperor. How good has the Emperor ever been to her? She may not even have genuine feelings for him!"
Qingruo advised, "Your Majesty, it is time for you to enjoy your retirement. You have worked hard all your life and it is time for you to rest! The Emperor and Empress are loving and affectionate, which is a blessing for our Great Zhou!"
The Emperor personally led the expedition, while the Empress remained in the capital. In the eyes of the people, both made significant contributions, and this merit cannot be erased!
The Empress Dowager sighed, "I know she's capable, but she's too capable. The Emperor doesn't even come to the inner palace anymore; all the affairs of the inner palace are handled by the Empress."
If it weren't for her, Yuan Yin wouldn't have been so cruelly harmed. She caused him to commit such a terrible mistake, and the rumors circulating about him are unbearable. Just thinking about it makes me furious!
Right now, the Zhu family is also talking about this. Zhu Shouchun has cried herself blind and refuses to marry him no matter what.
She cried, "He's supposed to be a prince, but he even laid his hands on his own sister-in-law! Mother, Grandmother, how could you bear to marry your daughter to such a man? Waaah! I'd rather cut my hair and become a nun in a temple!"
Madam Zhu was also filled with resentment. "My child, what can your mother do? The Empress Dowager has issued an imperial decree. Are you going to have your entire family defy it for your sake? That's a crime punishable by extermination!"
"Mother, I truly despise Prince Guo. Who in the whole city doesn't laugh at me? I'd rather marry an unknown commoner and live a miserable life than spend my days with such a wicked person. I utterly despise such a person!"
Madam Zhu said, "You always say you admire the Empress. Back then, when the Empress passed through Youzhou, you insisted that your mother take you to pay your respects to the Empress! When the Empress first entered the palace, she was a concubine and was initially only granted the title of Seventh-Rank Baolin, the lowest rank in the entire palace."
You think the Empress is such a proud and arrogant person, yet she was able to endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens, refusing to let the Emperor break the rules for her sake, and step by step she planned for the country, the nation, and the people. How could she ever think of herself like you do now?
Chun'er, one must have a long-term vision. If you don't plan ahead, no matter how much your parents give you, you'll eventually fall into a dead end!
On the 18th day of the fifth month of the ninth year of Yongxi, an auspicious day for marriage, Prince Guo was married!
(I'll address a few questions here: First, the update time. Since this was the initial scheduled time, any changes can only be made later, not earlier. I need to update every day, which affects my attendance record, so please understand. I update late at night, so please try to read during the day and don't stay up late.)
Secondly, I need to update more often. The colder it gets, the more my neck and shoulders hurt, and I can't sit for long periods. Plus, I need to stockpile chapters for the Lunar New Year, so I can't stop updating. I'm reading everyone's comments, and I've replied to some of them, but I might not have seen them all. I'll reply to them all at once.
Thirdly, the side stories will include events from my childhood; some of the plot points remind me of warm memories, and I'll share them with you.