Qu Qing Ju's recent days were very leisurely and carefree. Every day, she teased her son and tasted good food. She felt that her body and mind had touched the door to a new world.
Today, when He Heng came to the rear hall, he saw his son wearing a dudou as he struggled to lie on the bed with his thick legs. His neck struggled to raise twice before smashing it back down. This pitiful state caused his mother, who was watching, to laugh. He sighed helplessly. At some point, he felt that his son didn't have it easy.
"What are you doing?" He Heng sat down by the bed, watching his son move his feet like a little turtle. But his body didn't move at all. What he found strange was that his son didn't make a fuss, but persistently kicked his legs and raised his head as though he really wanted to crawl forward.
"Nothing, just letting him exercise his legs and neck. Boys, they need to be like this," Qu Qing Ju skillfully flipped her son over and slapped his fat butt. Seeing him grin at her, she bent down to give him a kiss on the cheek. She took a powder box from Mu Jin's hands and started to apply prickly heat powder on the child. After the child was two or three months old, it was good for the body to exercise like this.
He Heng saw her hands were covered with prickly heat powder and said: "Let the nanny do these things," He poked at his son's lotus-like arm, "This boy has a good temper."
"My son takes after me," Qu Qing Ju pulled Tun Tun's arm and gave his armpit a few pats. Then she flipped him over and patted some powder on his crotch, "What's wrong with me doing these things. I don't even care for my own child, what's the point of having him?" She didn't feel that doing these things would damage her status. If doing these little things made her feel like she had no status, then what was the relationship between mother and son?
He Heng didn't feel good at this moment. His eyes were complicated as he looked at the chubby boy grinning on the bed. He instantly felt that his position in Qing Ju's heart wasn't even half a finger of his son. He pinched his son's little foot in revenge but was slapped away by Qu Qing Ju. He could only change the topic, "Tomorrow is Tun Tun's hundredth birthday. Is there anything you are dissatisfied with in the list I showed you before?"
"Very good," Qu Qing Ju carried Tun Tun to the nursemaid and let her keep the child to nurse. After the nursemaid left, she commented, "But isn't it too grand? It's just a hundred-year ceremony … …"
"He is the di eldest son of the Emperor, his status is high. What's wrong with a little grandeur," He Heng understood Qu Qing Ju's concerns and pulled Qu Qing Ju into his arms, "When our children are born, we'll let their hundredth birthday celebration be lighter than Tun Tun's."
"Alright," Qu Qing Ju smiled. She didn't care about He Heng's promise. She knew that his words were true now, but it didn't mean that she believed his words would always be effective.
The official time of the imperial eldest son's hundred-year ceremony had been calculated by the officials of the Imperial Observatory. It was said that it matched the imperial eldest son's eight characters and the celestial bodies of the day. They had even taken into account the decorations in the Luan He Palace to ensure that this was the best time of the day for the imperial eldest son's fortune.
Qu Qing Ju didn't understand this kind of complicated matter, but from the preparations for Tun Tun's hundredth birthday ceremony, it was enough to show how much importance He Heng placed on this matter.
She personally changed Tun Tun into the hundredth birthday robe that the Empress Dowager had personally made. She heard that the fabric for the hundredth birthday robe had been found by the Empress Dowager from many wealthy and healthy families. Looking at it, it was possible that hundreds of fabrics or needles had been used.
Touching the patterns of gourds and peanuts embroidered on the hundred family robe, Qu Qing Ju bent down to pick up the still sleeping Tun Tun, "Let's go, to the Luan He Palace."
The Luan He Palace was a place that would only be used for large scale banquets such as the coronation of the Empress, the coronation of the Crown Prince. Just this place for the hundredth birthday ceremony was enough to prove Tun Tun's status.
In the Luan He Palace, the people that should have come had all arrived. Everyone looked at the door, waiting for the Empress and the imperial eldest son to appear. But due to the presence of the Emperor and the two Empress Dowagers, everyone's movements were very reserved.
When the auspicious hour was about to arrive, everyone finally heard the taijian's announcement at the door.
"The Empress has arrived, His Highness the Imperial Prince has arrived."
Everyone got up and knelt down to welcome them. Then, they saw a group of people walking on the red carpet. The shoes at the very front were embroidered with a phoenix spreading its wings. It was exceptionally gorgeous.
"Rise!"
Everyone stood and saw the Empress carry His Highness the Imperial Prince as she sat down on the phoenix chair to the right of the Emperor. She was wearing a complicated phoenix robe, her eyes bright and spirited, unspeakably beautiful and dignified.
Some people said that when a woman gave birth, it was like a dried plum, sour and tasteless. But the Empress didn't look like she had given birth to a child at all. If it wasn't for the fact that her hair was tied up in a married bun, people would have believed that she was a young girl.
Instantly, some people sighed. No wonder the Emperor loved her so much. This kind of woman, placed in any family, she would be a beautiful woman that men would like.
The annual ceremony wasn't a complicated process. Since the child was still young, who would come up with a pile of rules to torment the child?
It was just that the Emperor and Empress personally prayed to the heavens to bless the child, and personally put on the longevity lock and longevity bracelets to show that the child's life and fortune were tied down. The two Empress Dowagers then put on the tiger head shoes and tiger head hat for the child, and touched the child's head and feet to express the blessings of the elders. Then it was over.
After the entire process, Tun Tun was carried away by the nursemaid. The two Empress Dowagers also left, leaving He Heng and Qu Qing Ju to enjoy the banquet with everyone else.
The names of the dishes at the banquet all carried auspicious and auspicious names. The taste was secondary, but everyone still understood the importance the Emperor placed on the Empress and the Imperial Eldest Son.
No one dared to force the Emperor to drink, but they said many auspicious things about the Imperial Eldest Son to the Emperor and Empress. It pleased He Heng so much that he couldn't resist drinking a few more cups.
Qu Qing Ju saw him like this and was worried he would get drunk. She had him drink some soup to suppress the effects of the alcohol. But looking at He Heng's happy expression, she felt that the effect of the soup wouldn't be that great.
"Chen di toasts the Emperor, wishing Emperor and Empress to live to a ripe old age, wishing His Highness the Imperial Eldest Son to be happy, long and healthy," Just as the banquet reached its end, He Yuan raised his wine cup and stood. He said to He Heng, "Chen di toasts first."
He Heng looked at He Yuan who was raising his wine cup high. Raising his cup, he slowly stood and smiled faintly, replying: "Many thanks, san di."
The two brothers looked at each other and smiled. They raised their heads and drained the cup of wine.
Qu Qing Ju looked at the two but didn't see much mirth on their faces. She looked at the people sitting far below. She was separated from these people by the height of nine steps and the distance between them was even further. This was probably the difference between the Imperial Family and normal officials.
After the banquet, He Heng was drunk as expected. Even though his actions were the same as usual, but Qu Qing Ju could feel from his eyes and words that the other wasn't very clear-headed.
"Return to the rear hall," When He Heng pulled Qu Qing Ju onto the Imperial Carriage, he didn't forget to say to Qian Chang Xin, "Let the nursemaid take good care of the imperial son."
Qu Qing Ju smiled. It was like this, but he still remembered to mention Tun Tun.
The Imperial Carriage's forward speed was not fast, not slow, and very steady. Qu Qing Ju only felt it sway slightly and couldn't feel anything else. She looked at the person beside her and raised two fingers at him: "Emperor, how many?"
He Heng grasped the two fingers she had raised in his palm. He smiled as he replied: "I'm not drunk, don't worry."
The other's palm was slightly hot. Qu Qing Ju reached out to touch his forehead. She smiled helplessly as she said: "It's good that you're not drunk," Drunkards would never say they were drunk, just like how many people who had done wrong weren't willing to admit they had done wrong.
"You don't believe me?" He Heng raised his head to look at her, his eyes burning. For some reason, there was a tinge of grievance and dissatisfaction, "You never believe me."
"How can I not believe you?" Qu Qing Ju saw his grievance and laughed, "You're not drunk, and I didn't say I didn't believe you, right?"
"Many times, you don't believe me," He Heng leaned his head against Qu Qing Ju's chest, "I said that I would always treat you well, but you didn't believe me; I said that in the future, I would only have you as my woman, but you didn't believe me; I said that in the future, I only want you to bear children for me, but you still doubt me. Why don't you believe me? "
Qu Qing Ju's hand that had been gently caressing He Heng's back slightly stilled. She lowered her head to look at the man who was accusing her. A beat later, she laughed lightly and said: "Emperor, you're thinking too much."
"I'm not thinking too much, I know very well," He Heng's arms wrapped around her waist, tightly hugging her, "We still have a few decades in the future. There will be a day when you will believe zhen's words."
His voice was slightly muffled. Qu Qing Ju knew that he was almost asleep. She patted his back as though she was comforting Tun Tun. She said in a light voice: "There is no reason to believe in this world. If Emperor wants me to believe, then you have to always be good to me. Only time will prove."
The man in her arms grunted something. Qu Qing Ju didn't hear it clearly. She only lightly patted the man's back, the expression on her face calm and serene.
Outside the imperial carriage, Qian Chang Xin and Ming He didn't seem to hear the movements inside. The two didn't even exchange a glance, but the expressions on their faces were much more cautious.
The weather in August was still very hot. After He Heng was helped onto the bed to sleep, Qu Qing Ju had the palace servants move away the ice basins in the two rooms. If he was drunk and it was too cool, he would suffer when he woke up.
Taking the handkerchief that Mu Jin handed over, she personally wiped He Heng's hands and face clean. She said to Yin Liu, "Have the servants prepare the sobering tea. If the Emperor wakes up, he has to use it."
Yin Liu silently retreated. The other people detected that something wasn't right with the Empress. Even though they didn't know what had happened, but no one dared to ask. They only served even more diligently.
In Fu Shou Palace, Empress Dowager Wei was playing with Tun Tun who had just woken up. Hearing the servants report that the Emperor was drunk and had been sleeping in the rear hall of Tian Qi Palace in the afternoon, she unconcernedly waved her hand, remarking, "Today, the Emperor is happy. What can happen if he drinks more? Isn't there still the Empress to take care of him?" She smiled as she looked at the finger that was being pinched by her grandson, "Tun Tun, don't you think grandmother is right, ah?"
"Ah! Ah! "Tun Tun innocently kicked his chubby little legs, drooling from laughter.
Empress Dowager Wei wiped the drool at the corner of her grandson's mouth. She was in a good mood as she said: "Tell the servants not to keep an eye on these things. It's fine as long as the Emperor and the Empress have a good relationship. Aijia is too lazy to listen to anything else."
Ding mama looked at the Imperial Highness who was being teased by the Empress Dowager and bowed, replying: "Nubi will remember."
When He Heng woke up, the sun was already setting. He rubbed his slightly aching forehead as he sat up on the bed. Looking at the room, he recognized it was Qing Ju's room. He thought for a while but couldn't figure out how he had ended up on the bed.
"The Emperor has woken up?" A blue and white porcelain teacup was handed to him, "Drink the sobering tea."
He raised his head to look at Qu Qing Ju. The setting sun shone on her body through the window. Because of the backlight, he couldn't see the expression on her face, but he was strangely sure that the other had a smile on her face.
Maybe it was this strange certainty that made him obediently take the teacup. In one gulp, he drank the entire cup of disgusting sobering tea. In the end, he squeezed his slightly hoarse throat to ask: "It's already this late?"
"Yes, you drank a bit too much at the banquet," Qu Qing Ju took the empty teacup from his hand, "I had the kitchen prepare some light dishes. Get up and eat some."
He Heng put on his robe but still felt dizzy. He furrowed his brows as he looked inside the room, discontentedly asking: "Where did the servants go? How could they leave you alone in the room?"
"Are you not a person?" Qu Qing Ju glared at him, "You slept just right. I had them all leave to avoid waking you."
He Heng felt refreshed by Qu Qing Ju's glare. He thought in puzzlement, something wasn't right. Why was Qing Ju's gaze on him a bit gentler?
Was it that he hadn't completely woken up, or had he woken up in the wrong way?
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
