nucmednet Chapter 276 Sending propositions
Chapter 276 Sending propositions
Fine snowflakes, carried by a biting wind, pattered softly against the window paper. Inside the palace of the Great Xia Dynasty, the Emperor entered Empress Ji Xiaofu's room, still chilled to the bone. He gently shook off the ice crystals from his fox fur coat, which scattered like tiny starlight. He looked up and saw the Empress reclining on a chaise longue, her posture languid and graceful. Her slender, white fingers were gently patting her sleeping son and daughter. The charcoal brazier beside the chaise longue burned brightly, then suddenly crackled and sparked, a flash like a firefly, startling the little boy's eyelashes. Seeing this, Ji Xiaofu nimbly placed the two jade dolls into the children's arms, her eyes filled with tenderness and affection. These two pieces of jade were gifts from Ye Qingchen to her two children; they loved to hold them while sleeping, finding them very soothing.
The Emperor stepped forward and sat down next to Ji Xiaofu, gently stroking the child's face. "Today's court affairs have been quite vexing, only seeing you all brings me comfort," the Emperor said softly. Ji Xiaofu smiled slightly, "Your Majesty works so hard for the country, you must take good care of yourself." As she spoke, she picked up a hand warmer from the side and handed it to the Emperor.
Just then, a melodious flute tune drifted in from outside, seemingly carrying untold emotions. The Emperor asked curiously, "Who is playing the flute?" Ji Xiaofu listened intently for a moment, then said, "It must be the child of Prince Lin. His background is truly pitiful. Ever since he learned he wasn't the Crown Prince's biological son, but rather a child his mother had switched, even though his mother cared for him in the palace, she wouldn't let our granddaughter return to that wicked woman, Ye Shiqing. The child is still very unhappy." The Emperor nodded, his gaze fixed on the distance, lost in thought.
He adored this grandson, and had even intended for him to become the Crown Prince. However, he disliked the child's mother, so he hesitated to bestow the title. Unexpectedly, the child wasn't of royal blood. But the seed of affection had already been planted; the Emperor still favored the child and directly granted him the title of Prince of the Second Rank, along with a mansion and garden. Every month, his mother would bring him to the palace to see the Emperor, and each time the little boy was melancholy. No one knew what caused his sorrow.
A short while later, the child turned over, as if about to wake up. Ji Xiaofu quickly and gently rocked him, humming a soft lullaby. The Emperor also snapped out of his reverie. The Emperor said, "I'll go see that child." Ji Xiaofu said, "Let them bring him here directly. The three of them are about the same age and can play together." The Emperor nodded and said, "Xiaofu is right. Zhao Quan, bring them to the Empress's palace."
Zhao Quan accepted the order and left. A short while later, the children were brought to the Empress's palace. Ji Xiaofu's two children ran to Prince Lin first, grabbing his hands and chattering incessantly. Prince Lin showed a shy smile.
The Emperor watched the children interact with a sense of satisfaction. "Lin'er, have you been studying diligently these days?" the Emperor asked. Prince Lin bowed respectfully and replied, "Your Majesty, I have not slacked off."
Ji Xiaofu smiled and invited everyone to sit down. The palace maids brought out warm pastries and sweet soup. The children ate with great relish.
Just then, Prince Lin, who had been enjoying the pastry in his hand, suddenly seemed to remember something important and gently placed the remaining half of the pastry back on the table. His expression suddenly became extremely serious on his extremely youthful yet heroic face.
"Grandfather and Grandmother, I have a request. Although I am not of royal blood, I have been deeply grateful for your kindness and favor over the past two years, a debt I will never forget!" Prince Lin stood up, respectfully bowed to the Emperor and Empress seated above, and continued, "I am now growing up and am well aware of the many responsibilities I bear. Therefore, I humbly request that you grant me a request."
Seeing this, the Emperor raised an eyebrow with interest and asked with a smile, "Oh? What does my grandson wish to do? Please speak freely." Hearing the Emperor's straightforwardness, Prince Lin felt more confident and straightened his posture, speaking with a firm gaze, "I wish to leave the palace to travel. Firstly, it will broaden my horizons and increase my knowledge; secondly, it will allow me to better understand the hardships of the common people. When I return after completing my studies, I will certainly do my utmost to serve the court and contribute my modest efforts to the Great Yan Kingdom!"
After saying this, Prince Lin looked expectantly at the Emperor, awaiting his response. The Emperor, however, pondered for a moment, seemingly seriously considering the feasibility of the matter. Then, he turned to look at Empress Ji Xiaofu beside him, who nodded slightly, indicating that she had no objection.
With the Empress's support, the Emperor smiled with satisfaction and said loudly, "Good! As expected of my grandson, you have ambition! In that case, I grant your request. However, you are still young, and it will inevitably worry me if you travel alone. How about this, when your uncle, the Regent, returns from the Southern Frontier next year, you can travel with him. With him by your side to protect you, I'm sure you will be safe."
Upon hearing this, Prince Lin was overjoyed and immediately knelt down and kowtowed to express his gratitude: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty! I will certainly live up to your expectations!" In an instant, the entire room was filled with a joyful and peaceful atmosphere.
The Emperor, remembering Gu Mochen, became angry again, saying, "Everyone covets my position, but I've raised a fine son. Not only does he not covet my throne, he's practically forgotten about me! He's settled down at that Duan boy's house and won't come back! I've had the Imperial Observatory send him so many letters, saying it's auspicious for him to inherit the throne after the New Year, but he still won't return. Don't you think he's deliberately trying to annoy me?" Empress Ji Xiaofu said, "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. You look so young, why rush the Regent to inherit your throne? It's not that his heart has wandered away, but that he simply doesn't want to be emperor. You're so young and vigorous, why not just remain emperor for a few more years? Otherwise, the ladies in the palace will probably all have to leave to live with their children. And what about those without children? Mochen and Qingchen are such a good couple, they must want to enjoy themselves for a few more years. If they still don't want to inherit the throne after a few years, we can simply choose one of their children."
The Emperor looked at her and asked, "Don't you want our son to inherit the throne?" Ji Xiaofu shook her head and said, "Your Majesty, let alone the fact that my son is only two years old, even if he were a teenager, I wouldn't have that thought. You've seen the abilities of Mo Chen and Qing Chen. If they take over the throne, the country will be secure, and we can travel around. My son will surely enjoy a life of wealth and honor. Even if they don't take over the throne, they will still leave a solid guarantee for our child, who will still have no worries about food and clothing. I believe this is the best choice for my son. And I want to travel around with Your Majesty and see this beautiful land."
The Emperor glanced at the Empress. That question had been a death trap. Although he loved Ji Xiaofu and had pushed her from Consort Li to Empress, in his heart, no one could compare to Gu Mochen's mother. His throne was meant for Gu Mochen; even if he didn't want it, he would force him to accept it. Fortunately, the woman he loved was sensible and knew what she deserved. So, the Emperor embraced the Empress and said, "Alright, when that brat returns, I'll let him oversee the country. I'll take you and the children out to play, and we'll bring Lin'er along too."