Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family-Chapter 874 - : Bizarre
Chapter 874: Chapter 874: Bizarre
Liu Sisi and others hastily knelt down to welcome the arrival of His Majesty.
Before the group had fully knelt, His Majesty had already strode in from outside the hall and sat down directly in the chair in the center of the hall, with Di Yelei, who watched with an attentive gaze, and Eunuch Xiao following by his side.
Zhao Yuanlang cast a cold glance at Liu Sisi before hardening his face and calling out, “Rise.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Liu Sisi let out a sigh of relief; it seemed the Father Emperor was indeed in a foul mood.
However, Honored Princess Consort Luo was sweating profusely. The Emperor had not set foot in her quarters for several months, and she hadn’t expected that, just after she had summoned Princess Ruyu to her side today, he had followed in hot pursuit.
“Zhao’er is here too? Come over here, to your Father Emperor,” His Majesty beckoned to the Nineteenth Prince, his expression instantly softening as his gaze landed on his son, calling his nickname.
This time the Nineteenth Prince didn’t hide but looked at His Majesty with a reserved expression, standing where he was without speaking or moving.
Honored Princess Consort Luo became anxious!
Wanting to scold but not daring to, she could only urge in a low voice, “Zhao’er, your Father Emperor is calling you. Go on, go to your Father Emperor’s side.”
While speaking, she gently nudged Zhao Ji.
It would have been better if she hadn’t nudged him; as she did, the Nineteenth Prince’s expression turned increasingly panicked, his lips pursed as if he wanted to cry. Yet after receiving a stern look from Honored Princess Consort Luo, he stood there on the verge of tears, yet not daring to let them fall. He looked as pitiful as could be.
“Quickly go, Zhao’er. Your Father Emperor wants to show you affection, why are you not obeying?” said Honored Princess Consort Luo with a tone heavy with warning.
Gradually, Zhao Yuanlang’s face showed disappointment, and he sighed, “Enough! He’s still young; don’t make things difficult for him. Take him down.”
Honored Princess Consort Luo’s body shook slightly, and she quickly knelt down.
“Yes! Your servant obeys the decree. It is my fault for not taking good care of Zhao’er.”
“It’s of no matter. The child is still young; he can be guided slowly. Take him down.”
Zhao Yuanlang waved his hand impatiently, clearly thoroughly disappointed in the child.
Liu Sisi watched the interaction between the three with cold eyes, feeling an increasing sense of strangeness the more she watched. Especially seeing the nanny once again holding the child in respect to His Majesty, and taking the Nineteenth Prince down again, the feeling of oddness intensified.
Could it be… could there be something wrong with the child’s intelligence?
She lowered her eyelashes to hide the inquisitive look in her eyes. As the Nineteenth Prince’s mother, Honored Princess Consort Luo should have noticed the situation long ago. However, considering the child’s behavior just now, maybe he’s just a bit slower in intellectual development than other children.
“Ruyu, just now your Father Emperor was busy with state affairs. Only after finishing did he learn that you had come to the Palace. It’s late now, and since both of you husband and wife have entered the Palace, why not stay and keep your Father Emperor company for a while? Don’t be in a hurry to leave the Palace.”
This statement made Liu Sisi baffled on the spot!
Did His Majesty’s words mean he wanted to confine both her and her husband in the Palace?
Di Yelei, on the other hand, was overjoyed and quickly stepped beside Liu Sisi, kneeling on one knee and saying, “I, the minor official, obey the decree.”
Not until a gentle tug on her skirt hem did Liu Sisi come back to her senses. She quickly knelt to express her gratitude, yet in her heart, ten thousand alpacas galloped by. She hadn’t spoken a word, so how had she ended up confined within the Palace?
That night, His Majesty and Di Yelei actually had a lengthy casual conversation about contemporary geographers and scholars while Liu Sisi and Honored Princess Consort Luo sat quietly to the side, serving as a backdrop. Liu Sisi tried to interject, but she never found an opportunity.
Not until His Majesty noticed it was getting late did he stand up, looking at Honored Princess Consort Luo with deep affection, “My dear Consort, the dishes here are really delicious. I’ve disturbed your rest, so I must reward you handsomely. Someone, take some of the fine agate pieces tributed by the barbarians recently and bring them to my Consort.”
“Your servant obeys the decree,” responded Eunuch Xiao from nearby, quickly making a sign to the little eunuch beside him, who swiftly departed.
Blush touched Honored Princess Consort Luo’s cheeks, and with bashful shyness, she said, “To receive such praise from Your Majesty is a fortune for three lifetimes. It’s getting late tonight, why doesn’t Your Majesty stay here at Ruizhu Hall for the night?” Her timid words betrayed her hopeful eyes and the tugging on her skirt hem.
“No need, I still have matters to attend to tonight. You rest early, and don’t get too tired,” said Zhao Yuanlang, not looking back at the beauty who was clearly loath to part, and then he took large strides out of Ruizhu Hall.
“Your Majesty…”
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Unwilling to give up, Honored Princess Consort Luo took a few steps forward but ultimately could only forlornly bow, “This consort sends off Your Majesty.”
Liu Sisi and Di Yelei exchanged a glance, then hurriedly bid farewell to Honored Princess Consort Luo and followed the footsteps of His Majesty.
One after another, palace lanterns were raised high under the eaves, with Eunuch Xiao carrying a large red lantern by the side—as they walked, the surroundings were eerily silent, save for the faint sounds made by feet upon the white jade pavement.
Liu Sisi wanted to speak on behalf of the Gan Family, but she just couldn’t find the right opportunity.
They followed His Majesty all the way to the outside of Wende Hall before His Majesty turned to look back at the two of them.
“Considering it’s still quite early, why not join me for a game of chess?”
A game of chess? It seemed like something Di Yelei didn’t know how to play, right?
Liu Sisi was just about to decline when Di Yelei preempted her, “I am but a novice in chess, I fear I might not provide enough entertainment for Your Majesty, so…”
Zhao Yuanlang waved his hand dismissively, “Ah! It’s fine, it’s just a pastime to while away the time. Let’s go!”
Having said that, he took the lead and entered further into the main hall.
Liu Sisi had been to the inner chamber of Wende Hall once before—it was the last time His Majesty was “seriously ill”, and the two of them had visited him. Returning now, she noticed that many things in the hall had changed.
She saw the hall now featured cloud-capped rosewood beams and palace lanterns adorned with crystal and jade pendants. Precious curtains hung down, partially obscuring the golden columns. There were additional decorative items now that weren’t there before, and some embellishments had been removed.
Most importantly, the spot where the dragon couch used to be – meant as a temporary rest area – now held a tea table and several chairs. A large bright moon pearl hung in the adjacent open space, shining brilliantly and casting a gentle radiance that was truly enchanting.
As Liu Sisi was still examining the decorations around her, His Majesty and Di Yelei had already sat down opposite each other and started playing chess. Among the black and white chess pieces, Di Yelei held the white ones. Back and forth they went, quickly engaging in battle on the chessboard.
Watching Di Yelei’s measured and strategic moves, Liu Sisi breathed a sigh of relief; this was not the move of a complete beginner.
But she soon grew curious again—he had never mentioned he could play chess before, causing her unnecessary worry just earlier, thinking about it was really…
