Chapter 684: Happy Fainting [Thanks! Thanks again! 37K chapters owed]

Imperial Palace,

In the morning court hall,

"Your Majesty?"

"Mm? Has the minister finished speaking?" The somewhat distracted Emperor looked at the important minister below the steps and smiled.

"Yes."

"Good, minister, return to your position, I have a count in my heart." The Emperor said, looking at the Great Eunuch to the side.

The Great Eunuch understood and bowed slightly, signaling he had received it.

Looking at the important minister who had just spoken return to his position, after waiting for a moment, the Emperor cleared his throat and said: "Do the ministers have any more memorials to play?"

The hall was quiet for a moment, and no one came out.

Seeing this, the Emperor waved his hand.

The Great Eunuch to the side hurriedly shouted: "Retreat from court!"

The ministers below the steps bowed and shouted in unison.

The Emperor stood up from the dragon chair, nodded, and walked toward the back hall with somewhat hurried steps.

The ministers also retreated from the hall,

On the square outside the hall,

Sheng Hong, wearing an official hat and a scarlet official uniform, held a tablet in his hand and exchanged glances with several colleagues from time to time.

While exchanging, everyone tacitly slowed down their walking speed.

Soon, several purple-robed high officials who had been at the very front of the hundred officials walked over.

Seeing their superiors approaching, the officials leaned toward their own superiors one after another.

Sheng Hong, who was close to Minister Li of the Ministry of Personnel, had his eyes turning non-stop. Before he could speak, he heard Grand Minister Han beside Minister Li say: "I don't know if our dynasty can add another imperial prince today."

As soon as these words came out, Sheng Hong's eyes widened instantly, and he looked at his colleagues in surprise.

Apart from surprise, there was also quite a bit of realization in everyone's eyes: the reason why the Emperor was absent-minded this morning had been found.

Subsequently, the hundred officials dispersed and went to their respective yamen.

Many officials from the Ministry of Personnel gathered around Grand Minister Li, and someone asked: "Master, what Grand Minister Han said just now, is it Imperial Consort Rong?"

Grand Minister Li nodded.

"But didn't they say Imperial Consort Rong would be next month..." an official said.

Sheng Hong, who didn't say a word, nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Grand Minister Li didn't turn his head and said indifferently: "Imperial Consort Rong asked the medical officer of the Imperial Hospital to advance the date."

"Right, right, right! It will be May in a few days."

Hearing this, Sheng Hong looked at his colleague with full admiration and praise, which made the colleague who spoke just now feel very comfortable in his heart.

"If Imperial Consort Rong really gives birth to an imperial prince, then the Rong family will be a family with a daughter sought by a hundred families..."

"Brother Jiang's words make sense."

Sheng Hong echoed.

Everyone was talking and continued walking forward.

"Yo, which family's young lad is that entering the palace opposite?" an official said, looking at a group of people in the distance.

Hearing this, the colleagues walking together looked over one after another.

"This young lad's stature is tall enough. Looking from afar, his temperament looks quite extraordinary!"

"Perhaps it's a young lad from some general's family."

Listening to the discussion around him, Sheng Hong looked carefully into the distance and said somewhat uncertainly: "It looks like the Fifth Young Master of the Xu family."

"Fifth Young Master of the Xu family? Shouldn't he be in class at Master Sheng's study at this time?"

Sheng Hong was also a bit confused and shook his head: "Maybe I saw it wrong."

Just as Sheng Hong finished speaking, he saw the young lad following the little eunuch bowing and cupping his hands in salute from afar toward their side.

"Looking at that child, he really recognized one of us!" Grand Minister Li stroked his beard and smiled.

"With such good eyesight, it really might be the Fifth Young Master of the Xu family."

"Fifth Young Master Xu, please this way."

"Good."

Xu Zaijing nodded with a smile, glanced at the high-ranking officials of the court who were leaving in the distance, and continued to follow behind the little eunuch, walking toward the inner court of the imperial palace.

After passing the passage between the East Flower Gate and the West Flower Gate, and walking for a while.

"Fifth Young Master Xu, in front is where His Highness studies."

"Trouble the little eunuch."

"Fifth Young Master Xu is polite."

Just as the two finished speaking, they saw Zhao Fang, wearing light purple clothes and a gold belt, walk out from the door ahead.

Seeing Xu Zaijing, the smile on Zhao Fang's face became brighter, and he said while walking: "Jing Ge'er, you are here!"

Xu Zaijing hurriedly cupped his hands and bowed: "Seen Your Highness."

Qingyun, the personal little eunuch following Zhao Fang, and the female official beside him also bowed to Xu Zaijing in return.

Just as Xu Zaijing straightened up, Zhao Fang, who walked over, stood in front of him.

Looking up slightly at Xu Zaijing, Zhao Fang said: "Jing Ge'er, did you grow taller again?"

As he spoke, Zhao Fang reached out to grab Xu Zaijing's arm.

Xu Zaijing smiled: "Your Highness, it's only been more than a month, how could I..."

Before he finished speaking,

Xu Zaijing felt his arms tighten, and his lower legs also felt a strong touch.

"Hng!"

Listening to the muffled grunt of Zhao Fang, who was using a lot of strength in front of him, Xu Zaijing stood still and asked suspiciously: "Your Highness, what are you doing? Do you want to wrestle with me?"

"Heh! Otherwise?"

Zhao Fang continued to lower his head and exert strength, wanting to use the wrestling techniques he had learned to trip Xu Zaijing.

Seeing this scene, the guards, eunuchs, and female officials around all had expressions of great surprise.

Before they could react, the surprise on their faces turned into horror.

"Hey hey hey!"

It was Zhao Fang, who was in front of Xu Zaijing, who had already been held by Xu Zaijing with one hand on his upper body, and tripped flat by Xu Zaijing with a slight force on one leg.

When Zhao Fang was laid flat, his legs were thrown into the sky by inertia.

Zhao Fang, held by Xu Zaijing on his upper body, looked at the sky somewhat helplessly and said with regret: "I said, after practicing these skills for so many days, how could the guards in the palace let me throw them down in a few moves."

Xu Zaijing used a little force to help Zhao Fang stand straight and said: "Your Highness, your status is noble, and the guards in the palace are also afraid of hurting you. You just need to understand the tricks in your usual training."

Zhao Fang pursed his lips and nodded: "I understand! But I have never experienced the feeling of Jing Ge'er throwing me just now."

After speaking, Zhao Fang stood straight, patted Xu Zaijing's arm and said: "In the future, you should come often."

Xu Zaijing smiled and didn't speak, with a somewhat silent refusal.

Seeing this, Zhao Fang had a look of understanding and said: "Let's go! Let's go to Imperial Consort Rong's place to take a look."

As he spoke, Zhao Fang stood on tiptoe and hooked Xu Zaijing's shoulder, jumping and walking toward Imperial Consort Rong's bedroom.

"Cough, Your Highness, pay attention to..." Before Qingyun finished speaking, looking at Zhao Fang's eyes, he closed his mouth knowingly.

"You guys, stay far away from us." Zhao Fang added.

"Yes, Your Highness."

After walking more than ten steps,

Zhao Fang put down his arm, looked back, and said in a low voice: "Jing Ge'er, I heard that next month, there will be a grand event for the flower queen in the capital?"

Xu Zaijing smiled with difficulty and said: "Your Highness, if I tell the truth, I'm afraid the Empress will give me more than a dozen sticks."

"Mm!" Zhao Fang raised his eyebrows.

This answer from Xu Zaijing confirmed what Zhao Fang said.

Looking at Zhao Fang's expression, Xu Zaijing said: "Your Highness, if you want to go see it, I suggest you tell the Empress. Otherwise..."

As he spoke, Xu Zaijing leaned into Zhao Fang's ear and whispered a few words.

Listening to Xu Zaijing's words, Zhao Fang's eyes widened in surprise: "Jing Ge'er, how did you guess that?"

Xu Zaijing smiled: "Sixth Young Master once had this happen because of me, and was beaten by Madam Wu herself."

Zhao Fang nodded, continued walking forward, and said in a low voice: "No wonder. Then I have to hope that Imperial Consort Rong can add a son to my family. If Father Emperor is happy, maybe he will let me go!"

After speaking, Zhao Fang looked at Xu Zaijing with a smile in his eyes and said: "Jing Ge'er, people from the Marquis of Marquis Fu Chang's family will also enter the palace today."

Xu Zaijing was startled and nodded with a smile.

Zhao Fang looked at Xu Zaijing's somewhat unnatural expression, and the smile in his eyes became even stronger.

Subsequently, the two arrived near the Empress's bedroom.

Seeing Zhao Fang, the female official at the door hurriedly reported that the Empress had gone to Imperial Consort Rong's place.

Outside Imperial Consort Rong's bedroom,

All around in the distance,

There were Daoist priests from the Royal Daoist Temple sitting cross-legged, chanting scriptures for blessings in a low voice.

Not far from the palace door, the Emperor sat under a large umbrella made of precious materials, looking at the palace door with a somewhat anxious and uneasy expression.

Beside the Emperor stood the two princesses, Yue'er and Yu'er, holding hands.

Yue'er Princess was born to the Empress.

Yu'er Princess, whose name was Liqiu, was born to Imperial Consort Rong.

Yue'er Princess was older, looked at her younger sister beside her with a slightly panicked look, and said softly: "Yu'er, don't worry too much about Imperial Consort Rong, Imperial Brother said he would invite a powerful person today."

Yu'er Princess withdrew her gaze from the bedroom not far away, looked at her Imperial Sister, and nodded.

The Empress, sitting to the side, had a table in front of her with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and was writing while chanting.

Zhao Fang's future Crown Princess, the girl Taotao from the Gao family, stood to the side, helping the Empress grind ink and moisten the brush.

Hearing her daughter's words, there was a hint of a smile in the Empress's eyes, and she exchanged a look with the girl Taotao from the Gao family.

Subsequently, listening to the painful groans starting to come from the hall, the Empress sighed lightly after looking at the slightly worried expression of the little princess Yu'er.

How many times had the Empress herself experienced such suffering over so many years.

And not far from the Emperor and Empress's large umbrella, the entire family of the Marquis of Marquis Fu Chang knelt on prayer mats, silently praying for Imperial Consort Rong in the hall.

At this time, a female official walked out of the hall and reported the situation to the Emperor and Empress: "Your Majesty, Empress, Imperial Consort Rong has already started."

After the Emperor and Empress gave instructions, the female official bowed and turned to walk toward the hall.

At this time,

A eunuch walked over and said softly: "Your Majesty, Madam, His Highness and Xu family Ge'er have arrived."

"Mm, let them come over."

The Emperor said.

Hearing this, the two little princesses also turned their heads to look at the palace gate with curious expressions.

A moment later,

Zhao Fang brought Xu Zaijing to where the Emperor and Empress were.

"Son-in-law/Little Minister sees Your Majesty, Madam."

"Come, find a place to sit."

The Emperor waved his hand.

Zhao Fang and Xu Zaijing answered and walked toward the umbrella.

Looking at the Yu'er Princess standing beside the Emperor, and the worried and panicked look in her eyes, Zhao Fang turned his head and looked at Xu Zaijing.

Subsequently, Zhao Fang shook his head with some emotion.

After some declining, Xu Zaijing was forced to sit near the Empress.

The Empress turned her head to look at Zhao Fang and said: "Fang'er, why did you shake your head just now?"

Zhao Fang smiled, looked at the girl Taotao beside the Empress who had a confused look, and said: "Mother Empress, son-in-law just thought of some things from before."

The Empress was startled, and after some fragments flashed in her mind, she smiled at Xu Zaijing.

Subsequently, Zhao Fang stood up from his seat, went to the Emperor's side, and pulled the two younger sisters to near his seat.

Looking at the Yu'er Princess who still looked toward the hall from time to time, Zhao Fang squatted down and smiled: "Yu'er younger sister, don't worry, Imperial Consort Rong will definitely be fine today."

"Thank you, Imperial Brother." Yu'er Princess said with a crisp voice, and also looked at Xu Zaijing, who was smiling and nodding at her.

When Zhao Fang was speaking, the Empress was also whispering a few words to the girl Taotao beside her.

Although Xu Zaijing and Liang Han and others had cried her cousin Zhijie'er at Madam Wu's polo field before,

After the misunderstanding was cleared up, the girl Taotao's impression of Xu Zaijing had been quite good these days.

Listening to the Empress's brief narrative, the girl Taotao nodded with full realization and whispered to the Empress: "Aunt, no wonder His Highness and Xu family Ge'er are so close."

The Empress smiled.

Xu Zaijing sat under the umbrella, and when looking around, he glanced at Rong Feiyan, who was kneeling on the prayer mat not far away.

This girl was closing her eyes and praying sincerely, without noticing the arrival of Zhao Fang and Xu Zaijing at all.

Soon, the area under the large umbrella also became quiet.

The sun gradually climbed higher,

Xu Zaijing had outstanding hearing, and from time to time could vaguely hear the voices of female officials and female medical officers in the hall, and the muffled groans of the woman biting something and exerting force.

"Started at the early Mao hour (after 6:00 AM), and it's been two hours now, I don't know how long it will take."

Zhao Fang sat above Xu Zaijing and said with a worried tone.

When speaking, Zhao Fang also unintentionally glanced at the girl Taotao beside the Empress.

Xu Zaijing looked toward the bedroom and said softly: "Looking at the female officials and medical officers being orderly, I think there is nothing wrong."

"Mm." Zhao Fang nodded.

After another few hours, Xu Zaijing was looking at the sun outside the umbrella.

Suddenly,

Xu Zaijing's ears moved, and he turned to look toward the bedroom.

Looking at Xu Zaijing's strangeness, Zhao Fang looked over suspiciously: "Jing Ge'er, what's wrong?"

Before Xu Zaijing could speak,

Imperial Consort Rong's personal female official, with a sash tied, ran out of the hall quickly with a look of joy. Before she could speak, the cry of a baby came from the hall.

This movement also made the Rong family members who had been exposed to the sun for a long time look over one after another.

Whether it was the Marquis of Marquis Fu Chang couple or the Dou clan, their eyes were like Rong Feiyan's, full of hope and panic about the uncertainty.

The Emperor stood up, looked at the female official and asked: "How is it?"

Imperial Consort Rong's personal female official couldn't care about wiping her sweat, knelt on the ground and shouted: "Congratulations to Your Majesty, Empress, it is an imperial prince."

"Hahaha! Two younger sisters, we have a younger brother! Hahahaha!" Zhao Fang shouted with a smile.

Subsequently, Zhao Fang turned around and hugged Xu Zaijing with excitement again.

The two little princesses sitting not far from Zhao Fang also looked over here at this time.

The Empress came to the Emperor's side for the first time, looked at the Emperor who was standing somewhat unsteadily, and hurriedly stepped forward to hold the Emperor's arm.

"Congratulations to Your Majesty, congratulations to Your Majesty." The Empress said with a smile.

The Emperor nodded repeatedly, looking at the Empress with satisfaction, and said: "Good! Really good! Reward!"

On the other side,

Hearing the voice of Imperial Consort Rong's personal female official, the Madam of the Marquis of Marquis Fu Chang first looked around with a look of surprise, and then wanted to stand up.

But, I don't know if it was because of joy or being exposed to the sun, in short, the Madam stood up halfway, her body softened, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted directly.

"Mother!" Rong Feiyan shouted anxiously.

Hearing the movement, Xu Zaijing just wanted to stand up to help, but saw that a female official had already trotted over.

Soon,

There was another busy scene in front of the hall. After the female medical officer took the pulse, the Madam of the Marquis of Marquis Fu Chang was 'happy fainting', and after the female medical officer applied needles, there was no major problem.

After some exhaustion, joy, and worry, Rong Feiyan only then saw Xu Zaijing standing beside Zhao Fang.

I don't know what she thought of, Rong Feiyan only felt that her cheeks began to burn.