Chapter 357: Self-sufficient

"His Majesty's thoughts are naturally more complicated than we imagined." Gu Rongjin said.

A hostage who managed to overthrow and ascend the throne must tread every step with extreme caution, allowing no margin for error.

This person's psychological fortitude and intellect are unparalleled.

Mu Yuanzhi nodded, "The more we analyze, the more I feel... a chill down my back."

"Why worry about that? At least the new emperor won't go crazy and harm innocent people, nor will he be coward enough to hand over his lands—emperors have always been suspicious since ancient times." Gu Rongjin said.

"Quite right; we officials just need to do our duty."

Gu Rongjin's words made Mu Yuanzhi suddenly see things clearly.

Emperors are all like that; as long as he's a good emperor, that's enough.

Gu Rongjin: "It was a scare with no real danger, and we've eliminated the potential crisis—today we should properly celebrate!"

From now on, life can return to normal!

Mu Yuanzhi: "All right, I'll personally cook today to treat you!"

"Let's cook together—husband and wife make a good team, and the work won't be tiring!"

The two went to the kitchen, drove out the maids inside, and cooked themselves; those maids were used to the masters having to fend for themselves every few days, and they were happy to have some leisure.

Who wouldn't like making money without working?

After an hour and a half, a table full of sumptuous dishes was ready: braised lion's head meatballs, steamed carp, mapo tofu, stir-fried beef with bok choy, eight-treasure duck, and other delicious dishes full of color, aroma, and flavor.

Gu Rongjin gazed at the table of delicious food and sighed, "It's a shame our two little ones can't eat these staples yet; they can only drink milk!"

The wet nurse held the two infants, who sucked their fingers, eyes gleaming as they stared at the food table, as if about to stretch out another hand to reach for it.

Mu Yuanzhi snapped, "Don't say that—they can understand now; don't make the babies cry later."

"That would make them cry—no, we need to toughen them up!" Gu Rongjin said, picking up a piece of braised lion's head, deliberately waving it in front of his son before putting it in his mouth, chewing exaggeratedly, then exclaiming how delicious it was.

The two brothers' gazes simultaneously fixed on their father, their clear eyes blinking; they didn't cry, but one babbled, wanting to say something but unable to express it, anxiously waving his little arms.

Mu Yuanzhi really was exasperated with Gu Rongjin; she gently pushed her husband, "Stop teasing them, don't go too far!"

"Don't abuse me!" Gu Rongjin exaggeratedly leaned to one side, "You can't abandon fatherhood just because of the kids! You're leaving the father but keeping the son!"

"Go ahead and make a fuss, I'm done eating and ignoring you!" Mu Yuanzhi decided to pay no attention to this drama queen.

The wet nurse laughed awkwardly, "How about I take the young duke and young heir to feed them milk?"

"Is it feeding time? All right, go ahead." Gu Rongjin waved his hand.

The wet nurse received the order, took the children, and went downstairs.

"It's you eating here that's affecting my son and daughter!" Mu Yuanzhi gave a sideways glance.

"Nonsense, nothing of the sort—the babies are watching us eat with relish."

"I'm not talking to you anymore."

"Come on, try this piece of mapo tofu—it's fragrant!" Gu Rongjin scooped a spoonful of aromatic mapo tofu and brought it to Mu Yuanzhi's lips.

Mu Yuanzhi opened her mouth, the spoon went in, she ate with satisfaction, and also fed Gu Rongjin.

The two fed each other back and forth, lingering and leaning, finishing the whole table of food.

Having finished her meal, Mu Yuanzhi had planned to take a post-meal walk to aid digestion, but someone came from the palace saying they wanted her to go see the empress's illness.

The empress's ailment is fundamentally a heart condition; fortunately her health had been adjusted beforehand, otherwise going through this ordeal with Pei Biao would have been enough to choke her.

But her body is no longer as it was when she first returned to the Great Zhou, and continuing like this isn't a solution.

Mu Yuanzhi from time to time would enter the palace to treat the empress, prescribe medicine, give her psychological therapy; the effect exists, even if not obvious, at least there is some improvement.

The eldest son being like this certainly doesn't feel good in his heart.

Mu Yuanzhi came out of the Pepper Chamber and saw Pei Di rushing over in a hurry.

"Little Di, you came to see your mother?"

"Hmm, how is the mother?"

Pei Di, after finishing his duties at the Eastern Palace, came nonstop to the Pepper Chamber.

"All I can say is that it's improved again, but we can't be careless; it needs gradual adjustment—this time it's a heart condition, much harder than before, so when you have time come see him more often, and your two brothers too, preferably also come often." Mu Yuanzhi said.

Pei Di: "The second brother is easy to talk about, but the third brother fundamentally doesn't play by the rules; however this time we relied entirely on him, and because of that the mother's mood has improved considerably, though she still hasn't emerged from the shadow of being an illegitimate relative."

"Take it slow; rushing won't help—at least the situation is trending toward improvement."

"Fortunately we have you, Elder Sister Mu; the imperial physicians in the palace can't compare to you."

Mu Yuanzhi shook her head, "This time we need to rely more on you—your father emperor and your elder brothers must step up."

"The father emperor does come see her every day... as for the third brother..." he could only go find someone himself!

"Your third brother seems cold on the outside but warm within—you should talk to him more." As an observer, Mu Yuanzhi thought this.

Pei Di pursed his lips and nodded.

"It's getting late; I should head back too."

"Elder Sister Mu, take your leave slowly."

Three years later.

"Mom! Mom!"

Mu Yumo came running again in tears to tell Mu Yuanzhi: "Sister snatched my spear again!"

Mu Yuanzhi, who was pondering a new study, heard the sound of her son pattering over; though she had been smiling happily, the result was seeing her son crying and sniffling.

"Mu Yumo, you're a boy—stop crying all day; I've told you this many times." Mu Yuanzhi set down the drawings and spoke sternly.

"But he's still little!" Mu Yumo didn't care about that, ran over, grabbed his mother's hand, and acted coquettish: "Is it strange for a three-year-old to act spoiled?"

"Don't go outside saying you were made to cry by your sister." Mu Yuanzhi gave him a sideways glance, ignoring his pose wanting a hug, pretending not to see his bright, hopeful eyes full of anticipation.

"Mom! Don't listen to your brother's nonsense—the spear is what he gave me to play with; he just wants to come act cute and beg for a hug, and out there he's fierce enough to scare other kids into crying."

Gu Yutong came in gripping what, to adults, is a short spear but to them a long spear, and exposed Mu Yumo's ruse.

Mu Yumo blinked his big, watery eyes, looking extremely innocent: "No, my younger sister is just talking nonsense."

"You're so young and already full of tricks; you must have learned bad habits from your father!" Gu Yutong this time also dragged her own father into trouble.

"I say, Gu Yutong, how can you speak ill of your father?! And you went to tell on him to your mother—that's slander, you're so young and not learning well!"