Chapter 145: with translation of chapter title

The lunch was delicious, and Sui Sui's eyes and mouth almost couldn't keep up.

However, she is small and has a modest appetite; even if she wants to try everything, she can't.

Just eating the honey‑oil steamed cake made her already very full.

She also drank about half a cup of pigeon milk soup, then a little red‑bean sweet soup.

Having eaten and drunk enough, she began to feel drowsy.

Princess Consort of Qi had to take Feng Xuanrui to the palace in the afternoon, while the other brothers went to Zhuangzi.

Princess Consort of Qi, uneasy about Sui Sui, after consulting the little girl, let her stay at the Residence to play with Liu He Meng, and Doctor Liu Dafu would stay to watch over them.

Everyone softened their movements, making the whole courtyard unusually quiet.

Fruits in April and May are not particularly rare.

With Xiang Gugu and the attendants, Princess Consort of Qi felt somewhat reassured.

Especially for the royal family, the quantity and varieties produced in Shanglin Garden are considerable.

However, after early spring, the wind and sand are strong, and with the hundred flowers in bloom, pollen swirls through the air.

Nuan Dong and Nuan Xia are also outside, tidying the toys Sui Sui and Liu He Meng have played with, washing the used items, and putting everything back in order.

Thinking of the morning, when the young lords and ladies at Da Zhang Gong Zhu Fu had also eaten, Princess Consort of Qi's mind again became uncertain.

When Princess Consort of Qi heard this, her heart jumped with a thud.

Hearing her ask like that, Princess Consort of Qi was a bit puzzled: "The Shanglin Garden side is probably fine now, shall we not bring any?"

Xiang Gugu gently coaxed, watching the two children fall asleep before stepping aside.

The supplies the Princess Consort had sent were already in Xiang Gugu's hands.

Could it be that they truly bring auspicious signs?

…

Now, hearing Aunt Qiu say that, Princess Consort of Qi felt a little uneasy.

Princess Consort of Qi thought she must be more careful, lest others notice anything abnormal.

Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but mutter "son" in her heart, then looked up and said to Princess Consort of Qi: "Just deal with the disobedient concubines and ladies‑in‑waiting at the Residence; you are a Princess Consort recorded in the royal jade register, are you still afraid of them?"

She responded at once, the little girl obediently went to sleep, and Princess Consort of Qi thought nothing more of it.

When Princess Consort of Qi was leaving with Feng Xuanrui, Aunt Qiu softly asked, "There are some cherries left in the kitchen; should we bring any into the palace?"

But Princess Consort of Qi didn't want any!

Their Qi Wang Fu is already sufficiently wealthy and they have no plans to elevate further.

Aunt Qiu hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Steward Liu at Zhuangzi said that early this morning only one cherry tree had turned red, and the red was especially brilliant; the other trees are still half green and probably need three to five days to ripen. I thought, since the Shanglin Garden side may not be ripe either, I just asked whether we should bring some…"

However, he will clarify it privately with His Majesty.

Moreover, since it needs to be done, the corresponding templates and such also have to be drawn.

Sui Sui didn't hurry to sleep, played Five Wood with Liu He Meng for a while, then the girls held hands and went to bed.

The Empress Dowager suffers from wheezing, and is especially sensitive to pollen.

After Princess Consort of Qi brought Feng Xuanrui into the palace, she first went to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager.

When the matter was mentioned, Princess Consort of Qi had little to say and could only smile awkwardly.

The Feng brothers ate, took a short nap, and then had to go to Zhuangzi.

Therefore, since the hundred flowers bloomed, she has rarely left the Palace Gate.

She couldn't help recalling that last night, to coax Sui Sui to sleep, she said that when the cherries ripen she would take the little girl to pick cherries to eat.

She forced herself to calm down, tidied up, and decided to first bring Feng Xuanrui into the palace.

These days are quite fine; if the little girl truly has any ailment, who knows…

Once the case is adjudicated, those people naturally cannot escape.

He originally turned his head, intending to pay respects to the Empress.

Cherries are sweet‑and‑sour; when ripe they are very sweet and pleasant in texture, and can also be made into various sweet soups and iced drinks, so Princess Consort of Qi naturally liked them.

She wondered whether it was because of Sui Sui…

This child…

His Majesty turned his head and spoke to the Empress Dowager again; the old lady naturally knew that this child had not been short of hardships along the way.

However, the Emperor said that the nation has its laws and the family its rules.

She prepared several designs for Sui Sui to look at; whichever she liked, she would follow that one.

Even so, she inevitably inhaled it, causing the wheezing to flare up; her body felt painfully tight, and sometimes the imperial physician had to stay overnight in the Empress Dowager's palace—Yishou Gong—because they feared the old lady might fall ill again, unable to breathe, and be beyond rescue.

Upon hearing that Feng Xuanrui had returned, the Empress Dowager missed the grandchild greatly, so once her health recovered she eagerly sent word, asking Princess Consort of Qi to bring the person into the palace for her to see.

At this moment, after looking around, the Empress Dowager smiled and patted Feng Xuanrui's head: "You've gotten thinner; this journey hasn't been without suffering, has it?"

The children slept soundly; Xiang Gugu sat not far away, moving gently as she attended to her own tasks, glancing occasionally to guard against any mishap.

At that time, Sui Sui asked her whether she liked cherries.

The Empress Dowager chattered on at length.

Later, she sighed lightly: "This matter isn't entirely your fault; it's that little Nine rascal who never does proper work, and I heard he went to another courtyard causing trouble again?"

If we quietly eat at our own Residence, others won't pry any further.

Can their Wangfu protect them?

Regarding Steward Liu's comment about only one tree ripening, Aunt Qiu didn't think much of it, taking it as a matter of variety and temperature.

Whenever the Empress Dowager thought of those damned dogs daring to plot against her grandchild, she almost wanted to draw a sword and go straight to Tianlao to chop those scum to pieces!

"Those unsavory types that can't stand on the stage only rely on your good nature, and they keep getting out of hand one after another?"

In recent days, perhaps because many flowers have bloomed and fruited, the amount of pollen in the air has decreased considerably; coupled with two spring rains, the air is less dry, and the Empress Dowager's health has finally become more comfortable.

However, the Empress Dowager's side simply held the person down, not letting her cause any more trouble.

After thinking it over, Princess Consort of Qi nodded at Aunt Qiu: "It's uncertain; maybe that tree is nearer the water source, so it ripens earlier than the others. Perhaps Shanglin Garden has a similar situation, and since this thing doesn't bear shaking well, we might as well not bring it."

If it were to be spread abroad…

Feng Xuanrui had been away from Jing for over a month, and the Empress Dowager naturally missed him.

The matters Feng Xuanrui encountered on this journey would not be elaborated upon in Prince Qing's memorial to the throne.

The Empress Dowager grew angrier the more she said: "At my age, I should know shame; that little scandal has made the whole of Jing Cheng aware—do I, an old lady, have any face left? You wretched son, truly unaware unless beaten—who do you think your mother is!"

"Just wait; today I'll send people to the villa, tie that person up, and give them two slaps before we talk!"

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