Chapter 215 – I Am The Empress Dowager, Who Am I Afraid Of? (part 8)

If it weren’t for the pain all over Li Su’s body and the fact that she had a delicate body, Li Su actually wanted to go down and hold Emperor Long’an’s hand to explain the deep love between mother and son. However, she could only lie on the bed and wave for Emperor Long’an to come over.

Wet Nurse Xu had already signalled to the palace people present for them and Zhang Yuanshou to go out.

“Emperor, empress mother knows that empress mother did not take good care of you when you were a child, which meant that you often got sick. Then those bad people couldn’t deal with empress mother, so they decided to deal with you and put double the amount of coptis chinensis1 in your medicine, causing you to eat a lot of bitter medicine. When you grew up, you didn’t like to see the imperial doctor. If you had any minor illness or pain, you would endure it. But Zhe’er, you are the emperor. Your body is related to the country and society. You don’t have the right to be willful, you know? Or, are you still blaming your empress mother for not taking good care of you and making you sick?” Li Su pretended to cry.

Wet Nurse Xu rolled her eyes beside her. Empress Dowager, your acting skills are too exaggerated!

Emperor Long’an believed Li Su, so he tried desperately to explain, “Empress mother, how can your son blame you? Your son has never blamed you.”

“Then listen to empress mother’s words and don’t be afraid of the doctor. Your father emperor is no longer here. If something happens to you, what will empress mother do?” Li Su really cried this time. Because she moved too much, she strained her body too much and it hurt.

“Mother, don’t cry. It’s because your son is not good. Don’t worry, your son will listen to you in the future and will no longer be afraid of the doctor. In the future, your son will ask the imperial doctor to do a check-up every five days. Your son will listen. Empress mother, don’t cry.” Emperor Long’an was sweating anxiously.

Seeing this, Wet Nurse Xu glanced at Li Su. Empress Dowager, please accept this as soon as you see it. Look at how scared the emperor is!

Li Su eased the pain and slowly stopped her tears. “This is what you said. You can’t go back on your word. A-Xu, go watch him for me.”

Emperor Long’an couldn’t say anything to refute her. He was only worried that it would be inconvenient for empress mother to be away from Wet Nurse Xu. “Empress mother should not be separated from Wet Nurse Xu. It’s better to let Wet Nurse Xu come over when your son eats meals and takes medicine every day.”

Li Su thought about it, nodded, and said, “Alright.”

Emperor Long’an looked at Wet Nurse Xu. “Wet Nurse Xu is working hard.”

Wet Nurse Xu said with a smile, “This servant doesn’t consider this to be hard work. This is what this servant should do.”

After Emperor Long’an came out of Reaching the Clouds Hall, he let out a long sigh of relief. He finally understood that when his father was still alive, in order to coax his mother not to cry, he had to agree to everything. At that time, he had laughed at his father in his heart. But when he experienced it himself, he realised that he was the same as his father. He couldn’t stand to see empress mother sad.

Emperor Long’an once again recognised this fact. He couldn’t help but sigh. He had to drink medicine again!

After Emperor Long’an left, Li Su finally gave up and asked the maid to massage her. As a result, the pain was terrible and she cried while holding the quilt.

Wet Nurse Xu was next to Li Su and she shook head helplessly. In the past when the late emperor was there, she felt that the late emperor was too fond of her family’s girl. That girl had been in the palace for many years, and her temperament was still the same as before; she did not grow at all. At that time, while she was happy for her, she couldn’t help but worry. If the late emperor could see things through, then it would be fine.

Fortunately, the late emperor did not let her down. In this life, he regarded the girl as a treasure in his palm and loved her. Her family’s girl had been happy for so many years.

After the death of the late emperor, her family’s girl became the empress dowager. She thought that, since the status was different, her family’s girl should have grown up. She didn’t expect that, without the late emperor, His Majesty would indulge this girl more than the late emperor.

If this went on, her family’s girl would probably never grow up in her entire life. In fact, if it went on like this, then there was nothing wrong. But in the future…

What was she thinking about! No, it would definitely continue like this! Amitabha! Buddha bless her girl to be happy all the time.

Wet Nurse Xu recited words and prayed sincerely.

“Wet Nurse, Empress Dowager said that it is time for His Majesty’s meal, so you need to go over and watch. His Majesty is not allowed to be a picky eater,” the little palace maid said softly.

“Understood. Be optimistic about the empress dowager, and don’t allow the empress dowager to be greedy.” Wet Nurse Xu put down her hands and regained her former shrewd and capable image.

Five years passed in a flash. In those five years, many things happened. It was enough to make many people grow up, except for the current empress dowager.

“It’s time to get up. Didn’t you promise His Highness the Crown Prince that you would take him to the Imperial Garden to catch crickets today?” Wet Nurse Xu looked at Li Su, who had shrunk herself into a ball.

“Why would we catch crickets? Send Yuan Qi to the Supreme Hall to the emperor. That is his son, let him take his son to catch crickets,” Li Su said impatiently.

“Obviously it was you who promised His Royal Highness that you would take him to catch crickets. What are you doing pushing this to His Majesty? His Majesty is busy with all kinds of things and you are bothering His Majesty with these trivial matters. The prince has gone to Jiangxi to avoid you.” Wet Nurse Xu stood by the bed and continued talking.

“Nonsense! Defang went out to sketch, not to hide from me!” Li Su sat up annoyed and raised her head.

“Are you sure that the prince is not avoiding you because you invited some little girls into the palace to let the prince see them, so the prince hides?” Wet Nurse Xu smiled and clapped her hands. Li Su changed clothes and washed.

“I did it for his own good. He was a cute person when he was young, but when he grew up, he became so boring and rigid. His words and deeds were like his father. Alas, there is only one me in this world who can bear such a temper. Who else would be able to deal with him? Am I not afraid that he will be a bachelor? So, I found some lively and cute little girls. He doesn’t have to marry immediately. They can see each other first. I didn’t expect him to be so disrespectful. He ran out without saying a word,” Li Su muttered.

Wet Nurse Xu listened helplessly beside her, but she felt a little disapproval. What did she mean that there was only her in the world who could endure the temper of the late emperor? What was she like? Didn’t she have any shame? It should be that in this world, apart from the late emperor, who could stand her?! Oh no, there was also His Majesty.

“The prince told His Majesty and His Majesty allowed the prince to leave the capital,” Wet Nurse Xu reminded Li Su.

Li Su snorted. “It’s obvious that the two of them are brothers, and I’m just an outsider, right?! They don’t have anything to say to me, so he just tells his imperial brother!”

“His Majesty and the prince have a harmonious relationship. Empress dowager should be happy. Why is empress dowager still jealous?” Wet Nurse Xu asked with a smile.

“Who said I was jealous?! I was, that was…” Li Su would not admit that she was really jealous of her son. She was racking her brains to think of reasons. Then, she felt someone hug her legs.

There was no one who dared to be so presumptuous in Peaceful Age Palace, except for the 4 year old prince, Zhao Yuanqi.

Li Su looked down and saw a cute little face. She smiled instantly, reached out and pinched Zhao Yuanqi’s small chubby face. “Why did Yuanqi get up so early today?”

Zhao Yuanqi looked outside. The sun was already high. It was getting late. But he liked it. In the past when he was in the inner palace with empress mother, he would get up every day before dawn to read and learn Chinese characters and draw the bow. It was hard work, and he was seriously ill for this reason. Fortunately, emperor father and the empress came and sent him to imperial grandmother’s palace.

Imperial grandmother was gentle and amiable. Imperial grandmother also had a lot of fun things and a lot of delicious food. He was very happy to live with imperial grandmother.

“Imperial grandmother, let’s catch crickets.” Zhao Yuanqi said while pouting. He knew that every time he made this expression, imperial grandmother would be very happy. At that time, no matter what he asked, imperial grandmother would agree.

Sure enough, Li Su laughed and said, “Okay, after breakfast, let’s go catch crickets.” This was a normal child. When he was first brought here, he was thin like a bamboo pole. After staying in Peaceful Age Palace for more than half a year, he had gained some weight. Look how good she was at raising children.

Li Su was very confident that she could give her unfortunate grandson a lot.

Wet Nurse Xu also nodded with satisfaction. Obviously, she was also very satisfied with the chubby prince. Although His Royal Highness was a bit fat, his body was much healthier than before, and he no longer needed to take medicine when he was sick. The imperial doctor also said that His Royal Highness’s body was much better. This was all thanks to her and the empress dowager.

His Majesty was also very satisfied. She didn’t know if the empress was satisfied and she didn’t care.

Empress Jiang came to Peaceful Age Palace early in the morning and waited for more than half an hour to see her mother-in-law and son. Unfortunately, her mother-in-law didn’t say anything and then left with her son.

Her son walked very simply without even giving her a look.

Empress Jiang felt sour in her heart, but when she heard her son ask her mother-in-law if she wanted to have dinner with emperor father at noon, Empress Jiang felt complacent again when she heard her mother-in-law say yes. Even if she was not by her son’s side, that was her son. The son who was conceived in October was still the crown prince. Which son of the concubines could see the emperor every day?

Empress Jiang managed to have such a son, but he was not the eldest son. Her son was the fourth oldest. Although he was named the crown prince just after turning one year old, he was not the eldest son. This was the sore spot in Empress Jiang’s heart. Therefore, she was very strict with her son. She hoped that her son would be good both in military matters and literary matters. Regardless of her son’s young age, she set high standards for him and strove to suppress her son’s older brothers in order to prove that her son was a genius and a son of heaven!

She didn’t expect that her son would become seriously ill and almost lost his life. Empress Jiang regretted it at the time when she saw her dying son.

Therefore, when the emperor moved her son to Peaceful Age Palace to be raised by the empress dowager, Empress Jiang did not dare to complain.

1.(黃連) huanglian: coptis chinensis