Chapter 244: Is Xiao Fu Bao Disliked? The Whole City Loves Me With Their Lives
Chapter 244: Climbing Trees
Upon mentioning the injury on his head, Prince Qi perked up. He rolled up his sleeves and, chuckling, said, "Wangfei, let me tell you, I was exceptionally brave today!"
Meanwhile, Concubine Meng quietly minimized her presence. She wasn’t sure if she was meant to hear about court matters, yet leaving now didn’t seem quite right. So she remained quietly to the side, waiting to see if she’d be dismissed.
Prince Qi laughed, "I kicked that old Tang Chi a few times today!"
Tang Chi, the current Minister of Revenue, is also the Empress’s elder brother. After learning about how Tang’s family bullied Suisui in the past, Prince Qi made a mental note to seek some revenge. Sending a lamb leg yesterday was just a warm-up. In today’s court session, he took the opportunity to exchange blows with Tang Chi, throwing in a few punches along with the kicks.
Of course, the brawl wasn’t one-sided; Prince Qi also took a few hits. He didn't even know who dealt the blow to his head that bled so badly. Now, thinking of his injury, he gritted his teeth. “Just let me find out who blindsided me... damn dog!”
In the Da Xia dynasty, it was normal for the court officials to get into physical fights. Only in front of the emperor were weapons banned; otherwise… things could get quite serious.
Qi Wangfei, seeing her husband had only a minor head wound and a few bruises, felt relieved. Injuries were not new for him, so as long as they weren’t severe, she didn’t worry much. Smiling, she switched the subject to Concubine Gu. "Well, Old Minister Tang got a few kicks; we’ve helped Suisui let off some steam. But there’ll be more court sessions, no need to rush. In fact, I have some good news to share with you."
Prince Qi, who was about to share the reward he secured for Suisui with the Marquis Huguo's support, became intrigued. “Good news? Did our precious Suisui get praised by her tutor today?”
In Prince Qi’s eyes, little Suisui was the brightest star. While Qi Wangfei was pleased with his devotion to their daughter, she didn’t want to overlook others either. She smiled, "Concubine Gu is expecting. Physician Liu confirmed it this morning—she’s just passed her third month, and the pregnancy seems stable."
Suisui had previously claimed it would be a younger brother. At the time, Qi Wangfei hadn’t paid it much mind, but now, recalling the child’s words, she thought that Suisui might actually be right. Nevertheless, she decided not to reveal this detail to Prince Qi yet, letting him hold on to the hope it might be a daughter instead.
Prince Qi, assuming the news concerned Suisui, mentally congratulated himself on having such an intelligent daughter. However, upon realizing the news pertained to something else, he was momentarily stunned—he was going to be a father again? After six or seven years of an eerily quiet household and even doctors telling him that his body wasn’t up to it, an unexpected child?
Was this a pleasant surprise?
Prince Qi, startled yet delighted, finally asked, “Wait… so Concubine Gu is…” His eyes shifted as if trying to recall where exactly Concubine Gu resided. It had been so long since he paid attention to any of the women in the rear court that some faces were simply forgotten.
Qi Wangfei felt a brief pang upon hearing this but wasn’t surprised. She had long accepted that royal life was fraught with indifference. Smiling, she gestured, “Concubine Gu lives in that courtyard over there. She’s probably still awake, expecting your visit.”
Grateful for the reminder, Prince Qi chuckled, “Right, I should go have a look. Let’s go together.”
Before setting off, he made sure to cover his head wound with an ornament, one he hadn’t worn in ages, and it concealed the injury quite well—no one would notice unless they looked closely.
Prince Qi led the way, with Qi Wangfei following closely behind.
Concubine Meng hesitated for a moment, then asked quietly, “Should I come too?”
Qi Wangfei, without making it difficult for her, smiled and said, “You’ve been busy these past few days; go ahead and rest.”
Concubine Meng gratefully nodded and took her leave.
As Prince Qi walked toward Concubine Gu’s residence, he couldn’t help marveling at the strange twists of fate. Here he was, assumed incapable of fathering children, yet a child was now on the way? Fate was truly on his side!
On the journey, when Qi Wangfei mentioned that Suisui was the first to notice the pregnancy, Prince Qi beamed and declared, “It’s always my precious one—she’s a blessing from heaven!”
Qi Wangfei, at a loss for words, simply smiled.
At that moment, Prince Qi’s little treasure was climbing a tree.
With no adults supervising and the servants unable to dissuade her, Feng Xuanrui and his cousins, tired of waiting for their mother and father, decided to do something exciting. Led by Feng Xuanrui and encouraged by Feng Xuanbin and Feng Xuanbo, the children made their way to the western courtyard, gathering under a large, well-cared-for crabapple tree in full bloom.
This tree, which Prince Qi had transplanted from the imperial garden years ago in his hopes for a daughter, was now covered in blossoms.
Seeing its beauty, Feng Xuanrui was inspired. He decided he’d pick some flowers to weave a crown for his little sister! His handiwork was decent, after all. Besides, the thought that his cousin from the Song family had already crafted a crown for her made him even more determined.
So, tree-climbing, flower-picking, and crown-weaving it was! His sister deserved only the best in the world.
The crabapple tree wouldn’t suffer for a few missing flowers! While Feng Xuanrui doubted he could chop it down due to his small size, climbing was another matter entirely.
Neither Qing Shan nor Qing Shui, the servants, could dissuade him. Even Feng Xuancang, who had tried a half-hearted warning, joined in and climbed to protect his brother.
Seeing her brothers climb, Suisui couldn’t resist and followed suit. Liu Hemeng, catching the excitement, was also ready to join in!
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