Chapter 257: Is Xiao Fu Bao Disliked? The Whole City Loves Me With Their Lives
**Chapter 257: Skills Gone Rusty**
Once Prince Qi responded, the emperor felt at ease. He held Suisui and asked her softly if she had eaten any pastries, drunk anything, or was feeling hungry.
…
The emperor wouldn’t make things difficult for a child, especially one favored by the heavens—he certainly wouldn’t act recklessly.
The questions weren’t complicated, and Suisui obediently answered. Her soft voice made the listener feel warm inside.
At this moment, the emperor had a strange feeling... It was as if the father who once controlled him was now within his grasp.
It was because those eyes—those eyes were so much like his late father’s!
This odd sense of satisfaction was something the emperor couldn’t share with anyone. He didn’t want rumors circulating that he was disrespectful to the late emperor.
The royal relatives would certainly come over to lecture him, and the emperor didn’t enjoy that.
So, he kept it to himself.
When the emperor arrived, the Empress Dowager signaled that it was time for the meal.
The Empress Dowager wasn’t extravagant with her food and attire. She didn’t care for such things.
Though it wasn’t frugal, it wasn’t wasteful either.
But today, with both of her sons present and her newly arrived granddaughter, the Empress Dowager thought…
No, today, there would be no skimping on the meal!
Suisui was such a timid child. If she thought her royal grandmother’s life was hard and didn’t want to eat, what would they do?
So, food, dishes, and meat—everything must be served!
The emperor stayed in the Yishou Palace for the meal, so the food was naturally prepared in abundance.
While waiting, the emperor still held Suisui and quietly spoke to her.
At first, Suisui was quite afraid of her royal uncle. His presence was still too imposing.
But with his gentle words and a smile on his face, Suisui quickly adapted, and her voice grew louder.
Seeing the child grow braver in his arms, the emperor felt a sense of pride.
He thought to himself: I’m pretty good at handling children, this is nice.
Maybe it was Suisui’s change that made the emperor feel a bit puffed up.
He even took the initiative to ask if he could hold Suisui while eating.
Prince Qi was uneasy but didn’t dare to say anything.
He was also worried. How could anyone else hold his precious daughter?
Even his own brother wasn’t allowed.
Prince Qi made a move to take her, but the emperor shot him a cold glance, and Prince Qi shrank back.
The Empress Dowager watched with amusement but didn’t stop the brothers.
They had a good relationship, and the emperor took good care of his younger brother. This reassured the Empress Dowager greatly.
The emperor’s plan was to hold Suisui and feed her properly.
However, very few royal children were ever fed by the emperor himself. Only those of the highest status, like the Empress’s children, or the favored concubines' children, would occasionally receive this attention, and even then, it was more for show.
The emperor wasn’t used to this and his skills had rusted.
He clumsily fed Suisui, who had to carefully cooperate; otherwise, the food would end up who knows where.
Eventually, the Empress Dowager couldn’t watch any longer and interrupted with a smile, "Alright, alright, if you keep feeding her like this, she’ll have food all over her ears. Let me take her."
The emperor was already embarrassed, but he didn’t want to admit it outright.
When the Empress Dowager spoke up, it was like a silent rescue.
Although the emperor wasn’t desperate, he quickly handed Suisui over to her grandmother.
Not wanting the child to think too much, the emperor cheerfully said, "Your royal uncle’s hands are too rough and clumsy. Let your royal grandmother feed you, okay?"
Indeed, the emperor wasn’t feeding her well. Suisui didn’t know what she had eaten and only felt her neck was sore, trying to follow the emperor’s hand to catch the food, unsure where it would end up.
Finally, she was freed. Suisui was quite happy.
She nodded gently, "I’ll listen to royal uncle."
Although the emperor knew that Suisui was being a little reluctant, her choice of words still brought a sense of comfort to his heart. He raised his hand and gently patted her little head, his voice low yet filled with delight: "Good child."
The Empress Dowager had raised three children. Although she hadn't personally cared for every one of them, since there were few children, she had more opportunities to be hands-on.
Especially with Prince Qi and the late Princess Jiaoyang, the Empress Dowager had personally fed them, bathed them, and cared for them in the past.
Although many years had passed and her hands had grown out of practice, her memories were still sharp.
So, when the Empress Dowager took over feeding Suisui, she quickly got the hang of it, feeding the child very well.
Watching Suisui eat heartily, her cheeks puffed up, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but smile widely.
She rarely smiled so brightly, but seeing Suisui eat so well made it impossible for her to hold back her joy.
The death of Princess Jiaoyang had left the Empress Dowager with a heavy heart for the past few years, making her appear somber and uncheerful.
Though the sorrow still lingered, her outlook had improved considerably.
Looking into Suisui's eyes, the Empress Dowager felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
How should she describe it?
It was as if she held the late emperor in her hands.
If the child was hungry or thirsty, they had to rely on her—at least they had to ask her for help first.
Now that she thought about it, it actually felt quite satisfying.
However, this feeling of satisfaction was something that couldn’t be known by others.
The Empress Dowager quickly adjusted her emotions, gently touching Suisui’s puffed-up cheek.
It was soft and smooth, so cute, and felt wonderful to touch.
Suisui was slightly confused when touched but didn’t let it distract her from chewing.
The little girl’s eyes were wide, and her cheeks puffed up. She looked absolutely adorable!
The more the Empress Dowager looked, the more delighted she became, and eventually, she couldn’t help but ask Prince Qi, “Xiao Jiu, what do you think about Suisui staying in the palace these next few days, keeping me company?”
Prince Qi, who had been eating, suddenly froze, raising his head in disbelief and looking at his mother as if his whole world was about to shatter.
Prince Qi thought: Huh?
He just came to the palace for a visit, and now his precious daughter was going to be taken away?
Reluctant but unable to argue with his mother, Prince Qi could only lower his head in silence, feeling as though his heart had broken.
Seeing her youngest son like this, the Empress Dowager couldn’t help but laugh.
She sighed helplessly: “Alright, alright, I’ll be the bad guy. Let the child go with you back to the mansion. But after a while, you’ll have to send her to the palace, so I can enjoy her company.”
Upon hearing this, Prince Qi felt a burst of joy inside.
Not having to send his precious daughter away was certainly a relief.
But soon, a sense of guilt crept up on him.
Since the death of his elder sister, the Empress Dowager’s mood had never truly recovered, and her health had deteriorated significantly.
Now, she had finally found a child she liked so much, and Prince Qi felt that if he took Suisui away, how upset his mother would be.
However, leaving Suisui in the palace didn’t sit well with him either. He didn’t trust the palace entirely.
The conflict weighed heavily on his heart.
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