Chongfei Manual [II]

Chapter 168.2

Zhao Jie paused before saying, "Yang Xin Hall."

Yang Xin Hall was the emperor's bedroom. It wouldn't be inappropriate for Empress Chen to stay there. There probably wasn't anything that Emperor Chong Zhen wished more for than this opportunity.

Wei Luo was silent for a bit before she quietly said, "Oh." She thought of what she had seen before she had started giving birth. Emperor Chong had rushed into the fire without regard for his life. Wei Luo had to admit that she had been very shocked. Emperor Chong Zhen valued Empress Chen more than his own life. Exactly, how much did he love her? Since he loved her so much, why did he abandon Empress Chen to favor only Noble Consort Ning? Would Empress Chen forgive him? Wei Luo couldn't figure out the answers to these questions, so she stopped letting her imagination run wild.

She said, "Why did Bao He Hall catch on fire? Did they figure out what happened?"

Zhao Jie said, "Imperial mother had dismissed all of the palace servants and guards at the entrance. Although she hadn't discovered the hidden guards, the fire had spread too quickly. By the time they noticed, it was already too late."

The implication was the Empress Chen had single-mindedly sought death. She had planned and prepared everything by herself. It wasn't related to anyone else.

Even thought he knew this, Emperor Chong Zhen was still determined to investigate the palace servants and guards that had been stationed at Bao He Hall to vent his anger.

Wei Luo leaned against her pillow and didn't say anything.

Fortunately, this lifetime was different. Empress Chen had been rescued and hadn't been burnt to ashes in the sea of fire, so that even her bones weren't left behind for the emperor.

A short while later, a palace servant walked into the room while carrying a vermillion tray that was painted with a sunflower pattern. She placed the tray down on a square table that was inlayed with gold and decorated with spirals that was near the head of the bed. She briefly saluted before withdrawing from the room.

Zhao Jie picked up the bowl of pigeon and reishi mushroom soup, scooped a spoonful of soup, blew on it to cool it down, and brought the spoon to Wei Luo's lips, "Here, take a sip."

Pigeon meat could help wounds heal and recover injuries completely. When it was cooked in soup, it was even more effective. Wei Luo also wanted to quickly recover, so she obediently drank the soup. After she finished drinking the soup, she ate some of the small, side dishes. Zhao Jie had handfed all of this food to her. Relying on the fact that she had recently given outstanding service, Wei Luo didn't feel the slightest bit embarrassed. After eating, she comfortably lied back down on the bed. She didn't dare to move around too much. Her lower body hurt too much when she did.

A while later, her eyes turned and she looked as if she wanted to say something. Her fingers dug into Zhao Jie's palm and scratched it.

Zhao Jie's thin lips lightly smiled and he asked, "What's wrong?"

Wei Luo whispered, "I want..."

All humans need to go the bathroom and she had lied on this bed for a day and night without leaving. Zhao Jie clearly knew what she was referring to, but he deliberately pretended to not know. He quietly said, "Oh, what do you want?"

Wei Luo's face turned red and she glared at him. She didn't say another word and only directly looked at him.

When Zhao Jie had finally teased her enough, he chuckled, lifted her up from the bed, and carried her to the bathroom at the back of the hall.

Zhao Jie placed her on the wooden container and asked her, "Do you need to me take off your pants?"

Wei Luo bit her lip and said, "No need." Then, she pushed him towards the outside.

Zhao Jie didn't resist and walked to behind the divider to wait.

*****

During the first three days, Wei Luo couldn't leave the bed by herself. She had her meals while sitting in the bed and everything was done by Zhao Jie. He even helped her with changing her clothes and going to the bathroom. At the beginning, she was thin-skinned and would blush with embarrassment every time Zhao Jie teased her.

But now, she had lost her sensitivity. When Zhao Jie said teasing remarks, she would either glare at him with her limpid and glossy eyes or pinch the soft part of his flesh and say, "You're not allowed to mention this."

Empress Chen had recently visited her a few times to tell her she could peacefully stay here for her one month confinement period after childbirth. During those visits, Empress Chen seemed liked she wasn't in a good mood. So, Wei Luo would have a palace servant bring Zhao Xi over after they exchanged a few words. A faint smile appeared on Empress Chen's face whenever she saw Zhao Xi.

After many days of feeding, little Zhao Xi has already lost his ugliness. Not only was he no longer ugly, the little fellow now had a beautifully, exquisite appearance. With his rosy cheeks and white skin, he resembled a crystal-like white jade dumpling and was very lovable. Zhao Xi liked to laugh and wasn't afraid of strangers at all. Whenever anyone played with him, his giggles could be heard from a far distance. All of the palace servants, whether it was servant girls or mamas, liked him.

Empress Chen treated him like a piece of her heart. He was her favorite person. It made sense. She had been looking forward to having a grandson for many years. How could she not cherish him?

Logically, Zhao Jie should be very happy to have such a lovable child. However, his mood hadn't been good lately. It was probably because all of Wei Luo's attention had been focused on little watermelon. She didn't have any time to care about Zhao Jie. There were times when Zhao Jie had stood in front of her for a long without her noticing his presence. She was too focused on playing with little watermelon.

As each day passed, Zhao Jie's expression became worse and worse.

On the day when little watermelon was one month old, Emperor Chong had arranged for his one-month-old birthday celebration to be held in the palace and invited the imperial court's civil and military officers to the celebration. The occasion was quite grand.

Little Zhao Xi was too young to understand what was happening. He only knew to cuddle with Wei Luo and monopolize her bosom and arms. He would occasionally blink, stick his tongue out, and yawn. His expressions were plentiful and fun to look at.

During the banquet, Wei Luo held him in her arms and was reluctant to let him go. After the banquet ended, they returned to Zhao Yang Hall and Wei Luo personally gave Zhao Xi his bath. Afterwards, she placed him down on an arhat-style rattan bed with a red sandalwood frame and carefully wrapped him up in swaddling clothes.

Wei Luo's body had recovered pretty well during the past month. Perhaps, it was because she had gotten out of bed and walked around every day. Her waistline had slimmed down very quickly. There wasn't any difference between her and a teenage girl that hadn't given birth.

Her cheeks had become sharp again and her skin continued to be white and soft. If little watermelon didn't resemble her so much, people wouldn't be able to tell that she was someone who had recently given birth.