Jin Wang Dotes on His Concubine - C.219.1
“Your Majesty, what’s the matter?”
Feeling someone touch him, Emperor Jin’an finally realized that she had walked up to him and was trying to touch his forehead by tiptoeing.
His muscles tensed up suddenly; it had been deeply ingrained in him over the years to reject women’s touch. He reflexively wanted to push her away but inexplicably held himself back.
He remembered that he not only didn’t dislike her, but he even liked her.
He lowered his head to look at her; her fair complexion and soft red lips emitted a subtle fragrance that tantalized his senses, making him want to get closer, closer still. In her watery eyes, there was an anxious look, as if she was very concerned about his condition.
The empress.
It was evident that this body doted on her greatly, or else why would she be bestowed the title of empress?
Yaoniang didn’t notice the subtle scrutiny in the man’s eyes as she spoke, “You don’t have a fever, do you? Are you having another headache? Have some food first, and later I’ll give you a massage. Maybe we should call Imperial Physician Liu to take a look; you’ve been having frequent headaches lately.”
She chattered on and, holding his hand, led him to the table where a bowl of congee had already been prepared. The congee was thick, and the rice had burst open, making it look rich and delicious.
Emperor Jin’an looked at the congee in front of him with a dazed expression. Yaoniang gave him a puzzled look and was about to say something when Sibao took over.
“Father, you should eat quickly; otherwise, third brother will eat all the good stuff later.” The rosy-cheeked little girl said while grabbing a crab roe bun.
The crab roe bun was small, only the size of a palm. To get fresh crabs in this weather, they had to be transported all the way from coastal regions to the capital. They were kept in seawater, which was changed several times a day, so they arrived in the capital still lively. They were a tribute from Shandong.
There weren’t many of them. Yaoniang arranged for some to be delivered to their close families, and the rest were kept in the small kitchen of the Kunning Palace.
Seeing his sister speaking like this, Sanbao gave her a sidelong glance. “I wonder who here eats the most.”
Sibao wrinkled her nose and put down the chopsticks and the bun she was holding, proudly taking out something from her lap. It was a pink handkerchief, and it was bulging inside. Sibao placed it on the table and revealed several crab roe buns inside.
Wow! She even learnt to do that!
Sanbao, surprised, gave his sister a look that said he was impressed, a far cry from his usual lazy demeanour. Sibao felt even more pleased and grinned, showing all her teeth. “There are a total of five. I’m saving one for big brother, one for second brother, one for father, and one for grandfather. The remaining one is for myself.”
She counted on her fingers.
Sanbao felt a bit embarrassed. “What about me?”
“Aren’t you eating one right now?” Sibao said when she saw her brother’s wounded expression, “Fine, then I’ll share the last one with you.”
Yaoniang laughed at the side. “You don’t need to hide it; Mother has already set aside some. I’ll send a plate to your Imperial Grandfather later and to the Fifth Ganxi Institute.”
Now it was Sibao’s turn to show surprise in her eyes. All that sneaking around she did was in vain!
Seeing her daughter’s dejected look, Yaoniang patted her small head. “Alright, Mother knows that Sibao is the most filial, but you can just tell me if you want to give some to Imperial Grandfather and Father. There’s no need to hide the buns.” After all, Sibao really liked crab roe buns, and being able to save a few from her mouth was a rare feat.
“I thought that was all,” Sibao said, feeling pleased when she heard her mother praise her for being filial. She boldly jumped off her chair and went to Emperor Jin’an’s side, handing him the handkerchief in her hand. “Father, this is all for you; Little Sibao is full now.”
Emperor Jin’an had been observing all this. He could see that she had raised the two children very well—they were healthy, lively, and filial. But this was just observation; what was left was disbelief. He and she not only had XIaobao but also Erbao, Sanbao, and Sibao.
They had four children!
Thinking about it, she didn’t die, and he was healthy, so naturally, they would have more children in the future.
He suddenly felt jealous of his current body. He imagined that ‘he’ and she must have had many, many experiences together, and those experiences must have been what he had longed for in his heart.
Longed for? Emperor Jin’an suddenly understood why he always dreamt of her. Was it regret? Or was it love? There had to be love, but it had been lost to the passage of time.
In his eyes, there were surging hidden emotions as he lowered his head to look at the tender young girl before him.
Her white and plump little face and her small hands were so delicate…
He closed his eyes momentarily, suppressing the warmth inside him, then accepted the handkerchief handed to him by the young girl. He wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the words. He was afraid someone would discover the turmoil within him.
Sibao blinked, looking at his father with puzzlement. “Father, why aren’t you carrying Sibao?”
Um…
Emperor Jin’an hesitated as he glanced at the young girl.
Yaoniang said, “Your Father Emperor needs to have his meal, why do you need him to carry you?”
“In the past, Father Emperor would always carry Little Sibao, even during meals.” The young girl sounded a bit aggrieved.
Yaoniang was about to say something when she saw Emperor Jin’an finally pick up Sibao, holding her clumsily in a slightly awkward manner.
She glanced at him with confusion but didn’t dwell on it. She told Sibao, “Sit well on Father Emperor’s lap and don’t disturb him during his meal.”
The young girl happily complied with a cheerful “Okay,” as Emperor Jin’an placed her on his lap.
“Father, eat, and Little Sibao will watch you eat.”
Her sweet and innocent big eyes were filled with affection for her father. Emperor Jin’an reached out and clumsily patted the young girl’s head, then took out a crab roe bun from the handkerchief and put it in her small hand.
“Little Sibao should eat too.”
After finishing breakfast, Sibao was accustomed to making a visit to the imperial study. The two siblings held hands and walked away. Yaoniang turned back to look at Emperor Jin’an sitting on the kang and asked curiously, “Why did you finish morning court so early today? Is everything all right?”
Emperor Jin’an’s first thought was that women must not meddle in politics. But since he wasn’t the original person, he hesitated for a moment. Then he saw her instructing the palace maids to bring the crab roe buns to the imperial study instead of sending them to the Eastern Palace. She said it was better for them to enjoy hot, and now both Xiaobao and Erbao were in the study. He suddenly realized that her comment was just an offhand remark, not an attempt to pry into political affairs at all.
It seemed that this wasn’t the first time they had such exchanges. “He” must really cherish her.
His thoughts began to wander, and he couldn’t help but wonder how “he” would have reacted in this situation. Just as he was lost in thought, she climbed onto the kang and pulled him to lie on her lap.
He instinctively wanted to resist but heard her say, “What’s wrong with you today? Why do you seem so strange? Is there anything wrong?”