Ninth Imperial Glorious Phoenix Chapter 563

Chapter 563: Setting the Wedding Date

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Yuwen Chu picked up Zhuang Zhuang and kissed his little face, chuckling, “That’s because he knows that Daddy is busy but still cares for him.”

Mingzhu, jealous, tried to take Zhuang Zhuang from him, “You can’t hog him, let me hold him.”

Yuwen Chu, using his height advantage, turned around and blocked her, firmly holding Zhuang Zhuang, “You’re being unreasonable. You’re with the child all the time, and now you’re jealous just because I hold him for a while? I’m his father! How can you be jealous?”

“Your Highness is bullying me because I’m short.” Mingzhu tiptoed and chased after him, both consciously lowering their voices so as not to startle the child. However, Zhuang Zhuang remained calm; they could fuss all they wanted, but he would sleep peacefully. After a while, he yawned lightly and closed his eyes, falling asleep.

Yuwen Chu praised him, “Truly my son, so calm and composed.”

Mingzhu also praised him, “He must have seen a lot while in my belly, so ordinary scares won’t affect him.”

They glanced at each other and laughed. Yuwen Chu solemnly advised Mingzhu, “Let’s praise and spoil him less in the future, or he won’t grow up to be responsible.”

Mingzhu protested, “But it was Your Highness who always praised and spoiled him whenever you saw him, holding him and not letting go. How can you blame me now?” However, she knew that what Yuwen Chu said was true. Zhuang Zhuang was the eldest son, and the burden on his shoulders would be heavy in the future. Whether he had the ability to bear such responsibilities would have a great impact, so there couldn’t be any mistakes in his upbringing.

Yuwen Chu whispered, “I just thought he would have a hard time in the future, so I wanted to spoil him a little more while he’s young.”

Mingzhu wondered, “Can’t you spoil a child without indulging them? Aren’t these two completely different things? You can spoil him when it’s necessary and teach him when it’s time to learn. Isn’t that enough?”

Yuwen Chu fell silent for a moment, then smiled, “You’re right, Wangfei.”

Mingzhu raised her chin proudly, “Let’s remind each other in the future.”

After settling Zhuang Zhuang, Yuwen Chu told Mingzhu about Fu Mingzheng’s wedding date, “I’ve met with Li Dazhong and had a thorough discussion. He agreed to get married in two months, any earlier wouldn’t do.”

Li Dazhong’s reasoning was that he only had one daughter, and all their relatives and friends were back in their hometown. How could they not notify them? Li Shumei had been rejected by the groom’s family before, so if they rushed again this time, their family’s reputation would suffer. They had to have a grand wedding. Li Dazhong also made many demands, not just about the betrothal gifts, but also about etiquette. They couldn’t miss any steps in the traditional engagement process, and everything had to be perfect.

“I thought it was understandable, so I agreed on behalf of my father-in-law. The letter has been sent, and I believe we can set the wedding date tomorrow.” Yuwen Chu instructed Mingzhu with a smile, “You can have someone deliver Fourth Uncle’s money box.”

Mingzhu wished she could personally deliver it, see Madam Cui, tease Fu Mingzheng, and feel the joy of the whole family finally solving this major problem. But knowing it was impossible made her eager to get through her postpartum recovery quickly. Thinking about attending Fu Mingzheng’s wedding later, she couldn’t bear the idea of having a loose belly and thick waist. Just relying on Rong Momo’s belly massages wasn’t enough; she needed to move around and pick up some of the basic exercises she used to do when dancing, starting with the simplest and easiest ones.

Yuwen Chu was thinking about another matter. Mingzhu was going to observe the traditional forty-five days of postpartum confinement, and by the time Fu Mingzheng got married, she would have finished her confinement. Even if she learned about Madam Cui’s situation, it wouldn’t cause too much concern. 

With each of them preoccupied with their own thoughts and tasks, time flew by, and before they knew it, Mingzhu had completed her postpartum confinement. On the day she finished, Mingzhu dressed up, first moved back to the main room with Zhuangzhuang, and then planned to visit her parents’ home to see Madam Cui and the others. She discussed with Yuwen Chu, “The baby’s full moon banquet is almost ready. This time when I go back, I’ll invite all our family members. If my mother’s condition is good today, then I can have her brought over to join the celebration.” 

Yuwen Chu gestured for the nursemaid to take Zhuangzhuang away and then said seriously, “I have something to discuss with you.” 

Seeing his expression, Mingzhu felt uneasy, and her heart began to race uncontrollably. She forced a smile and asked, “What’s the matter? You look so serious.” 

Yuwen Chu said, “There have been many things lately. I plan to combine the baby’s full moon celebration with the hundredth day celebration. What do you think?” 

Mingzhu breathed a sigh of relief and said, “There have indeed been many things lately. Combining them is a good idea; it’ll save us a lot of trouble. But why so serious? Are you trying to scare me, Your Highness?” 

Yuwen Chu looked at her sympathetically and said, “That’s just the first matter. It’s to prepare you mentally. The second matter is that mother-in-law’s condition is not good. She has been hiding it from you because she didn’t want you to worry during your confinement.” 

Mingzhu stood up suddenly, her face pale. “What’s wrong with her?” The maid who worked for Fu Zifei had spoken the truth. Mingzhu immediately thought of Fu Mingzheng and Li Shumei’s hurried wedding, and the more she thought about it, the more scared she became. Fu Cong didn’t believe in such superstitions as joyous events, but it was likely that they would marry a new wife before Madam Cui passed away to avoid the three-year mourning period. 

Yuwen Chu placed his hand on her shoulder, forcing her to sit down. “She has been in a coma since that night of the fall. But even if she’s in a coma, it’s a good thing that she’s still alive, isn’t it?” 

Mingzhu couldn’t sit still, tears streaming down her face. “I want to go back and see my mother.” She had been careless. Although she had suspected something, she had believed that Madam Cui, being one of the last survivors, would be fine. Fortunately, Madam Cui had managed to hold on. Otherwise, if she had passed away, Mingzhu might never have had the chance to see her. 

Her family had been going through tough times while she, like a fool, knew nothing, always cheerful and carefree, neglecting her filial duties. Thinking about this, she couldn’t calm down. “Even though Your Highness is doing this for my own good, you have to consider what the matter is. I have been unfilial!” 

Yuwen Chu knew that once the truth came out, he would surely receive blame, but he couldn’t care about that now. He asked, “What can you do once you know? Go tend to her illness right after childbirth? Mourn every day and ruin your health, and that’s considered filial piety? I’ve been trying to find the best doctors and medicines to treat your mother. Isn’t that filial piety? I’ve been filial to you by ensuring you recover well. I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong!”

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