Chapter 671: Whom Does He Resemble
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Mingzhu placed Zhuangzhuang in the Great Empress Dowager’s arms and softly said, “He’s still asleep.”
The Great Empress Dowager didn’t respond, gently unwrapping the swaddling cloth to examine Zhuangzhuang. “He looks more like his father,” she remarked.
Mingzhu thought to herself that Zhuangzhuang actually resembled her more, but if the Great Empress Dowager thought he looked like Yuwen Chu, so be it.
The Great Empress Dowager weighed him in her arms, “He’s quite sturdy. His nickname suits him. His formal name is Pu, correct?”
“Yes,” Mingzhu replied, watching the Great Empress Dowager’s hands closely, afraid she might accidentally drop Zhuangzhuang. Noticing this, the Great Empress Dowager deliberately didn’t hand him back, instead holding him and conversing with Mingzhu, “He sleeps soundly.”
“He takes after me,” Mingzhu said.
The Great Empress Dowager glanced at her, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, then looked down and gently stroked Zhuangzhuang’s cheek. The baby yawned, opened his eyes to stare at her for a moment, then suddenly smiled brightly and grabbed one of her fingers.
The Great Empress Dowager was stunned, staring at Zhuangzhuang blankly. Mu Gugu rushed forward and said, “Your Majesty, the child likes you. Look, how happy he looks when he smiles at you.”
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, the Great Empress Dowager forced a smile at Zhuangzhuang. Seeing her smile, Zhuangzhuang immediately tried to sit up and then naturally leaned against her chest, grabbing her collar and starting to nibble.
This child was not shy at all. Mingzhu felt both relieved and worried that the Great Empress Dowager might find it annoying. She quickly reached out to take Zhuangzhuang away from her, saying, “He doesn’t know any better. He’s teething lately, so he likes to nibble on things.”
“Have you prepared teething toys for him?” the Great Empress Dowager returned Zhuangzhuang to Mingzhu, not minding her wet collar. Without showing any disgust, she calmly said, “I used to have some teething toys that the children in the palace used, but I won’t give them to you. When you send someone to gather your belongings, have them bring a couple along. Don’t get wooden ones; they get soggy and rotten from saliva and tend to splinter. Ceramic or glass ones are better.”
“We have some, but he doesn’t like teething toys; he prefers to nibble on everything else,” Mingzhu replied.
“That temperament is just like yours when you were a child,” the Great Empress Dowager observed Zhuangzhuang for a moment before adding, “Actually, when he smiles, he looks more like you.”
Alright, when she disliked him, she thought he resembled Yuwen Chu more, but now that she found him pleasing, she thought he resembled her more. Mingzhu couldn’t be bothered with this and handed Zhuangzhuang to the wet nurse, saying, “He needs a diaper change.”
Mu Gugu instructed the wet nurse and Su Lan to go to the adjacent room, then busied herself serving hot tea and fresh pastries to her aunt and nephew, who were having a rare pleasant conversation.
The Great Empress Dowager gestured for Mingzhu to sit beside her and said, “I’ll keep you and Zhuangzhuang here for a few days. Once County Prince Yanping ascends the throne smoothly, I’ll send you both away.”
Mingzhu responded, “Aunt’s assurance is all I need.”
Both of them avoided deeper topics. The Great Empress Dowager then inquired about Fu Cong’s situation, to which Mingzhu replied, “It seems to have stabilized for now.”
Next, the Great Empress Dowager asked about Madam Cui, and Mingzhu answered, “Same as before. She can hear and understand when spoken to, but she can’t wake up.”
The Great Empress Dowager remained silent for a while before saying, “I got along very well with your mother in my early years. Seeing her like this, and your father… I don’t want things to be this way.”
Mingzhu softly responded, “Both my parents and I wish Aunt a long and healthy life.”
The Great Empress Dowager didn’t reply immediately but eventually said, “You may go rest now. If Ying Wang comes, you don’t have to see him. Let’s not disturb the child with any conflicts.”
Mingzhu quietly withdrew, returning to her previous lodgings with Zhuangzhuang. At night, Wei Tiande brought in a pile of clean clothes and daily necessities for her and Zhuangzhuang. Kneeling down, he reported, “His Highness came earlier, but the Great Empress Dowager didn’t allow him to see the Wangfei. However, she assured that as long as County Prince Yanping ascends the throne safely and smoothly, both you and the young master will be safe. His Highness instructed me to tell the Wangfei to rest assured and take care of herself. He’s always there.”
Mingzhu nodded. “I understand. Tell His Highness that both the child and I are doing well here. This place is where I used to stay, and no one disturbs us here. Please assure him. Also, tell His Highness to rest more. There’s always more work to be done, but he should take care of his health.”
Wei Tiande rubbed his eyes. “I understand.”
In the following days, Mingzhu lived contentedly. Apart from being confined, life here was quite pleasant. It was quiet, with fewer people and matters to disturb her. Plus, she could temporarily be away from Yuwen Chu, allowing them both to digest the impact of recent events and consider how to proceed.
Most importantly, she benefited greatly from not having to follow the ladies to mourn and guard Yuwen Bai’s coffin in the cold wind. Although she was tough, enduring hours of kneeling and wailing wasn’t easy. Now, she could stay indoors, warm herself by the fire, play with her child, eat and sleep as she pleased, and not worry about being criticized for disloyalty or lack of patriotism. It was truly blissful.
If there was anything she couldn’t let go of, it was Fu Cong’s condition and the person claiming to be the original “Jiang Zhouzi.”
Mingzhu rolled around on the bed with Zhuangzhuang, lifting him up high and pretending to drop him, eliciting giggles from him. Mother and son enjoyed themselves, laughing heartily.
Not far away, the Great Empress Dowager heard the laughter and frowned slightly. Fu Zifei quickly said, “Should I remind Aunt? It’s not appropriate for her to laugh so heartily with the child during the national mourning period.”
The Great Empress Dowager said lightly, “If they ask, just tell them I kept Ying Wangfei and if they have any objections, they can come directly to me. It’s not good to be laughing and making noise during the national mourning period, but it’s not something that should concern a few-month-old baby.”
Fu Zifei was left speechless by the remark, and after a while, she forced a smile and said, “Grandmother is right. It was my oversight.” She seriously doubted whether the Great Empress Dowager’s act of keeping Mingzhu as leverage to pressure Ying Wang was genuine, and perhaps the real intention was to make Mingzhu more comfortable?
Yuwen Guang withdrew his gaze and supported the Great Empress Dowager, slowly saying, “Since Grandmother has arrived here, then this grandson will accompany you to see the Sixth Empress and the little brother.”
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