Ninth Imperial Glorious Phoenix Chapter 759

Chapter 759: Rest and Recuperate

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In Yinghui Hall, the floor was heated, making it cozy. After bathing, Mingzhu sat on the bed, her hair loose, wrapped in a fur robe, and looked over the account books.

She had been away for so long, and there were a year's worth of accounts from the charitable hall, the restaurant, and the fabric shop to review. Although she fully trusted and valued Li Bochun's abilities, it was her business, and she needed to keep track. She also needed to understand the internal and external accounts of the mansion. Over the past year, many officials and merchants had risen and fallen in the capital. She needed to know who had become close to the mansion and who had distanced themselves, all of which could be gleaned from the accounts.

Although Yuwen Chu likely knew all this, he was too busy to handle everything as before. No matter how capable the stewards and servants were, their perspectives were still somewhat limited. The more diligent she was, the lighter Yuwen Chu's burden would be.

Zhuangzhuang and Millet were already asleep. The wind outside lightly tapped the branches, making a rustling sound. In the distance, the watchman's clappers could be heard. Su Lan yawned and whispered, "It's the third watch. Wangfei, you should rest. Tomorrow you have several visits to make."

It was quiet outside, and Yuwen Chu still hadn't returned. Mingzhu stretched and said, "Send someone to check if the soup in the kitchen is still hot. His Highness will surely return and should have it when he does."

Su Lan had Su Mei and Su Ju serve Mingzhu for the night. She herself took a lantern to check the kitchen. Mingzhu, grateful for how well Su Lan had taken care of Zhuangzhuang over the past year, didn't want her to go out in the cold and stopped her. "Let a young maid go."

Su Lan shook her head. "The young maids are groggy and might be bullied by the cooks. It's better if I go."

Su Mei finished making the bed and smiled, "Wangfei, shall we prepare for bed?"

Mingzhu waved her off, "I'll sleep after finishing this account." She suddenly heard someone greeting quietly outside and jumped off the bed to lift the curtain, bumping heads with Yuwen Chu. He thought it was a clumsy maid and frowned, but when he saw Mingzhu's bright smile, he laughed, "No decorum!"

Mingzhu hugged his arm and pulled him in, "I've been waiting anxiously for you, no time for decorum!"

The room was warm and fragrant, the scent fresh and inviting. Mingzhu, with her bright eyes and white teeth, her pure and sweet smile, and her lazy, yet enthusiastic demeanor, made Yuwen Chu, tired from the day's work, relax completely. He sighed softly, "It feels like home with you here!"

"Your Highness, have you discovered my virtues?" Mingzhu pulled him to sit on the bed and, while the maids helped him change shoes, wrung a hot towel and brought it over. "Wipe your face and hands, and warm up a bit before changing clothes."

Yuwen Chu comfortably accepted her care. Su Lan, upon receiving the news, brought in a late-night snack. The warming and nourishing pig stomach soup, with pig stomach as the main ingredient and lotus seeds, ginkgo, chicken, bamboo fungus, and pepper as supplements, had been simmering on the stove for a long time. The taste was delicious and warming, and after a few bites, Yuwen Chu felt warmer and insisted that Mingzhu try some. "It's really good, you should try it too."

Mingzhu opened her mouth, indicating he should feed her. He smiled, "Open your mouth a bit wider."

Mingzhu opened her mouth wider, but Yuwen Chu frowned. "I said wider. How can I feed you when your mouth is this small?"

Just got home and already picking a fight? Mingzhu was not convinced. "It's already wide enough! How can you not feed me?"

Yuwen Chu looked at her seriously for a moment and then said, "No, your mouth is too small. I never noticed before, but now I see, it's really small."

So he was actually complimenting her? Based on her understanding of Yuwen Chu, Mingzhu knew he had more to say, so she raised her eyebrows and waited. As expected, Yuwen Chu continued, "Not only small, but also quite pretty."

Even though Mingzhu was mentally prepared, she couldn't help but laugh. "Go on! Smooth talker, your sweet words cost nothing."

Yuwen Chu laughed and fed her a piece of the pig stomach. When he tried to feed her more, Mingzhu refused. "I can't eat any more. I'll get fat if I do."

"So what? Being chubby keeps your hands warm." Yuwen Chu insisted on feeding her, but Mingzhu resolutely refused. Resting her chin in her hands, she watched him eat. When he finished, she efficiently handed him tea to rinse his mouth, but only offered plain water instead of tea. "I heard you haven't been sleeping well at night. You shouldn't drink tea at night anymore."

"Plain water is tasteless. After a hard day, this is all I get?" Yuwen Chu complained sweetly, then smiled, "Tell me, what do you want?"

Mingzhu protested, "Just because I'm good to you doesn't mean I want something. I don't accept that. Even if I do have something to say, it’s because I care about you and want you to be comfortable and in a good mood before talking."

Yuwen Chu laughed, "Alright, you're smooth-talking too now. Go ahead, I'm full and warm, and in a good mood. You can speak."

Mingzhu told him about Imperial Consort Min's request. "...Funing is getting older. What are your plans for her?"

Yuwen Chu was not surprised. "Funing and Shen Ruilin aren't suitable. Shen Ruilin is too straightforward and inflexible. They would end up resenting each other. You did well not to refuse outright. Just say you’ve sent a letter to the Shen family and leave the rest to me."

Mingzhu sighed in relief, "Your Highness is wise!"

Yuwen Chu gave her a half-smile. "You don't think much of Funing, do you?" Although Mingzhu hadn't mentioned Funing much when recounting past events, he could tell that Funing played an unpleasant and unpopular role in those stories. It wasn't hard to understand why Mingzhu often clashed with Funing initially.

Mingzhu shook her head. "It's not that I dislike her. I just want to consider more for you. I don't want to see them unhappy, nor do I want Funing to become a burden to you." This was the truth. She still didn't like Funing but didn't want her to suffer and become a burden to Yuwen Chu.

Yuwen Chu believed her. "You don't have to like her too much, just be reasonable." He stood up to wash, but Mingzhu held him back. "Anything else?"

Mingzhu hooked his finger and whispered, "Um, I don’t want to have another baby right now. I want a break; it's really tiring."

Yuwen Chu raised an eyebrow. "So?"

Mingzhu steeled herself. "So I asked Jiang Zhouzi to prepare some medicine for me! I don’t want any more children for the next two years! I want to spend time with Zhuangzhuang and Millet." She had suffered enough on the road and had long made up her mind. If Yuwen Chu dared to force her to have more children, she would fight him!

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