Chapter 244: Climbing Trees
Chapter 244: Climbing Trees
When it came to the injury on his head, the Qi King became animated.
He rolled up his sleeves and chuckled, "My dear queen, let me tell you, I was exceptionally valiant today!"
Concubine Meng by his side quietly diminished her presence, unsure if she should leave or stay, given her lack of knowledge about the court affairs they were discussing.
The Qi King continued, "That old fool, Tang Chi, received several kicks from me today!"
Tang Chi was the older brother of the Queen and the current Minister of Revenue.
The Qi King had learned about the incident where a Tang family member had bullied Si Si in the past, and he held a grudge.
He was vengeful and protective of his loved ones.
Sending the sheep's leg yesterday was just a small act of retaliation.
Today, during the court session, he took the opportunity to argue and kicked Tang Chi multiple times.
Not only that, he even threw a punch.
Of course, in the ensuing chaos, the Qi King also received a few blows himself.
He didn't even know who had struck him on the head so forcefully, causing blood to flow.
Thinking about the injury, the Qi King gritted his teeth, "I hope I find out which old fool took advantage of my distraction to strike me. That despicable, good-for-nothing..."
It was common for the vibrant and martial-minded officials of the Great Xia Dynasty to come to blows during court sessions.
The only restriction was that they were not allowed to bring weapons when appearing before the emperor.
The Queen of Qi believed that in the heat of these arguments, it wouldn't be unusual for a few lives to be lost.
It wasn't the first time the King had been beaten up, and the Queen's initial worry stemmed from the possibility of severe injuries affecting his already delicate health.
After all, the King's health was a constant concern.
Now, seeing that the injury was only a head wound and there might be some bruising on his body, the Queen felt relieved.
Thinking about Aunt Guo, the Queen soon smiled and said, "Alright, Tang Chi got what he deserved, and we've helped Si Si get her revenge. There will be other court sessions in the future, and we have plenty of time. I do have some good news that I'd like to share with you, Your Highness."
The Qi King had intended to share with the Queen how he and the Marquis of Heguo had joined forces to secure a reward for Si Si.
But now, hearing that the Queen had some good news, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "What good news is it? Did our little Si Si get praised by her teacher again?"
In the Qi King's eyes, aside from his beloved daughter, nothing else really mattered.
The Queen was naturally pleased with this development.
However, she also didn't want to neglect others.
She quickly smiled and said, "Aunt Guo is pregnant. Liu Daiifu confirmed it this morning. She's almost three months along, and the pregnancy seems stable."
Si Si had said it would be a baby brother.
The Queen hadn't paid much attention to this detail before.
Now that it was mentioned, she recalled Si Si's words.
The Queen thought that if Si Si said it was a brother, then it was most likely a boy.
However, considering the King's expectations for a daughter, the Queen decided to keep this information to herself for now.
It was better to leave some room for hope.
After all, high hopes often led to greater disappointment.
But thinking about the next seven months and how this expectation might improve the King's mood, she felt it was probably worth it.
The Queen wasn't entirely sure, though.
The Qi King had initially thought the good news was about Si Si.
He believed that his precious daughter was undoubtedly the smartest child in the world!
But upon listening carefully, he realized it had nothing to do with Si Si.
It was about him...
Was he going to be a father again?
After years of trying, there hadn't been any news from his concubines.
Now, after being told by a physician that his seeds were weak and his body was deteriorating, a child suddenly appeared?
This...
Was it an unexpected delight?
Qi King was astonished, then he suddenly realized, "Ah? Which courtyard is Aunt Guo in?"
As he asked, Qi King's eyes darted left and right, as if seeking guidance from the Queen regarding the location of Aunt Guo's quarters.
With his recent preoccupation and focus solely on his daughter, he had neglected the other women in his harem.
Consequently, he couldn't even recall the faces and identities of those he hadn't seen in a while.
Hearing Qi King's question, a lump formed in Qi Queen's throat.
However, she wasn't entirely surprised by his reaction.
Members of the royal family were often emotionally detached.
This was a fact Qi Queen had come to terms with when she first married into the royal household.
Over the years, she had experienced her fair share of ups and downs.
Now, hearing Qi King's confused inquiry about Aunt Guo's identity, the Queen's heart twinged, but she maintained her composure without displaying any further emotion.
With a smile, she pointed in the direction of a nearby courtyard and said, "It's Aunt Guo in that courtyard over there. Why don't you go and take a look, Your Highness? She's probably still awake."
Aunt Guo had likely been anticipating the King's visit upon his return to the palace, hoping that he would come to see her.
Thus, the Queen subtly gestured in her direction.
Qi King, feeling a bit embarrassed that he couldn't recall which Aunt Guo she was referring to, smiled sheepishly and said, "I should indeed go and take a look. Let's go, let's go, Your Majesty. We'll go together."
Before setting off, Qi King took a moment to cover up the injury on his head with a simple disguise, donning a head ornament he hadn't worn in a long time. The ornament conveniently concealed the wound, making it barely noticeable unless one looked closely.
With Qi King leading the way, Qi Queen followed closely behind.
Concubine Meng hesitated and softly asked the Queen, "Should I come along as well?"
The Queen didn't want to put her in a difficult position, so she kindly replied, "You've also been working hard these past few days. Go and get some rest first."
Concubine Meng smiled and bid them farewell.
As they walked towards Aunt Guo's courtyard, Qi King couldn't help but marvel at the twists and turns of fate.
"It's truly remarkable," he mused. "I was told I couldn't have children, and now, out of the blue, a child appears? I must say, Lady Luck is on my side!"
Along the way, when the Queen mentioned that Si Si was the first to discover Aunt Guo's condition, Qi King's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "It must be my obedient Si Si! This is indeed a precious gift from the heavens!"
The Queen could only smile in response, unsure of how to react to the King's enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, the King's precious daughter was busy climbing a tree.
Without any adults to supervise or restrain her, not even her aunts could persuade her to stay put.
Fenghuang Ru and the others waited patiently, but when there was still no sign of their mother returning, and their father remained uncharacteristically quiet, they decided to take matters into their own hands.
Led by Fenghuang Ru, with the support of Fenghuang Bin, and the agreement of Fenghuang Bo, the children made their way to the base of a tree in the western courtyard, intending to climb it.
It was a lush and vibrant sea buckthorn tree, meticulously cared for and thriving in the favorable temperature.
Blooming in full splendor, its branches were laden with flowers.
This particular tree had been transplanted from the Imperial Garden years ago at the King's request to the Emperor, as he had desired a daughter at the time.
Enchanted by its profusion of flowers, Fenghuang Ru conceived a plan to pluck some blossoms and weave a floral crown for his sister.
He was quite adept at crafting, and the thought of Song Jia, their cousin, having made a crown for his sister, spurred him to action.
Determined to outdo his cousin, Fenghuang Ru decided to climb the tree, pluck the flowers, and create the most exquisite floral crown for his beloved sister, who deserved only the finest things in life.
To him, the sea buckthorn tree was just a means to an end—if it stood in his way, he'd chop it down without a second thought!
However, he soon realized that his small stature and lack of strength made it impossible to fell the tree.
But he was nimble and agile.
And so, he decided to climb.
Qing Shan and Qing Shui's attempts at persuasion fell on deaf ears, and even their aunts' pleas went unheeded.
Fenghuang Cang and the others offered token resistance, but their half-hearted attempts at dissuading the group only resulted in Fenghuang Cang joining the endeavor to protect his younger brother, Fenghuang Ru.
Seeing her brothers climb, Sui Sui grew concerned for their safety and insisted on following suit, determined to keep an eye on them.
Liu Hemeng, ever adventurous, was also eager to give it a try!
(End of Chapter)
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