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Chapter 75: The Princess Consort
Chapter 75: The Princess Consort
Feng Xuanbin's wailing managed to dispel half of the somber atmosphere in the room.
Princess Consort Qi regained her composure, gently wiping away her tears as she softly released the three children.
Feng Xuanbin, who had just squeezed his way in, was in the midst of a hearty cry when he realized he had been let go.
He turned his head in confusion, looking first at his sixth brother and then at his sister, before finally turning to the princess consort. With a bewildered expression, he asked, "Mother, aren't you crying anymore?"
Sui'er, equally perplexed, looked around uncertainly before snuggling closer to Feng Xuanrui.
Feng Xuanbin had been curious about whether he should be crying or not, but when he saw his sister avoiding him, he wailed sadly, "Sister, don't hide from your seventh brother! I have candy!"
The princess consort's melancholy mood was completely dispelled by the interruptions of her three children.
She thought to herself, 'As long as the children are back, that's all that matters.'
After straightening her appearance, the princess consort first turned her attention to Feng Xuanrui.
After not seeing him for over a month, the young boy not only hadn't lost weight but had even gained a few pounds.
His face...
had become even rounder.
Concerned about his previous injury, she asked, "Does your foot still hurt?"
When the princess consort inquired about his foot, Feng Xuanrui initially looked bewildered.
Foot?
Which foot?
What hurt?
Children often forgot about their injuries once they had healed.
He barely remembered his injured foot by now.
But when his mother asked, he thought about it carefully before answering with a long, "No, it doesn't hurt anymore. It hasn't hurt for a while."
After all, it had been quite some time since then.
And it wasn't a serious issue that would still be painful now.
Hearing his response, the princess consort felt slightly relieved. She then turned to Doctor Liu and asked, "Will there be any long-lasting issues?"
Hearing the doctor's repeated assurances that there were no problems and that he had been keeping an eye on the sixth young master, the princess consort finally felt at ease.
Thinking about the hardships and fatigue the children had endured on their journey, the princess consort's heart ached once more.
Fortunately, they were back now.
With these thoughts in mind, the princess consort turned to look at Sui'er.
Noticing the little girl's timid and nervous glance at her, followed by her quickly averting her gaze, the princess consort felt a mix of emotions.
When she had learned that Sui'er was the daughter of the Marquis of Jinyang, the princess consort had been apprehensive.
Like father, like son.
And the child of a mouse will know how to find a hole.
The princess consort truly feared that among those bad bamboo shoots, not a single good shoot would emerge.
However, as she heard about the experiences of the Prince of Qing and his party, her worries began to dissipate.
Sui'er's appearance had first saved Sixth Young Master, who had accidentally fallen off a cliff. Then, due to her fever, they had been reminded not to travel that day, thus avoiding a terrifying life-or-death situation.
On the first and fifteenth days of each month, the princess consort would go to the temple outside the city to burn incense and pray for blessings, and she did believe in such things.
She felt that Sui'er might very well be a little lucky star sent by heaven.
It was just that the Marquis of Jinyang didn't have the fortune to keep her, and they had reaped the benefits instead.
Moreover, since the Marquis of Jinyang had already acknowledged one child as theirs, even if they realized they had made a mistake, they would probably have to grit their teeth and bear it.
After all, acknowledging the wrong child was not exactly a proud or honorable moment.
Additionally, Sui'er's household registration had already been canceled by them, making her a black market citizen.
She could be called Chen Suishu, or she could be called Feng Suise.
Who could tell the difference?
And who would dare to cause trouble for their Qi Wang Manor?
The more the princess consort thought about it, the more confident she became.
Perhaps it was Sui'er's life-saving grace toward Feng Xuanrui that had stirred her compassion.
She, too, was a pitiful child.
With these thoughts in mind, the princess consort waved at Sui'er and said, "Sui'er, come to your mother. Let me have a good look at you."
Princess Consort Qi thought to herself that she had also been longing for a daughter over the years. Now, without having to risk her life, she had been blessed with a gentle and fortunate daughter. Wasn't that wonderful?
Perhaps it was fate that brought this child and Feng Xuanrui together. Maybe it was predetermined that she would be her daughter.
Princess Consort Qi's voice was soft, and her expression was filled with maternal love.
Suier quietly glanced at the princess consort, then at her brother.
Feng Xuanrui patted Suier's shoulder encouragingly. "Go on, sister. Our mother is a kind and gentle person."
Feng Xuanbin, who didn't quite understand the situation, joined in, echoing his sixth brother's words. "Yes, yes, sister. Go ahead. Mother is really kind."
Encouraged by her two brothers and the princess consort's warm affection, Suier took a deep breath and walked over with small steps.
What greeted her was Princess Consort Qi's warm embrace. "Suier, you've endured so much hardship in the past. Now you can rest easy. You have a mother now, and brothers too."
Ever since Feng Xuanrui had grown up, Princess Consort Qi rarely held her children anymore.
Even when Feng Xuanrui was little, she seldom carried him.
With a multitude of maids and servants at her beck and call, why would she need to carry the children herself?
She would hold them occasionally when she felt affectionate or wanted to show her love.
Having not held a child in a long while, Princess Consort Qi was afraid that she might not have the strength to do so anymore. She thought that if she couldn't, she would just squat and hold the child that way.
However, to her surprise, she lifted Suier up with ease.
Suier's frail and thin frame exceeded the princess consort's imagination.
Thinking about the child's difficult past and feeling the slender bones beneath her fingers, the princess consort's eyes reddened with uncontrollable emotion.
She gently rested her head on Suier's shoulder, softly nuzzling the little girl's cheek. "Suier, from now on, you can rest assured. You have a mother now, and brothers too."
Thinking about the unpredictable king, Princess Consort Qi ultimately decided against mentioning the king's words. And as for the emperor's words, well, they probably wouldn't affect anything anyway.
Princess Consort Qi was relieved that although King Qing was straightforward, he knew where to draw the line and wouldn't pry further into matters.
Otherwise, if he had a brain that didn't know how to make a turn for the better, he might have asked a question like: 'What was His Majesty the King of Qi doing in the separate courtyard?'
And then, how would Princess Consort Qi even begin to explain that?
That the king had sought out a master to calculate the auspicious time, date, and person, and then brought his concubine to the separate courtyard to give birth to a daughter?
If those words were to get out, Princess Consort Qi wouldn't even know where to hide her face in shame.
Princess Consort Qi felt that while she also yearned for a daughter deeply, she certainly hadn't gone as far as the king.
He just wanted a daughter now, didn't he? He was fulfilling an obsession.
Princess Consort Qi didn't want to get involved, nor did she have the energy to do so.
As long as it didn't affect her and the children's status, position, and livelihood, let the king do as he pleased.
Let him do as he wished...
Suier, held in the embrace of the beautiful aunt, inhaled the fragrant scent, feeling as if she were in a dream.
She couldn't quite believe that what was unfolding before her eyes was real.
Her brother's mother was so gentle and kind!
Was this the warmth of a mother's love? Suier didn't know.
However, she craved this embrace deeply.
Moreover, since the beautiful aunt had referred to herself as'mother,' could she also call her'mother'? Suier was unsure. Held in the embrace of the beautiful aunt, she didn't dare to look around at her brother either.
Mustering her courage, she gently tugged at a corner of the princess consort's dress, her voice small and hesitant, laced with trepidation and disbelief. "... Mother?"
(End of Chapter)
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