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Chapter 83: The Princess Consort's Change of Heart
Chapter 83: The Princess Consort's Change of Heart
With just one sentence from Feng Xuanbo, the hatred of the other two brothers was completely redirected.
Feng Xuanbin no longer mentioned returning to find his sister.
Feng Xuanrui's mood also improved significantly.
Watching from the sidelines, Aunt Qiu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
As the three brothers returned to the South Courtyard in high spirits, Suisu was washing up and brushing her teeth.
The Princess Consort had said that if one didn't brush their teeth after dinner and dessert, their teeth would rot.
How could a child withstand such a scary warning?
Thus, Suisu obediently went to brush her teeth.
Although Suisu could brush her own teeth, the Princess Consort of Qi couldn't resist helping.
Suisu allowed her to do so, and after having her teeth brushed and her face wiped, she changed into clean sleepwear and returned to bed.
There were quite a few rooms in the main courtyard, and the Princess Consort of Qi chose one closest to the main house.
Haitang and the others had already cleaned the room thoroughly.
The bedding had been aired out, making it soft and comfortable.
After Suisu had finished washing up, the Princess Consort of Qi carried her to bed and tucked her into the warm covers.
The quilt was not only warm but also soft.
The silk satin fabric felt smooth to the touch.
Suisu's hands, however, were still slightly rough.
She felt that if she wasn't careful, she might end up scratching the fabric.
Frightened by this thought, Suisu dared not move much and obediently curled up in the quilt, revealing only her eyes as she looked at the Princess Consort of Qi.
Although the Princess Consort of Qi had raised two children, she had never really had to put them to sleep.
The children had wet nurses when they were young, and as they grew older, they had servants and valets to attend to their needs.
Her role as a mother was more ornamental and symbolic, and she didn't need to do much.
Now that she was faced with the task of putting Suisu to sleep, she felt a bit lost.
Suisu lay quietly, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her mother.
The maid, Shaoyao, stood by, fighting the urge to laugh.
After a while, Shaoyao gently blew out the lamp in the inner room, leaving only the flickering candle in the outer room, casting a dim light.
The dim atmosphere made Suisu, who was already tired, even sleepier.
The Princess Consort of Qi didn't know how to put a child to sleep, nor did she know what to do, so she could only rely on her instincts. She reached out and gently patted Suisu's quilt.
She remembered that when Little Six was young, the wet nurse used to pat him to sleep.
Now that the children were older, she couldn't quite recall many of the details from those days.
Especially since she hadn't truly experienced or been involved in those moments.
The Princess Consort of Qi's movements were gentle, even though the quilt was thick, she was afraid of patting Suisu too hard.
In the dimly lit room, with the soft quilt, and the Princess Consort's gentle patting, Suisu's eyelids soon grew heavy. She fought against her sleepiness, wanting to say something, but in the end, it came out as a mumble: "Good night..."
The rest of her words were too soft and indistinct to be heard.
The Princess Consort of Qi didn't catch what she said, but it didn't dampen her good mood.
Gently tucking the quilt around Suisu, she smoothed her hair and softly said, "Good night, Suisu."
Although the Princess Consort of Qi didn't hear the last word, the system, with its keen perception, picked it up.
Mother.
The last word Suisu whispered was "mother."
Hearing this, the system felt a twinge of heartache.
Initially, it had been worried that Suisu might struggle to adapt to her new surroundings and had secretly hoped for a gentle and reliable sleep aid to be sent her way.
But now, as Suisu fell asleep, it seemed that the help wasn't needed after all.
However, this turn of events was for the best.
The Empress Dowager was still concerned and stayed a while longer to make sure Suisu's breathing was steady.
Only after confirming that the little girl was sleeping soundly did she slowly exit the room.
Seeing the Empress Dowager emerge, Qiangui raised her lantern and walked ahead.
The Empress Dowager was still concerned and instructed the night-shift Haitang a few more things before slowly making her way out.
The night air was slightly chilly, and the Empress Dowager gently gathered the sleeve of her robe, softly asking Shaoyao, "Has the person arrived?"
Shaoyao nodded in response, "Yes, they are already waiting in the side hall."
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager gently nodded, and her initially gentle expression gradually turned cold.
In the side hall, Aunt Zhou was currently standing there anxiously.
The maid, Fangxing, had asked her to sit for a while, but she dared not. Her hands repeatedly intertwined in front of her, and no matter how she positioned them, she felt uncomfortable.
In the end, she gave up and placed them at her sides.
However, if she didn't hold on to something, she couldn't calm her restless heart.
This made Aunt Zhou even more anxious.
The Empress Consort had sent someone to invite her over after dinner, asking her to come over after they had finished eating and to wait until the princes returned to the South Courtyard.
The Empress Consort was usually gentle and tolerant towards the concubines and mistresses in the mansion.
As long as they didn't cause trouble or create a ruckus, the Empress Consort was often willing to indulge them.
Aunt Zhou couldn't fathom what matter could be so urgent that she had to be summoned in the evening instead of waiting until the next day.
As she listened to the approaching footsteps of the Empress Consort, Aunt Zhou's heart raced with anxiety. However, she carefully wiped away the cold sweat on her forehead with her handkerchief, afraid that her discomposure would be discovered and that she would be punished.
Upon seeing the Empress Consort enter, not only did Aunt Zhou's tension rise, but her maid, Fangxing, also felt her anxiety heighten.
If something really happened to her mistress, how could she, as a servant, fare any better?
Fangxing kept reassuring herself: "It's fine, it's fine. We still have Seventh Young Master to rely on.
No matter how big the matter is, with Seventh Young Master's status, they should be able to smooth things over a little, right?"
After the Empress Consort entered and took her seat, Aunt Zhou followed the proper etiquette and greeted her with a bow and a salute.
The Empress Consort did not give her permission to rise, but instead, she sat there quietly, sipping her tea.
Not hearing the Empress Consort's permission to rise, Aunt Zhou's heart sank: "It's over!"
After taking a few sips of tea, the Empress Consort finally raised her hand.
Shaoyao smiled and said, "Aunt Zhou, please rise. Be careful of your knees in this spring chill."
Aunt Zhou didn't dare to be supported by Fangxing, and she shakily stood up on her own. She didn't dare to sit down either and just honestly stood at one side, lowering her head without uttering a word.
Seeing her like this, the Empress Consort softly sighed, "I remember that your hometown is in Wenzhou?"
Upon hearing the Empress Consort mention her hometown, Aunt Zhou's face reflected her inner panic, and her voice trembled as she replied, "...Yes, Your Highness."
After this reply, the Empress Consort fell silent again.
She intentionally left her hanging, and Aunt Zhou didn't dare to speak up or raise her head to look.
After a long while, the Empress Consort finally let out a soft sigh, "You are Seventh Young Master's birth mother, and aside from restraining your behavior and conduct within the mansion, you must also keep your maternal clan in check to avoid causing trouble for Seventh Young Master. He is a prince of the mansion, holding a prestigious status. If there is an outsider dragging him down, how can he maintain his standing among his brothers?"
Second Watch
(End of Chapter)
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