Chapter 82 – My “Princess” has a little dragon between her legs
Zhao Qi fell into deep thought, trying to console himself that no matter how unattractive the baby was, it was still his and Xiao Shiqing’s child. Besides, newborns are often not very cute. Let’s wait and see; there might be a pleasant surprise in the future.
Jiang Dehai cheerfully said, “Your Majesty, look at the little prince’s eyebrows—they resemble yours so much!”
Zhao Qi, feeling frustrated, said, “Where does he even have eyebrows—wait a minute,” he paused as he just heard something, “You’re saying, little prince?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Jiang Dehai’s face lit up with delight. “Although everyone expected you to have a princess, what’s in the Prime Minister’s arms is a genuine little prince!”
Seeing Zhao Qi’s eyes grow wider and wider, Xiao Shiqing said, “Calm down.”
But Zhao Qi couldn’t calm down at all.
“No—this can’t be true. How could it be! It was supposed to be a princess!” Zhao Qi babbled, “Show me.”
Xiao Shiqing silently unwrapped the swaddling cloth around the baby.
Zhao Qi felt as if he couldn’t breathe.
What is this extra little dragon between her legs! Where’s my little princess? Where did my big, beautiful little princess go?
Zhao Qi looked at Xiao Shiqing, dazed and aggrieved. “But—but I wanted a daughter!”
Xiao Shiqing comforted him, “There will be one.”
Zhao Qi lamented, “It’s easy for you to say, since you didn’t give birth.”
Xiao Shiqing smiled, “So you really don’t like the little prince?”
“It’s not that,” Zhao Qi looked at the sleeping little prince and unconsciously softened his voice. “It’s just different from what I expected.”
He had envisioned all sorts of things for the dragon egg, assuming it would be a princess, which is why he named her Mengmeng. He thought about dressing Mengmeng in the most beautiful dresses every day, making her into a little princess (oh, she already was a princess); he imagined her calling him father emperor in a sweet, tender voice and being all sorts of adorable; and when Mengmeng grew up, he wanted to find the perfect prince consort for her, passing down the beautiful genes generation after generation…
However, with that extra “little dragon vein,” all Zhao Qi’s dreams dissolved into bubbles.
Zhao Qi rubbed the little prince’s cheek with his fingertip, sighed heavily, and looked as if he was deeply troubled.
“Alright, stop overthinking,” Xiao Shiqing said. “You just gave birth, you need to rest.”
After talking for a while and being emotionally stirred, Zhao Qi was indeed feeling a bit weak. He nodded, “Will you stay with me?”
Xiao Shiqing smiled and said, “Of course.” After handing the baby back to the wet nurse, he personally fed Zhao Qi a bowl of red date porridge, then sat by the bedside and gently helped Zhao Qi fall asleep.
Zhao Qi clutched his hand under the covers and fell into a deep sleep.
Xiao Shiqing stayed in the same position until Xiao Jinzi came to report, “Prime Minister…”
Xiao Shiqing glanced at him and motioned for him to speak outside.
“The Empress Dowager has arrived,” Xiao Jinzi said. “Does the Prime Minister need to avoid her?”
Xiao Shiqing said, “No need. I’ll go to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager. You stay here and guard the Emperor.”
When Empress Dowager Wen heard that Zhao Qi had given birth to a prince, she immediately rushed over. At this moment, she was holding the newborn prince and couldn’t stop smiling—if the child had been a girl, her smile would have been even wider.
“Paying respects to the Empress Dowager.”
Empress Dowager Wen lifted her eyes and, upon seeing Xiao Shiqing, her smile vanished completely. “Aren’t you supposed to be recuperating at the Xiao residence? Why are you here at Xuchun Garden?”
“Has the Empress Dowager forgotten,” Xiao Shiqing said with a half-smile, “that the child born to the Emperor is mine? Of course, I have to come.”
Empress Dowager Wen said coldly, “So what if it is? Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to.”
“I’m all ears,” Xiao Shiqing said, “but before that, may I ask the wet nurse to take the prince away?”
“Why? Are you afraid I’ll steal your son?” Empress Dowager Wen asked.
Xiao Shiqing smiled and replied, “The Empress Dowager shouldn’t worry about that.”
Empress Dowager Wen’s gaze sharpened. After the prince was taken away, she began, “Xiao Shiqing, I believe I have treated you well, and the Emperor listens to you. Why are you doing this?”
Xiao Shiqing raised his brows slightly and asked, “What have I done?”
Empress Dowager Wen snorted coldly. “You’ve schemed to have the Emperor bear your child, hoping to use the prince to seize the throne! I’ll tell you, even with this child, the Emperor will still appoint a consort and choose a new empress to ensure the succession!”
Xiao Shiqing replied calmly, “Firstly, I didn’t know the Emperor could become pregnant; secondly, if I wanted to seize the throne, why wait until now; lastly, the Emperor will not appoint a consort or choose an empress, nor will there be any continued succession.”
Empress Dowager Wen slammed the table in anger. “Impudent!”
Xiao Shiqing poured a cup of tea and handed it to her. “Please calm down, Empress Dowager.”
Empress Dowager Wen coldly turned her face away.
“The Empress Dowager is the Emperor’s birth mother. I don’t want to make things difficult for him,” Xiao Shiqing said. “I’m willing to step back and leave more people for the Wen family. Please, Empress Dowager, don’t pursue this matter further.”
Empress Dowager Wen’s gaze was icy. “Now, those who have been dismissed, exiled, or executed are not just members of the Wen family.”
Xiao Shiqing said, “That’s true, but I don’t care about the lives of others in the family—the Empress Dowager is different.”
Xiao Shiqing’s words made Empress Dowager Wen feel a chill. “You… you are so heartless!”
“They got what they deserved; it has nothing to do with me,” Xiao Shiqing said, placing the tea cup on the table. “I heard that after the national uncle was sentenced to death, the wife of the Duke fell ill and, on her deathbed, cursed the Duke, saying he, as the head of the Cabinet, couldn’t keep their child safe.” Xiao Shiqing’s lips curled into a cold, calculating smile. “Fortunately, they still have a younger son, and luckily he’s safe; otherwise…”
Empress Dowager Wen gripped the armrest tightly, gritting her teeth. “Don’t forget, it was you who voluntarily relinquished your power!”
“It’s good that the Empress Dowager remembers,” Xiao Shiqing said with a smile. “I have already resigned from my position as Prime Minister, and the Empress Dowager must also adhere to the agreement. Unless the Emperor is willing, don’t bring up the matter of appointing a consort or a new empress.”
Empress Dowager Wen looked at him in disbelief. “You pushed the entire Xiao family out just to ensure the Emperor doesn’t appoint an empress?”
Xiao Shiqing said nonchalantly, “I’ve said it. They got what they deserved. If they were wrongfully accused while being innocent, I would protect them.”
Empress Dowager Wen’s shoulders slumped as she slowly sat down in defeat. In the end, it was just a matter of who was more ruthless, and she couldn’t match Xiao Shiqing in that regard. Since entering the palace, she had always carried the honor of her maternal family, and she could not bring herself to be so ruthless as to watch her family members one by one be imprisoned.
In reality, both she and Xiao Shiqing knew very well that the prominent families of today had overstepped their bounds. If the emperor had real power and was a bit more resolute, it would only be a matter of time before the Xiao family was held accountable. Xiao Shiqing’s strategy of retreating to advance, combined with the influence he had over the emperor’s ear, had successfully dragged the Wen family into the mire.
She had fallen into the trap. Eager to elevate her maternal family to stand side by side with the Xiao family, she had forgotten that a tall tree attracts the wind. She hadn’t anticipated that Zhao Qi, who appeared soft-hearted, would remain firm on state matters.
“The Empress Dowager is a wise person,” Xiao Shiqing said. “I believe you will soon give me an answer.”
Empress Dowager Wen bit her lip, her face drained of color. She looked down at the tea Xiao Shiqing had poured and, closing her eyes, brought it to her lips. After taking a small sip, she said, “What exactly are you planning?”
“I’ve already said.”
“You want Zhao Qi not to appoint an empress. I know that,” Empress Dowager Wen said. “Is there anything else? The military orders, the Prime Minister’s seal…”
Xiao Shiqing’s smile became more genuine. “I have devoted many years to the Great Jing. Now, I just want to accompany the Emperor and the prince.”
Empress Dowager Wen couldn’t help but say, “The situation outside is chaotic. Aren’t you going to do anything?”
Xiao Shiqing reminded her, “The Empress Dowager, the national uncle is the head of the Cabinet.”
Empress Dowager Wen, exasperated, replied, “You…!”
Xiao Shiqing suddenly said vaguely, “Wait another year. If the court is still in chaos, the northern borders might take action.”
Empress Dowager Wen furrowed her brows, deep in thought. “You mean…”
“I wish to stay with the Emperor. I will take my leave now.”
After Xiao Shiqing left, Empress Dowager Wen sat alone for a long time. When she came to understand the situation, she couldn’t help but marvel at how, with Xiao Shiqing’s scheming and ruthlessness, opposing him was like seeking one’s own doom.
Zhao Qi’s delivery had gone smoothly, and she recovered quickly. The next day, she had the strength to hold her six-pound son.
In just a day and a night, the prince had undergone a complete transformation. Although still not handsome, he was much whiter and his skin wasn’t as wrinkled as before, making him somewhat more pleasant to look at.
Zhao Qi’s mood improved slightly, but she couldn’t help but sigh when she thought about the extra “dragon vein.”
Jiang Dehai looked puzzled. “Your Majesty, the concubines in the harem all take pride in giving birth to a prince. Why do you specifically want a princess? If you already had a prince, it would be understandable, but this is your first child.”
“It’s also the last one,” Zhao Qi said, looking at her son. “So, he will definitely be the crown prince. Raising a princess is simple; just shower her with love. But raising a ruler of the country, I really don’t know how to do that.”
Jiang Dehai said, “What about the Prime Minister?”
Zhao Qi forced a smile. “Yes, I’ll have to let my brother teach him. My brother will certainly have him reciting poetry at three, writing essays at five, and reading memorials at seven… Poor little prince, at such a young age, he’ll have to rise earlier than the rooster and sleep later than the dog. When he ascends the throne, he’ll face endless memorials and deceitful officials every day. After finally working hard to manage the country, he’ll still have to toil in the harem…” Zhao Qi’s expression grew more pained. “It’s so tragic, sob sob, I want to write the word ‘tragic’ on his feet, sob sob.”
At this moment, Xiao Shiqing walked into the room: “…”
The little prince seemed to understand his father’s words and began to flail his limbs and cry loudly.
Xiao Shiqing stepped forward, bent down to pat the little prince’s head, and then patted Zhao Qi’s head, saying helplessly, “Why scare him like that?”
Zhao Qi blinked. “Am I not speaking the truth? Being an emperor isn’t easy, unless he meets someone like Xiao Shiqing.”
The little prince continued to cry, and neither of the two fathers had much experience in soothing a baby. The wet nurse on the side said, “The little prince must be hungry. I’ll take him away to be fed.”
Speaking of feeding… Xiao Shiqing glanced subtly at Zhao Qi’s chest and asked, “Have you noticed anything unusual lately?”
“Ah?” Zhao Qi touched his chest. “No, why do you ask?”
Xiao Shiqing leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Zhao Qi’s face immediately turned bright red, and he indignantly said, “Get out!”
Xiao Shiqing chuckled softly. “It was just a casual remark. Don’t be angry, darling.”
Zhao Qi was flustered. It would have been fine if Xiao Shiqing hadn’t said anything, but now he couldn’t shake the feeling that those areas seemed a bit… strange.
—It’s an illusion, it must be an illusion! He would never accept this kind of setting!
Zhao Qi thought about secretly asking Mei Dai about this matter, but then heard Xiao Shiqing say, “Have you decided on the name for the little prince? Still calling him Mengmeng?”
“Let’s keep the nickname Mengmeng.” Zhao Qi said, “I’ve called him that so many times during the pregnancy that I can’t change it now. As for his full name, I still need to think about it.”
T/N: There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~
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Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!
If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield
If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’
How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection
What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love
How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep