Chapter 62 – My stomach can’t wait any longer!
Not mentioning the dragon egg was fine, but as soon as Zhao Qi mentioned it, he wanted to immediately expose Li Chisu’s egg. “If you don’t move aside, I’ll call someone.”
Zhao Qi’s threat didn’t have any effect. Li Chisu wasn’t afraid at all. “If Your Majesty calls someone, then what?”
Zhao Qi said fiercely, “Then I’ll throw you into the Huai River to feed the fish.”
Li Chisu pretended to be surprised. “So when our child asks how his father died, will Your Majesty tell the truth?”
Zhao Qi sneered, “Do you really think I would let this child be born?”
Li Chisu was even more surprised. “But this is royal blood, maybe the future heir to Your Majesty’s throne. Of course, we should have the child.”
“I have other royal blood; you don’t need to worry about this.” Zhao Qi walked past Li Chisu and continued forward.
Li Chisu followed closely behind. “Your Majesty, no one can predict the future. Pregnancy and childbirth are matters of fate. They say ‘more children, more blessings.’ If this is true for commoners, it is even more so for royalty. Please consider the state and the people, and think carefully before deciding.”
Zhao Qi suddenly stopped and turned to look at Li Chisu. “You make sense, but I can also tell you, I will never allow this child to be born.”
“Why?” Li Chisu asked without hesitation.
Zhao Qi replied coldly, “Because it’s your child.”
Li Chisu was stunned.
“I won’t let someone like you father my child.”
“Someone like me…” Li Chisu smiled wryly. “What kind of person am I?”
Zhao Qi cursed bluntly, “You don’t even have a legitimate queen. There are already many women in the palace, yet you’re still not satisfied. You flirt outside at every opportunity, claiming to be romantic but actually just promiscuous. You treat sex like a meal, without love, only lust. You’re superficial—someone like you doesn’t deserve to be the father of my child.”
Li Chisu fell silent, his peach blossom eyes dim and hurt. “Is that how Your Majesty sees me?”
“I may have been harsh, but isn’t everything I said true?”
Li Chisu smiled self-deprecatingly. “Yes, everything Your Majesty said is true. But those are all in the past. Since I met Your Majesty, I haven’t been with anyone else.”
Zhao Qi rolled his eyes dramatically. “You’re quite proud of that. Should I be moved by you now?”
Li Chisu felt suffocated, unable to handle the situation as smoothly as before. “Does Your Majesty have to keep dwelling on the past? As long as Your Majesty is willing to give me a chance, I will not disappoint you.”
“No chance,” Zhao Qi said without hesitation.
Li Chisu sighed. “But I really love Your Majesty, and we already have a child.”
Zhao Qi glanced at him sideways. “Did you say the same to your exes?”
Li Chisu choked for a moment. “Th-this is different. I never had children with them.”
By this time, Zhao Qi had already reached the outer hall, where Sikong, in charge of water affairs in Jiangxia, had been waiting for some time.
“I’ve said all I need to. Pack up and return to your fiefdom,” Zhao Qi said.
Li Chisu was left standing there, experiencing heartache for the first time. He returned to his room in frustration. Xiaoyu saw his expression and knew immediately that he had hit a wall. She pitied and taunted him, “What did Xiaoyu say? My lord, the Emperor is after all the Emperor. You should just give up.”
Before Li Chisu could respond, Suhua spoke up, “My lord rarely meets someone he likes so much. He probably won’t give up easily.”
Li Chisu smiled bitterly. “Ah, I’ve been despised.”
Suhua asked, “Does my lord regret it?”
Li Chisu nodded, reflecting seriously. “Regret.”
Xiaoyu gloated, “When my lord was frolicking in the flowers and sleeping around, why didn’t he think of today? In Xiaoyu’s opinion, we should tidy up and return to Nanzhou as soon as possible.”
Li Chisu thought for a moment and said slowly, “No rush. I still have a way.”
First, Zhao Qi discussed flood control plans with Sikong Jiangxia, but after a long discussion, they still couldn’t come up with a perfect solution. Then he immersed himself in urgent memorials sent from the capital. Each one presented a dilemma that required him to provide the best solution in a short time, taxing his brain cells with every document.
One of the memorials reported that Prince Zhao Tong had somehow obtained customs documents stamped with the imperial seal, and had left the capital five days ago, heading north.
Zhao Qi vaguely felt something suspicious but was unsure whether he should pursue him. Helpless, with Xiao Shiqing still unconscious, he brought up the matter during the council session, but the ministers held differing opinions and bickered incessantly in his ear, giving him a headache. Ultimately, it was of no use.
After the meeting dispersed and the other ministers left, only He Changzhou remained, looking at him with concern. “Is Your Majesty very tired?”
“Exhausted,” Zhao Qi said, covering his face with his hand. “Why are there so many problems… why!”
He had been managing court affairs for a while now, but after just one day in sole control, he was already struggling to cope.
No wonder many emperors in history had short reigns. Day in and day out, waking earlier than the rooster and sleeping later than the dog, with the nation as the field and him as the ox, plowing tirelessly. It would be strange if they lived long.
“Now I understand the kind of days Prime Minister lives,” Zhao Qi sighed bitterly. “He still manages to spend so much time with me. How does he do it?”
He Changzhou said, “The Prime Minister is busy, but I’m not. So Your Majesty should stick less to him and more to me.”
“I won’t,” Zhao Qi said firmly.
He Changzhou looked dejected. “Oh.”
“By the way, why didn’t you voice your opinion when we discussed Prince Zhao leaving the capital earlier? Do you think I should pursue him or let him return to his fiefdom?” Zhao Qi asked. “He Changzhou said, “Prime Minister has always been decisive and never listens to others.”
Zhao Qi sighed softly. “He’s like that with everything.”
“Yes, that’s why he’s not a good person. The Emperor should keep his distance from him.”
“Let’s talk business!”
“… My suggestion is to wait until the Prime Minister wakes up. It’s possible this is his scheme.”
Zhao Qi couldn’t think of a better way, so this was all he could do for now.
By the time he finally finished dealing with the day’s urgent political matters, it was late at night. Jiang Dehai brought him a late-night snack. “Your Majesty, you’ve hardly eaten all day. Quickly eat this bowl of noodles to fill your stomach.”
Zhao Qi wearily picked up his chopsticks and asked, “How is the Prime Minister’s brother doing?”
“The Prime Minister has taken his medicine and slept all day. His high fever has turned into a low fever.”
“I’ll go see him.”
With bowl in hand, Zhao Qi walked and ate until he reached Xiao Shiqing’s bedside, with only half a bowl left.
He took a sip of soup, looked at Xiao Shiqing lying in bed, burped, and called out softly, “Prime Minister Brother…”
Xiao Shiqing was deeply asleep, his breath warm.
Zhao Qi rambled on, “I’ve been busy all day today, didn’t even have time for a proper meal.”
“…”
“Zhao Tong somehow got hold of my imperial seal and has already left the capital for the northern border. Brother, what should I do?”
“…”
Zhao Qi patted Xiao Shiqing’s straight nose, “Ah, please get better soon and share my worries.”
“…”
With a troubled expression, Zhao Qi muttered quietly, “If Zhao Tong and the original plan are the same, marching from the northern border to the capital, driving me off the throne, I might as well jump into the river now. One death for two lives, and no need to fight anymore.”
Xiao Shiqing seemed to sense something, his fingertips twitching slightly.
Finishing the remaining noodles while looking at Xiao Shiqing’s face, Zhao Qi said, “I’m going back to rest. Brother, you must wake up tomorrow.”
Zhao Qi was about to get up when he suddenly froze, maintaining a posture of uncertainty, looking perplexed.
Cheng Boyan asked, “Your Majesty, what’s wrong?”
Zhao Qi looked down at his own stomach, his expression gradually turning fearful, “I-I felt a movement in my stomach just now.”
Cheng Boyan suddenly realized and smiled, “Your Majesty, that’s the baby moving.”
Zhao Qi was stunned, flustered, “Does this mean… it’s already formed?”
“You could say that,” Cheng Boyan replied, “as the months go by, the movements will become more frequent. It’s a normal phenomenon, Your Majesty, no need to worry.”
Zhao Qi nearly choked on his food, “Why hasn’t Zhao Qiao found the Japanese divine doctor yet? If this continues, I’m going to be a grandfather!”
Xiao Shiqing slowly woke up and heard Zhao Qi’s words, smiling knowingly, “Who are you trying to bring here?”
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
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