The Emperor Has An Illness

Names mentioned in this chapter (which can also be found in the glossary):

-廖青青(Liào qīngqīng)- Liao Qing Qing, the female lead. 

-景礼帝(jǐng lǐ ​​dì)- Emperor Jing Li, the male lead.

-荷香(Hé ​​xiāng)- He Xiang, the female lead’s maidservant

-费费(fèi fèi)- Fei Fei, the nickname of Liao Qing Qing’s child.

Current Ranking: Empress Dowager → Empress → Worthy Consort + Virtuous Consort →  Lady Li of Graceful Ceremony → Ye Liangyi + Wu Liangyi → Noble Lady Liao + Noble Lady Jiang + Noble Lady Liang

The baby is born?

The baby is born!

Emperor Jing Li and Empress Dowager immediately stopped at their feet.

A Momo[1] came out of the room. Upon seeing Emperor Jing Li and the Empress Dowager, she hurriedly came over and paid her respects, “Greetings, Your Majesty and Her Highness, the Empress Dowager—”

Emperor Jing Li rushed to ask, “How is the Empress?”

Momo had no choice but to answer, “Replying to Your Majesty, both Her Highness, the Empress, and the Eldest Imperial Prince are well.”

Well?

It is good that they are well.

It is good that they are well.

Emperor Jing Li’s heart, which had almost jumped out of his throat, finally returned to life. His face slowly eased. Then he thought of something else and said anxiously, “I[2] will go and see the Empress!”

“Her Highness, the Empress, is currently asleep,” Momo answered.

“Can’t I go and have a look?”

“Her Highness, the Empress, doesn’t allow Your Majesty to go there now.”

“Why?”

“Her Highness, the Empress, said that she is not beautiful currently and doesn’t want Your Majesty to see it.”

“….” These words sure sound like something Liao Qing Qing would say.

Emperor Jing Li looked toward Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager pursed her lips and said, “Since the Empress won’t let you go see her, you should wait for a while. Then go in when the Empress is all cleaned up.”

Emperor Jing Li was a little unhappy.

The Empress Dowager said, “Emperor, you can go and see the Eldest Imperial Prince first.”

Emperor Jing Li had no choice but to go and see the Eldest Imperial Prince.

The Eldest Imperial Prince was wrapped in a brocade blanket and was being carried by a wet nurse. Emperor Jing Li approached them and saw a flushed child. His tiny face was wrinkled, but he felt an incredible sensation running through him, like an instinct.

“Let me carry him.” Emperor Jing Li’s voice trembled slightly.

The wet nurse taught Emperor Jing Li how to hold a baby.

Emperor Jing Li learned for a while. But in the end, because the child was too small, he felt fearful and held it instead.

So light.

Yet so heavy.

This is his and Qing Qing’s child.

It feels so magical.

""

He called out softly, “Fei Fei.”

Fei Fei was the nickname of the Eldest Imperial Prince, chosen by Liao Qing Qing. She had heard that many pregnant women had problems during pregnancy, such as pregnancy symptoms or losing weight, etc. But she had none, and the child was particularly strange

She was afraid that the child would be introverted, so she named him “Fei Fei”.

In Liao Qing Qing’s dialect back in her hometown, “Fei” means “quick-witted”.

Anyway, it was a nickname called by the elders.

Emperor Jing Li and Empress Dowager agreed.

“Fei Fei,” Emperor Jing Li called out once more.

Fei Fei slept with his eyes closed, appearing very obedient.

After carrying him for a while, Emperor Jing Li’s mind was filled with Liao Qing Qing. He handed Fei Fei to the wet nurse and asked He Xiang, “Is your Mistress willing to see me now?”

He Xiang froze. The person in front of her was the king of the country. It had always been people seeking an audience with him. This was the first time he had waited for someone else to summon him, and this “someone else” was her mistress.

He Xiang felt happy for Liao Qing Qing and said, “This maidservant[3] has already cleaned up for Her Highness, the Empress. Your Majesty can enter now.”

Upon hearing that, Emperor Jing Li was overjoyed.

He immediately patted the non-existent dust off his body and then walked into the room with big strides. He first smelled the faint smell of blood and then saw Liao Qing Qing lying on the bed at a glance.

Although Liao Qing Qing had deliberately cleaned herself up, her face was still pale. When Emperor Jing Li looked at her, he recalled the bucket of blood and his heart ached. He quickly approached Liao Qing Qing and called out, “Qing Qing.”

“Your Majesty, have you seen Fei Fei?” Liao Qing Qing asked in a feeble voice.

“I did.”

“He came out in a hurry. His head was all squashed. So ugly.”

“…. He’s not ugly. He is good looking.” Emperor Jing Li comforted her warmly, “It must have been hard for you.”

“Mm. It was, and it hurts so much.” Liao Qing Qing said.

“I know.”

“You don’t know.”

“I know.”

“You don’t know.”

Emperor Jing Li extended his arms to gently stroke Liao Qing Qing’s pale face. He agreed with whatever Liao Qing Qing said.“Fine, fine, fine. I don’t know. I don’t know.”

The Momos and palace maids beside them all knew that the Emperor was extremely fond of the Empress, but they did not know that the Emperor was so fond of her to this extent.

When the Empress Dowager saw this, she hurried to the room beside them to see her grandson.

This is Empress Dowager’s first grandson!

The Empress Dowager looked cold and detached on the surface. However, that was just a way of handling things after the tragic harem intrigue under the previous Emperor.

In fact, her heart was also warm. She wanted to carry a grandson just as much as the common people under the Heavens.

It was just that she knew her son was poisoned and almost lost his life. So she never urged him, nor did she force him to like any of the concubines. She was already prepared for him to be childless for the rest of his life.

When it was time, she would choose a royal bloodline with both virtue and talent to inherit the throne. She did not expect Emperor Jing Li would favour Liao Qing Qing and that Liao Qing Qing would give birth to an imperial prince.

The Empress Dowager was filled with delight.

Seeing the red and flushed Fei Fei, the Empress Dowager’s face, which had been cold all her life, melted at once and a smile appeared on her face. Her eyes were affectionate, like the warm ocean in March.

“Little Fei Fei.” The Empress Dowager called out softly.

Fei Fei moved slightly as if he had heard it.

Empress Dowager’s heart instantly melted. She could see the areas her grandson resembled her son. Her eyes immediately reddened, and she gently took Fei Fei into her arms.

She carried him for a long time.

The Empress Dowager came over to see Little Fei Fei in the subsequent days. Little Fei Fei was born a little over six catties (3 kg/6.61 pounds), the weight of an average child, probably because Liao Qing Qing had eaten and slept well during her pregnancy and exercised well. Little Fei Fei was able to eat and sleep throughout the month, and he was very easy to raise.

The wet nurse had never raised such an easy-to-raise child before. They all sang praises in front of Emperor Jing Li and Liao Qing Qing.

Emperor Jing Li said, “The Empress has given birth to a good child.”

Liao Qing Qing smiled. During these days, when she was in her confinement, she had a lot of random thoughts, probably because her body’s hormones were in disarray. Sometimes, she would suddenly wake up in the middle of the night and burst into tears, feeling particularly aggrieved and sad.

She felt that her life was hopeless.

She felt a fire in her chest that wanted to be released.

She could not control it at all. She glared at several palace maids, causing them to shiver in fear. She felt remorseful and regretful that she had somehow managed to do so. So she became even more upset and wanted to cry.

Fortunately, Emperor Jing Li accompanied her, soothed her in a gentle voice, talked to her, talked to her about national events and the moon and snow, making her realise her importance and see the world’s beauty. Only then did her emotions slowly stabilise.

[1] 嬷嬷(mómo)- In ancient times, Momo is a title, which refers to palace maids that are of a certain age and position. It usually refers to elderly palace maids of seniority.

[2] 朕(zhèn)- I (imperial) or we (imperial use).

[3] 奴婢[núbì]- I; your humble servant (term of self-address used by servants, maid-servants and eunuchs when addressing the emperor, minister, concubines, etc.)