spend time

Chapter 725 Selfishness
Jiang Shaohua was busy with government affairs and had no time to attend to the sick, so Changning Earl Cui Du came to Jingyang Palace to guard on behalf of the emperor. The imperial physician diagnosed the pulse and prescribed medicine, while eunuch Zhao and eunuch Lin boiled medicine and fed the patient. Cui Du actually had nothing to do, so he just stayed by the bed and greeted him from time to time.

Even this has won praise from everyone. Now, inside and outside the palace, when Cui Du is mentioned, everyone will praise him as "the emperor is really virtuous"!
Empress Dowager Zheng felt very upset when she saw Cui Du, but she couldn't chase him away, so she simply ordered someone to bring Prince Ping over.

Prince Ping didn't understand why patients need to rest, and he ran around shouting loudly. But after a while, Empress Dowager Zheng was annoyed: "Cui Du, take Prince Ping out to play for a while, I want to be alone and quiet."

Cui Du was also more willing to accompany King Ping, so he responded and took King Ping to play in Jingyang Palace.

Jingyang Palace is the largest palace in the harem, with a winding corridor of dozens of meters. King Ping loved playing hide-and-seek, and hid in a corner with his butt sticking out. Cui Du saw him from a distance, but pretended not to find him. King Ping laughed so hard that Cui Du followed the sound and came over.

Prince Ping stood up and rushed over. Cui Du had no choice but to pick Prince Ping up and said, "Hey, you fat boy, you are getting heavier and heavier."

In the entire palace, Prince Ping was the most carefree one. He ate, slept, and played every day. He neither read nor practiced martial arts. His life was so happy. In the past six months, Concubine Fan Gui had lost a lot of weight, and Empress Dowager Zheng had also lost a lot of weight. Only Prince Ping, like a white flour bun, was getting fatter and fatter.

"Brother-in-law! I want to ride a horse!"

King Ping shouted excitedly.

Cui Du didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Don't be silly! You are so heavy, if you ride on me, I will have to lie down."

"No matter what, I want to ride a horse." King Ping was not willing to give in, and he scratched Cui Du out of habit. Cui Du dodged and avoided his face, but his neck was scratched and bloody.

Cui Du hissed.

Eunuch Ge, who was standing by, was startled and immediately knelt down to apologize on behalf of Prince Ping: "Lord Changning, please calm down. Your Highness Prince Ping did not intend to hurt Lord Changning!"

The Duke of Changning is the husband of the emperor, and in the harem, he is the queen. Although the Prince of Ping is noble, he should not scratch the bloody marks on the Duke of Changning casually. If the Duke of Changning goes to the emperor to complain, His Highness the Prince of Ping will have a hard time.

Cui Du calmed himself down and said with a smile, "Eunuch Ge, please stand up quickly. Prince Ping was just joking with me, and he didn't do it on purpose. This is just a small matter, and it's not worth kneeling down to apologize. Don't worry, I won't complain to the emperor."

Since the birth of Prince Ping, Eunuch Ge has been serving Prince Ping for eight years. You can say it is loyalty or servant's inertia, anyway, Eunuch Ge is very concerned about Prince Ping. He kowtowed three times before he stood up.

Prince Ping was not completely ignorant. He was somewhat frightened by Eunuch Ge's panic. He blinked his big, clear eyes and said in a much softer voice, "Brother-in-law, don't be angry!"

Cui Du's heart softened, and he pinched Prince Ping's chubby cheeks: "Brother-in-law is not angry. From now on, don't arrest people at will. Don't arrest brother-in-law, and don't arrest Eunuch Ge either. Do you hear me?"

King Ping nodded obediently.

Although King Ping would soon forget about it, Eunuch Ge was still so moved that his eyes were wet.

As eunuchs, they worked in the palace, and if they were favored by their masters, they would be looked up to by others. Most eunuchs had a hard life, and were looked down upon everywhere. Even someone as favored as Eunuch Zhao was still beaten with a stick at the order of Empress Dowager Zheng. Who treated them as human beings?

But Earl Changning was different.

He looked at everyone the same, without any distinction of high or low, and was truly kind in his words and deeds.

The lower the status of a person, the more sensitive he is to such respect. Not only Eunuch Ge, but also the eunuchs who had dealt with Lord Changning all admired Lord Changning and were willing to get close to him.

Only someone like the Earl of Changning is worthy of the Empress of Daliang.

……

"What happened to your neck?" The bloodstain on Cui Du's neck was so obvious that he couldn't hide it. Jiang Shaohua saw it as soon as he saw it and frowned.

Cui Du smiled and said, "It's nothing. When Prince Heping was playing, he stretched out his hand and scratched it, that's all."

Jiang Shaohua still frowned: "This Jiang Hao, it's time to take care of him. He's so jumpy and has no rules at all."

Cui Du laughed: "He is just a naughty boy who knows nothing. How can he understand any rules?"

After a pause, he whispered, "From a selfish point of view, I hope he will always be like this. If he really learns the rules and acts and speaks in a methodical way, it will be a trouble for you."

It may seem cold-blooded to say this, but it is also the truth.

Jiang Shaohua sat on the throne safely because he had the support of all the ministers and the support of the Grand Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager Li. If Prince Ping grew up and became sensible, even if he was a little stupid, as long as he looked like a normal person, someone would want to support Prince Ping. It might lead to a disaster.

So, let King Ping live without worries!
King Ping lived happily and Jiang Shaohua was saved from a big trouble.

These inhumane thoughts can only be whispered quietly when the couple is alone.

Jiang Shaohua glanced at Cui Du and said, "You are more thoughtful now."

Cui Du smiled silently: "Being with you all day, I can always learn something."

Jiang Shaohua smiled and rolled his eyes at him, then took the medicine himself and applied some ointment for him.

Cui Du hugged her bulging belly and whispered: "It will take more than one or two days to conquer Yuzhou. Don't worry about it all the time."

Jiang Shaohua hummed: "I know what's going on. The baby won't be disturbed. Don't worry. Eat when you need to, and sleep when you need to."

As Jiang Shaohua's due date approached, Cui Du became more and more anxious. He often woke up in the middle of the night and stared at Jiang Shaohua's belly until dawn.

Cui Du nodded, reached out to touch his daughter, and massaged Jiang Shaohua's swollen legs and feet.

……

The first year of Zhaoping passed quietly amid complicated political and military affairs.

The new year arrives with snow all over the sky.

According to palace rules, on New Year's Day, all ministers had to go to the palace to pay their respects, and ladies of high rank also had to go to the harem to meet the emperor.

However, this year was a special case. The emperor was more than nine months pregnant and could give birth at any time. In the harem, Empress Dowager Zheng was ill, Concubine Fan Gui had not appeared for a long time, and Empress Dowager Li had not yet come out of the shadow of Emperor Taihe's death, so she had no intention of organizing a palace banquet.

The emperor directly ordered that all palace banquets be cancelled this year, so that the ministers were spared the trouble of traveling in the snow.

After a few days of peace, on the sixth day of the New Year, the latest news from Yuzhou arrived in the capital. The Yuzhou army had occupied Ruyang County again.

This news was soon overshadowed by another major event.

On the night of the sixth day, the emperor had a stomachache and was taken to the delivery room.