Unparalleled Beauty C140 extra

Extra - A Day with the Emperor and Empress's Family

Outside Fengqi Palace, Shuning walked ahead, with four-year-old Yining trailing behind.

Despite her young age, Yining was remarkably stubborn. Though she couldn't keep up with her elder sister, she refused to be carried by a palace maid. Tears welled in her eyes, accentuating her chubby little body and soft, fair face, making one's heart ache with tenderness.

Shuning, usually of an impatient nature, had no choice but to stop and wait for her younger sister.

Once the little girl drew near, she knelt down to wipe away her tears, saying, “You little crybaby. If Mother sees you like this, she’ll think I’m bullying you again.”

Shuning was now thirteen, having inherited the fine features of her parents. Slender and graceful, her small face was exquisitely beautiful, possessing the dignified bearing of a princess.

Of course, that was how outsiders perceived her; in reality, she possessed a rather impetuous temperament.

Yining pouted, “Eldest Sister, why are you walking so fast?”

Shuning glanced at her. “With Second Brother gone and Eldest Brother having departed for Jiangnan, Mother must be feeling down.”

“Even if Mother is feeling down, she still has Father. Eldest Sister, you roused us all so early; who knows, Mother might not even be awake yet.”

The speaker was Ji Yu, arriving late from behind. He was eight years old this year, the third son of Emperor Qianwu and Wushuang, born in the tenth year of the Qianwu reign.

Shuning observed her slow-moving third brother. Her eldest brother was steady, her second brother had a boisterous personality, but her third brother was so languid; she wondered after whom he took.

“In any case, let’s hurry. It’ll be perfect timing to accompany Mother for the morning meal.”

At this moment, within the Fengqi Palace's bedchamber, the person in the bed was already awake, but simply unwilling to rise.

Even though she knew that the Crown Prince’s journey to Jiangnan was inevitable, and Emperor Qianwu had even mentioned it long ago, she still felt uneasy. A mother’s heart worries for her son, even when he travels a thousand li.

“Still thinking about Zuo'er? The people around him are all first-rate experts. Furthermore, I secretly dispatched a team to follow him. Nothing will go wrong.”

The man behind her propped himself up and kissed her cheek.

Wushuang turned over to look at him.

He always said that time treated her kindly, but in truth, the years had been most generous to him. After so many years, aside from a few streaks of white at his temples, he remained as resolute and stern as ever, only gaining a touch of seasoned charm.

She looped her arms around his neck, embraced him, and pouted. “I know everything you’re saying, but I can’t help but worry. You said you’d choose a Crown Princess for Zuo'er, and you secretly showed him so many noble ladies, but he didn’t take a liking to any of them. This trip will take at least a year before he returns. When will I be able to hold a grandchild?”

He held her in his arms, allowing her to embrace him affectionately.

"Why have you been constantly mentioning grandsons lately? Even I am not anxious; what is there for you to be anxious about?"

Wushuang revealed a sorrowful expression, "Isn't it because of Eldest Sister and Fifth Younger Sister? One of them constantly talks about grandsons, and Fu'er's wife is now pregnant. Zuo'er is even older than them, yet he doesn't even have a wife."

"Children and grandchildren have their own fortunes. If you truly wish to hold a child, why not give birth to another princess for this Emperor?" As he spoke, his voice lowered, his hand moved to her waist, and he lowered his head to kiss her.

Saying he wanted to have children was false, but wanting her was true. Ever since she gave birth to Ji Yu, he hadn't planned for her to have any more children, but who knew that in the fourteenth year of Emperor Qianwu's reign, she would become pregnant with their youngest daughter.

According to her age at the time, she was already over thirty. Although it couldn't be considered an old pearl in a clam, her age wasn't young either. Everyone was extremely nervous about her then. Later, the child was safely delivered, but it frightened him quite a bit.

Mainly because her pregnancy wasn't smooth at the time; she vomited whatever she ate. Since then, he had forbidden her from having any more children, saying that wanting another princess was just a pretense.

"It's already dawn outside. Weren't you satisfied last night?" Even as she said this, she showed no intention of refusing him.

His thin lips pressed against her brow, "You little rascal, this Emperor only came out this morning."

Ah? She had forgotten.

Seeing the misty look in his eyes, she quickly embraced him tightly and proactively kissed him.

"Of course I know. I'm just afraid you'll damage your health."

Knowing she was making excuses, he still darkened his gaze and bit her lip.

"You think this Emperor is too old? Do you believe I'm no longer of use?"

Was he old?

She was in the prime of her youth, but he felt a bit uneasy even saying he was in the prime of his manhood. He was already skilled in the art of longevity, though he was in his forties (actually nearing fifty), but with his martial arts background, his vitality was not inferior to that of a man in his thirties.

But as his hair turned gradually silver, she seemed to grow more radiant by the day, like an aged wine that has been matured for years, finally releasing its own fragrance. In comparison, he couldn't help but feel that he was getting old.

Knowing how sensitive he was about this, Wushuang couldn't help but say he wasn't old, and besides, from her perspective, he didn't seem old at all; he was still handsome, and there was no end to how much she could look at him.

"How could Your Majesty be old? Your Majesty is full of vitality, as vigorous as a dragon and as fierce as a tiger." She hurriedly said something nice to please him.

Emperor Qianwu gave her a glance and said, "You've even learned the words those maidservants say below."

Wushuang giggled, suddenly recalling something, "Are we about to get up? Shuning must have arrived. Once she's here, Yining and Ji Yu will surely follow."

Logically speaking, the Second Princess Yining was still young and should have been living with her Empress Mother, but Yining stubbornly refused. Instead, she preferred to stay with her Eldest Sister. Even though Shuning always complained that she was a crybaby, she still clung to Shuning. Thus, she spent most of her time in Shuning's palace and only a small portion in Fengqi Palace.

"You're changing the subject again."

"I'm not changing the subject at all. Anyway, there's no court today. Why don't I keep you company for a little longer?" she said coquettishly.

Just then, a palace maid's soft voice came from outside.

"Empress, the Eldest Princess, Second Princess, and Third Prince have arrived."

The husband and wife looked at each other. Mei Wushuang sighed, kissed him on the cheek, and then feigned innocence, saying, "It's not easy being parents. Even a lazy sleep is impossible. Your Majesty, you can sleep a little longer. This concubine will get up first."

Afterward, she hurriedly got out of bed to change and wash up, leaving Emperor Qianwu alone on the bed. After a long while, he shook his head and smiled.

By the time Emperor Qianwu got up and left the bedchamber, Wushuang was already accompanying the children for their morning meal.

Ji Yu was a slowpoke, taking his time with everything. He even ate his meal in a listless manner. As for Yining, no one knew what Shuning had said to her, but she was shedding tears like falling beans again.

As soon as she saw her Imperial Father arrive, she immediately threw herself into his arms, calling out "Imperial Father" in such a pitiful manner and with such a sorrowful voice that anyone who didn't know better would have thought everyone present was a stepmother, step-sister, or step-brother.

"What's wrong?" Emperor Qianwu asked as he picked her up.

She sobbed, hugging her Imperial Father's neck, not saying a word, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

Shuning didn't even want to give her a glance.

It was Wushuang, as her mother, who helped explain, "When asked what she wanted to eat, she said she wanted golden thread congee. But after the golden thread congee was served to her, she changed her mind again. Shuning said she was being picky and shouldn't be indulged."

Logically speaking, being born a princess, and one of only two princesses, she could have eaten ten different kinds of congee for breakfast, let alone golden thread congee. But when the elder sister was lecturing the younger sister, especially when she was in the right, not only would Wushuang not interrupt, but neither would Emperor Qianwu.

"Since you said you wanted to eat golden thread congee, then eat it properly. Your Eldest Sister didn't say anything wrong."

Yining no longer hugged her Imperial Father's neck, but lowered her two small hands and continued to sob with her head down.

"Since Yining feels that Eldest Sister is wrong, why not move back from Eldest Sister's palace and come live with Mother in Fengqi Palace?" Wushuang teased.

Yining immediately shook her head like a rattle-drum, "No, no, I want to live with Eldest Sister." She didn't even let her Imperial Father hold her anymore, but hurried to her Eldest Sister's side, looking at her expectantly.

Shuning, with a look of distaste, wiped away her tears, calling her a crybaby, and then placed a piece of rice cake in her hand.

"Eat quickly."

Immediately, the spoiled little one ceased her fussiness and began to eat her morning meal obediently.

Wushuang was also rather helpless; she didn't know who the little girl had taken after with her love of crying and her delicate nature. He always said she took after her, but she absolutely refused to admit it.

Fortunately, there was one thing that could subdue another. Usually, when the little girl cried, she couldn't coax her at all; only Shuning could manage it.

After breakfast, Emperor Qianwu went to Zichen Hall, Ji Yu went to school, leaving Wushuang and her two daughters behind.

Once she was alone and quiet, she couldn't help but think of her two sons who had left home. Ji Reng had gone to the Northwest, and Ji Zuo had gone down to Jiangnan. However, Ji Reng had promised to return before the New Year, while Ji Zuo probably wouldn't be back this year.

"Fortunately, I still have you accompanying Mother. After another two years, if you, Shuning, were to marry, Mother would lose another one by her side."

"Empress Mother, don't worry about that. Father Emperor said I can marry at eighteen, and I won't marry far away either; I'll stay in the capital."

Wushuang disapproved, saying, "How can we listen to your Father Emperor about marrying at eighteen? By then, you'll become an old maid. Even if you marry at eighteen, we must find you an imperial son-in-law in advance, at least two years beforehand."

Saying this, she looked at her flower-like, jade-like daughter and rejoiced, "Fortunately, there are still a few years left, so Mother doesn't have to think about these things so early. By the way, you should also pay more attention to the talented young men in the capital. If there are any you admire, remember to tell Mother."

Perhaps because she had recently helped her mother choose a Crown Princess for her eldest brother, Shuning wasn't shy when this matter was mentioned. Instead, she recalled the so-called talented young men she had seen in the past.

Because of the existence of several female cousins, she didn't just stay in the palace all the time. She often went out and about during the day and had seen many talented young men, but not a single one had caught her eye.

"I can't stand any of those people. Their literary skills are inferior to Eldest Brother's, and their martial skills are inferior to Second Brother's. Each one is either arrogantly ignorant or like a lackey, agreeing with everything I say." Shuning said with considerable distaste.

As far as Wushuang was concerned, it wasn't that her daughter couldn't stand them, but that she hadn't yet blossomed, which was why she didn't even show a hint of shyness when mentioning these things.

As for when she would blossom? Only Heaven probably knew.

Because Wushuang was worried about Ji Zuo, news would be sent back from Jiangnan every so often.

Ji Zuo had gone to Jiangnan in disguise, and as a result, his experiences were quite tortuous and bizarre. He had been locked up in prison, provoked private salt smugglers, and almost had his boat holed. However, these corrupt officials didn't fare well either; they were naturally dismissed and investigated, which also uncovered several cases of corruption and malfeasance.

Knowing that there were people in the capital who cared about him, Ji Zuo also tacitly allowed the people around him to send his news back to the capital, but only once every so often, after he had finished the matter at hand. Therefore, although Wushuang saw her son in several dangerous situations, they all turned out to be safe, so she wasn't so worried.

But this time, almost three months had passed, and no news had been sent back. Wushuang couldn't help but worry if her son had gotten into something again. There must be danger, otherwise, he wouldn't have delayed sending news back for so long.

She went to seek Emperor Qianwu and, after questioning him, finally understood what had transpired.

Ji Zuo was currently in Suzhou, having disguised himself as an impoverished scholar from a declining family to investigate potential malfeasance in the local government. Unexpectedly, he was abducted shortly after entering the city.

The one who abducted him was a wealthy local merchant, a young woman who had followed her father in business since childhood. After her father's death, because there were no male heirs in the family, some members of the clan wanted to seize her family's property.

Unwilling to have her family's assets swallowed and also unwilling to take a husband, this woman conceived the idea of borrowing a man to bear a child. Coincidentally, she took a fancy to Ji Zuo, the impoverished scholar from out of town who had just arrived in Suzhou.

In short, it was said that Ji Zuo was now being kept in a private residence, provided with delicious food and drink every day, and 'favored' every few days, all in the hopes of producing a son in one fell swoop.

After hearing this, Mei Wushuang felt utterly unwell.

No wonder he hadn't sent news back for so long. The key was that with His Highness the Crown Prince in his current state, no one dared to relay the news back. No wonder his expression was so strange when she came to ask him.

"Aren't you going to do something about it?" Wushuang asked. Was he even acting like a father?

Ji Yang smiled and said, "Do what? Your son is willing. Zuo'er has been opinionated since he was little. If he wants to do something, it must be because he is willing. If he is unwilling, even if I talk to you, it will be useless."

[Really?] Wushuang used the telepathic communication she hadn't used in a long time.

[Don't you trust this Emperor?] Ji Yang narrowed his eyes dangerously.

[It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that I'm…] too shocked.

At this moment, another person also woke up.

[Leave him be, he has his own plans,] Emperor Qianwu said. [Haven't you always wanted to hold a grandson? Maybe he'll have one when he returns this time.]

It took Wushuang a long while to accept this matter.

In fact, she was no stranger to such stories. Wasn't her maternal grandmother in a similar situation back then? It was just that her maternal grandmother had her mother, and her mother didn't have the talent for business, nor was she as bold as this woman.

From then on, Wushuang became a bit more curious about that woman named Yan Qingtang.

What kind of family could raise such an audacious woman, and what kind of woman would dare to do such shocking things?

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the strange expression on Ji Yang's face beside her. He hadn't been jealous in a long time, but this time he had consumed a whole barrel of vinegar. Of course, that was another story.

Emperor Qianwu was actually happy to see this happen.

It took Wushuang a while to understand his peculiar thoughts.

According to him, this woman might become Crown Princess to Ji Zuo.

Since he said so, it meant that although this woman was a merchant's daughter, she was quite remarkable.

After reading the reports he had people investigate about this woman, Wushuang sincerely admired her abilities. In any case, she was far more capable than herself; she truly hadn't imagined that a woman could live such a life.

Therefore, even before meeting her, she already had a good impression of this woman.

However, it was still too early for her to think about these things, because at this time, Yan Qingtang had no idea of Ji Zuo's identity and had even planned to be a 'heartless woman,' sending the man away after she became pregnant.

Upon learning this, Wushuang wanted to laugh and felt aggrieved for her son.

Her son was the dignified Crown Prince of the Great Liang Dynasty, outstanding, a jade tree, pure and noble, praised by many Imperial Tutors. He was also handsome, truly a dragon among men, so how could he be looked down upon?

But her anxiety was in vain; it was a year later when Ji Zuo finally 'captured' her and prepared to bring her back to the capital.

And her first grandson had already been born, still bearing the surname Yan.

No one knew what Wushuang's mental journey was like during that year, but from the moment she learned that Yan Qingtang was pregnant, she had been trying to send palace maids, grannies, and wet nurses over there, and even sent Female Physician Chu, fearing difficulties during childbirth.

She longed for it day and night, and finally, the person was about to enter the capital.

At this time, Emperor Qianwu told her that after Ji Zuo returned to the capital and had his grand wedding, he would pass the throne to his son and travel the world with her.

"But my grandson is still young, and I haven't even held him yet. Are you in such a hurry to leave... or should we wait until the child is older?"

"Also, Yining is still young, and Shuning hasn't married yet..."

Although she had known he had this plan for a long time, Wushuang only realized how much she was reluctant to part when the time truly came.

"But I am already old..."

Seeing him, who never admitted to being old, suddenly say such words and reveal a slightly sad expression, Wushuang felt extremely sorry for him.

[Don't you want me to take you to see the scenery of the borderlands?]

[You also agreed to go with me to see the misty rain of Jiangnan.]

"I'm going! No matter where His Majesty goes, this concubine will follow!" At that moment, Wushuang suddenly made up her mind. Children and grandchildren were important, but none of it mattered as much as him.

The man, his scheme successful, revealed a smile.

***

At this time, Ji Zuo, still on the road to the capital, had no idea that in the near future, his parents would throw such a huge pile of matters onto him—not only the Great Liang empire, but also his unmarried or still-young younger siblings, after which the two of them would freely and unrestrainedly travel the world.

And Yan Qingtang hadn't expected that the difficulties she had anticipated were nowhere to be found. Her mother-in-law, the dignified Empress, was more approachable than she could have imagined.

The Imperial Family did not seem to mind her status as a merchant's daughter. Not only did she quickly become the Crown Princess, but she also quickly became the Empress.

Of course, next, she would have to bear the burden of the Great Liang empire together with her husband.

Oh, and her younger siblings-in-law.

Watching the departing carriage, Yan Qingtang turned back to look at her husband and said, "My Jing, let's raise Hao'er well, and give him a few more younger siblings. When Hao'er comes of age, we can also be like Father Emperor and Mother Empress."

"That's a good idea."

At this time, the nursing infant in the wet nurse's arms had no idea that his parents had already arranged his future. Perhaps, this was a cycle of reincarnation.

TN: Ji Zuo's story is actually a whole other book 养个太子当外室