inspire-indiana Chapter 31 A foster mother is not as good as a biological mother
Chapter 31 A foster mother is not as good as a biological mother
The Emperor was stunned when he saw Su Nuannuan kneeling on the ground, weeping with tears streaming down her face. After a long while, he came to his senses and quickly reached out his hands to carefully help Su Nuannuan up from her kneeling position.
The Emperor sighed deeply, his tone full of helplessness and confusion: "Why would my beloved concubine think that I want to expel you from the palace? Don't overthink it!"
Taking advantage of the Emperor helping her up, Su Nuannuan steadied herself, tears streaming down her face like broken pearls. She choked out, "Your Majesty, if you didn't want to expel me from the palace, then why did you suddenly entrust the Second Prince and the Third Prince to my care? They clearly have their own biological mothers."
However, at this moment, Su Nuannuan's heart was screaming frantically: "Please, please kick me out of the palace! It would be best if I could take these two adorable little ones with me and leave this cage-like harem."
The Emperor frowned, his gaze fixed on the pitifully weeping Su Nuannuan before him, and explained softly, "I have already demoted Consort De to Noble Lady Li. Does my beloved consort not know this?"
While gently wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes with her silk handkerchief, Su Nuannuan replied in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I know that Consort De has been demoted to Noble Lady Li, but I really don't understand what Consort De has done to deserve such a severe punishment that she has lost her rank."
"Your Majesty, you know that I have never been interested in these trivial matters in the harem, and have never bothered to inquire about the reasons behind them." As she spoke, she couldn't help but sob a few more times, her appearance truly pitiful.
If she said she didn't know, not only would the emperor not believe her, but she herself couldn't convince herself either.
The Emperor gazed at Su Nuannuan, who was gently wiping away tears with a handkerchief, and sighed deeply. He said slowly, "I understand. That is why I have been considering entrusting the Second Prince and the Third Prince to your care."
Upon hearing this, Su Nuannuan trembled slightly and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, it's not that I'm unwilling to accept these two princes, but I'm currently too busy to take care of them. Besides, a foster mother can't be as devoted as a biological mother. In my opinion, it would be more appropriate to leave them to Consort Li to raise personally."
It should be understood that in this Azure Kingdom, there is no rule that one cannot raise their own child because of their lowly status. As long as one can successfully give birth to a child, even someone of lowly status like a lowly concubine can raise their own flesh and blood.
At this moment, the Emperor's face darkened, and he coldly replied, "Consort Li is completely unsuitable to raise the Second Prince and the Third Prince." However, the Emperor did not say a word about the reasons behind this.
And Su Nuannuan? She remained silent as well, for she already knew the inside story. After a moment, Su Nuannuan said softly, “Your Majesty, there are many sisters in the palace who have no children yet. Surely we can find suitable foster mothers for the Second Prince and the Third Prince.”
"Those of lower rank are no match for Consort Li!" the Emperor said in a low voice.
"Your Majesty, do you think we could discuss this matter with the Empress? I am foolish and cannot think of any brilliant way to deal with this thorny situation." After saying this, she shook her head slightly, her face full of helplessness.
After a brief pause, Su Nuannuan seemed to have made a great decision and continued, "If a suitable foster mother truly cannot be found, then I am willing to step forward and take on the responsibility of raising the Second Prince and the Third Prince. However, in that case, Your Majesty will have to provide me with a larger palace, otherwise my current Cuiwei Palace may not be able to accommodate so many people." Su Nuannuan spoke half-jokingly and half-seriously, but her eyes remained fixed on the Emperor, observing his reaction.
"Of course, it would be best if we could find a virtuous and talented foster mother who would be suitable for us. That way, I wouldn't have to go through the trouble of moving away from the Cuiwei Palace that I'm used to living in." Su Nuannuan's words seemed like a joke, but in reality, she was expressing her feelings to the Emperor—that when the Emperor was at his wit's end, she was willing to be his last resort and would never let him be in a dilemma.
Upon hearing this, the Emperor smiled slightly, gently patted Su Nuannuan's hand, and said softly, "Very well, I understand my beloved consort's heartfelt intentions."
Just then, Li Desheng hurriedly walked in and respectfully reported to the emperor, "Your Majesty, Minister Cheng of the Ministry of Revenue is currently requesting an audience at the Hall of Diligent Governance."
Upon hearing this, the emperor frowned slightly, turned to look at his beloved concubine Su Nuannuan beside him, and said softly, "My dear concubine, I still have important matters to attend to in the court, and I am afraid I cannot stay here any longer. I will come to visit you again tonight." With that, he slowly stood up and straightened his dragon robe.
Upon seeing this, Su Nuannuan quickly bowed and replied in a delicate voice, "Your Majesty, I respectfully see you off."
Immediately afterwards, she turned to Jinse and instructed her, "Jinse, quickly go and fetch that carefully prepared pot of Lotus Leaf Dew and present it to the Emperor to take back."
Jinse dared not delay, and quickly got up in response. She walked briskly to the table where the teapot was placed, carefully picked up the teapot of Lotus Leaf Three Pure Dew, and then turned to the emperor and handed it to Li Desheng with both hands.
Li Desheng accepted the pot of Lotus Leaf Dew with both hands, and couldn't help but think to himself, "Consort Zhuang, you are too honest. You said you would take it back, and you just did. You are truly the first in the harem."
However, his face showed no unusual expression, and he maintained his respectful demeanor.
Seeing that the Lotus Leaf Three-Cleansing Dew had already been handed to Li Desheng, Su Nuannuan hurriedly added, "Your Majesty, this Lotus Leaf Three-Cleansing Dew has the effect of clearing heat and relieving summer heat. Now that it is the height of summer, Your Majesty is busy with state affairs and may feel hot and irritable. Drinking this tea may make Your Majesty feel a little cooler and more comfortable."
Upon hearing this, the emperor's lips curled slightly, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes. He smiled and said, "My beloved consort is so thoughtful. It is rare for you to be so considerate. I am very pleased." After speaking, he turned and stepped into the sedan chair that had been prepared beforehand.
Regardless of one's own inner judgment and thoughts about the Lotus Leaf Dew, the deep affection of one's beloved concubine must not be ignored or betrayed. Even if it is only to avoid disappointing or hurting her, one must at least show her how much one cherishes and loves this dew.
After all, the affection contained in the fact that the beloved concubine prepared such a drink for him is not something that can be easily ignored.
Therefore, even if the Lotus Leaf Dew doesn't suit one's taste, one must still give it high praise and affirmation in front of one's beloved concubine.
Upon seeing this, Li Desheng immediately called out in unison, "Let's depart!" As his voice rang out, a group of attendants sprang into action, surrounding the emperor's palanquin as it slowly made its way toward the palace gate.