The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 263
by Little PandaExtra 38
Has Ying’er Come Back?
Jin Mingyi always felt that Zhu Qianjie wasn’t very bright, and she worried she’d be bullied in the future, so she wanted to have a younger sister for her, so the two of them could have a companion.
Zhu Ming’an doted on Jin Mingyi endlessly, so naturally she went along with her wishes. However busy the business was, she never said no.
Qu Zhimu and Qiao Jin went into the room first. Cheng Xi took their pulses and asked, “Which of you two plans to carry the child?”
“I will.” Qu Zhimu blurted out, then suddenly felt a bit shy and quickly lowered her gaze.
Cheng Xi smiled and didn’t ask further. Qiao Jin was now a highly sought-after figure at court, entrusted with important responsibilities by Qu Sheng. For her to agree to having a child at this juncture must have been something the young couple had already discussed.
Qu Zhimu loved Qiao Jin most and certainly wouldn’t hold her back. Besides, she had a general understanding of Qu Yu’s situation, so asking was merely to confirm.
Cheng Xi went to write the prescription and handed it to the two of them, saying, “Take the medicinal decoction on schedule. You don’t need to come back after finishing it. I’ll visit King Long’s Mansion every few days to check your father’s pulse as part of his regular examination, and I can prescribe more medicine for you at the same time.”
Qiao Jin took the prescription, performed an official bow with hands clasped, and thanked her.
After looking over the prescription, Qu Zhimu asked, “Maternal Aunt, is there nothing seriously wrong with my father’s health?”
Cheng Xi curved her lips and said, “It’s nothing serious. Your father has made it through all these years. As long as he takes his medicine on time and doesn’t overthink things, he’ll be fine.”
Qu Zhimu nodded. “Then I can rest easy.”
The two left the room and went to the front hall, where Zhu Ming’an and Jin Mingyi were talking with Xiao Bingying.
“I just feel like that child of ours isn’t very bright. If something happened to us, what would she do?” Jin Mingyi started worrying again.
Zhu Ming’an was a bit helpless—only Jin Mingyi would call her own child foolish. She actually thought Zhu Qianjie was a lot like herself as a child—she might seem slow, but she understood everything; she just didn’t always feel like talking.
Still, since Jin Mingyi wanted another child, she didn’t have much objection.
Xiao Bingying smiled and said, “Qianjie may not excel at studying, but I can see she’s quite like Ming’an when it comes to business. Who knows—maybe this little sister will end up relying on her.”
Zhu Ming’an chimed in, “That’s right. Our Qianjie isn’t foolish at all. She takes after me—she’s sharp with the abacus.”
“You’re just praising yourself.” Jin Mingyi rolled her eyes at her—she was practically patting herself on the back. “So do you want another child or not?”
Jin Mingyi listened to Zhu Ming’an’s words and it seemed like she didn’t want to.
“I do, of course I do. Our Zhu family needs more members. With Qianjie in the palace, Mother often feels the house is empty. Last time, she even asked me if I could have another one.”
“Really?” Jin Mingyi didn’t quite believe it.
“Of course. When have I, Zhu Ming’an, ever lied to my wife?” Zhu Ming’an said with an earnest, pledge-like expression.
Jin Mingyi’s eyes held a smile, and when she looked at Zhu Ming’an, her face showed a hint of shy tenderness from being doted upon.
Meanwhile, in the palace, Zhu Qianjie, who was serving as a study companion, couldn’t stop sneezing.
Zhao Ningying walked over and placed her hand on her forehead to check her temperature, asking in confusion, “You don’t have a fever. Qianjie-meimei, are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
Zhu Qianjie shook her head and said, “I’m not unwell.”
Seeing this, Qu Ning said, “Ning-meimei, why don’t you take her pulse? It might be some other ailment.”
Zhao Ningying had also studied medicine, though she hadn’t pursued it seriously, so she knew the basics. She nodded and took Zhu Qianjie’s pulse. Her eyes blinked as her gaze shifted back and forth, and she quickly reached a conclusion—nothing was wrong.
Qu Ning still wasn’t reassured, so she had someone bring a bowl of ginger soup for Zhu Qianjie to drink. After she sweated it out, the sneezing stopped.
Qu Zhimu had stopped coming to the palace as a study companion after her wedding. Having a Top Scholar at home was far better than these tutors.
Qu Ning had become the “leader” of these little ones. Qu Ning and Zhao Ningying were also approaching their jiji1. Children all go through a rebellious phase at that age—though how that rebellion manifests varies from person to person.
After class ended today, Qu Ning led Zhao Ningying and the others to the front palace area.
“Hurry up and come up.” Qu Ning leapt onto the palace roof and waved at Zhao Ningying below.
Zhao Ningying looked up, then glanced back at the younger ones behind her. After a moment’s hesitation, she went up too.
Zhu Qianjie hadn’t mastered much else, but her Lightness Skill was quite good. Without waiting for Qu Ning to urge her, she flew straight up.
The other younger ones didn’t have such impressive martial skills and could only stand below, watching the three of them fly from one rooftop to another.
“Where is this?” Zhu Qianjie followed behind, looking left and right—everything looked the same, and she momentarily lost her bearings.
Hearing her voice, Qu Ning quickly turned and made a shushing gesture.
Zhu Qianjie covered her little mouth and followed her two older sisters in sneaking around like thieves.
Qu Ning lifted a roof tile and peered down at the people talking inside. Qu Sheng was in the Imperial Study, discussing new commercial laws with her ministers.
“We want this done swiftly and steadily. If you cannot manage it, then vacate your positions and let those who can take over,” Qu Sheng said. As her words fell, the officials inside all knelt to the ground. “We humbly obey Your Majesty’s decree.”
Qu Sheng looked at the kneeling ministers, her expression clearing for a moment, then she looked up.
The three little ones were lying on the roof, straining to look down, when a memorial was thrown at them, startling them so much they tumbled every which way on the rooftop.
Qu Ning was quick enough to grab Zhu Qianjie by the collar, but Zhao Ningying wasn’t so lucky. Her body tilted backward, and she slid down from the roof.
But just as she thought she was about to hit the ground, someone caught her.
Qu Ning steadied Zhu Qianjie and quickly leaned over the eaves to look down.
Covered in cold sweat from the fright, Qu Ning saw that Zhao Ningying had been caught. Terrified, she quickly flew down with Zhu Qianjie.
At the same time, the guards arrived. Qu Sheng came out of the room with the ministers, expecting an assassin, only to find it was her own daughter.
“Ning’er.” Qu Sheng called out to Qu Ning.
Qu Ning was checking whether Zhao Ningying was injured. Hearing Qu Sheng call her, she quickly turned and bowed with hands clasped. “Mother Emperor.”
Zhu Qianjie and Zhao Ningying also hurriedly bowed.
The person who had caught Zhao Ningying performed a kneeling bow. “This humble subject, Yun Ming, pays respects to Your Majesty.”
Qu Sheng stared at the group for a moment, then strode over. She had wanted to scold Qu Ning, but in front of everyone, she couldn’t well undermine the dignity of the Imperial Crown Princess.
She looked at Yun Ming and said, “Minister Yun, what brings you to the palace today?”
“In reply to Your Majesty, this humble subject wishes to resign from my post.”
“Resign?” Qu Sheng’s brow furrowed slightly, her peripheral glance catching Qu Ning standing to the side.
Qu Ning caught Qu Sheng’s look and quickly said, “Mother Emperor, the Grand Tutor’s class is about to start. Your child wishes to take her two younger sisters back.”
Qu Sheng waved her hand. Seeing this, Qu Ning quickly led her two younger sisters away.
Qu Sheng turned her gaze back to Yun Ming and said, “Come in with us.”
In the afternoon, Cheng Xi had tried out new dishes again. Since Xiao Bingying was on duty today, she brought the prepared dinner to the guard house.
When Xiao Bingying’s subordinates heard that Cheng Xi had come to deliver dinner, they eagerly greeted her while one went to inform Xiao Bingying.
Xiao Bingying had just returned from her patrol rounds. Hearing that her wife had come, her pace quickened considerably.
Cheng Xi stood in the reception hall of the guard house with her attendants carrying the food box. As Xiao Bingying walked in, she unfastened the sword at her waist and handed it to a subordinate.
Hearing the footsteps, Cheng Xi turned to look, her eyes filling with a smile like rippling green waves.
“Wife.” Xiao Bingying stepped forward to Cheng Xi’s side. Since there were outsiders present, she wanted to embrace her but didn’t dare.
Cheng Xi’s eyebrows curved as she said, “I brought you food.” She leaned closer and whispered by her ear, “I made something new today. It tastes quite good.”
Xiao Bingying’s lips curved up slightly as she whispered back, “Then I’ll have to savor it properly today.”
The two looked at each other and both smiled. Xiao Bingying took the food box from the servant’s hands and led Cheng Xi to her rest room.
Once inside the room, Xiao Bingying set down the food box and couldn’t wait to kiss Cheng Xi. They hadn’t seen each other all day, and she had missed her terribly.
Cheng Xi reciprocated her kisses. When she had had her fill, Cheng Xi opened the food box and brought out the dishes.
Xiao Bingying sat eating while Cheng Xi propped her chin on one hand, watching her.
“Wife, have a bite too.” Xiao Bingying smiled as she picked up a piece of bamboo shoot with her chopsticks and brought it to Cheng Xi’s lips.
Cheng Xi curved her eyebrows, lowered her hand, and opened her small mouth to eat it.
Xiao Bingying watched Cheng Xi chew. As her soft lips moved, some uncontrollable impulse made her lean forward and kiss her again.
Being kissed, Cheng Xi showed no surprise. She lowered her gaze, watching Xiao Bingying slowly pull back, her eyes holding a smile, clearly in wonderful spirits.
“Wife, you can stay here a while longer. It’ll be some time before Ning’er leaves the palace. I’m on night duty today, so I can’t go home.”
Cheng Xi nodded with a soft “Mm.” “I know.”
Xiao Bingying took a sip of soup and looked up at Cheng Xi, her heart brimming with happiness.
The two stayed in the room for a long time. Before the ministers left the palace today, Xiao Bingying still needed to go out for another patrol round. She asked Cheng Xi to wait in her rest room, and once Zhao Ningying left the palace, she would take her directly home.
But when Cheng Xi went to wait at the city gate at the expected time, Zhao Ningying never came out.
Cheng Xi asked the guards at the palace gate and was told that Qu Ning had been called away early by Qu Sheng today, and Zhao Ningying had also left the palace early, departing in the Zhu family carriage.
Cheng Xi pondered for a moment, then had the carriage driven back to the residence first.
Upon reaching the residence gate, Cheng Xi asked the gatekeeper, “Has Ying’er come back?”
The gatekeeper bowed his head and replied, “Madam, I haven’t seen the young miss return.”
Hearing this answer, a trace of anxiety appeared on Cheng Xi’s face. She turned and got back into the carriage, telling the driver, “To the Zhu Residence.”
The Empress’s chambers in the imperial palace.
Qu Ning had led her two younger sisters walking along the palace rooftops today, nearly causing a disaster. Qu Sheng made her kneel on a cushion to reflect on her actions.
Lin Xizhao wanted to intercede, but after hearing what had happened, she too was still shaken. If Zhao Ningying had really fallen from the roof, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
It was nearly time for dinner. Seeing that Qu Sheng had mostly calmed down, Lin Xizhao deliberately asked Qu Ning, “Do you know what you did wrong?”
Qu Ning heard Lin Xizhao’s gentle voice, looked up briefly, then quickly lowered her head again and said, “Your child knows she was wrong. Your child should not have taken her two younger sisters climbing so high today. She will never make such a mistake again.”
Though she said this, she was still thinking about what Lin Xizhao had told her—that when Qu Sheng was her age, she had also climbed onto a rooftop once, and had scared Lin Xizhao to tears.
Qu Sheng sat to the side, watching her from the corner of her eye. In truth, today’s incident wasn’t entirely Qu Ning’s fault. If she had looked more carefully at the time, she wouldn’t have thrown the memorial up there.
Qu Sheng let out a heavy breath and said, “Get up. Let’s go have dinner.”
Hearing this, Qu Ning quickly got up and went to Lin Xizhao’s side, helping her up first.
Lin Xizhao watched her daughter—no longer as rigid as before, now knowing how to be flexible—and felt deeply comforted.
Lin Xizhao went to instruct the palace attendants to set the meal. Before the attendants could leave, a palace eunuch came to announce, “Commander Zhao and Dean Cheng, along with Lord Zhu and Princess Wanyi, request an audience with Your Majesty and Her Highness the Empress.”
All four of them coming together at this hour, which was dinner time—Qu Sheng asked, “Do you know what this is about?”
“In reply to Your Majesty, they say that Young Lady Ning and Young Lady Jie have gone missing after leaving the palace.”
The author has something to say:
Jin Mingyi: “That child of mine is foolish.”
Zhu Qianjie: “…”
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