The Empress Dowager let out a long sigh. She pushed the bowls and chopsticks on the table aside, then said softly, half in annoyance and half in helplessness, "Lian'er, when will you let me hold a chubby imperial grandson?"
Qin Huaiqiu was suddenly choked by his tea. He coughed a few times, covering his mouth and saying, "Mother... this..."
He really couldn't do this!
The Empress Dowager pursed her lips and said rather plaintively, "Don't use the same excuse as the Emperor to fob me off, saying it's not the right time yet and to wait. If I wait any longer, I'll be six feet under."
Qin Huaiqiu was so stunned that he didn't know what to say. He could only throw up his hands and say, "This... I can't decide this matter!"
"I know you can't decide, but you have to guide the Emperor. You have to make the Emperor have that intention, right?" The Empress Dowager coaxed gently, "Lian'er, you're at a wonderful age. It would be great to have a child or two at this time."
"I..." Qin Huaiqiu was on the verge of tears and had no idea how to answer such a question.
Seeing his hesitation, the Empress Dowager quickly took his hand and asked, "Lian'er, I'm being completely sincere with you. You must take this to heart, okay?"
Qin Huaiqiu nodded vigorously, blushing as he replied, "Yes... yes, I'll always remember Mother's teachings..." At this moment, other than agreeing, he really didn't know what else to say. He just hoped that time would pass faster and faster so that he could quickly leave this torture chamber.
Seeing his agreement, the Empress Dowager smiled and said, "Then Lian'er must work harder. I'm waiting for your good news."
Qin Huaiqiu: "..."
After about an incense stick's time, Qin Huaiqiu finally dragged his exhausted body out of the Cining Palace. He plopped down into the sedan chair and said weakly, "Hurry back to the palace..."
Qin Lan had been standing outside the hall all the time and had no idea what her young master and the Empress Dowager had talked about. That was why the young master came out of the Cining Palace looking so aggrieved, his face as gloomy as a stormy sky.
As Qin Lan walked, she moved closer to the sedan chair and nudged Qin Huaiqiu's arm, whispering, "What were you asked? You look so bad."
Qin Huaiqiu sniffed and said plaintively, "I was asked something I could never do."
"What is it? Is it that worrying?"
Qin Huaiqiu gave a sudden start and stared at Qin Lan, saying, "Qin Lan, you can have a baby, right?"
Qin Lan: "..."
Qin Huaiqiu grabbed her arm and said, "When can you have one and give it to me?"
Qin Lan: "..."
In the Cining Palace.
After having breakfast, Qin Huaiqiu left. The Empress Dowager sat in her bedroom, staring blankly at the tea in front of her.
Her condition had improved a lot. Thanks to Qin Huaiqiu's visit, she had gradually come to terms with the fact that the Imperial Concubine Shu was no longer alive. However, after the conversation with Qin Huaiqiu in the morning, she began to think about an important matter.
Xu Fu walked in with the freshly brewed Chinese medicine. He had thought that after the comfort from the Imperial Concubine De, the Empress Dowager's condition would improve a lot. But as soon as he stepped into the bedroom, he still saw the Empress Dowager looking full of sorrow.
"Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?" Xu Fu sighed. He put the medicine in front of the Empress Dowager and advised, "Your Majesty, you should take good care of your health. The Emperor specifically told you to worry less and take care of yourself."
"Alas." The Empress Dowager let out a long sigh. She picked up the medicine and blew on it, but didn't drink it right away. She looked at Xu Fu and said, "Xu Fu, do you think I'm doomed never to hold an imperial grandson in this lifetime?"
Xu Fu was stunned for a moment and advised, "Your Majesty, what are you saying? Why would you think like this?"
The Empress Dowager pushed aside the floating dregs in the medicine with her hand and sighed, "When I first found out that the Emperor had a fear of women, I thought about this matter. But then the Imperial Astronomer helped me find Lian'er. I thought she would soon conceive an imperial grandson. But as soon as she entered the palace, she had an unpleasant encounter with the Emperor. Now that they're in love, why is the imperial grandson still not coming?"
Xu Fu was silent for a moment and said, "I think maybe the Emperor is unwilling?"
The Empress Dowager slapped the table angrily and said, "What's there for him to be unwilling about? It's only natural for the Emperor to have an heir. This is the continuation of the Dacheng bloodline!"
Xu Fu bowed and quickly advised, "Your Majesty, please calm down. This is just my guess."
The Empress Dowager looked at him, took a deep breath, and said softly, "But what you said makes sense, Xu Fu. The Emperor has always kept his distance from women. Even though he can touch Lian'er, he may still be a bit resistant to this kind of thing because he has never experienced it."
Xu Fu nodded.
The Empress Dowager propped her chin and thought for a while and said, "I have to help them."
Xu Fu was stunned and asked in confusion, "Your Majesty, what do you mean?"
The Empress Dowager paused for a moment, then suddenly looked up at Xu Fu and said, "Quick, go and call Imperial Physician Zhang. Tell him I have something urgent to discuss with him."
Qin Huaiqiu finally returned to the Kunning Palace.
As soon as he got back to the palace, he couldn't wait to take off all his clothes. He asked Qin Lan to bring in a bathtub and took a good bath.
Since he had been poisoned, he often felt weak all over. Maybe it was because the toxins hadn't been completely eliminated, which made him extremely sleepy. Coupled with the fact that dealing with the Empress Dowager had been so mentally exhausting, all he wanted to do now was to finish his bath quickly and go back to bed for a nap.
He sat in the bathtub, immersing his whole body in the warm water. He found a comfortable position and leaned against the edge of the bathtub.
With his mind blank, he stared into the distance, and the Empress Dowager's instructions echoed in his ears.
Come to think of it, now that he and Sikong Ting were in love, it was inevitable that they would do that kind of thing in the future. But after all, he was a man, so the Empress Dowager's wish would probably come to nothing. However, thinking about two men doing that kind of thing still made him feel a bit uncomfortable.
He liked Sikong Ting now, so although he felt uncomfortable, he didn't actually reject doing that kind of thing with Sikong Ting. But he had no idea what Sikong Ting thought about this.
Thinking of this, Qin Huaiqiu squirmed restlessly. He slowly sank down until the hot water covered his chin.
He blew a few bubbles uneasily, then stood up, dried the water on his body, and crawled back into the quilt irritably.
He had thought that it would be difficult to fall asleep with all these worries on his mind. But as soon as his head touched the pillow, his thoughts gradually became blurred, and he fell asleep before long.
When he woke up, the first thing he saw was Sikong Ting's handsome face.
Sikong Ting smiled at Qin Huaiqiu, reached out and ruffled his hair, and said indulgently, "Are you awake, little lazy pig? It's already evening."