Chapter 256: Is Xiao Fu Bao Disliked? The Whole City Loves Me With Their Lives
Chapter 256: The Emperor's Arrival
The emperor arrived, and Prince Qi quickly stood and took Suisui to greet him. The words the Empress Dowager had been about to say were forced back down.
She thought to herself, Why didn’t he come earlier or later? He arrived just as I was preparing to speak.
Well, what could she do? He was her own son.
The Empress Dowager sighed helplessly.
As soon as the emperor finished his morning court session, he didn't have time to read any memorials and hurried over to see Suisui.
Part of it was due to curiosity: What kind of child was this one, favored by fortune and blessed with an abundance of luck?
Last night, he hadn’t gone to the harem but had stayed in his own palace, thinking about this very matter.
What kind of attitude should he adopt when meeting this child?
He decided it should be a friendly one, of course.
The child was pure and good-hearted, and with a good attitude, perhaps he would benefit from this connection in the future.
As for other considerations…
The emperor hesitated, feeling unsure. Even if he were to take advantage of the situation, he didn’t want to push things too far. What if it backfired?
He believed in the principle of gradual gain, ensuring steady growth rather than quick, unsustainable gains.
He thought he understood this principle well.
Whether he would be blessed for a hundred years or just ten, he knew how to distinguish between the two.
The emperor walked briskly, driven by both his curiosity about Suisui and his concern for Prince Qi’s health.
Although the imperial doctors had prescribed medicine and assured him that with proper care, Prince Qi’s life expectancy could be extended, the emperor knew the longevity of the Feng family was not remarkable.
If Prince Qi continued to overexert himself, it might shorten his life further…
What would happen to all the women and children left behind in that case?
By the time the emperor arrived, Prince Qi, holding Suisui's hand, was already waiting in the courtyard.
When the emperor appeared in his bright yellow robes, Prince Qi quickly led Suisui forward to offer his respects.
Suisui, being so young and of the younger generation, was instructed by her father to perform the proper kowtow.
The child obediently knelt, performing the ritual with earnestness.
She remembered what her parents had told her: her name had been chosen by the emperor himself.
To her, the emperor was a kind figure.
Despite her delicate and small appearance, which made her look pitiful, Suisui still wore brightly colored clothing and a cute little hat. The tassels on her hat swayed gently with her movements, yet her frailty could not be hidden.
When the emperor saw her kneeling on the ground, occupying only a small patch of space, his brows furrowed.
He raised his hand and motioned for everyone to rise. “Get up, no need for such formalities. We are family.”
Hearing the emperor's command, Prince Qi hurried to help Suisui up, his face full of concern.
The emperor was not surprised by his brother’s reaction. After all, he had longed for a daughter for many years. Now that he finally had one, he understood the feeling all too well.
*Cough, cough, he wouldn't be so careless!*
After Suisui got up, she didn’t dare to raise her head. She obediently followed her father, her little head slightly lowered.
The emperor couldn't see Suisui's appearance, but he still had strong opinions about the child's frail figure: "Why is she so thin? Was the harvest at the Prince's manor bad this year?"
Prince Qi: ?
The child has only been in my manor for about a month and has been sick twice during that time. How could I have had time to fatten her up?
Prince Qi found it hard to argue, but after thinking it over, since his older brother had a lot of good things, he honestly admitted, "It’s indeed not very good."
Qi Wangfei: ...
Although lying is not good, if it helps Suisui get more things, it’s not too bad. Some of this year’s harvest was actually less than last year's.
The prince didn’t think of it as lying.
The princess quickly reassured herself.
The emperor only made a casual remark but didn’t expect his younger brother to take it so seriously.
He was both angry and amused, finally waving his hand helplessly, "Alright, alright, go to the private treasury later and pick out some things to supplement my niece. No matter what, the child can’t be left hungry. Look at how thin she’s become!"
The emperor was still fond of his younger brother.
After speaking with a smile, he looked down at Suisui, "Good girl, lift your head so the emperor can see you."
The emperor thought to himself that he had to take a good look at Suisui’s face, otherwise, he wouldn’t even know what his niece looked like.
Suisui wasn’t sure if she could raise her head, so she secretly glanced at her father.
Prince Qi didn’t mind, but he was worried that Suisui's eyes might startle his older brother again.
But thinking of how his brother was frightened, Prince Qi had a mischievous thought.
He struggled to keep his lips straight, suppressing his smile to prevent his brother from noticing anything unusual. Then he lowered his head and gently looked at Suisui, "Suisui, this is your royal uncle. Don’t be afraid. He’s your uncle. You don’t need to be scared."
Qi Wangfei: ...
Your Highness, you really dare to say that!
Have you forgotten when you were so scared and ran straight to the Empress Dowager’s palace to seek help?
With her father’s permission, Suisui obediently lifted her head.
As soon as she did, her eyes met the emperor’s gaze.
Seeing those familiar eyes, the emperor’s breath caught, and it felt like his heart skipped a beat.
This...
Though in the past, the fear of being controlled by the late emperor had suppressed his thoughts.
But the reason the emperor was the emperor was because he could control his emotions so well.
So, losing control lasted only a moment. He quickly adjusted himself, not wanting to ask too much in front of the child. He gave Prince Qi a look, then smiled and waved at Suisui, "Good girl, let your uncle give you a hug."
The emperor was unusually eager to show affection, which made Suisui a little scared. She didn’t dare respond and turned to look at her father.
Prince Qi was generous, patting Suisui’s shoulder lightly, "Don’t be afraid, don’t worry, just answer him confidently. Your uncle isn’t a stranger."
If the emperor liked her, and the empress liked her too, Suisui would be able to walk freely in the capital from now on.
Prince Qi was pleased with this.
But thinking about his brother wanting to hug his precious daughter, there was an inexplicable feeling of bitterness.
Since her father had said so, Suisui bravely stepped forward, opening her thin arms, "Uncle, you can hug me."
Though her face still showed a bit of timidity, her actions were confident.
With proper guidance, she would surely grow up to be a good child.
The emperor, initially curious about her eyes, didn’t want to think too much now. He pushed aside all distractions and smilingly lifted Suisui into his arms.
The moment he held her, feeling her frail weight, the emperor couldn't help but furrow his brows, "She looks so thin, and she feels even lighter when I hold her. Are you not feeding the child properly? Princess Shunyang is only two years older than her, but when I hold her, she feels so heavy."
Princess Shunyang, at seven, was only two years older than Suisui.
But in terms of weight...
She probably weighed twice as much as Suisui.
Of course, she wasn’t fat; she was just much taller than Suisui and had a more solid build.
She looked like someone who had been well-fed.
Prince Qi naturally felt heartache for his daughter, but the malnutrition she suffered before couldn’t be fixed all at once.
When his brother raised the issue, Prince Qi didn’t retort but said sheepishly, "She’s being nourished, she’s being nourished. This is just the beginning, she’ll get stronger later."
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