A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace-Chapter 983: Did My Best

Upon opening her eyes, she saw a familiar figure beside her.

"Emperor? Why are you here?"

Zhao Junyao replied with a smile.

"Why can’t I come?"

"What time is it?" Xia Ruqing sat up and rubbed her eyes.

Usually, when the Emperor visited, it was already late, and she should be getting up for breakfast.

But this time.

Before she could get out of bed, Zhao Junyao pulled her back into the covers.

"It’s still early, go back to sleep!"

He hadn’t slept all night, and his eyes were bloodshot.

His voice had also become unusually hoarse.

"Emperor, what’s wrong with you?" Xia Ruqing asked sleepily.

"It’s nothing, just sleep a bit more!"

"Oh..." Xia Ruqing didn’t ask any more questions.

So.

A sleepy pregnant woman, along with a weary Emperor.

They slept until it was almost noon.

Skipping breakfast altogether.

With good sleep and sweet dreams, hunger faded away.

Near noon.

Xia Ruqing woke up, urged by her biological clock.

Seeing Zhao Junyao still asleep, she was greatly shocked.

"Emperor!"

"Emperor, you need to attend the court!"

What time was it? What was going on? She was completely disoriented.

Zhao Junyao slowly opened his eyes, got up leisurely, and remained silent throughout.

Xia Ruqing looked on anxiously.

"Emperor, are you on a break today?"

Zhao Junyao raised his eyebrows lightly.

"Qingqing, I’ve already returned from the court meeting."

"..."

Xia Ruqing rubbed her head, only then recalling that someone seemed to have slipped into her bed this morning.

"Oh..."

She looked at herself, then glanced outside the window.

Finally, she was fully awake.

Today was the sixteenth of August, yesterday was the fifteenth, and the Emperor hadn’t rested here with her.

Thinking of this, Xia Ruqing finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"That’s a relief, that’s a relief!"

As long as she wasn’t drawing resentment!

If he ignored everything to stay here with her, who knows how many enemies she would make?

The consequences were unimaginable!

"Not getting up yet?"

Lost in thought, Zhao Junyao had already dressed himself and was looking at her with a playful smile.

"Getting up, getting up!"

Xia Ruqing hurriedly got out of bed to dress.

Outside, Zi Yue and Zi Su heard the commotion and quickly brought in water.

After a busy flurry.

Finally, the two were washed and dressed.

A meal was placed in front of them, just in time.

All to their liking.

Zhao Junyao’s was mostly light, a clear porridge with small dishes, nothing wasted.

Xia Ruqing’s was filled with sour and spicy, sweet and spicy, salty and spicy, all kinds of spicy.

Zhao Junyao watched with alarm.

If not for the Imperial Physician’s repeated assurances that it was fine, he would never have indulged her like this.

After breakfast, they sipped some soup.

Looking outside, the sky was a bit gloomy with the wind blowing.

She didn’t feel like going out.

"Then let’s just read inside!" Zhao Junyao suggested.

"Oh!"

Xia Ruqing was not very pleased.

Zhao Junyao, while instructing Li Shengan to bring over the memorials,

comforted her.

"You should practice your calligraphy!"

"When your little one is born, you’ll have to teach her personally!"

"Even if she’s free of worries all her life, we can’t let her be an illiterate, rough person!"

Xia Ruqing nodded thoughtfully.

"You’re right!"

Her expression gradually became serious.

Why hadn’t she thought of this before?

A princess’s education is critical.

The Emperor doesn’t really handle it, it’s up to the mother to teach.

Oh dear, she couldn’t even write well herself, how could she teach a daughter?

With this thought, a sense of urgency overwhelmed her.

"Alright, today I must practice my calligraphy!"

Zhao Junyao nodded with satisfaction.

"That’s more like it!"

"At least teach her to read and write, to understand the bigger picture!"

Xia Ruqing felt a bit guilty.

"Emperor, I was really foolish before!"

"I hardly read any serious books, didn’t practice writing diligently, just wandered in the garden and ate good food!"

She wasted so much time.

It’s true what they say, pregnancy dulls the mind for three years!

Zhao Junyao didn’t mind, he stroked her hair and comforted her.

"It’s not too late!"

Just then, Li Shengan brought in the memorials.

Zhao Junyao arranged his robes and sat on the kang, opening the books to review the memorials.

Xia Ruqing quickly asked Zi Yue to find a few copybooks for her.

Then she began tracing the characters stroke by stroke.

Even though she was still somewhat resistant inside.

Thinking of the daughter in her belly, she felt it was all worth it.

The room was peaceful.

Only the rustling of turning pages and the fresh scent of ink filled the air.

Outside, the wind blew harder.

Golden leaves covered the ground, along with some dry branches.

With mid-autumn passing, late autumn arrived.

The weather turned cold just like that.

...

The morning passed by.

Zhao Junyao had finished reviewing most of the memorials, and Xia Ruqing had written several pages.

He glanced at them and couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Xia Ruqing felt very frustrated.

"Emperor, I know my writing isn’t good, but I’ve really tried my best!"

Zhao Junyao held back his laughter.

"Ahem!"

"Qingqing! It’s okay!" 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"Even though it’s not great, I can see you have potential, and since there’s nothing planned for the afternoon, I can teach you!"

Xia Ruqing glared at him a few times, muttering.

"That’s more like it!"

"Alright, let’s eat first!"

"The small kitchen has prepared your favorite charcoal-grilled lamb chops!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xia Ruqing could already smell the aroma.

"Wow! That’s wonderful!"

And then someone dashed out.

Zhao Junyao shook his head with a wry smile and followed her out.

It’s best to eat lamb when the weather is cold.

For lunch, they prepared a dish of charcoal-grilled lamb chops and stewed lamb.

Both were double portions, one slightly mild, the other... spicy!

However, they both enjoyed it immensely.

After lunch, they digested and took a nap.

In the afternoon, they practiced calligraphy together.

When focused, time always flies by quickly!

In the blink of an eye, it turned dark, and then it was supper and bedtime again.

Unlike usual.

That night, Xia Ruqing slept soundly.

...

In the following months.

Whenever Xia Ruqing had spare time, she read and wrote calligraphy.

The days seemed somewhat simple, yet very fulfilling.

For her daughter, she felt it was worth any effort.

As for the matter of Xia Ruyi.

Zhao Junyao never brought it up, nor did she ever mention it again.

She was just a brainless and opportunistic woman, not worth any attention.

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of October.

The 24th was Chenchen’s six-year-old birthday.

Early in the morning, the Emperor’s gifts flowed into Duanning Palace like a stream.

Soon after, everyone in the harem also sent their congratulatory gifts.

She was surprised to find that both the Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager Zhen sent people with gifts as well.

From the Empress Dowager’s side came a maid with a cold expression, who dropped off the gifts, said a few auspicious words, and left.

Xia Ruqing didn’t ask much.

She politely greeted them, gave a purse, and sent them off with care.

And the maid from Empress Dowager Zhen’s side.

Glancing at the gifts sent by the Empress Dowager, her face was full of pride and satisfaction.

"Noble Consort, these are a pair of Jade Ruyi sent by our Imperial Noble Consort!"

"The Imperial Noble Consort said, these have been blessed by a great master and will surely protect His Highness the Crown Prince for a long, peaceful life!"