“Double Ninth Festival is coming soon, it’s time to pray…” Emperor Cheng tightly held Yuchi Yanxia’s hand.
Yuchi Yanxia looked up at the autumn moon in the sky and said: "Double Ninth Festival prayers are a tradition. The emperor always presides over it. He is too tired. How about this year..." Yuchi Yanxia paused, fearing that Emperor Cheng would think that she was in a hurry to help the prince ascend to the throne, but she was indeed worried about his health.
Emperor Cheng smiled slightly and said one word: "Okay..."
Yuchi Yanxia smiled with relief and leaned lightly on Emperor Cheng's chest. They could finally enjoy the sweet love between husband and wife.
On the ninth day of the lunar month, the royal family went up to the mountain to pray for blessings and longevity.
Praying for blessings on the Double Ninth Festival has been a tradition throughout the Qian Dynasty. The royal family would go to the National Temple together to pray for longevity for themselves and for the Qian Dynasty to prosper forever.
On this day, only male members of the royal family can go up the mountain. It is said that women are yin, and it is not easy to allow women to join on this day of Chongyang, which is full of yang.
Therefore, the queen, concubines, and princesses would not go up the mountain.
Early in the morning, Duanmu Qingchen was helped by palace maids to put on a heavy formal dress. The layers of clothes and the jade belt made him look like he was going to a war.
Yuchi Yanxia smiled with satisfaction and pride. Her son had grown up. He looked even more majestic in his formal attire. The solemn dark suit suppressed the beauty of Duanmu Qingchen's peach blossom eyes, making him look calm and mature.
In addition, Duanmu Qingchen was serious at the moment, which made it seem even more solemn.
"Chen'er, you've finally grown up." Yuchi Yanxia looked at Duanmu Qingchen proudly.
Duanmu Qingchen still had no smile on his face. He wanted to cry in his heart for his mother's praise. He had been reviewing memorials and handling state affairs for Emperor Cheng these days. He was such a person who loved freedom, but now he was nailed to the dragon throne, facing a bunch of boring texts every day!
As for Emperor Cheng and his queen mother, they would sit by him every night, admiring the moon and drinking tea, which was a continuous beating for him!
He was alone, and the old eunuch Liang Gong was still with him. He had mentioned that, for example, Liang Gong could be replaced by two pretty and lovely young palace maids, but it was obvious that Emperor Cheng had rejected it verbally!
Duanmu Qingchen no longer had time to go out and have fun, nor did he have extra time to "bully" Duanmu Jinhong, let alone the chance to find his gay friend Fu Mingrui, and he didn't even have the chance to play hide-and-seek with the little palace maids.
All he had to face every day were memorials, memorials and more memorials.
"Chen'er, look how majestic you are when you frown." Yuchi Yanxia looked at Duanmu Qingchen with a smile. She liked him more and more no matter how she looked at him.
"Mother." Duanmu Qingchen was unable to turn her neck due to the heavy clothes piled up, and she was holding a huge jade tablet in her hand. "Did you ask me to review the memorials? It's not good for you to do this. Father is still in power. Why are you so anxious to let him..."
Yuchi Yanxia immediately slapped Duanmu Qingchen on the mouth: "Shut your stinky mouth!"
"Pa!" Yuchi Yanxia's men showed no mercy.
Duanmu Qingchen was stunned by the beating. He had been a frivolous person since he was a child, so his mother should know his temper. But this time she really beat him, which means that this time her mother is serious.
Yuchi Yanxia looked at him sullenly, and the young palace maids immediately left.
Duanmu Qingchen stood there like a wooden man, not daring to say another word. Compared to Emperor Cheng, he was more afraid of Yuchi Yanxia.
Yuchi Yanxia sighed: "Chen'er, in fact, during the Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet, your father's health...has been getting worse day by day..."
Duanmu Qingchen immediately opened her eyes wide in surprise: "Mother! Why didn't you tell me such a big thing!" Duanmu Qingchen knew that his father was sick, but because he didn't cough badly in front of him, and the imperial physician only said to have a good rest when he asked, he didn't expect it to be so serious.
Yuchi Yanxia frowned and said, "Because the emperor doesn't want you to worry. He is ill, and you are the only one who can support the Qian Dynasty. You must remain calm and composed in order to stabilize Chao Gang."
Duanmu Qingchen was silent.
Yuchi Yanxia looked at him seriously: "The imperial physician said that if the emperor rests well from now on, he may be able to recover. Your father also wants to see the birth of the grandson and wants to name him. Therefore, after this prayer, the emperor and the ministers will discuss the selection of the crown princess..."
"Didn't you agree to let me choose myself?" Duanmu Qingchen pouted.
Yuchi Yanxia glanced at him and said, "Have you chosen yet?"
Duanmu Qingchen fell silent again.
Yuchi Yanxia looked at him for a while, also helpless: "The one you like may not be able to become the queen of the country. As a queen, she needs to know the big picture, take the overall situation into consideration, and have a heart of love and benevolence. Such a woman may not be your beloved, but she will be a qualified queen."
Duanmu Qingchen's eyes showed a trace of love, this love was for his future wife. He was silent for a while, and then became firm: "Don't worry, mother, I will treat the Crown Princess sincerely and will not let her be lonely."
Yuchi Yanxia smiled with relief and satisfaction, and reached out to touch Duanmu Qingchen's handsome face: "My son has grown up."
"Can... you not give Lin Shiyue medicine?" Duanmu Qingchen asked tentatively.
Yuchi Yanxia was slightly startled, and looked at Duanmu Qingchen with a more serious look: "Is it because of the third prince?"
Duanmu Qingchen's peach blossom eyes began to widen: "Mom, you know! I'm telling you..." Duanmu Qingchen deliberately lowered his voice, and his eyes became shifty, "The third brother and that Lin Shiyue..."
"You just like this!" Yuchi Yanxia stopped Duanmu Qingchen in a bad mood, "It's because of your dishonesty that you always make your father angry!"
Duanmu Qingchen wanted to cover her mouth, but found that her sleeves were so heavy that it was tiring to lift them up.
Yuchi Yanxia's face darkened: "A gentleman seeks a beautiful lady. People in our Yuchi family will snatch a good woman when they see one. Why are you so cowardly!"
Duanmu Qingchen continued to pout.
Yuchi Yanxia sighed, and glanced at Bai Duanmu Qingchen again: "How could our Yuchi family give birth to such a soft-hearted person like you. I know what you think in your heart. You think you stole the third prince's princehood, the third prince's throne, and now you want to steal his woman. But son, this is fate. It's the third prince and his mother who can't let it go and don't accept their fate. They are narrow-minded. How can you blame you for coming to this world earlier? If you still can't let it go, you can go ask your goddess Lian Youyou."
Duanmu Qingchen's peach blossom eyes widened again: "You know all this!"
Yuchi Yanxia's face was gloomy, and she was sulking: "Hmph, what don't I know about you? It's just that I haven't seen your fairy Youyou, but your father has. Really, if she is really a fairy, she didn't even treat your father's illness, saying that everything is fate, hmph..." Yuchi Yanxia felt angry when she thought of this. Emperor Cheng also told her about the meeting with Lian Youyou, so she didn't understand why Lian Youyou didn't save Emperor Cheng. (To be continued)