OBS Chapter 1598 Nian Nian knows Yu Lang is tired
Chapter 1598 Nian Nian knows Yu Lang is tired
But when he stepped into Yongshou Palace and saw the mother and son waiting under the corridor, the emperor's expression softened for a moment.
Shen Zhinian led the Fourth Prince to gracefully bow: "Your Majesty, this concubine respectfully welcomes you!"
"Your subject greets Your Majesty!"
The fourth prince clasped his little hands in a very proper manner and bowed earnestly. His small body swayed slightly, and the fur on his tiger-head hat trembled gently with his movements.
That innocent child's voice, like a clear spring, flowed into the emperor's heart.
"No need to be polite."
Nangong Xuanyu quickened his pace, reaching out to help Shen Zhinian up. Then he bent down and scooped the Fourth Prince up in his arms, his voice surprisingly gentle: "Axu."
The fourth prince had a natural affinity for his father. After being picked up, he naturally stretched out his little arms and hugged the emperor's neck, and even curiously touched the fox fur collar on his shoulder.
He blinked and commented, "Father, it's so cold..."
Nangong Xuanyu chuckled softly, feeling a long-lost sense of ease.
He lifted the heavy little body in his arms, feeling the Fourth Prince's completely dependent embrace, and the pent-up frustration, suspicion, and anger that had been building up in his chest for days strangely dissipated a little.
This is his prince, blood-related, without a doubt.
This pure father-son bond is especially precious at this moment!
"It's windy and a bit chilly outside. From now on, Ah Xu and your mother can wait for me inside."
Nangong Xuanyu, holding the Fourth Prince, turned to Shen Zhinian and said, "Niannian, let's go inside, it's cold outside."
Shen Zhinian nodded with a smile.
The room was very warm.
A delicate dinner was already laid out on the table, consisting mostly of light and nourishing dishes, all steaming hot.
This ordinary, home-like arrangement, in Nangong Xuanyu's eyes at this moment, evoked a sense of peace and tranquility, as if from another world.
He did not immediately put down the fourth prince, but instead sat down at the table with him in his arms.
Shen Zhinian watched with a smile, personally serving the dishes. She placed a bowl of milky white and fragrant fish soup in front of Nangong Xuanyu: "Your Majesty, please have a bowl of soup to warm your stomach. Today, the small kitchen specially simmered it over a low flame for two hours, making it the most nourishing soup."
Nangong Xuanyu took a bite and found it fresh, fragrant, and mellow.
He nodded and looked at Shen Zhinian, saying, "Nian Nian, please use it more. There have been many things going on in the palace lately, and you've been managing the six palaces, so you must be very busy."
"I am not tired."
Shen Zhinian smiled and placed a piece of refreshing asparagus on the imperial plate: "Your Majesty, however, the affairs of the court are complicated, and you must take care of your health."
During the banquet, the fourth prince was very lively, showing none of the restraint that other princes and princesses displayed when facing the emperor.
He sat in a specially made high chair, being fed soft, mushy meat porridge and egg custard by his wet nurse, but he was restless, pointing at the dishes on the table with his little finger from time to time: "Eat fish!"
"Huanghuang, you want one too!"
The Fourth Prince was referring to a dish of crab roe tofu.
Shen Zhinian had the wet nurse select some easily digestible tofu and fish, carefully remove the bones, and put them into the Fourth Prince's small bowl.
The fourth prince ate with relish, rice grains sticking to the corners of his mouth.
Nangong Xuanyu was in a good mood and even took a handkerchief to gently wipe his face.
The movements weren't exactly skillful, but they were very sincere.
Shen Zhinian watched quietly from the side, her heart softening.
She knew that the man before her was an emperor, a man of deep thoughts, decisive methods, and a heavy heart.
But at this moment, when she looked at the Fourth Prince, his eyes were filled with tenderness and relaxation, and he was indeed her husband, Ah Xu's father.
The fourth prince suddenly remembered something, waved his little spoon and shouted, "Father, Ah Xu wants to ride a horse!"
He has recently become obsessed with riding a rocking horse.
Nangong Xuanyu raised an eyebrow and looked at Shen Zhinian.
Shen Zhinian smiled and said, "A few days ago, the Imperial Household Department sent over a small wooden horse, which A-Xu liked very much and rode for a while every day."
Nangong Xuanyu made a rare promise: "After the meal, Father will ride with you."
"it is good!"
The fourth prince immediately became happy and ate even more heartily.
Dinner was spent in such simple yet heartwarming interactions.
There was no trouble from court politics, and no scheming from the harem.
The emperor didn't say much, but his expression was noticeably more relaxed.
Shen Zhinian could sense that Nangong Xuanyu's tense mood had been relaxed here.
After dinner, the palace servants cleared away the leftover food and served tea.
As promised, Nangong Xuanyu played on the rocking horse with the Fourth Prince for a while.
Hearing the Fourth Prince's clear laughter, the smile on his face became more genuine.
The inner room returned to tranquility only after the wet nurse carried the fourth prince, who had grown tired of playing and started rubbing his eyes, away to rest.
Nangong Xuanyu returned to the warm couch and sat down. He took a sip of the hot tea that Shen Zhinian handed him and let out a long sigh of relief.
He leaned back on the cushions and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, although there was still weariness in his eyes, his expression was much gentler than when he had just entered: "...Niannian, it is still here that I feel more relaxed."
Shen Zhinian sat down beside Nangong Xuanyu, gently placed her hand on the back of his hand, and said softly, "I am delighted that Your Majesty has come."
"Yongshou Palace will always be His Majesty's home."
Family.
This word stirred something within Nangong Xuanyu.
He took Shen Zhinian's hand in his own, his fingers stroking the delicate back of her hand, feeling the real warmth.
Yes, only when he is with Nian Nian and A Xu can he temporarily set aside his imperial status and be Nangong Xuan Yu for a moment.
The storms and schemes of the outside world were kept at bay.
Nangong Xuanyu was indeed not in the mood for romantic thoughts; he only felt exhausted.
Before long, the two went to the bathhouse one after the other.
After bathing, the emperor changed into soft nightgown.
Shen Zhinian had also finished washing up, removed her hairpins and ornaments, and let her long black hair cascade down her shoulders. She was only wearing a plain-colored soft satin nightgown, which made her skin look like jade and her eyebrows and eyes look charming.
She sat back on the inside of the large canopy bed, and Nangong Xuanyu naturally lay down next to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, buried his face in the side of her neck, and took a deep breath.
The two of them nestled together quietly, neither of them speaking.
Shen Zhinian gently patted Nangong Xuanyu's back and said softly, "Nian Nian knows that Yu Lang is tired."
"No matter what happens, Nian Nian will always be by Yu Lang's side..."
After a long while, Nangong Xuanyu finally spoke in a muffled voice: "...Niannian, only when I am by your side can I calm down."
Only then can one suppress the bloodthirsty killing intent in their heart!
Shen Zhinian's fingers twirled a strand of Nangong Xuanyu's hair as she softly said, "Yu Lang carries the world and the country in his heart, so naturally it is heavy."
"With Niannian here, Yulang can just relax."
Nangong Xuanyu didn't say anything, but simply hugged her even tighter.
Shen Zhinian seemingly unintentionally steered the conversation toward the most pressing matter of the day: "...Everyone in the palace has heard about the news from the Court of State Ceremonial. Your Majesty, are the Xiongnu truly determined to marry Yun'an?"
She asked her questions carefully, sounding like an ordinary wife concerned about her husband's family's troubles, rather than a concubine inquiring about court politics.