Chapter 56: Half a Rabbit Leg

Today’s palace banquet was missing Noble Consort Wei and her daughter. The Empress, in high spirits, had peach blossom wine brought out and raised a cup to toast the Emperor.

But after drinking half a cup, she suddenly experienced a sharp abdominal pain.

The Emperor immediately sent someone to the Imperial Medical Bureau to summon the on-duty physicians. Everyone waited anxiously for the physician to take her pulse.

Unexpectedly, after just one feel of the pulse, the wrinkled old physician’s face suddenly blossomed with joy.

“Your Majesty, congratulations! Great joy! Her Majesty the Empress is pregnant!”

“Truly?”

The Emperor looked at the Empress with delight.

He and the Empress had been married for many years, but they only had one child—the Crown Prince.

When the Empress had given birth, she had been severely frightened, and during her postpartum period, she had caught cold and damaged her health. Despite careful nourishment over the years, there had been no progress.

The Empress had long since given up hope and stopped taking her supplements. She had even agreed to the Emperor taking more concubines for the sake of continuing the royal bloodline. She never imagined such a surprise would come so suddenly!

The physician knelt and said, “The slippery pulse is a common indicator of pregnancy. I would not make a mistake. If Your Majesty has doubts, you can summon more physicians to take Her Majesty’s pulse.”

To avoid premature joy, the Emperor ordered that all physicians and female doctors from the Imperial Medical Bureau be brought in to examine the Empress in turn.

Physician Jiang, who had originally planned to leave the palace for New Year’s Eve dinner with his family, was intercepted on the road and brought to the hall to examine the Empress.

With just one reading, Physician Jiang’s eyes lit up. He looked to the Emperor and said, “Your Majesty, Her Majesty is pregnant with twins!”

Upon hearing confirmation from the most skilled physician in the bureau, the Emperor clapped his hands and laughed heartily. “Good! Excellent! The Empress has truly given Us a grand surprise!”

“Spread the decree—We will grant a special amnesty to the entire nation!”

“All death sentences shall be reduced to reprieves. Those sentenced to exile shall be turned into laborers, and after fifteen years of service, they may earn their freedom!”

“We shall celebrate with the people. Starting tomorrow, porridge stations and shelters will be set up outside the city gates for seven days to accumulate merit for the children in the Empress’s womb!”

Even the Empress hadn’t expected to be able to conceive again—much less twins!

There had never been twins born to the royal family in the entire dynasty, yet it had happened to her!

Now that she had the Crown Prince securing her position, if she gave birth to two more boys—or even a pair of dragon-phoenix twins (a boy and girl)—or even just two princesses, she would be content.

One joyful event after another came to her today. The Empress couldn’t help but wonder:

Could it be that the young heir of the Chengming Marquis’s household brought her good fortune?

But wasn’t there a rumor outside saying that the young heir was the reincarnation of a demonic star, and whoever got close to him would suffer misfortune?

What was this all about then?

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The Emperor’s news of granting amnesty to the nation because the Empress was pregnant with twins quickly spread across the city.

The Chengming Marquis, upon hearing that death sentences would be changed to reprieves and exiles turned into labor service, was immediately moved to tears.

Wei Dalan was drinking with the Chengming Marquis when he saw the Marquis show such open emotion and was briefly confused.

Only Lady Wei understood what her husband was crying about.

Both husband and wife had thought the Yu family was beyond saving. They had even begun searching for the missing Sister Wei in hopes that she could see her father and brothers one last time.

Who could have predicted such a turn of fate?

A death sentence delayed for a year meant there was still time. If her husband could find evidence to overturn the Yu family’s case within that time, they could still be saved!

Even the women of the Yu family would be spared the hardship of exile to a bitter, remote place. If they could spend some silver to arrange for the women to be sold into their own household as servants, it would at least keep them safe and sheltered.

Lady Wei, thinking of how the innocent Yu family had suffered yet was now shown mercy by the heavens, couldn’t help but wipe away tears with her handkerchief.

Yaoyao set down her chopsticks and noticed Lady Wei’s emotional state. She reached out and tugged at her sleeve.

“Auntie Wei, why aren’t you happy?”

Lady Wei smiled faintly upon hearing Yaoyao’s concern. “Auntie Wei is very happy, truly very happy.”

She was simply crying tears of joy, just like the Chengming Marquis.

Yaoyao didn’t quite understand. Wasn’t being happy supposed to mean smiling? Why would someone cry instead?

Although she couldn’t figure out the adult logic, she still used her special white jade chopsticks to pick up a piece of fatty meat in front of her and placed it in Lady Wei’s bowl.

“Auntie Wei, eat!”

In her world, whenever one was sad, eating meat would make things better.

Sitting beside her, Xie Yixing watched as the little girl stood up and picked up a piece of meat to place in Lady Wei’s bowl. His face fell slightly, a tinge of jealousy surfacing.

Maybe sensing the shift in atmosphere on the other side, Yaoyao turned to look at Xie Yixing’s empty rice bowl and furrowed her brows.

Was Brother Persimmon not hungry tonight? She hadn’t seen him eat much.

Usually, he could finish half a steamed bun, but tonight he had only eaten a few bites of vegetables and then set his chopsticks down. She began to suspect—was he feeling unwell?

“Brother Persimmon, do you want to try the rabbit leg?”

The marinated rabbit leg was a new dish crafted by Imperial Chef Shen. It had received good feedback from testers and was finally brought to the banquet table.

Yaoyao had just been gnawing happily on half a rabbit leg. When she saw the other half still on the plate, she got up again, trying to reach it with her chopsticks.

Seeing her little arms stretch long and strain with effort, Nanny Zhao, on Lady Wei’s orders, stepped forward and lifted the jade platter, intending to place the other half of the rabbit leg into Yaoyao’s plate.

Yaoyao’s eyes sparkled, and her pink lips pursed slightly.

Just as everyone thought she would eagerly pick up the rabbit leg and eat it, Yaoyao instead used her chopsticks to lift it and placed it into Xie Yixing’s empty bowl.

“Brother Persimmon, eat!”

This action stunned Lady Wei.

Although she’d seen Yaoyao feed things to her own son before, those were foods that had only passed through Yaoyao’s hands. But this rabbit leg had just been placed in Yaoyao’s dish and was now being picked up with used chopsticks and given to Xie Yixing.

Lady Wei feared her son might not be able to overcome that mental barrier and reject the gesture—thus breaking the little girl’s heart—so she tried to say something to distract Yaoyao.

But the next moment, Xie Yixing actually smiled as he looked at the half rabbit leg in his bowl.

Not only did he not mind, but he also picked up his chopsticks again and took a small bite.

It was just a tiny bite, but it was enough to astonish Lady Wei.

Her son… actually accepted it?

Lady Wei glanced at Nanny Zhao beside her. She, too, looked equally shocked.

At that moment, Yaoyao, who was watching Xie Yixing with her chin tilted up, blinked in satisfaction.

“Brother Persimmon, the rabbit leg is really tasty.”

Though Yaoyao raised a little white rabbit as a pet and cradled it in her hands every day like a treasure, that didn’t stop her from appreciating good food.

“Mhm,” Xie Yixing slowly nodded, the ice that usually clouded his eyes suddenly melting. He murmured softly, “Little bunny… is really tasty.”

As he spoke, his eyes never left Yaoyao—not even a sliver of his attention strayed.

To be honest, he had no interest in eating meat—especially rabbit legs.

Normally, if Imperial Chef Shen served such a dish, it would be taken away untouched.

But because this half rabbit leg had been given to him by Yaoyao, he decided to try it.

The taste was average—but the experience, unforgettable.

Xie Yixing blinked, then looked at Yaoyao’s round little belly pushing against her winter coat. He stopped her from reaching for another piece of cake.

But Yaoyao looked up at him, her innocent little face solemn and sincere.

“This half piece of cake is for Huahua. It’s just a snake and has to stay in the room alone for New Year’s—it must be so lonely!”

Before Xie Yixing could respond, Yaoyao quickly stuffed the small piece of cake into her mouth, then licked her lips with satisfaction and let out a full belch.

Then, with a guilty look in her eyes, she turned to Xie Yixing and acted all sweet and obedient.

“Yaoyao was just testing it for Huahua. If Yaoyao likes it, Huahua will definitely like it too~”