Chapter 267 - 266 When Can You Give Me Peace of Mind

「Qingya Residence」

After the tumultuous joy had passed, Xia Ruqing knelt at Zhao Junyao’s feet.

Zhao Junyao’s expression held a trace of reluctance.

"What are you doing?"

Xia Ruqing kowtowed, then raised her gaze to him.

"Emperor..."

"I have a request!"

The warmth in Zhao Junyao’s gaze slowly cooled.

"Speak."

Xia Ruqing lowered her eyes, pondering for a moment, then suddenly looked up.

"Emperor, I beseech you to save this child!"

Her gaze was intense, her eyes radiating a brave fearlessness.

She absolutely refused to endure a miscarriage, an event so physically and emotionally damaging! She would fight desperately, disregarding everything to save this child. Yes, by any means necessary! Therefore, she was fearless. Fearless meant invincible! She feared nothing!

The warmth in Zhao Junyao’s gaze further cooled. He looked at her with a chill in his eyes.

The two of them locked eyes.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke indifferently, "Rise. I understand."

"Thank you, Emperor!"

Xia Ruqing pushed herself up from the ground.

Zhao Junyao watched her, feeling a mix of tenderness and heartache.

Were her words... a sign of mistrust towards him?

Xia Ruqing hadn’t thought that deeply.

As she stood, her knees ached.

"OUCH!"

She almost fell.

Zhao Junyao hurriedly caught her, his gaze sharp and filled with anger.

"When will you ever give me peace of mind!"

His warm breath caressed Xia Ruqing’s cheeks, causing them to turn slightly red.

"Emperor!"

This word, laced with grievance and stubbornness, was also infused with utter vulnerability, like the expression of a wounded animal.

It truly was...

A mix of anger and sympathy, fondness, pity, and resentment in him. A myriad of emotions too complex to articulate.

Zhao Junyao’s heart felt as if it would crumble. His embrace tightened involuntarily.

"Lady Xia! You really are... really are..."

Irresistibly lovable and endlessly infuriating! When had it begun, that a woman held such sway over his heart? What was happening to him?

"Emperor, put me down, please!" Xia Ruqing looked up at him with pitiful, deer-like eyes.

Zhao Junyao’s brow furrowed, and he brought one hand down with a smack on her buttocks.

"I refuse to let go!"

Xia Ruqing’s eyes quickly became moist.

"Emperor, what’s wrong?"

Zhao Junyao, unable to hold back, finally burst out in frustration, "Did you not trust me when you said what you did just now?"

Who would dare touch his child? Even if other women were pregnant, no one would dare to harm them! Didn’t the Noble Consort safely give birth? If the child was not well, it was her own fault, not others’ blame! Moreover, this is Lady Xia! It’s Lady Xia’s child! He had been looking forward to a child from Lady Xia for so long, he had lost count. So, how could he not protect her?!

Xia Ruqing hadn’t considered all of this.

Anxious and fearful, where was there room for such careful deliberation? All she thought about was how to protect the child, to prevent harm from others and even keep it a secret from them!

Now, as Zhao Junyao was getting angry, she gradually came to her senses.

Yes, the Emperor cared for her; she was not a fool, how could she not know that? The Emperor wanted her to have children and had even forced her to drink medicine for so long. How could she not know that? So, the Emperor would indeed protect her. How could she not understand this? No wonder the Emperor was angry!

Thinking of this, Xia Ruqing felt somewhat guilty. She cuddled his arm coquettishly.

"Emperor, I was wrong! I... I was really scared! So I didn’t think anything through at the moment!"

As she said this, she actually felt pity for herself.

Do you truly not know what your Harem is like? Therefore, my caution and fear are understandable, right!

When Zhao Junyao heard her say this, his face finally cleared from cloudy to sunny.

"I know," he said. He gently laid her down on the bed and tucked her in snugly.

"Lie down, don’t worry about anything, just focus on resting well! Leave the rest to me!"

Xia Ruqing looked at him and nodded with a smile.

"I understand!"

Before Zhao Junyao left, he ruffled her hair again.

"Don’t be scared!"

"I’m going now. You lie down properly! You’re not allowed to move around recklessly, indulge in wild thoughts, or eat randomly. Follow the Imperial Physician’s advice!"

Xia Ruqing wore a crestfallen face.

"So many things I’m not allowed to do!"

Zhao Junyao’s expression darkened.

"HMM??"

Xia Ruqing hurriedly burrowed into the bedcovers, covering her eyes. "Emperor, your servant understands."

Zhao Junyao was then satisfied. He turned and gave a few further instructions to Zi Yue and the others, then left with his entourage in a hurry.

「Back in the Imperial Study Room.」

Zhao Junyao was feeling a whirlwind of excitement. He ordered Imperial Doctor Zhang to be summoned.

The first thing he did was press him to write a lengthy guide for pregnant women’s lifestyle. After that, he gave his orders.

"The child that Lady Xia is carrying will now be your responsibility!"

Under the Emperor’s "carrot and stick" approach, Imperial Doctor Zhang, with a gloomy face, had no choice but to agree to everything.

In fact, as a Senior Official of the Medical Institute, a mere Xia Jieyu was actually not of high enough rank for his personal attention! However, the Emperor had given his orders. Could he resist? No! So, he could only submit.

Xia Ruqing had already discussed with Zhao Junyao. They would keep the pregnancy a secret for the first three months.

Following the advice of the Imperial Physician, she would eat what should be eaten, drink what should be drunk, and walk when it was time to walk. As long as the movements weren’t too big or violent, everything would be fine.

Xia Ruqing herself also felt, "Being too delicate isn’t good either; it’s better to raise them sturdily!"

Zi Yue, however, disagreed. "That may be so, but you can’t be too careless. After all, you are with child now! From now on, everything you eat, drink, and use must be selected carefully!"

Xia Ruqing helplessly embraced her. "I know, Sister Zi Yue!"

Zi Yue’s face turned red, and she said shyly, "You mustn’t overpraise your servant, My Lady! I am but a Palace Maid, you..."

Xia Ruqing hugged her. "That’s not the case at all. In my heart, you are more than just a Palace Maid! I truly see you as a sister. If I’m not blushing, why should you be?!"

Zi Yue felt even more embarrassed now. "My Lady!"

Xia Ruqing let go of her with a laugh, "Alright, alright, I’ll stop talking!"

Zi Yue finally felt a bit better.

Xia Ruqing then gave her instructions, "Go ask the small kitchen to prepare some delicious food. Let’s have a proper celebration today!"

As soon as she heard it was about food, Zi Yue immediately took out the pregnant woman’s lifestyle guide that Imperial Doctor Zhang had written, which she always carried with her. She looked it over from top to bottom and then pulled out a menu that was also written out.

"My Lady, I can’t read well. Everything here is written by Imperial Doctor Zhang; you’ll have to check for yourself!"

The implication was that if it wasn’t on the menu, she shouldn’t order it!

Xia Ruqing took it, and her eyes lit up when she saw it. "This is wonderful! I was worried about not knowing what to eat, and here’s a menu!"

As she spoke, she reviewed it from top to bottom. "Hmm, not bad. There’s meat and vegetables, fish and poultry. It’s just a bit lighter than usual, but otherwise, it’s mostly the same."

She never really liked eating those heavy flavors to begin with. Too salty, too sour, too spicy—she couldn’t handle them well. Occasionally it was fine, but too much would be unbearable.

"Then order a few dishes from this. Eunuch Li said the Emperor has already arranged everything with the Imperial Kitchen!"