The Emperor Has An Illness

Names mentioned in this chapter (which can also be found in the glossary):

-廖青青(Liào qīngqīng)- Liao Qing Qing, the female lead. 

-景礼帝(jǐng lǐ ​​dì)- Emperor Jing Li, the male lead.

-荷香(Hé ​​xiāng)- He Xiang, the female lead’s maidservant

-费费(fèi fèi)- Fei Fei, the nickname of Liao Qing Qing’s child.

Current Ranking: Empress Dowager → Empress → Worthy Consort + Virtuous Consort →  Lady Li of Graceful Ceremony → Ye Liangyi + Wu Liangyi → Noble Lady Liao + Noble Lady Jiang + Noble Lady Liang

At this moment, as she looked at Emperor Jing Li beside her, she could not help but peck at Emperor Jing Li’s cheek. Emperor Jing Li turned his head to look over and smiled tenderly. He was incredibly charming. Then, at this time, Fei Fei, who was sleeping beside Liao Qing Qing’s pillow, burst into tears.

Liao Qing Qing quickly asked, “Did he pee?”

The wet nurses hurriedly went forward to carry Fei Fei.

Liao Qing Qing and Emperor Jing Li watched from the sidelines. At night, they continued to sleep together. When Fei Fei was one month old, it happened to be a bumper harvest of 5,000 mu (3,333,333.33 sqm/333.33 hectare) of potatoes in the capital, with six or seven million catties (3,000,000 kg /6,613,867.86 pounds – 3,500,000 kg/ 7.716,179.18 pounds collected at once.

This was a feat in the history of agriculture from ancient times to the present day!

Emperor Jing Li was overjoyed.

The common people naturally gave credit to the Empress and the Eldest Imperial Prince. When Fei Fei’s one-month-old banquet was held, many people outside the palace spontaneously set up small banquets to congratulate the Empress on her birth and to wish the Eldest Imperial Prince good health and peace.

Once Liao Qing Qing was out of confinement, winter was approaching. Initially, the people had to worry about food and water in winter. However, there were six or seven million catties of food. After paying the taxes, the people in the capital also had plenty of food at home, and the people in other places were envious and wanted to grow potatoes.

Emperor Jing Li knew that the potatoes had a very short storage period, so he did not store them in the granary as he had done with the grains. Instead, on the pretext of celebrating the first month of the Eldest Imperial Son’s life, he transported hundreds and thousands of catties of potatoes to each county and distributed them by household to the people for planting on a large scale.

In addition, Liao Qing Qing’s hand-drawn sketches of potatoes were ordered to be printed, which detailed the entire process of potatoes from tuber to harvest.

It was not free.

One was required to buy it with silver.

Since it was the Empress’s drawings, no one dared to pirate it, so Liao Qing Qing made a lot of silver. Emperor Jing Li did not embezzle them and gave all the silver to Liao Qing Qing.

Liao Qing Qing stared at the boxes and boxes of silver with bulging eyes. She asked, “Are all of them for this concubine?”

Emperor Jing Li nodded her head.

“Why are there so many?”

“You’re the greatest bookseller of all time.”

“Really?” Liao Qing Qing was surprised. Then she said somewhat embarrassedly, “Your Majesty, this is a bit inappropriate, right?”

“How is it inappropriate?”

“This concubine originally painted the painting for the benefit of the people and didn’t intend to charge them money.”

“I didn’t charge them for my 10,000 catties of potatoes, and you didn’t charge them either. What a loss that would be. Keep it and spend it with me next time.”

“….”

“Where’s Fei Fei?”

“He is sleeping.”

“Then let’s sleep too.”

“It’s broad daylight.”

“It’s not like we’ve not slept in broad daylight once or twice.”

“….”

Emperor Jing Li carried Liao Qing Qing and headed into the bedroom. He didn’t allow anyone to enter, and then the two slept so well!

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The moment Fei Fei woke up, he started to cry. Liao Qing Qing hurriedly went to carry Fei Fei. Fei Fei was now two months old. The foetal redness faded from his skin, becoming white and tender. His tiny face possessed Emperor Jing Li’s sharpness and Liao Qing Qing’s softness. It was a good mix of the two, and he was very dashing.

When Liao Qing Qing was pregnant, she thought Fei Fei was a good boy, so she named him “Fei Fei”. But she never thought this name was really like his personality.

However, Fei Fei had put on a lot of weight in just two months. His curiosity was overwhelming, and he would look around when he heard movements, like a loach arching around in people’s arms and crying when he was prevented from doing so.

Liao Qing Qing could feel exhausted from holding him for half a shichen (an hour), and her arms would get sore.

As time went on, Fei Fei became more active. His voice was extraordinarily high-pitched, and he would scream every now and then. In a blink of an eye, it was the Lunar New Year. At this time, Fei Fei was three months old.

Emperor Jing Li carried Fei Fei, who was looking around, with one hand and held Liao Qing Qing’s hand with the other to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager.

When Empress Dowager saw Fei Fei, she ignored Emperor Jing Li and Liao Qing Qing. Empress Dowager and Chang Momo coaxed Fei Fei and played with him.

This Lunar New Year felt different because of Fei Fei’s presence.

Empress Dowager also appeared much younger.

Emperor Jing Li and Liao Qing Qing were very pleased.

In a flash, it was spring. Everything was reviving. The sun was shining. Fei Fei took off his thick cotton jacket and put on single-layer clothing. Emperor Jing Li pinched Fei Fei’s arms and legs and couldn’t help but say, “Fei Fei, you are really fat.”

Fei Fei froze, and with a <wah> sound, he burst into tears.

Emperor Jing Li, “….”

Liao Qing Qing, “….”

In midsummer, Fei Fei was already over eight months old. This little guy ate a lot. He possessed a sturdy body and a high-pitched voice. Liao Qing Qing was aware that children grow up quickly, especially those from imperial families. Therefore, she always wanted to accompany Fei Fei as he grew up.

Thankfully, Emperor Jing Li did not choose any concubine candidates. The harem was quiet again. The Department of Agricultural Products was temporarily free for the time being, so she gave Fei Fei a bath.

In a small courtyard in Zhengqian Palace, she didn’t care about the issue of the dignity of the Eldest Imperial Prince. Fei Fei also didn’t mind it.

When Liao Qing Qing stripped him naked, he exclaimed happily.

Once he was in the wooden basin, he giggled and blabbered with “ah, ah, ah” sounds. Liao Qing Qing could not understand him, but she knew that Fei Fei was thrilled.

Just then, Emperor Jing Li returned and saw this scene. His eyebrows curved slightly, and he sat down on the wooden stool next to the wooden basin. He looked at Fei Fei’s lotus root-like little arms and legs, stretched his arms out and squeezed them. He said, “Fei Fei, you became even fatter.”

Fei Fei turned his head. His shimmering eyes stared at Emperor Jing Li as if he was pondering over his Imperial Father’s words. Then, when he finished contemplating, he happily patted the water as if to say, “I am fat and adorable. Queen Mother said that I am fat and adorable.” He happily patted the water and drenched Emperor Jing Li’s entire body.

Emperor Jing Li immediately stood up.

Liao Qing Qing hastily went forward and said, “Your Majesty, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

They looked at Fei Fei, who was happily playing with the water. In the end, he didn’t sit properly, and with a splash, he lay into the water basin. The warm water covered his chubby little face.

When Emperor Jing Li saw this, he reached out and fished Fei Fei out.

Despite this, Fei Fei still swallowed a sip of water and was a bit confused. He looked at Emperor Jing Li in a daze and then raised his head and cried loudly.

He really cried loudly.

The sound was deafening.

Very, very loud.

They saw the nearby leaves trembling.

Emperor Jing Li, “…”

Liao Qing Qing, “….”

Fei Fei screamed several times with an “ah, ah, ah” sound. Only the wet nurse looked at him with a worried expression. His Imperial Father and Queen Mother did not have the slightest reaction. He stopped, looked at his Imperial Father and Queen Mother, and had a “forget it, I won’t cry anymore. No one cares about me” look. He smacked his tiny lips, and his tiny fingers pointed to the wooden basin and shouted with an “ah, ah, ah” sound.

Only then did Liao Qing Qing react and gently wipe the water off Fei Fei’s face. She asked warmly, “Fei Fei, do you still want to take a bath?”

Fei Fei leaned his naked, chubby, white and tender tiny body in the direction of the wooden basin, “Ah, ah, ah!”

Liao Qing Qing put Fei Fei into the wooden basin once again. Fei Fei immediately played around again as he giggled. He completely forgot how he had just taken a sip of his own bathwater.

Liao Qing Qing, “….”

Emperor Jing Li, “….”

The author has something to say: ——

Fei Fei: The couple that forgets their child! I pway with mwaisef (I play with myself)!

Emperor Jing Li: ….

Liao Qing Qing: ….