Pampered Into Being the Empress – Chapter 42

Sorry for the confusion, the wrong chapter was posted up earlier, and has now been corrected. Thank you for your support!

Translated by: Cozy Translations

Chapter 42

Rong Xi docilely nodded her head. She was almost at her limit after staying in the Eastern Palace this month. Just as she was about to thank him, her stomach suddenly growled.

Embarrassed, Rong Xi placed her hand on her bulging stomach. She got hungry easily these days. Her originally sharp chin had become a little rounder. However, Dan Xiang and all the other palace maids had said that she was too skinny before, and her current appearance was even more beautiful than before. Everything was filled out appropriately.

Although Rong Xi believed their words, she was still reluctant to become too fat. Recently, she had been controlling how much she ate, trying to decrease her food intake. When Mu Huai saw her appearance, he couldn’t help but laugh. Raising his voice, he ordered for the servants to serve food.

As he accompanied Rong Xi for lunch, a guard standing nearby saw the Crown Prince was not as cold and aloof as usual. His attitude towards Rong liangdi was very gentle and warm. The two people’s interactions were just like an ordinary married couple.

If a Crown Princess Consort really appears, afraid that it would be very difficult to replace the position Rong liangdi had in the Crown Prince’s heart. If the Eastern Palace had inner harem struggles, and the servants below would have to pick sides, they would rather place their bets on Rong Xi.

After lunch was finished, Rong Xi followed the imperial physician’s instructions and took a short rest. After she woke up, she went to the study to grind ink for Mu Huai.

Mu Huai had secretly dispatched someone this morning to bring over the accounts book for the late Empress Mi Zhen’s funeral rites that the Ministry of Rites was in charge of that year. He sensed the woman’s presence next to his desk. Her red sleeve was moving as she carefully ground the inkstone.

Although he didn’t look up, he ordered her in a low voice, “In the future, just let the servants do this kind of thing. Since you are liangdi, you don’t have to personally do these types of things.”

Rong Xi crisply replied, “Husband is used to this concubine serving, and this concubine also likes to do these things for Husband. Husband, rest assured, this concubine will leave after grinding the ink for you, won’t stay to be an eyesore.”

Mu Huai was helpless and after casting a glance at her, he resumed looking through the accounts book.

The information recorded was very detailed, including which stone guardians were to be carved to guard the Empress’s tomb, the type of wood used for the coffin, as well as the expensive burial gifts to be laid with Empress Mi Zhen. Most of these burial gifts were exotic and expensive. Because she was deeply favored by the late Emperor, pretty much everything Cheng Emperor had ever rewarded her was all buried with her underground.

Looking at the dazzling list of burial gifts, Mu Huai couldn’t help but mutter to himself, “Why did termites eat through the late Empress’s coffin?”

Rong Xi heard this just as she was about to leave and stopped. She was a little surprised and turned around to walk back to Mu Huai and asked in a low voice, “Husband…are you investigating this concubine’s father’s case from that year?”

Mu Huai nodded, though his frown became deeper. He placed the accounts book on top of the desk, and his voice had also grown colder by a few degrees as he answered, “There’s certainly something suspicious about this case. I have also dispatched people to investigate these past few days. After asking his former colleagues, I know that your father is definitely not a careless person.”

Rong Xi felt her heart suddenly turn warm.

How could she not be suspicious behind the events of that year that led to Rong Bing being punished for negligence of duty. However, at that time, she was just a child not yet ten years-old. Their hometown was also in Hongdu, and they didn’t have any relatives in Bianjing, naturally they were helpless.

She looked down towards Mu Huai, “That year, my father not only supervised the construction of Empress Mi Zhen’s tomb, he had also supervised the construction of the late Emperor’s other dowager concubines’ tombs as well. The grounds of the mausoleum were wet, making it easy for termites to infest. However, this concubine remembers that my father would usually order people to apply a layer of a special paint on the coffins first, as well as place a poisonous band of mercury in the ground where the coffin will be placed. These methods will prevent a termite infestation.”

The late Empress’s coffin was naturally made from materials different from the average person. It was inlaid with many different jewels. The reason why her father had been exiled was also because the coffin had been so thoroughly eaten by the termites that it had almost harmed the corpse of the late Empress.

Mu Huai was surprised that Rong Xi knew how to prevent termite infestations.

He couldn’t help but ask, “That year, you were young and also just a boudoir girl. After the late Empress’s coffin was destroyed, your father was exiled. Prior to this, he had discussed court affairs with a young girl like you?”

Rong Xi nodded and replied, “Daddy never shied away from talking about such matters with this concubine. This concubine’s mother passed away early, and my father only took in a concubine but didn’t have any other children. The yiniang didn’t have a stable temperament, and my paternal grandmother was also elderly. As a result, this concubine learned how to take care of family affairs since young. That’s why Daddy never forced this concubine to stay away from men’s matters just because this concubine was a girl. Sometimes he would drink alone, and talk to this concubine about some miscellaneous matters at work.”

Mu Huai lightly smiled. Slightly in disbelief, he asked again, “Such a little girl already knew how to rule the household?”

Rong Xi saw that Mu Huai didn’t believe her and didn’t bother to explain any further. Her fiercely nodding head served as her answer.

Mu Huai’s smile grew deeper. His fate with this woman originally started with her catching Shun Fu’s eye with her skills, making her transfer over to become his personal maidservant. Due to her soft personality, he had underestimated her abilities.

Outside the window, the rain continued to fall. Mu Huai looked out the window, feeling that Bianjing’s rainy season was never-ending.

He recalled a certain sentence that Rong Xi just said.

He wanted to open the tomb, wanting to see if any of Empress Mi Zhen’s burial gifts had been tampered with.

However, it was a great taboo to disturb the mausoleum of the ancestors, it was definitely not something that could just be done at will.

Watching the unending spring rain, an idea slowly formed in Mu Huai’s mind.

******

When night fell, Mu Huai had a rare moment where he didn’t spend too much time in the study.

Instead, he decisively spent his time accompanying the clingy demoness to sleep. After taking a bath, the candles were extinguished early, and he prepared to sleep early tonight.

However, just as he wanted to hug that woman, Rong Xi actually avoided him, evading his touch.

Mu Huai was a little unhappy and frowned as he asked, “What’s wrong, don’t you usually need me to hug you so that you can sleep well?”

Rong Xi turned her back towards the man, her voice as small as an ant’s as she answered, “…This concubine…doesn’t want Husband to hug me to sleep tonight, want to sleep alone…”

Mu Huai naturally could not accept this request of hers. Reaching an arm out, he applied a bit of force as he held the curled-up woman in his arms. She wanted to protest, but because of the child in her stomach, she could only wriggle around before no longer moving.

Mu Huai vented his anger by lightly nipping her earlobe, “Tell me, what do you have on your mind, hm?”

After Rong Xi felt her earlobe being bit, the weird sensation she felt became even stronger. She slightly shrunk her neck. Her cheeks were as if they were on fire, as red as tomatoes.

Seeing her refusing to answer him, Mu Huai bit her ear again.

Rong Xi finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and pushed the man’s body away, replying in a timid manner, “If Husband hugs this concubine, you’ll find out that this concubine’s body is different from before because of the pregnancy…”

She felt so embarrassed, she couldn’t continue further.

Mu Huai naturally didn’t understand what she was talking about. He only felt that this woman’s heart was like a maze, she didn’t even clearly explain things to him.

Rong Xi continued, “That’s why, since Husband now knows…you should let go of this concubine to sleep alone…”

Seeing the woman was about to wriggle out of his arms, Mu Huai wrapped his arms around her, locking her in place. After contemplating her words, he finally realized what she meant.

What a vixen.

It’s been a while since he fed her.

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