Chapter 435 — The Small Betrothal
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 1 of 4
Dou Yan had only come out after feeding Yuan Heng, but she had never dreamed that Empress Dowager Yi would be playing cards with Consort Dowager Shi so early in the morning—and that she would be kept to make up the numbers. It was now nearly noon, and her milk was plentiful.
Hearing Empress Dowager Yi ask her to stay and continue playing cards through the afternoon, she glanced at the Crown Princess.
The Crown Princess immediately sensed Dou Zhiwei's difficulty.
After a moment's thought, she smiled and asked, "Madam, wife of the Duke of Yingguo, have all the household matters been arranged?"
Dou Qu said, "I nurse the child myself, but we do have wet nurses at home... I'll send word to them at once to take good care of the child."
At this, Empress Dowager Yi gave a surprised "Oh?" and asked in wonder, "You nurse the child yourself? Be careful you don't ruin your health."
Dou Xin said, "You know our household affairs better than anyone. The Heir Apparent values the child greatly and trusts no one else with him."
Empress Dowager Yi chuckled twice at this and waved her hand to let Dou Yan go: "Go and look after the child well. When he's a little older, bring him into the palace for me to see. I recall he's only one day younger than Chong."
Dou Yan thanked her reverently and, seeing that the Crown Princess showed no intention of leaving, withdrew alone.
The Crown Princess bent her knee in salute to Empress Dowager Yi: "Imperial Grandmother truly has the heart of a Bodhisattva."
Empress Dowager Yi made a feint of tapping the Crown Princess and scolded with a smile, "That mouth of yours—all it knows is how to coax me into good humor." She added, "This is my favor to you. What has it to do with Bodhisattvas?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" The Crown Princess stepped forward beaming and kneaded Empress Dowager Yi's shoulders. "Your granddaughter-in-law knows it well—that's why she stayed to thank Imperial Grandmother!"
Empress Dowager Yi chuckled, her gaze upon the Crown Princess full of tender affection.
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Once out of the palace, Dou Fan breathed a sigh of relief and instructed Ganlu, "Hurry home!"
Ganlu thought something had happened and went pale with fright, hastily passing the order along.
Dou Yan was embarrassed and could only let Ganlu go on misunderstanding as she hurried back to Crane Cry Temple Lane.
Yuan Heng was crying and fussing.
He had grown used to his mother's scent and refused the wet nurse's milk.
Dou Qu took the child.
The child began to gulp down his milk ravenously.
Dou Yan's heart ached so much she trembled.
At this rate, it seemed best that she go nowhere at all until the child was weaned.
Only now did she realize how important the wet nurses were.
But watching the serene, contented look on the child's face as he nursed, Dou Yan's heart melted into a puddle, and she felt that no amount of inconvenience or trouble was too much—it was all sweetness to her.
Stroking the child's glossy black hair, she thought of the Crown Princess who had come to her rescue.
Such a clever, exquisite woman, and in the end she had died a violent death—was this what they called beauty's ill fate?
She thought of the Third Imperial Grandson, only one day older than Yuan Heng, and suddenly felt a pang of sorrow.
When Song Yan came over, she could not help asking him, "What sort of man is the Crown Prince?"
Song Dan said, "Why? Did the Crown Princess give you trouble?"
"What nonsense!" Dou Yan shot him a glare. "Would you not know whether I was given trouble in the palace? When I went to the Eastern Palace, the eunuchs there served me nothing but a cup of plain water."
Those who nurse children must avoid tea.
Song Yan laughed heartily, bent down to kiss the sleeping Yuan Heng, and said with a smile, "He was taught by the Grand Secretaries—naturally he follows the way of Confucianism. There's nothing to worry about."