The Command to Pamper the Husband - Chapter 229

Although Yuzhou was a wealthy place in Jiangnan, the officials and merchants there colluded, making the situation complex.

Every year, the court would send special envoys three to five times to investigate Yuzhou.

However, either the envoys ended up colluding with the local officials and merchants, or they disappeared mysteriously.

Zhao Jide had thought that, given the Empress’s previous favor towards him, she would summon him before he left the capital this time.

Unfortunately, until his departure, there was no message of a summons from the Empress.

From the capital to Yuzhou, the Duke of An gave Zhao Jide three chances.

As long as he was willing to align with the Duke of An and help slander the Empress, the Duke of An would immediately have him transferred back to the capital.

However, Zhao Jide refused.

The Duke of An merely blocked Zhao Jide’s return to the capital but did not completely cut off his means of survival.

Upon arriving in Yuzhou, the murky atmosphere of the official and business circles soon made Zhao Jide forget the Duke of An’s previous request.

He was busy solidifying his position in Yuzhou, managing its political and economic affairs, and marrying and starting a family.

The day his wife was diagnosed as pregnant, news came from the capital that both the Emperor and the Empress had passed away.

The Empress’s newborn Princess died together with her due to complications during childbirth.

When this news reached Yuzhou, Zhao Jide felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

The Emperor and Empress were in their prime; how could they suddenly die simultaneously?

Could it be…?

The old matters he had buried deep in his heart surged up again.

Several months ago, he had been demoted to Yuzhou for offending the Duke of An.

At that time, what the Duke of An wanted him to do was to slander the Empress.

Could the Empress’s death be related to the Duke of An?

The Duke of An… the Duke of Ning…

It was said that the heir of the Duke of Ning’s household had a very close relationship with the newly enthroned Thirteenth Prince.

Thinking of these matters he had suppressed for so long, Zhao Jide had a terrifying suspicion that made him sleepless with fear.

If it was indeed the Duke of An’s faction that killed the Empress, then he also bore responsibility for the Empress’s death.

If he had found any opportunity to inform the Empress of the Duke of An’s threats, perhaps the Empress would not have died.

Zhao Jide was tormented by his speculations day and night, until one day, two strangers arrived in Yuzhou.

They claimed to be a master and servant pair, with the master named Song Dingzhong and the servant named Han Bo.

They were wealthy and had come to Yuzhou to do business.

The arrival of a wealthy outsider aiming to make big deals naturally caused a stir in Yuzhou’s business circles.

As the Yuzhou Magistrate, Zhao Jide had to meet this Master Song.

Master Song was also a person who understood proper conduct. On the second day after arriving in Yuzhou, he booked an entire floor of Phoenix Shadow Tower, the largest restaurant in Yuzhou.

He invited all the prominent merchants of Yuzhou. As the Magistrate, Zhao Jide was naturally included in the invitation.

The moment he saw Master Song, Zhao Jide almost felt his legs go weak, and tears welled up in his eyes.

This was not Master Song; this was clearly the young eunuch who had served by the Empress’s side when she had presided over his imperial examination.

The Emperor and Empress had just passed away, yet this young eunuch appeared in Yuzhou, seeking to settle down.

This…

Staring at Master Song, Zhao Jide felt a storm of thunder rolling in his heart.

During the banquet, amidst the clinking of glasses, Master Song made efforts to get close to everyone.

Zhao Jide gave Master Song face.

As the Magistrate, by giving face, the merchants also followed suit.

During the banquet, when others inquired about Master Song’s family situation, he spoke openly.

Last year, he married his childhood sweetheart, but she died in childbirth, leaving behind a premature son.

Everyone sighed upon hearing this, but Zhao Jide was deeply shocked.

How could a eunuch get married, have a childhood sweetheart, and a son?

It was impossible for him to have a son.

The Empress had given birth to a Princess, but that was a Princess, not a prince.

Despite his inner turmoil, Zhao Jide dared not show any sign of it during the banquet.

After the banquet ended, he found an excuse to speak with Master Song alone.

No matter how he hinted, Master Song firmly insisted he had never been to the capital.

When Zhao Jide mentioned the Emperor and Empress, Master Song looked at him with clear eyes, stating that commoners only cared about business.

But Zhao Jide was certain he wasn’t mistaken.

He didn’t know what had happened in the capital, nor why Master Song suddenly appeared in Yuzhou with a baby boy.

But he dared not act rashly.

He feared that if the child Master Song brought was indeed the Empress’s bloodline…

If so, then the Emperor and Empress’s deaths must have been a tragic and bloody event.

And the child brought by Master Song, as a survivor, how could he let the world know of his existence?

Zhao Jide didn’t dare ask too much, fearing that he would alarm Master Song and cause him to leave Yuzhou suddenly.

In Yuzhou, he could use his power to protect them, but if they went elsewhere…

Under Zhao Jide’s covert protection, Master Song’s business in Yuzhou thrived.

Master Song, handsome and talented, was also wealthy.

Being single, he received countless marriage proposals, but Zhao Jide declined them all, using the excuse of mourning his deceased wife.

What puzzled everyone was that the son Zhao Jide mentioned never appeared in public.

The more the child remained unseen, the more Zhao Jide believed he was the Empress’s bloodline.

No matter what had happened in the capital, he was determined to protect this child with all his might.

Time flew by, and three years passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhao Jide remained the Yuzhou Magistrate, as if the court had forgotten him.

The annual assessments were conducted according to regulations, but the annual appointments never concerned him.

Previously, he might have hoped for a promotion, but now, with Master Song and the child here, he just wanted to stay close to them.

One day, after finishing his day’s work, Zhao Jide was strolling on the streets of Yuzhou with his son.

“Father, that little girl is so pretty!”

His son, Zhao Ke, suddenly pointed at a little child ahead, with chubby cheeks, and ran towards her with his short legs.

Zhao Jide quickly pulled back his mischievous son, playfully smacking his bottom, “Seeing a pretty girl and running towards her, do you have no shame?”

As he spoke, he heard exclamations around him.

“Isn’t this Master Song’s son!”

“He’s so pretty! If you didn’t say he was a boy, I’d think he was a girl. Look at his cute face.”

“No wonder Master Song doesn’t want to remarry. With such a handsome child, his deceased wife must have been a great beauty.”

Holding his son, Zhao Jide’s back stiffened, and he looked at the child ahead with twitching eyes.

Song Jin, dressed in a green robe, stood there, holding a stick of candied fruit, happily eating.

Beside him, Zhao Jide was buying some toys for boys.

The moment Zhao Jide saw Song Jin’s smiling face, it was as if his soul had left his body.

The child’s features were exactly like the Empress’s.

The doubts that had plagued him for three years were instantly confirmed.

No need for hints or evidence; this face was the best proof.

This child was the Empress’s child.

As for the gender…

If Master Song said it was a boy, then it was a boy.

Holding Zhao Ke, Zhao Jide approached, “Ke’er, play with your big brother.”

Hearing Zhao Jide’s voice, Master Song, who had just finished paying, turned around, “It’s the Magistrate.”

Zhao Jide smiled and patted Song Jin’s head, “First time meeting your child, he’s truly spirited.”

Master Song’s initially tense expression relaxed at Zhao Jide’s words.

“He was a premature baby. His mother had a difficult labor, and his health was poor from birth. It took three years of careful nurturing to improve his health, but he’s grown up looking like a girl.”

Zhao Jide looked at Song Jin with tears welling up, which he forcibly held back.

“His mother must have suffered greatly during childbirth.”

Master Song paused.

Zhao Jide quickly added, “Childbirth is like passing through the gates of hell for women, and your wife even risked her life.”

A dull pain tugged at Zhao Jide’s heart.

When the Empress gave birth to the Princess, it was more than just risking her life!

The Thousand Mechanism Poison was triggered, and the Empress endured the pain of being devoured by thousands of insects.

Zhao Jide’s face suddenly showed sorrow.

Fortunately, he always used the excuse of mourning his wife, so no one commented on it.

However, Zhao Jide felt uncomfortable.

Patting Song Jin’s head, Zhao Jide vowed to protect this child together with Master Song.