Cultivation Begins with Caring for Sister-in-law

Chapter 820: Chapter 825, 826: Empress Zhao Falls into the Water (Part 2)

"Father, is my godmother asleep?" Chen Jia called softly, realizing his godmother couldn’t be awakened.

Chen Mo didn’t immediately respond to Chen Jia. Instead, he positioned Empress Zhao on his lap, arching her back like a bow, and gently used his skills to push, forcing the lake water she’d swallowed out of her mouth.

Then Chen Mo turned Empress Zhao over again.

After a while, Empress Zhao suddenly started coughing, her eyelashes twitching as she slowly opened her eyes, finding her vision filled entirely with the silhouettes of people.

She was also being held by a man, resting on his lap.

"Godmother, you’re awake," Chen Jia said with a smile.

Wu Mi then proceeded to check Empress Zhao’s pulse.

Chen Mo knew this situation was improper, yet the empress’s dazed expression combined with her pitiful and haggard look, and the way her hair, wet and tangled from the lake water, clung to her face, inexplicably made his heart skip a beat.

He said in surprise, "Empress, are you okay? How did you end up falling into the lake under such good conditions?"

"I accidentally missed my step..."

Empress Zhao looked towards the handsome young man, pursing her soft, rosy lips. She steadied herself and, realizing she was being held by King Wei, tried to rise but instinctively tugged at her soaked red jacket with her frail hands, weakly saying, "It’s so hot."

This statement puzzled the onlookers. How could anyone feel hot on such a cold day, especially after falling into a lake?

"This is not good; the Empress has caught a cold, and her phoenix body has lost its temperature," Wu Mi said with a frown.

"Mother, what is a cold ailment?" Chen Jia asked curiously.

"Be good, Jia’Er. I’ll explain it to you when we get home," said Wu Mi, then discussed the solution with Chen Mo.

This involved changing the wet clothes and taking the "Four Reversals Powder," so Chen Mo asked a palace maid to take Empress Zhao back to her bedroom to change her wet clothes.

The palace maids seemed a bit frightened and were not working efficiently, so Chen Mo frowned and had Yue Ruyan assist them.

After all, being a man, he wasn’t suitable for the tasks that followed.

At this moment, Empress Zhao realized it was King Wei who had rescued her.

...

Thanks to the timely rescue, Empress Zhao only needed to take medicine and rest well, and she would be fine.

Therefore, Chen Mo courteously left a message with the attendants, saying, "Empress, please rest well."

Then he left the Imperial Palace with his wife and concubines.

For such a minor incident, Chen Mo did not dwell on it.

Not long after Chen Mo left the palace, Emperor Yong’an heard of the incident and hurried to the Empress’s bedroom.

Seeing Empress Zhao lying on the bed with a folded towel on her forehead and a palace maid feeding her medicine, Emperor Yong’an expressed his concern, "Empress, I heard you fell into the water. Are you alright?"

"I accidentally fell into the lake. Thank goodness for King Wei’s timely rescue. I just need to rest well. No major harm done. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty," Empress Zhao replied, her voice somewhat weak.

"King Wei again..."

Emperor Yong’an couldn’t help but frown slightly, muttering to himself. What seemed like an ordinary incident led him to suspect there was something more he didn’t know about. How could someone fall into the lake on such a wide road?

His wild imagination even conjured a scene where Empress Zhao, during a secret meeting with Chen Mo, panicked when discovered by Chen Mo’s wives and accidentally fell into the lake in her fright.

But outwardly, Emperor Yong’an smiled and sighed with relief, saying, "It’s good that you’re okay."

Empress Zhao responded with a soft "Mm," her eyes sparkling like water as she looked at Emperor Yong’an, believing he was still concerned about her. She considered taking advantage of this opportunity to resolve the "conflict" that had unknowingly arisen between them.

However, Emperor Yong’an’s next words chilled her heart.

"Then you should rest well, Empress. I won’t disturb you any further. I’ll take my leave," Emperor Yong’an said.

Empress Zhao tried to retain him.

But Emperor Yong’an simply advised her to rest well, instructed the palace maids to take good care of her, and then left.

As Emperor Yong’an departed, Empress Zhao felt a pang of sadness, her heart filled with sorrow as a tear quietly fell from the corner of her eye.

The Empress, who had been startled by the lake incident, was yearning for Emperor Yong’an’s care and tenderness, but he did not provide her with this opportunity.

...

Afternoon.

Copper Sparrow Platform.

In Xiangyang, it was still Copper Sparrow Garden.

But after moving to Celestial River, Chen Mo straightforwardly renamed it as Copper Sparrow Platform.

In Former Empress Xu Ying’s room.

On the bed.

Chen Mo gently extended a hand to embrace Xu Ying’s soft, tender body, a hint of indulgence appearing on his handsome face.

He held her chin, drawing close to her luscious red lips, capturing her supple and glossy lips in a greedy kiss.

After a while, he pulled back.

Xu Ying, smiling sweetly, said, "Your Highness, what brings you here at this hour?"

Chen Mo paused for a moment, recalling what had happened earlier at the palace, his gaze flickering as he caressed her jade-like back, softly saying, "Of course, I missed the Empress."

"I missed Your Highness too," Xu Ying replied even more sweetly.

At this moment, Chen Mo took a deep breath and said, "And of course, I missed the Princess."

At the foot of the bed, Princess Zhaoqing, Chu Ran, raised her head; her cheeks flushed a fiery red. Hearing Chen Mo’s remark, she initially frowned but then relaxed a bit.

Chen Mo nudged Xu Ying’s shoulder lightly, and she coyly pouted, swapping places with Chu Ran with a graceful flair.

Chen Mo frolicked with Xu Ying and Chu Ran for a while. By evening, the sky had begun to snow again.

Inside, with Chen Mo nestled between them, the warm bed was a cozy retreat nobody wanted to leave.

Chen Mo gently caressed the women’s shoulders, glancing between the two as their cheeks remained a blushing sunset red, lips slightly parted with gentle breaths.

Gazing outside, Chen Mo said, "It’s getting late; I should be going."

"No, Your Highness, why not stay here tonight with the Princess and me?" Xu Ying said, clinging to Chen Mo’s arm, playfully coaxing him to stay.

"There will be other opportunities," Chen Mo kissed both Xu Ying and Chu Ran’s foreheads before lifting the covers and getting out of bed to dress himself.

Seeing Chen Mo’s resolve to leave, Xu Ying didn’t persist, merely whispering words of longing for him.

"I brought gifts for you two this time, placed on the table. Choose for yourselves later." Chen Mo said, fully dressed, as he left.

The two women on the bed watched Chen Mo’s departing figure, gently rubbing their slightly bloated bellies, hoping to conceive this time.

On leaving Copper Sparrow Platform,

Chen Mo encountered a woman.

In the snowy courtyard, clad in a white dress, her graceful figure swayed like a willow in the wind, elegant and dignified. More astonishing was the broom she used to sweep the snow.

Seeing Chen Mo, she immediately greeted him with a smooth, creamy face tinged with a faint flush, a soft smile playing on her brows.

This woman was Zhihua, whom Chen Mo had met in Jiangnan.

Chen Mo paused briefly before smiling, "Ah, it’s Zhihua."

Initially uncertain of Zhihua’s truthfulness, he had temporarily taken her in, arranging for her to live in Copper Sparrow Garden.

Although it was later confirmed that she spoke the truth and her background was particularly tragic, with Prince Huai’s provocation, King Chong and Lu Sheng’s military movements, and renewed warfare, Chen Mo gradually forgot about Zhihua amid these events.

After all, to Chen Mo, Zhihua was akin to a minor, transparent figure.

"Your Highness still remembers me," Zhihua’s face, pale as snow, flushed with shyness.

Chen Mo realized she was purposely waiting for him here.

"What plans do you have next? Let the matter in Jiangnan be; I do not blame you," Chen Mo said. "From today on, I return your freedom."

Yet, Zhihua knelt before Chen Mo with a thud, declaring, "As I said before, I’m willing to serve Your Highness as a servant. Moreover, now that my brother is gone, I have no other concerns in this world. No place to go in this vast land."