hsntnovel Chapter 2801 Casual Meal and Chat
Chapter 2801 Casual Meal and Chat
Upon hearing Wang De's words, Li Shen immediately looked at Shi Tou, who nodded slightly to Li Shen, indicating that it was indeed true.
"Um... Father, please let me explain. I'm sick and I've come to the medical school for treatment."
Li Shen came up with an excuse.
"Ill?" Li Shimin walked past Li Shen to the dining table, glanced at the delicious food on it, and hummed softly.
"Hmph, your illness is really strange, it actually requires delicacies to treat it."
Li Shen, do you think I'm easy to fool?
First you defied the imperial edict, and now you're deceiving the emperor. Tell me, are you plotting a rebellion?
Oh my god, Li Shen was completely dumbfounded. What the hell? I'm a rebel? Are you deliberately here to cause trouble?
"Your son greets Mother. Mother, your son is truly ill and needs to rest."
Li Shen immediately crawled to Empress Zhangsun's side, looking at his amulet with a pitiful expression.
"Hehe, Mother knows. Get up quickly, your father is just joking with you."
Empress Zhangsun smiled and helped Li Shen up. Li Shen immediately felt a sense of security and even wanted to sing "Only Mother is Good in the World" for Empress Zhangsun.
"Humph!"
Since Empress Zhangsun had said so, Li Shimin could only snort and then sit down.
"Mother, have you not eaten yet?" Li Shen helped Empress Zhangsun sit down.
"Yes, we heard that your maid was about to give birth, so your father and I came to see her." Empress Zhangsun nodded.
"Someone, quickly prepare another table, whatever you like."
Li Shen shouted outside, but received no response.
"Stop shouting, let's just have this meal."
Li Shimin waved his hand. He noticed that the dishes on the table were almost untouched, indicating that Li Shen had just started eating.
"This...this is a bit inappropriate, isn't it? Father is the Emperor, how could he..."
Li Shen was dumbfounded. How could his father possibly eat someone else's leftovers? Wouldn't that be embarrassing?
"Hmph, what haven't I eaten? I've even eaten rotten jerky back in the day."
Li Shimin snorted again. Did he really think he was an emperor who could act arrogantly and domineeringly? What hardships hadn't he endured when he went out to fight?
He ate the rations even when they got damp and moldy from rain, just to show that he ate and lived with the soldiers.
"But..." Li Shen still wanted to set up another table, otherwise he would feel he had no way to treat his guests properly.
"Get the bowls and chopsticks," Li Shimin interrupted Li Shen.
Upon hearing this, Shi Tou immediately brought over new bowls and chopsticks and placed them in front of Li Shimin, Empress Zhangsun, and the other two.
Li Shimin picked up a piece of fish and ate it.
"Hmm, not bad, quite fresh. Guanyinbi, Consort, you should try some too."
There was no need to taste the food at all. They deliberately didn't have anyone announce their arrival when they came in. The noise Li Shen heard was the sound of the Imperial Guards and Li Shen's personal guards changing shifts.
Therefore, it's impossible for the food to be poisoned. Li Shen wouldn't poison himself by putting poison in the food he eats, would he?
Only Li Shen and Lu Dingniang remained at the table.
According to the rules, Liu Ruyan, Wu Meiniang, and the others were not qualified to dine at the same table as Li Shimin. They were different from Lu Dingniang, who was a daughter-in-law and was included in the family genealogy.
"Where is the child?" Li Shimin asked casually, tossing the shrimp that Empress Zhangsun had peeled for him into his mouth.
"It's in my belly," Li Shen replied casually.
"You scoundrel! I'm asking about the child in your household." Li Shimin was almost furious. How could he not know that the child was in his belly?
He was asking about the children in Xixi Yangyang.
"Oh, I didn't bring that one out. It's at the manor; they're making too much noise."
Li Shen then realized what was happening and quickly replied.
Of the four children in the Prince's mansion, the eldest son, Yangyang, is relatively mature. The third and fourth sons are starting to cause trouble now, probably because they play with Xixi.
Li Shen sometimes worries. His fourth son is the eldest son of the legitimate wife. If he is as unruly as Xi Xi, won't he end up just like him in the future?
"When will your concubine give birth?" Consort Wei asked.
"Dr. Sun said it will be in the next few days, probably no more than three days, and if things go smoothly, she might give birth today," Li Shen replied.
"Yes, we mustn't let anything go wrong. This is the first child of your Prince Ji's manor in several years."
Empress Zhangsun reminded her.
Li Shen nodded:
"Don't worry, Mother. Everything is ready. Dr. Sun has checked everything. There shouldn't be any complications during childbirth. It will go smoothly."
As they ate and chatted, the two mothers kept asking questions, and Li Shen kept answering. They asked about everything from the children to himself, including how his health was and how long it would take to recover.
Li Shen's health was related to the prosperity of the Ji Prince's mansion.
When Li Shen told Li Shimin that Sun Simiao had advised him to exercise more, Li Shimin's eyes lit up:
"Even the divine doctor Sun said that you should practice martial arts to strengthen your body, so you should follow your fourth brother."
He loses weight, you learn martial arts.
"Father, the weather hasn't warmed up yet. I want to wait until it gets warmer before I start practicing martial arts." Li Shen immediately refused. His hands and feet were freezing in this cold weather, and he didn't want to practice martial arts.
Isn't it nice to be warm and cozy in bed?
"You scoundrel, how can you hide your illness and avoid seeking medical treatment? You have a chronic illness, you should get treatment as soon as possible, otherwise what if it becomes a chronic condition?"
Li Shimin shouted angrily.
"Yes, Shen'er, just listen to your father and take good care of your health. The Ji Prince's Mansion is waiting for you to have children."
Empress Zhangsun echoed this sentiment, offering her own words of advice.
Consort Wei was even more direct, giving her a murderous look with just one glance.
"I...I'm sick, I have a brain disorder. I was also beaten by my father and injured my bones. It takes a hundred days to recover from a bone injury, so I need to rest for three months."
Li Shen stubbornly tried to argue his case.
He's so lazy these days that he has to take a horse-drawn carriage to the toilet, how could he possibly exercise?
"This matter is settled. You are not allowed to make decisions on your own. I will personally train you."
Li Shimin made the final decision. How could he possibly miss such a fun opportunity? He was just looking for something to do anyway.
Li Shen was on the verge of tears. His family was a one-man show; whatever his father said went.
This is his family of origin: a domineering father, a cooperative mother, a silent biological mother, and a man suffering.
Li Shen then focused on eating, and everyone else enjoyed the meal, except for Li Shen, who was unhappy.
After the meal, Lu Dingniang, accompanied by others, went to visit Su Xiaoxiao with Empress Zhangsun and Consort Wei.
Li Shen then led his father to his study, where Li Shimin sat on the couch and stretched comfortably.
"This place is really nice, peaceful and serene. You really know how to enjoy yourself."
"Father is joking. Nowhere in the world can compare to the palace. Countless people would love to live there."
Li Shen handed a cup of tea to Li Shimin and then smiled.
"The palace?" Li Shimin shook his head: "Just like you said, it's nothing more than a larger prison."
Everyone says that the whole world belongs to the emperor, but how many places has the emperor actually been to?
"What, you want to move in too?"
(The swallows' chirping seems to lament the passing of spring in the old kingdom; the palace flowers have fallen and turned to dust.)