Light Dance Jiajing

Two years later

With the cry of a baby, all the hearts in Changchun Palace finally settled down, "Princess, the queen gave birth to a little prince." Luluo hurried in and shouted. Meng'er silently chanted "Amitabha" several times. It was great. Her mother finally got her wish. Now she had a little brother.

Mei'er was eager to see her little brother. Although Kangpin was weak after giving birth, she was in good spirits, "Mom, my little brother is so small. Was I this small when I was just born?" Kangpin nodded with a smile, "Mom, my little brother is so cute. Father will definitely like him." Kangpin's face suddenly became a little gloomy. In the past two years, the emperor had only asked her to serve him in the palace a few times. Perhaps it was God's will. Among the most favored concubines, only Wang Guipin gave birth to a prince years ago, but she was not favored again after that. The other concubines tried their best but failed to get pregnant. Perhaps she was destined to have a child. Kangpin looked at Mei'er who was teasing her little brother, and her heart was warmed. It was all thanks to Mei'er in the past two years. If it weren't for Mei'er to please the emperor, this place would have become a cold palace long ago. Zai Ji, who was not good at dealing with things, would have been forgotten by the emperor long ago. Even she couldn't bear to see Yanpin's haggardness now.

"Empress Xi has arrived." Following the announcement, Concubine Xi walked in with her sleeves fluttering in the wind.

"Congratulations, sister, on the birth of your baby boy." Concubine Xi came to the bedside and looked at the little prince with a smile.

Concubine Kang leaned weakly on the pillow and said, "Thank you, sister, for coming to see me." Mei'er looked at her mother in surprise. She was in good spirits just now, but now she is dying.

"Sister is weak after giving birth, you should rest well." Seeing that Kangpin seemed to be about to fall asleep, Xipin said a few polite words and left. As soon as Xipin left, Kangpin seemed to be really sleepy, and asked the nanny to take the little prince downstairs and fell asleep. Mei'er knew the reason why her mother was not energetic. Why didn't the emperor come to see the little brother? After all, he was the father of the child.

Mei'er ran to the Qianqing Palace with a lot on her mind. She wanted to see her father. Whether her father came to see her mother or not was related to the fate of the entire Changchun Palace. Mei'er had already seen through everything in the palace. If she wanted to gain a foothold in this deep palace, she had to win the favor of her father. Only the emperor was the master here.

"Is father here? I want to see him." Outside the gate of the Qianqing Palace, Mei'er stared with her big watery eyes and asked the eunuch on duty with a smile.

These young eunuchs had long been familiar with Meng'er. Meng'er was the most lovable little princess in the palace. The palace maids and eunuchs all liked to tease her. When the young eunuchs saw that it was Meng'er, they also put on a smile and said, "After the emperor summoned several adults, Concubine Xi came. Princess, wait a moment. I will pass the message to you right away."

"Thank you, eunuch." Mei'er said sweetly.

When Mei'er was brought in, she saw Xipin pulling her father's sleeve. Her father, the emperor, seemed to be in a good mood today. He rarely looked stern, but he didn't smile much either. Xipin kept whining and the emperor glanced at her. "I'll do as you say this time. Is there anything else?" Xipin couldn't hide the surprise on her face and thanked him repeatedly. Mei'er felt a chill. She didn't like Xipin at all. This woman was very pretentious, but her father just liked her. "Father." The crisp child's voice interrupted Xipin who was about to continue to show his courtesy.

The emperor waved to Meng'er, and Meng'er came over. The emperor took Meng'er in his arms and put her on his lap, asking, "Mian'er, why are you here?"

Meng'er pouted her lips and said, "Father hasn't visited Meng'er for a long time. Meng'er misses you."

"Really? I'm just too busy," the lines on the emperor's face softened a lot, and he patted Mian'er's little head again.

Mei'er rubbed against his arms, and then said happily: "Mei'er has a little brother. The little brother is so small. The little brother looks like father." The emperor said "yeah", and Mei'er found that her father did not show any signs of joy, as if this matter had nothing to do with him. She cursed this inhuman father countless times in her heart, and still said with excitement on her face: "Father, the little brother has no name yet. I want to give him a name, but mother said that the name of the little brother must be given by father." Mei'er rubbed against the emperor's arms again, and said coquettishly: "Father, please go and see the little brother."

The emperor didn't want to go at first, but when he met Meng'er's watery and expectant eyes, his heart softened somehow. It was like this every time. Whenever Meng'er stared at him like this, with innocent and clear eyes as if the world had never been tainted by filth, his heart would inexplicably loosen, making him feel reluctant to resist. The emperor touched Meng'er's little head, turned his eyes away and thought for a moment, then picked up Meng'er and walked out. Concubine Xi glared at Meng'er unhappily, and had to chase after them. Meng'er hugged the emperor's neck and smiled very proudly. Seeing her happy, the emperor pinched her little nose. The gentleness in his expression even made Concubine Xi very jealous.

"Brother, brother." Meng'er waved her little hands. She saw Zai Ji not far away. Zai Ji also saw them at this time. Zai Ji and several eunuchs knelt down quickly. "Greetings, father." Zai Ji's voice was as small as a mosquito.

The emperor seemed to nod slightly and walked past Zai Ji. Zai Ji stared blankly at Meng'er in the emperor's arms. Meng'er was still waving at him. The voice of "Brother, brother" gradually faded away. Zai Ji hung his head sadly. Why did his father always have a stern face when facing him, but was so loving to Meng'er? In his memory, his father had never hugged him. Zai Ji felt aggrieved. How was he inferior to Meng'er? Gradually, the lively Zai Ji became more and more silent.

Before the emperor arrived at Changchun Palace, Concubine Kang had already received the news. When the emperor came in with Meng'er, Concubine Kang was leaning against the bed with the little prince in her arms. "Father, please keep your voice down. The little brother has fallen asleep." Meng'er raised her little finger to the emperor's mouth. The emperor looked at Meng'er's serious expression and smiled. "Father, please give the little brother a name."

"My dear, you want to give your little brother a name. What do you think we should name him?" the emperor asked jokingly.

Meng'er tilted her head and thought for a moment, "Nan, take Nan."

The emperor stared at her and asked, "Why do you call her Zainan?"

Meng'er pointed at the bedpost and said, "Nanmu, Nanmu, it smells nice." Nan was her name in her previous life. How she wished her little brother would continue her name. She would be so happy if that happened.

The emperor stared at the carved nanmu bed for a moment. The pillars of many palaces in the palace were made of golden nanmu. During the day, the surface of the wood would reflect a golden glow in the sunlight, with golden threads emerging and a faint and elegant fragrance. He thought for a moment and said, "Zaihou." Mei'er pouted, but Concubine Kang was overjoyed. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for giving Hou'er a name." The emperor turned a blind eye to Mei'er's displeasure and walked out with his hands behind his back.

Kangpin handed Zaihou to the wet nurse and took Meng'er's hand, unable to suppress her excitement. She chattered without caring whether the three-year-old child could understand her or not, "Back then, Yanpin used all her tricks and arranged many "chance encounters" before the emperor gave Zaiji a name. Now that Meng'er has just been born, the emperor has come to visit him in person. Meng'er, mother knows that it is thanks to you again this time. Now that we have Meng'er, who dares not to take us seriously? Meng'er, mother knows that you have always been sensible. In the future, you must be more careful to please father. For Meng'er, whatever we do is worth it." Kangpin thought of Yanpin's frustrated and haggard look when she was holding Zaiji, and her smile became even more tired. Looking at Meng'er's ignorant little face, she could not help but pat her little head lovingly.