Return of the Pearl

When the morning light of the next day quietly fell on the earth, the time for court had arrived unexpectedly, but Qianlong was still immersed in the entanglement with Xiao Yun, tossing and turning constantly.

Xiao Luzi stood outside the door, his face filled with embarrassment and helplessness. A crimson blush, like clouds in the sky, crept up his cheeks. He hesitated again and again, but finally mustered up the courage and whispered, "Your Majesty, it's time to go to court."

However, Qianlong seemed to have not heard anything and continued to do his own thing without any intention of stopping. He even raised the corner of his mouth, with a hint of playful smile, and said slowly: "Don't they want me to appoint a crown prince? I am trying my best! How can there be a crown prince without working hard? Don't bother me!" His words were full of unruly and unrestrained.

After hearing this, Xiao Luzi was so embarrassed that he didn't know what to do. He lowered his head, and the expression on his face was unpredictable, as if thousands of thoughts were surging in his heart.

When Xiao Luzi relayed the emperor's words to the ministers, they looked at each other with a hint of embarrassment on their faces. How could they not understand the emperor's deeper meaning? The emperor was putting pressure on them in such a unique way! For a moment, a subtle and indescribable atmosphere permeated the court, making people laugh but also feel deeply moved.

With Qianlong's unremitting efforts, time passed and another palace banquet arrived. At the banquet, the table was full of delicious food and the aroma was everywhere. However, when Xiao Yun inadvertently smelled the scent of fish soup, he suddenly felt nauseous.

Upon seeing this, Emperor Qianlong was extremely worried and immediately summoned the imperial physician to carefully examine Xiao Yun. After a while, the imperial physician showed joy on his face and knelt down to report: "Congratulations, Your Majesty, the Imperial Noble Consort is two months pregnant."

When Qianlong heard this, he was immediately delighted, his eyes sparkled with joy, and his smile was as bright as the warm spring sun.

He waved his hand and rewarded the imperial physician generously. No matter what was on his mind, the other people present all wore smiles on their faces and congratulated Qianlong one after another. The congratulations were like a string of pleasant notes, dancing in the air and weaving together a sea of joy. The entire palace banquet seemed to have become more lively and full of vitality and hope because of the good news.

The Tenth Princess nestled in Emperor Qianlong's arms like a docile kitten. Her small arms, as thin as lotus roots, gently rocked Emperor Qianlong's arms. She blinked her big, clear eyes and asked expectantly, "Father Emperor, am I going to have a little brother?"

Qianlong looked at her lovely appearance, a doting smile on his face, and nodded slightly.

Unexpectedly, the Tenth Princess, a child of unbridled wit, actually shouted out loudly in the midst of this bustling banquet. Her childish voice echoed in the air: "Father Emperor, you really didn't lie to me! You said that if I gave my mother to you, she would give birth to a little brother for me to play with. And now it's really happened! Father Emperor, when will the little brother be born?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present could not help but lower their heads. Some tried to suppress their laughter, their shoulders trembling slightly; some covered their mouths with their hands, for fear of laughing out loud. For a moment, a subtle atmosphere permeated the banquet.

Qianlong was a little embarrassed by her words, but he was an experienced emperor after all, so he quickly calmed down. He stroked the Tenth Princess's head gently, tried to keep his voice calm, and said with a smile: "It will take another seven months for him to come out, but if you want him to play with you, you may have to wait a few more years."

When the Tenth Princess heard this, she immediately became interested. She quickly placed her little hand on Xiao Yun's belly, her face full of curiosity and anticipation. She tilted her head and said, "Mother, can you tell my little brother to come out quickly? I really want to play with him."

Xiao Yun laughed at her innocent words. She gently touched Shi Gege's head and patiently explained, "That won't work. If he comes out early, his body will become very weak."

Tenth Princess nodded, half understanding, her bright eyes twinkling, "Well, then, I still want a healthy brother, so I'll wait a little longer."

Qianlong couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes, and asked, "Yixin, how can you be so sure that this must be a brother? What if it is a sister?"

However, the Tenth Princess stretched out her little hand, pointed firmly at Xiao Yun's belly, and said stubbornly: "Father, it's a younger brother, it's definitely a younger brother!" She looked so serious, as if this was a fact that was set in stone.

Seeing this, Qianlong just smiled dotingly and did not argue with her. In fact, in Qianlong's heart, he did not care too much about what the tenth princess said.

But who would have thought that when Xiao Yun gave birth, a miracle really happened. Accompanied by a loud cry, it was really as the Tenth Princess said, a prince was born. Of course, this is a story for later!

Soon, the news that Xiao Yun was pregnant again spread throughout the harem and the former court like wings. Those who once had a little fantasy about competing for favor no longer had that thought. In this treacherous palace, life is the most important thing. They sighed secretly, and a sense of inexplicable loss surged in their hearts. However, Qianlong's heart was full of expectations for the future.

After the palace banquet ended, the lively scene gradually calmed down. However, Ziwei did not leave the palace directly like other guests. She took light steps and slowly came to Jianjia Palace, congratulating Xiao Yun with joy in her heart.

When Xiao Yun saw Ziwei coming, her eyes were full of surprise. She smiled and asked, "Ziwei, why didn't you bring Yaojie with you?"

Ziwei smiled gently, with a soft light flashing in her eyes, and said softly: "He is following Erkang! You know, this child is particularly attached to his father. As long as Erkang is not on duty at home, he almost never leaves his father's side." After that, a happy expression appeared on Ziwei's face, as if she was recalling the warm scene of Yaojie and Erkang getting along.

As she was speaking, the Tenth Princess came skipping over like a lively little rabbit and pounced on Ziwei. She raised her cute little face and said coquettishly, "Sister Ziwei, you haven't come to the palace to see me for a long time!"

Ziwei looked at the Tenth Princess lovingly, reached out and gently stroked her hair, and said with a smile: "Sister is here, look, I brought you a gift!" As she spoke, Ziwei took out an exquisite little box from her sleeve and handed it to the Tenth Princess.

The Tenth Princess accepted the gift with great joy, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She said happily, "Thank you, Sister Ziwei!" Then she skipped to the side, couldn't wait to open the gift and look at it carefully. Ziwei looked at the Tenth Princess's cheerful back and a gratified smile appeared on her face.