The Marquise: I Earn My Own Worship

Fuhua Hall of the Imperial Palace

Concubine Ning was personally feeding the Sixth Prince with a bowl of soup. The Sixth Prince looked a little listless, and it was obvious that he had lost his appetite. Concubine Ning was distressed and urged the Sixth Prince to eat more. Then she heard that Song Shengfu and Kang Ge'er had arrived. She put down her bowl and chopsticks and asked someone to invite them in.

As soon as Song Shengfu came in, she saw Concubine Ning whom she had met yesterday, but there was also a skinny child next to her. Song Shengfu thought to herself that this must be the Sixth Prince, so she stepped forward to greet him with Duan Chengkang in her hand.

When Duan Chengkang saw his grandmother kneeling down, he also knelt down straight and kowtowed. The crisp bangs scared Song Shengfu, who was afraid that she would get hurt.

Concubine Ning naturally heard it as well. The palace maids in the hall all covered their mouths and laughed. Concubine Ning also smiled and had the two men helped up.

"This child is really honest." Concubine Ning said with a smile

Song Shengfu was a little embarrassed. Who would have thought that this silly kid would eat so hard? But it wasn't a bad thing. At least it left a good impression.

Duan Chengkang stood up, touched his head, and smiled foolishly. When he looked up, he saw the beautiful imperial concubine who looked like an immortal. Next to her was a little boy wearing a dragon-patterned brocade robe. The child was also looking at him, with a hint of smile in his eyes.

Concubine Ning noticed the eye contact between the two children and calmly examined the child before her. His face was like a jade plate, with almond-shaped eyes and slanted brows, resembling a Fuwa (a type of lucky doll). He was well-dressed, with an upright posture, a dignified and polite young man.

She raised her hand and beckoned Duan Chengkang over. When he came closer, Concubine Ning saw that this child, who was about the same age as Ling'er, was very strong and a head taller than Ling'er.

"Good boy, how old are you this year?"

Duan Chengkang heard a gentle and pleasant voice coming from above his head. He looked up and found that the Fairy Lady was looking at him with a dazed look on her face.

"Please greet the Fairy Lady. I am already seven years old this year and will be eight next February during the Flower Festival."

Oh no, this damn boy likes to play with the pretty maids at home, saying a lot of nice things to them. He is so bold.

He quickly scolded: "What nonsense are you talking about? Why don't you apologize to the Imperial Concubine?"

This made Concubine Ning laugh, and she was secretly happy in her heart. How could a child tell lies?

"No problem, this is the first time I've heard someone call me Fairy Queen."

Duan Chengkang was a little scared when he heard his grandmother scolding him, but when he heard that the imperial concubine in front of him was not angry but rather happy, he took advantage of the situation and said with a smile: "Please forgive me, Your Majesty. You look like a fairy. The first time I saw you, I felt like I had seen a fairy."

Song Shengfu: Is your mouth greased today?

Concubine Ning looked at Duan Chengkang, who was playing a funny game in front of her, and felt that letting him accompany Ling'er was the right thing to do. Ling'er often stayed in the room, feeling bored and not talkative, so it would be nice to have a playmate like this by her side.

After meeting the two children, he let them go to the back hall to play.

Only then did she turn around and say to Song Shengfu with a smile, "Old Madam Duan is so lucky to have such a lively treasure as her child. I'm sure there will always be laughter and joy in their home."

There was a hint of sourness in these words. Thinking of the Sixth Prince who looked a little depressed just now, he suddenly understood that he felt that the palace was a little deserted.

I quickly echoed her: "This naughty boy at home is very troublesome. His father rarely disciplines him, so he can only bother an old woman like me all day long. Now that he has been sent to the palace, it would be a blessing for him if he is lucky enough to receive some guidance from the Empress."

This meant that he would stay in the palace longer in the future, and both parties were satisfied. On the one hand, the Earl of Duan's mansion caught the eye of the imperial concubine, and on the other hand, the imperial concubine also found a playmate for her son.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall was very harmonious.

In the back hall, the Sixth Prince and Duan Chengkang stared at each other. Today, Mother Song told them to get familiar with each other first and start practicing Tai Chi tomorrow.

The Sixth Prince was a bit spoiled and quiet. He would sit there and read the storybook in his hand. This was his only pleasure in his ordinary days.

Duan Chengkang touched his head and looked at the Sixth Prince, who was about half a year younger than him. He walked forward with some confusion and looked at the notebook in his hand.

Hmm... a little embarrassing, I don't understand.

He was still illiterate. Duan Chengkang was a little shy for the first time, so he asked, "What are you looking at?"

The Sixth Prince was also a little curious about the chubby boy in front of him. Apart from his brothers and sisters, he had never seen other children of the same age.

"This is 'Records of Heroes' written by Mr. Yang Qi. Have you read it?"

Fatty Duan shook his head in confusion, secretly wondering if the books the princes read were different from those of ordinary people.

Seeing the young man in front of him look confused, the Sixth Prince couldn't help but become more curious: "What kind of books do you usually read at home?"

Reading? What books? His teacher has already left, but the child wants to save face, so he will definitely not say that he doesn't read books.

"They're just some idle books, not worth mentioning. But what I like most is listening to my grandmother tell Journey to the West. Have you heard it?"

"Journey to the West?" The Sixth Prince's eyes lit up. He had never heard of such things in the palace. "What kind of book is that? What story does it tell?"

Duan Chengkang, seeing his interest, immediately perked up and began to describe the story vividly: "Sun Wukong is amazing! He can transform into 72 different forms, and with a single somersault he can cover a great distance! There's also Zhu Bajie and Monk Sha. Together they protected Tang Sanzang on his quest for Buddhist scriptures..."

The Sixth Prince was so fascinated by the story that he couldn't help but move closer to Duan Chengkang. Their heads were put together, immersed in the world of the story.

It was not until the palace maid came to remind them that it was time for lunch that the two of them parted reluctantly.

Song Shengfu had long been led by the palace servants to the imperial garden to admire the flowers. As she grew older, she liked flowers and plants. She did not return to Fuhua Palace for lunch until lunchtime.

After Song Shengfu left, Concubine Ning quietly observed the two children in the side hall next to her. This sight made her feel very relieved and touched. Ling'er used to get along with other princes and princesses indifferently, and her personality gradually became a little withdrawn. She was worried that Ling'er would not like it, but now it seems that they are getting along well. This child of the Earl's family is a good one.

While eating, Duan Chengkang looked at the dozens of dishes he had never seen before in front of him, and thought to himself that his grandmother had not lied to him. There were indeed many delicious foods in the palace, so he began to eat with relish.

On the contrary, the Sixth Prince Chu Qinling, seeing Duan Chengkang enjoying his meal next to him, involuntarily took a few more bites, but only ate a little. In the eyes of Concubine Ning, it was considered excellent, but in the eyes of Song Shengfu, it was just a few bites.

After the two children had gone for their lunch break, Song Shengfu quietly asked Concubine Ning, "Has the Sixth Prince always eaten so little?"

Concubine Ning sighed worriedly and said, "It's always been like this. It was better today. I guess it was because Kang Ge'er was with me that I took a few more sips."

Song Shengfu now regards the Sixth Prince as the golden nugget for their family's prosperity, so she has to take good care of him.

As long as the Sixth Prince is well, their family will be well.

The recipes delivered this morning are still with Doctor Li, the Sixth Prince's personal physician. This kind of recipe can only be used after the physician has reviewed it and confirmed that there are no problems.

Thinking that the Sixth Prince didn't eat much at noon, which was obviously a sign of spleen and stomach deficiency and loss of appetite, Song Shengfu had an idea and told Concubine Ning that there was a soup recipe that could be tried, and the Sixth Prince could drink it when he woke up.

Concubine Ning thought about it and decided to give it a try. The old lady had managed to raise her eldest son to this age, so he must have some extraordinary qualities. It would be even better if Ling'er could eat more.