The Prince's Beloved Little Wife

After resting for half an hour, Chen Mengyao stood up with a smile, clapped her hands, and her face beamed with a bright smile. She looked around at everyone and said in a light tone, "Everyone has eaten enough, how about we play some fun games?" Her voice was clear and melodious, like a gentle spring breeze. As soon as she finished speaking, everyone nodded in agreement, and the atmosphere immediately became lively.

Chen Mengyao waved her hand, taking out various game props from her spatial storage—colorful fruit squatting headbands, soft and light balloons for back-to-back ball-carrying games, and puzzle pieces and boards for fun jigsaw puzzles. These props immediately attracted everyone's attention, and the children excitedly gathered around, chattering about which fruit was the cutest and which pattern was the most fun.

In the courtyard of Emperor Yongchang's sleeping quarters, sunlight streamed in, a gentle breeze blew, and a unique and fun game was unfolding—"Fruit Squat." People gathered in the courtyard, laughter and chatter rising and falling, as if even the air itself was filled with sweetness and anticipation.

Chen Mengyao, dressed in a light pink dress, stood in the center of the crowd, holding a stack of colorful fruit headbands. Her eyes crinkled with a smile, and her voice was clear and melodious: "Listen up, everyone! After you put on your own fruit headband, shout out 'So-and-so squats,' and then designate the next person to squat. If you're slow, call out the wrong name, or your movement isn't perfect, you'll be eliminated!"

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone stepped forward to receive the headdress, creating a lively scene. King Wen drew the "apple" headdress. He put the red headdress on, touched his cheek, and joked with a smile, "This bright red appearance really does resemble a ripe apple!" His tone was relaxed, but his eyes were focused, clearly indicating that he had entered the competition mode.

Prince Duan was assigned the "Banana" character, and his bright yellow headdress made him stand out. He puffed out his chest and struck an exaggerated pose: "Look, isn't this Mr. Yellow Banana!" This drew laughter from those around him.

The eldest princess was naturally "grape," her purple headdress making her look charming and lovely; Prince An was "strawberry," his bright red hat making him look energetic and playful; the second princess chose "blueberry," her small blue headdress making her look like a sweet and juicy fruit; and Yongle became "mango," her golden headdress perfectly matching her sunny and cheerful personality.

Several princesses also joined the fray, each carrying a fruit. Princess Wen, wearing a pear headdress, smiled gently, "My pears are very fragile, so please don't get too excited." Princess Duan, wearing an orange headdress, said energetically, "I'm sure I'll be the fastest!" Princess An, wearing a dragon fruit headdress, wasn't to be outdone: "I may look prickly, but I have a soft heart, and I won't be easily eliminated!"

The eldest princess's consort drew a kiwi, confidently declaring, "I'm quite the nimble little devil!" The second princess's consort wore a lychee headdress, while Emperor Yongchang drew a longan, and Ouyang Han drew a mangosteen. The Empress, pregnant, sat to the side as referee, watching the competition with Chen Mengyao. Chen Mengyao's grandparents and maternal grandparents were also seated on the sidelines, their faces beaming. She even took out her phone, ready to record this joyful moment.

As everyone donned their headdresses, Chen Mengyao gave the order: "The game begins!" The entire courtyard instantly erupted in cheers and shouts.

"Apple squat, apple squat, apple squat, then banana squat!" King Wen spoke first, his voice loud and powerful, his movements standard and precise, as if he had practiced it many times before.

Prince Duan immediately chimed in, "Banana squat, banana squat, banana squat, then watermelon squat!" His squatting motion was slightly clumsy, and he almost slipped on his bottom, causing everyone to burst into laughter. He himself couldn't help but laugh, "Oops, my banana slipped and I almost lost my balance!"

Just as everyone was waiting for "Watermelon's" response, they realized that there was no such role available today. Chen Mengyao jokingly reminded them, "We don't have Watermelon, let's choose someone else!" So, "Banana" reassigned, "Then... Blueberry Squat!"

"Blueberry squat, blueberry squat, blueberry squat, then strawberry squat!" The second princess's voice was clear and crisp, and her movements were as light as a swallow, just like a nimble little bird.

"Strawberry squat, strawberry squat, strawberry squat, then mango squat!" Prince An followed closely behind, completing the instructions crisply and efficiently.

"Mango squat, mango squat, after mango squat, grape squat!" Yongle shouted as he squatted, his face beaming with a bright smile.

"Grape squat, grape squat, after grape squat, pear squat!" The eldest princess turned to look at Princess Pear, who smiled slightly and quickly continued, "Pear squat, pear squat, after pear squat, orange squat!"

As the game's pace quickened, everyone's reactions became increasingly agile. Some people, in their nervousness, called out the wrong names; for example, a princess blurted out "pineapple squat" in a panic, resulting in her being eliminated. Others couldn't keep up with the rhythm and were eliminated before they could even stand up after squatting down.

"Kiwi squat, kiwi squat, after kiwi squat, dragon fruit squat!" Upon hearing this, the dragon fruit princess immediately squatted down, but because her headdress was too big, she lost her balance and almost stumbled, causing the whole audience to burst into laughter.

"Who's next after Dragon Fruit? Hmm... Orange!" She pointed to Princess Orange, who reacted quickly and immediately replied, "Orange squats, orange squats, orange squats..." She suddenly stopped, unable to say the next name for several seconds, and finally had to admit defeat.

After several rounds of intense competition, only four remained on the field: King Wen, King Duan, the Second Princess, and Princess Huolongguo. The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, with everyone holding their breath, afraid of missing any command.

"Apple squat, apple squat, after apple squat, blueberry squat!" King Wen called out calmly.

"Blueberry squat, blueberry squat, blueberry squat, then dragon fruit squat!" the second princess responded crisply.

"Dragon fruit squat, dragon fruit squat..." Before the Dragon Fruit Queen could finish speaking, she called out the wrong name because she was too hasty: "After dragon fruit squat, pineapple squat!" Everyone burst into laughter: "There is no pineapple!" She had no choice but to leave the stage helplessly.

In the end, King Wen was the victor. He removed his headdress and waved triumphantly to everyone: "It seems that my apple is not only bright in color, but also quite clever!" Everyone applauded and congratulated him, and laughter rose and fell, turning the entire courtyard into a sea of ​​joy.

At this moment, the solemnity and etiquette of the palace seemed to be cast aside, replaced by pure joy and warmth. Amidst this laughter, kinship, friendship, and tenderness flowed quietly, painting a heartwarming picture.

After finishing the fruit squatting game, everyone took a sip of water and rested for about fifteen minutes before starting the second game—back-to-back ball carrying. Chen Mengyao stood in the center of the group, cleared her throat, and loudly explained the rules: "Two people form a group, holding a balloon between their backs, and walk from the starting point to the finish line. You can't use your hands to hold the balloon; if it falls, you have to start over." She paused, then added, "This game tests not only teamwork but also tacit understanding and patience."

After explaining the rules, she stepped aside, not participating as a referee. The Queen, due to health reasons, was contentedly stroking her slightly protruding belly and naturally didn't join the game either. Chen Mengyao's grandparents, being elderly, also said, "Just watch you young people play," and sat aside, smiling as they watched.

Next, members of each group took their turn. The Wenwang family, the Anwang couple, the Duanwang family, the eldest princess family, the second princess and her husband, as well as Yongle and Zhao Wei, all enthusiastically signed up. Ouyang Han teamed up with Emperor Yongchang; the two standing together attracted considerable attention. Ouyang Han was tall and slender, with a calm expression; Emperor Yongchang, though a ruler, set aside his dignity during the game, wearing a smile and walking with a steady gait.

The competition began, and the first group was Prince An and his wife. They carefully held the balloon between their fingers, but after only a few steps, Prince An accidentally stepped too heavily, and the balloon fell to the ground with a "plop," causing the crowd to burst into laughter. "Oh dear, I was wrong, I was wrong!" Prince An scratched his head sheepishly, quickly picked up the balloon, and started again.

The other teams also delivered spectacular performances: some teams made frequent mistakes due to inconsistent strides, while others faltered at crucial moments, causing the onlookers to burst into laughter. Despite this, no one gave up; instead, they became more determined with each setback, making the atmosphere even more enthusiastic. Every team that successfully reached the finish line was met with cheers, and the losing teams were not discouraged, all expressing their determination to try again.

"Let's do it again!" Prince Duan said, patting his chest, his tone filled with a defiant spirit.

"Yes, that was just a warm-up." Princess Duan nodded with a smile, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Unexpectedly, it was Ouyang Han and Emperor Yongchang who successfully dribbled the ball to the finish line. To everyone's surprise, their seamless teamwork and steady play earned them a standing ovation. The other princes and princesses applauded enthusiastically, the applause ringing out like a tidal wave, a testament to their skill and a heartfelt appreciation for this seemingly mismatched yet surprisingly harmonious partnership. The atmosphere on the field became even more enthusiastic, filled with laughter and a touch of unexpected joy and emotion.

The third game was a combination of fun jigsaw puzzles and idiom chain games. Everyone sat around a large round table, on which were several unfinished jigsaw puzzle sets, and next to them was a piece of paper with the idioms they had just chained together. The jigsaw puzzles varied in content, including landscapes, portraits, and cartoon images; each set was ingeniously designed and quite challenging.

This time, everyone participated, including the Wenwang family, the Anwang couple, the Duanwang family, the Yongchang Emperor's family, the eldest princess's family, the second princess and her husband, as well as Yongle and Zhao Wei. Ouyang Han and Chen Mengyao served as referees, responsible for supervising the progress of the puzzle and ensuring the idiom chain game was compliant. Chen Mengyao's grandparents also enthusiastically joined in the puzzle-solving, and although they were a bit slow, their seriousness was undiminished.

After the game started, everyone worked on the puzzle while playing a word-chain game. "Taking the lead," the eldest princess said first, her tone firm and her eyes full of confidence.

“First impressions matter,” Prince An followed up with a crisp and decisive response.

“Clear distinction between primary and secondary!” Prince Duan retorted immediately, not to be outdone.

"A keen eye for detail!" Emperor Yongchang replied calmly, his voice not loud, but resounding.

“Absolutely perfect!” Yongle quickly replied, a smug smile spreading across his face.

"Feeling completely lost!" Zhao Wei exclaimed, a hint of nervousness on his face, as if worried that he had said something wrong.

"We missed our chance!" King Wen spoke slowly, his tone calm, as if he had already made up his mind.

"Within a finger's reach!" Ouyang Han smiled lightly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd as if he were appreciating this contest of wits and reflexes.

Everyone chimed in, racking their brains to come up with suitable idioms that both fit the rules and made it difficult for the others to continue the conversation. Meanwhile, the jigsaw puzzle was gradually being completed, and each time a piece found its correct place, everyone would let out a small cheer.

“This piece should be here!” Chen Mengyao’s grandmother said excitedly, pointing to an empty space.

"Yes, yes, yes! Put it up quickly!" Chen Mengyao's grandfather urged, full of anticipation like a child.

"This picture seems to be one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake, right?" Yongle guessed as he pieced together the picture.

“It should be ‘Spring Dawn on the Su Causeway’.” Ouyang Han nodded in confirmation, then turned to look at the direction of the idiom chain game, “Whose turn is it now?”

“It’s me,” the second princess replied with a smile. “Then I’ll say ‘a hair’s breadth’.”

"Amazing!" Everyone applauded and praised.

This activity not only honed thinking skills but also enhanced teamwork. Some were responsible for finding puzzle pieces, others for observing the overall layout, and still others for playing the idiom chain game. Everyone utilized their strengths, and their teamwork became increasingly seamless.

Time flew by unnoticed, laughter and chatter mingling together to create a warm and joyful atmosphere. Chen Mengyao watched this scene, her heart filled with delight. She hadn't expected that a few simple games could ignite such engagement and happiness among everyone.

“I think this game can continue,” she whispered to Ouyang Han. “Next time we can change some new puzzle themes, or increase the difficulty.”

Ouyang Han smiled and said softly, "As long as everyone is happy."

As the sun sets, golden sunlight spills onto everyone's faces, reflecting warm smiles. At this moment, there are no distinctions of status or position, only pure laughter and companionship. On this ordinary yet special day, everyone's hearts seem to draw closer together.

Within the palace walls, the normally solemn and majestic halls were now filled with laughter and joy. Sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating everyone's faces and highlighting their happy smiles. At this moment, the palace was no longer a lofty symbol of power, but a paradise brimming with warmth and joy. Here, there was no distinction of status or wealth, only pure happiness and companionship.

After the game ended, everyone was still eager for more and suggested playing other games next time. Looking at everyone's satisfied expressions, Chen Mengyao felt incredibly gratified. She knew that this game was more than just simple entertainment; it was a spiritual exchange and an emotional uplift. In this brief moment, everyone let down their guard, put aside their worries, and truly enjoyed the pleasure of being together.