Chapter 13
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The entire court fell silent at this question.
The affairs of the harem and the court were closely linked. Any changes in the harem were well-known to the court.
For instance, Concubine Ling and Consort Li had been demoted, the Seventh Prince, who had no mother and had always been inconspicuous, was now being raised by Noble Consort Yi, and Emperor Ling’s attitude toward the Seventh Prince was unclear.
Murong Feng, having a daughter as a Noble Consort, knew more about the palace affairs than others. He knew his daughter wanted to raise the Seventh Prince.
However, he didn’t answer directly. He bowed and respectfully said, “Your Majesty, this minister is not well-versed in harem affairs. As to which Consort is suitable to raise the Seventh Prince, this minister does not know.”
Though Murong Feng was a military man, he was also intelligent.
He wouldn’t foolishly claim his daughter wanted to raise the Seventh Prince at this moment.
Emperor Ling gave him a deep look but didn’t press further. Just then, another official spoke up: “Your Majesty, I have heard that before entering the palace, Consort Mei was known as the most talented woman in the country. If she were to raise the Seventh Prince, surely she could cultivate his talents.”
Consort Mei was quite a unique figure in the harem.
She kept to herself and didn’t interact with the other Consorts. Ever since the emperor excused her from morning greetings to the empress, she had stayed in her palace, rarely venturing out.
She had planted a vast array of plum trees, claiming to love their purity.
She composed many poems about plums, one of which, “Ode to the Plum,” was highly favored by Emperor Ling.
“Consort Mei indeed has a gentle nature, making her suitable to raise the Seventh Prince,” Emperor Ling remarked softly.
Although he said this, he did not proceed to decree the transfer of the Seventh Prince to Consort Mei.
That day, after the morning court session, Consort Mei’s mother came to visit her in the palace.
Emperor Ling seemed indifferent to their meeting and even appeared unconcerned with Consort Mei herself. After the court session, he returned to Chengming Hall and sat by the bed, calling to the little one who was still lying in bed.
“Little Seven, still not awake?”
Emperor Ling lifted the quilt and patted the little one’s bottom: “The sun is up, and you’re still not getting up?”
The little one, Ling Rui, with his eyes closed, wriggled forward a bit.
Seeing this, Emperor Ling laughed and picked him up: “Alright, stop sleeping. I’ll take you to Fenghua Palace for breakfast.”
Upon hearing about breakfast, Ling Rui, who was still sleepy, perked up his little ears.
With one hand holding him and the other taking the clothes handed by a maid, Emperor Ling slowly listed the breakfast items.
As he listed them, the little one opened his eyes.
“Daddy.”
The little one, now awake, rubbed his eyes without any grumpiness and said in a soft voice, “Time for breakfast.”
Emperor Ling acknowledged with a hum and continued dressing him.
Having dressed him a few times now, Emperor Ling was becoming quite proficient.
Soon, Ling Rui was all set and off the bed.
He lifted his little face, waiting for Emperor Ling to wash his face and hands.
Once everything was ready, the two headed to Fenghua Palace.
As soon as they entered Fenghua Palace, Ling Rui struggled and wriggled, wanting Emperor Ling to put him down.
He ran inside on his short little legs like a small cannonball, shouting, “Niang Niang! I’m home!”
“I heard you. You’re going to deafen me,” Noble Consort Yi said as she walked out and bent down to catch the little cannonball.
“Niang Niang, sleepy?”
Ling Rui, sitting in Noble Consort Yi’s arms, looked up at her with his bright, round eyes and asked earnestly.
Yesterday, Noble Consort Yi slept for so long that Ling Rui became confused about her sleep schedule.
Noble Consort Yi didn’t explain, simply replying, “Not sleepy anymore.”
Perhaps because they hadn’t seen each other for a night, Ling Rui, who was personally certified as a little clingy child by Noble Consort Yi, clung to her even more tightly, wanting her to hold him even while eating.
Noble Consort Yi was dissatisfied. “You’re so big now; you should eat by yourself.”
Ling Rui shook his little head, holding onto Noble Consort Yi without letting go.
He said righteously, “I’m little.”
He was small, so he could eat while being held by Noble Consort Yi.
Such a clingy child made Noble Consort Yi very annoyed.
However, when breakfast was served, Ling Rui, wearing his bib and holding a spoon in his little hand, still sat on Noble Consort Yi’s lap.
“Delicious!”
Ling Rui was always the biggest fan of the food from the small kitchen.
He ate with big mouthfuls, happily swinging his little feet.
With his enthusiasm, both Noble Consort Yi and Emperor Ling ended up eating quite a bit.
After the meal, Ling Rui was carried out to play by Cuixi.
Emperor Ling, holding Noble Consort Yi, found the atmosphere particularly warm and intimate without the little one disturbing them.
“Yi Er.”
Emperor Ling’s large hand encircled Noble Consort Yi’s slender waist as he spoke softly to her. “Governor Mao Dong from the east gifted a batch of horses, among which is a chestnut horse that looks very much like the one you used to have. When I saw it, I was reminded of the first time I met you.”
“You were sitting on the horse, waving a whip, your smile bright and vivid.”
“I stood there, mesmerized.”
Emperor Ling softly reminisced about the past with Noble Consort Yi, not adopting the demeanor of an emperor, but rather like an ordinary husband speaking fondly to his beloved.
Noble Consort Yi felt a warmth in her heart. She leaned against Emperor Ling, her tone also becoming gentle.
The two of them shared a moment of tenderness for quite a while before Emperor Ling reluctantly left.
Before leaving, Emperor Ling held her hand and said, “Wait for me. I’ll come to you tonight.”
Noble Consort Yi smiled and nodded.
For two consecutive days, Emperor Ling stayed in Noble Consort Yi’s palace, and it seemed he intended to continue staying there.
With Emperor Ling there, naturally, Ling Rui couldn’t sleep with Noble Consort Yi.
“Yan Yan.”
In the middle of the night, Ling Rui woke up and couldn’t find Noble Consort Yi, his little mouth quivering, his eyes welling with tears. “I want to find Niang Niang.”
He wanted to find Niang Niang.
Ji Yan, who was by his bedside, lit a candle as soon as he woke up.
She comforted him gently, “Niang Niang is resting with His Majesty. Seventh Prince, sleep a little longer, and you’ll see Niang Niang when you wake up.”
Ling Rui’s tears fell.
He clutched the blanket with his small hands, his pretty face wet with tears, looking pitiful in the candlelight.
“Does Niang Niang not want me?”
“No, no.”
Ji Yan, holding a handkerchief, tenderly wiped his tears. “How could Niang Niang not want our Seventh Prince? Our Seventh Prince is so adorable; Niang Niang loves you very much.”
Ji Yan knew better than anyone how much Noble Consort Yi loved the little prince.
To ensure the little prince slept well, Noble Consort Yi had specifically put him to sleep before going to accompany His Majesty.
Under Ji Yan’s soothing words, Ling Rui lay back down.
His eyes were red as he looked at Ji Yan, seeking confirmation, “Does Niang Niang love me?”
“Yes.”
Ji Yan tucked him in gently and firmly. “Niang Niang loves you, and so do I.”
With Ji Yan by his side, Ling Rui closed his eyes and finally fell back asleep.
The next day.
After Emperor Ling left, Ji Yan informed Noble Consort Yi in detail about the little prince’s restless sleep the night before.
Noble Consort Yi frowned, pondering for a long time.
“Niang Niang, the Seventh Prince isn’t trying to disturb you on purpose. He’s just young and—”
“I know he’s young and can’t be left alone.”
Before Ji Yan could finish, Noble Consort Yi interrupted her. “I’m wondering why His Majesty has been coming so frequently lately.”
It was true that Emperor Ling favored her greatly, but his recent visits were unusually frequent compared to before.
Noble Consort Yi furrowed her brows, growing more and more suspicious.
“Forget it. Has Little Seven woken up? I’ll go check on him.”
“Not yet.”
Ji Yan helped Noble Consort Yi change her clothes and then accompanied her to the side hall.
Ling Rui had been staying in the side hall for the past two days.
“If he wakes up in the middle of the night and cries again, come get me.”
Noble Consort Yi, after sitting down, immediately noticed the little one’s red eyelids.
She reached out and touched him, her brows knitting tighter, her tone becoming more severe. “Even if His Majesty is here, you must come.”
Ji Yan: “…”
Ji Yan was momentarily stunned but then replied, “Yes.”
For a moment, Ji Yan felt that the usually loving Noble Consort Yi seemed to show a trace of impatience towards His Majesty.
This was unbelievable.
After all, Noble Consort Yi had once defied her family’s wishes to insist on being with His Majesty.
Time passed slowly.
When Ling Rui woke up, rubbing his eyes, the first thing he saw was Noble Consort Yi by his bedside.
“Niang Niang!”
Ling Rui’s eyes lit up instantly. He sat up joyfully, reaching out his small hands for Noble Consort Yi to hold him.
Noble Consort Yi lifted him by his small bottom and held him in her arms.
“I heard there’s a little crybaby in the palace who cries every night. Little Seven, do you know this little crybaby?”
Ling Rui: “…”
Ling Rui’s little face turned red.
He buried his flushed face in Noble Consort Yi’s neck, softly denying, “I’m not a crybaby.”
He didn’t want to be a crybaby.
“I just wanted to find Niang Niang, but Niang Niang was sleeping.”
Ling Rui explained the reason for his nighttime fussiness, holding onto Noble Consort Yi tightly, as if afraid of being left alone to sleep again.
Noble Consort Yi looked down at the little one in her arms, knowing his reliance on her far exceeded anyone else’s.
“Little clingy one.”
Noble Consort Yi said as she kissed the soft, chubby cheek of her little clingy one.
With Noble Consort Yi accompanying him, Ling Rui’s mood quickly brightened.
Since Emperor Ling wasn’t around during the day, Ling Rui could play with Noble Consort Yi for most of the day.
The two played in the backyard, and as they played, Noble Consort Yi stopped.
She squatted down, touching Ling Rui’s ear and asked, “Does it itch here?”
The little one had been scratching his ear quite a bit, but after examining him, she found both his ears were perfectly fine.
“It itches.”
Ling Rui scratched his ear again, not knowing why it felt uncomfortable.
Not just his ears, but other places also felt a bit strange, and all these changes started after he slept in his daddy’s place.
Noble Consort Yi, still concerned, had Ji Yan call for the imperial physician.
The physician thoroughly examined Ling Rui but found nothing wrong.
After the physician left, Noble Consort Yi was still contemplating whether to have a doctor from outside the palace take a look.
Before she could decide, the chubby Ling Fu came over to find Ling Rui.
“Little Seven! Come out and play!”
The chubby one waved at Ling Rui, wanting to take him out to play.
Noble Consort Yi didn’t stop the two little ones from going out to play.
With her permission, the chubby one took Ling Rui outside. “Little Seven, have you decided on a birthday gift for Fifth Sister?”
Ling Rui: “…”
Ling Rui answered honestly, “Not yet.”
He was trying hard to think of something, but after thinking all day, he still couldn’t come up with anything.
“I have a great idea for a gift! Little Seven, we can take Fifth Sister out of the palace. She mentioned she really wants to see the outside!”
As Ling Fu spoke, he excitedly patted Ling Rui’s shoulder, but his chubby hand was a bit heavy, causing Ling Rui to fall on his bottom.
“Hey! Little Seven, I didn’t mean to!”
Ling Fu hurriedly helped Ling Rui up and patted the dust off his clothes. “Does your bottom hurt?”
Ling Rui shook his head good-naturedly. “No.”
It didn’t hurt much.
Though he said it didn’t hurt, Ling Fu still felt guilty and wanted to pull down Ling Rui’s pants to check.
Ling Rui tightly clutched his pants, not letting him.
“Sixth Brother, no!”
Ling Rui held onto his pants, almost crying.
Just as his little pants were about to be pulled down, a clear, ethereal voice rang out.
“Little Six, stop.”
The chubby one was stopped in time, and Ling Rui, who had saved his pants, looked up to see a Consort in a plain palace dress.
“Consort Mei.”
The chubby one looked up and greeted the newcomer.
“Little Seven, this is Consort Mei. Greet her.” The chubby one tugged at Ling Rui, urging him to greet her.
The two little ones saluted Consort Mei.
Ling Rui held Ling Fu’s hand, feeling that Consort Mei had been looking at him since the beginning.
He felt a bit like running away from her gaze.
“Sixth Brother, let’s go.” Ling Rui shook Ling Fu’s hand, whispering.
Ling Fu, holding his hand, was about to agree when Consort Mei spoke again. “Little Six, Little Seven, come with me. I just made some plum blossom cakes.”
Her tone was commanding, not a request.
The two little ones were momentarily stunned but then followed Consort Mei.
Ling Fu understood more than Ling Rui. He knew that Consort Mei was favored in the palace and that they should not offend her.
Ling Rui, following his Sixth Brother, did whatever he did.
As the two little ones walked forward, Ji Yan, sensing something was wrong, stepped forward. She greeted Consort Mei with a smile.
After the greeting, she shielded Ling Rui behind her and said, “Consort Mei, please forgive me. The Seventh Prince is still recuperating and needs to take his medicine in the afternoon.”
“It’s time for his medicine, and I need to take him back.”
Though she made an excuse, Consort Mei said calmly, “The medicine can wait. Little Six, Little Seven, follow me.”
“Consort Mei, the Seventh Prince—”
Ji Yan tried to speak again, but Consort Mei’s cold gaze indicated she would not yield.
Ji Yan had no choice but to step aside.
As she stepped back, she glanced at Cuixi.
The next moment, Cuixi lowered her head and turned to leave.
The walk to Consort Mei’s palace was long, and Ling Rui got tired.
He looked at his Sixth Brother, who seemed unable to carry him.
“Seventh Prince, let me carry you.”
Ji Yan bent down, picked up Ling Rui, and wiped the sweat from his little face.
Ling Rui clung to her, letting her wipe his face.
Consort Mei, glancing sideways at this scene, frowned slightly.
This Seventh Prince seemed difficult to raise.
Soon, they arrived at Consort Mei’s palace.
Consort Mei had a lot of pastries brought in. The pastries in her palace were indeed good, paired with fruit wine, and the little ones kept picking up piece after piece.
Ji Yan was sent away and couldn’t enter Consort Mei’s bedchamber.
With no one else around, Consort Mei watched the two little ones eating pastries, her attention focused solely on Ling Rui.
“Little Seven, do you like Noble Consort Yi?”
“Yes.” Ling Rui answered without hesitation, cheeks puffed with food.
Consort Mei looked at him and continued to ask, “What do you like about her?”
“She’s nice.”
To Ling Rui, Noble Consort Yi was the best in the world!
Consort Mei pondered, “Do you like how she treats you well? That’s easy.”
She looked at Ling Rui, her tone calm. “Little Seven, what do you want most right now?”
Noble Consort Yi gave it, and she can give it too.
Ling Rui looked up, slightly confused.
He didn’t know why Consort Mei suddenly asked this, but he instinctively answered, “Now, I want a gift. With Fifth Sister, go out, to the outside.”
Sixth Brother just said it, said he needed to give a gift to Fifth Sister.
Fifth Sister wants to go out of the palace to play, they should think of ways to take her out.
Talking about going out of the palace, Ling Rui himself also wanted to go out.
The last time he talked to Ah Wu, Ling Rui also heard Ah Wu say he had made preparations outside the palace.
Ling Rui wanted to know what Ah Wu had prepared.
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