Extra 2
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In the winter of the fifth year of Jihe, the second prince of Bei’an Dynasty was born.
On the day of his birth, dozens of cranes lingered in the sky above the Daoqian Hall for a long time, which was considered a marvel. The Qintian Observatory regarded this as an auspicious sign, claiming that it was a great omen, indicating that heavenly blessings would come and a prosperous era would arrive. Emperor Chao Yuan was overjoyed and immediately ordered the chief scribe to draft an edict and issued a general amnesty.
Due to the birth of the prince, the Emperor’s health was weak, so the court meetings were suspended for a month. During this period, Marquis Wuwei was appointed to oversee the government, and the Cabinet was responsible for all matters.
As the sun inclined westward, the vermilion palace gates creaked open, and a carriage passed through and quickly disappeared in the direction of the rear hall.
This winter was a warm one, and a row of old willows along the palace walls had already sprouted new buds ahead of time, adding a sense of vitality to the desolate scenery.
Dressed in a smart and neat outfit, Ni Ying jumped down from the carriage and walked briskly into the palace gate. Along the way, there were continuous greetings from palace maids and court ladies. Ni Ying waved her hand, heading towards the direction of the Daoqian Hall.
Upon entering the inner hall, she was greeted by the senior palace maid Ruyi, who wore a worried expression. Seeing Ni Ying, Ruyi’s furrowed brows eased, and she curtsied gracefully and softly greeted, “Greetings, Princess.”
Seeing Ruyi’s troubled expression, Ni Ying knew that it had been several days like this. The Emperor was still unwilling to entrust the second prince to others for care. She sighed inwardly but didn’t show it on her face, maintaining her composure and said, “You may leave for now. I will go inside to check.”
Of course, this was not in accordance with the rules, but Ruyi was always clever and knew the special status of the Qinghe Princess in the Emperor’s eyes. She smiled, bowed, and then retreated.
As Ni Ying entered the inner chamber, a warm fragrance greeted her. Water droplets dotted the timekeeping device on the table, and a light mist curled around the beast-headed golden censer. The bedroom was peaceful and serene. Through the thin gauze curtains, Ni Ying saw the figure on the bed, the ruler of the country. He had disheveled black hair, and half of his handsome face was buried in the bedding. He seemed to be sleeping exhaustedly. In his arms, he cradled a baby who was also peacefully asleep. This was his and his brother’s second child, born delicate and adorable, but like the Emperor, possessing a dual-gender body.
Nowadays, the world is no longer like before. intersexuality. is no longer a taboo subject that everyone avoids discussing. More and more intersexual individuals are experiencing circumstances similar to those of cisgender individuals. For example, the second-place scholar in the Jihe Examination of the third year of Jihuo is also of intersexuality. Although the deeply rooted misconceptions about intersexuality cannot be completely eradicated, people are gradually letting go of their biases against intersexual individuals in this trend.
Recalling the efforts His Majesty has invested in this matter, Ni Ying’s heart ached and throbbed. The hardships he endured are gradually fading away in this world, yet wounds will always be wounds. Even if there comes a day of healing, the unsightly scars will still remain, and they will continue to remind him, especially during midnight dreams, to repeatedly relive that pain.
Ni Ying remembered when His Majesty had just given birth to the second prince. It was his accompanying older brother who first noticed the anomaly on the second prince’s body. He remained composed and discreetly instructed the nurse to clean the baby. At that moment, Ni Ying, who was waiting outside, also caught a glimpse of the difference between the second prince and a normal infant. Her initial reaction was a pang of heartache, and she couldn’t help but glance towards His Majesty.
After His Majesty, who had gone through the ordeal of childbirth, gradually regained his composure, his keen and perceptive nature had long seen through Ni Ying’s efforts to conceal her emotions. However, his demeanor remained calm. He simply gestured to Ni Ying, beckoning her to bring the cleaned baby closer. He gently uncovered the swaddling clothes and observed the differences in the baby that set him apart from a typical child. He didn’t say anything, just offered a faint smile. He bent his finger to softly touch the rosy face of the second prince and whispered, “You silly child.”
He chuckled again, saying, “Oh, you silly child.”
He smiled and closed his eyes. Giving birth to this child had truly drained much of his energy. He appeared extremely weary; even his usually ruddy lips had lost their color. He only tilted his head against the pale neck, burying his face into his elder brother’s embrace.
Observing that he showed no signs of discomfort, Ni Ying let out a sigh of relief. She quickly went about preparing the celebration for the second prince’s birth. Naturally, the Imperial Observatory also made some subtle gestures symbolizing auspicious signs under her guidance.
Regardless of the circumstances, this child born through the Emperor’s countless hardships would undoubtedly be the revered Second Prince in the hearts of the people of Bei’an.
After being officially registered, the Second Prince was given the name Li Xuanci. The Crown Prince, Li Xuanjing, who was already six years old, held deep affection for his only younger brother. Every time he returned from the Imperial College, he couldn’t wait to rush to Daoqian Hall to see his little brother.
Yet the Emperor only lay on the bed, embracing the bedding, watching his two brothers with occasional smiles that revealed his contentment.
Everything seemed so beautiful on the surface.
However, it was only later that Ni Ying discovered that appearances were deceiving. Everything was not as peaceful as it seemed. The Emperor’s concern for the Second Prince had reached almost an obsessive level. Apart from a few close individuals, he adamantly refused to let anyone else touch his child. He wouldn’t allow the child to be out of his sight either. He guarded his child like a vigilant mother beast, protective and watchful.
For the Second Prince, his affection seemed to border on obsession. The Emperor often leaned over the cradle’s side, gazing at his child with a focused and tender expression. He rocked the cradle gently, humming sweet melodies under his breath. It was as though he was every caring parent in the world, nurturing their child. The soft candlelight cast a delicate glow on his snowy complexion, creating a gentle radiance.
So, he poured out nearly all of his tenderness.
Nie Ying had worried that he was burdening himself too much and had even considered seeking help from his elder brother to advise him. However, to her surprise, his elder brother hadn’t uttered a word of advice. Instead, he simply shared in the responsibility, caring for the child alongside the Emperor. Despite their vast wealth and power, when it came to raising their child, they were like common folk, personally nurturing and showering the child with affection.
This display of affection between his elder brother and the Emperor was something Ni Ying couldn’t fully comprehend, yet she often felt a tinge of envy.
“A Ying?” A familiar and deep voice from behind interrupted her reverie.
The person who spoke was none other than Ni Lie, who had returned from the imperial court. Despite his commanding presence and his usual seriousness, this ruler who held power over the land had also used his strong arms to cradle the delicate infant, providing careful care.
Ni Lie quickly noticed the glistening tears in Nie Ying’s eyes, though he didn’t point them out. He cleared his throat lightly and said, “It’s late. Go back now.”
Ni Ying took a deep breath, shifting her emotions, and smiled, “Alright, I’ll come back tomorrow.”
Could gentle moments slowly dissolve all wounds? That was what Ni Ying hoped for.
Ni Lie tossed his cloak to a waiting palace attendant, hastily entering the inner chamber. He first examined the person on the bed, then moved to the warm furnace to warm himself before gently turning over onto the bed.
The person on the bed, half-awake, opened his eyes and looked at him. The corners of his mouth unconsciously carried a hint of playfulness, “A Lie…”
He rubbed their rough palm against his hand and drifted back into sleep with a sense of reassurance.
Ni Lie lowered his head and smelled the faint fragrance on his body. A calm and tender feeling settled in his heart. He spread his arms wide, embracing his beloved, his child, both held close in his embrace.
It was a gentle and peaceful night.
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The second baby is her, but poor LYM is surely super stressed and terrified right now :<
Thank You for the new chapter (o´〰`o)♡✲ﾟ*｡
Hmm😅😅😅
Thank u for this chp 💃🏾💃🏾