After everyone sat down, the banquet began.
Now all the children came.
Naturally, I came here to pay my respects to Ning Chen.
So, the eldest princess brought the seven children to pay their respects together.
But here the difference of the Fourth Prince was particularly highlighted, because he did not call him "Father" but "Dad".
The second princess hurriedly corrected him, "Fourth brother, you should call me father."
The Fourth Prince was a little dazed, but still stubbornly called out "Dad" again.
Seeing that the second princess was getting anxious, Ning Chen quickly spoke with a smile.
"It's okay. The Fourth Prince is still young, so there's no need to be bound by these etiquettes. You all can sit down."
The older children went to stay next to their mother.
The Fourth Prince was stunned, but Bai Zhu picked him up and stepped aside.
"I think the Fourth Prince is so adorable. Ming Zhaoyuan is really good at raising children. The Second Prince has always been gentle since he was young, and he has never been so lively. After enlightenment, he has become even more reserved and strict in front of me."
Concubine Jingde spoke with a smile, her expression full of envy.
The Concubine Shu snorted, "Although it's a good thing for children to be lively, the royal family values rules and they must be taught from a young age to prevent them from developing bad tempers in the future. Concubine De, don't learn everything."
This is also a veiled criticism.
But no mother could tolerate someone using their child's affairs as a weapon, especially since Ye Jun was a protective person.
So his eyes immediately darkened.
But surprisingly, Ning Chen spoke first.
"The Second Prince is kind and gentle, and a good child. Jing'er is just young and naughty, but he will be fine when he grows up. Although they were born in the royal family, they are my blood and flesh. It is a good thing for the children to be close to me. Why not call them father and mother in private?"
"Shufei, you have raised the eldest princess very well. She is well-educated and well-mannered. But she is only eight years old and is too quiet. She lacks the liveliness of a child. You must take her out to play more often in the future. Remember not to raise the third princess to be too introverted."
After saying this, Concubine Shu nodded in response with embarrassment.
But this is a very gentle way of speaking.
After all, the children are all here, and the eight-year-old princess is already sensible enough. Concubine Shu cannot lose face in front of the children.
After this incident, no one else dared to cause trouble again, and the birthday party went relatively smoothly.
The banquet was over, and the Fourth Prince was so sleepy that his wet nurse took him downstairs to take a nap.
Similarly, Ye Jun was too tired to move.
When he entered the inner room, he leaned on the small couch by the window, picked up a pillow and leaned against it without moving.
"Are you that tired?"
Ning Chen looked at her amusedly and sat down next to her.
"It's natural to be tired after putting on a smiling face for more than an hour. Fortunately, I treated the guests myself this time, so I had a full meal." Ye Jun said with little strength.
The banquet was held out of necessity, and one had to take the trouble to maintain a temporary superficial harmony.
It's a lot of trouble.
Ning Chen held her hand and said, "If you want to rest, at least change your clothes first. Be good and lie down later."
A certain lazy goblin was pulled up very unwillingly, and was half-carried into the inner room to change into regular clothes.
After going in with her, Ning Chen simply changed his clothes.
He often comes to Zhaochunxuan, where several sets are prepared.
Ye Jun changed first and went out. When Ning Chen came out, he saw a scene that he would never forget in his life.
The woman's beautiful eyes were half closed, and she was leaning on the pillow as lazy as a cat, with her waist half-lying casually, and a freshly opened book at hand.
The warm yellow sunlight in the afternoon shines through the lattice windows, casting a faint halo on the soft outline.
The combination of cuteness and seductiveness is just right in this woman. Even when she is wearing a simple aquamarine dress, she can still make people's hearts melt.
"Your Majesty, please read a book with me. I don't feel like taking a nap."
Hearing him coming out, Ye Jun raised his eyes and said softly.
Ning Chen didn't say anything, but the tenderness in his eyes was obvious.
He walked silently to the small couch, held the person in his arms and leaned against him.
"Your Majesty, look, this book describes mountain waterfalls and desert sunsets, which I have never seen. But I was fortunate enough to see the grassland with Your Majesty." Ye Jun spoke as if chatting.
Ning Chen rubbed the top of her head with his chin, squinting his eyes in satisfaction, "When I go out of the palace for inspection in the future, I will take you to see it."
"Then Your Majesty, please do not break your promise. I have a good memory and will remember it for the rest of my life."
"Okay, I won't break my promise."
In the low chat, the man's voice gradually became quiet.
Ye Jun hadn't noticed yet and was busy flipping through the travel notes in his hand.
It was not until Huiyue brought a blanket and gave her a hint with her eyes that she realized Ning Chen had fallen asleep.
"Zhaoyuan, do you want to go in and sleep?" Huiyue lowered her voice.
Ye Jun shook his head gently, "No, just lie here for a while."
Huiyue responded, covered them with a blanket, turned around and closed the window before leaving.
While the two of them were taking a nap, Wan Xiuyi appeared in the Cining Palace with the eldest prince.
"The eldest prince said he missed the Empress Dowager, so I brought him to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager." Wan bowed with a smile.
The eldest prince who was following her also bowed politely.
"Grandson pays respects to the Imperial Grandmother."
The six-year-old eldest prince has become much more sensible this year. One reason is that Concubine Wan has really taken good care to educate him, and the other is that he has been moved around a lot at such a young age. Even the most naughty child is still young after all, so he knows to be well-behaved.
The Queen Mother smiled and waved, "Come, come closer and let me take a look. Rong'er seems to have grown taller. Wan Xiuyi, you have taken great care of her."
"I am the eldest prince's mother, so I naturally have to take good care of him. Besides, the eldest prince is well-behaved and sensible. He was fine when he was with the queen mother. It's all because of those bad people that they have dragged down the eldest prince's reputation."
Wan Xiuyi curled her lips slightly.
And the people she was referring to were nothing more than the other people who had raised the eldest prince.
These words pleased the Empress Dowager very much, and she began to look at Lady Wan with more favor.
"You are still sensible, Fuzhi, give Wan Xiuyi a seat and get a cushion for her to lean on. The weather is getting colder, so she needs to keep warm."
"Thank you, Queen Mother." Wan bowed.
After sitting down, Wan Xiuyi started to chat, "Today is Ming Zhaoyuan's birthday. It's very lively. The princes and princesses are all here. The children are all very lively. I think you, the Empress Dowager, are the most blessed. Not everyone can have grandchildren around your knees."
"Zhao Yuan?" The Queen Mother frowned in confusion, "Did the Emperor promote her again?"
Lady Wan nodded, "Yes, the decree was issued just before the banquet today. Ming Zhaoyuan's maternal family and maternal family are now serving the emperor, and she gave birth to the fourth prince, so the emperor always favors her."
"Today, I don't know why I had a quarrel with Yi Shunyi. The Empress Shufei and the Empress Defei didn't dare to interrupt. It's also because there is no one in the palace now, so it's hard for anyone to come forward and make a decision."
After saying this, the empress dowager's expression darkened.