In the courtyard outside, Lin Yuqiao sat on a chaise lounge, teasing her youngest son in the stroller.

"Waaah..."

The little one, lying in the stroller, kept kicking its arms and legs, but no matter how much it rolled around, it couldn't escape the two hands that were pinching its chubby body.

Lin Yuqiao sighed contentedly as she kneaded the baby's soft little arms and belly.

She has absolutely no resistance to chubby, soft little guys, and even Guai Guai didn't escape the "treatment" that Meng Meng received when she was little. She was often tormented by her, with her hands and arms being bitten.

To Lin Yuqiao's regret, Mengmeng is already five years old and no longer has the chubby, soft, and adorable little dumpling she used to be.

He's grown taller and is finding it harder to gain weight. Mengmeng has gradually grown into a handsome young man. Now she can only hug him occasionally when he's not looking, but when she touches his back, she can only feel bones.

But thankfully, she still had her little darling, who was chubby, soft, and easy to squeeze. Although the little one had a bit of a temper, he wouldn't get angry when she was well-fed, watered, and in a good mood, even if she was cuddled and affectionately touched.

"elder brother……"

Hearing the unclear words her son was making, Lin Yuqiao laughed and pinched his chubby cheeks.

"You little brother-obsessed brat."

Lin Yuqiao kissed her son's cheek, then picked him up and walked around the yard. She knew that her son was waiting for Mengmeng to get out of school, as it was almost time.

This little son, whose name is Guaiguai, is really not well-behaved at all. After he's eaten and drunk his fill, he often lets out a few loud howls for no reason.

Lin Yuqiao had tried to correct Guai Guai's bad habit by ignoring him, not hugging him, and just waiting for him to finish crying. But Guai Guai was really stubborn; as long as she ignored him, he would continue to wail.

The longest he cried was for almost an hour straight, his voice became hoarse but he still kept crying. Seeing him like this, Lin Yuqiao was completely defeated. After all, he was her child, and as a mother, how could she bear to let him cry so much? She could only continue to hold and comfort him.

However, to her surprise, the nemesis of the obedient girl was the adorable one.

With Mengmeng around, Guai Guai becomes much more well-behaved and stops yelling for no reason. However, Mengmeng can't always play with her younger brother; he has to study at night. Whenever Guai Guai notices Mengmeng leaving, he starts yelling, as if to say, "Aren't you going to come and comfort me?"

Mengmeng sighed helplessly, rubbing her chubby cheeks, "Brother has to go study."

Lin Yuqiao looked at Mengmeng from the side and felt a little sorry for him. She didn't want to spoil her youngest son, so she picked up the little one and let Mengmeng go to study on his own.

But Mengmeng couldn't bear to see her little brother howling so loudly for so long. After hesitating for a long time, she finally moved her homework to her brother's room.

He gave in, and eventually Guai Guai also gave in. As long as Mengmeng remained in his sight, Guai Guai stopped crying and played with her wet nurse and mother, not bothering her brother much.

"My adorable baby is so great!"

Lin Yuqiao was truly moved; she hadn't expected Mengmeng to make such a concession for Guaiguai.

After all, he studies so diligently and has a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder about order; the things around him must be arranged neatly and cannot be moved easily. He actually overcame his OCD to study in his son's room just for his son's sake.

It was never quiet in Guai Guai's room, and Guai Guai would make noises from time to time, but he could tolerate it, which Lin Yuqiao found incredible.

"If you feel that your little brother is bothering you, just tell your mother. Your mother will take care of your little brother and you can do whatever you want."

With her arm around Mengmeng's shoulder, Lin Yuqiao tilted her head and explained earnestly. Although Guai Guai liked Mengmeng, she wouldn't just hand her younger son over to her older son to take care of, since they were both her precious children. She would never let the older one suffer for the sake of the younger one.

"No need, if my little one likes to see me, then I'll stay here."

Mengmeng didn't mind. He had been studying in Guai Guai's room for a long time, and all his things had been moved over, so he had gotten used to it. He only went back to his own room to sleep after Guai Guai fell asleep.

But Mengmeng is actually a child herself, and she knows how to take care of her younger brother at such a young age, which makes her feel even more heartbroken.

This adorable sight reminded Lin Yuqiao of her older brother, Lin Yucheng. Lin Yucheng was such a perfect older brother, always having the awareness that an older brother should take care of his younger siblings.

Both Lin Yucheng and Liu Heng are people who think more than ordinary people and can't stop worrying and planning once they start. Now Mengmeng is just like them, showing such qualities at such a young age. She will definitely be a meticulous and resourceful man in the future, making Lin Yuqiao feel both gratified and worried.

If she could, she would also like her son to be a wealthy and leisurely person, enjoying life every day without having to live such a tiring life.

She would rather her son be carefree and happy every day than be so well-behaved, sensible, and considerate. However, Mengmeng's personality is likely to grow up like this, so she can only let him be with her heartache.

"Lucky boy, your brother loves you so much."

Since Mengmeng thought it was okay, she let the two brothers make their own decision. Lin Yuqiao gently poked Guai Guai's chubby shoulder, making Guai Guai giggle.

When the weather is nice, Lin Yuqiao would take Guai Guai out for a stroll in the afternoon, and occasionally she would run into Mengmeng who was leaving school.

Her two nephews, Daoxing and Daoxi, also studied in the study with Mengmeng, but they did not live in the palace. After school, they would come to Yanqing Palace with Mengmeng to pay their respects and then go straight back.

After Lin Yuqiao had several encounters with Mengmeng in the yard while holding Guaiguai, Guaiguai learned the trick: every afternoon, she would tug at Lin Yuqiao and cry out to go outside, and then wait eagerly for Mengmeng to return once outside.

"elder brother……"

The little darling, who was lying bored in Lin Yuqiao's arms blowing bubbles, suddenly shouted excitedly, spraying some saliva onto Lin Yuqiao's neck.

As soon as she turned around, she saw three young boys walking towards her from a distance through the corridor.

"I'm back!"

Seeing her son and two nephews, Lin Yuqiao hugged Guai Guai and went to greet them.

Daoxing and Daoxi are also well-behaved and obedient. Even though Lin Yuqiao has said it many times, they still follow behind Mengmeng and bow to her earnestly every time they come to Yanqing Palace.

"Honey, are you hungry? Come in and have some snacks to fill your stomach."

Upon hearing Lin Yuqiao's words, Mengmeng's face froze slightly.

Ever since he started attending classes in the Imperial Study, the most frequent thing his mother said to him was, "Mengmeng, why have you lost weight again? Did you not eat well at noon?"

There is a kind of suffering that comes from his mother's constant feeling that he is not getting enough to eat.

Although he had explained many times that the lunch in the Imperial Study was similar to that in Yanqing Palace, and the menu was even chosen by his mother herself.

However, Mengmeng is always understanding. Even though she wasn't hungry at all and didn't really want any snacks, she obediently nodded along with her two cousins ​​and followed her mother into the house.

Upon entering the house, Lin Yuqiao first put Guai Guai in the stroller, and then sat in the inner hall with the three children to eat snacks.

"Eat more."

She warmly greeted her two nephews. Daoxing and Daoxi, her two cousins, were both elementary school students who were still growing. They were thin, fair-skinned, and handsome, which made Lin Yuqiao a little worried about them.

The children are so young, yet they have to go to school early in the morning and not come back until the afternoon. It's all mentally taxing work, so they must need a snack before dinner to recover.

Urged on by her enthusiasm, Daoxi, who had finished two pastries, reluctantly took another Ruyi pastry.

"ah……"

The little boy, realizing he was no longer the center of attention and couldn't eat snacks with his brother, pounded on the railing of the stroller and shouted angrily, determined to make himself known.

How could you forget about me? If you don't look at me soon, I'm going to cry!

Hearing his commotion, Mengmeng seized the opportunity to put down the second pastry in her hand.

He washed his hands first before going over and patting the little girl's face, "What did you and your mother do at home today, little girl?"

Just moments ago, the boy who had been looking irritable immediately put on a sweet smile when he saw that his brother was paying attention to him, revealing a deep dimple at the corner of his mouth.

“Pop pop...flower…”

Patiently watching as my little one spoke and gestured, Mengmeng actually understood.

"Oh, did you see birds and flowers again today? When you grow a little older, I'll teach you to recite poems and write characters. Then we can go to the study together, okay?"

Mengmeng shook Guai Guai's hand. Guai Guai didn't understand what he was saying, and just stared at him with a silly smile.

"The fourth prince is quite well-behaved."

Finally free from Lin Yuqiao's loving gaze, Daoxing, unable to eat a fourth piece of pastry, hurriedly came over. Daoxi, however, was a step behind him, being held in Lin Yuqiao's arms as she spoke, looking at Daoxing with a "come save me" expression.

Dao Xing also squeezed the obedient little hand, and took the time to give Dao Xi a look that said, "Good luck to you."

Mengmeng secretly observed the subtle tension between the two cousins, chuckled to herself, and chatted with the obedient cousin for a while before going over to rescue the somewhat embarrassed Daoxi from Lin Yuqiao's arms.

These young boys are all eager to grow up, and they often feel a little embarrassed when their elders treat them with the same intimacy as children.

After asking a few more questions about the family, Lin Yuqiao finally let her two nephews leave. As they were leaving, Daoxi blushed and touched the spot where she had kissed him. His adorable expression almost made Lin Yuqiao want to pull him into her arms again.

The little boys were all so adorable, but each one was more serious than the last, so she could only angrily nibble on their well-behaved little faces a few times.

Boys grow up and become less cute like this, so she'll definitely have a cute little princess next time!

In the evening, Mengmeng studied in her room as usual, while Guaiguai sat alone on the bed, fiddling with a very delicately embroidered little lion.

Shaking Jinling around the little lion's neck, Guai Guai drooled and glanced slyly at Lin Yuqiao. Finding that Lin Yuqiao wasn't looking at him either, he quickly stuffed one of the lion's legs into his mouth and began to gnaw on it with relish.

Lin Yuqiao was thinking about the gift list for Liu Yan and didn't pay attention to him for a moment. However, the wet nurse next to her saw him and was patiently coaxing him to spit out the cloth lion in his hand.

Since the Crown Prince finally married his Crown Princess last year, it's Liu Yan's turn this year. Liu Heng's two eldest sons are now married and have established their own careers.

Turning around, Lin Yuqiao saw Guai Guai engaged in a tug-of-war with his wet nurse, biting the lion. The wet nurse dared not snatch it away for fear of making him cry again, so she could only offer him a hard-crusted toothpaste she had made in exchange. Guai Guai looked at the hard-crusted toothpaste, clearly hesitating.

Lin Yuqiao broke off a piece of hard crusty bread and, under Guai Guai's watchful gaze, handed it to Mengmeng. Seeing that her brother had also eaten, Guai Guai spat out the lion in her mouth and prepared to take the hard crusty bread from her wet nurse.

Before he could even get it, Lin Yuqiao snatched it away, and the lion he had previously given up was also taken by her.

"Aww..."

Seeing her things snatched away in the blink of an eye, Guai Guai felt extremely wronged and immediately started pounding the bed and crying loudly.

"Just give him whatever he wants."

Hearing the commotion, Liu Heng also came in.

When Guai Guai saw his father arrive, he cried even harder. When Liu Heng hugged him, Guai Guai pointed at Lin Yuqiao, meaning he wanted his father to come and return the things to him.

"You think you're so great just because your dad's still around!"

Lin Yuqiao stuck out her tongue and continued shaking the pancake in her hand.

"How old are you, yet you act like a child?"

Liu Heng'an comforted his aggrieved youngest son and took another piece of cake from the wet nurse for him.

With tears still clinging to her eyelashes, Guai Guai took the pancake and waved it triumphantly at Lin Yuqiao, while affectionately wrapping her arm around Liu Heng's neck.

Having a father is truly amazing, Lin Yuqiao said, puffing out her cheeks as she stared at Liu Heng, who had stolen all the fun she had in teasing her son.

Liu Heng has always been indulgent towards his youngest son.

In this era, although he is only in his thirties, his two eldest sons have grown up and gotten married, and may soon become grandfathers, so his mindset is naturally different from when he was young.

Liu Heng was probably still stricter with his eldest son, but he doted on and spoiled his youngest son, who was much younger. He gave his son almost everything he wanted.

"You'll spoil him like this. This kid already has quite a temper."

Lin Yuqiao looked at Liu Heng, who seemed like a warm and loving father, and felt a little worried.

She could have played the villain and tempered Guai Guai's bad temper, but Liu Heng always spoiled him. Guai Guai is also a bit stubborn, so he'll probably become a little tyrant when he grows up.

"It's alright, the child will naturally understand as he grows up. Besides, there's Mengmeng, right? Guai Guai listens to Mengmeng quite well. With Mengmeng as a role model, how could Guai Guai be spoiled?"

Liu Heng wasn't worried at all, and hugged the little one and pressed his cheek against hers.

Moreover, seeing the commotion around them, yet Mengmeng remained focused on practicing calligraphy, Liu Heng couldn't help but admire her; this child was becoming increasingly impressive.

Moreover, when he went over to take a look, he saw that Mengmeng was writing each word very carefully, showing that she really wasn't distracted. He couldn't help but admire Mengmeng's composure. With such a good older brother as a role model, Liu Heng had no worries.

Moreover, in Liu Heng's eyes, Guai Guai is a very smart and intelligent child who will definitely be outstanding when he grows up. Although he is a bit naughty now, he is a boy, and he doesn't dare to expect to have another well-behaved son like Mengmeng.

Well, with her father, the top leader of the Qin Dynasty, protecting her, Lin Yuqiao couldn't do anything about it. She could only be thankful that she was born into the highest echelons of nobility, so even if she was domineering in the future, she wouldn't easily anger others and get secretly sacked.

Mengmeng had just finished writing one large character and was about to write the second one when he heard Liu Heng's affirmative words. He straightened his back even more. He should work harder in the future and set a good example for his younger brother.

Seeing his two younger sons being so cute and affectionate, Liu Heng's frustration at being teased by his two older sons dissipated considerably.

Since Liu Kang married Li Cifu's granddaughter as his crown princess after completing his mourning period last year, the empress and the crown prince felt much more at ease. However, Consort Ning and Liu Yan were also considering marrying a princess from a good family.

Consort Ning initially chose the youngest daughter of He Zhicheng, the head of the Hanlin Academy. However, Emperor Liu Heng considered that He Zhicheng was the son-in-law of Pang Zhong, the dean of the Nanlu Academy. He worried that if Liu Yan married He, it would be detrimental to the harmony between his two sons and the stability of various factions in the court, so he rejected the idea.

However, Liu Heng also loved his second son dearly and was unwilling to wrong him. In the end, he compromised and arranged for Liu Yan to marry the eldest daughter of Chen Zilin, the Salt Transport Commissioner. Although the position of Salt Transport Commissioner was not prestigious in the capital, Liu Heng had already had someone investigate and found that Chen's eldest daughter was beautiful and intelligent, and would definitely be a virtuous wife.

Furthermore, the Chen family is a scholarly family with a rich heritage, and they are very strict about the upbringing of their daughters. After Liu Yan is made a king, the daughters of the Chen family will surely be able to manage the royal household for him.

Despite Liu Heng's good intentions, neither Consort Ning nor Liu Yan appreciated them. Liu Yan found it extremely difficult to accept the fact that his future father-in-law was only a fourth-rank official.

He had great ambitions and had been praised by others since childhood. He felt that he was far superior to Liu Kang, but now he was so much worse off than Liu Kang in terms of finding a wife, which made him feel very bad.

Moreover, his maternal uncle's family was already incompetent, and he was looking for a capable in-law family, so that plan fell through.

After a few days of feeling down, Liu Yan was inspired again after receiving an invitation to a literary gathering.

It turned out that Liu Yan had met Zhang Huijie, the daughter of Zhang Chong, a Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall, at a literary gathering. This Miss Zhang had grown up in a scholarly environment and was exceptionally talented, no less so than any man. Even Lord Zhang often marveled at his daughter's talent, saying she had the potential to become a top scholar.

Furthermore, Miss Zhang is a woman with high aspirations. She heard that there was a hot candidate for the top scholar in the literary gathering, so she disguised herself as a man to appear at the gathering, just to find out if the other party was as talented as she was.

She was somewhat self-aware, keeping a low profile and only occasionally revealing her talent when everyone was composing poems on the same topic. Liu Yan happened to be one of the judges at the literary gathering.

Liu Yan noticed the extraordinary verses on the paper, but the handwriting was delicate and graceful, which sparked an idea in him. He quickly located Miss Zhang, who was hiding in the corner.

Although Miss Zhang's scholarly attire seems quite successful, and she is only moderately pretty, so she looks like nothing more than a weak and effeminate young master, a closer look reveals something unusual in her behavior.

Liu Yan had excellent eyesight; even after discovering that Miss Zhang was disguised as a man, he didn't point it out, only finding it somewhat intriguing. Therefore, when announcing the final results, he strongly recommended Miss Zhang's poem.

Because of her status, Miss Zhang dared not stand out too much, but she was overjoyed to know that her poetry had been appreciated by the Second Prince. When the literary gathering ended, the Third Prince invited her to have tea, and after much hesitation, Miss Zhang inexplicably accepted.

The two chatted happily. Miss Zhang was also extremely fond of talent. After discovering Liu Yan's talent, which he deliberately displayed, she regarded him as a close friend. Even when she secretly returned to the mansion through the back door, she was still proud of her successful disguise as a man. However, she did not know that Liu Yan had already secretly sent people to follow her.

Upon hearing his subordinates' report that the young scholar had just entered Scholar Zhang's residence, Liu Yancai finally smiled with satisfaction. He knew that although she was disguised as a man, she was indeed quite talented and must have received a good upbringing from a young age, coming from a noble family. Sure enough, she was actually Lord Zhang's daughter.

Soon, Liu Yan came up with an idea. His father didn't want to arrange a marriage for him with someone of noble birth, so he would find one himself. He believed that Miss Zhang's appearance was an opportunity given to him by heaven.

Liu Yan was already exceptionally handsome, with a gentle and refined demeanor, and an innate talent that surrounded him. In order to win over Miss Zhang, he devised various schemes, even having a literary gathering organized, weaving a dense web of affection, waiting patiently for Miss Zhang to fall into his trap.

Now, let's talk about Miss Zhang, Zhang Huijie. She was a lady from a respectable family and had never seen a man before. She had no resistance to the sudden appearance of a talented man who was also the third prince. After being deliberately seduced by Liu Yan a few times, she fell at his feet.

After learning about Liu Yan's actions, Consort Ning secretly supported him. She even gave her son a suggestion: take advantage of the opportunity to send a nanny to teach the Chen family girl manners, and have the nanny drug the Chen family girl. A month before the wedding, the Chen girl caught a cold and couldn't hold on. She was bedridden for half a month and then passed away.

After the Chen family girl passed away, Liu Yan's marriage naturally fell through.

Because Liu Yanxian and Miss Zhang had an affair, Miss Zhang, in order to marry her sweetheart, told her parents about their relationship. As a result, Zhang Xueshi slapped her twice and locked her up.

However, parents can never resist their children's feelings. Miss Zhang was Zhang Xueshi's precious daughter, and her fussing was heartbreaking. In the end, seeing Liu Yan's repeated visits and sincerity, Zhang Xueshi tacitly accepted their relationship.

Furthermore, Liu Yan did a very discreet job. Basically, only the Chen family knew about it, and it didn't spread outside at all. Once Miss Zhang got married, the premarital affair was covered up, so it wasn't considered particularly unconventional.

After the father-in-law agreed, the next hurdle was the biological father. Liu Yan's relationship was based on free choice, and with Consort Ning pleading with Liu Heng, she, who had been well-behaved for most of her life and never made things difficult for him, was finally able to make a request, so Liu Heng had to grant it in a dignified manner.

Although it was a pity that Miss Chen was not blessed with good fortune, and because he disliked the private conduct of Scholar Chen's daughter, Liu Heng initially wanted to refuse. However, in the end, considering the feelings of Consort Ning and his son, he agreed to let Liu Yan marry Scholar Chen's daughter.

Six months later, Liu Yan finally married Miss Zhang, gaining a father-in-law who was quite influential among the civil officials. Consort Ning and Liu Yan were satisfied, but the Crown Prince secretly resented it.

In addition, to make Liu Yan's establishment of his own government look good, Liu Heng granted him the title of Duke of Donghai, with a fief of twenty-eight counties. This made Liu Kang even more resentful, so he had someone spread the news that Liu Yan and Miss Zhang had an affair before their marriage.

Regardless, having an affair before marriage casts a shadow on one's moral character, and although Liu Yan immediately tried to salvage the situation by having someone clarify that it was a rumor, it was not very effective.

Having been tricked by his elder brother, Liu Yan was unhappy during his newlywed days. So he had someone expose an old case in which an official in the Eastern Palace had forcibly abducted a woman.

Rumors always get more and more complicated as they spread. Before people knew it, the rumor had become that the Crown Prince had forcibly abducted a woman from the common people. People in teahouses and taverns along the roadside were talking about it privately and discreetly. This rumor also reminded some people of the deposed Crown Prince from a few years ago.

"I reckon this one is almost as badly ruined as the last one."

The scandals of the two crown princes easily led people to draw parallels, and as a result, many people secretly predicted Liu Kang's downfall.

Although the Empress was in the palace, she was well-informed. After learning about the rumor, she hated Liu Yan and Consort Ning even more.

For Liu Heng, the constant bickering between his two sons was a major source of frustration.

By the time Liu Kang brought the officials of the Eastern Palace Bureau who committed the crime to justice, his reputation could not be salvaged much. As for Liu Yan, although the story of the talented scholar and the beautiful woman was ultimately a beautiful one, his reputation was still tainted.

Neither of his sons fared well, and Liu Heng didn't do anything to make things worse. He simply called them both over and gave them a scolding, putting them in their place, but he still felt a lingering sense of disappointment.

I'm afraid neither of them is the best choice.