Chapter 269 Nineteenth Birthday Ceremony
Liu Yuetang nodded with a smile and happily opened the first box, only to find a rattle inside.
She pursed her lips and smiled. Just as she was about to ask Xiao Heng whether the gift was for her or Yue'er, the emperor's voice fell deep into her ears: "When you first entered the palace, you were always so cautious. At that time, I wondered what kind of years could make someone so cautious."
"Later, the more I got to know you, the more I regretted not being able to be by your side when you were young and needed love the most."
Liu Yuetang turned around in confusion, only to see Xiao Heng gazing at her deeply. He spoke softly, "So, I want to make up for all the years I've missed. From the age of one to nineteen, I've prepared a surprise for you every year."
Liu Yuetang stood there in a daze, a sour feeling rising in her throat. "So, this rattle... is the gift you gave me when I turned one?"
She picked up the rattle.
"Hmm..." Xiao Heng nodded slightly.
"During the "Zhuazhou" celebration, a rattle symbolizes a life without worries. This is your first birthday gift. You're skilled at musical instruments, and I imagine... if you were to perform the "Zhuazhou" celebration, you would definitely grab this rattle."
Liu Yuetang choked up for a moment and gently shook the rattle in her hand. The pearl tassels collided and made a clear sound, which sounded like a nursery rhyme deep in her memory.
"Come on, continue opening your presents." Xiao Heng's voice brought her back to her senses.
She squatted down and picked up the second box, which contained a pair of exquisitely embroidered tiger-head shoes.
Xiao Heng smiled and said, "When you are two years old, you will definitely be able to run. I don't know what kind of shoes you will be wearing by then, and whether you will always fall."
When Liu Yuetang heard this, her eyes suddenly became hot and filled with tears.
She gently stroked the festively colored tiger-head shoes, and memories suddenly flooded back, as if she saw herself as a child sitting barefoot on the porch on a long winter night.
Until she was old enough to understand, she had never owned a pair of nice shoes, let alone such exquisite and luxurious tiger-head shoes.
She took a deep breath and tried her best to suppress the tears welling up in her eyes.
Then she picked up the third box.
The moment the sandalwood box lid was opened, the bell hanging from the silver lock rang out, and the four engraved characters "Long Life and Wealth" glowed softly in the candlelight.
"It's the longevity lock..." Liu Yuetang smiled with tears in her eyes.
Xiao Heng said: "When you were three years old, you should have been carefree wearing this longevity lock."
"Come, I'll put it on for you."
Liu Yuetang nodded with blurred vision, "Okay."
Xiao Heng specially ordered someone to make this longevity lock into a style suitable for adults, and the winding cloud pattern on the edge is inlaid with tiny gems.
Liu Yuetang lowered her eyes to look at the longevity lock, her dimples slightly sunken: "It looks good."
"It looks good, then continue opening the next gift."
Liu Yuetang nodded and opened the fourth box. It turned out to be a small hairpin with a lifelike peach blossom on the head.
"I think that when you were four years old, you must have been a little girl who loved beauty and started to like dressing up."
Liu Yuetang pursed her lips tightly, her throat seemed to be blocked by something and she couldn't make a sound.
She remembered that when she was in Zhuangzi, she always envied other children for being able to wear beautiful hairpins and bright new dresses.
But she had to help the nanny with work, and she didn't even have a pretty hairpin or some pretty clothes.
Seeing that she was stunned and didn't say anything, Xiao Heng picked up the fifth box for her.
Inside was a doll with two buns, wearing a pink floral skirt, with smiling eyebrows embroidered with gold thread, and a rhododendron made of velvet pinned on her temples.
"At five years old, you should have been sleeping alone and must have been very scared. I thought it would be more peaceful if you could hold it."
Liu Yuetang stroked the puppet's face, unable to control her suppressed emotions any longer. Her nose felt sore, and hot tears immediately fell, hitting the brocade cloth.
Never... no one ever cared whether she ate well or was warm.
For countless long nights, she was accompanied by nightmares and the sounds of wind and rain, and no one ever worried about whether she was afraid or not.
Seeing her crying, Xiao Heng's heart suddenly ached and soured. He hurriedly took her hand and wiped the tears from her cheeks, "What's wrong? Is this doll not good, or did it bring back your sad memories?"
Liu Yuetang sobbed.
Xiao Heng quickly said, "Then we don't want this doll. I'll give you a new gift."
As he said this, he was about to take the doll from Liu Yuetang's hand, but she held it tightly.
Liu Yuetang shook her head and choked up, "No...it's actually great."
"Your Majesty, why are you giving these to me?"
"Why..." She paused, "Why are you so nice to me?"
She looked at Xiao Heng with tears in her eyes, and a tear slowly fell from the corner of her scarlet eye.
Xiao Heng raised his lips and smiled: "Silly boy, do you need a reason to be nice to someone?"
He gently wiped away the tears on Liu Yuetang's face with his fingertips and said softly: "If it is necessary, then Miaomiao is worthy of me doing so."
Yeah, why isn't she worthy?
Ever since she came to my side, she has been giving everything to me.
Whenever I feel upset, she is always the first to appear, standing silently by my side and comforting me with kind words.
When faced with danger from swords and knives, she would protect others without hesitation.
In order to get rid of the Nguyen clan's traitors, she was willing to act as bait and take risks.
And she never asked for anything in return.
She deserves special attention!
Liu Yuetang's lips trembled as she threw herself into his arms, letting her tears soak his clothes.
"Your Majesty, if one day you discover that I am not as good as you imagined and not worthy of your kindness to me, what will you do?"
Xiao Heng raised his hand and stroked her back, smiling faintly, "I have already given you my kindness, and I will never take it back."
"Liu Yuetang, I can assure you that as long as your feelings for me are genuine, I can tolerate many things and pretend not to know."
Liu Yuetang's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and the melancholy in her eyes gradually faded.
Xiao Heng, it’s a pity that everything I said to you was fake.
No matter the sincerity or tears in the past, they were all fake.
If you want to blame someone, you can only blame yourself, the emperor.
If you were just an ordinary man, even if you were a prince, I would be more sincere to you at this moment.
It’s a pity that you are not.
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