"elder brother--"
The words came out of Ye Jinghe's mouth with a hint of ambiguity and caution.
The first word he said wasn't "hug," which Ye Jingchen had taught him many times, but "brother."
The older brother was overjoyed, grabbed the child, and kissed him on the face several times.
"Jinghe, you're amazing! You're a little genius!" Ye Jingchen praised him excitedly.
Encouraged, Ye Jinghe called Ye Jingchen several more times.
Everything is difficult at the beginning, and speaking is even more so. Once you start speaking, it becomes much easier afterward.
After a day of teaching, Ye Jinghe was finally able to clearly utter one or two words, but the word he used most fluently was still "brother".
Ye Jingchen did nothing else all day but play with Ye Jinghe, teach him to speak, and give him kisses, hugs, and affectionate touches.
He kept track of the time, feeding Ye Jinghe a small bowl of white porridge every hour, while he himself ate delicacies and large amounts of meat and fish for every meal.
The palace servants couldn't understand his behavior. If they said he didn't like the Fifth Prince, the way he held him in his arms and did everything for him didn't seem like he disliked him. But if they said he liked the Fifth Prince, he ate delicacies himself, yet he only fed the Fifth Prince plain porridge!
In the end, it was Physician Zhang who cleared up their doubts, saying that the Fifth Prince was physically weak and had a weak spleen and stomach, so it was not advisable for him to eat too much or too much nourishing food at the beginning, as it would damage his spleen and stomach and make him unable to tolerate the nourishment.
"Your Highness is so thoughtful and considerate at such a young age. You have the makings of a wise ruler. The people of Dayuan are blessed in the future." Imperial Physician Zhang exclaimed, and before he knew it, he had adopted a respectful attitude towards Ye Jingchen.
The palace servants in the East Palace neither agreed nor disagreed with the old imperial physician's words. Words like meticulous and considerate were not applicable to their prince. The reason he was acting so strangely today was probably because he had just received a new toy and was currently fascinated by it. Once he no longer liked it, he would surely discard it like worn-out shoes!
After dinner and a nice bath, it's time to go to bed.
Ye Jingchen had already instructed the palace servants to prepare a side hall as Ye Jinghe's sleeping quarters. Everything was ready, but just before going to bed, Ye Jinghe refused to leave Ye Jingchen and go to sleep by himself.
The child neither cried nor made a fuss, but simply clung tightly to Ye Jingchen and wouldn't let go.
The palace servants stepped forward to try to take him out of Ye Jingchen's arms, but as soon as they got a little closer, Ye Jinghe's eyes would change, becoming fierce, as if he were about to have a seizure.
With him looking like that, how could the palace servants dare to approach him?
Ye Jingchen, however, remained calm.
Ignoring Ye Jinghe's fierce gaze, he forcefully tore the child off his body and threw him onto his own bed.
Several layers of soft bedding were laid on the bed. Ye Jinghe rolled over after being thrown, but after finding that he was not in any pain, he quickly crawled toward Ye Jingchen.
Ye Jingchen stuck a finger on his forehead to stop him from lunging at him.
Ye Jinghe's expression changed several times. When he was thrown onto the bed, he was incredulous. After realizing that it didn't hurt, he felt a little happy. When his forehead was pressed against Ye Jingchen's and he couldn't get close to him, he felt very wronged and his eyes were full of tears. When he saw that Ye Jingchen was unmoved, his grievance turned into confusion. Then, his confusion gradually turned into ferocity, and the strength of his struggle suddenly increased.
“Jinghe, I can’t sleep with you. I’ll play with you after you wake up, okay?” Ye Jingchen asked with a smile while subtly observing the changes in his expression.
Perhaps soothed by his smile, the ferocity in Ye Jinghe's eyes subsided considerably.
"No—no!" Ye Jinghe continued to struggle, relentlessly trying to get closer to Ye Jingchen, "Hug—"
"elder brother--"
After a day of hard work, he was already very skilled at saying the word "brother," and his soft, sweet voice melted Ye Jingchen's heart.
However, Ye Jingchen did not compromise because of this.
The emperor is right. Ye Jinghe is too clingy; it seems like he only has eyes for Ye Jinghe. This is not conducive to Ye Jinghe's understanding of the world. If he lets it go unchecked, it will definitely cause Ye Jinghe to develop personality flaws.
But this is not the main reason why he refused to sleep with Ye Jinghe.
Who wouldn't want to hold a soft, fragrant little bun in their arms while sleeping?
Anyway, Ye Jingchen really wanted to!
I really want to!
But he was self-aware. With his arrogant and domineering sleeping posture, if Xiao Jinghe slept with him, he would be beaten and kicked countless times every night. How could he bear to do that?
"I don't sleep with you because it's for your own good. I hit people when I'm asleep, and you don't want to get hit, do you?" Ye Jingchen threatened, raising his fist.
A flicker of fear crossed Ye Jinghe's eyes, and he struggled less, but still reached out to hug her.
Seeing that communication was fruitless, Ye Jingchen had no choice but to compromise and reached out to pick him up.
Having achieved his goal, Ye Jinghe's fierceness completely vanished, and he leaned closer to Ye Jingchen with a smile on his face.
Ye Jingchen gave him a bright smile, then pulled the brocade quilt from the bed, unfolded it, and placed Ye Jinghe on the quilt. Before he could struggle, he wrapped him in the quilt and rolled him around on the bed, successfully creating a silkworm pupa.
His movements were swift, precise, and seamless. By the time Ye Jinghe reacted, he was already wrapped in the blanket and unable to move.
Ye Jinghe was stunned, staring blankly at Ye Jingchen, momentarily forgetting what expression to make.
"Jinghe, little baby, it's time for bed. How about I sing you a song to lull you to sleep?" Ye Jingchen smiled smugly, patted Ye Jinghe through the blanket, and before he could answer, he began humming his own version of "Only My Brother is Good in the World".
"There's no one better than my brother in the world. A child with a brother is a treasure. Nestled in my brother's arms, happiness is guaranteed."
"There's no one better than a brother in the world; a child without a brother is like a blade of grass. Where can happiness be found if you leave your brother's embrace?"
Just as Ye Jinghe was about to struggle, he was startled by Ye Jingchen singing him a folk song. By the time he realized what was happening, he was already captivated by the simple yet melodious tune. Coupled with Ye Jingchen's rhythmic patting, he soon succumbed to drowsiness and closed his eyes.
Ye Jingchen hummed for a while longer, making sure Ye Jinghe was sound asleep. Then he took Ye Jinghe out of the quilt, laid him on the bed, covered him with the quilt, and tucked him in.
Afterwards, he ordered the palace lanterns in the side hall to be extinguished, leaving only a small palace lantern beside the bed, which provided a soft, luminous glow.
Because children have a natural fear of the dark, this is to prevent them from being frightened if they suddenly wake up in the middle of the night.
Ye Jingchen also arranged for Fang Xi and Fang Rui to take turns guarding the bedside to ensure that Ye Jinghe was always by his side while he slept and that someone could take care of him immediately after he woke up.
After everything was arranged, he left the side hall and returned to his own palace.
After a long day of taking care of the child, Ye Jingchen was exhausted and just wanted to collapse and sleep, but he still had something very important to do.
"Dawn." He summoned his personal bodyguard.
"Investigate Tao Zhi. I need to know everything about him, from his background and hometown to his experiences before entering the palace, his social interactions after entering the palace, and his medical records for every visit!"
He wanted to see who was behind Ye Jinghe's murder!
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