Fun stories about a baby's first birthday celebration, bringing good fortune to the royal family.
Time flies, and the twins of Prince Yi's Mansion—Yuanbao (Zhao Huaijin) and Nuannuan (Zhao Anle)—welcomed their first important day in life: their first birthday banquet, amidst everyone's care and anticipation.
The Prince's mansion was brightly decorated and filled with a joyous atmosphere. Although the Emperor did not attend in person, he bestowed generous gifts. Several princes, including the Crown Prince, Prince Huai, and Prince Rui, arrived early with their consorts. Minister Qin and his wife, along with relatives and friends such as Liu Mianying, also gathered together. Even Lu Beichen and Shen Anci, who were far away in the northern frontier, sent gifts. The entire mansion was bustling with activity, even more festive than during the New Year.
The most anticipated part is, of course, the first birthday celebration.
A large red brocade carpet was laid out in the center of the hall, covered with all sorts of items for the baby's first birthday celebration: seals, scriptures from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, pens, ink, paper, inkstones, abacuses, coins, account books, jewelry, flowers, rouge, food, toys, sword models, small bows and arrows, and so on. The array was dazzling and had everything one could want.
The crowd gathered in a circle, holding their breath as they watched the wet nurse carry two adorable little babies dressed in bright red festive clothes onto the brocade carpet.
First up was the older brother, Yuanbao (Zhao Huaijin).
The little guy sat on the blanket, his big, dark eyes curiously looking around at the objects, not shy at all. He first crawled to a delicate rattle drum, picked it up and shook it, the thumping sound making him giggle. Everyone laughed along with him.
Zhao Jingyi clenched his fists nervously and muttered under his breath, "Son! Good job! Play! As long as you're having fun!" He was afraid that his son would grab some sword or knife, making him, as a father, seem too violent.
Yuanbao played with the rattle drum for a while, then seemed to get bored. After putting it down, he crawled off in another direction. Under the expectant gazes of everyone, he bypassed the shiny gold ingot, stepped over the small jade seal, and finally grabbed a thick copy of the Book of Songs, hugged it to his chest, and rubbed his chubby little face against it.
"Excellent!" Minister Qin was the first to cheer. "Having mastered the Book of Poetry, he's sure to become a refined and cultured gentleman in the future!"
Everyone nodded in approval, feeling that the young prince had the scholarly air of his maternal grandfather's family.
Zhao Jingyi paused for a moment, then grinned broadly: "Haha! My son! Just like me! So learned!" (Everyone's inner thoughts: Your Highness, do you have some misunderstanding about your own learning?)
Qin Yuti breathed a sigh of relief and smiled with satisfaction. It was better for her son to grab the book than the little wooden knife his father had secretly placed there.
Next up is the younger sister, Nuannuan (Zhao Anle).
Nuannuan was quieter than her brother. Sitting there, she blinked her big eyes, looking at this and then at that, seemingly having a hard time making a choice. First, she was attracted by a pretty velvet flower, reaching out her little hand to touch it, but not picking it up. Then she looked at a string of crystal-clear jade beads, only glancing at them curiously.
Zhao Jingyi started getting nervous again: "Daughter! Catch the flower! Catch the beads! It's beautiful! Daddy will buy you everything!"
Nuannuan's gaze swept among the objects, finally settling on a small, exquisite sandalwood abacus. She stretched out her little hand, laboriously dragged the abacus to her side, then picked up a bead, put it in her mouth and tried to bite it, but found it too hard to chew, so she held it in her hand and started fiddling with it, making a crisp "crackling" sound, a focused expression on her little face.
"Oh my! She's got an abacus!" Liu Mianying's eyes lit up, and she laughed, "Our Nuannuan is probably going to be a shrewd little manager in the future! Maybe even better than me!"
The crowd erupted in another round of good-natured laughter and praise. Liu Mianying, being of merchant background, naturally spoke with blessings and affection.
Zhao Jingyi's heart melted as he watched his daughter fiddling with the abacus. He proudly announced, "The abacus is wonderful! The abacus is amazing! My daughter will definitely be a little money-making genius in the future! She'll be in charge of all the accounts in the Prince's mansion!"
Qin Yuti looked at her husband's expression, which seemed to say, "Whatever my daughter grabs is the best in the world," and shook her head with a helpless smile. No matter what the children grab, as long as they grow up healthy and happy, that is a parent's greatest wish.
After the first birthday celebration, the banquet officially began. Guests toasted each other, laughing and chatting. Zhao Jingyi held his son, and Qin Yuti held her daughter, receiving everyone's blessings, their faces beaming with the happiness and pride of being parents.
The first birthday banquet came to a close amidst laughter and joy.
Yuanbao and Nuannuan's lives officially begin amidst love and blessings.
The parenting journey of Prince Yi and his wife, filled with both chaos and heartwarming moments, will continue to unfold in a lively manner.
We shall wait and see how many surprises (or shocks) these twins will bring to their parents in the future.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
