Phoenixes come of age, a hundred faces in the palace.
Time flies. The twins "Yuanbao" and "Nuannuan" of Prince Yi's mansion are still in their swaddling clothes, babbling and learning to speak. Their adorable appearance makes them the darlings of the entire mansion. Meanwhile, in the palace, a grand event is taking place—the emperor's eldest daughter, Princess Zhao Yiru, is turning fifteen and undergoing her coming-of-age ceremony.
The eldest princess was born to Consort Xian, who was gentle and unassuming. As a result, the eldest princess, Zhao Yiru, also developed a dignified, quiet, and well-mannered nature, which made her quite popular with the emperor in the palace. After her coming-of-age ceremony, the emperor even issued an edict to bestow upon Zhao Yiru the title of "Princess Fenghua" and grant her residence in Fenghua Palace, demonstrating the extent of his favor.
The coming-of-age ceremony was held in the solemn and dignified Fengxian Hall. Members of the imperial family, high-ranking civil and military officials, and noblewomen of noble rank were all required to attend the ceremony.
The Prince Yi's residence was bustling with activity early in the morning. Zhao Jingyi, unusually dressed in his formal princely attire, looked quite dashing. Qin Yuti had recovered remarkably well after childbirth, her bearing even more dignified than before; she wore a magnificent and elegant princess-level robe, exuding nobility and grace. However… a small mishap occurred before she left.
Zhao Jingyi held his chubby daughter Nuannuan in his arms, unable to put her down, and rubbed her little face against his skin: "Nuannuan, Nuannuan, Daddy's sweet Nuannuan, will you come with Daddy to Auntie's coming-of-age ceremony?"
Qin Yuti was being helped by Jinshu to put on the last phoenix hairpin when she heard this and turned around to glare at him: "Nonsense! What kind of occasion is this coming-of-age ceremony? The child is still too young to be brought along. What if he starts crying? Quickly hand him over to the wet nurse."
Zhao Jingyi grumbled reluctantly, "Our Nuannuan is the best girl, she won't cry..." But under Qin Yuti's unquestionable gaze, he had no choice but to hand his daughter over to the wet nurse, then ran to the side hall to kiss his son Yuanbao before following Qin Yuti out the door, turning back every few steps.
The Imperial Palace, Fengxian Hall.
Bells and drums resounded, and ceremonial music filled the air. The ceremony was solemn and elaborate. The emperor sat in the main seat, with the empress beside him, and the other concubines arranged according to their rank. The crown prince, Prince Huai, Prince Rui, Prince Yi, and other princes and their consorts stood in the front row to observe the ceremony.
Zhao Jingyi stood beside Qin Yuti, initially trying to maintain the dignity of a prince, but after standing for a while he got bored. He secretly nudged Qin Yuti with his elbow and whispered, "Wife, look at Yiru. She's usually so quiet, but when she dresses up, she looks quite impressive, doesn't she?"
Qin Yuti kept her eyes straight ahead and squeezed out a voice through gritted teeth: "Your Highness, be quiet."
Zhao Jingyi pursed his lips, forced to maintain his serious demeanor, but his eyes couldn't help but wander. He saw Crown Prince Zhao Jingchen and Crown Princess Xu Nianchu standing side by side, their postures perfectly matched, like a perfect couple; he saw Prince Rui Zhao Jingming and Princess Rui Su Wanqing, still maintaining that distant, icy respect; and he saw Prince Yi Zhao Jinglan (already married) standing next to his new wife, who seemed to be a straightforward person, the two of them talking in hushed tones.
His gaze finally settled on the Empress, who sat on the main throne. This Empress had entered the palace late and had no children of her own. She had always been more polite than affectionate towards the Crown Prince, born to the late Empress, and him, the sixth prince. Today, she wore a smile and acted impeccably, but the smile didn't truly reach her eyes. Zhao Jingyi inwardly snorted; he always maintained a distance from this stepmother.
Upon reaching adulthood, Princess Zhao Yiru received her third hairpin and crown, bowed to thank her father and emperor, and formally declared herself an adult. Her elegant demeanor and graceful bearing won the admiration of all. The emperor was overjoyed and publicly announced her investiture as "Princess Fenghua," bestowing upon her countless gifts.
After the ceremony, a grand palace banquet was held.
At the banquet, the ladies of the court naturally surrounded Princess Fenghua, the protagonist of the day, offering compliments. Several married princes and princesses also gathered in their own groups to chat.
Qin Yuti sat with Xu Nianchu and Su Wanqing. Xu Nianchu asked with concern about Yuanbao and Nuannuan, and Qin Yuti answered with a smile. Su Wanqing also politely inquired a few questions, but there was always a lingering sense of melancholy in her expression. Qin Yuti knew what was on her mind, so she didn't ask too much and only talked about lighthearted topics.
On the other side, Zhao Jingyi was "besieged" by his several imperial brothers.
The Crown Prince, holding his wine cup, said calmly, "Sixth Brother, now that you're a father yourself, you should be more composed." Prince Huai chuckled and chimed in, "Indeed, look at you in the hall just now, you had no posture at all." Even Prince Yi teased him, "I heard that Sixth Brother has been practicing holding children at home lately? Don't drop our nephews and nieces."
Zhao Jingyi blushed and retorted, sticking his neck out: "Who, who has bad posture! I'm very composed! Holding children? That's my forte! Yuanbao and Nuannuan love it when I hold them!" But he felt very guilty, remembering the embarrassing incident where he almost "flew" his son away last time.
Halfway through the banquet, Zhao Jingyi, missing his two little ones at home, became restless. He leaned close to Qin Yuti's ear and whispered, "Honey, when can we leave? I miss Yuanbao and Nuannuan..."
Qin Yuti glanced at him helplessly and said in a low voice, "Wait a little longer. It is proper to wait until Father Emperor and Empress leave their seats."
Zhao Jingyi had no choice but to wait patiently. Finally, when the emperor set off to return to the palace, he immediately pulled Qin Yuti aside to take his leave. They practically flew out of the palace, climbed into the carriage, and urged the driver, "Quick! Back to the residence! As fast as you can!"
Inside the carriage, Qin Yuti couldn't help but smile as she looked at his eagerness to return home. Although this guy was usually quite unserious, his concern for his children was genuine and heartfelt.
Back at the palace, the wet nurse had just brought Yuanbao and Nuannuan, who had eaten and drunk their fill.
Zhao Jingyi held one in each arm, kissing them on the left and nuzzling them on the right, sighing contentedly, "My sons and daughters are the sweetest! Those rules in the palace are so suffocating!"
Looking at the scene before her, Qin Yuti felt a peaceful happiness fill her heart. The splendor and undercurrents of the palace could never compare to the warm lights of this mansion and the innocent smiles of her children.
The eldest princess's coming-of-age ceremony marks another member of the royal family entering a new stage of life.
Prince Yi and his wife focused more on these two sweet "burdens" in the household.
The road ahead is long, but as long as we have each other and our children by our side, even the biggest storms seem insignificant.
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