Chapter 64 The Attentive Prince
The next morning, the sun shone brightly.
Su Jingyu had just finished her breakfast and drunk some nourishing herbal soup. She was leaning against the headboard, watching her wet nurse place the twins, who had eaten and drunk their fill and fallen asleep again, into the cradle beside her bed. Her eyes were filled with tenderness.
A clear, childlike voice came from outside the hall, accompanied by the sound of children running.
"Mother! Mother! Yu'er is here!"
It was Xiao Chengyu. The little guy was wearing a royal blue brocade robe today, which made his fair and adorable face look even more charming. He was almost two years old, ran steadily, and spoke fluently. As soon as he entered the room, he went straight to the bedside, and his wet nurse almost couldn't keep up with him.
"Yu'er, slow down." Su Jingyu smiled and reached out to catch her son who was rushing towards her.
"Don't move." A large hand reached out from the side and steadily caught the small cannonball that was rushing towards him. Xiao Jingzhan had come in after finishing his urgent morning business. He picked up his son, but did not immediately hand him to Su Jingyu. Instead, he held him himself and sat down on the embroidered stool by the bed.
"Mother! Baby!" Xiao Chengyu squirmed in his father's arms, his big, dark eyes looking curiously at the two little swaddled babies sleeping side by side in the cradle. He pointed with his chubby little finger and called out in a childish voice.
Su Jingyu's heart softened, and she wanted to hug her son. She said softly, "Your Highness, let Yu'er come over. I miss him."
Xiao Jingzhan shook his head, holding his son steadily in one arm and gently pressing down on Su Jingyu's hand as she tried to raise it. He said softly, "Your body is still weak, don't let him bump into you. The imperial physician said that you shouldn't exert yourself during your postpartum period and need to rest. Be good, don't worry me." His tone was gentle, but it carried an undeniable firmness.
Su Jingyu knew he was doing it for her own good, so she had no choice but to give up and gave her son an apologetic smile: "Yu'er, be good. Mother can't hold you right now. Come here and let your mother give you a kiss."
Xiao Chengyu was very sensible. Although he was a little disappointed that he couldn't run into his mother's arms, he immediately cheered up when he heard "kiss". He stretched out his little arms to his mother from his father's arms and pouted his little mouth: "Kiss me, Mother!"
Su Jingyu leaned down and planted a kiss on her son's chubby cheek. Xiao Chengyu giggled and followed suit, leaving a wet spit on his mother's face.
Xiao Jingzhan watched the mother and son being affectionate, a smile appearing in his eyes. He held his son and turned to the cradle: "Look, this is the younger brother Chengye, and this is the younger sister Anning. Yu'er is the eldest brother now."
Xiao Chengyu opened his eyes wide and curiously looked at the two small, rosy little dumplings. He carefully stretched out his little finger, wanting to touch his sister's face, but then pulled it back and looked up at his father: "Father, they are so small."
"Yes, they just came out of your mother's womb, they're still small. When they grow up, they can play with Yu'er," Xiao Jingzhan explained patiently.
"Then Yu'er will wait until they grow up! We'll take them to play!" Xiao Chengyu clapped his little hands, then looked at his father with bright eyes, "Father, let's play!"
Xiao Jingzhan was in a very good mood today, and raised an eyebrow upon hearing this: "What do you want to play?"
"Feifei! Lift me up high!" Xiao Chengyu shouted excitedly, a game the father and son often played.
"Okay, Feifei." Xiao Jingzhan smiled, lifted his son high, and then gently put him down, making Xiao Chengyu giggle. His clear laughter filled the entire bedroom. He carefully controlled the force and direction, making sure not to hit the bed or Su Jingyu.
After playing with his son for a while, Xiao Jingzhan played with the nine-linked rings with his son, patiently teaching him how to solve them. Xiao Chengyu was very clever. Although his little hands were not very nimble, he learned very quickly. Under his father's guidance, he even solved two of the rings, and was so happy that he danced with joy.
"Father is great! Yu'er is great!" The little guy praised his father and himself without reservation.
Xiao Jingzhan's smile deepened as he rubbed his son's head and said, "Yes, Yu'er is the best."
Su Jingyu leaned against the headboard, watching the heartwarming interaction between father and son, her heart overflowing with happiness. Sunlight bathed Xiao Jingzhan's usually cold profile in a soft glow; the doting and indulgent look in his eyes when he gazed at his son was a side of him she had never seen before. And Yu'er, in front of his father, showed complete trust and affection, lively and intelligent.
After playing for a while, Xiao Chengyu was a little tired, rubbing his eyes and yawning. Xiao Jingzhan picked him up, letting him lean on his shoulder, and gently patted his back: "Tired? Want to sleep for a while?"
"Hmm..." Xiao Chengyu responded vaguely, his little head nodding, and soon he fell asleep on his father's broad and steady shoulder, his little hand unconsciously clutching a strand of his father's hair.
Xiao Jingzhan remained motionless, gesturing for the wet nurse to bring a small blanket and gently cover his son. He looked up and exchanged a smile with Su Jingyu on the bed. No words were needed; the tranquility and contentment of that moment spoke volumes.
Time flowed by quietly like water. Under the meticulous care of Crown Prince Xiao Jingzhan, Su Jingyu finally completed her full forty-day postpartum confinement period.
During this time, she was treated almost like a fragile glass doll; not a breath of air could be allowed through the doors and windows, her food and medicine were meticulously prepared, and even her movements were restricted to specific times. Although she knew it was His Highness's way of showing her affection, this kind of confinement was truly suffocating for her. In truth, she had been secretly nourished by a spiritual spring, and her constitution was already strong, so she recovered extremely quickly. But the Crown Prince was still worried.
The day before her confinement period ended, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy personally led several renowned gynecologists to examine her pulse. Several elderly physicians, their hair and beards white, took turns examining her, inquiring in detail about her diet and daily life. Finally, stroking their beards and nodding, they reported to the waiting Crown Prince: "Your Highness, the Crown Princess is in excellent health. Her pulse is steady and strong, seemingly even stronger than before her delivery. Postpartum weakness has subsided, lochia has ceased, and her uterus has recovered remarkably well—truly a cause for great joy!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingzhan's tense nerves finally relaxed. He waved his hand to reward the imperial physician handsomely, then turned and entered the inner room. He saw Su Jingyu looking at him expectantly, her almond-shaped eyes filled with anticipation. He couldn't help but chuckle, walked over, pulled her into his arms, and kissed the top of her head: "Did you hear that? The imperial physician said, my darling is much better now."
"Then...may I be able to..." Su Jingyu tugged at his collar, her voice soft and brimming with excitement.
"Okay, that's fine." Xiao Jingzhan agreed with a smile, his heart softening as he looked at her eyes that lit up instantly. "Where do you want to go? The Imperial Star Pavilion? Or maybe we should go out of the palace to play..."
“Anywhere is fine!” Su Jingyu replied eagerly, then smiled shyly, “As long as I can get some fresh air and move around a bit, that’s all I need.”
Xiao Jingzhan affectionately pinched the tip of her nose: "Okay, whatever you say."
The next day, the sky was clear and the breeze was gentle.
Xiao Jingzhan had important matters to discuss with the Emperor at the Liangyi Hall early in the morning. Before leaving, he repeatedly instructed the palace servants to take good care of her, and then kissed the sleeping Su Jingyu again and again before leaving with many backward glances.
Su Jingyu got up and took a deep breath of the fresh, floral-scented air outside the window, feeling refreshed throughout her body. With Yun Shu and Jin Shu's help, she took a long and enjoyable bath and changed, feeling extremely happy.
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