Chapter 172 It's Nature
Jiang Yingli's care and love for Xiao Chenan was beyond Xiao Chenglan's expectations.
It seemed as if she would become anxious and uneasy whenever she couldn't see the child.
Xiao Chenglan always felt that she was too cautious with the child. She didn't allow him to hold the child. Gradually, even Qiuxia and Lianqiao could not hold the child, so she and the wet nurse had to take over.
At night, Xiao Chenglan called the wet nurse to his side.
"The Queen has been acting strangely for the past two weeks. Could it be that Lin'er has been injured without my knowledge, which is why the Queen has to watch over him constantly to feel at ease?"
The wet nurse shook her head: "Your Majesty, I have always taken good care of Lin'er. He hasn't had even the slightest bump or injury."
Xiao Chenglan's gaze fell on Jiang Yingli, who was lying beside the crib taking care of Xiao Chen'an. His brows were furrowed, and he looked confused and lonely.
"Isn't she overworking herself? There are many maids serving the prince, but she refuses to slack off even for a moment."
The wet nurse had seen many new mothers who, from the time they were in confinement, grew fonder and fonder of their children. Jiang Yingli's behavior was not surprising to her, so she answered truthfully:
"Your Majesty, you don't know this, but it's the same for all women after giving birth. When the Queen saw the newborn Prince, she cried and complained about his ugliness, but she's grown to like him more and more. This is normal."
"Normal." Xiao Chenglan repeated these two words in a low voice.
The wet nurse nodded and continued, "This is your Majesty's first child, so you naturally treasure it very much. You should be more relaxed about the second one. The more children you have, the less worries you will have..."
"No." Xiao Chenglan said suddenly, turned around, pressed his eyebrows with his fingertips, and frowned.
There is no possibility of having a second child.
"You go down." Xiao Chenglan waved his hand and sent the wet nurse away.
He listened to Jiang Yingli humming a song to comfort the child not far away, and his heart became more and more anxious.
He didn't remember that his mother would always watch over him like this when he was a child.
"Someone come."
Lian Qiao came over upon hearing the voice, "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
"Go and summon Envoy Xu."
Lian Qiao responded and went. Xiao Chenglan walked to Jiang Yingli and stayed with her next to Xiao Chenan's crib.
Xiao Chenan was noisy when he cried, but he was well-behaved and extremely cute when he laughed. Xiao Chenglan felt much better when he looked at him.
Dean Xu arrived, and Xiao Chenglan asked him to take the pulse of Jiang Yingli and Xiao Chenan.
"Your Majesty, the Queen and the Crown Prince are in good health."
Xiao Chenglan hesitated: "Is the Queen really alright?"
Envoy Xu nodded solemnly once again: "Your Majesty, the Queen is in good health and everything is fine."
Xiao Chenglan lowered his eyelashes, waited for a few breaths, and then asked, "Why is it that the Queen loves the Crown Prince so much that she wants to hold him in her arms all the time? Is this normal?"
Court Envoy Xu pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, this is a mother's nature. The Queen's behavior is not surprising."
Xiao Chenglan sighed slightly: "I understand, please leave."
After Xu Yuanshi left, Xiao Chenglan paced alone in the outer hall. The night was a little chilly and he felt a little confused.
It's my nature.
Then why doesn't Xu have this nature?
Is it because she was neglected as a child that she is so nervous about this child now?
Xiao Chenglan forced himself to calm down.
When I entered the hall again, Jiang Yingli had already fallen asleep, and Lin'er was lying beside her. The mother and son were lying together, it was warm and beautiful.
Xiao Chenglan walked over quietly and sat beside the dragon couch, his gaze fixed on Jiang Yingli's peaceful sleeping eyes for a long time.
Since everyone says it's normal for her to take such meticulous care of the prince, then perhaps he hasn't adapted to the role of a father yet.
Maybe he can no longer be as paranoid as before, so paranoid that Jiang Yingli can only have room in her heart, happy for him alone, sad for him alone. After all, Lin'er is their child.
Xiao Chenglan placed his hand on Jiang Yingli's ear and kissed her between the eyebrows with infatuated attachment, trying not to recall the scene where she avoided his kiss.
His kiss also fell on Xiao Chenan.
Xiao Chen'an was not asleep. He stretched out his chubby little white hands and grabbed the hair hanging down the side of Xiao Chenglan's neck, pulling it while grinning innocently.
Xiao Chenglan laughed, lowered his head a little according to his strength, let him pull, and rubbed him lightly with his forehead.
**
The next day, at lunchtime, Xiao Chenglan returned to Changyang Palace.
The palace servants outside were busy moving things.
Xiao Chenglan frowned, and Fu Wanquan quickly stepped forward and asked, "How dare you! What are you doing? You dare to move things from Changyang Palace without permission. How many heads do you have?"
The palace servant in front of him knelt down in fear and replied in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, this has been approved by the Empress. The Empress wants to take the Crown Prince back to Zhaohua Palace. The Empress said..."
"What did she say?" Xiao Chenglan took a step forward with a gloomy expression and asked sternly.
"The Empress said that the Crown Prince cried and made a fuss at night, and that his frequent getting up disturbed His Majesty's sleep, so the Empress simply moved back to Zhaohua Palace."
Fu Wanquan was stunned for a moment and quietly observed Xiao Chenglan's expression.
Xiao Chenglan stood there with a cold expression, his thin lips pressed tightly into a line, and the anger in his eyes gradually intensified, but more of it was sadness.
"Your Majesty, do you want to go to Zhaohua Palace now? It's still early, and the Queen must not have had lunch yet." Fu Wanquan asked tentatively.
Xiao Chenglan's face darkened, he flicked his sleeves and turned around.
"No need, let's go back to Changqing Palace."
What would happen if he went? He would just say a few words.
Fu Wanquan followed Xiao Chenglan with a sad face.
What should I do?
Others say that it is normal for the Queen to care about His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, but they don't know how the Queen got along with His Majesty in the past. The Queen has obviously neglected His Majesty recently.
Your Majesty is worried and everyone seems to be quite depressed.
But he is the biological prince. We can't let the wet nurse take him to the Eastern Palace and leave him to the care of servants without letting the empress see him.
Isn't this hurting the Empress again?
It's really a dilemma.
After Xiao Chenglan left, Xue Ning was strolling leisurely in the imperial garden in the distance, gently stroking the branches of flowers on both sides as he walked.
She looked at Xiao Chenglan's back with a mocking smile on her face.
"You must repay the heart-wrenching pain of your last life a hundredfold in order to appease my resentment."
**
At night, Xiao Chenglan stood at the gate of Zhaohua Palace, looking at the gauze lanterns hanging under the eaves of the palace gate, with complex emotions in his dark eyes.
The boundless night enveloped him, and under the swaying shadows of the trees, his back seemed to be shrouded in lingering loneliness.
Once upon a time, he was happiest when he walked here, but now he was hesitant and wavering.
Six years ago, Jiang Yingli stood at the gate of Prince Su's Mansion, holding a lantern and waiting for him to return. She stood timidly on the steps and wanted to hide behind Qiuxia when she saw him.
He taught her to come forward and hold his hand.
Later, she learned to run over and hug him and act coquettishly.
Now, all expectations have calmed down, and only the bleak moonlight accompanied him as he entered.
Jiang Yingli heard the announcement and bowed slightly. When Xiao Chenglan approached, he greeted him calmly, "Your Majesty has arrived."
Immediately, she took the child from the nurse's arms and held him in front of Xiao Chenglan with a smile: "Your Majesty, look, Lin'er is so well behaved."
Xiao Chenglan lowered his eyes and looked at Xiao Chen'an in the cradle. For the first time, he felt a feeling close to rejection in his heart.
His gaze didn't linger on Lin'er for long. He extended his hand towards her and instructed, "Li'er, hand him over to the wet nurse. I have something to tell you."
Jiang Yingli looked up at him and said, "Your Majesty, why are you so secretive? Can't we just say it here?"
Xiao Chenglan's tone turned colder: "No."
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