The third-day-old ceremony was a lively affair, with Emperor Kangxi and the Empress Dowager personally participating.
This is not considered excessive favor, after all, today is the third-day celebration of the eldest grandson of the emperor, and also the first pair of male and female twins in the Qing Dynasty imperial family.
The Crown Prince smiled brightly today, his phoenix eyes were exquisitely beautiful.
Emperor Kangxi, deeply gratified, presided over the third-day-old ceremony, feeling a sense of joy at his son's coming of age.
In the front yard, the eldest prince was about to explode with jealousy. He followed Emperor Kangxi resentfully, heartbroken that his father's favoritism was so blatant.
The Grand Consort was in the inner courtyard, receiving the royal women on behalf of the Crown Prince.
There was no primary consort in Yuqing Palace, and Lady Li Jia's status was lower than Tong Wanyan's, so she couldn't receive guests on her behalf. At this time, it was most appropriate for the primary consort to temporarily assume the duties of the female members of the household.
Granny Ling stood by to help, and the two wet nurses, holding the young master, stood in a row, exuding an imposing aura.
Upon arriving at Yuqing Palace, the First Princess Consort went to see Tong Wanyan.
Seeing her lying in bed with her headband on, I had to admit that comparisons are odious. Just think about what she looked like right after giving birth, and what Tong Wanyan looks like now.
With her fair and flawless skin, full breasts, and a waist so slender it seemed like it would break at any moment, you couldn't tell that she had just given birth after a life-threatening ordeal.
"Thank you for your help, Madam." Tong Wanyan nodded gently to Madam, thanking her for coming to help receive the female guests.
She can't get out of bed and bend over now, so her manners can only be touched upon briefly.
The First Princess understood that she was a smart woman and did not intend to cause trouble in front of Tong Wanyan by talking about rules.
She was the Crown Prince's concubine, not the First Prince's concubine, so she didn't need to care too much about the distinction between wives and concubines and invite enemies upon herself.
"That's only right. We're all family, so of course we'll help if we can. You're truly enviable! You have two sons in one lifetime, you've got the best of both worlds. Our eldest prince and princess are still nursing, I need to take a good look at our twins." The First Princess said cheerfully.
"The eldest princess is greedy and loves to sleep, and the eldest prince can't be separated from his sister for a moment. They were just taken to the attic together. You'll see them in a little while. They look like two red monkeys. I was terrified when they were born." Tong Wanyan patted her chest with lingering fear.
Heaven help her, she was truly shocked by how ugly her child was when she first saw him.
The First Princess deeply agreed: "When I gave birth to my eldest princess, I looked just like you. Fortunately, my mother took care of me at the time and told me that all babies are born like this, so I wasn't frightened. You and the Crown Prince are both exceptionally good-looking, so the eldest princess and the eldest prince will definitely be very handsome."
"Thank you for your kind words, Your Highness." Tong Wanyan was not familiar with her after all, and there were some things she couldn't say, so she could only reply with the most appropriate words.
The First Lady sat for a while, chatting about some minor things to pay attention to during postpartum confinement, before leaving when it was time to go out.
Tong Wanyan lay in bed, listening to the commotion outside, feeling quite envious.
She also wanted to witness her child's third-day celebration, but unfortunately, that was no longer possible.
Xia Zhu understood her feelings, so she consciously went outside to stand and keep an eye on things for her, so she could come back and tell her the story vividly.
The First Princess Consort took an immediate liking to the twins upon seeing them.
The two little ones were exceptionally adorable, with chubby, white faces like dumplings made from the finest glutinous rice flour, and their little mouths pouting, naturally smiling faces.
"Granny Ling, may I hold the First Prince and share in the joy?" The First Princess Consort was much more enthusiastic now than she was with Tong Wanyan.
Ling Mama gestured to the wet nurse to hand the eldest grandson of the emperor to the First Princess Consort: "The First Princess Consort is already very fortunate. The little prince is quiet by nature, so you don't need to worry."
The First Princess Consort took the swaddling clothes with great interest, and looking at his little nose and mouth, she felt an even stronger itch to get to him.
Such a delicate girl, yet she's the focus of everyone's attention today; it's truly enviable.
The First Princess Consort is still young, and her thoughts cannot be completely concealed.
When Ling Mama saw that her eyes suddenly darkened, her heart jumped, fearing that the First Princess Consort would do something irrational.
"Granny Ling, shouldn't we go to the front courtyard?" The First Princess Consort felt uncomfortable being stared at by Granny Ling and couldn't keep the eldest grandson of the Emperor by her side.
Granny Ling personally took the eldest grandson of the emperor from the First Princess Consort's arms: "This servant will take you there now. First Princess Consort, there is no need to rush. There is still half an hour before the auspicious time, so there is still time."
The moment the eldest grandson of the emperor was brought out, everyone turned to look at him, as if trying to see something interesting.
Yinreng grinned from ear to ear, and kept circling around the First Prince, deliberately provoking him.
"Ah, I originally thought one child would be enough, but who knew that Lady Tongjia could give me two in one lifetime. The imperial physician said he had never seen such a strong child before, with such powerful little arms and legs, just like me!"
"Brother, don't worry. We're both fathers of two now. Even though you have two daughters, your daughters know how to care for you, much better than your sons."
"Brother, you've never seen such a young boy before, have you? I'll let you see him; perhaps he can bring you a son! No rush, no rush, there's plenty of time! Brother, you're still young!"
Yinreng was smug, which made the eldest prince, who was envious, almost vomit blood.
Emperor Kangxi silently indulged Yinreng, pretending not to see the pitiful state of his eldest son being bullied by his second son.
The eldest prince wasn't usually jealous, and it was fine if his Bao Cheng occasionally bullied him back.
The eldest prince held his breath, waiting for Kangxi to make a decision for him, his eyes darting towards Kangxi countless times.
"Your Highness, even if these twins are an auspicious sign, they are still just the eldest son and daughter of a concubine. Your Crown Princess will not be able to enter Yuqing Palace for another two years, while I already have a Fujin (consort)." After repeatedly pleading for help without getting a response, the eldest prince simply took matters into his own hands and directly confronted the Crown Prince.
What are you so smug about? Is a son born to a concubine worth all this fuss about? His princess is a legitimate daughter, far more noble than a daughter born to a concubine!
He's the eldest son, yet he's never been able to outdo his legitimate younger brother!
Therefore, being born out of wedlock is meaningless; only being born out of wedlock is the true status.
Yinreng, who was brimming with pride, suddenly deflated.
The eldest prince smiled, proud of his perfect shot.
His happiness didn't last long.
When Emperor Kangxi saw the appearance of his eldest grandson, he excitedly picked him up, his posture resembling that of a bandit who had snatched a baby.
"Chenghu!" Kangxi was deeply shaken.
His most beloved son, the son to whom he had poured the most love, had actually returned to his hands.
"Granny Ling, does he have a red mole on his right ear?" Kangxi looked at Granny Ling with a deep gaze.
Back then, Prince Chenghu was also delivered by Granny Ling, so no one knew what he looked like better than Granny Ling.
Ling Mama remained silent and stepped forward to lift the swaddling clothes a little off the left side of the eldest grandson's head.
A bright red birthmark was hidden behind the left ear of the eldest grandson of the emperor.
Emperor Kangxi took a deep breath; his Chenghu had returned!
"This is my eldest grandson, and I am very pleased with him! I hereby bestow upon him the name Hongzhao!" said Kangxi.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
