Springtime in Jiangnan is always bathed in a warm, misty atmosphere. The old wisteria vines in the back garden of Prince Jing's Mansion are blooming exceptionally profusely this year, with cascading clusters of pale purple flowers hanging down like waterfalls, almost bending the supporting wooden frames. The rich, sweet fragrance permeates every inch of the air, attracting bees and butterflies in a frenzy.
Shen Yuewei sat on a stone bench under the wisteria trellis, her belly noticeably protruding. She turned slightly to the side so that her five-and-a-half-year-old daughter could nestle comfortably in her arms. Xiao Chengjing stood behind them, one hand lightly resting on his wife's shoulder, the other casually protecting his daughter's side, his gaze calmly fixed on the two open hanging flower doors.
“Mother,” Xiao Yue (nickname An’an) twisted her body, her little hands gripping Shen Yuewei’s sleeve tightly. Her voice was soft and gentle, carrying a child’s unique curiosity and a hint of barely perceptible nervousness. “Daddy said that the Emperor Grandpa and Emperor Grandma from the painting are coming?” She tilted her little face up, her big, dark eyes wide open, like black grapes soaking in water.
Shen Yuewei lowered her head, gently tucking a stray strand of soft hair, ruffled by the breeze, behind her daughter's ear. Her voice was soft and gentle: "Yes, An'an loves that portrait the most, doesn't she? The Emperor and Empress in the painting have really come to see our An'an today." She looked up and exchanged a knowing glance with Xiao Chengjing. The sudden arrival of the abdicated Emperor and Empress in Jiangnan was as swift as the blooming wisteria, leaving everyone with a sense of hasty surprise and anticipation.
Beside the stone table on the other side of the flower stand, Shen Wenbai was clumsily trying to break a soft, glutinous pastry into smaller pieces and feed it to his son, who resembled a twisted candy in his arms. His wife, Lin Qingwan, held their quieter daughter, watching her husband's frantic efforts with a smile. Shen's mother came over with a plate of freshly steamed soft cakes, exuding the fragrance of lotus leaves, and gently placed them on the table. Out of the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but glance towards the door, her eyes filled with respectful anticipation.
A series of light footsteps approached from afar, accompanied by the clear, tinkling sound of jade pendants, breaking the tranquility of the garden filled with the fragrance of flowers. All eyes were instantly drawn to them.
At the entrance to the hanging flower gate, light and shadow flickered, and the first thing that caught the eye was an extremely dazzling bright yellow brocade. The abdicated Empress, now the Empress Dowager, had a well-preserved face that showed almost no signs of age, only a calm and kind expression of someone who had seen it all. She wore no elaborate hairpins or ornaments, only a single phoenix hairpin inlaid with a South Sea pearl in red gold, which swayed gently with her movements. Following closely behind was the Emperor, now the Retired Emperor, still tall and straight, dressed in a black robe embroidered with gold. His face was dignified without being angry, and his gaze was as sharp as ever, but that sharpness was deliberately toned down as it swept across the courtyard, revealing a slightly unnatural gentleness.
An'an's little body stiffened abruptly, and she instinctively shrank into Shen Yuewei's arms, revealing only half of her face. Her big eyes stared unblinkingly at the magnificent figures who seemed to have "stepped down" from the portrait, with a look of complete unfamiliarity and scrutiny.
Supported by Xiao Chengjing, Shen Yuewei attempted to rise and curtsy. The Empress, quick as lightning, stepped forward and offered a gentle support: "Don't move! Yuewei, you're heavy-chested, so let's skip the formalities." Her gaze fell on Shen Yuewei's pregnant belly, filled with genuine concern. "The soil and water of Jiangnan are truly nourishing." Then, her loving gaze, like a magnet, became firmly fixed on the exquisitely beautiful little girl in Shen Yuewei's arms, filled with an almost greedy joy.
"Is this my little An'an?" The Empress's voice instantly softened to a point where it could melt water. She leaned forward slightly, her face blossoming into an incredibly radiant smile, like a peony suddenly blooming. "Let Grandmother see! Oh my, those eyebrows, those noses, they're just like Chengjing when he was little, but that cleverness and charm, it's just like your mother!" She stretched out her hand, palm up, with a cautious invitation, "An'an, come here?"
An'an didn't move. Instead, she buried her face even deeper into her mother's soft fabric, revealing only her large, wary yet curious eyes. She glanced quickly at the Empress before looking down again. A few moments later, she suddenly stood on tiptoe, cupped her little hands into a megaphone, and whispered in Shen Yuewei's ear in a soft, sweet voice that she thought only her mother could hear, but which was actually faintly audible throughout the garden: "Mother, they... are a little bit fatter than in the painting."
These innocent words from a child are like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples that make people unable to suppress their laughter.
Lin Qingwan quickly covered the corners of her upturned mouth with her handkerchief. The boy who was fussing in Shen Wenbai's arms seemed to sense something, stopped squirming, and looked around blankly. Madam Shen coughed lightly and reminded him in a low voice with a smile, "An'an, don't be rude."
The Empress was taken aback for a moment, then burst into a hearty laugh, fine lines appearing at the corners of her eyes. "Oh, my little darling! Children say the darlings of the world! Being a little chubby is good, it brings good fortune!" She didn't mind at all, instead moving even closer, her voice soft and gentle, almost coaxing, "Don't be afraid, An'an, Grandma is here," she deliberately shook her wide, exquisite brocade sleeves, the intricate gold embroidery shimmering in the sunlight, "hiding lots of sweet candies, all for our An'an, do you want to see them?"
The allure of candy was immense. A flicker of hesitation clearly crossed An'an's big eyes, and her little hand, clutching her mother's clothes, loosened and tightened repeatedly.
The retired emperor, who hadn't spoken much until now, cleared his throat with an air of authority and strode over with his hands behind his back. He tried to appear more amiable, but the imposing presence he had cultivated over his long reign was ingrained in his very being. Even with his gaze softened, in An'an's eyes, this "bearded grandfather" still seemed overly serious, even a little... fierce. An'an instinctively took another half-step back, almost completely hiding behind Xiao Chengjing's legs, only peeking out half her head from beside her father's tall frame, looking at him timidly.
The retired emperor stopped in his tracks, the forced gentleness on his face looked somewhat stiff, and a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.
Xiao Chengjing bent down at the opportune moment, gently patted his daughter's head, and said softly, "An'an, this is Grandpa Emperor. Grandpa Emperor looks serious, but he actually loves cute little girls like An'an the most. Look at Grandpa Emperor's beard," he pointed to the Emperor Emeritus's neatly trimmed, silver-gray short beard, his tone carrying a touch of childlike mystery, "isn't he more majestic than he looks in the portrait?"
An'an's attention was indeed drawn to the "imposing" mustache. She tilted her head, staring intently, her long eyelashes fluttering as if trying to compare the portrait with the real person. The timidity in her eyes slowly gave way to pure curiosity. Hesitantly, she stretched out her chubby little finger and, very lightly and quickly, scratched the back of the Emperor Emeritus's hand, which hung at his side, like a kitten's paw.
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