Time passed by at a leisurely pace, and soon Mengmeng would be one year old.
During the morning greetings, the Empress specifically mentioned to Lin Yuqiao that she wanted to hold a half-year birthday banquet for the Third Prince.
"His Majesty doesn't have many children. He only has the Third Prince, who is also His Majesty's first child after ascending the throne. His first birthday celebration should be a grand affair. Consort, you may bring up any ideas you may have."
When Lin Yuqiao said that she would follow the Empress's arrangements, the Empress smiled slightly, her demeanor becoming even more graceful and virtuous.
"I have no particular thoughts. I just want everything to be done according to the rules. Thank you for your trouble, Your Majesty."
Feeling there was a deeper meaning in the Empress's words, Lin Yuqiao smiled until her face ached, but she didn't want to waste her energy figuring it out. She obediently nodded and continued to put on a good attitude of following all arrangements.
"You're just being polite, Consort."
The Empress smiled gently and looked at Lin Yuqiao with great affection, as if the two were really good friends.
Although Lin Yuqiao has always been the sole favorite in the harem, what comforts the Empress is that she lives a secluded life, acts discreetly, and appears obedient, not one to cause trouble.
When Lin Yuqiao returned, she held Mengmeng and exclaimed, "Time flies so fast! It feels like just yesterday that Mengmeng was a month old, and now she's already one year old."
"Yes, time flies when you have children."
Granny Fang was also sighing, holding up the tiger-head hat she had just made and gesturing to Mengmeng.
"I wish he would never grow up, and could stay so cute in my arms forever."
Lin Yuqiao leaned down and kissed Mengmeng's cheek, absolutely smitten with the chubby, soft, and adorable little creature in her arms. Her maternal instincts were overflowing, but Mengmeng clearly didn't want to continue being affectionate with her.
She pushed away Lin Yuqiao's face with her little hands and clearly uttered a single word, "No."
Mengmeng is a rather unique child. The first word she learned to say wasn't "father" or "mother," or the unconscious "ba" or "ma," but "no."
Making an exaggerated heartbroken expression, Lin Yuqiao faced Mengmeng and said, "You're not grown up yet, and you already dislike your mother!"
That's what she said, but her hands were still pinching Mengmeng's chubby arms and legs.
No.
Still rejecting her mother's exaggerated caresses, Mengmeng struggled for a while before giving up, nestled wearily in Lin Yuqiao's arms. The older Mengmeng grew, the more she resembled Liu Heng. From appearance to personality, they were identical.
Aside from eating and sleeping, Lin Yuqiao couldn't find any other desires in him. He would lick the cheese and sweet soup if given a little. Lin Yuqiao tried to wave the bowl in front of him to dangle it in his face, but after a few tries, he ignored her and just stared at her with a serious expression as he talked to himself.
She's clearly an adorable little white dumpling even when she's not trying to be cute, yet she's always so serious and unsmiling. This contrast makes Lin Yuqiao want to take a bite of her even more.
However, Liu Heng really liked Mengmeng's personality, praising him for being "upright and self-disciplined."
"The Third Prince is so well-behaved; I've never seen a child who doesn't cry as much."
After watching for a while, Granny Jiang couldn't help but sigh at how good-tempered the Third Prince was. Even though his own mother was pinching his hands and feet and biting his face, he didn't make a fuss.
Having played for a while, Jiang Mama figured he must be hungry. She lovingly took the somewhat listless Mengmeng from Lin Yuqiao's arms, stroked him affectionately, and handed him to the wet nurse to be fed.
"For Mengmeng's first birthday, we should give her a special gift."
Lin Yuqiao rested her chin on her hands, leaning over the table on the tatami mat, looking quite worried.
Since everyone around her refused to let Mengmeng wear the clothes she made, Lin Yuqiao stopped doing needlework and couldn't think of any special birthday gift for her son that could both express her feelings and be a keepsake.
"How about Your Highness makes an embroidered ball for the Third Prince to play with?"
"That's what Granny Jiang suggested."
"But he doesn't like playing at all."
She worked so hard, but her son didn't even acknowledge it; how heartbreaking. This suggestion is rejected.
Granny Jiang felt a little helpless; it was truly impossible to find a way to please a child who didn't even like toys.
"How about Your Highness embroiders a hat for the Third Prince?"
"Although the Empress shouldn't touch the Third Prince's clothes—children's skin is delicate and it would be uncomfortable—the hat should be fine," Qingming suggested.
"No, it's too complicated, I can't learn it."
Lin Yuqiao glanced at the exquisite tiger-head hat made by Granny Jiang, but still shook her head. Her embroidery skills were really mediocre; she'd better give up on something as difficult as a hat. Besides, she wouldn't have the face to let her son wear it in front of others anyway.
If only we lived in modern times, when Mengmeng turned one, she and Liu Heng could take a first birthday photo and a family portrait with their son.
Wait a minute?
Thinking of the first birthday photo, Lin Yuqiao suddenly had a brilliant idea.
When Liu Heng came in that evening, he saw Lin Yuqiao lying naked on the big bed with her face buried in the quilt, while Lin Yuqiao was laughing so hard she couldn't stand up straight.
"What's going on here? Why aren't you dressing him? What if he gets cold?"
Liu Heng frowned as he walked over, trying to tuck Mengmeng into the blanket, his eyes searching around for clothes for him.
"No, no, I've put in several hot water bottles, he won't get cold."
Lin Yuqiao quickly grabbed his hand, stopping him from moving. Besides, it's spring now, not so cold.
Liu Heng glanced at the people who had been bowing their heads since paying their respects, and felt a slight displeasure. He knew the Consort was always impulsive; didn't these people try to persuade her to be more discreet?
"I want to leave my son the first important gift in his life!"
With eyes shining like they were filled with starlight, Lin Yuqiao excitedly told Liu Heng about her idea.
"Why do you have to strip him naked when you're just drawing a portrait?"
Looking at his son, who was naked from the waist down and had his face buried in his hands, looking like he was very aggrieved, Liu Heng felt a pang of sympathy and confusion.
Well, Lin Yuqiao was a little troubled.
Nowadays, it's common to take a nude photo of a child when they turn one month or one year old as a keepsake. Besides, imagine how emotional (and shameful) Mengmeng will feel when she grows up and looks at her childhood nude photo!
“This kind of portrait is special. As parents, is it enough to just feed and drink him? We also need to care for him. Mengmeng only has one first birthday in his life, so naturally, he needs a valuable and surprising gift so that he can realize how much we loved him when he was little when he grows up.”
After listening to her rambling, Liu Heng raised an eyebrow at her, then looked at his son, and was speechless for a moment.
Feeling that she had conquered the child's father with maternal love (which wasn't actually the case), Lin Yuqiao had a brilliant idea.
"At such an important moment, I have to sincerely admit that my drawing skills are not as good as yours."
Based on Liu Heng's past experience, there must be something behind her sudden turn of events that left him powerless. Although he didn't say anything, Liu Heng felt a string being strung up in his mind.
"Then I'll entrust you with this glorious and valuable task: you'll draw Mengmeng's first birthday portrait. It's time to test your skills. Make sure the style is realistic. If you don't draw it well, Mengmeng will blame you when he grows up."
Sure enough, Liu Heng was even more dumbfounded after hearing Lin Yuqiao's next words. Drawing such a picture for her son—he'd only complain about it when he grew up.
The writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were all prepared on the table. Lin Yuqiao pulled Liu Heng to the table and stuffed the brush into his hand. Then she went over and pulled her son, who was hiding his face in embarrassment, out of the table. He was lying on his back with his legs in the air.
"Draw it! It must be realistic, draw a completely naked figure."
Still worried that Liu Heng would add clothes for Mengmeng himself, she gave him some more instructions.
Lin Yuqiao turned to look at her son again. Looking at his chubby, white body, she felt a constant itch in her teeth, always wanting to take a bite.
Lin Yuqiao glanced at Liu Heng slyly, who was looking down at the drawing paper. She buried her face in Mengmeng's little belly and bit her. Then, just as he was about to slap her with his little paws, she quickly got up and ran away.
Liu Heng, who had actually watched the whole thing, couldn't help but smile. Such a special mother must have been a wonderful surprise for Mengmeng.
After thinking for a moment, Liu Heng picked up his brush and began to paint, so engrossed that he didn't even notice when Lin Yuqiao arrived beside him.
"In that case, why don't you add yourself to the group? That way, the three of us will be together."
After watching for a while, Lin Yuqiao offered another suggestion.
Liu Heng's painting is very good and truly realistic.
On the carved bed, a chubby baby lay on a light red diamond-patterned quilt, its lips slightly downturned, looking somewhat aggrieved.
Beside the bed, a slender young woman in palace attire sat, her chin resting on her hand. Even in profile, her beauty was evident, and she gazed at the doll on the bed, her entire being radiating tenderness.
After thinking for a while, Liu Heng added himself to the list.
With just a few strokes, an image of a man painting by a window is sketched. The man is looking down, holding a brush, and the portrait he is drawing is vaguely the doll and the young woman in front of him.
"Great!"
Before they knew it, more than an hour had passed, and Liu Heng had finished his painting. When Lin Yuqiao saw him put down his brush, she excitedly rushed over and stood on tiptoe to kiss his face haphazardly.
"Ziping, you're actually a talented person! This painting within a painting is simply amazing!"
I never expected Liu Heng to be so creative. The large portrait depicts a man, a young woman, and a baby. The painting the man is creating also depicts a man, a young woman, and a baby. This creates a painting within a painting, and both the concept and the execution are first-rate.
In Lin Yuqiao's own words, it's top-tier celebrity level.
Liu Heng, whose face was covered in saliva, patted her back to calm her down, and then stamped the seal.
"etc."
Lin Yuqiao picked up Mengmeng, who was already dressed, and pulled her fair little feet onto the red inkpad on the table.
"stamp!"
On the far side of the portrait, Lin Yuqiao had Mengmeng leave a small footprint.
No longer caring about the state of the painting, Liu Heng had it dried and framed, and then personally washed the red marks off Mengmeng's feet with hot water.
Lin Yuqiao thought to herself, "As the first person to have his feet washed by the Emperor, this child has a bright future."
Liu Heng's movements were gentle and full of fatherly love. Lin Yuqiao held the little chubby boy and suddenly felt a sense of peace and tranquility.
Despite the many unpleasant things in this vast palace, as long as their family was together, they were happy enough.
After the painting was framed, Lin Yuqiao and Liu Heng sat close together, heads huddled together, admiring the "photo" of Mengmeng with her bare bottom exposed.
"I'll give it to Mengmeng the day before his wedding."
Liu Heng turned his head and looked at the person who had just finished speaking and was smiling smugly. He couldn't help but feel sorry for his son because of her perverse sense of humor.
Kid, don't be so angry you cry when you see this painting.
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