"Princess..." Qingxue sighed helplessly. Qian Shengyan then realized that speaking ill of the Emperor was a capital offense, and even saying nice things was not allowed. She stuck out her tongue and quickly added, "Our Prince is even more so."
Qingxue laughed, and Yuanshou, who was lying in the cradle next to her, also let out an "Ah." When Qian Shengyan heard that he was awake, she put down her needlework and went over to tease him: "Isn't that right? Your father is really good, isn't he? He's really a brother to his father, isn't he?"
For a moment, the room fell silent. Qingxue's laughter stopped, but Qian Shengyan didn't react. She stretched out her finger for Yuanshou to grab, teasing him, "Isn't that right? Isn't Father especially great? He's such a good older brother~"
She had only intended to express her respect for the prince in front of Qingxue and the other maids, but she didn't expect that her flattery would go directly to him. Qingxue couldn't stand it anymore and whispered to her, "Princess, the prince is here."
Qian Shengyan: ? ? ? ?
No, Prince Yong is a grown man, why didn't he announce his arrival before coming in? And he just stood there watching her bend over and tease the child without saying a word?
She stood up awkwardly, turned around and gave an embarrassed smile: "Your Highness..."
"Hmm." Yinzhen's expression was gentle. He waved for Qingxue and the others to leave before sitting down on the edge of the bed and asking her, "Why did you say that I am a good elder brother?"
Good heavens, even I, the king, am no longer referring to myself. Is he happy to be patted on the back?
Qian Shengyan still looked embarrassed. She sat on the embroidered stool, unconsciously squeezing Yuan Shou's chubby little hand, and murmured, "This servant, this servant was just guessing."
"How dare you," Yinzhen said softly.
Qian Shengyan didn't know whether she should get up and apologize. She knew that in this era, one should not speculate about the emperor's intentions. Yinzhen was her superior, and she could not inquire or make wild guesses.
But Yinzhen asked again, "What are you guessing?"
"I..." Qian Shengyan blurted out, then stammered, "This servant just guessed randomly..."
"Tell me about it." Yinzhen leisurely pinched his son's chubby cheek, his phoenix eyes smiling as he looked at her.
Qian Shengyan had no choice but to close her eyes and say, "I heard from Qingxue that the reason for suddenly returning from the outskirts of the capital was because the princess had passed away. The princess was the thirteenth prince's younger sister, and the thirteenth prince... has been staying at home all the time. The prince also suddenly collapsed in the palace before, and the emperor even asked the chief physician to treat the prince. It doesn't seem like he was punished by the emperor..."
As she spoke, she peeked at Yinzhen, only to find him staring intently at her. Startled, she lowered her head and continued, "Then today, His Majesty took the Thirteenth Prince to the border. I... I guessed that the Prince's sudden illness that day was probably... to plead for him..."
Her last sentence was mumbled, but Yinzhen heard it clearly. After hearing it, he was stunned for a moment, then sighed, "You are quite clever." He paused, then said with a complicated expression, "You are not allowed to say such things in front of others in the future."
Qian Shengyan was startled and quickly got up to kneel down, but Yinzhen held her up with one hand.
Finally, someone who could speak and figured out what had happened on their own, sighed, "The thirteenth brother... only has this one sister left. If we don't let him go and see her off, I'm afraid it will be a regret for the rest of his life."
“That’s why I say Your Highness is a good elder brother,” Qian Shengyan said in a low voice.
Yinzhen glared at her again, amused, as if to say, "You still dare to say that!" Qian Shengyan stuck out her tongue and, slightly embarrassed, tried to pry Yuanshou's chubby little hand away.
The room fell silent for a moment. Qian Shengyan was holding Yuanshou's hand when suddenly a large hand covered both hers and Yuanshou's. Yinzhen sighed, "Yuanshou is in good health, and the servants have made all the necessary preparations. Why are you still letting him sleep with you?"
Qian Shengyan thought nervously, "Isn't it because you were resting and couldn't come over? Of course I want to sleep with my son."
"Let's move to the west side hall today," Yinzhen said again, then scolded her, "You have no manners."
Qian Shengyan: ...
Dude, look at your own hands, and listen to what you're saying. What are you trying to prove?
Yinzhen looked at the two hands he was holding, one large and one small, with a somewhat subtle expression. His hands were dark and slightly rough, while the two hands wrapped in his arms were fair and tender.
This is his...woman and child...
Yinzhen fell silent for a moment.
After he recovered, he naturally wanted to make an appearance in the backyard. Today, he first went to visit his wife and then went to see the Third Prince.
However, Li Shi was always making a fuss. She was always talkative and cheerful, and with Hongshi being at the most mischievous age, Yinzhen felt a headache after sitting for a while—especially since Li Shi had pulled him and cried when he first arrived, saying how worried she was when he was sick.
To put it bluntly, when he was young, his tears were so beautiful they were heartbreaking, but now... looking at the dark lines etched on Li's face by tears, all Yinzhen wanted to do was run away.
He liked Li's genuine nature, but he also couldn't stand that her personality hadn't changed over the years. She was pitiful and adorable when she was young, but it was really childish for her to still cry and laugh so easily now that she was older.
After finishing a cup of tea, he left Fuluyuan without even having time to ask Hongshi about his studies. When he reached the courtyard gate and saw the sign, he felt even more annoyed—Li Shi had pestered him for three days to get him to write such a sign for her, it was really…
It's incredibly vulgar.
Originally intending to return to the main courtyard to rest, Yinzhen thought of Yuanshou, his youngest son, when he arrived at Dongyou Courtyard. He now only had two sons and a daughter in his backyard. His eldest daughter was already fifteen, and the father and daughter rarely saw each other. He hadn't been to the backyard for several days, and he should go and see his two sons.
So Yinzhen went to Dongyou Courtyard, only to find that Qian Shengyan would give him such a... surprise.
It was truly a mix of surprise and delight. Even Li Shi, who had been by his side the longest, or Ulanara Shi, who, as his wife, had prepared a set of gifts for the thirteenth prince as instructed by him, were not as insightful as this young woman, and... understood him better.
He unconsciously stroked Qian Shengyan's hand and couldn't help but say a few more words: "Actually, Father Emperor asked Thirteen when he was at the Summer Palace. At that time, I thought that I should ask Thirteen again so that he could... go out of the mansion for a walk."
After a moment's thought, Qian Shengyan said tentatively, "His Majesty is truly a benevolent father."
Unexpectedly, Yinzhen was not angry. He seemed quite pleased that she could continue the conversation: "Yes, Father Emperor has always been a loving father."
Prince Zhi cursed Crown Prince Yinreng and then set his sights on the throne. The Emperor merely confined him to his residence, but he still received the same rations as a prince. The Crown Prince was deposed and then reinstated, because the Emperor remembered his childhood friendship and couldn't bear to see his beloved son bear the title of a deposed prince.
Yinzhen sighed as he thought about it and looked at Qian Shengyan.
Qian Shengyan: ? ? ?
Does this mean they still want her to speak?
What should she accept?
She thought for a moment, then uttered a phrase that sounded like a rambling, nonsensical statement—?
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