Liu Liu has a completely different temperament from Hong Hui. Through her, Yi Hua fully experienced what a high-needs baby is.
This child has been crying since birth, and ever since then, he has been wailing whenever things don't go his way.
Yi Hua observed carefully; it was the kind of crying that was all bark and no bite. She would also steal glances at you while crying, and if you didn't react, she would raise her voice even louder.
Yihua, who was in her second month of maternity leave, endured the constant nagging of her little sister Liuliu every day, and after a few days she looked even more haggard.
Even Lady Ulanara, who had a fondness for girls, had to admit, "Our little princess is not someone to be trifled with; just look at that powerful voice."
“You’re not feeling well these days either. She has a wet nurse and maids looking after her. Why don’t you two separate for a few days? Don’t let this girl bother you like this.” Yi Hua treated everyone equally. She took care of Hong Hui the same way she did when he was a child, and she’s taking care of Liu Liu the same way now.
These past few days, Yi Hua has kept the little girl within her sight during the day, which puts her at ease. As for the night, the wet nurse watches over her while she sleeps.
Yi Hua hadn't personally experienced whether the girl was fussy at night, but she was really troublesome during the day. Every half hour or so, she would burst into tears and need to be held, rocked, and soothed before she would gradually calm down. The two wet nurses were exhausted after taking turns every day.
Seeing this, Yi Hua gave each of the two wet nurses a reward of one hundred taels of silver and assigned them several more servants to serve them. The wet nurses were naturally very grateful and performed well in front of Yi Hua.
Even if she hadn't eaten pork, she had seen pigs run. Yi Hua remembered a saying from her past life: you shouldn't hold a baby too much, because if you always hold her, she won't play by herself and will always want to be held.
So Yihua told the wet nurse that she wanted to train Liuliu to play and sleep by herself, but unfortunately, it had little effect.
Although it was her own mother's order, the wet nurses dared not let the little master cry for too long. They would always give in halfway and hold her in their arms. After this happened many times, she developed the habit of crying without any relief.
When Yinzhen walked in, Yihua and Liuliu were staring at each other, the mother and daughter looking at each other like they were at odds, which was quite amusing.
"What's wrong? Is Liu Liu bothering you again?" Yinzhen warmed his hands by the stove for a while until they were warm, then he picked Liu Liu up by the armpits and swayed her up and down, satisfied to hear the little girl's silvery laughter.
The little girl had two faces in front of her father. At this moment, she was obedient and well-behaved, looking at you with big, watery eyes that could melt anyone's heart. Yinzhen spoke to Liu Liu in a voice that she had never heard before.
"Has Liu Liu missed her father?" Yinzhen asked, drawing out the last syllable, which sent a chill down Yi Hua's spine.
The little girl giggled knowingly, and Yinzhen laughed along. Neither of them knew what they were laughing about, yet they managed to laugh at each other for quite a while.
Being so young, Liu Liu soon fell asleep in Yinzhen's arms, and at Yinzhen's signal, the wet nurse took the child away to rest.
Yi Hua breathed a sigh of relief: "This devil is only quiet when he's asleep."
Yinzhen expressed his disapproval: "We can't say this in front of Liuliu. Don't underestimate her just because she's young; she understands what's going on."
She doesn't know a thing!
Yi Hua really wanted to swear. She was really, really going crazy from being tormented by the child. There was a reason for her postpartum depression.
Seeing that Yihua's expression was not right, Yinzhen immediately comforted her, saying, "My lady not only has to manage the household affairs every day, but also take care of the children, which is very hard work."
"You'll be out of confinement in a few days, and the weather is getting warmer. When I'm on leave, how about I take you out for a walk, just the two of us, without the kids?"
Upon hearing this, Yi Hua immediately took it to heart: "Is Master serious?"
"When have I ever lied to you?" Yinzhen said with a smile. "However, if your postpartum period is not well managed, then it will be canceled."
Yi Hua's eyes darted away upon hearing this. She'd only wiped herself down a bit these past few days because she couldn't stand it anymore; she was planning to wash her hair tomorrow. Where did Yinzhen hear this? There was a little "traitor" by her side.
“You’ve gone to your mother’s house, and now no one in this main courtyard can keep an eye on you.” Yinzhen found Yihua’s guilty look quite cute, but his words were cruel: “If I find out that you haven’t taken good care of yourself during this last period, then I will not stand by what I said.”
"Okay." Yi Hua secretly rolled her eyes. If she didn't wash up soon, even that brat Liu Liu would avoid her.
******
After dinner, the couple had a late-night chat in bed.
"My lady, a small matter happened in the palace today. Just keep it in mind." The bed curtains were drawn, separating the two of them into their own private world, where they could whisper intimately and do whatever they wanted without restraint.
Yi Hua lay in bed, still questioning her existence. She herself felt that she smelled bad, and wondered how Yin Zhen, a person with a hidden germaphobia, could tolerate it and still hug her to sleep every day.
"Master, what is it?" Yi Hua's attention was just diverted, otherwise she would have wanted to pull her hair.
Yinzhen genuinely didn't find the smell strong; at most, he had a milky scent and a slight fishy odor, but it wasn't unpleasant.
Even though you're in postpartum confinement, you can't completely avoid washing and grooming, but it's not as thorough as taking a bath.
"Consort Hui behaved improperly before the Emperor and contradicted the Empress Dowager. The Emperor immediately issued an edict to demote her to Consort Hui. Although she was allowed to continue living in Yanxi Palace, all the items and buildings that a consort could use were confiscated."
Upon hearing this, Yi Hua sat up in shock, all sleepiness gone: "Is this a small matter?"
Yinzhen lay on his side, propping his head up, and nodded at Yihua's vibrant appearance: "She plotted to harm Empress Xiaochengren, targeted the Crown Princess's child, and even extended her reach to our residence. All these things led to her being demoted in the end. Are they not trivial matters to her?"
Oh dear, Yi Hua's heart skipped a beat. Her first reaction was to peek out, but finding the house and the surrounding area completely silent, she quickly withdrew and asked, "Are you sure it's her?"
Yinzhen nodded: "Leaving aside the rest, Empress Xiaochengren's matter was not unjust."
"Anyway, you won't be going to the palace anytime soon. Just listen to what's going on in the palace and keep an eye on things. The Empress will take care of everything."
At this moment, Consort De was also talking about this matter with Granny Lü, speaking in a mocking tone: "People should do good deeds and accumulate virtue. No matter how well you hide your deeds, the truth will eventually come out. However, our Emperor is sentimental, so even though she committed such a serious crime, she will only be demoted."
The old woman, Green Granny, massaged Consort De's legs: "Your Highness, think about it, what does Consort Hui—no, Consort Hui—care about most?"
"Prince Zhi".
"Yes, because of Prince Zhi, Consort Hui has always considered herself the head of the four consorts. Now that she has fallen from that position, she must be feeling extremely resentful."
Consort De smiled and said, "I'd like to see her expression now."
"That's easy. In a few days, it will be the day to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. You'll have plenty to see then."
Consort De thought about the scene of Consort Hui bowing to her with a livid face, and felt a sense of relief.
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