Chapter 952 The Newest Darling (Second Update)
For Xiao Jingkong's safety, Gu Jiao equipped Ma Wang with a children's saddle, but not the cute tiger head-carved one from last year. Instead, it was a new saddle with sharp lines, a simple design, and a cool and stylish look.
Little Jingkong rode high on the back of his horse, looking incredibly dashing!
Xiao Heng was on duty in the cabinet. Gu Jiao had mentioned it to him before he left in the morning, and he knew that he was going to his aunt's place after his shift.
The cabinet is different from the Hanlin Academy, and he is no longer the unknown compiler of the Hanlin Academy. Every move of the Grand Secretary is closely watched, and he can no longer be as casual as before.
Gu Jiao didn't go to pick him up after his shift and went straight into the palace.
Renshou Palace was exceptionally lively tonight, with Empress Xiao, Consort Zhuang, and Du Xiaoyun also present.
Half a year ago, Du Xiaoyun gave birth to the Crown Prince's eldest son. Empress Xiao was overjoyed and immediately fulfilled her promise, going to the Emperor to request the title of Crown Princess for her.
Therefore, Du Xiaoyun is now a legitimate Crown Princess.
Du Xiaoyun had no ambition, was straightforward, and did not try to cause trouble. She was also very filial to Empress Xiao, so Empress Xiao was very satisfied with her.
Of course, there could also be another reason, such as her ability to give birth.
Sure enough, her eldest son was less than a year old when she became pregnant again.
In ancient times, when offspring were of utmost importance, a dutiful daughter-in-law like Du Xiaoyun, who gave birth to two children in three years, was undoubtedly a precious gem in the family.
The three ladies of the palace were playing cards in a small garden. They were one player short, so they called on Consort Zhuang.
Consort Zhuang didn't inherit her great-aunt's intelligence in other aspects, but she was good at playing cards, winning several hands by self-draw.
In contrast, Empress Xiao was a complete mahjong addict. She would play one hand and then discard a winning tile. After an hour, her head would be completely fuzzy from playing so much.
She lost the entire match, while three teams won.
My aunt said she really enjoyed it.
"The princess and Jingkong have arrived!" came the cheerful voice of Eunuch Qin from the doorway.
The aunt just happened to give Empress Xiao a good slap, and Empress Xiao's eyes lit up: "Mother, I'm going to win! I'm going to win! I've finally won!"
"Jiaojiao is here, let's stop playing." Empress Dowager Zhuang said seriously, pushing the cards away in a second.
Empress Xiao: "...!!"
The twins were held separately by Yu Ya'er and their wet nurse. They woke up when they got off the carriage.
It was their first time going so far out, and the two little ones were looking left and right as if they could actually see something.
A 40-day-old baby can only see things within a distance of half a foot to a foot.
Du Xiaoyun felt quite awkward when she saw Gu Jiao again. She thought about how she had foolishly pursued Wen Linlang when she was young and ignorant, only to end up sleeping with Wen Linlang's husband and succeeding Wen Linlang as her husband.
I always feel like I'm a tea connoisseur...
Gu Jiao is very open and never mentions her dark past.
"Aunt, Aunt, Crown Princess, Imperial Concubine," Gu Jiao greeted the four.
"Grandma, Aunt, Crown Princess, Imperial Concubine," Little Jingkong greeted them in a similar manner.
Little Jingkong is not the main character today. He is seven years old and has long since retired from the cuteness category. After meeting the elders, he went to Kunning Palace to find Qin Chuyu.
The elders began to admire the twins.
That's right, it's just for appreciation.
The twins are so cute, fair-skinned and tender, smelling sweet and gentle, and they don't cry. Xiao Yan, in particular, is chubby and plump, just like her aunt Xiao Yi back then.
Even Empress Dowager Zhuang, who is not usually fond of holding children, couldn't resist hugging them twice, which truly proves just how popular the twins are.
"Bring Wuyou here," Empress Xiao said to the palace maid.
Wuyou is the Crown Prince's eldest son. He's almost eight months old and just learning to crawl, which is quite amusing.
The palace maids brought Qin Wuyou to Renshou Palace and placed her with the twins.
As an eight-month-old baby, Qin Wuyou definitely has the right to look down on his two younger sisters and brothers, and he doesn't have to be wrapped in swaddling clothes, so his hands and feet are very free.
When the palace maid brought toys to amuse the three little ones, Qin Wuyou unceremoniously snatched the toys from the twins.
Then Qin Wuyou met her tragic end.
The palace maids unwrapped the twins and changed their diapers.
In the brief moment of turning around, Xiao Yan kicked Qin Wuyou to the ground with a small foot.
Xiao Cong was always obedient and a quiet, handsome young man, but at this moment he secretly added a kick. It wasn't as hard as Xiao Yan's kick, but it hurt more than Xiao Yan's kick. You could say he was the epitome of a cunning and ruthless person.
Qin Wuyou, the precious golden nugget of the royal family, was being ganged up on for the first time as a child. She was in pain, scared, and aggrieved, and burst into tears.
"Oh dear, what's wrong, young master?" The palace maid hurriedly picked up Qin Wuyou, who was crying loudly.
The two little culprits were perfectly synchronized in their expressions and movements, lying motionless on the bed, their eyes even fixed on the same direction of the ceiling.
Remarkably calm.
Empress Xiao came over upon hearing the sound, took the little one into her arms, and said reproachfully, "Why are you crying again? Look how well-behaved your little brother and sister are!"
Qin Wuyou cried even harder.
Before long, Xiao Heng arrived from the cabinet.
Because he was an outsider, Consort Zhuang wanted to leave, but Empress Dowager Zhuang waved her hand and said, "We're family, no need."
Consort Zhuang felt a surge of warmth in her heart, and her nose suddenly stung with tears.
It's rare that after such a rebellious act against her aunt, her aunt still treats her like one of her own—
When Grand Tutor Zhuang was dismissed from his post and Prince Ning was imprisoned, the entire Zhuang family was exiled. She originally thought she would also be doomed, but her aunt overruled all objections and saved her life.
From now on, she won't do anything foolish again.
Empress Xiao sent someone to invite Qin Chuyu and Xiao Jingkong over for dinner. The Crown Prince was out of town and not in the capital, so he was not invited.
He wasn't originally called Emperor, but he came running along eagerly.
"Mother!"
Little Honghong has come to see you!
He greeted them with great enthusiasm.
Mrs. Zhuang rolled her eyes as if she had lost her mind.
The whole family dined at Renshou Palace. Qin Wuyou babbled and cried, while Xiao Jingkong and Qin Chuyu chased each other playfully. Consort Zhuang, Empress Xiao, and Du Xiaoyun, the three women, were like a drama, gossiping about everything under the sun.
Xiao Heng was playing with the twins in the courtyard, while Gu Jiao accompanied her aunt to admire the moon.
Renshou Palace was once the most desolate and impersonal palace in the imperial palace, but now it has a touch of the warmth of a thousand homes.
Looking at Empress Dowager Zhuang, who had a sour face on the surface but whose eyes were shining with light, Eunuch Qin felt genuinely gratified for her.
She had lived a life of ups and downs, without any children of her own, and thought she would die alone. But God took pity on her and gave her a happy old age.
After bidding farewell to their aunt, Xiao Heng and Gu Jiao returned to the princess's residence with their twins.
They first went to sit with Princess Xinyang.
The twins were hungry, so Yu Jin took a bottle and made them some formula. They were too young to drink on their own and needed to be fed.
Little Yiyi, who is one year and three months old, volunteered to take on this important task.
"Yiyi, hello," she said in her childish voice.
Princess Xinyang used to be someone who wouldn't let her children do anything on their own, but ever since Marquis Xuanping got involved in raising the children, her views have changed a lot.
"Can you lift it?" she asked Xiaoyiyi.
Little Yiyi patted her little chest: "I can carry it!"
Princess Xinyang handed the two baby bottles to Xiaoyiyi.
Little Yiyi climbed onto a stool and into the twins' crib to breastfeed them.
Feed the little nephew first, because he's thin! So we should feed him first!
"Jiang (Zhang) mouth." She sat cross-legged and said to Xiao Cong in a childish voice.
Seeing that Xiao Cong didn't open his mouth, she decisively stuffed the pacifier into Xiao Cong's mouth.
Xiao Cong had just taken a sip when Xiao Yiyi took the bottle away and drank two sips herself.
Her feeding principle for her nephew is: you take a bite, I take a bite, I take a bite, I take a bite, then I give you a small bite.
So it makes sense that Xiao Cong doesn't gain weight; not only does he not get late-night snacks from Long Yi, but he also has to deal with his aunt stealing his food.
It's so hard for him.
Princess Xinyang asked calmly, "Yiyi, did you steal Cong'er's milk again?"
"No, no, Yiyi, no." Little Yiyi burped.
Princess Xinyang: "..."
...
The next day, Gu Jiao took the twins back to Bishui Hutong, and Xiao Heng came over after finishing his shift as usual.
Everyone in the alley heard that Gu Jiao had given birth to twins, a boy and a girl, and they all rushed over to see the two little ones.
The two little ones were very cooperative, letting the neighbors watch them, and occasionally making cute little "uh-huh" sounds, which melted everyone's hearts.
Aunt Liu suddenly felt that her aunt's son wasn't so appealing anymore, and she wanted to snatch the child away!
Gu Xiaobao is two and a half years old. He has grown taller and lost the baby fat he had when he was little. He looks thin, but he is very clever.
The only thing is that he's still incredibly lazy.
For example, if you ask him to breastfeed the twins, he'll be too lazy to grab the food.
He fed her in a very Zen-like manner.
"sister."
He calls her "sister" so fluently now.
"What's wrong with Xiao Bao?" Gu Jiao asked, looking at him.
"The little brother and sister are so tiny," he said, looking at the baby on the bed.
Gu Jiao smiled: "They're not younger brothers and sisters, they're nephews and nieces."
Gu Xiaobao was clearly unfamiliar with these two terms; he had only heard of grandson and granddaughter, which were used by Grandpa Zhao next door.
He thought it meant the same thing.
After thinking for a moment, he said seriously, "I'm not old."
Only old men have grandchildren.
"Haha!" Gu Jiao burst out laughing.
When I wrote about Princess Rui's pregnancy, I couldn't remember whether I wrote that she gave birth to a son or a daughter. Does any reader remember?
(End of this chapter)
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