The "brilliant" decision to move the cradle into the imperial study lasted only three days before being abandoned by Xiao Che himself in disgrace after the Minister of War was nearly turned into a statue waiting for his wife due to a major military matter.
It has been proven that the influence of imperial teachings is fundamentally incompatible with the unpredictable crying of infants.
Thus, the young prince Xiao Mu'an, also known as "Tuanzi" (meaning "little dumpling"), was respectfully invited back to Kunning Palace. The court returned to its usual solemnity, and the ministers all breathed a sigh of relief, feeling their nerves, which had been tense for several days, finally relax.
However, for Emperor Xiao Che, this merely meant that the "battlefield" had shifted from the imperial court back to the inner palace. His disastrous journey as a new father had only just begun.
That day, the weather turned uncooperative, and the autumn wind turned chilly. Lin Wanwan, without careful attention, caught a slight cold. Although it was just a minor illness, in order to avoid passing on the illness to the infant Crown Prince, the imperial physician repeatedly instructed the Empress to rest well and not to get close to the Crown Prince for the time being.
Unfortunately, misfortune struck again. One of the prince's two wet nurses had to ask for leave to visit her elderly mother, who was seriously ill.
Thus, on an afternoon when His Highness "Tuanzi" burst into tears of hunger, an unprecedentedly arduous task fell upon Emperor Xiao Che for the first time in history.
"Your Majesty, it's time for the young prince to have his meal." The palace maid carefully presented the warmed goat's milk, along with the bottle, to the palace.
Xiao Che looked at the strangely shaped glass bottle and listened to the heart-wrenching cries coming from the inner room, which seemed to be accusing the whole world. For the first time, he felt a pressure even greater than when he faced the Regent's rebel army.
"Ahem," he cleared his throat, trying to maintain his last shred of imperial dignity, "Leave it there. You...all of you, get out."
He decided to face this tough battle alone.
"Yes." The palace maids, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, quickly withdrew.
In the vast side hall, only a bewildered emperor and a starving crown prince remained.
Xiao Che took a deep breath, picked up the warm glass bottle, and walked steadily to the cradle.
The little "dumpling" in the cradle was crying so hard that its face was red, and its limbs were kicking wildly in the air. Its whole body was full of "grievance" and "give it food quickly".
"Okay, don't cry." Xiao Che said awkwardly, trying to soothe her in what he thought was the gentlest tone.
He held the bottle in one hand and carefully reached into the cradle with the other, trying to lift the little one up a bit to make feeding easier. However, his hands, accustomed to holding swords and pens, were now as stiff as iron claws, either touching the little one's face or poking his armpit, making the little guy cry even louder.
After struggling for a long time, he finally managed to elevate "Tuanzi's" upper body a little.
Okay, here comes the most crucial step!
Xiao Che carefully, as if performing some kind of intricate embroidery, aimed the soft nipple of the baby bottle at "Tuanzi's" little mouth, which was wailing loudly.
"Come, Mu'an, it's time to eat," he said softly.
However, the little "dumpling" seemed completely unaccustomed to this unfamiliar "utensil." As if sensing something was wrong, his crying stopped abruptly, and he suddenly turned his head away, directly avoiding the pacifier that was offered to his mouth, while making even more dissatisfied "woof woof" sounds.
In the first round, Xiao Che lost.
“Be good,” Xiao Che’s patience was starting to run out. He adjusted the angle and handed the bottle over again. “This is food, good stuff.”
"Tuanzi" turned his head precisely again, his little head seemingly filled with resistance. He even stretched out his chubby little hand and pushed the milk bottle away.
In the second round, Xiao Che was defeated again.
Xiao Che's brows began to furrow tightly.
As the supreme ruler, his words were law, and none dared disobey. Now, he was gently feeding his son, only to be met with such resolute and repeated refusal?
This is outrageous!
“Xiao Mu’an,” he began to try to reason with, though he didn’t know if a baby less than six months old could understand, “I know you’re not used to it. But your mother is unwell, and your wet nurse is not here. This is a temporary measure, and you should understand my feelings and prioritize filling your stomach. Come on, open your mouth.”
He spoke with sincerity and earnestness, as if advising a stubborn and unrepentant courtier.
His response was "Tuanzi's" even louder crying, and a head twisted like a rattle drum.
Xiao Che's patience finally began to run out at this moment.
Looking at the stubborn little thing who only knew how to cry and fuss, a nameless anger slowly rose from the bottom of his heart.
He couldn't understand why something as simple as breastfeeding was so difficult. Wasn't it just about putting a bottle full of milk into a baby's hungry mouth? Why wouldn't the baby cooperate?
"I'm giving you one last chance." Xiao Che's voice had already turned cold. He once again held the milk bottle to "Tuanzi's" lips, his tone almost commanding, "Drink!"
"Wah—!" Tuanzi expressed his strongest protest with an even louder cry.
A complete, utter, and utterly uncompromising rejection!
The veins on Xiao Che's hand, which was holding the baby bottle, bulged slightly.
He felt that his imperial authority was being utterly trampled upon by the cries of his own son at that moment.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, as if trying his best to suppress something. When he opened his eyes again, all the gentleness and patience in them had disappeared, replaced by the unquestionable authority and coldness he displayed when handling state affairs in the Golden Palace.
He stopped trying to coax or persuade.
He straightened his face, his eyes flashing like lightning, and stared directly at his son who was still crying in the cradle. He spoke in a deep voice, as if issuing a command in the imperial court, enough to silence all the officials.
His voice wasn't loud, but every word was like metal and stone, filled with absolute and irresistible authority.
"Xiao Mu'an!"
He first addressed her by her name in a dignified manner, and the loud crying was startled by this sudden seriousness.
Seeing that it had worked, Xiao Che felt reassured and continued in that cold, commanding tone, speaking slowly and deliberately:
"Open your mouth!"
The little boy was stunned by his father's sudden change of expression. He forgot to cry and just stared at him blankly with his big, teary eyes.
Seeing this, Xiao Che thought his imperial authority had finally worked, and a sense of smugness welled up inside him. Sure enough, one couldn't be too gentle with this little thing!
He pressed his advantage, holding the bottle to his son's lips again, and with an almost solemn tone, issued the first and most absurd "oral decree" of his life:
"I command you to drink it right now!"
The entire side hall instantly fell into an eerie silence.
The little boy blinked, tears still clinging to his long eyelashes, as if he was trying to process what the serious-looking man in front of him was saying.
Xiao Che maintained his dignified expression, his heart filled with unwavering certainty. "My imperial decree is law, and none of my subjects dare disobey it, let alone my own son!"
However, the next second, all his confidence and authority completely collapsed.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, the little boy seemed to finally come to his senses. He couldn't decipher the complex emotions in his father's eyes, nor could he understand the profound meaning behind those words. He only felt an unprecedented fear emanating from that serious expression and icy tone!
His little mouth pursed up, more so than ever before.
A tremendous sense of injustice and shock instantly overwhelmed his young mind and body.
"Waaaaaahh ...
A cry, three times louder than before and filled with terror and grief, suddenly erupted like a flood bursting its banks!
The wailing was so heart-wrenching it could practically lift the roof off the Kunning Palace! The little "dumpling" was trembling all over, gasping for breath, as if she had suffered the greatest torture.
Xiao Che was completely at a loss.
He stared blankly at his son, who was nearly fainting from his "decree," holding the baby bottle, his mind going completely blank once again.
His proud imperial logic and his invincible monarchical authority were shattered at this moment by the cry of his own son, which was three times louder.
He lost, he lost miserably, he lost completely.
Above his head, a cartoon figure is grabbing his hair with both hands, looking frantically at a giant baby bottle that he can't possibly put into a baby's mouth, accompanied by a line of desperate text: [Who can tell me! How do I even get this thing in?! .gif]
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