"Mother, you are so clever."
After Hai Ling finished speaking, the Empress Dowager and she laughed at the same time, and the atmosphere immediately became lively. The Empress Dowager immediately instructed Qingzhu, the nanny beside her, "Immediately send a eunuch to invite the Emperor over."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Granny Qingzhu went out, and inside the main hall, the Empress Dowager and the Empress played with the kitten. The two women didn't seem like mother and daughter-in-law, but rather like biological mother and daughter, and were exceptionally affectionate.
The emperor received the eunuch's report and arrived quickly.
Upon seeing the Emperor arrive, the Empress Dowager ordered everyone in the hall to leave. Once everyone was gone, she smiled and said, "Ye, come and apologize to the Empress. The Empress has done me a favor by forgiving the Emperor's inappropriate behavior this time."
Upon hearing his mother's words, Ye Lingfeng immediately smiled, his face beaming with a gentle, pleasing smile that warmed the hearts of everyone within a few feet. He slowly walked over, looked at Hai Ling, and spoke respectfully.
"Ling'er, I made a mistake this time. No matter what happens in the future, we will face it together."
Hai Ling gave him a cold look, then laughed, but she didn't forget to warn Ye Lingfeng: "I'm only forgiving you this time because of my mother. If you do this again, I'll take the kitten and leave you, so you'll never find us again."
As soon as Hailin finished speaking, the Empress Dowager chimed in, "Ye, you'd better remember this."
"Yes, I will keep it in mind. Mother and Ling'er, please rest assured."
Looking at the two women in front of him and his son, Ye Lingfeng felt a deep sense of unease. Even without the throne, he was willing to protect them and give them a peaceful and happy life.
Upon hearing Ye Lingfeng's words, laughter finally broke out in the hall. Then, Ye Lingfeng moved closer to Hai Ling and started playing with the kitten together.
October 18th, the kitten's one-month celebration.
Because Ye Lingfeng was cured of the poison and the couple reconciled, the emperor issued an edict to hold a full-moon banquet for their son. All the ministers in the court and the noblewomen of various families were invited to the banquet and went to the Guangyang Hall in the palace.
Liuyue Palace was bustling with activity from early morning. Nalan Mingzhu entered the palace early and prepared a gift for Xiao Mao'er: clothes she had sewn herself. Although these clothes might not be as good as those made by the imperial tailors in the palace, they were made by Mingzhu herself. So as soon as she entered the palace, Hailing dressed Xiao Mao'er in them.
The one-month-old kitten looks completely different from when he was born. Now, his little hands and feet are chubby, like a little bun. His eyes are open from time to time. He sleeps less and opens them more often. His eyes are dark and bright, watching the movements around him. He is exceptionally well-behaved, neither crying nor fussing. He even smiles from time to time. He is so cute.
He was the darling of the entire palace. Not only the Empress Dowager and the Empress, but also the eunuchs and maids in the palace adored him. In the vast palace, everyone knew that the little prince was a handsome young man, whose beauty was no less than that of the Emperor. He was very cute and adorable.
The kitten wore the new clothes and shoes that Mingzhu had brought to the palace, and even wore a little hat, making it look even more smug.
Mingzhu followed Hailing around, teasing him. This time, surprisingly, he didn't pout, which was a courtesy to Mingzhu. While teasing the kitten, Mingzhu remembered that the kitten didn't have a proper name yet, and couldn't help but ask.
“Ling’er, this kitten is already a month old, why doesn’t it have a name yet? It’s not right to keep calling him little kitten, he is a prince of Bei Lu, or even the crown prince of Bei Lu.”
“I woke Ye up, and he said that the kitten’s name would be announced at the full moon celebration today.”
"Oh, that's good."
Mingzhu nodded, and outside the hall, a eunuch's voice rang out: "The Empress Dowager has arrived."
Upon hearing that her mother had arrived, Hailing got up and led Mingzhu to the door to greet her. Mingzhu walked beside her and asked softly, "Ling'er, did you and the Empress Dowager handle things well?"
Hai Ling smiled and said, "Yes, it's very good. Mother is a very kind person."
"That's good."
Hearing her say that, Mingzhu felt relieved, as long as the Empress Dowager wasn't like the previous madwoman, Xixiu.
The Empress Dowager entered, and Hai Ling tried to bow to her, but she stopped her and helped the mother and son. Mingzhu, on the other hand, quickly bowed and said, "Nalan Mingzhu greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
"Young Madam Ji, please rise," the Empress Dowager said. She hadn't noticed Nalan Mingzhu before, but after Mingzhu bowed, she noticed her and quickly reached out to help her up. She knew that Nalan Mingzhu and Hailing had a good relationship, and naturally believed that Nalan Mingzhu was of good character, so her expression was very kind.
Mingzhu stood up, and the Empress Dowager looked at Hailing and the kitten in her arms, then turned to Qingzhu, the old woman behind her, and asked, "Where is the gift I prepared for the kitten?"
Granny Qingzhu immediately presented a brocade box to Hailing, saying, "Your Majesty, this was specially prepared by the Empress Dowager for the young prince. Inside is a longevity lock, which was blessed by a highly accomplished monk from Huguo Temple to ensure the young prince lives a long and healthy life."
Hai Ling was delighted upon hearing this and immediately instructed Shi Mei, "Put the things away, take out the longevity lock, and put it on the kitten."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Shi Mei immediately took the brocade box from Qingzhu's hands, opened it, and saw many gifts inside, including a gold longevity lock, bracelets, hairbands, and so on. It was clear that the Empress Dowager had prepared it carefully. Shi Mei took out the longevity lock that had been blessed by a high monk and put it on the kitten. The kitten immediately became radiant with precious jewels.
The Empress Dowager was overjoyed to see the kitten wearing her longevity lock, and the three women began to tease the little child.
The kitten wasn't afraid of strangers. Because it had slept well, it was in good spirits and would laugh at anyone who teased it, making the adults even happier.
A eunuch came in from outside the palace to report: "Your Majesty, people from Guangyang Palace have come to invite you and the Empress Dowager to come together. Almost everyone has arrived."
"Okay, we'll be right there."
Hai Ling nodded, then looked at the Empress Dowager and said softly, "Mother, let's go together."
"Let's go," the Empress Dowager happily released the kitten and led the way out. Hailing then called Mingzhu to join them. The group marched in a grand procession toward Guangyang Palace. The palace was heavily guarded, with patrol teams passing by from time to time. Today was the little prince's full moon celebration, and everyone naturally did not want anything to go wrong.
Xi Xiu has not yet been captured, so Ye Lingfeng is worried and has increased the number of people patrolling the palace. Previously, Xi Xiu thought that Ye Lingfeng was poisoned by the Ice Jade Cold Poison and would surely die, but she did not expect that he was completely unharmed. Not only that, but he even had a son. If she knew this from the shadows, she would definitely go crazy. Therefore, Ye Lingfeng not only strengthened the guards in various parts of the palace, but also ordered Shi Zhu and others to lead a thousand Feathered Guards to hide in various parts of the palace to ensure that nothing goes wrong. If Xi Xiu appears, she must be captured to prevent the Empress and the young prince from being harmed in any way.
The area in front of Guangyang Palace was bustling with activity.
In the spacious open space in front of the gate, many sedan chairs were parked, with eunuchs and palace maids waiting in rows. As soon as someone announced, "Her Majesty the Empress has arrived, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has arrived, and the young prince has arrived."
The palace maids and eunuchs immediately came forward, knelt on both sides, and spoke in unison.
"Welcome Your Majesty the Empress, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, and the young prince."
Hai Ling didn't speak, but instead looked at the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager waved her hand, indicating, "Get up, everyone."
"Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
The Empress Dowager ignored the eunuchs and maids, keeping her eyes on the kitten in Hailing's arms. The kitten had been playing for too long and was now asleep. Even the loud voices of the eunuchs and maids could not disturb him in the slightest. He smiled as he slept.
Inside Guangyang Palace, the people who had been talking noisily stopped talking as soon as they heard that the Empress Dowager and the Empress had arrived. They stood up together, and when Hailing and the Empress Dowager entered the hall, they saw a dark mass of people on both sides of the hall. Soon, everyone knelt down to pay their respects.