Two weeks later, the kitten returned to the palace.
In the main hall of Liuyue Palace, many people were seated, including the Emperor, the Empress, the Empress Dowager, Ji Cong, and Ji Shaocheng. As soon as the eunuch announced the arrival, everyone looked towards the entrance. A small child walked in unsteadily from outside, followed by a wet nurse and female officials, who all spoke up.
"Young prince, be careful, be careful."
The kitten walked in from outside the main hall. Looking at the people in the hall, it was not flustered at all. Its big, clear black and white eyes darted around, looking at the Empress Dowager, then at Hailing, then at the Emperor. After looking around, it completely ignored the eager eyes around it and looked at the wet nurse and female officials behind it.
The wet nurse and the female officials turned pale. Good heavens! They had been teaching him all this way, so why didn't this little prince greet them?
Inside the main hall, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but call out for someone.
"Little kitten, come quickly to Grandma. Little kitten, don't you recognize Grandma?"
These words sounded a bit bitter. If there were any other way, the little cat wouldn't be so distant with her now, and her eyes welled up with tears.
But even the Empress Dowager's heartache couldn't compare to Hailing's. Her heart was filled with bitter tears. She never expected that after not seeing her son for several months, he would ignore her. She felt like such a failure as a mother. The more she thought about it, the more her heart ached. She vowed never to leave Xiao Mao'er again. With that thought, she choked out a cry.
"Little kitten".
After hearing Hai Ling's words, the little cat finally turned around and glanced at her. He still had a deep impression of Hai Ling, so when Hai Ling called him, he turned around and looked at her. Then he pouted and started sobbing, tears welling up in his eyes. It seemed that he recognized Hai Ling.
When Hai Ling saw her son looking so aggrieved, she felt extremely distressed and immediately rushed down from the head of the main hall. Ye Lingfeng was very worried and quickly reminded her.
"Ling'er, be careful."
Hai Ling ignored him and rushed to the kitten, stretching out her arms and looking at her son.
"Little kitten, don't you miss your mother? Your mother misses you so much."
The kitten initially pouted, but gradually calmed down and rushed into Hailing's arms. As soon as it got close to Hailing's embrace, it found a familiar feeling and cried out repeatedly, "Mother, Mother, the kitten missed you."
A soft, sticky voice echoed throughout the hall, his breath clear and crisp. Everyone in the hall laughed. Hai Ling wished she could meld her son into her body. Her son was so smart; she would never leave him again.
"Little kitten, from now on, your mother will always be with you."
"Mother, it's the little puppy who's lying."
As soon as the kitten finished speaking, everyone in the hall laughed again. Hai Ling's previous bitterness was also amused. She released her son and looked at her, saying, "Okay, your mother will stay with you, don't worry."
After Hai Ling finished speaking, she looked at the wet nurse and female officials below the main hall and said, "You may go and rest for now. I will reward you handsomely later."
"Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress."
The wet nurse and the female official withdrew, and Hailing, holding her son's hand, walked towards the head of the table. The Empress Dowager, who had been waiting impatiently, stretched out her hands and exclaimed, "Little kitten, don't you remember your grandmother? Your grandmother is so sad. (The following is unrelated and appears to be a separate, possibly promotional, entry: "Good novel: Black Poppy: Exclusive Rich Tycoon.")
The kitten immediately smiled, its little face as beautiful and adorable as if it had blossomed, making the Empress Dowager want to bite it.
The little one spoke sweetly, "Grandma doesn't come to see the kitten, the kitten misses Grandma so much."
When the Empress Dowager heard this, she felt sorry for him and hugged him tightly: "It's all my fault. I will visit the little cat every day from now on."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The kitten was clever and polite, making everyone happier. Laughter filled the hall, and the previous troubles seemed to have faded away, leaving only the joy before them.
That night, Hailing insisted on sleeping with her son, and Ye Lingfeng let her have her way. After all, she felt guilty for neglecting Xiao Mao'er, so she let the two of them have a good time together.
Inside the palace, the little cat was sitting on the bed playing with his fingers. Wearing a small inner robe, his black hair was like clouds, cascading over his shoulders. His big, bright eyes, skin as smooth as snow, small, straight nose, and thin lips were all extremely beautiful. Combined, he was a naturally handsome guy who was so good that people couldn't take their eyes off him. He was neither completely like Ye Lingfeng nor completely like Hai Ling, but rather a combination of the best features of both of them, making him a unique little person.
Hailin looked at her son and couldn't help but fall in love with him.
"Son, what have you been doing at the Sanqing Temple lately?"
The little cat especially liked Hailing. Upon hearing his mother's words, he blinked his big eyes and began to talk about the Sanqing Temple. Of course, he was still too young to explain things very clearly, but his animated gestures were enough to make people very happy. Not only Hailing, but also Shimei and Shilan and others gathered around.
Inside the palace, several braziers of charcoal were burning, making it warm and cozy. Everyone in the room gathered around the large bed to watch the little prince talk. The more they looked, the more they loved him. How could there be such an adorable and tender little guy? When he grows up, he will definitely be a handsome man who can charm anyone to death. (A good novel: Fatal Mad Concubine)
I wonder who is more handsome, him or the Emperor.
Everyone guessed that the kitten and Hailing had fallen asleep because they were tired. Ye Lingfeng led people over to see them and saw the mother and son sleeping soundly with their heads close together. His eyes were filled with doting light. These two were his treasures. No, there should be another one. His deep, dark gaze moved to Hailing's belly.
Three days later, it will be the kitten's first birthday party.
The Guangyang Palace was newly decorated inside and out. The plum blossoms in the palace were particularly vibrant this year. The chief eunuch of the palace had obtained Hailing's permission to use plum blossoms as the theme for this first birthday banquet. Therefore, exquisite vases were placed throughout the main hall, filled with fresh plum blossoms, and the whole hall was filled with a delicate fragrance.
Today, the young prince is hosting a banquet, inviting officials of the highest ranks in the court, and with their permission, his family members are also allowed to attend.
So carriages kept coming in from the outer palace gate, it was incredibly lively.
Inside Liuyue Palace, Hailing was holding her son, who was dressed in new clothes, and talking to him about the upcoming first birthday celebration. She asked him what he wanted to pick the first thing. The little kitten looked thoughtful and hadn't decided what to pick yet.
Below the main hall sat Nalan Mingzhu, holding a child.
The kitten looked up and saw Nalan Mingzhu smiling at him. He immediately had an idea, pointed to the little girl in Nalan Mingzhu's hand, and spoke.
"Mother, may I grab a little sister to play with?"
Hailin couldn't help but chuckle inside the hall. This guy, of all things to catch, he had to catch a little sister.
Nalan Mingzhu laughed even more happily: "Xurui, you don't need to pick a little sister, your mother already has one in her belly. You can pick something else today when you choose your first birthday gift."
"Oh!" Upon hearing this, the kitten's eyes immediately fell on Hailing's belly, which was now slightly protruding and faintly visible. The kitten grinned, overjoyed, thinking of raising a little brother to stay home with.
However, he was troubled about what to grab later, and he started thinking about it seriously.
Outside the palace, Fu Yue rushed in to report: "Your Majesty, the guards at the outer palace gate have reported that someone is requesting an audience. It is Princess Chang Le of the Great Zhou Dynasty and Helian Qianxun."
Upon hearing that Feng Qian and Helian Qianxun had arrived, Hailing was even happier. She hadn't expected the two of them to come on such a special day. She waved her hand and gave the order.