A middle-aged emperor, childless, was blessed with a beautiful and pregnant concubine who entered th

Your Majesty is now content with having a son.

Fuquan understood his thoughts best.

He immediately said:

"Prepare the carriage for Kunning Palace!"

After being crowned Empress, the Empress moved to Kunning Palace.

Kunning Palace.

Zhou Mingyi leaned against the soft couch, holding Xie Yan in her arms.

The little boy had just woken up; his face was rosy from sleep, his eyes weren't fully open, his little hands were clutching her clothes, and he was blowing bubbles.

"Yan'er, your father has arrived."

No sooner had he finished speaking than footsteps could be heard outside.

Emperor Qianwu strode in, and upon seeing the mother and son, the weariness in his eyes vanished instantly.

He walked over, sat down on the soft couch, looked down at Xie Yan, and gently touched his little face.

"Yan'er, call him Father Emperor."

Zhou Mingyi couldn't help but laugh.

"Your Majesty, he is only two months old and can't even bark yet."

Emperor Qianwu withdrew his hand with some regret, but his eyes still couldn't bear to leave that little face.

"He's growing so fast. I remember when he was first born, he was so tiny that I didn't dare to hold him, afraid of hurting him."

Zhou Mingyi looked at him, at his helpless appearance, and couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh.

"Your Majesty, although our Yan'er is still young, he will soon grow into a robust man like Your Majesty."

"You probably won't want to hug me then."

Emperor Qianwu's eyes and brows were filled with a smile.

"Listen to this, I only said one sentence, and the Empress is already rushing to protect me."

Zhou Mingyi also laughed.

Of course! If she doesn't protect her own son, what else can she do?

"Your Majesty, it's time for your breakfast."

Emperor Qianwu then remembered that he hadn't eaten yet, nodded, and ordered Fuquan to serve the meal.

Breakfast was served, and it was very plentiful, filling the entire table.

Emperor Qianwu picked up a bowl of porridge, blew on it, scooped out a spoonful, and held it to Zhou Mingyi's lips.

"Ah Chang, you eat first."

Zhou Mingyi looked at the spoonful of porridge, then at Emperor Qianwu's serious face, and suddenly chuckled.

"I am so fortunate to have His Majesty personally serving me."

She opened her mouth, ate the spoonful of porridge, and then lowered her head to look at Xie Yan in her arms.

He fell asleep again, his little mouth slightly open, his breathing even and long.

"Is Yan'er asleep?"

Emperor Qianwu lowered his voice.

Zhou Mingyi nodded.

Emperor Qianwu put down the bowl, reached out, and carefully took the child from him.

The tiny child stirred in his arms, furrowed his brow, then relaxed and continued sleeping.

Emperor Qianwu held him tightly, barely daring to breathe, as if he were holding a fragile treasure.

Zhou Mingyi looked at him with a gentle smile on her face, but her heart was calm and undisturbed.

This is just the beginning.

She touched her belly. Once Chen'er is a little older, she'll give him a few more younger siblings, and then she can get rid of that scoundrel of an emperor.

She lowered her head, concealing the light in her eyes.

He picked up the bowl of porridge and slowly began to drink it.

Days passed one by one.

Xie Yan grew older day by day.

At one month old, it was a wrinkled little bundle, but now it's plump and white, always smiling at people, showing off its pink gums, so cute that you just want to take a bite.

Emperor Qianwu would come to Kunning Palace to see his son every day. He would come after finishing his memorials, before having a meal, and sometimes he would come again late at night after finishing his memorials, just to take a look, and then rest directly in Kunning Palace.

Fuquan said he was possessed, but he wasn't angry; he just smiled.

The Empress Dowager also wanted to come, but she could never manage to.

The first time, the Empress Dowager sent someone to deliver a message, saying that she wanted to see the Emperor's grandson.

Zhou Mingyi said with a smile that Yan'er had just finished nursing and had fallen asleep.

You shouldn't disturb a child while they're asleep, or you'll startle them.

The Empress Dowager had no choice but to say that she would come back when the child woke up.

Zhou Mingyi smiled and agreed.

But when the child woke up, Zhou Mingyi said, "He just woke up and is fussy. He's crying a lot, and I'm afraid he might offend the Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager had no choice but to say that she would come back when the crying stopped.

Zhou Mingyi smiled.

But when the child stopped crying, Zhou Mingyi said that the imperial physician said the weather had been cool these past few days and the child should not go out, lest he catch a cold.

The Empress Dowager had no choice but to say, "Then I will come here."

Zhou Mingyi said that Yan'er is shy and cries a lot when he sees strangers, but he will be fine when he gets older.

The Empress Dowager sat in the Cining Palace, listened to Zhu Lan's report, and remained silent for a long time.

Zhu Lan lowered her head, not daring to speak.

"Is she... trying to prevent me from seeing the imperial grandson?"

The Empress Dowager thought for a long time before she came up with this idea. But she found it hard to believe.

Why is this?

"Have I inadvertently offended the Empress recently?"

Zhu Lan quickly said, "Empress Dowager, you're overthinking it. Her Majesty the Empress said the child is still young and will be fine when he/she gets older."

The Empress Dowager still looked suspicious.

She couldn't help but recall the past, when Chaoyang was a child, she would hold Chaoyang and walk around the yard.

The rising sun rested on her shoulder, giggling, a laugh that melted her heart.

She wanted to hug Yan'er, kiss his little face, hear him laugh, and see him cry.

But Ah Chang wouldn't allow it.

She didn't know if she had offended her daughter-in-law without her knowledge.

But she really couldn't think of anything.

They've always gotten along really well...

"That's enough."

The Empress Dowager sighed. "Let's talk about it when they're older."

A few days later, the Empress Dowager sent someone to deliver another message.

Zhou Mingyi said that Yan'er had been suffering from indigestion these past few days, and the imperial physician advised him to avoid further agitation and to go pay his respects to the Empress Dowager once he recovered.

The Empress Dowager was alarmed and immediately rushed from Cining Palace to Kunning Palace.

But I still didn't see my beloved grandson.

Upon seeing Zhou Mingyi, she asked, "Indigestion? Is it serious? Have you had the imperial physician examine you?"

Zhou Mingyi lowered her face slightly, politely but distantly saying, "It's not serious, I just ate too much. I've already consulted the imperial physician, who prescribed medicine, which I'm taking now."

The Empress Dowager hurriedly said, "Then I will go and see."

Zhou Mingyi lowered her eyes. "The imperial physician said that the child is too young and cannot see too many people, lest he catch the illness."

"But since Mother is here, let her go if she wants. Just take a look from afar; it wouldn't be good if she caught the illness."

Empress Dowager: ...

The next morning, the Empress Dowager came directly over.

Zhou Mingyi, holding Xie Yan, stood at the palace gate to greet him.

When the Empress Dowager saw the chubby little baby, her eyes lit up and she reached out to hug him.

Zhou Mingyi smiled and said, "Mother, Yan'er just had milk and hasn't been burped yet. I'll let you hold him after he burps."

The Empress Dowager awkwardly withdrew her hand and watched Zhou Mingyi pat the child's back to burp.

Her beloved grandson was perched on Zhou Mingyi's shoulder, his little face squished up, making a "hiccup" sound, then another "hiccup" sound.

The Empress Dowager's heart melted.

"Alright, alright, let me hug you."

Zhou Mingyi handed the child over, and the Empress Dowager took it and carefully held the child in her arms.

The little boy opened his eyes, looked at the Empress Dowager, and suddenly grinned.

The Empress Dowager was stunned for a moment, and then tears almost welled up in her eyes.

"My precious grandson, Chen'er, smiled! He smiled at me!"

Zhou Mingyi stood to the side, looking at the Empress Dowager's beaming face, and the corners of her lips curved into a smile.

"Yan'er likes her grandmother."

The Empress Dowager held the child tightly, reluctant to let go, and held him for a long time until the child started to whimper. Only then did she reluctantly hand the child back to Zhou Mingyi.

"Is Yan'er hungry?"

Zhou Mingyi nodded. "It's time to nurse."

The Empress Dowager watched as the child was taken away, stood under the eaves, gazing at the palace gate, reluctant to leave.

Zhu Lan advised from the side, "Empress Dowager, you should go back and rest."

The Empress Dowager shook her head. "I want to see my precious little grandson a little longer. Just a little longer."

She stood under the eaves, listening to the sounds coming from inside the palace: the baby's babbling. Zhou Mingyi gently coaxed the baby, while the wet nurse helped from the side.

The sounds blended together like a warm melody.

As the Empress Dowager listened, she suddenly sighed.

Zhu Lan quickly asked, "Empress Dowager, what's wrong?"

The Empress Dowager shook her head.

"It's nothing. I just think that Ah Chang has raised Yan'er so well."

She turned around and slowly walked back.

He took a few steps, stopped, and looked back.

The doors of Kunning Palace were half-closed, letting in a warm glow.

She stared at the light for a while, then turned around and continued walking back.

Zhu Lan followed behind, watching the Empress Dowager's back, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart.

The Empress Dowager wanted to see the Emperor's grandson, but the Empress always had a reason.

Either the child is asleep, or the child is making a fuss; either they're afraid the child will catch a cold, or they're afraid the child will pass on illness.

The reasons given were all reasonable and there was nothing wrong with them.

But Zhu Lan knew, and the Empress Dowager knew, that those reasons were just excuses.

The Empress Dowager did not want the Empress Dowager to get close to the Emperor's grandson.

Zhu Lan didn't understand why the Empress would do this.

The Empress Dowager treated her well, protecting her, rewarding her, and speaking up for her from the moment she entered the palace.

But she just wouldn't let the Empress Dowager see the child.

Zhu Lan couldn't understand it, and didn't dare to ask.

Inside Kunning Palace, Zhou Mingyi held Xie Yan in her arms and gently patted his back.

The baby had finished feeding and was asleep, his little mouth slightly open, his breathing even and long.

She looked down at him, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Lianwu, standing to the side, said softly, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has been standing outside for quite a while."

Zhou Mingyi nodded.

"understood."

Lianwu hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help asking, "Your Majesty, why don't you let the Empress Dowager hold the little prince more? The Empress Dowager...

Zhou Mingyi looked up and glanced at her.

His gaze was indifferent, revealing no emotion.

"The imperial physician said the child is too young to see too many people. I am only doing this for Yan'er's own good."

The wax apple lowered its head, not daring to ask any more questions.

She knew that wasn't a real reason.

But she also knew that if the Empress didn't want to talk about it, no one could get the answer out of her.

Zhou Mingyi lowered her head, looking at Xie Yan in her arms, her eyes calm.

The Empress Dowager wanted to hold the child, but she refused.

The Empress Dowager wanted to see the child, but she refused.

Even if the Empress Dowager wanted to get close to her, she always found a way to prevent her from doing so.

She was Yan'er's biological mother, and her reasons were perfectly reasonable and flawless.

The Empress Dowager knew she was doing it on purpose, but she couldn't say anything, or she would lose all respect for her.

Zhou Mingyi's lips curved into a smile.

In their past life, the siblings died tragically, all because of Chaoyang.

But Chaoyang dared to disregard human life because the Empress Dowager, Emperor Qianwu, stood behind her.

Now that Chaoyang is dead, she doesn't want Emperor Qianwu and the Empress Dowager to have an easy time either.

There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

She gently patted Xie Yan's back, and the little boy stirred.

She looked at him, and the coldness in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a soft light.

"Yan'er, you must grow up quickly. When you grow up, your mother will take you to see many, many places and to play many, many fun things. No one in this world will dare to bully you again."

The light from outside the window fell in, falling on her and on the child.

It's as beautiful as a painting.

On the day of the Crown Prince's first birthday, a banquet was held in the palace, and congratulatory messages from court officials arrived like snowflakes, while vassal states also sent envoys to offer their congratulations.

Emperor Qianwu was delighted and held a grand banquet for his officials in the Qianqing Palace. He also issued an edict granting amnesty to the entire nation and reducing taxes, which brought joy to the whole country.

Inside Kunning Palace, Zhou Mingyi held Xie Yan, changed him into a bright red robe, and put on a small crown.

Xie Yan can already walk.

He was fair-skinned and chubby, and he always smiled at everyone he met.

During his first birthday celebration, he picked up an inkstone, a small jade ruyi, and a copy of the Analects of Confucius. Emperor Qianwu was so happy that he drank three cups of wine.

The Empress Dowager also came.

She sat at the head of the table, gazing intently at the chubby little baby, her eyes glued to him.

But the thought that she could only see her beloved grandson a few times a year made her feel melancholy.

"Yan'er, come here to your grandmother."

The Empress Dowager extended her hand, greeting him with a smile.

Xie Yan, supporting Zhou Mingyi's hand, stood unsteadily, glancing at the Empress Dowager and then at Zhou Mingyi, as if waiting for his mother's permission.

Zhou Mingyi looked down at him and smiled.

"Go now, your grandmother misses you."

Xie Yan then released his grip and staggered toward the Empress Dowager.

He was still walking unsteadily, stumbling and falling like a little duck.

The Empress Dowager looked at him, her heart melting, and she quickly reached out to pick him up.

"Oh, my dear grandson, I've missed you so much!"

Xie Yan nestled in her arms, giggling, her little hands reaching for the Empress Dowager's phoenix hairpin. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts, she tried to grab the Empress Dowager's ear instead.

The Empress Dowager was tickled by his scratching and couldn't stop laughing.

"This child is incredibly strong, just like his father when he was young."

Zhou Mingyi stood aside, watching this scene with a smile on her face, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

The Empress Dowager held the child for a long time before reluctantly handing him over to the wet nurse.

"Take the prince down to rest for a while; it's time for his milk."

The wet nurse took the child and left.

The hall fell silent.

The Empress Dowager looked at Zhou Mingyi and remained silent for a while.

"Ah Chang, come here, I have something I want to tell you."

Zhou Mingyi walked over and sat down to the left of her.

The Empress Dowager looked at her for a long time.

"Ah Chang, I know you harbor resentment. You resent me for protecting Chaoyang in the past, and for not seeking justice for you. But all that is in the past. Chaoyang is dead, and Consort Chen is dead too. I only have Yan'er as my grandson now, and I want to see him more, to hold him more. Could you…?"

"Empress Dowager."

Zhou Mingyi interrupted her, her tone somewhat cold.

"I have no complaints. I just feel that the child is still young, and the imperial physician said that we shouldn't put him through too much trouble."

The Empress Dowager's expression changed.

"Is it considered 'making a fuss' if I hug him?"