Chapter 54

Because Emperor Cheng used the birthday of King Rui to call Chu Xiuming back, he gave him a lot of things to the Rui Palace the day before King Rui's birthday. King Rui was in a bad mood because of Concubine Xu and his three daughters, and he didn't have much joy when he received the reward. Princess Rui had already made the people in the mansion busy.

Even Chen Qi came back to help, the posts had been sent, the location was arranged, and a special opera troupe was invited. Chen Hao kept asking for his mother, so Princess Rui handed over to Chen Rong. I don’t know why Chen Rong told Shen Hao, but he coaxed him.

After receiving the reward, Princess Rui arranged for someone to register the things, and then replaced some things in the mansion to replace them with the imperial gift. After all, she took Concubine Chen for the final inspection. Princess Rui sat aside and suddenly said, "I remember that Jin Yatou likes to eat steamed crispy cheese."

"If it weren't for the prince's reminder, I almost forgot." Princess Rui smiled and said, "Sister Chen wouldn't remind you."

Concubine Chen also smiled and said, "The prince's birthday is the younger generation, even if he only eats a bowl of clear soup noodles, he is satisfied. Prepare more what the prince likes."

King Rui became more energetic when he heard this and walked over to sit next to Princess Rui. Concubine Chen was about to get up when he heard King Rui say, "Sit down, don't be so reserved."

Concubine Chen glanced at Princess Rui, and Princess Rui nodded slightly. Concubine Chen did not move anymore. In fact, Princess Rui had already been prepared by those who were there, but they were just coaxing Princess Rui. Princess Rui said, "It's still the prince who feels sorry for the child."

King Rui smiled proudly, "I still remember Qi'er likes lotus leaf lotus seed chicken."

Princess Rui smiled and took a piece of paper to write down everything that King Rui wrote, and took it to someone to discuss it. When Prince Rui talked about the rock candy elbow, Princess Rui angrily said, "Isn't this the prince liked? Why did Xier like it? The imperial doctor said that he would not let the prince use it more."

"It's okay to use it once a while." King Rui said with a smile.

Princess Rui then wrote it down and said, "If the children knew that it was the prince's personal dish, they would be shocked."

"By the way, will the princess and concubines prepare gifts?" King Rui asked with a smile on his cushion.

Princess Rui said, "How can you be like a prince? I will give it to you tomorrow, and there will be surprises."

King Rui said, "Okay then."

Concubine Chen sat quietly aside and didn't interrupt. She only said a few words after asking. King Rui was used to Concubine Chen's temperament. In the past, he liked Concubine Xu, but now he felt that it was even more comfortable to have something like the princess and Concubine Chen.

The people who served in the house kept silently so as not to disturb the owner's interest. The three of them were discussing soup when they saw Cuixi coming in, Chen Rong brought Chen Hao to greet King Rui and the others.

Princess Rui smiled and said, "Take them and brothers in here quickly. Cuixi went to the kitchen to see if there were any new pastries to bring, and also bring the fruits that His Majesty had just appreciated."

"Yes." Cui Xi responded with congratulations and went down to prepare.

The wound on Chen Rong's face had not healed yet, and it was no longer covered. Seeing that this haggard man had lost a lot of weight, he came in and saluted Chen Hao. Chen Hao followed Shen Rong obediently, lowered his head and said nothing.

Princess Rui asked Chen Rong and the others to sit down and said, "Your father is discussing tomorrow's dishes with me. Do you have anything to eat?"

"I like it all." Chen Rong said with great sensibility.

After all, it was his own child. King Rui looked at them with soft eyes and said, "Is there any snow lotus cream?"

"What else?" Chen Rong looked at King Rui and said with reliance.

King Rui nodded, Cuixi had already brought the things up. After Chen Rong thanked him, she first brought the fruit for Chen Hao and then took it and ate it slowly.

Because he had a child, King Rui did not joke like he had just now, and soon gave the food. King Rui said, "Fifth girl, I will ask Your Majesty to decide the title of your princess first." This was what Princess Rui reminded him. Originally, the girls in the princess usually decided on these things before getting married, but Chen Rong's situation was a bit special, so she thought about making the decision first.

"Thank you, Father." Chen Rong said with surprise.

King Rui said, "It was your mother who reminded me."

"Thank you, Mother." Chen Rong looked at Princess Rui with emotion and said.

Princess Rui smiled and said, "It's all my children, so where did you use the word "Xie"?"

Chen Rong suddenly pulled Chen Hao and knelt in front of King Rui and Princess Rui. Princess Rui's eyes flashed. Concubine Chen stood aside silently, lowered her head and said without saying anything. King Rui frowned and said, "What is this for?"

"Father, mother," Chen Rong kowtowed, "My daughter knew that her mother had done something wrong, and she also explained it to her brother clearly. However, her brother is still young and it is not good to have no one to take care of her. Her daughter wants to ask Concubine Chen to take care of her brother on her behalf."

Concubine Chen's expression did not change. Princess Rui asked the maid to help Chen Rong and Shen Hao, but they just couldn't get up, and the maid didn't dare to exert force. Seeing that King Rui didn't say anything, Chen Rong pulled Chen Hao to Concubine Chen and kowtowed, "Concubine Chen, my younger brother is also the son of the father. When my younger brother grows up..."

"It's not possible." Concubine Chen avoided the two of them and said.

Chen Rong gritted her teeth and looked up at King Rui with tears in her eyes and said, "Father, my younger brother cannot be without the care of his mother when he is young. The mother has to deal with the matter of the royal family on weekdays and also takes care of the second brother. The daughter then thought about letting Concubine Chen take care of her younger brother. After the third sister got married, Concubine Chen had no children around her, and she was afraid she would feel lonely."

Chen Hao said, "Concubine Chen, I will definitely not cause trouble for you."

King Rui was slightly moved when he heard this. It was not for anything else. He thought that Concubine Chen had raised her third daughter very well, and was sensible and filial. It would be impossible to hand over the Concubine Chen with a boy. There was a man in his name, and the people in the mansion dared not neglect it anymore.

Concubine Chen was full of unwillingness. Chen Hao was already eight years old and had already remembered it. Such a child could not be raised at all. What's more, if she didn't have a daughter of Mrs. Yongning Bo, how could Chen Rong make such a proposal? And she would have spoken to her younger brother, but she had more plans for herself. If she was really moved by her, she would probably let the prince directly remember both of her children in her name. She had already planned to do so at such a young age, and she would probably cause more trouble for the girl Jin in the future. Although Concubine Chen knew that Chen Rong had no choice but to do so, and to give her and Shen Hao's future plans, she was selfish and caused trouble for her children for other people's children. Concubine Chen could not do such a thing.

How difficult is Chen Jin to be like this now? When he thought of the news about the border town, Concubine Chen felt like a knife. No one helped her daughter at the beginning. Concubine Chen made up her mind that even if she offended King Rui, she would never raise these two children, so she just lowered her head and didn't speak.

Princess Rui's eyes flashed, and she had other plans in her heart and said, "Get up quickly, what should you do if you let Concubine Chen do this? Even if she agrees, it's not something she can decide."

King Rui was slightly dissatisfied because Concubine Chen did not speak. After hearing Princess Rui's words, he understood that Concubine Chen was not the one who was in charge of the mansion. He and the princess were still there. How dare a concubine discuss the belonging of the offspring, and said, "Get up."

Chen Rong bit her teeth, pulled Chen Hao and stood up, explaining with a tremolo, "Father, it's all me... Yesterday I went to visit my younger brother, and I saw that the tea on my younger brother's table was already cold..." She did not directly say that Chen Hao was neglected, but she understood the meaning very clearly.

Princess Rui's face darkened and said, "Closed everyone who serves the third young master. Tomorrow is the prince's birthday, so it's not easy to see blood. When the prince's birthday is over, everyone will beat twenty boards."

King Rui nodded and said, "The princess has dealt with it properly." But he still looked at Concubine Chen, "It's just that it's not okay to have no mother to take care of..."

"I didn't tell the prince," said Princess Rui. "I thought I would tell the prince again tomorrow so that it would make the prince happy, but now I don't care. A few days ago, Li found out that he was pregnant, so I asked the doctor to see him. It's almost three months old. The doctor said he looked like a male fetus."

"Really?" King Rui said in surprise. It was not that he liked Li very much, but that he was so old that he could still get pregnant with his concubine, and he felt a strange feeling of satisfaction and joy.

Princess Rui angrily said to King Rui, "How could I joke about such things? That day I would go to visit Li with Sister Chen. I thought that no matter whether it was a boy or a girl in the end, it would be a big happy event. However, Li's background was too low, so she thought to remember it in the name of Princess Chen and let Princess Chen raise it." As she said that, she lay in King Rui's ear and whispered, "Will Yongning not take special care of him?"

King Rui also understood that this was the princess who was planning a future for her children. He felt that he sighed with great sincerity that only the princess thought about him wholeheartedly.

Seeing that King Rui understood, Princess Rui sat upright and said, "Sister Chen is also very happy. She also specially sent many medicinal supplements brought back by Jinya to Li."

"That's great." King Rui smiled.

Princess Rui glanced at Chen Rong, and then said, "It was me who discussed with Sister Chen, and I won't tell the prince for now. Let's surprise him tomorrow. Who would have thought that Sister Chen is really honest? Until she didn't say this just now, the child is the weakest when she was just born. I'm afraid that Sister Chen doesn't have the energy to do other things."

King Rui said, "It should."

As he spoke, he saw the maid coming to report that it was Yongning Bo and Mrs. Yongning Bo, who had also come. Concubine Chen's eyes showed joy, and Chen Rong clenched her fists, but when Princess Rui looked at her just now, Chen Rong didn't dare to speak again, as if all her thoughts were clearly seen.

King Rui smiled and said, "Why are they here today?"

"You still think that the child is here." Princess Rui smiled and said, "Besides, the child may not be here to come to see me and Sister Chen."

King Rui said, "It was the king who said the wrong thing."

Princess Rui ignored Prince Rui and looked at Concubine Chen and said, "Sister Chen hasn't seen Uncle Yongning, a son-in-law. I'll feel at ease to meet him today. From others, it's better to see him."

Concubine Chen pursed her lips and smiled, saying, "The prince and the princess both agreed, I don't feel at ease."

When Chu Xiuming and Shen Jin came in, they happened to hear this sentence. The two of them greeted King Rui and Princess Rui. Chen Rong brought Chen Hao to Chu Xiuming and his wife and then sat down. Chen Jin looked at him with confusion and asked, "What are you worried about?"

Concubine Chen had just looked at Chu Xiuming and Shen Jin. Seeing that her daughter's face was rosy, Chu Xiuming slowed down and looked at her daughter and felt very at ease in her heart. She felt that her daughter and son-in-law were really a perfect match when she stood together.

Princess Rui smiled and said, "I'm talking about your mother."

Chen Jin looked at Princess Rui and then looked at Concubine Chen, "Oh."

Princess Rui couldn't help laughing and said, "Do you understand?"

"I don't understand very much." Chen Jin said honestly.

Even King Rui was amused. Chen Jin frowned slightly and looked at Chu Xiuming. Chu Xiuming reached out and patted her hand. After everyone laughed enough, he said, "Tomorrow is the birthday of my father-in-law. My wife and I have prepared some gifts, but some of them are not suitable to be taken out in public."

"Oh?" King Rui looked at Chu Xiuming.

But Anping handed over the box in his hand to Chen Jin. Chen Jin took it with both hands and walked to King Rui with his hands and said, "Father, I made a coat for you."

King Rui looked full of joy and took it over and opened it, saying, "I didn't expect that after the girl Jin got married, she would even make clothes."

Princess Rui said, "Take it out and take a look, it's better for the prince to wear this one tomorrow."

King Rui laughed, put the box aside, took out the clothes with his own hands. It was made of Yuehua Brocade, but it was a black green color with a pattern embroidered with auspicious clouds. Concubine Chen could tell at a glance that this piece was really not made by his daughter. Although in order to imitate Chen Jin's craftsmanship, the auspicious clouds were deliberately embroidered more round.

Princess Rui was afraid that she could see it, but she just exclaimed, "Girl Jin, you are too partial. I and your mother are not there yet."

Chen Jin's face turned red. This was made by Mama Zhao, and it was not made by her at all. She had not prepared the sachet fan cover that she promised to make for her husband. She has not prepared it yet.

"Don't talk about my good daughter." King Rui was particularly satisfied and asked the maid to put away her clothes carefully and said.

Chu Xiuming then took the brocade box in An Ning's hand and gave it to King Rui with both hands and said, "This is my son-in-law who gave it to my father-in-law. Thank you for raising a good daughter like a wife."

King Rui sighed in his heart when he heard this, took it and opened it immediately, and saw that there were a pair of cups inside. The cup looked extremely ordinary, but seeing Chu Xiuming so serious, King Rui narrowed his eyes.

Chu Xiuming didn't explain too much, but just smiled, "Father-in-law poured some tea and tried it."

King Rui's eyes were delighted, and suddenly there was a guess and said, "This is... I'll go and get sake, strong wine, clear water, and tea."

Princess Rui has also seen the world. When she saw the cups, she just sighed, "You are intent." No wonder they didn't put such a precious thing in the gift list.

Chen Jin said with a smile, "It was my husband who snatched it. I stayed it when I saw it."

The maid quickly brought the things over, and King Rui sent everyone out, then closed the doors and windows, and no one needed to do anything. He took out the cup carefully and poured the strong wine in first. He saw that the cup that seemed ordinary just now gradually turned red, and the clouds gradually appeared on the wine surface, but one was the morning glow and the other was the sunset.

"Okay." King Rui couldn't help but say.

Chen Rong and Shen Hao also saw it, and Chen Hao said, "Father, I want to see it too."

"Come here." King Rui waved to Chen Hao over, "Be careful."

"I understand." Chen Hao looked at the cup with a look of surprise.

King Rui admired it for a while, then poured the wine, rinsed it with clean water, and the colors on the cup disappeared, and it returned to its normal appearance. King Rui poured the sake in and saw colorful butterflies dancing on the wine face. The butterflies in the cup were of different colors. As the wine swayed, the butterflies flapped their wings, as if they were about to fly out.

"So beautiful." Chen Hao liked it all over his face, "Give it to me, Father."

"No." King Rui refused without hesitation, and tried tea, clean water and warm water, so he carefully wiped it with a handkerchief and put it in the box. Chen Hao reached out to get it. King Rui quickly put the lid of the brocade box and said, "I told you, don't move."

"Prince." Princess Rui shouted in disagreement. Princess Rui stopped talking, but put the box away and looked at Chu Xiuming and said, "Son-in-law, this gift is good."
To be continued...