Chapter 79: Joyful News

Chapter 79: Joyful News

The crown prince was quiet in Jiang Hui's arms, twisting his head curiously to stare at the tall man in front of him.

"Father..." Jiang Hui said softly.

"How come our Hui'er has changed again in just one year?" Marquis Ningyuan, with his beard, teased with a smile.

"Ah?" Jiang Hui was startled.

"You've become even more beautiful!" Marquis Ningyuan chuckled, stroking his beard.

"Father—!" Jiang Hui playfully glared at him, then quickly pulled him to sit in the armchair, placing the crown prince in the Marquis's lap, affectionately saying, "Come, meet your dear grandson!"

Marquis Ningyuan clumsily adjusted his posture, his smile stretching from ear to ear. Softening his usually stern demeanor, he whispered, "Little one, do you recognize your grandfather? Can you say a word? Try calling me grandfather—"

Instead of crying when suddenly placed in the arms of this "stranger," the crown prince squirmed a bit, then grabbed onto the Marquis's short beard, babbling happily.

Marquis Ningyuan winced as the crown prince tugged at his beard, saying, "Hui'er, should your father grow a long beard now? I am a grandfather after all, and it's the Year of the Dragon, perfect timing!"

"Father, why have you suddenly returned to the capital?" Jiang Hui, having composed herself, asked about the matter at hand.

Marquis Ningyuan, arms protectively around the crown prince, calmly said, "I submitted a petition to resign my post. I was supposed to return before the New Year, but there was a delay with General Qi, so it was postponed until after."

General Qi referred to Marshal Qi Huaiyuan, who was appointed by the Emperor in the first year of Jianzhao to assist Marquis Ningyuan at Zhenbei Pass.

Jiang Hui fell silent for a moment, then smiled, "It's good that father has returned to the capital. Grandmother, mother, and brother are all at home, and I feel more at ease."

"Your brother..." Marquis Ningyuan picked up the coiled dragon jade pendant hanging from the crown prince's neck and smiled, "I've already requested the Emperor to send him to the Right Xiaowei Guard. In my absence, he’s grown too wild!"

The Right Xiaowei Guard, one of the twelve imperial guards, differed from the Jinwu Guard, which was responsible for close protection of the Emperor and accompanying him on travels. The Right Xiaowei Guard, along with the Left Xiaowei Guard, was stationed in the imperial city, usually enforcing the Emperor's edicts.

"The Right Xiaowei Guard?" Jiang Hui was startled, then realized it was best to be cautious in their words, even in the privacy of the side hall in Liangyi Hall.

She stopped herself from asking further and then quietly brought up another matter, "Father, Consort He gave me a ring, dark green and wide, carved with winding lines. Do you know if there’s some secret to it?"

"A ring?" Marquis Ningyuan paused, thoughtfully saying, "Consort He is the half-sister of the current Chanyu, sharing the same father. Her mother was the great Eunuch of the old Chanyu and now of the current Chanyu. Perhaps this ring is related to her maternal family... The old Chanyu seized the throne from her uncle."

"So, Consort He was deliberately sent to Da Zhou for a marriage alliance by her brother?" Jiang Hui understood the unspoken implications.

Seeing Marquis Ningyuan nod, Jiang Hui felt reassured and then asked about her mother, "Why didn’t mother come with father?"

Marquis Ningyuan paused in his play with the crown prince, answering truthfully, "Your mother is ill."

"Ill?" Jiang Hui was startled, recalling that the Princess of Chengping seemed well at the crown prince's first birthday.

"It’s her chronic illness, a severe cough," Marquis Ningyuan, seeing his daughter's worried expression, reassured, "Don’t worry, the Emperor has sent Physician Li to see her. It’s nothing serious."

Jiang Hui was somewhat skeptical, replying, "I have some high-quality medicinal herbs in the palace. I’ll send them to the Princess's mansion with Qingfeng later."

"No need," Marquis Ningyuan said as he placed the crown prince back into Jiang Hui's arms. "It's just old age and its many ailments. Just take care of yourself and the crown prince."

He then stood up, preparing to leave, as they were still in Liangyi Hall, and it wasn't appropriate to stay for too long.

After Marquis Ningyuan left, the Emperor entered from the main hall and saw Jiang Hui holding the crown prince, looking melancholic. He gently said, "Marquis Ningyuan will often be in the capital from now on. If Hui'er misses her family, just summon them to the palace."

"Yes," Jiang Hui replied softly.

Suddenly, the crown prince in her arms stirred and looked up at Jiang Hui, clearly saying "Mommy."

Jiang Hui instantly became excited and looked at the Emperor, asking, "Your Majesty, can the crown prince say 'mommy' now?"

The Emperor, even more excited than her, quickly scooped up the crown prince, coaxing, "Say 'daddy' again for me, say 'daddy', 'daddy'—"

He repeated 'daddy' several times, amusing the crown prince into laughter, who mimicked, "Da, da-da—"

"Not 'da', it's 'daddy'. Come on, my son, say it again, 'daddy'—" the Emperor persisted.

The crown prince looked at his father for a moment, then softly said, "Da, ah, da-da—"

"Daddy—"

"Da-da—"

"It's 'daddy', 'daddy'—"

Father and son had a brief standoff, while Jiang Hui, covering her mouth with a handkerchief, couldn't help but laugh.

"Ah, Mommy—" Hearing his mother's laughter, the crown prince turned his head, stretching his arms to go into Jiang Hui's embrace, clearly having had enough of his father's persistence.

The Emperor, feigning annoyance, gently spanked the crown prince and pretended to take back the jade pendant he had given him.

The crown prince clung tightly to the bright yellow tassel and burst into tears, only calming down after Emperor Xiaosheng sent Sheng An to fetch a bunch of jade pendants to soothe him.

Since it was still early in the first lunar month, the Emperor, seemingly having taken up a challenge with his son, visited Yaohua Palace daily to teach the crown prince to call him ‘daddy’, even ordering several nannies and the palace maids Shiliu and Hongying to constantly whisper 'daddy' into the prince's ear, amusing yet not daring to laugh amongst the palace staff.

Finally, after much perseverance, on the day of the Lantern Festival, the crown prince successfully said "daddy" after being entertained for a long while with a multicolored glass golden dragon and egret lantern by the Emperor.

Although not the first child to call Emperor Xiaosheng ‘daddy’, with Princess Xiaowu and Princess Xiaoyan preceding him, the crown prince, being Jiang Hui's firstborn and frail from birth, received extra affection from Xiaosheng.

Jiang Hui sat watching the playful father and son, her hand stirring a spoon in the longan honey soup just prepared by Wansong.

Just as she took a sip, a sudden bout of nausea overwhelmed her, causing her to retch, turning pale and dizzy.

Qiukui and Wansong quickly helped Jiang Hui to lie down on the couch. Emperor Xiaosheng urged Sheng An to summon the royal physician, handed the crown prince to Shiliu, and sat beside Jiang Hui, holding her hand, asking, "Could Hui'er be with child?"