Chapter 2
In the cold winter at the end of the year, even though there was a brazier burning wood in the room, Lower Concubine Liu still felt chilled to the bone.
Did Granny Wang deliberately open the window at night?
It's the twelfth lunar month now, the north wind is as sharp as a knife, the chill pierces through the heart.
Not to mention children, even adults can't stand the wind.
[Alas, later the Imperial Physician said I was only a month old, my body wasn't fully grown, and I was invaded by the cold into my internal organs, very difficult to regulate, and as expected I couldn't hold on and passed away before even a year had passed...]
[My mother loved me, held me to sleep together, but as a result she caught a cold today right after getting out of her one-month confinement. Afterwards she coughed for three months, leading to my father the Emperor who died young not summoning my mother. Mother suffered physically and mentally worrying about taking care of me, and also not able to recuperate herself, she really suffered torment in both body and mind.]
[Not much later her health completely collapsed. Three years later she was granted death by the New Emperor, and was buried along with my father, she didn't even have the strength to resist!]
Lower Concubine Liu almost collapsed, but holding the child, she could only force herself to endure.
The Emperor died so early, and she was buried along with him?
But right now she couldn't think about things three years later, the most urgent thing was her young daughter's safety.
Looking up, Lower Concubine Liu scrutinized the simple-looking expression of Granny Wang in front of her. She had previously thought this person was diligent and honest, and could be trusted.
But now, under these astonishing murmurings, she couldn't help but become suspicious.
Although the murmured thoughts of her young daughter were extremely bizarre and strange, not like a normal person, everything she said seemed to warn her mother.
What if it was true?
She didn't dare neglect it.
Lower Concubine Liu looked seriously at Granny Wang right away.
Tonight, she absolutely could not let something similar happen!
She would not allow others to plot against her child!
She wanted to see if Granny Wang really had that much audacity.
"Replying, Fifth Prince and Madam Liu have arrived, they just happened to meet in the front hall."
She was thinking, when a little eunuch outside the room came to announce.
Lower Concubine Liu was immediately overjoyed, "Quickly invite them in."
But very soon, when she saw a seven-year-old boy, walking expressionlessly three steps in front of a middle-aged woman, the light in her eyes swiftly darkened.
Not long after she entered the palace, she gave birth to the Fifth Prince, titled Replying.
According to convention, Fifth Prince was raised by Consort Li.
Consort Li's father was a top official, and could give Fifth Prince a better future, much better than her own father who was only a fifth-rank official.
Lower Concubine Liu knew that Consort Li didn't want Fifth Prince to have too much contact with her, his birth mother.
Only if his birth mother Lower Concubine Liu stayed away from Fifth Prince, would Consort Li let down her guard and truly care for Fifth Prince wholeheartedly.
Thinking of this, Lower Concubine Liu suppressed the joy on her face at seeing her son.
"Son Cheng Qian pays respects to Mother Lower Concubine Liu."
The seven-year-old boy wore a straight-cut yellow robe, had bright phoenix eyes, a sharp hook nose, although not yet grown up, already had the serious, handsome features of a young man.
He walked over, seeing Lower Concubine Liu's expressionless face, her gaze fixed only on the baby in the swaddling clothes, his eyes also darkened for a moment.
But very soon he grimaced self-deprecatingly, and hid the dejection in his eyes, putting on an expressionless face again.
Mother Lower Concubine didn't like him, this had been going on for more than just one or two days.
Ever since he could remember, she had been unwilling to pay attention to him.
The other princes, even if they were raised by other consorts, were often cared for and asked after by their birth mothers.
Only he, among all his brothers, seemed to be abandoned by his birth mother.
Elder Brother and Second Brother all said his mother was afraid to compete with Consort Li over him.
When he heard this at the time he was very angry, and from then on was not close with Elder Brother and Second Brother who spoke badly of his mother!
Fifth Prince lowered his head to look at the floor tiles.
He guessed that it wasn't that Mother was afraid of Consort Li, but that she didn't have much feeling for him to begin with.
Fifth Prince closed his eyes with difficulty for a moment.
But in a flash, he was startled.
[So handsome, my brother~]
Cheng Qian was suppressing his sadness, about to take out the one-month-old birthday gift he had prepared, a white jade unicorn, to give to his swaddled little sister to play with. Hearing this, he almost threw out the white jade unicorn.
Who was speaking?
Cheng Qian forcefully held it in, not looking around Mother Lower Concubine's room.
Lower Concubine Liu and the palace maids all had calm expressions, seemingly nothing out of the ordinary.
Could it be that only he could hear it?
Fifth Prince's pressed lips instantly became an even straighter line.
But the corners slightly turned up.
Was this little sister praising him?
Indeed, he was always the most diligent one listening to lessons in the study.
Because he wanted to become the most outstanding prince, to make his mother who didn't like him look at him more.
He hoped she could give him winter quilts and reward him with midnight snacks in winter like other birth mothers did.
He also hoped that he could grow up quickly, gain the Emperor Father's favor, and by extension make his mother gain more respect and better treatment in the palace!
At least promoting her from Replying to Consort!
[Alas, brother misunderstood mother's intentions, thinking he was disliked by his own mother and was silent and depressed every day.]
[Later in the study brother would sit with a scowling face, and was deemed by the Emperor Father as 'an unfilial son, looking at his father with hatred' and 'not getting along with his brothers', and it was recorded in the daily journal, and from then on he had no fate with the throne.]
Fifth Prince's expression instantly changed dramatically.
Lower Concubine Liu's body almost swayed.
Xiao Chuchu had just turned one month old, and still could not hold up her little neck.
Otherwise she really wanted to click her tongue and shake her head.
She sighed regretfully in her heart, and a little milk bubble emerged from her tender pink mouth.
[Brother, you misunderstood badly. Mother giving you the cold shoulder was not because she disliked you, but because she wanted to protect you! Otherwise Consort Li is jealous, would not have raised you affectionately, how could you have survived until today?]
[Mother, you were also too foolish. Why didn't you close the door and secretly explain everything clearly to brother? Otherwise brother would not have grown up to be scowling, and disliked by the Emperor Father.]
Lower Concubine Liu was doused with cold water in an instant, her eyes reddening.
She had almost harmed her own son with her actions, she had almost ruined him?
"Cheng Qian..."
Lower Concubine Liu looked at her son again, there were tears shimmering in her eyes, full of heartache and loving care that she tried to endure but could not.
Fifth Prince Cheng Qian at this moment also realized like enlightenment pouring down.
Hearing his little sister's bizarre murmurings, and seeing his mother's tearful expression now, so he had misunderstood her in the past?
"Mother!" Fifth Prince suppressed it and immediately kowtowed on the ground to Lower Concubine Liu seriously.
"Congratulations to little sister on turning one month old. I've brought a white jade unicorn today to give to little sister as a gift."
When he turned one month old, Mother also loved him like this right?
Lower Concubine Liu quickly had people help him get up.
The two of them looked at Xiao Chuchu in the swaddling clothes, with affection and joy in their eyes.
But very soon, they were both stunned.
[Oh, brother also had it hard. After not being favored by the Emperor Father, and having no fate with the throne, when the New Emperor ascended, he was wary of brother's reputation for the people and talent in both civil and military skills.
Not long after, the New Emperor sent brother off to battle, wanting him to die on the battlefield.]
Lower Concubine Liu and Fifth Prince, their hearts that had just settled were grabbed tight again!
And stunned speechless in the hall along with them, there was also one other person.
That was Old Madam Liu, who had walked in along with Fifth Prince earlier!
Old Master Liu passed the imperial exam ten years ago and obtained an official position in the capital this year, ranked fifth-grade.
Old Madam Liu took the opportunity today of her granddaughter's one-month celebration to personally submit a memorial to enter the palace to see how her daughter and grandchildren were living in the palace.
Who would have thought, as soon as she stepped into her daughter's quarters, she would hear all these strange words.
Old Madam Liu was scared stiff on the spot.
And very soon, this voice also took notice of her.
[Huh? This is my maternal grandmother? She looks so young, my mother must have inherited her beauty!]
Old Madam Liu was overjoyed.
Her well-behaved granddaughter really had good taste.
[But it was a pity that despite having such a beautiful grandmother, the whole family did not end up well.]
Madam Liu: "!"