二六零、孟窅与胡瑶

After finishing a pancake, Ping'an continued to act cute in front of his mother. Whether it was smoked chicken or shredded bamboo shoots, as long as it passed through his mother's hands, it was incredibly delicious. When eating with his mother, they could freely pick and eat whatever they liked, without anyone mentioning those boring rules.
"Do it yourself and let your mother eat in peace." Chongyi spoke up and personally wrapped a pancake with pine nuts, tender small intestine, and refreshing silver sprouts for Mengxiao.
平安瞄一眼父亲略显不悦的脸色，讪讪地答应。他认命地拾起自己的筷子。果然父王最喜欢的还是阿娘。
“阿爹”臻儿仗着父亲的偏爱，娇声问他。“我的呢！？”
吃过饭，孩子们围在毛毡上玩玩具。臻儿与阿满只差一岁，经常分享彼此的玩具。平安小一些，但他爱粘人，无论姐姐哥哥玩什么，他都巴巴地凑上去。
Chongyi paced back and forth in the room with Mengyao, chatting with her about the concubine entering the palace.
"A'Yao and I have parted ways," Mengyao sighed, looking downcast. Hu Yao's greeting note was first sent to the Shanggong Ju Si Yan Zhi, and then delivered to Mengyao by Fang Huai'an.
"Yang Ping's aunt has a strict demeanor, and Wen Cheng grew up by her side, following her aunt's caution." Chong Yi heard her disappointment and gently patted her for comfort. These brothers have been secretly competing for power and influence over the years, so it is natural for the women of the family to have limited interactions. In the past two years, except for the peaceful appearance during the palace banquet, the sisters-in-law rarely met each other anymore.
"Before Dongge's full moon, I specifically had Qingyu go invite her, but she sent many gifts and didn't come herself." Clearly when Qingyu returned, she said that Hu Yao had agreed to enter the palace.
Chongyi knew that it was because Dongge's full moon was not being grandly celebrated. Outside, the situation in the palace is still being observed.
Queen Li has just been restricted from leaving her residence. Although it was Li Cenan's fault, the atmosphere in the palace is still depressed. The Ministry of Interior had been preparing for the full moon banquet for the third prince, but Li Cenan caused a scene in the Xuanming Hall and moved the flowers that had been prepared for the banquet back to the greenhouse overnight.
Meng Yao was quite relaxed, and the noble women who were not obliged to congratulate him joined their family to pray for Dong Ge's blessing. Apart from the female members of the Meng family who had been granted titles, only two princesses from Hu Yao and Ke Wang were invited. Unfortunately, Hu Yao did not show up.
"King Liang has just left for Jiangzhou, she may not be available at the moment." Chongyi counted circles and led her around the corner. The palace attendants brought out a cushion and placed it by the felt where the children played. After another round, they helped her sit on the cushion to watch the children play.
Meng Yao was surprised and only then did he realize that the Prince of Liang would return to his fiefdom alone during the New Year, leaving all his family and children in the capital. It was the Prince of Liang's own request, and Zhao Yang was so angry that he smashed his study.
Chong Yi smiled bitterly and shook his head slightly. Liang Wang was not alone, he took away the one he cared most about.
"He took away my sister-in-law's ashes." With this departure, I'm afraid I will never see her again in this lifetime.
The King of Ning has long withdrawn from the court, and it is said that he is now engrossed in calligraphy and painting and rarely leaves his home. After the death of the King of Ni, his family members were sent to the imperial tomb, and the remnants of his old followers were also cleared out from the court.
A few days ago, Chongyi decreed to bestow the cities of Ruizhou and Xiazhou as the fiefdom of Princess Chaoyang, and returned the fiefdom of Fangzhou, including Meishan, to the Duke of Ke. Princess Chaoyang is unwilling to accept the decree and has no intention of leaving. The newly appointed Duke of Ke holds the position of Grand Marshal and naturally stays in Wangjing. Chongyi has changed his father-in-law, Chi Yi, to the governor of Fangzhou, to help the couple manage their family property back in their hometown.
Meng Yao felt that the love expressed by the Prince of Liang was worthless. Although the Princess of Liang died under the sword of the rebellious king, she was already seriously ill at that time due to the heartless behavior of the Prince of Liang. Meng Yao couldn't help but worry about the situation of Hu Yao, who was a side concubine. Although the Prince of Liang was not a good husband or father, Hu Yao, as a side concubine, would not be indifferent to his sudden departure.
"Let's wait a couple of days," Chongyi urged her. Seeing Mengyin's puzzled expression, he explained, "Let's let her in on the fifth day of the month. I think she will bring someone to see you."
"I haven't seen Qige for a long time. On the fifth day, let Aman come too. Ping'an probably doesn't remember Qige." Mengyin actually wanted to let Huyao into the palace tomorrow.
Amang immediately put down his toys and looked over when he heard his mother mention him. He played with his sister and brother while occasionally glancing at his mother. They had half a day off today, but the king still had to attend the court to handle state affairs. Apart from his sister, he and his brother were looking forward to the king's departure, otherwise their mother would not be available to accompany them.
"It's not Qige. He and Min will also stay in Wangjing," Chongyi shook his head again. "My sister-in-law left suddenly, her father is unreliable, and Min's marriage is now in Wen Cheng's hands."
After Ding Ning's death, the arrogance and arrogance of Prince Liang's past were completely gone. Chaoyang scolded and advised, put down the demeanor of his elder sister and begged bitterly, but he could not at all enter the heart of Prince Liang. Some people, only after losing them, can realize their importance. This is the case of Ding Ning to Prince Liang.
Chongyi couldn't help but feel lucky that he had clarified his intentions earlier and understood where his weaknesses lay.
Mengmiao seemed to understand but not quite, she was thinking it over when Zhen'er began to ask her questions in a huff.
"Is big sister coming in a couple of days? Is she getting married?" She has never seen a wedding before, and she heard that the bride wears a phoenix coronet and a red veil during the wedding. She doesn't know which one is more beautiful, that or her pearl crown.
"Kids, do you know what getting married means?" The children stopped playing and gathered around to listen.
Ping'an had no concept of getting married, but he didn't want to miss any chance to be close to his mother. Besides, his older siblings weren't playing with him, so he couldn't stand it and crawled to Mengyao's skirt. He couldn't speak, so he just leaned against his mother's leg, feeling proud.
Early on the morning of the fifth day of the first month, Hu Yao brought Princess Daning and her son Qi Ge'er into the palace. Fang Huai'an arranged for a heated sedan chair, which took them directly to the Yude Gate, where they were informed that they could enter the palace without waiting to be summoned.
Meng Yao woke up early that day, which made Chong Yi tease her. Normally, when Chong Yi got up, he would be careful not to disturb her, or he would coax her into going back to sleep. But on this day, Meng Yao insisted on getting dressed and washed up with him, and even joined him in finishing breakfast.
"If Wen Cheng knew that her visit made you lose sleep, she probably wouldn't dare to enter the palace again." Wen Cheng's visit to the palace has become a source of worry for her, as she went to bed early last night and got up early this morning.
Mengyao also felt out of place, but it had been a long time since she had seen her friend, so she didn't care about being teased by Chongyi.
As Huyao walked into Yude Palace for the first time, she couldn't help but speculate how much of the furnishings still carried the shadow of the Ningwang family. Her grandmother had always disliked Xiaozhou, and she didn't care for her children either. During Ningwang's stay at Yude Palace, the Hu family had never set foot there, so there was no way to compare.
Mengyao was already impatient sitting inside, holding Dongge welcoming out from the warm pavilion.
"A'Yao." She could see at a glance the thinness of Hu Yao, but her demeanor remained the same. Although Princess Yangping had miscalculated in Hu Yao's marriage, she had indeed cultivated her into an outstanding noblewoman.
Huo Yao stepped forward to greet her sisters, holding their hands and giving a shallow smile. Their eyes met, expressing everything without words.
Fat and chubby Dongge has recently been engaged in a battle of wits with his nanny. Somehow, he developed a bad habit of sucking on his hand. Before the nanny could even blink, he would stuff his chubby little hand into his mouth. He wasn't sucking on his fingers, but rather he would clench his fleshy hand into a fist and shove it into his tiny mouth.
乳母告诉孟窅，孟窅还不信，因为冬哥在她身边从不吃手。他趴在母亲怀里时，会享受得眯起眼，咿咿呀呀地抓住母亲递过来的手指，却并不往嘴里送。
Hu Yao reached out and embraced Dong Ge, and the small swaddling clothes in her arms also stirred the softness that had long been forgotten in her heart. She looked at her son, who had grown so much again, and couldn't help but sigh. "He's grown so big in the blink of an eye."
Meng Yao waved to his brother Qi, pulling the child towards him to take a closer look. "Your eyebrows and eyes resemble your mother. Last time I saw you, you were almost the same height as A-Man, but now you have grown a lot taller."
Meng Xiaoxin thought, luckily the child looks like A Yao. If he had the appearance of Prince Liang, she would feel disgusted, and it would also upset A Yao. She affectionately patted Qi's shoulder. She actually wanted to pat the child's head, but Aman would sometimes remind her not to rub a man's head.
"You've lost weight, why aren't you gaining any muscle? Don't be like your brother Ping'an, who is picky about food. When you are growing, you should eat a variety of vegetables."
Qige stared at Mrs. Shuyuan with caution, her whole body radiating kindness. After a moment, the child's eyes softened.
“I remember you.” He turned and saw Aman, Zhen’er, and their little follower Ping’an. The last time they had met, Ping’an could barely walk, wobbling around like a fledgling duckling. Now, he was walking steadily.
Meng Yao then pushed him to go and play with the sons, and asked Zhen Er to take care of Min. She could then have a peace of mind to talk to Hu Yao for a while.
Dong Ge was not shy, and when held by Hu Yao, he did not make a fuss. He was quietly trying to put his fist into his mouth. When Meng Yao saw this strange behavior of her son, she quickly stopped him. "Why is this child so greedy that he's gnawing on his hand and dirtying his foster mother's skirt? I will have to spank your little bottom."
Brother Dong seemed to understand, holding a pair of small fists and lying obediently in Hu Yao's arms, but his eyes followed Meng Hao's movements.
Hu Yao hugged the swaddle lovingly. "Don't be afraid, your mother can't bear to."
They teased the child, but neither of them asked about each other's recent situation. Hu Yao felt no need to ask, as Meng Hao's residence in the Yude Palace was enough to explain everything; Meng Hao was worried and dared not ask, afraid of touching upon her sad matter.
After a while, Hu Yao placed a small tiger hat that she had prepared for the child.
"The tiger hat was made by me and Min together. Min sewed the tiger's eyes; and the melon-shaped lotus seed purse was also her gift to you as a sign of filial piety."
Meng Yao just saw He Min just now, the child has become so thin that his cheekbones are somewhat prominent. He smiled a little reluctantly while talking to Zhen-er.
"I am now taking her to live in my courtyard, so that I can take care of her nearby." Ding Ning entrusted the child to her, and she really felt sorry for He Min. Hu Yao explained. "I came in a hurry this time because I have something to ask for."
“Your words clearly show that you are excluding me!” Mengyao thought to herself, not showing any signs of urgency at all. Just a moment ago she couldn't even invite her!
“Don't falsely accuse me. I was the first one to think of looking for you.” Hu Yao, being blamed by her, actually felt more at ease. “Since I've come to you for help, I'm ready to wash my hands of it.”
Meng Yao became happy and urged her to ask. "Just tell me."
Hu Yao sighed secretly, and it was all thanks to the confidence given to her by Xing Jun that Meng Yao, who was so spirited. It's really a matter of fate for everyone.
"Hemin is a good girl. Her mother died suddenly, and the Prince Liang is not in charge now. I don't want to delay the child." Ding Ning had already been considering a family for Hemin, but it was put on hold after the Prince Liang fell ill. Now with the national mourning and the death of her birth mother, Hemin doesn't mind, but she thinks it will be too late to consider a family after the mourning period."
Meng Yao listened to her mention King Liang without any sadness, and couldn't help but ask her, "Are you okay?"
Hu Yao paused for a moment, and then laughed at herself. "I'm fine. You may not believe it when I say it, but I myself find it incredible. After you asked me this question, I realized that the present days are much happier than before."
Ding Ning met her death while Zhou Lihua was executed, and only she remained by the side of King Liang. However, King Liang was no longer the same King Liang as before, and she was no longer the same Hu Yao.