Xiao Heng had picked a small wooden sword on his first birthday. Now, it was Xiao Xun’s turn.
King Yan stroked his beard and smiled, “That’s right, our Xiao Qi will definitely be a martial artist when he grows up.”
After speaking, he also glanced at the two brothers Wei Luo and Wei Yang. Wei Luo stood out among his brothers with his exceptional martial arts skills. When he had reached the age of serving as an officer, he excelled in sword marksmanship, riding, and shooting. When King Yan praised his sons’ martial arts, he was always referring to Wei Luo.
Wei Luo, as introverted as a mountain, and Wei Yang held his head high to meet his father’s gaze, as if he couldn’t wait to showcase his skills in front of his father.
In that winter month, the palace first held the Fourth Master’s wedding banquet, and then Xiao Xun’s first birthday banquet. It was very lively, and then the twelfth lunar month was ushered in.
From the sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, officials began to have a holiday, and children no longer had to study.
Despite the freezing cold outside, Xiao Heng liked to run around. The pond in the garden was connected to the moat outside, and it was covered with a thick layer of ice. Xiao Heng and his younger brothers ran to play on the ice, laughing and having fun. King Yan occasionally came over to have a look. As long as the grandchildren studied hard, King Yan was willing to pamper them during playtime. He asked people to prepare skates, ice carts, and other things for his grandchildren, and even played a game of cuju (like football) on ice.
Sitting in Chengxin Hall, Yin Hui could hear the excited shouts of the children in the garden. It was also the most cheerful time in Yan Palace. Of course, with so many children, occasional injuries were inevitable when they gathered every day, but there were eunuchs watching by the side. As long as the falls weren’t serious, Yin Hui and other parents didn’t bother settling accounts for such minor bumps.
Although Xiao Xun couldn’t run yet, the wet nurse would carry him over. The brothers and sisters ran around on the ice, making Xiao Xun dazzled and dizzy.
In such a festive atmosphere, Yan Palace ushered in another New Year’s Eve. Early in the morning, King Yan took his family to the Sheji Altar to worship their ancestors. When paying homage to Emperor Jianlong in the capital, Yin Hui looked at her father-in-law’s back with complicated emotions.
Her father-in-law didn’t know that Emperor Jianlong would die in three months. When the news of the Emperor’s death in the previous life spread to Pingcheng, his eyes turned red from crying, and he didn’t care about anything, so he called his sons and rode to the capital.
Yin Hui believed that her father-in-law at that time was just an ordinary son wanting to go back quickly to see his father for the last time.
However, her father-in-law couldn’t fulfill that wish in the end. If her father-in-law were not a vessel king and Emperor Jianlong wasn’t so distant, Yin Hui would have surely found a way to urge him to return early and mend the regrets from his past life. Unfortunately, being a vassal king, he was restricted from entering the capital without an imperial edict. Even if Yin Hui had informed her father-in-law about it, Emperor Jianlong in the capital would likely have opposed his entry, suspecting ulterior motives.
In the royal family, family affairs intertwined with state affairs. Merely harboring thoughts of family affection might not be easily believed by others. Therefore, while Yin Hui could assist her father-in-law in stopping his toothache, she remained powerless in more complex matters and had to tread carefully.
The morning involved ancestor worship, followed by an evening banquet. Seated on the throne, King Yan observed his descendants, most of whom were born and raised in Pingcheng. Despite the festive atmosphere, he couldn’t escape a sense of homesickness during that time of the year.
Time seemed to slip away too quickly. Over twenty years had passed since he arrived in Pingcheng, without the ability to see his father. A decade ago, they could still communicate even if the Emperor was busy, but now, they were limited to exchanging letters. While others reunited with their families during the Chinese New Year, he couldn’t return home. Another year had passed, and he and his father had aged by one more year.
In a moment of melancholy, King Yan raised his wine bowl and took a substantial sip. The following day, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, as the descendants came to pay their New Year’s greetings, King Yan resumed his regal demeanor. Even when he smiled, the younger generation dared not be presumptuous.
After the Lantern Festival, the children had to go back to their studies again.
That year, Liu Lang from the eldest household and Sister Zhuang from the second household would also go to the study hall. They would both attend lectures in the West Lecture Hall with Xiao Heng and Si Lang.
In the afternoon, when Xiao Heng returned, Yin Hui asked him about his day. He wore a sullen expression and complained, “Sister Zhuang is so mean. She’s bullying Shiro and Liulang. When I told her she couldn’t do that, she threw my books on the ground.”
Yin Hui felt a bit relieved that Xiao Heng was not among the targets of bullying. In her previous life, Sister Zhuang hadn’t treated Xiao Heng, Si Lang, and Liu Lang well. However, Xiao Heng had the courage to stand up to Sister Zhuang.
Curious, Yin Hui inquired, “What happened next?”
“Liu Lang went to find Mr. Mei, who instructed Sister Zhuang to stand outside until she was willing to apologize to us.”
“Did she stand there obediently?”
“No, she kept crying. Old Mr. Mei asked Jinxiu to stand with her in her arms.”
Jinxiu was the maid accompanying Sister Zhuang.
Yin Hui smiled and asked, “Did she eventually apologize?”
Xiao Heng also smiled, saying, “Yes, her eyes were swollen like eggs.”
In Yin Hui’s perspective, Sister Zhuang should be disciplined by Mr. Mei to correct her behavior. However, Ji Xianxian insisted on having Wei Yan confront Mr. Mei over the issue.