Starting in Exile: Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Lucky Little Wife

Chapter 223 The Little Prince Has a Fever

In the royal palace of the Nanzhao Kingdom, sunlight streamed through the carved window lattices, casting dappled shadows on the floor. In the imperial garden, flowers bloomed in profusion, their vibrant colors swaying gently in the breeze, releasing a captivating fragrance. Little Nan Yi, as usual, hummed a tuneless little tune, skipping and hopping towards his mother's chambers. His eyes sparkled with anticipation, for today he would meet his newborn brother or sister.

"Little Nan Yi, slow down, be careful not to fall." The palace maid Xiao Lian jogged after him, reminding him as she did so.

Xiao Nanyi seemed not to hear him and ran even faster. "Sister Xiaolian, I really want to see my little brother or sister soon! I wonder if it's a little brother or a little sister?" Xiao Nanyi said excitedly, already imagining playing with his little brother or sister in his mind.

Finally reaching the palace gate, Xiao Nanyi was about to push the door open when he was stopped by the eunuch at the door. "Your Highness, Her Majesty the Empress has just given birth and needs to rest. Please wait a moment," the eunuch said respectfully.

Xiao Nanyi could only wait anxiously at the door, pacing back and forth. After a long while, the door finally opened, and the imperial physician came out. Xiao Nanyi immediately rushed forward, grabbed the physician's sleeve, and asked eagerly, "Imperial Physician, how is my mother? Is it my younger brother or sister?"

The imperial physician smiled and said, "Her Majesty the Empress is well. Congratulations on the little prince; it's a prince."

When Xiao Nanyi heard that it was a younger brother, the smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a hint of disappointment. "Why is it a younger brother? I thought it was a younger sister," Xiao Nanyi muttered softly, feeling somewhat dejected.

At this moment, Jiang Liushen came out of the palace and saw Xiao Nanyi. He smiled and waved, "Yi'er, come in and see your little brother."

Although Xiao Nan Yi was somewhat disappointed, he still followed Jiang Liu Shen into the palace. A faint medicinal fragrance filled the room. Jia Xiao Yan, pale-faced but with a happy smile, was resting on the bed. Beside her, in a cradle, lay a tiny baby, sleeping peacefully.

"Mother, are you alright?" Xiao Nanyi walked to the bedside and asked with concern.

Jia Xiaoyan gently patted Xiao Nanyi's head and said tenderly, "Mother is alright, Yi'er, come and see your little brother, he's so cute."

Xiao Nanyi reluctantly walked to the cradle, looked at her sleeping younger brother, and whispered, "There's nothing special about him. I thought a younger sister would be cuter."

Jiang Liushen frowned slightly when he heard Xiao Nanyi's words. He sat down next to Xiao Nanyi and said patiently, "Yi'er, your younger brother and sister are both our family, and they are both equally adorable. Your brother will play with you and study with you from now on. You will become the best of friends."

Xiao Nanyi lowered his head and whispered, "But I want a little sister. A little sister would be more obedient and would play house with me. A little brother would only like to play with knives and guns."

Jia Xiaoyan smiled and said, "Yi'er, when your little brother grows up, he might like to play house with you too. Besides, he needs your care and protection; you're the older brother, after all."

Xiao Nan Yi felt a little awkward after hearing this, but looking at his weak mother, he nodded and said, "Alright, I will take care of my younger brother from now on."

From then on, every time Xiao Nanyi saw his younger brother, he would be reminded of his wish for a sister, and he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. One day, while playing with his friends in the Imperial Garden, they asked him, "Xiao Nanyi, is your little brother fun?"

Xiao Nanyi pouted and said, "It's not fun at all. All I do is sleep and cry all day. I wish it were a little sister."

The other children laughed when they heard this. "Little Nan Yi, you're so silly. Your little brother will play with you from now on."

Xiao Nanyi, however, remained unconvinced; he still longed for a younger sister. Then one day, he saw an injured little bird in the Imperial Garden. The bird fluttered on the ground, unable to fly. Xiao Nanyi felt extremely sorry for it. He carefully picked up the bird and took it back to his room.

"Sister Xiaolian, please help me take a look, what's wrong with this little bird?" Xiao Nanyi said anxiously.

Xiao Lian looked at the bird carefully and said, "Your Highness, the bird's wing is injured. Let's bandage it."

With Xiaolian's help, Xiaonanyi bandaged the bird's wound. Looking at the bird, Xiaonanyi suddenly thought of his younger brother. His brother was so small; wasn't he just like this injured bird, needing someone to take care of him?

"Sister Xiaolian, should I not dislike my younger brother?" Xiao Nanyi asked softly.

Xiao Lian smiled and said, "Little Prince, that's the right way to think. Although your little brother is still young now, he will grow up slowly and play and go on adventures with you. You are his older brother, so you should take good care of him."

Xiao Nanyi nodded, and from then on, his attitude towards his younger brother changed drastically. He would visit his brother often and tell him stories, even though his brother couldn't understand them yet, he told them very earnestly.

One time, the younger brother suddenly started crying. Xiao Nanyi rushed over, gently rocking the cradle while humming a tuneless melody. Miraculously, the younger brother stopped crying and stared at Xiao Nanyi with wide eyes, as if listening to him sing.

"Mother, look, my little brother loves listening to me sing!" Xiao Nanyi said excitedly.

Seeing this, Jia Xiaoyan smiled with relief: "Yi'er, you are such a good brother."

Time passed quietly, and a few days later, under everyone's careful care, the younger brother gradually began to change.

He used to only cry and sleep, but now whenever he sees Xiao Nanyi approaching, he will grin and reveal his still-growing gums, giggling. His laughter is crisp and cheerful, like the tinkling of a mountain spring, instantly dispelling all the gloom in Xiao Nanyi's heart.

At these moments, Xiao Nanyi's heart would be filled with an indescribable warmth. He no longer saw his younger brother as that little troublemaker who only knew how to cry. One time, Xiao Nanyi went to his brother's room as usual. As soon as he appeared, his brother excitedly waved his chubby little hands, babbling as if to say, "Brother, you're finally here!" Xiao Nanyi quickly walked to the cradle, gently taking his brother's little hand in his own. His brother immediately gripped it tightly, and the warmth emanating from that tiny palm brought tears to Xiao Nanyi's eyes. "So this is what it's like to have a younger brother," Xiao Nanyi murmured to himself, a smile unconsciously spreading across his face.

However, a child's growth is inevitably accompanied by bumps and stumbles. One day, the younger brother suddenly developed a high fever, his little face turned bright red, and he cried incessantly.

Upon hearing the news, Xiao Nanyi was extremely anxious and ran all the way to her younger brother's room.

He stood by the bed, looking at his younger brother's suffering, his heart filled with self-blame and worry. "It's all my fault. If I had spent more time with my brother, would he not have gotten sick?" Xiao Nanyi kept blaming himself in his heart, his hands tightly gripping the hem of his clothes, his knuckles turning white from the force.

During the imperial physician's treatment of his younger brother, Xiao Nanyi stayed by his side the whole time, watching the physician's every move without blinking, afraid of missing any detail.

When the imperial physician said that his younger brother was fine and only needed to take his medicine on time to recover, Xiao Nanyi finally felt relieved, breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense body gradually relaxed.

From then on, Xiao Nanyi became more and more attentive to her younger brother.

He would proactively ask the wet nurse how to take care of his younger brother, and he would also give his beloved toys to his younger brother to play with.

In his eyes, the longing he once felt for his younger sister had quietly transformed into a deep love for his brother through the little moments he spent with him.

Now, whenever Xiao Nanyi thinks of her younger brother, her heart is filled with warmth and happiness, as if it were bathed in sunshine.