boyutpedia Chapter 159 Full Moon Celebration
Chapter 159 Full Moon Celebration
At the start of this brand new Year of the Dragon, the baby's full-moon celebrations came one after another, keeping everyone busy. First to appear was the little princess who arrived on the first day of the Lunar New Year, followed by the joyous arrival of Princess Wan'er's precious baby. As Princess Wan'er and her husband's younger sister, Su Yuning, naturally couldn't refuse to give her share of the money. However, what could she do? She was the baby's own aunt! So even though it would cost a lot of money, she was secretly delighted.
On the day of the baby's one-month celebration, Su Yuning dressed up meticulously, wearing a magnificent brocade gown; beside her, Ye Beichen was equally dashing, his moon-white brocade robe accentuating his tall and upright figure. Both appeared at the banquet in their finest attire, not only preparing generous red envelopes but also painstakingly crafting a set of pure gold peace locks and bracelets. This thoughtful gesture clearly demonstrated their deep affection for this little angel who had just arrived in the world!
After handing over the money, brimming with blessings, to the relevant personnel, Su Yuning couldn't contain her eagerness and ran towards the baby. There, the little one lay quietly in the cradle, his rosy, round face like a soft, cuddly rice ball—utterly adorable! Su Yuning happily reached out and gently pinched the baby's delicate cheek. This gesture instantly amused the baby, and a clear, melodious laugh rang out, "Giggle, giggle..." It was as if the whole world became even more beautiful because of that innocent laughter.
Just then, Princess Wan'er smiled slightly, a playful glint in her eyes, and teased Su Yuning, "Little sister, look at you! You're already this old. It's time to find a good husband, get married quickly, and then have a cute baby of your own. Wouldn't that be wonderful?" Hearing this, Su Yuning's pretty face instantly turned as red as a ripe apple, blushing with shyness. She gave Princess Wan'er a coquettish glare and softly complained, "Oh dear, Second Sister-in-law, please stop teasing me like that. I'm still young, and it's a long time before I'm talking about marriage."
Before the words were finished, a soft footstep sounded, and the gentle and dignified woman and her eldest daughter-in-law entered the room together. When the woman noticed that Princess Wan'er's clothes were rather thin, especially since she wasn't wearing a hat or headscarf, her expression instantly became tense. She hurriedly stepped forward and said with concern, "Wan'er, how could you be so careless? Postpartum confinement is a major event in life, and you can't be careless at all! What if you catch a chill or get a cold? You'll suffer from headaches later!" Faced with the woman's worry and reproach, Princess Wan'er appeared completely unconcerned, gently waving her hand and replying nonchalantly, "Mother-in-law, don't worry. I'm young and healthy, and this little bit of trouble is nothing to me. I'll definitely be fine."
However, just as everyone was talking, a loud shout suddenly came from outside the door: "The Empress Dowager has arrived!" Upon hearing this, everyone in the room straightened up, hurriedly straightened their clothes, and respectfully bowed towards the door, saying: "Greetings, Empress Dowager! May the Empress Dowager enjoy boundless blessings and peace!" In an instant, the entire room was filled with a solemn and dignified atmosphere.
"No need for formalities, everyone!" The Empress Dowager nodded slightly, responding to everyone's greetings with a smile, her every move exuding elegance. Then, the Empress Dowager moved gracefully and slowly walked to Princess Wan'er's bedside and sat down.
She reached out and gently stroked Princess Wan'er's cheek, her eyes filled with love and care, and her tone was incredibly gentle: "Your mother-in-law has been through a lot, and everything she said was for your own good, my dear daughter. You must be a good girl and listen to her, okay?"
Princess Wan'er looked helpless upon hearing this, but still nodded obediently and replied, "Alright then, Wan'er understands." Immediately afterwards, the Empress Dowager gestured to the palace maids beside her, and the maids immediately presented the exquisite maternity clothes that had been prepared in advance.
The Empress Dowager personally took the maternity clothes and carefully helped Princess Wan'er change into them. Then, she meticulously picked up a pair of thick, cotton-padded socks and gently slipped them onto Princess Wan'er's feet, carefully adjusting the sock tops. After doing this, the Empress Dowager took a cotton hat suitable for spring and autumn from another palace maid and placed it on Princess Wan'er's head, gently adjusting its position to ensure a comfortable fit.
At this moment, Princess Wan'er couldn't help but frown, and asked her mother with a unhappy expression, "It's the middle of summer, won't I get heatstroke dressed like this?" Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but laugh and comforted her, "Don't worry, child, you won't. If you feel hot, drink more soup and broth. It will quench your thirst, cool you down, and nourish your body. It will be good for your current condition."
Hearing the Empress Dowager say this, Princess Wan'er, though still somewhat unwilling, could only nod and resignedly reply, "Alright then, it seems that's the only way."
"By the way, daughter-in-law, is our little baby drinking breast milk or cow's milk? I've heard that goat's milk can also be used to feed babies, and it's less likely to cause constipation." The woman leaned forward with a concerned look and asked softly.
However, Princess Wan'er replied impatiently, "Hmph, the baby has a wet nurse to take care of him, why does he need to drink cow's milk or goat's milk! Besides, my child is a person of noble birth and incomparable status, how can he be compared with those country bumpkins you know!"
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager's face turned ashen with rage. Her eyes widened, and she pointed angrily at Princess Wan'er, shouting, "Wan'er! How dare you speak to your mother-in-law like that? It's utterly outrageous! So what if you're a princess? Does that make you any more noble than anyone else? We were all raised by our own parents. How dare you utter such disrespectful words? Quickly apologize to your mother-in-law, or else I will not let you off lightly!"
In that instant, the entire room seemed to be enveloped by an invisible fear, the atmosphere so oppressive that it was almost impossible to breathe. Everyone else present fell silent, not daring to utter a sound, for fear of offending this terrifying atmosphere. The woman, faced with this scene, was also at a loss, completely unsure how to persuade the people before her, and could only stand there blankly, motionless like a statue.
Looking at Princess Wan'er, her beautiful face was now streaked with tears of grievance, which rolled down her cheeks like pearls from a broken string. A maidservant nearby rushed forward and gently wiped away her tears. Even so, Princess Wan'er's guilt and unease remained difficult to quell.
Finally, after calming herself down a bit, Princess Wan'er took a deep breath, then bowed deeply to the woman with utmost sincerity, and apologized, saying, "I'm so sorry, Mother-in-law. I really didn't mean to say those things to you. It's just that my body is too weak, so I'm simply unable to breastfeed the baby myself. This has made me feel extremely frustrated and guilty, and my mood has become very bad. That's why I unintentionally said those disrespectful words to you just now. Please forgive my mistake!"
Upon hearing Princess Wan'er's sincere apology, the woman was slightly taken aback, then immediately offered a kind and gentle smile. She waved her hand graciously and softly comforted her, "Oh, silly child, don't say that. I've always treated you like my own daughter, how could I possibly hold such a grudge? I only hope you can recover well and not develop any health problems after your postpartum period. As long as you three can live peacefully, healthily, and happily every day from now on, that will be enough for me!"
Crackling and popping! The deafening sound of firecrackers echoed through the sky, as if setting the entire world ablaze. In this lively atmosphere, the auspicious hour arrived, and the sound of firecrackers rose and fell like a stampede of horses, announcing the official start of the full moon celebration.
Speaking of full-month celebrations, there were actually some special features in the Song Dynasty. Usually, a full-month celebration would be held just fifteen days after a baby's birth to celebrate the arrival of the new life. And when the baby was truly full-term, the family would carefully prepare all sorts of cute little toys and beautiful little clothes as gifts to express their love and blessings for the baby.
"Oh my! Finally, I can enjoy this delicious wedding feast!" Su Yuning was as excited as a child, her face beaming as she picked up the fragrant chicken leg from the table and began to devour it without hesitation. She ate with such gusto that she completely disregarded the stares of those around her, a sight that was simply irresistible.
However, this scene made the eldest and second eldest brothers sitting to the side extremely embarrassed. The eldest brother coughed a few times, trying to get his sister's attention, and whispered, "Little sister, we're in public here. We should at least pay attention to our ladylike image!"
Hearing her brother's words, Su Yuning was taken aback at first, then nodded as if she suddenly understood, and said indistinctly, "Oh, I know, I was just too hungry, I didn't think about it for a moment." After saying that, she continued to eat with her head down.
Seeing his wife's unrefined manners, Ye Beichen simply smiled and said nothing. Su Muyang, however, couldn't stand it any longer. He turned around angrily, pointed at Ye Beichen, and loudly accused him, "Ye Beichen, look at your wife! She has no manners at all! Doesn't she feel embarrassed at all?"
Ye Beichen's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile. His nonchalant expression suggested that he didn't care about anything. He simply replied, "What's so difficult about that? As long as she's happy, I'm content. Since we met, in every single moment we've spent together, I've never put the slightest pressure on her."
Hearing this, Su Muyang was furious. He glared at them and retorted angrily, "Hmph! You two are truly a match made in heaven!" However, just as the two were locked in a stalemate, a commotion suddenly broke out.
The Emperor and Empress, smiling, held hands affectionately, with the adorable little prince in between. They walked slowly towards them, a scene as beautiful as a painting. Upon seeing this, everyone immediately stood up, respectfully bowed to the three, and shouted in unison, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress! May the little prince be blessed with good fortune!"
Emperor Zhao Shouyi smiled broadly, waved his hand warmly, and said gently, "My dear ministers, please rise! Today is my nephew's one-month celebration. There's no need to be so reserved. Enjoy this joyous occasion and sit down to eat!" Hearing the Emperor's words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, carefully took their seats, and then began to enjoy the banquet in a lively atmosphere.
The wedding banquet was a lively affair, filled with laughter and joy. Amidst this festive atmosphere, the interaction between the Emperor and Empress was particularly captivating. The Emperor tirelessly piled various delicacies onto the Empress's plate, his eyes brimming with care and affection. The exquisite dishes were stacked high, seemingly trying to fill the Empress's plate to the brim.
However, even faced with such a sumptuous feast, the Empress couldn't help but gently shake her head and softly say, "Your Majesty, I really can't eat this much." Hearing this, the Emperor stopped what he was doing, but his face was still filled with a doting smile.