Regardless, the emperor's carriage had now stopped at the entrance of the Chuxiu Palace.
"Your servant greets Your Majesty," Wen De Fei was already waiting with her servants.
Ning Chen glanced at her; Wen De Fei wore a faint smile, and her joy was evident in her eyes.
"Get up." He still helped her up. "Where's the child?"
Since the First Prince was weak and not to be moved around carelessly, it was Ning Chen who came to the Chuxiu Palace to see him. He had been busy and hadn't come for several days.
Wen De Fei smiled softly, "He's with the wet nurse, playing inside. The First Prince can sit up now."
As the saying goes, children start sitting up at around seven months and crawling at around eight. The First Prince was born at the end of November last year, making him about nine and a half months old now, and he had just learned to sit, indicating his frail health.
Ning Chen nodded slightly without saying anything and walked straight inside.
In the inner chamber, he saw a wet nurse and two young palace maids playing with the First Prince on a soft couch by the window.
The wet nurse had surrounded the First Prince with three thick, wide cushions, and he was leaning against them.
This was likely what Wen De Fei meant when she said the child could sit up.
Upon seeing him enter, the servants all knelt down to pay their respects.
As Ning Chen stepped past the kneeling servants, his gaze met that of the First Prince on the couch.
The child recognized him, having visited the Chuxiu Palace often, and smiled at him, babbling happily.
Ning Chen's brow slightly relaxed, and he carefully picked the child up, but he couldn't help but frown once he had him in his arms.
The child felt light; he remembered the First Princess being chubby at this age, with arms as plump as lotus roots.
"After all, he resembles his father; look how happy he is to see the emperor," Wen De Fei said as she approached and playfully poked the child.
"The First Prince seems to have a faint bruise around his eyes. What's the reason for that? Has a physician looked at him?" Ning Chen felt something was off.
Wen De Fei's expression momentarily faltered as she explained, "The First Prince has caught a slight cold these past few days. Whenever he gets cold, he tends to develop these blue bruises around his eyes. However, the physician has already seen him, prescribed some medicine, and it's not a serious issue."
"It seems he's still a bit weak; let the physician take more care," Ning Chen said.
After handing the child back to the wet nurse, Ning Chen waved his hand, signaling the servants to step back.
Seeing that he didn't ask for an explanation, Wen De Fei felt a slight sense of relief in her heart.
In fact, Ning Chen had become accustomed to the First Prince's frail condition due to medicinal nourishment. A mere cold had already become the norm for the little one.
Moreover, Ning Chen had come with some concerns today and didn't have the energy to focus on anything else.
Wen De Fei was observant and attentive; she carefully poured him some tea and sat down beside him, gently fanning herself.
"The First Prince is sensitive to the cold, so I haven't used much ice in the palace. Since it's still hot, if Your Majesty feels uncomfortable, I can have someone bring in a couple of basins of ice."
YOU ARE READING
The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 1)
Historical FictionNote: This is a translated novel by me. Title: 贵妃她千娇百媚 Ye Yun was supposed to be the prince's concubine, but due to the sudden death of the late emperor, her entry into the palace was delayed for over a year. She entered the palace with the new bat...
