The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 2)

Chapter 358

Everyone sat down, and the banquet finally began.

At this time, the children had all arrived. Naturally, they had to pay their respects to Ning Chen. So, led by the eldest princess, seven children came forward to greet him.

However, it was particularly notable that the Fourth Prince referred to him as "dad" instead of "Father Emperor."

The Second Princess quickly corrected him, "Fourth Brother, you should call him Father Emperor."

The Fourth Prince looked a bit confused but stubbornly called out "dad" again.

Seeing the Second Princess getting anxious, Ning Chen quickly smiled and spoke.

"It's fine; the Fourth Prince is still young and doesn't need to adhere to these formalities. You all sit down."

The older children each went to sit by their mothers.

The Fourth Prince stood there in a daze until Bai Zhu picked him up and moved to the side.

"I think the Fourth Prince is absolutely adorable! It's clear that Ming Zhaoyuan knows how to raise children. The Second Prince has always been gentle and mild-tempered; he was never this lively. After his education, he's become very formal, even in front of me."

Jing De Fei spoke with a smile, her expression full of envy.

Beside her, Shu Fei snorted, "While it's good for children to be lively, the royal family values discipline. They must be taught from a young age to prevent them from becoming unruly in the future. Jing De Fei, don't let them learn everything."

This comment was also a veiled jab.

Using children's behavior as a weapon was something no mother could tolerate, especially since Ye Yun was already protective of hers.

So, she immediately darkened her gaze.

Surprisingly, Ning Chen spoke first.

"The Second Prince is pure-hearted and gentle; he's a good child. Jing'er is just a little mischievous at his age; he'll naturally grow out of it. Although they were born into the royal family, they are still my flesh and blood. It's a good thing for the children to feel close to me; what's wrong with calling me 'dad' in private?"

"Shu Fei, the eldest princess you've raised is very well-mannered and poised, but she's only eight years old; her temperament is too quiet. She lacks the liveliness that children should have. In the future, you need to take her out more to play. Just remember not to make the Third Princess too reserved."

After saying this, Shu Fei nodded in response, a bit embarrassed.

However, this was already a very gentle way of speaking.

After all, the children were present, and the eight-year-old eldest princess was already sensible enough; Shu Fei could not lose face in front of them.

Once this exchange was over, the others didn't dare to cause any more trouble, and the birthday banquet proceeded relatively smoothly.

When the banquet ended, the Fourth Prince was so tired he could hardly keep his eyes open and was taken away by the wet nurse to nap.

Similarly, Ye Yun was also too exhausted to move.

As she walked toward the inner room, she collapsed onto the small couch by the window, propping herself against a pillow and becoming motionless.

"Are you this tired?"

Ning Chen looked at her amusedly and sat down beside her.

"After putting on a smiling face for more than an hour, it's only natural to feel tired. Fortunately, this time I hosted the banquet myself, and at least I got to eat my fill," Ye Yun replied weakly.