[How should I put this? The Eldest Princess is actually quite pitiful. She's the most pitiful person in the entire imperial family.
Not only did she never enjoy the affection of her parents, but she also never enjoyed the affection of her husband. If it weren't for her title as Eldest Princess, the Qian Family would have kicked her out long ago.
Sigh, how pitiful, how tragic, how lamentable!]
Princess Qingyang nodded slightly. She, too, found the Eldest Princess pitiful.
Not only had she never experienced a mother's love since childhood, but their Imperial Father had also never entrusted her to another consort's care, leaving her to be raised solely by a Wet Nurse.
First, she never enjoyed the treatment a Princess deserved, nor the various kinds of cultivation.
Second, she never enjoyed the affection of her parents.
Third, she had to endure bullying from the other Princes and Princesses, as well as the Eunuchs, Palace Maids, and momos.
The Imperial Harem was full of people who fawned on the powerful and trampled on the weak.
A Princess regarded as a disgrace by her Imperial Father, without a mother's protection or any backing, lived a life even harder than that of the Palace Maids and Eunuchs.
It was no wonder the Eldest Princess was so cautious, timid, and humble.
Speaking of which, she rather admired the Eldest Princess.
The fact that she could grow up in the Imperial Harem, a place that devoured people whole, showed that she was a resilient and unyielding woman.
If it had been anyone else, they probably would have ended their own life long ago.
Just then, Rong Momo ushered the Eldest Princess and her son into the room.
The Eldest Princess looked constrained and quite nervous. She glanced quickly at Princess Qingyang and hurriedly bowed in greeting. "Greetings, Princess Qingyang."
Princess Qingyang sighed inwardly.
Looking up, she saw that the Eldest Princess's face was pale and bloodless, her figure as thin as a twig. With her head lowered and her back hunched, she exuded a sense of inferiority and weakness from the inside out.
She wore a dark-colored dress. The fabric was of high quality, but the style was old-fashioned and not at all suitable for someone her age.
Her right hand tightly held a five-year-old boy. He was cute, but unfortunately, the boy's eyes were dull and vacant, and he was sucking on his own little finger.
Princess Qingyang sighed inwardly once more.
Then, she affectionately stepped forward, took the Eldest Princess's hand, and offered a warm, friendly smile. "Eldest Imperial Sister, there's no need for such courtesy between us sisters. Come, please have a seat."
The Eldest Princess's entire body stiffened.
She stared in disbelief at the hand holding hers. Her nose suddenly tingled, and a misty haze of tears welled up in her eyes.
Her Imperial Sister's hand was so warm, so warm she couldn't bear to let go, but…
"Princess Qingyang, my hands are ice-cold. I mustn't chill you."
The Eldest Princess's tone was anxious. As she spoke, she tried to pull her hand back. Her Imperial Sister was about to give birth; she absolutely could not let her catch a cold because of her.
Her palm suddenly empty, Princess Qingyang couldn't help but chuckle.
It seemed her sudden display of affection had frightened the Eldest Princess.
Fine, no rush. They could take it slow.
"Eldest Imperial Sister, this must be Yi'er. He's grown so big." Princess Qingyang looked gently at the five-year-old Qian Zhanyi and reached out to softly pat his little head.
When the topic turned to her child, even someone as reserved as the Eldest Princess couldn't help but smile, her eyes filled with maternal love.
"Yi'er, be good. This is Princess Qingyang. You should call her Aunt."
Qian Zhanyi's expression was vacant. He lifted his little head to look at Princess Qingyang, then broke into a silly grin. "Mama, Mama, Aunt… pretty."
[Of course! This Baby's mother is gorgeous!]
Luo Ranran was smug, gently kicking her mother's belly with her little feet. With her childlike heart, she wanted to greet the poor little boy.
[Hi, you poor little thing! This Baby is your little sister!]
Qian Zhanyi seemed to sense something. His dull eyes stared straight at Princess Qingyang's belly. "Mama, sis… sister is…" talking!
Qian Zhanyi couldn't get the last word out.
He rolled his eyes back dramatically, feeling it was hard to breathe and that he really wanted to sleep.
Princess Qingyang's pupils contracted.
Damn it, this was the prelude to meeting his Great Grandmother!
Panicking, she quickly reached out and gently patted Qian Zhanyi's back.
"Yi'er, be good. Don't think about things you shouldn't. Aunt is here. Be a good boy, okay? Aunt has lots of yummy pastries here. Do you want some?"
She had no experience in coaxing children, so she could only use tasty food to attract his attention.
Yummy pastries?
Qian Zhanyi's eyes lit up, and the pallor of his face gradually returned to normal.
"Auntie, sis… sister eat." Sister would eat yummy things with him. Mama said you have to know how to share yummy things.
Princess Qingyang roughly understood what Qian Zhanyi meant and nodded with a smile. "Alright, Yi'er and little sister will eat pastries together. Come, Auntie will take you to eat pastries!"
Luo Ranran was a little curious: [Mother, what are pastries? Are pastries delicious? Are pastries better to drink than Spirit Spring Water?]
In that instant, the Little Ginseng Sprite seemed to have ten thousand whys.
Princess Qingyang glanced at the Eldest Princess, who was completely bewildered and frozen in place, then frowned and sighed helplessly.
Just how many people could hear her precious baby's thoughts?
So far, including herself, there were already four people who could hear them.
She didn't know if this was a blessing or…
Forget it, she wouldn't think about it.
Fortunately, her precious baby was protected by divine power. Anyone who heard her thoughts could not tell anyone else about her, nor could they harbor the slightest killing intent toward her.
Otherwise, that person would be sent to meet their ancestors!
How did she know?
Of course, it was because before this, while her precious baby was sleeping, she had the Crown Prince test it out firsthand, which was how she came to this conclusion.
The Crown Prince: …feeling wronged.
Feeling a little weary, Princess Qingyang shook her head. She then affectionately led Qian Zhanyi to a chair and gently pushed the pastries on the pearwood table one by one in front of him.
"Yi'er, this plate of pastries is called Osmanthus Cake. It's tea-yellow in color, has a soft and smooth texture, and tastes sweet and fragrant."
[Is Osmanthus Cake made from an osmanthus tree? How can a tree be made into a cake? So weird!]
It wasn't surprising that the Little Ginseng Sprite didn't understand the delicacies of the mortal realm.
First, even though she was five hundred years old, she had never been able to cultivate a physical form. Other than absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and soaking herself in Spirit Spring Water, she had never eaten any other delicacy.
Second, the Heavenly Realm was not the mortal realm. Most Immortals in the Heavenly Realm had long since learned to Abstain from Grains. Only a very small number of Immortals enjoyed the pleasures of food, but unfortunately, she had never been able to witness it.
Princess Qingyang suppressed a laugh and continued her introduction. "This plate of pastries is called Lǘ Dǎ Gǔn. It tastes sweet, soft, and glutinous, and is very delicious."
Luo Ranran's little mouth fell open in astonishment: [What, what? Lǘ Dǎ Gǔn? A donkey is so big, and it rolled on the ground? It must be so dirty, how can you still eat it?]
Princess Qingyang: …Baby, this Lǘ Dǎ Gǔn is not that kind of donkey rolling.
"Yi'er, this plate of pastries is called Dragon's Beard Candy. It's complicated to make, sweet and delicious, and melts in your mouth. Try it and see if you like it."
Luo Ranran shrieked in terror: [Ah! Dragon's Beard Candy? This-this-this is a dragon's beard! The Four Great Dragon Kings are especially protective of their own. How could they let mortals make their dragon beards into candy?]
[Mother, you can't eat this! You'll lose your head if you eat it!]
Luo Ranran was so scared her little heart pounded. She quickly checked her Mustard Seed Space to see if the Magical Artifacts her Master gave her could withstand the Dragon Clan's retaliation.
Oh my god!
[I have to say, Mother, you are truly a tiger!]
Eating a donkey that rolled in the dust was one thing, but to actually dare to touch a dragon's head and want to eat Dragon's Beard Candy was truly audacious.