Before the Princess Consort of Prince Fu could even begin to exert herself, the easily satisfied little one was already in a daze.
He ate with relish.
Lin Zhen watched from the side as he finished two small buns and half a bowl of milk before she stopped him from continuing.
The little one seemed somewhat reluctant to stop, but he still obediently withdrew his little hand that had been reaching for the buns.
He looked up docilely.
Lin Zhen leaned over to wipe his mouth and explained, "You're still young; you shouldn't eat too much at once. Take it slowly." In the past, this child had always eaten very little, and suddenly increasing his food intake would not be good for his spleen and stomach either.
She spoke softly and gently, and even explained why she wouldn't let him continue eating. Ping'an fully accepted it and nodded slightly, as if he would obey whatever she said.
Seeing that although he had relaxed a bit, he was still too well-behaved and not good at expressing himself, Lin Zhen ruffled his little head and pointed to the quiet A'Yu standing nearby, saying, "This is your Eighth Aunt."
A'Yu was the younger half-sister of Prince Fu's primary consort, but since entering the prince's residence, she had never had much contact with Ping'an, so naturally they were strangers.
Hearing this, A'Yu hurriedly stood up.
Ping'an peeked out from beside Lin Zhen and grew nervous in the presence of someone unfamiliar.
Both of them looked timid, holding their breath and not daring to speak. Lin Zhen's mouth twitched slightly, and knowing that A'Yu was at a loss with Ping'an, she said gently to her, "Eighth Young Miss, go back and rest for now. Tomorrow…" She thought for a moment and said, "Tomorrow, when I return from the palace, if Eighth Young Miss…"
"A'Yu."
A'Yu quickly reminded her.
Lin Zhen then smiled and changed to a more intimate form of address, saying, "If you, A'Yu, have nothing to do, you may also come and chat with me to pass the time. Just settle in and stay at ease."
Her request had been granted just like that. A'Yu was grateful in her heart, and glancing at Ping'an, who was still somewhat cautious and well-behaved, she couldn't help but redden her eyes before walking out the door.
Watching her leave, Lin Zhen then beckoned to Ping'an. "Come closer."
The little one's round eyes were still wide open. He looked at her open arms, stiffened for a long moment, then cautiously leaned in.
He was like a startled little animal, approaching very, very slowly, as if waiting for Lin Zhen to change her mind.
But even when he truly nestled into her soft embrace and leaned securely against her, he was not impatiently pushed away or told to keep his distance.
When his shoulder was gently wrapped, only then did Ping'an suddenly feel that he wasn't dreaming.
He really was allowed to throw himself into "Mother's" arms.
Not in a dream.
His tense little body instantly softened.
Seeing that he was slowly beginning to trust her, Lin Zhen patted his little body and said gently to the maid standing in attendance, who looked rather serious, "You've worked hard looking after Ping'an these past days."
This maid stood together with Jiaoyue. They were about the same age and both beautiful. Jiaoyue was gentler, while this maid seemed less fond of smiling.
But facing Lin Zhen, she did not put on a stern expression. She also revealed a faint smile, and her gaze fell on Ping'an, who was obediently leaning against Lin Zhen, as she said softly, "This is His Highness's blood. This servant only regrets that she cannot serve him even better."
"Yes, he is His Highness's blood, and in the future, he will inherit the prince's residence."
Although no decree of succession had yet been issued after Prince Fu's passing, this child was already the heir apparent of Prince Fu. As long as no mistakes were made, there would come a day when he would inherit the title.
Lin Zhen did not hide anything from these two maids whom Prince Fu had trusted and valued most.
This residence was now under her control as the Princess Consort of Prince Fu, and she was not afraid of walls having ears or anything of the sort.
Even if walls had ears, what could others do about it?
"I'm thinking of moving Ping'an to live in my courtyard. What do you two think?"
Although this child was the heir apparent of Prince Fu, he had not been raised in the main courtyard of his birth mother, the primary consort, but rather in a side courtyard. In his daily life, he mostly saw nursemaids and serving maids, and it was inevitable that he lacked a mother's care.
If he were already fifteen or sixteen, learning to manage his own courtyard and become independent, Lin Zhen would not insist on having him raised among women's company.
But Ping'an was only three years old, so she still wanted to raise him before her own eyes.
"This servant believes that is exactly as it should be." Seeing that she was willing to personally raise Ping'an, which was naturally an excellent thing, the serious-faced maid couldn't help but show a hint of delighted surprise on her face. She quickly curtsied to Lin Zhen and said softly, "It is the young prince's fortune to have the Princess Consort care for him so dearly. If this servant may be so bold as to say, the young prince and the Princess Consort share a bond—it is rare that he treats the Princess Consort differently from others. This servant has attended the young prince for quite some time and has never seen him so close to anyone."
Before Prince Fu passed away, he had discovered that his son was not being properly cared for, so he assigned his loyal maidservant to his son's courtyard.
She had been in the young prince's courtyard for a long time, and although she attended to him with every care, it had not been easy.
If a child is frail, everyone knows it's because they haven't been eating enough. Yet when she coaxed the young heir to eat, even though he was clearly hungry, he still wouldn't open his mouth—daring not to touch his meal.
How could it be like today, when the Princess Consort merely said a few words and he obediently ate his fill?
"Wen Yue speaks truly—this is the bond of mother and son between the Princess Consort and the young heir." Jiaoyue chimed in quickly from the side.
She was different from Wen Yue.
Wen Yue, under Prince Fu's orders, had devoted herself entirely to the young heir, and hearing that the Princess Consort was willing to care for the child, she felt relieved on his behalf.
But Jiaoyue was different.
Ever since Lin Zhen had stepped through the gates, she had become the Princess Consort's trusted maidservant, and she considered matters more from Lin Zhen's perspective.
Their prince had passed away, leaving the Princess Consort a widow from the moment she entered the household—and with no children of her own to show for it.
If she could now raise the young heir, the bond forged from childhood would bear fruit in years to come; when the heir grew up, he would repay her kindness and honor her as his mother.
The Princess Consort would then have someone to rely on for the rest of her life, spared the bleak fate of a young widow left to wither alone in her later years.
Though the two maidservants favored different parties, both were single-minded in their good intentions. Lin Zhen smiled faintly, and thinking of the little one cowering in her arms, she continued, "And also the people in Ping'an's courtyard."
That a young child had been raised to such a state was naturally because Prince Fu's primary consort had never cared for him—but there must also have been wicked servants stirring up trouble.
She lowered her gaze, took a sip of the clear tea before her, and said calmly, "I heard from Wen Yue earlier that in that courtyard, from top to bottom, Ping'an's meals and daily care are all overseen by two matrons from Earl Dongyang's household. Ping'an is frail and deficient in qi and blood—that can only mean these two matrons have served him poorly. Before, with the prince gravely ill, more pressing matters took precedence and I had no time to discipline them. Now… for neglecting the young heir's care, each shall receive forty strokes of the board, then be sent off to the northwest."
There were naturally others in that courtyard who had also mistreated Ping'an.
They were all people who had watched the late primary consort's eyes.
Seeing that she held no affection for Ping'an, they too had presumed that whatever this child said would go unheard, and so they dared to trample the prince's heir into the mud beneath their feet.
"As for the others, whether loyal or treacherous, I won't wrong them. You've spent no short time in that courtyard—you should already be able to tell them apart. Those who were honest may be spared, but anyone who slighted the young heir shall be dealt with accordingly."
These words were directed at Wen Yue.
The solemn maidservant couldn't help but widen her eyes slightly, looking at this Princess Consort whose face was delicate and ethereal, yet whose actions were decisive and forceful… Their prince had been a good man, but always soft-hearted, weighing too many considerations.
Take the matter of the young heir—he knew wicked servants were at work, yet even in his anger, all he did was send her to the heir's side to prevent anyone from bullying him, never hardening his heart to mete out punishment.
Though the Princess Consort acted with iron resolve, Wen Yue felt this was far more satisfying.
She quickly performed a bow and accepted the order.
"Take the household guards with you. If anyone dares raise their voice, or invokes some name to defy your authority, have the guards detain them—punishment will be severe, with no leniency." Lin Zhen had married into Prince Fu's household precisely to do such things—why else would Prince Fu have wed her?
She didn't think Wen Yue's delight was misplaced; she simply continued, "As for those two leading matrons, none of the belongings in their rooms are to be taken with them."
Money the matrons had earned themselves, she would never covet.
But they had reduced Ping'an to nothing but skin and bone—and still had the nerve to draw wages from Prince Fu's household?
Not flaying their hides was already being generous.
Moreover, Prince Fu had valued this son greatly; precious and fine things had never been withheld from him. When servants' hearts turn against heaven itself, how could they not have embezzled? Jiaoyue had also murmured in her ear before, saying that someone in that courtyard was skimming off the heir's provisions.
She issued her orders one by one, and both maidservants accepted with solemn expressions—unaware that the little one nestled obediently in Lin Zhen's arms, quiet as could be, was pricking up his ears.
He looked up, and slowly, light began to gather in his eyes as he regarded this new mother.
Though he dared not make a sound, he cautiously reached out a small hand and secretly clutched a corner of her robe.
"Have Ping'an move in today." The Princess Consort's main courtyard was the most beautiful and spacious compound in all of Prince Fu's household—how could it not accommodate a small child?
And so it was done, just like that.
Wen Yue, leading the household guards assigned to her, strode off with her back straight to deal with those servants. Never mind the wailing and screaming that erupted from that courtyard—for the rest of the day, Lin Zhen devoted herself entirely to arranging for her fine young son to move in.
After a busy day, she shared the evening meal with the well-behaved child, personally accompanied the little one until he fell asleep on his bed, and only then returned to her own room to rest.
"The Princess Consort has worked hard today. Tomorrow you must enter the palace—please rest early."
A full day's work in the sweltering heat was exhausting, and Jiaoyue, after carefully reviewing the court attire for the morrow together with Lin Zhen, urged her to sleep.
Lin Zhen changed into her nightclothes herself, and rather than have Jiaoyue stay in the room and sleep uneasily on the small couch, she thought to ask her about the late primary consort—but today had indeed been tiring, and in the end she simply nodded and retired.
The next day, she changed into her court robes. Hearing Wen Yue report that Ping'an was still asleep, she didn't insist on waking the child to pay his respects, but gave her instructions and set off for the palace with Jiaoyue.
She entered the palace because the imperial court had summoned her.
That said, although she was now a widow, which sounded especially pitiful, her days had not actually been all that bad.
Prince Fu was the emperor's own younger brother, the Empress Dowager's youngest son, and had been doted on by the palace since childhood.
After his passing, it seemed as though the affection once reserved for Prince Fu was now being transferred to those who had survived in the Prince Fu estate. In recent days, the palace had repeatedly sent words of comfort.
Even if she did not enter the palace every time, the imperial gifts came frequently—from seasonal fruits and pastries to estates and treasured collections, too numerous to count.
It was as if the palace feared that the world might think that with Prince Fu's death, the Prince Fu estate had lost its support and become a pitiable target for contempt, so they were wholeheartedly intent on upholding the estate's dignity.
And the one bearing this honor was, naturally, the widow of Prince Fu—the Princess Consort of Fu.
These past days, besides being busy with Prince Fu's funeral rites, she had nearly worn out her legs going to the palace to express her gratitude.