Yong Cheng’an had just recovered from a serious illness and was still not in particularly high spirits.
After playing with Emperor Yong and the Empress for a while, he fell asleep again.
Although the Xie father and son regretted not being able to spend more time with the eldest prince, they left the palace content.
From then until the full moon, Yong Cheng’an was kept under strict supervision.
Perhaps the illness had frightened the Empress and Emperor Yong.
He had not yet stepped outside the palace doors.
However, the caution of the Empress and Emperor Yong was not without reason. Yong Cheng’an’s health was indeed fragile, weaker than that of ordinary people.
He needed careful nurturing.
Since Yong Cheng’an’s third-day bathing ceremony had not been held, the full moon banquet was exceptionally grand.
On the day of the banquet, the Empress wore a bright red phoenix robe, which made her glow with vitality.
Her complexion was excellent.
It was clear at a glance that the Empress had not suffered much during her postpartum confinement.
Of course, the Empress looked radiant. Yong Cheng’an was a well-behaved baby, quiet and obedient every day, never crying or fussing. When he needed a change or was hungry, he would just let out a few “ah-ah” sounds.
He never caused any trouble for the Empress and even often played with her, though in reality, it was the Empress playing with him.
The full moon banquet was held with great grandeur. Civil and military officials favored by Emperor Yong attended with their families.
Each congratulatory gift was priceless, and Yong Cheng’an drooled at the thought—what a fortune!
Moreover, everyone who presented a gift would praise Yong Cheng’an.
Who doesn’t love hearing kind words? Yong Cheng’an certainly did!
The Empress carefully wiped the drool from the corner of Yong Cheng’an’s mouth with a handkerchief, her eyes filled with laughter.
This child drooled whenever he got excited.
Today, he had probably never seen so many people before and was overly excited.
Emperor Yong took Yong Cheng’an from the Empress’s arms. “Let me hold him, lest An’er’s drool stain your dress.”
The Empress did not refuse, smiling and nodding. Over the past month, she had come to understand.
This was the Emperor’s first time as a father, and he was exceptionally indulgent toward An’er.
Throughout the month, no matter what An’er did, in his eyes, it was clever and adorable.
The father and son got along harmoniously, and Emperor Yong’s affection for Yong Cheng’an grew stronger day by day.
Moreover, the Emperor took pride in personally caring for An’er, which gave him a sense of accomplishment.
Over time, An’er held a special place in his heart.
One that no one else could match.
Yong Cheng’an also adored Emperor Yong as a father. The Emperor treated him so well, and his heart was not made of stone.
His initially casual attitude gradually became genuine.
He truly regarded Emperor Yong and the Empress as his father and mother.
While this gesture seemed ordinary to the Empress, it was not the same in the eyes of others.
The ministers concealed their surprise, silently elevating the importance of the eldest prince in their minds.
They had initially thought he was just an infant, and even as the legitimate eldest son, he could not yet accomplish much.
But judging by the Emperor’s attitude—so fond of him—they needed to be cautious.
The court and the inner palace were closely intertwined, and everyone hoped the next emperor would be of their own bloodline.
Many noble families were connected by marriage, so even before the later princes were born, the ministers had already chosen sides.
Although they needed to be wary of the eldest prince’s faction, there was no need to rush.
They could wait a few more years.
However, to everyone’s surprise, Chen Fu, standing beside Emperor Yong, produced an imperial edict the very next moment.
Chen Fu cleared his throat, his voice loud enough to be heard throughout the entire hall.
“By the decree of the Emperor, who receives the Mandate of Heaven and carries out its will: We, having received Heaven’s mandate to rule over all lands, have labored day and night, mindful of the weight of the state. The establishment of an heir is to secure the nation’s foundation, bring stability to the realm, and lay the groundwork for a thousand generations. Hereby, We designate Our eldest legitimate son, Yong Cheng’an, as Crown Prince, to reside in the Eastern Palace and uphold the lineage for ten thousand years. … Let this be proclaimed throughout the land, so that all may know.”
“So decreed.”
As soon as the words fell, an unstoppable wave of murmurs erupted throughout the hall.
Even Yong Cheng’an couldn’t help but glance up at Emperor Yong.
Though he knew he would be named Crown Prince, he hadn’t expected it to happen at his full-month celebration.
He had assumed it would be at least after his first birthday.
It seemed that the past month of interaction had endeared him to Emperor Yong.
So much so that he couldn’t wait until his first birthday to name him Crown Prince.
Yong Cheng’an, being just a month-old infant, naturally couldn’t receive the decree himself.
The Empress, who had been forewarned by Emperor Yong, calmly accepted the imperial decree on his behalf.
Xie Xian was the first to react, immediately proclaiming, “Your subject pays respects to His Highness the Crown Prince!”
The others then snapped out of their daze, chiming in one after another, “Your subjects pay respects to His Highness the Crown Prince!”
The imperial consorts also looked at Yong Cheng’an with envy—their own children, yet unborn, had already lost any chance of becoming Crown Prince.
Numerous gazes, filled with either jealousy or complexity, fell upon Yong Cheng’an.
Yong Cheng’an remained unperturbed, lying calmly in Emperor Yong’s arms and even lifting a tiny foot.
He even had the leisure to look around, wanting to see if Prince Xin was present.
But after scanning the room, he saw no one who resembled Prince Xin. He had likely already taken the true Crown Prince back to his fiefdom.
Not seeing Prince Xin, Yong Cheng’an felt a twinge of regret.
Indeed, Prince Xin had just pulled off the “Civet Cat Swapped for the Crown Prince” scheme and surely wouldn’t dare linger in the capital. He must have rushed back to his fiefdom with the true Crown Prince without delay.
Fortunately, although Prince Xin had taken the true Crown Prince, he hadn’t mistreated him.
The true Crown Prince’s food, clothing, and daily necessities were all of the finest quality.
Even his tutors in civil and martial arts were personally sought out by Prince Xin with great effort.
Otherwise, Yong Cheng’an would have been consumed by guilt.
When his gaze drifted toward the women’s section, Yong Cheng’an keenly detected a strong wave of malice.
He followed the direction of the gaze.
It came from a woman in palace attire.
Her malice was far more intense than the others. Why was that?
Yong Cheng’an took a closer look at her. She was an imperial consort, but without any distinctive features.
The original book hadn’t described Emperor Yong’s harem in great detail.
But he soon understood the reason for her malicious gaze.
Just as the atmosphere in the hall was at its peak, the consort took a swaddled infant from the arms of a wet nurse beside her and slowly walked to the center of the hall.
Yong Cheng’an suddenly understood. No wonder he felt her gaze was filled with malice—she was Consort Jing, the mother of the Second Prince.
Speaking of the Second Prince, he was quite a character.
He was born just a day after Yong Cheng’an.
Consort Jing firmly believed that the Empress had used labor-inducing drugs to steal the position of the eldest son, which rightfully belonged to her son.
She held this belief and instilled it in the Second Prince through relentless indoctrination.
The Second Prince became utterly convinced that if not for the Empress and her son deliberately making him the second son instead of the first, the position of Crown Prince might have been his.
Thus, the Second Prince targeted Yong Cheng’an at every turn.
Knowing full well that Yong Cheng’an was frail, he deliberately flaunted Emperor Yong’s praise for his exceptional riding and archery skills, provoking Yong Cheng’an into falling ill several times.
After Yong Cheng’an’s true identity was exposed, the Second Prince mocked him relentlessly and even attempted to harm him.
However, before the Second Prince could take action, Yong Cheng’an died of illness on his own.
Thinking of this, Yong Cheng’an narrowed his eyes. If the Second Prince behaves himself in this lifetime, all will be well. But if he doesn’t…
He wouldn’t mind teaching him how to be a good younger brother who respects his elder brother!