chapter 9

Chapter 9: First Birthday Celebration

Today marked Shen He's first birthday, and he woke up early.

Lianqiao and her team took him from his cozy bed, changed him into several outfits before finally settling on the one sent over by the young prince.

Moreover, Shen He was adorned with a longevity locket and a variety of tiny golden bracelets.

Like a ragdoll moved about, by the time Lianqiao and the others finished dressing him, Shen He's initial excitement for his birthday had worn off, leaving him wanting nothing more than sleep.

As expected, on the journey from the Eastern Palace to the Duke's mansion, the gentle sway of the carriage lulled Shen He to sleep in the young prince's arms.

Seeing the child, cheeks flushed in sleep with an imprint of the fabric on his face, Qi Zhuoyun didn’t wake him when they arrived.

Carefully, he cradled the sleeping child against his chest, placing the little head on his shoulder, before gingerly stepping out of the carriage.

Zhong Hong stood by, ready to assist.

He initially intended to carry the little master himself, but the prince wanted to hold him personally.

The Shen estate was bustling.

Guests were ushered into the banquet by Shen's servants, engaging in soft conversations.

However, when the prince arrived, the murmurs ceased, and everyone respectfully bowed to the young royalty.

Many had come specifically to see the young master of the Shen family, as well as the prince.

Shen's heir had been taken to the Eastern Palace right after birth, raised by the still young prince. Even members of the Shen family needed the prince's permission to see their own child, a situation unprecedented in the capital.

The guests observed discreetly.

A young boy in dark robes with gold patterns cradled a child in his arms.

The child, dressed similarly, rested his head on the prince's shoulder, seemingly asleep, with just half of his cherubic face visible.

The prince, poised and composed, did not take a seat after the greetings. Instead, he carried the child to the backyard of the Duke's mansion.

The guests exchanged glances.

In the courtyard, the old duke warmly greeted Qi Zhuoyun, "Your Highness, please allow me to take the child. He can be put to sleep indoors given the noise outside. He can be brought out when it's time for the birthday ritual."

Qi Zhuoyun responded softly, "I'll take him. Changing hands might wake him."

After a year with the child, Qi Zhuoyun had become quite experienced.

The old duke, unable to hold the child, could only wring his hands, trailing behind the young prince.

Never mind, it's all the same whether we hold him now or after he wakes up.

After they had laid the sleeping child down and exited the room, the old Duke began, "Your Highness, Lady Zheng was rather confrontational the other day. I have properly reprimanded her..."

Qi Zhuoyun interrupted him, "Shen He has been doing well in the Eastern Palace. Furthermore, Empress Liu Xuan often wishes to bring him closer and bond. It's more convenient for him to stay at the palace. Duke Shen, there's no need to bring this up again."

The old Duke, not entirely satisfied, tested the waters once more.

Though he suspected the young prince wouldn't relent, hearing it outright still disappointed him.

Even Empress Liu Xuan was brought into the discussion.

The Duke's resentment towards his own wayward son grew.

Even Liu Xuan was willing to support the prince, allowing Shen He, a member of the Shen family, to be raised outside their household.

It was clear that Liu Xuan held some discontent towards her brother-in-law, Duke Shen.

Thinking about the Duke's inner household affairs, the old Duke truly found himself at a loss for words.

He and the Duchess had been occupied with early years of warfare, stationed at the frontier, and had inadvertently neglected their son, leading to his irresponsible and licentious nature.

……

It was two hours later when Shen He awoke.

Opening his eyes to an unfamiliar canopy, he paused briefly, hearing some commotion outside, before clambering up.

The young maid and nanny watching over him immediately smiled, "I'll attend to the young master. Go inform the lord and the prince."

Shen He blinked as the nanny held him, wiping his face and hands.

Fully awake, his sleepiness faded and excitement took over.

Today was his first birthday celebration!

It was also the perfect opportunity to latch onto the male lead!

Heaven knows how long he's been holding back - it's almost killing him!

Today, he would surely surprise the male lead!

As soon as the nanny set him down, Shen He immediately toddled off with his chubby little legs.

Crossing the threshold was a slight challenge, but no matter, a minor obstacle wouldn't stop him.

The nanny closely followed, keeping a vigilant eye on Shen He.

This young lord is not fond of being held. Once on the ground, his agility is on par with boys half a year older than him.

Shen He had just stepped out of the doorway and scampered off.

After just a few steps, the young prince emerged from the end of the corridor.

The old Duke followed the young prince and called out from a distance, "Slow down, Shen He, don't run."

Shen He grinned widely and dove into the young prince's embrace, who expertly scooped him up.

He smoothed out the wrinkles in Shen He's clothes, gazing at his tousled hair, with the corners of his lips curving into a smile.

Shen He, impatient to speak, recalled his desire to make a grand gesture during the 'grabbing test' ceremony.

It was incredibly frustrating.

The young prince, holding the child, headed to the side hall.

Zhong Hong brought forward a bowl of lotus seed soup from the kitchen.

As they would be presenting Shen He to guests later, Zhong Hong didn't dare let him eat on his own, instead feeding him spoon by spoon.

Initially, Zhong Hong worried the young lord might be fussy.

After all, having cared for him for so long, he knew Shen He well. Despite his age, Shen He preferred doing things himself and was independent.

Surprisingly, the child was very cooperative.

Contentedly leaning against the young prince, his chubby little hands initially reached out for the spoon, but when Zhong Hong didn't allow it, he just opened his mouth, waiting to be fed.

Both hands rested on his round belly.

After feeding him half a bowl of the soup, Zhong Hong stopped.

Shen He still seemed to crave more; it was sweet and quite delicious.

The Shen household steward approached, saying, "Your Highness, the Duke mentioned that it's getting late. He wishes for you to present the young lord to the guests."

Qi Zhuoyun lowered his eyes and wiped the remnants of soup from the child's mouth, responding with a nod.

He caressed the child's soft head, equally curious about what Shen He would choose during today's ceremony.

While the old Duke had a military background, Duke Shen pursued literature.

When Shen He was set down on a plush carpet, the closest item to him was a toy red-tasseled spear.

Of course, it was a miniature version, roughly the same length as him—a child's plaything.

On the other side was a brush and an inkstone.

Further ahead were various items, such as jade discs, gold ingots, abacus, scrolls, and so on.

Shen He propped himself up with shaky legs, his upper body wobbling, nearly dazzled by the scene before him.

A large crowd surrounded him, their vibrant clothes forming a colorful barrier. Shen He craned his neck, searching for someone amidst them.

After the male lead set him down, he disappeared somewhere into the crowd.

It took Shen He a while before he recognized familiar garments and looked up, locating the young prince.

The prince wasn't standing with Duke Shen and the others.

Nor was he with the guests.

While the guests huddled close together, only the area around the young prince remained clear, leaving a small gap.

Zhong Hong stood protectively behind the prince.

Amidst the guests' muted chuckles and comments, only the prince remained silent, gazing patiently at Shen He, waiting to see what he would be drawn to.

With some effort, Shen He pushed himself up and steadied himself on the plush carpet.

Whispers rippled through the crowd, "Oh, look! The young lord can already walk by himself?"

"What is he trying to grab?"

With people on both sides of the carpet, Shen He couldn't navigate around them.

With his short legs, he painstakingly maneuvered around the items on the floor, wobbling forward.

He passed by calligraphy tools and also the assortment of weapons.

The old Duke and the Duchess couldn't help but murmur with growing concern, "Shen He, what are you trying to choose?"

Ahead lay mundane objects made of gold and silver.

Had they known, they would've instructed not to place those items there.

Even if a child grabs such items, it doesn't necessarily predict their future. But which elder doesn't hope for their descendants to excel and achieve greatness?

But the determined little bundle toddling forward didn't care about any of that.

Eventually, Shen He bypassed all the items, no longer needing to wobble or tread cautiously.

He looked up and wrapped his arms around the young prince's legs.

His fair, chubby face lit up with a smile, his luminous eyes curving into crescents as he pronounced with a clear, babyish voice, "Brother!"

The young prince looked down.

An equally youthful face, painted with sheer astonishment.

The warmth of the child pressed closely against him.

Bypassing an array of unfamiliar curiosities, the child determinedly made his way straight to the young prince.

And then, he spoke his very first words.

The crowd fell silent.

Every gaze was transfixed on this unexpected scene.

The young lord of the Shen family had, during the 'grabbing' ceremony, chosen... the young prince?