Zhao Hua did not directly answer Xiao Jingheng's question.
She seemed slow and hesitant for a while,
before finally grasping Xiao Jingheng's hand and, with a tearful voice, softly calling him,
"Xiao Lang."
And then she threw herself into his embrace, unable to restrain her tears.
For Xiao Jingheng, although Zhao Hua did not utter the word "forgiveness",
her calling him "Xiao Lang" already indicated her attitude.
She understood his helplessness as an emperor and the deep affection hidden beneath the circumstances.
*
It had been six days since Xiao Jingyan brought Cheng Yu back to the capital from Hengzhou.
As soon as they entered the palace, he took Cheng Yu to Chaoyang Palace to meet the empress dowager.
The reunion of father and son was filled with joy.
After four years of separation, Cheng Yu had grown even more handsome.
Standing in the hall as a young adult, he carried himself with poise, observing proper etiquette in speech and action.
When he saw Xiao Jingheng, he respectfully bowed and said,
"Your Majesty, your child greets you."
Xiao Jingheng cherished his child in his heart,
but in his memory, Cheng Yu was still a babbling toddler,
so small, so innocent, always smiling and clinging to be held.
Recalling the past, a deep sense of guilt surged within Xiao Jingheng,
and he walked slowly toward Cheng Yu with tears in his eyes, opening his arms to him, and expressing his emotions:
"Good child, let your father hold you."
Cheng Yu obediently approached Xiao Jingheng and allowed him to embrace him tightly.
Hearing Xiao Jingheng's apologetic tone, he even consoled him with maturity:
"Uncle has told me that everything father has done was to protect me. I understand the love father has for me, and I miss you very much."
Both Cheng Yu and Chenghuan had been raised well,
and when Xiao Jingheng looked at Cheng Yu's composure, he felt as if he saw a reflection of his own childhood in him.
He had been like this in his youth,
adhering to rules, respectful and composed, methodical in his actions and impeccable in his speech.
Perhaps both father and son had experienced childhood misfortunes, making them resemble each other to some extent.
To the point that Xiao Jingheng didn't realize,
that a normal child, a child who loved him, at such a young age had gone through so much,
and instinctively responded not by being clingy to their loved ones, but by behaving like a perfect saint.
He even praised Cheng Yu's behavior incessantly, exclaiming:
"The Chen couple has taken good care of Cheng Yu, teaching him proper manners and a sense of propriety. I am deeply gratified."
Then, he turned to Jiang Deshun and said, "Convey my decree. The Chen couple in Hengzhou have protected the imperial prince and deserve a reward of one thousand taels of gold. Furthermore, there is a vacant official position in the lower rank in Hengzhou. Let Chen Zhenjiang go there to gain experience. If he proves to be talented, I will treat him favorably."
Xiao Jingheng felt the joy of this long-awaited reunion and naturally wanted Zhao Hua to experience it soon.
So, he took Cheng Yu's hand and said he would take him to see the empress.
Xiao Jingyan observed the scene and said, "It is a joyful occasion for the emperor and his son to reunite. As for me, I consider my mission accomplished and will take my leave."
"If it is a joyful occasion, how can we let you escape?" Xiao Jingheng put his arm around Xiao Jingyan's shoulder and exclaimed, "Stay here! Today, I am filled with joy, and I insist on drinking three hundred cups with you!"
*
At that time, Zhao Hua was embroidering a nightgown in the palace. Since she did not know Cheng Yu's current measurements, she had been asking Chenghuan to come over these past few days to use his measurements as a reference.
Now that the embroidered patterns on the nightgown were complete, Zhao Hua spread it out under the golden sunlight and admired it with a smile on her lips that couldn't be contained.
Chenghuan, who was standing nearby, immediately spoke obediently, "Mother, my second younger brother is coming back, and I am happy about it. So, I specially prepared a gift for him."
He took out a jade pendant from his pocket.
Zhao Hua recognized this jade pendant. It was the only gift Xiao Jingheng had ever given Chenghuan.
Zhao Hua couldn't take away this child's scarce fatherly love. Instead, she carefully wore the jade pendant around Chenghuan's neck and said with a smile, "This is something your father gave you, so you must keep it safe. Your second younger brother has been raised outside the palace since he was young and has had little contact with your father. Considering that, your position in your father's heart must be much more important than your second younger brother's."
She lovingly stroked the child's forehead and sincerely said, "You are your father's eldest son, and in the future, you will have to take care of your second younger brother."
Chenghuan nodded vigorously and replied, "Mother, rest assured, I will definitely treat my second younger brother well."
Zhao Hua's smile remained unchanged as she picked up the nightgown from the table and compared it to Chenghuan's body.
Chenghuan said, "My second younger brother and I are similar in age, so this dress will fit him perfectly."
However, Zhao Hua just smiled and remained silent as she put the nightgown on Chenghuan.
Chenghuan was quite surprised and asked, "Mother, why..."
"I made two of these nightgowns, one for you and one for your second younger brother."
Chenghuan widened his eyes, his face filled with disbelief.
Apart from Ning Wanshuang, no one in the palace had ever cared for him like this.
He was originally a child who was disliked by others, and his forced maturity was merely a survival skill he developed in the palace.
Now, with Zhao Hua treating him like this all of a sudden, he couldn't help but tear up.
"Thank you, Mother!" he said, as he touched the embroidered pattern on the nightgown and noticed that instead of a qilin or dragon pattern, there was a depiction of a dragon head on a pipa.
Curiously, he asked, "This dragon-headed pipa looks rare. I don't recognize it."
Zhao Hua gently explained, "The dragon has nine sons. The eldest son is Qiu Niu, and the second son is Ya Zi. Qiu Niu is skilled in music. The embroidered pattern on your nightgown represents Qiu Niu's transformation, while your younger brother's nightgown depicts Ya Zi. Similarly, in the future, your second younger brother will also respect and honor you. Do you understand?"
In the palace, there was a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, and even if an illegitimate child had a noble status, it would always be inferior to the legitimate ones.
Yet Zhao Hua was willing to let her legitimate son respect and honor Chenghuan, who was born out of wedlock.
In this way, how could Chenghuan not cherish the kindness that Zhaohua had shown him?
Now that he had received his sleeping clothes, he was so delighted that he didn't want to take them off no matter what.
Later, when Zhaohua saw him playing and running around in the courtyard with Ruoxin, all sweaty, she instructed Yunsan, saying:
"Take the Crown Prince back to Noble Consort Chen's Palace and have the palace maids take good care of him, making sure he washes up properly and doesn't catch a cold."
Upon hearing this, Ruoxin quickly said, "Mother, Chenghuan brother doesn't have classes today. Can I go to Lady Jinyue's place in Chengmu Fei's palace to play together?"
Zhaohua smiled and caressed Ruoxin's forehead, nodding gently. "Of course. Just don't play too recklessly. It wouldn't be good if you tire out Lady Chengmu Fei."
Ruoxin nodded happily, and Yunsan took the two and a half children to play and frolic.
Finding herself with a moment of leisure, Zhaohua was thinking that it was probably time for Chengye to wake up from his nap, and she wanted to go to the side hall to check on him.
However, she saw Xiaofuzi running over, grinning from ear to ear, and joyfully reporting:
"Empress! The Emperor is coming to our Chang Le Palace with the Second Prince!"
