Chapter 72: The Old Prince Next Door 25

The children in the palace became less likable the older they grew.

Each one was taught by their respective imperial mothers to act one way in public and another in private.

Clearly, they were all so foolish that every scheme was written plainly on their faces, and they were so stupid it was almost painful to watch, yet each one still believed themselves to be incredibly clever.

Whether it was the Empress Dowager or the Emperor, how many matters did they have to know about and handle every day?

The sheer volume of human hearts and natures they had witnessed was immense. In front of such figures, the behavior of the princes was truly more repulsive the more one looked at it.

The Empress Dowager’s current favorites were the Crown Prince and the Heir of the Prince Chen Mansion.

At least when these two children spent time with her and the Emperor, they showed genuine sincerity.

Caring about your health, caring about your sleep, caring about your diet – it was truly pure concern rather than a performance.

When you grow old, would you prefer children and grandchildren who genuinely care for you, or those who are just putting on an act?

Su Huandan thought to herself that anyone would prefer sincere care.

So she and Prince Chen really couldn’t be blamed for raising their child too well.

Now that their son had moved out, only the couple remained in the mansion. The vast Prince’s Mansion felt increasingly empty.

Prince Chen hadn’t slept well for two consecutive nights at home. With his son gone, he was truly lonely, sighing and lamenting all day long. On the third night, Su Huandan kicked him out of bed.

“Sighing and groaning all day long. If you can’t sleep, go sit in the study. You keep tossing and turning like you’re flipping pancakes on the bed. You aren’t sleeping, and you’re making it so I can’t sleep either. What exactly do you want?” Su Huandan was truly annoyed.

Prince Chen sat on the floor, his finger trembling as he stared with wide, incredulous eyes. “You’re really something. You actually dare to kick me now, don’t you?”

This Princess Consort had become increasingly difficult in recent years.

Starting last year, she stopped letting him drink. When she said no drinking, she meant not a single drop of wine was allowed.

Your liver is in bad shape, so why are you still drinking?

Even with Spiritual Spring Water nourishing you, you still manage to have this problem or that problem pop up from time to time. You’re like a rag doll leaking air from every seam. If I don’t make you quit drinking, and you drink yourself to death one day, how are we supposed to live as a widow and an orphan?

Su Huandan didn’t think she was in the wrong, but Prince Chen had sulked over this with her for a long time. Every time they bickered, the matter of quitting alcohol was bound to come up.

Prince Chen was a very talkative man, but he wasn’t without his virtues. Knowing that someone was acting for his own good, he would listen.

He really had quit drinking. All day long, he held soy milk, milk tea, or plain tea to drink, not touching a drop of alcohol.

Having been kicked out of bed today, he started the old argument again.

The servants outside the door had long since grown accustomed to this. In any case, this pair of masters bickered all day long, but after the arguing was over, they would be clingy with each other again. There was no need to worry.

Su Huandan raised an eyebrow and let out another yawn. “Our son is ten years old and wanted to move out. Do you really not know why? It’s because he found you, his father, too annoying. You watch him all day like he’s a prisoner. Can the boy feel comfortable? How many times have I told you? Our son is grown. He’s ten years old, not ten months. There’s really no need for you to watch him every step of the way. Now look what happened. Our son moved out, and if you want to catch a glimpse of him, you have to run to the palace. Go ahead then. If you’re so capable, go smash open the palace gates right now to find your son. Let’s see if he’ll give you a smile.”

This speech made Prince Chen’s eyes turn red. He was quite old when he finally had a son, and he hadn’t held him enough before the boy grew up.

His wife wasn’t considerate anymore either. How well she used to read his expressions!

Now she didn’t even have the patience to coax him. Was it because he was old?

Early the next morning, Prince Chen went to the front courtyard study and made Gui Xi look at his face. “Do you think this Prince has become too old and unappealing to look at?”

Gui Xi was speechless.

Which way was the wind blowing today?

Why was the Prince suddenly concerned about his face?

Although the Prince was forty-seven, nearly fifty years old, and wore a beard, his skin was still very supple. People would believe it if someone said he was thirty.

With a face that was well-maintained and had never experienced the hardships of wind and rain, how could it not be fresh?

His face was still handsome, so how could the Princess Consort kick him out of bed?

It really wasn’t like this before. Although his Princess Consort liked looking at beautiful people, regardless of gender, as long as they were beautiful, she loved to look. But after glancing at those beauties outside, the Princess Consort would always say, “You’re still the best looking. You’ve got the aura down perfectly.”

And now, even he, who used to be praised by the Princess Consort, had reached the age where he was kicked out of bed?

Su Huandan woke up and didn’t mind that Prince Chen wasn’t there. She calculated the days and had a feeling she was pregnant.

Her period had always been very regular.

“Nanny Cui, go call Young Imperial Physician Wang over. I feel a bit lethargic all over. Have him check my pulse and see what’s going on.” Once Su Huandan said this, how could Nanny Cui dare to delay?

Not only did she send someone to find Young Imperial Physician Wang, but she also sent someone to report the news to Prince Chen.

Prince Chen arrived at lightning speed.

“Where do you feel unwell? Is it because I disturbed your sleep these past few days that you feel lethargic?” He looked like he refused to accept that the Princess Consort could be sick.

Su Huandan snorted coldly. So you know you were disturbing people?

“I can’t say for sure. I just feel very lethargic, so I thought I’d have my pulse checked and see. Don’t worry, my health has always been very good.” Su Huandan truly felt her body was in great shape.

Prince Chen thought to himself, what’s so good about your health?

You’re thirty-five or thirty-six this year. You look young, but you’re really not young anymore. In other families, people this age are already grandmothers.

It’s just that our child is small, only ten. Who knows when we’ll hold a grandson.

Yes, there was a discrepancy in their thinking. Su Huandan knew she had the Spiritual Spring Water and her health was excellent.

But Prince Chen was a local. In the Great Jing Dynasty, the majority of people became grandfathers and grandmothers at thirty. What did you expect Prince Chen to think?

He was a local Prince with a youthful appearance but the heart of an old man.

Young Imperial Physician Wang was the son of the previous Imperial Physician Wang, and he had taken over his father’s duties at the Prince’s Mansion.

Imperial Physician Wang really couldn’t work anymore. He was nearly seventy, so he sent his son.

Young Imperial Physician Wang’s medical skills were also excellent. As soon as he took the pulse, he broke into a wide grin.

“Congratulations, Prince and Princess Consort. The Princess Consort is expecting. It has been over a month, nearly two. The pregnancy looks very stable. It is normal for the Princess Consort to feel lethargic. In the early stages of pregnancy, many expectant mothers also experience the need for extra sleep.” Young Imperial Physician Wang left without even prescribing any medicine to stabilize the pregnancy.

There was no need for that; why bother prescribing medicine to prevent a miscarriage?

Young Imperial Physician Wang made a graceful exit.

Su Huandan was now certain she was pregnant. She looked at Prince Chen, who was still standing to the side, his mind seemingly elsewhere, and felt a wave of utter disdain.

She reached out and waved her hand in front of Prince Chen’s eyes, pulling his consciousness back into his body.

“Are you awake? What are you thinking about? It’s just a pregnancy, isn’t it? We already have a son. Do you think we could have a daughter this time? I want a daughter.” As soon as Su Huandan finished speaking, she realized Prince Chen was crying.

Prince Chen covered his mouth and sobbed, though his eyes were brimming with joy.

After crying for a long while, he finally said in a hoarse voice, “A son or a daughter, both are good. This Prince won’t be picky.”

Su Huandan was speechless.

As if you’d even dare to be picky?