Chapter 71 (2/2)
Pei Khan was sad he wasn’t allowed to return home with Yan Shi Ning and his nephew.
Perhaps Pei Khan’s nephew knew he was feeling sad so his nephew cried loudly.
Yan Shi Ning couldn’t let her son cry while the emperor was standing next to the cot. She picked up her son and found out her son had soiled his pants.
Yan Shi Ning bowed to the emperor and carried her son to the bed. She cleaned his body and changed his clothes.
Yan Shi Ning turned around to ask Xiao Tu to pass a fan but she didn’t expect the emperor was standing nearby. She thought the emperor had left.
Yan Shi Ning assessed the emperor. He was looking at her son like he was curious and wanted to carry her son.
Yan Shi Ning smiled, she remembered a recent dream… she gave birth to a chubby child and the emperor wanted to carry her child but she carried her child far away from him.
In that moment she wanted to hide her son from the emperor. ‘Imperial father, who do you think he looks like?’
The emperor slowly accepted his grandson and carefully held his grandson. ‘His face looks like you but he has ninth son’s nose.’
‘Imperial father is right,’ Yan Shi Ning said. ‘He also has Pei Jin’s eyelashes and Pei Jin’s smile… hurry little treasure, smile with your imperial grandfather.’
Yan Shi Ning was coaxing her son to smile while gaging the emperor’s reaction. Indeed the emperor relaxed and softened after he heard imperial grandfather.
Yan Shi Ning’s heart cursed the emperor, ‘you’re only allowed to hold him this one time!’
‘Imperial father, give nephew a name,’ Pei Khan said.
The emperor had been busy with imperial court duties and didn’t have time to name his grandson.
‘Thirteenth son, what name do you think suits him?’ the emperor asked.
‘Thirteen brother, think of a meaningful name for your nephew,’ Yan Shi Ning prompted.
Pei Khan thought deeply but he was only a five-year-old boy. So he looked in four directions and saw a little bird was flying. His eyes brightened and pointed at the bird outside the window.
‘Fly?’ Yan Shi Ning asked. ‘Thirteenth brother, do you want your nephew to be like the little bird so he can be free to fly?’
Pei Khan reluctantly nodded his head.
‘Pei Wen Fly…’ the emperor called. ‘Thirteenth son struggled to think of fly. But it doesn’t sound majestic. Let’s change fly to Fei, Pei Wen Fei. It’s a peaceful name.’
Yan Shi Ning thanked the emperor but Pei Khan wasn’t satisfied with his nephew’s name. Earlier he didn’t want to say fly, he wanted to say bird. He thought Pei Wen Niao and Xiao Niao were pleasant to hear.
***
Short Side Story Five
Xiao Fei: Pleasant to hear, your little sister!
Pei Khan: Pei Xiao Niao.
Xiao Fei: Little bird, your little sister!
Pei Khan: Pei Xiao Niao.
Xiao Fei: If you say it one more time, I’ll hit you!
Pei Khan: Pei Xiao Niao.
Xiao Fei: Cries.
Pei Khan: Be good. Don’t cry, rub, rub head.
Xiao Fei: Rub your little sister!
***
End of Chapter Seventy-One