Chapter 1265: The Long-Awaited Princess Jin Yao

Lin Haonan nuzzled his head against Lin Lang's neck, sobbing uncontrollably. His little hands gripped Lin Lang's clothes, and his words were mumbled through his sobs.

"It's...it's because Mother has been mean to me ever since my younger brother was born, sob sob..."

Qingdai had already hurriedly straightened her clothes, and holding the stack of silver notes, she hid behind the screen, peeking out half of her flushed face. Seeing Xiao Haonan crying like this, she couldn't help but smile.

Lin Lang patted his son's back, deliberately putting on a stern face, but his voice was incredibly soft: "Oh? Is that so? Why is your mother treating you badly?"

"Mother always holds my little brother, but she never holds me anymore!" Little Hao Nan pouted, tears streaming down his face.

He wiped his face haphazardly with his little hands, crying even more aggrievedly, "Mother always revolves around my little brother, even at night, she always holds him while he sleeps, she hasn't held me while I sleep for so long!"

"Waaah... Father, does Mother not love Nan'er anymore?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a system notification sounded in Lin Lang's mind.

"Ding! Friendly reminder to the host: The younger brother Lin Haonan mentioned is your second son with Consort Zhao, Princess Jin Yao. His name is Lin Haobei. He is just over one year old and can't walk yet. He can only call out 'Mother'."

Lin Lang understood immediately. He looked down at the little Hao Nan in his arms, who was crying pitifully, and couldn't help but chuckle. He gently stroked his son's tear-streaked face with his fingertips.

"My son, your father understands now. You're competing with your younger brother for the emperor's favor, aren't you?"

Lin Lang hugged his son tighter and coaxed him gently, "Your mother thinks your younger brother is small and weak, so she has to pamper him more. That's why she neglected your feelings for a moment."

"Stop crying, son. Come on, your father will take you to settle accounts with your mother. Your father will stand up for you, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Haonan's sobs subsided considerably.

He raised his teary eyes, glistening with tears still clinging to his eyelashes, his nose red, like a wronged little puppy.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, he suddenly reached out and hugged Lin Lang's neck, nodding his head vigorously. His voice, thick with nasal tone, was filled with excitement: "Really? Then Father Emperor, you must stand up for your son!"

Seeing his son's pitiful yet expectant look, Lin Lang's heart softened, and he couldn't help but lower his head and kiss his son's soft cheek again.

"Of course, when has Father ever lied to you?"

Little Haonan buried his face in Lin Lang's neck, wrapped his arms tightly around his neck, and snuggled closer to him with his soft body, his voice nasal and sticky with a sob: "Father is the best!"

"Father loves Nan'er the most."

Xiao Haonan's complete dependence on Lin Lang is definitely that of a biological son.

Just then, two hurried and flustered footsteps came from outside the hall, followed by the panting of palace maids.

Two palace maids, their hair disheveled and skirts covered in dust, hurriedly knelt at the palace gate, their foreheads touching the ground, their voices trembling: "Your Majesty... I pay my respects to Your Majesty!"

"We were careless and failed to keep an eye on His Highness. He disappeared in the blink of an eye. Consort Zhao was extremely worried and ordered us to search for him in His Majesty's palace. We never expected that His Highness would actually be here... Please forgive us, Your Majesty!"

Lin Lang glanced at the trembling palace maids on the ground, his voice indifferent: "Alright, children are playful and run fast, it's not your fault, get up."

Upon hearing this, the two palace maids breathed a sigh of relief and slowly stood up.

Lin Lang glanced back at the screen, his eyes meeting Qingdai's for a moment as she poked her head out. He said nothing, yet it was as if he had said something.

Qingdai's face turned even redder, and she hurriedly retreated behind the screen, rustling as she adjusted her skirt, her heart pounding like a rabbit's.

Immediately afterwards, Lin Lang straightened his loose bathrobe, picked up Xiao Haonan, turned around, stepped out of the door, and walked towards Consort Zhao's palace.

“Son, let’s go. Your father will take you to your mother right now to settle the score and see if she still dares to favor your brother.”

Lin Lang looked down at the chubby-cheeked Hao Nan, his voice soft and gentle, his fingertips lightly tickling Hao Nan's armpits.

Little Haonan was amused and giggled, all his previous grievances vanished, and he hugged his father even tighter, bouncing around in his arms: "Father, you must stand up for Nan'er!"

"You brat, you even know how to complain to your father." Lin Lang chuckled, deliberately rubbing his stubble against his son's smooth face.

Little Hao Nan shrank back, his neck pricking against the stubble, his little hands haphazardly pushing Lin Lang's chin, his giggles crisp and clear, like silver bells hanging from the eaves striking the morning light.

"Father is bad! Father pricks me!" He dodged while burying his face in Lin Lang's neck, his warm breath tickling Lin Lang's neck.

Lin Lang chuckled and grabbed his son's mischievous little hand, pinching his soft palm between his fingertips and shaking it: "You little rascal, will you cry again next time?"

"Father, you've got my back, so I won't cry!"

Lin Lang pinched his son's soft cheeks, wiped away the tears on his face with his fingertips, and coaxed, "Nan'er, be good. Your father will support you, but your younger brother is still small. You must also have the spirit of an older brother."

Xiao Haonan nodded hurriedly and replied, "Mm."

A playful smile played in Lin Lang's eyes as he mischievously rubbed his son's cheek with the stubble on his chin.

The prickly touch made Xiao Haonan laugh so hard he shrank his neck, his childish laughter echoing all the way, a far cry from his previous tearful state.

Along the way, Lin Lang tried his best to coax Xiao Haonan to be happy, and the little guy quickly recovered his mood and kept laughing.

As they spoke, Lin Lang had already carried Xiao Haonan to the entrance of Consort Zhao's palace.

Upon seeing Lin Lang, the palace maid standing guard outside the door hurriedly placed her hands on her lapel, bowed, and performed a standard curtsy, speaking in a very low voice: "Your Majesty, may you be well."

The faint sounds of a baby babbling could be heard from inside the palace, mixed with the gentle coaxing of Consort Zhao, Jin Yao.

Just as Lin Lang was about to step inside, Xiao Haonan in his arms suddenly tensed up, his little hands clutching Lin Lang's clothes, his voice carrying a hint of grievance in his childish voice: "Father, will Mother scold me?"

Lin Lang ruffled his son's hair and said with a smile, "With your father here, who dares to scold our Nan'er?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the palace door was pulled open from the inside, and Princess Jin Yao came out to greet him, holding the infant Lin Haobei in her arms.

When she saw Xiao Haonan in Lin Lang's arms, she was first taken aback, then sighed helplessly, her eyes full of tenderness: "Your Majesty, why did you bring this little darling here?"

Xiao Haonan saw his mother holding his younger brother in her arms, while Xiao Haobei was clutching Jin Yao's clothes and babbling. His little face was as delicate as a carved jade.

A little jealous, Xiao Haonan immediately pursed his lips, his cheeks puffed out slightly, his little mouth so pursed it could hang an oil bottle, and he turned his head to one side, humming and deliberately not looking at his younger brother.

Seeing Xiao Haonan's vying-for-favor look, Lin Lang's smile deepened, but he deliberately put on a stern face, gave Jin Yao a subtle wink, and spoke in a slightly somber tone.

"My beloved concubine, look at you! You've made Nan'er suffer like this! You only focus on Bei'er all day long, and you don't even see Nan'er anymore."

He paused, then raised his voice, each word sounding as if he were seeking justice for his son: "Bei'er is young, so it's only right that you take care of him more, but Nan'er is also a child. How can you be so obviously biased?"

"Spend more time with Nan'er in the future, play with him, and hold him every few nights to sleep. Don't let Nan'er's heart grow cold."

Princess Jin Yao was incredibly intelligent and instantly understood Lin Lang's thoughts. Holding the infant Lin Haobei in her arms, she slightly curtsied, her voice gentle yet tinged with apology.

"Your Majesty's instruction is correct. Your concubine will obey Your Majesty's decree."

"It was my oversight that led me to only think about Bei'er's young age and neglect Nan'er's feelings."

"From now on, I will spend more time with Nan'er, helping him read and write, taking him to the Imperial Garden to catch butterflies, and often holding him in my arms to rest at night."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Haonan, who was in Lin Lang's arms, suddenly brightened up.

He immediately straightened his little back, raised his round little head, tilted his chin slightly, and looked at his mother with a hint of smugness in his eyes.

That adorable little face clearly said, "Look, Mother, Father is backing me up!"

Lin Lang looked down and saw Xiao Haonan's adorable little face. He couldn't help but gently scratch the back of his neck, which made the little guy giggle again.

Immediately afterwards, Lin Lang turned his attention to the baby Hao Bei in the swaddling clothes. A feeling of novel tenderness welled up in his heart, and he quickly and gently placed the baby Hao Nan on the ground.

"My beloved concubine, quickly let me hold Bei'er for a while. You stay with Nan'er for a while. Our son ran to my bedchamber early this morning crying and banging on the door to complain. He's so upset."

Jin Yao couldn't help but chuckle as she carefully handed the swaddled baby Hao Bei to Lin Lang.

Then, she smiled and bent down, gently stroking her eldest son Lin Haonan's head with her fingertips.

Little Haonan looked up at Jin Yao with his round little face and red eyes, and called out softly, "Mother..." as he reached out his little hands for a hug.

"Oh, my precious baby." Princess Jin Yao immediately bent down and hugged Xiao Haonan into her arms, kissing his tear-stained face again and again, coaxing him softly.

"It's all Mother's fault. She's been so busy taking care of my younger brother these days that she's neglected our Nan'er."

"From now on, your mother will play with you more and will never favor your younger brother again, okay?"

Little Haonan buried his head in Princess Jin Yao's neck, his little arms tightly encircling her neck, and mumbled an "Mmm," the grievances he had just felt instantly vanishing.

That's how kids are; their tempers come on quickly and go away even faster.

On the other side, Lin Lang carefully held the swaddled Hao Bei, afraid that he might bump or hurt him if he moved too roughly.

The little guy had just turned one year old. His face was chubby, like a peeled hard-boiled egg. His long eyelashes, like two little fans, were blinking and staring at him, while he was babbling away.

Lin Lang's heart melted instantly, and he couldn't help but lower his head and peck Xiao Haobei's delicate little face.

Xiao Haobei giggled, his little mouth moving as he reached out his soft little hand to grab Lin Lang's drooping hair. His sweet, childlike voice was incredibly cute.