Chapter 1270: The Pyongyang Princess and Her Adorable Daughter

The Shufei Palace was warm and inviting, with a sandalwood dining table already laden with delicious dishes, their rich aroma filling the room.

Two-and-a-half-year-old Lin Zhiyun sat obediently in her high chair, her little body leaning against the edge of the table.

Her little nose twitched as she sniffed the aroma of the food, her round eyes stared unblinkingly at the table full of dishes, and her little mouth pursed repeatedly as she mumbled in a childish voice.

"Mother, why isn't Father here yet? I'm starving."

As she spoke, her chubby little hand reached out towards the table, almost touching the edge of the plate.

Gao Shuyan quickly reached out and patted her daughter's little hand, her voice very gentle: "Yun'er, be good, just bear with it a little longer, your father will definitely come."

Lin Zhiyun's little hand was slapped back, her little mouth instantly pouting so much it could hang a small oil bottle, her round eyes sparkling with tears as she gazed longingly at the fragrant aroma filling the table, her mouth practically watering.

The little one whimpered pitifully, "Mother, I don't think Father is coming. I want to eat..."

Upon hearing this, Gao Shuyan felt a sudden pang of sadness, as if she had been gently stung by something.

She suppressed the bitterness in her heart, picked up her chopsticks, placed a piece of braised pork ribs into her daughter's small bowl, and forced a gentle smile onto her face: "Then...then daughter, you eat first."

Xiao Zhiyun's eyes lit up instantly. Forgetting about using chopsticks, she reached out her little hand, grabbed a rib, and stuffed it into her mouth. Her little mouth moved rapidly, the aroma of meat spreading in her mouth, and she ate with great relish.

In no time, her little mouth and chin were covered in oil, and even the tip of her little nose had some on them, making her look exactly like a little glutton.

Gao Shuyan watched her daughter eat with relish, but she had no appetite at all.

She took a deep breath and slowly walked to the window.

She wore an exquisite traditional Goguryeo costume, the skirt embroidered with intricate and elegant patterns, swaying gently with her movements.

She was extremely beautiful, with willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, fair and jade-like skin, a delicate nose, and naturally pale pink lips.

But at this moment, a faint sense of loss lingered in her beautiful eyes as she stared intently at the direction outside the palace gates.

But the area under the eaves was empty; there wasn't even a familiar figure in sight.

"Mother, I want to eat that fish!"

After finishing the ribs, Lin Zhiyun pointed her little finger at the fish plate on the table, her eyes sparkling, and her childish voice was soft and coquettish.

Gao Shuyan then snapped out of her daze, turned around and quickly walked to her daughter's side, reaching out to straighten the little one's oil-stained sleeves, her voice incredibly gentle.

“My dear daughter, we can only eat this fish when your father arrives. Your mother has already given you a piece, so the fish on the plate is no longer complete.”

"No, no!" Lin Zhiyun pouted, squirming in her high chair, whining, "I want to eat this fish! I want to eat it!"

"My beloved concubine, if our daughter wants to eat fish, just let her eat. Why does she have to wait for me to come before she can pick up her chopsticks?"

A familiar voice suddenly came from outside the door, tinged with a hint of laughter.

Gao Shuyan's body stiffened slightly, and her eyes lit up instantly, her disappointment vanishing completely.

She turned around with a smile and saw Lin Lang standing at the palace gate, looking at her and her daughter with a smile.

"This servant greets Your Majesty."

The palace maid waiting to the side curtsied to Lin Lang, her posture respectful and graceful.

"Your Majesty! You've finally arrived! Your daughter has been waiting anxiously for you." Gao Shuyan's voice was filled with undisguised joy as she quickly went to greet him.

Lin Lang took the opportunity to put his arm around Gao Shuyan's waist, his fingertips gently caressing her side. He lowered his head and chuckled in her ear, "Look, it's not that my daughter is getting impatient, it's that you're getting impatient waiting for me, isn't it?"

Gao Shuyan blushed, reached out and gently punched Lin Lang's chest, playfully sticking out her tongue: "Your Majesty is so annoying, making your concubine and daughter wait for so long. You'll have to punish yourself with three cups of wine later!"

"Very well, very well." Lin Lang chuckled and pinched Gao Shuyan's cheek. "I will punish myself with three cups of wine to apologize to my beloved concubine."

"Father!"

Sitting at the dining table, little Zhiyun was already waving her little hands impatiently. Her childish voice interrupted the tender moment between the two, "I want to eat this fish, but Mother won't let me!"

Lin Lang released Gao Shuyan, strode over to his daughter, bent down and kissed her rosy cheek, making the little one giggle.

He picked up a pair of chopsticks, chose a piece of fish cheek meat—the tenderest part of the whole fish without any small bones—carefully cleaned it, and handed it to Lin Zhiyun's mouth.

"Yoona, you little glutton, let your father feed you."

Lin Zhiyun snatched a piece of fish with a loud gulp, chewing rapidly with her little mouth while her body swayed back and forth. With her eyes half-closed, she hummed contentedly, "So delicious!"

Seeing the doting look in Lin Lang's eyes as he looked at his daughter, Gao Shuyan felt a warm glow in her heart. She quickly walked to the main seat, pulled out the chair, and said in a soft voice, "Your Majesty, please sit down."

Lin Lang sat down with a smile. Gao Shuyan turned around, picked up the wine pot, and poured wine for Lin Lang while pouting slightly and acting coquettishly: "I thought you had forgotten what day it was and wouldn't come."

Upon hearing this, Lin Lang flicked his finger and took out an exquisite jewelry box from his personal space, handing it to Gao Shuyan in a gentle and doting tone.

"Here you are, my beloved concubine. This is a birthday gift I prepared for you. How could I forget such an important day?"

Gao Shuyan's eyes widened instantly, and she took the jewelry box with great surprise, her fingertips trembling slightly as she lifted the lid.

Inside the box, on a red velvet cushion, lay a string of imperial green jadeite beads. Each bead was full and round, with excellent translucency, shimmering with a lustrous and luxurious light in the sunlight, so dazzling that one could not look away.

"Wow...it's so beautiful!" Gao Shuyan couldn't help but exclaim softly, her eyes filled with joy.

"Do you like it?" Lin Lang raised an eyebrow and looked at the beautiful and charming Gao Shuyan.

"I love it!" Gao Shuyan nodded emphatically, her hands trembling slightly as she held the jewelry box. She leaned over and gave Lin Lang a quick kiss on the cheek, her eyes crinkling with joy. "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Lin Zhiyun, who had just finished eating the fish, was tilting her head to watch the excitement. When she saw that her mother had received a gift, she immediately waved her little hand and asked in a childish voice, "Father, Mother has a gift, so does this subject have a gift?"

"Yes," Lin Lang replied with a smile, then with a flick of his finger, he took out a Taiwanese-style candy gift box from his personal space and handed it to his daughter.

When Xiao Zhiyun saw the candy gift box, her eyes instantly lit up as if they were filled with stars. She quickly grabbed the gift box, hugged it tightly to her chest, and smiled sweetly with her eyes narrowed: "Thank you, Father!"

Lin Lang reached out and gently stroked his daughter's soft hair, his eyes full of doting: "My darling daughter, you look so cute when you smile."

Little Zhiyun tilted her head back and shook Lin Lang's hand in a childish voice: "Father, open a candy for me, I want to eat it now!"

“No, you can’t,” Gao Shuyan quickly said, gently tapping her daughter’s nose. “My dear daughter, you can only eat candy after you finish your lunch.”

Xiao Zhiyun pouted and mumbled pitifully, "Okay then."

Gao Shuyan gave a wink to the palace maid waiting to the side.

The palace maid immediately stepped forward, carefully took the candy gift box from Xiao Zhiyun's hand, placed it on the table beside her, and then coaxed her with a smile, "Your Highness, which dish would you like to eat? Just tell me and I'll get it for you."

Xiao Zhiyun immediately perked up, pointing her little finger at the dishes on the table and calling out in a clear voice, "I want to eat this, this, and this!"

The palace maid respectfully agreed and quickly filled a bowl with food for her.

Lin Lang turned to look at Gao Shuyan, who was standing to the side, and said with a smile, "My dear concubine, please sit down. Today is your birthday."

Gao Shuyan smiled and sat down next to Lin Lang.

Lin Lang picked up the wine glass on the table and handed it to Gao Shuyan, his voice gentle and tender: "My beloved concubine, this glass is a toast to you. I wish you a happy birthday, all your wishes come true, and everything goes well for you."

Gao Shuyan blushed slightly, smiled, picked up her wine glass, and gently clinked it against Lin Lang's, her voice filled with shy anticipation.

"Thank you for your blessing, Your Majesty."

"My only wish is to give Your Majesty a son as soon as possible, so that I can speak with more confidence among Your Majesty's many concubines."

Lin Lang chuckled softly, reached out and put his arm around Gao Shuyan's soft waist, his tone doting yet tinged with ambiguity: "Alright, alright, I'll grant your wish as soon as possible."

The two looked into each other's eyes, their gazes filled with unspoken affection. They each raised their wine glasses and took a small sip of the wine.

Little Zhiyun was eating heartily, her little mouth stuffed full, completely unaware of the tender atmosphere between her father and mother.

Gao Shuyan put down her wine glass, picked up her chopsticks to serve food to Lin Lang, but Lin Lang gently pressed her wrist down.

"My beloved concubine, today is your birthday. It's my turn to serve you some food."

As Lin Lang spoke, he picked up a piece of fresh, tender leafy green vegetable with his chopsticks and held it to Gao Shuyan's lips.

Gao Shuyan smiled and opened her small mouth to eat it, her eyebrows curving into crescent moons, her face full of unconcealed happiness.

"Father! I want you to feed me too!"

Seeing this, Xiao Zhiyun immediately put down her spoon and waved her little hands to vie for attention.

Lin Lang chuckled, scooped up a spoonful of warm tonic soup, gently blew on it to cool it down before feeding it to his daughter.

Xiao Zhiyun gulped it down, a satisfied expression on her face, and even licked her lips as if she wanted more.

Gao Shuyan found it amusing, reached out and tapped her daughter's forehead, teasingly saying, "You little rascal, you get jealous even when your father feeds your mother a bite of food."

Xiao Zhiyun stuck out her tongue and made a funny face at Gao Shuyan. Her playful and cute appearance made the palace maids standing to the side burst into laughter.

The lunch time flowed slowly in this sweet atmosphere. The hall was filled with a warm fragrance, and the aroma of the dishes mixed with the scent of wine, filling the room with warmth.

Gao Shuyan frequently raised her glass to offer a toast.

She looked at Lin Lang beside her with her eyes crinkling, her voice as gentle as spring water: "Your Majesty, I would like to offer you another cup."

Lin Lang raised his hand and lightly touched the rim of his glass with Gao Shuyan's. Seeing the undisguised flattery and joy in her eyes, he chuckled and tilted his head back to drink the wine in his glass.

Seeing this, Gao Shuyan immediately picked up the wine pot again and carefully filled Lin Lang's cup, her lips always adorned with an unconcealed smile.

Little Zhiyun, with a piece of meat still in her mouth, joined in the fun, mumbling as she held up her little silver cup and said, "Father, Mother, drink!"

The little guy made the two of them smile at each other.

Lin Lang reached out and ruffled his daughter's hair, then turned to look at Gao Shuyan beside him, his eyes filled with tenderness and affection.

With a happy expression, Gao Shuyan picked up her wine glass again, her voice carrying a touch of coquettishness.

"Your Majesty, with this cup, may we be just as well off year after year."

Lin Lang raised his hand to pick up his wine glass, his eyes filled with an unyielding gentle smile, and his gaze met Gao Shuyan's.

“My beloved consort is right. Year after year, with you and our daughter by my side, that is the most fulfilling moment of my life.”

After saying that, the two of them tilted their heads back and drank the wine in their cups in one gulp.

The rest of the mealtime passed quietly in this warm and pleasant atmosphere.

Gao Shuyan chattered on and on about the trivialities of life in the harem to Lin Lang, her tone as gentle as honey.

Before long, Xiao Zhiyun patted her round little belly and exclaimed, "Mother, I'm full, I want to go out and play now."

Upon hearing this, Lin Lang smiled and thought to himself: This little third wheel is finally leaving.

Gao Shuyan gently instructed the palace maid waiting nearby, "Take the princess out for a while to help her digest her food. Keep a close eye on her so she doesn't bump into anything."

"When she's tired from playing, just take her back to the side hall for a nap. There's no need to report back."

"Yes, Your Highness." The palace maid replied respectfully, quickly stepped forward, picked up Xiao Zhiyun from the high chair, and gently placed her on the ground.

Little Zhiyun, though small in stature, actually imitated the adults by curtsying and saying in a clear voice, "This subject takes her leave. Father and Mother, please enjoy your meal."

As soon as she finished speaking, she took the candy gift box from the palace maid and, with her short legs, ran out of the palace.

Lin Lang watched his daughter's lively little figure from behind, a smile playing on his lips, feeling his heart melt.

Gao Shuyan shook her head with a smile and softly complained, "This little miss is very naughty. She plays as soon as she opens her eyes every day and is never still for a moment."

Lin Lang turned around and looked at the charming Gao Shuyan with deep affection. He raised an eyebrow and said, "My beloved concubine, now that our daughter is not bothering us, I can fulfill your birthday wish of conceiving a son today."