Chapter 173: |
Su Li glanced at Li Er with a hint of resentment.
“Not very reassuring, huh…”
Li Er couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
At this moment, there was finally some activity in the room.
“It’s happening, it’s happening! Quick, prepare hot water and towels!”
Amidst the urgent call of a midwife filled with joy, a loud crying sound could be heard soon after.
Zhangsun Wu Fei and a palace maid rushed into the delivery room. Su Li also wanted to go in but was restrained by Li Er.
“You’ve just come from the battlefield, and your aura of combat is too strong. Don’t frighten the child.”
Su Li forcefully stopped, his eyes fixed on the delivery room entrance. Soon after, Zhangsun Wu Fei emerged from the delivery room with a smile.
“Is it a boy or a girl?”
The first question came from Su Li and the second from Li Er.
Zhangsun Wu Fei gave Li Er a blank look before smiling and saying, “It’s a boy. Mother and child are safe.”
Phew!
Immediately, Su Li felt a rush of happiness, making his head spin. He could no longer hold back and rushed into the delivery room with a swift step.
Upon entering, he saw a midwife holding a chubby, red bundle in her arms. Another midwife was holding a pair of sterilized scissors, cutting the umbilical cord.
Su Li quickly made his way to the side of the delivery bed. Changle was in good spirits, with bright and sparkling eyes, though her complexion was a bit pale.
“Husband, I’ve given you a son!”
Changle slightly lifted her mouth as if boasting and said to Su Li.
These words made Su Li’s nose tingle with emotion. He gently held Changle’s hand and softly said, “I know you’ve worked hard, my lady.”
Changle moved her lips slightly, but the postpartum fatigue left her struggling to speak. Su Li understood her meaning nonetheless. He turned quickly and walked towards the midwife holding the baby.
The midwife was holding the baby and had just given his plump bottom a little pat.
Instead of crying, Su Li’s son blinked his little eyes at the midwife and even managed a slight pout.
Witnessing this scene, Su Li couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Pass the child to me,” Su Li said to the midwife.
The midwife handed the baby over, and Su Li brought the child closer to Changle.
Changle glanced at the baby. His wrinkled little face wasn’t particularly handsome, to be honest. Yet, Changle was filled with joy.
“Your Highness, the delivery room isn’t clean yet. We still need to cleanse the princess. Would you kindly step aside for now?”
This time, Su Li obeyed without hesitation. He lowered his head and gave a kiss on Changle’s forehead.
“Rest well. I’ll come to see you again later.”
Walking out of the room, the courtyard was already in chaos. Palace maids carried baskets filled with silver wrapped in red paper, distributing them to anyone they encountered. The imperial physicians and servants in the entire courtyard were jubilant.
Before he arrived, Li Er had instructed some close courtiers to spread the word. Now, the entrance of the princess’s residence was packed with people who came to offer gifts. Behind Zhangsun Wuji were the slightly sluggish Zhangsun Chong and a group of court officers. Military commanders from the army, led by Li Jing, and all those currently in Changan were present, each bringing valuable presents.
Li Chengqian hadn’t shown up in person, but his representative brought a crystal-clear jade wall plaque. Additionally, other princes and princesses also sent gifts one after another.
As the master of the house, Su Li accompanied Li Er to entertain the guests. Everywhere they went, they were met with congratulatory cheers. Now, Su Li was the rising star of the entire Tang Dynasty. His reputation was unmatched both among the common people and in the court. However, he had always maintained a low profile, making it difficult for others to get a chance to interact with him. With the birth of his child, these people were coming to establish good relations. Even if they were to invite him for drinks, it certainly wouldn’t be today.
After the socializing was over, Su Li returned to the inner courtyard and found Li Er already carrying the baby, wandering around the room. It wasn’t until this moment that Su Li had the chance to take a closer look at his son.
The baby was nestled in a swaddle, a tiny bundle. Li Er couldn’t resist gently pulling out his little arms and legs, patting and pinching here and there. Su Li’s son kept waving his arms and kicking his legs in protest, which only elicited hearty laughter from Li Er.
Seeing Su Li come in, Li Er smiled and said, “This child is robust. He’s got quite a bit of strength just after being born. He might grow up to be a formidable warrior.”
Su Li smiled back, taking the baby from Li Er’s hands.
Li Er stood before him and asked, “Have you given him a name?”
“Everything happened suddenly. Let’s call him by his nickname for now, and we can decide on a proper name later,” Su Li replied while looking at his son. Their eyes met, and both father and son had a silly smile.
Seeing this scene, Li Er became even happier. He pondered for a moment and said, “Being of royal blood, he can’t have a common name. We should give him a proper name.”
Pausing for a moment, Li Er continued, “Looking at this grandson, I’m filled with joy. How about we name him Su Che?”
Upon hearing this, Su Li hadn’t reacted yet, but the palace maid beside him immediately knelt joyfully to express her gratitude.
Li Er had many grandsons and great-grandsons, but even Li Xiang, the legitimate eldest grandson born to Li Chengqian, hadn’t received a personally given name from Li Er.
For Su Li’s son to receive a name bestowed by Li Er was an immense honor. There was no one else with such a distinction throughout the entire Tang Dynasty. Su Li himself wasn’t particularly concerned about it. A name was just a label, after all. He wasn’t particularly enamored with Li Er’s words of praise, but considering that Li Er was the child’s grandfather, he couldn’t reject this kind gesture of giving his grandchild a name.
After embracing his son affectionately for a moment, Su Li intended to have a proper conversation with Changle once she woke up. However, Li Er signaled for Su Li to go out for a walk with him.
It was hard to refuse. From a sentimental perspective, Li Er’s daughter had just given birth to a child for him. In an ordinary household, it would be natural for a father-in-law to give some advice to his son-in-law at this time. From a formal perspective, Li Er and Zhangsun Wu Fei had come with a load of gifts this time: valuable medicinal supplements, a collection of gold, silver, and precious gems, and various accessories suitable for children, all of which could be measured in baskets.
As Su Li followed Li Er outside, he couldn’t help but think about how he would have a good conversation with Changle once they returned.
To be serious, Li Er bestowed gifts were quite extravagant for a princess’s son. But then again, he was the emperor, so who could blame him? With such a grand gesture of giving these gifts, it would be quite impolite to refuse a simple conversation.
As the two of them left the delivery room, Li Er led the way to a small courtyard where White Dragon was located. Although the courtyard was originally meant for stables, due to Su Li’s instructions, the servants from the princess’s residence treated White Dragon almost like their master. The courtyard was exceptionally clean and devoid of any unpleasant odors.
Upon entering the courtyard, White Dragon reclined on the ground, lazily chewing on hay, showing no urgency. When it noticed Su Li and Li Er entering, it merely glanced over, let out a snort as a greeting, and that was that.
Seeing this scene, Li Er couldn’t help but laugh and scold, “In the entire realm, the only horse audacious enough to disregard me is this one.”