The villain prince is three and a half years old

Xiao Yue put on her own straw hat and raincoat, holding Xia Jing's hand and walked into the rain.

Xiao Tianzi, Yi Qiu and Ren Dong followed behind.

Yi Qiu was stunned. He looked at Xiao Tianzi and Rendong who were not surprised at all, and then he reacted.

"You all knew about it, but you kept it from me!" She felt very aggrieved, only slightly better than when she felt sorry for the Ninth Prince just now.

She had shed sweat and blood for Jingyixuan, had followed Xiao Yue since she was a child, and was the most senior person in Jingyixuan, yet she was kept in the dark! Even Rendong, a little girl who had only been there for a few months, knew about it!

Xia Jing patted her leg and comforted her: "I don't even know!"

Yi Qiu picked up the Ninth Prince. In this cold world, only the Ninth Prince had warmth.

"It wasn't my idea. It was Sister Xian who suggested giving Jing'er a surprise." Xiao Yue explained.

Yi Qiu was not convinced. She wanted to give the Ninth Prince a surprise without telling him, so why should she hide it from her?

Xiao Yue looked at her helplessly: "If you knew, could you bear not to tell Jing'er?"

Yi Qiu lowered his head guiltily.

If she knew, she would definitely show off in front of the Ninth Prince. Although she would not tell him the truth directly, she would mention it. With the Ninth Prince's ability, as long as she mentioned it, the matter would no longer be a secret.

"Where are we going?" Xia Jing raised his voice. The rain and wind were about to drown everything.

"Jing'er will know when the time comes." Xiao Yue still kept it a secret.

The harem was full of high walls, which effectively blocked the strong wind. The group walked close to the wall at a fairly fast pace.

After turning several directions, Xia Jing lost his sense of direction and could only see about ten meters around him through the rain curtain.

Fortunately, he had a map, and he saw that the Cining Palace was getting closer and closer.

When they arrived at the gate of Cining Palace, a group of eunuchs rushed out to shelter them from the wind and rain, but this only had a psychological comforting effect. All the umbrellas were blown into the sky and presented to the Dragon King.

After entering the Cining Gate, the wind was much weaker. The palace maid led everyone through the corridor, through the central hall, and to the side hall at the back. Inside, hot bath water was already prepared.

Xiao Tianzi and Yi Qiu were also led into the left and right side rooms to change into dry clothes. As for Rendong, Xiao Yue took pity on her young age and left her in the side hall.

After washing off the chill from the rain, Xia Jing changed into dry clothes and met Ning Xuenian as soon as he went out.

The girl was peeking at the door, grabbing Xia Jing's hand and jumping up and down.

"Ninth Prince, please come this way." The palace maid led Xia Jing to the back hall.

The palace of Cining Palace was much larger than the palaces of the concubines such as Jingyixuan. In the center of the room, there was a large round table. Beside Empress Dowager You, Concubine Xian, Concubine Yun, Yi Zhaoyi, Ning Shouxu, Ning Zhixing and Ning Sisi were all seated.

Before going in, Xia Jing caught a glimpse of the light and shadow in the side room. Xiao Tianzi, Nanny Yuan and others were having a good time inside, and they also had a table.

Ning Xuenian sat down in her seat and waved to Xia Jing to sit down quickly.

Xia Jing waited for Xiao Yue to arrive and sat down together.

The maid closed the palace door, blocking out the darkness and wind and rain. Inside, dozens of candles cast a bright light. The dishes were hot and freshly prepared. In the Cining Palace, there was a special kitchen, so there was no need to go to the imperial kitchen to get them.

Queen Mother You raised her chopsticks, and the Ninth Prince’s birthday banquet officially began.

Except for a few children, all the adults, including Empress Dowager You, were drinking. Ning Xuenian clamored for a drink, and Concubine Yun gave her a sip and then handed her the glass, but she resisted and pushed it away.

"Brother Jing, don't drink!" She did not forget to remind Xia Jing.

There was laughter at the table, and Xia Jing picked up a candied fruit and fed it to Ning Xuenian.

He glanced at the people at the table.

Empress Dowager You and Concubine Xian were familiar with each other. As they talked, they would occasionally bring up Concubine Yun and Xiao Yue. Concubine Yi was not good at drinking, so after Empress Dowager You gave her a few drinks, she lay down on the table.

She was lying there but was not obedient. She reached out to grab Xia Jing's face, but Xia Jing patiently pushed her hand away.

Ning Zhixing and Ning Shouxu are good brothers and were talking together. Sun Jingzhu was not there and Empress Dowager You had not accepted her yet.

Ning Xuenian was a little curious about Ning Sisi and stared at her. Ning Sisi, who had heard about the great deeds of the Seventh Princess, shrank to the side nervously.

Xia Jing didn't expect Ning Sisi to be there, so he turned to look at Xiao Yue.

Xiao Yue picked up a piece of food with chopsticks and gave it to Ning Sisi, telling the girl not to be so reserved.

Her eyes were complicated. She turned back to look at Xia Jing and whispered, "It was the Empress Dowager's intention."

Xia Jing looked at the Queen Mother again.

Empress Dowager You was having a drinking contest with Concubine Xian, Concubine Yun. Yun was from a military family, and Concubine Xian often drank to relieve her sorrow. Both of them were experienced drinkers, but neither was a match for Empress Dowager You.

Xia Jing certainly welcomed Ning Sisi as his sister, but he was curious about what Empress Dowager You was thinking.

Queen Mother You didn't have any special thoughts. It was just because of blood relationship, and her intelligence told her that the Ninth Prince had good intentions towards the Sixth Princess and even gave her a rabbit during the spring hunt, so she invited Ning Sisi in her own name.

Concubine Rou was rejoicing in the Yihe Palace when she saw her daughter being summoned by the Empress Dowager. If she knew that Empress Dowager You summoned Ning Sisi to celebrate Xia Jing's birthday, she would be furious.

Xia Jing picked up three small fish cakes and gave them to Ning Xuenian and Ning Sisi.

Ning Sisi breathed a sigh of relief. Having received Xiao Yue's food and Xia Jing's snacks, at least she was not being excluded.

She bit into the fish cakes, delighted by the crunch and sweetness. She looked up, observing the bustling crowd. Ning Zhixing stood up to pick up some food from a distance for Ning Shouxu. Xiao Yue patted Concubine Xian's back, asking her to drink slowly. Concubine Yun and Empress Dowager You took turns drinking. Xia Jing wiped the soup from Ning Xuenian's chin. Someone else was lying on the table, offline.

She was envious. The Summer Palace had never been so lively before. During meals, her mother talked most about Ning Gaoxiang's studies, important court events, and new acquisitions, either for Ning Gaoxiang or for her.

She doesn't like that kind of topic.

The dishes on the table gradually emptied. It was pitch black outside the paper window. The sounds of rain and wind had stopped, leaving only the mumbling of Concubine Yun and Concubine Xian. They were both very drunk, but Concubine Yi had taken a nap and sobered up.

"The gift is here. Let's go and open the gift." Ning Xuenian pulled Xia Jing.

Xia Jing walked to the corner and placed the gift box on the small table.

"This one was given by Empress Xian, this one was given by me, and this one was given by my mother..." Ning Xuenian introduced them to Xia Jing.

Xia Jing thought that girls had a pretty good memory in this regard.

Empress Xian had gifted a large house in the capital, located on the outskirts of the city. Xia Jing couldn't use it, but the Xiao family could. Xiao Yue's parents, his grandparents, had already arrived in the capital in early spring.

Yunpin gave her a shop, not far from the house. The two of them didn't see each other on weekdays, and it was unknown when they discussed the gift.

Yi Zhaoyi was not as wealthy as Concubine Xian and Concubine Yun, so she gave a jade pillow as a gift.

"This is from me!" Ning Xuenian was a little anxious when she saw that Xia Jing hadn't opened hers yet, so she handed it to him herself.

Xia Jing opened the wooden box, which was full of paper stars.

"Brother Jing gave me a box of paper cranes, so I'll give you some too." The girl lowered her voice, feeling a little nervous. She glanced at Xia Jing out of the corner of her eye, afraid that he might not like it.

Xia Jing remembered those paper cranes; folding them took him quite a while. At the time, he and Ning Xuenian had just met. Ning Xuenian had caught Lipin saying bad things about him in the Imperial Gardens and had struck her with a slingshot, earning a reprimand from the Empress for her righteousness.

He touched Ning Xuenian's hair: "I like it very much."

Ning Xuenian felt confident and raised her head.

Xia Jing continued to dismantle it. Ning Shouxu gave him a set of writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone. Xia Jing suspected that his third brother was mocking him. Everyone knew that the ninth prince often skipped classes and didn't like to study?

He opened it and took a closer look. It turned out that it was not a set of pens, ink, paper and inkstone for study, but a set of painting.

The next thing Ning Zhixing unpacked was a delicate wooden bird. Xia Jing picked it up and saw a spring on its side. He twisted it gently, and the bird's claws began to move with a click. It then rested on the ground, swaying forward.

It turns out it’s not a wooden bird, but a clockwork chicken!

Xia Jing only told Ning Zhixing about it once, but he didn't expect Ning Zhixing to actually do it.

He handed the clockwork chicken to Ning Xuenian, thinking that the girl would play with it with joy, but he saw the girl hurriedly stuffed the clockwork chicken back into the box and looked back cautiously.

Ning Xuenian breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Ning Shouxu didn't notice the clockwork chicken.

“…”Xia Jing was saddened by the reputation of his third brother.

The gifts have not been opened yet, there are still three, one for Sun Jingzhu, one for Ning Sisi, and one for Empress Dowager You.

Xia Jing thought that although Empress Dowager You did not allow Sun Jingzhu to sit at the table, asking her to bring a gift was also a kind of recognition.

Sun Jingzhu gave a box of mineral pigments. Xia Jing sighed. This couple didn't forget to show their affection even when giving gifts.

Ning Sisi's gift was a peace locket. Not far away, the girl nervously watched Xia Jing open the gift box.

Coming to the birthday party was an accident. It was only when she arrived at the Cining Palace that she knew what Empress Dowager You was preparing. However, this peace locket was prepared early on as a birthday gift for Xia Jing.

The red string on the round jade was tied into an exquisite peace knot, which she learned from the palace maids and tied with her own hands.

Xia Jing put the jade button around his neck and smiled at Ning Sisi, and the girl relaxed.

"The last one was given by the Empress Dowager." Ning Xuenian pointed to the innermost box, her voice becoming lower and more solemn.

Xia Jing picked it up casually, opened it, and found a badge inside.

It is not the waist badge of the Cining Palace, but the waist badge of the Empress Dowager, representing the will of Empress Dowager You.

With this badge, one can do things in the name of Empress Dowager You. In the imperial palace, except for the Hall of Mental Cultivation, there is no place that cannot be accessed with this badge.

From now on, when leaving the palace, you don’t need Concubine Xian to use her connections, you can use this badge to leave without any obstacles.

However, when the waist badge is used for the first time, the guards will definitely go to the Cining Palace to inquire to prevent the Ninth Prince from stealing the waist badge to play with it.

As expected of Queen Mother You, the gift she gave was so simple and useful.

Xia Jing accepted them with satisfaction. Looking at the pile of gifts in front of him, he felt satisfied, but he still felt that something was missing.

At this time, there was a knock on the palace door, and the missing part came.

Chapter 133 Ning Wanjun’s Gift

Ning Xuenian and Ning Sisi also heard the sound of the palace door. The sound was a bit strange. It didn't sound like the sound of a palm knocking on the ground, but rather like a stone knocking on a wooden board.

The two girls looked at Xia Jing, and Ning Sisi hesitated, wondering whether to tell the adults. Not only was the knocking sound strange, but knocking on the door itself was also strange. If it were a eunuch or a palace maid, how could they knock without saying anything?

Xia Jing took two steps and was about to open the door when a new light spot appeared on the 3D map beside him. He exclaimed and stopped.

The knocking stopped, and General Yu flew to the roof. It was General Yu who had pecked at the door with his beak that had made Xia Jing wait and the two girls uneasy.

The eunuch's voice came from outside the door: "Empress Dowager, someone is coming to the Yangxin Palace!"

Empress Dowager You and the others sobered up a bit, and Concubine Xian and Concubine Yun also managed to stand up. They were surprised that someone had arrived in the Yangxin Palace.

Of course, I came to give gifts to the Ninth Prince.

When the door opened, Xu Zhongde's face floated out from the darkness.

He first bowed to the ladies, and then bowed to Xia Jing alone, wishing him "a happy smile and good health."

He took a wooden box from the eunuch behind him. The box was nearly one meter long and as wide as a palm.

Holding the box, he knelt in front of Xia Jing and said, "I heard that it is the Ninth Prince's birthday, and the Emperor has specially ordered me to bring him a gift."

Xia Jing was surprised. Why did Emperor Kang Ning think of giving him a gift? Their intimacy level hadn't changed.

This was of course all thanks to Xu Zhongde. All the rewards Xia Jing had accumulated from those comic strips were channeled by Xu Zhongde into birthday gifts.

Xia Jing reached out to take the wooden box.

"Ninth Prince, be careful, it's a bit heavy." Xu Zhongde reminded.

It was indeed a bit heavy. If Xia Jing wasn't stronger than an ordinary child, he really wouldn't be able to hold it up.

Xiao Yue said some words of thanks on behalf of Xia Jing, and Empress Dowager You said a few more words. Xu Zhongde then left the hall and returned to the Yangxin Palace to report.

"What is it?" Ning Xuenian curiously moved closer to Xia Jing and looked at the box in his hand.

Even Empress Xian and the others cast curious glances.

Empress Dowager You and the two Ning brothers did not move. They knew Emperor Kangning's character well and knew that this gift was probably boring.

When Xia Jing opened the box, he felt a little surprised.

Inside the box was a small sword, all golden in color, with cloud patterns engraved on the hilt and the scabbard decorated with tiny gemstones.

No wonder it’s so heavy, it turns out to be a sword.

Xia Jing drew his sword, a cold light reflected on his face. The sword was a real sword, but it was not sharpened.

"This is great, let me touch it!" Ning Xuenian exclaimed.

The four concubines including Xiao Yue had some concerns. The Ninth Prince was only four years old, so why was he offering a weapon?

Empress Dowager You laughed twice and told Xia Jing that Emperor Kangning rarely gave such interesting things. The last time was when he gave Ning Xuenian a slingshot.

Ning Xuenian mentioned the slingshot because she had mentioned it to Emperor Kang Ning before, but she had never mentioned Xia Jing's golden sword.

Xia Jing knew why. During the Spring Hunt, the reward for the Princes' group was a sharpened sword, but it had been delivered to him by mistake, and he had confiscated it. Emperor Kangning must have thought of this and sent him this unsharpened sword.

In any case, it is a cool thing to have a sword given by Emperor Kangning. Unlike the sword used for practice, the sword given by Emperor Kangning can be carried with you.