"Naturally, don't underestimate how small these items are; the sheer variety is astounding. For just this one type of lip color, there are dozens of shades, and then there are many other categories..."
Lin Yuwei's mouth hung open, her eyes wide as she listened to Feng Jin's explanation. How was she supposed to remember all of this? It was simply too much.
"Distinguishing these things is a woman's instinct. Just familiarize yourself slowly, and you'll remember them all soon enough, don't worry."
Feng Jin offered words of encouragement. After all, this wasn't something that could be accomplished overnight. Putting too much pressure on her would be counterproductive; she needed to take it slow.
Lin Yuwei's confidence instantly surged. "I will definitely learn diligently."
If she could memorize the Four Books and Five Classics, then surely she could learn these things with effort.
...
Upon returning home, Feng Jin immediately headed to the children's room.
Ever since Da Bao and Er Bao learned to crawl, Feng Jin had ordered the entire room to be covered with thick carpets, allowing them to move around freely.
"Da Bao, come to Mommy."
Da Bao was known for his boisterous nature. Seeing Feng Jin beckoning him, he giggled and wriggled his chubby body to crawl over.
Er Bao, in contrast, was excessively calm, a perfect miniature Ling Mo Han. Even when coaxed with great effort, it was difficult to elicit a smile from him.
At one point, Feng Jin even began to doubt if Er Bao knew how to smile at all. It wasn't until Ling Mo Han made funny faces and played with toys that Er Bao finally offered a shy smile, completely dispelling Feng Jin's doubts.
Once she was sure Er Bao was fine, Feng Jin stopped worrying about him, letting him be. Whether he smiled or not was up to him.
"You're being quite biased, only doting on your elder son and completely neglecting Er Bao."
Ling Mo Han's jealous voice sounded from above Feng Jin's head. He then bent down and picked Er Bao up, not forgetting to sow discord: "See? Your mommy only likes your brother. It's your daddy who dotes on you, otherwise, no one would hold you."
Watching his childish antics, Feng Jin rolled her eyes helplessly. "Sons are a mother's lovers in their past lives. Your attempts at sowing discord are futile."
She firmly believed her bond with her sons was unbreakable. Ling Mo Han's petty little tricks were no match for it.
Handing Da Bao over to Cai Qing, Feng Jin beckoned to Er Bao. The little one immediately scrambled towards her.
Feng Jin smiled warmly and took Er Bao into her arms. "My dear, you mustn't be deceived by your father's words. Mommy loves you very, very much."
"You ungrateful child," Ling Mo Han said, lightly patting Er Bao's bottom.
The usually composed Er Bao suddenly burst into tears. This greatly distressed Feng Jin, who quickly cradled the little one and gently soothed him.
Ling Mo Han, the culprit, naturally received several glares from Feng Jin.
Ling Mo Han's gaze fell on the whimpering child in Feng Jin's arms. On his face, so similar to Ling Mo Han's own, a triumphant smile appeared. For a moment, Ling Mo Han thought he was mistaken. How could such a young child exhibit such a smile? But what happened next completely overturned his denial.
Da Bao, who was almost asleep in Cai Qing's arms, seemed to see Er Bao in Feng Jin's embrace and immediately began to cry uncontrollably. Cai Qing was bewildered, unable to console him no matter what she did. She looked to Feng Jin and Ling Mo Han for help. "Madam, Young Master has been crying non-stop."
Feng Jin, holding the just-soothed Er Bao, couldn't get away. She looked at Ling Mo Han.
"I'll coax him."
Ling Mo Han took the child. Sensing the movement, Da Bao opened his eyes and glanced at Ling Mo Han. Seeing it wasn't the person he wanted, his little face immediately drooped, his lips curved downwards, and he started to cry loudly.
"You brat, crying just because I'm holding you. I think you're asking for a beating."
"Don't scare him, whatever you're doing."
Feng Jin had just soothed Er Bao to sleep and placed him on the bed when she heard Ling Mo Han scolding their son. She immediately stepped forward and took Da Bao.
As soon as he was in Feng Jin's arms, Da Bao pouted. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he looked remarkably aggrieved.
"It's okay, don't cry... don't cry, Mommy's here."
Feng Jin gently patted Da Bao. In no time, Da Bao stopped crying and lay in her arms, beaming with a bright smile.
"This boy is truly clever. He already knows who to pick at such a young age."
Ling Mo Han was now witnessing the boy's prowess. He already understood such matters at such a tender age. What would he be like when he grew older?
"Of course, my son is intelligent."
She had long noticed how bright both her children were. Their intelligence was likely inherited from her.
"In a couple of days, Xiliang will be sending envoys to Dongchu," Ling Mo Han said abruptly.
"Xiliang..."
Another name she hadn't heard before. Feng Jin replied calmly, "I haven't heard of it. What's wrong?"
"Among the envoys from Xiliang, there will be the Fifth Princess of Xiliang."
"They want to arrange a marriage alliance. Since it's a princess, she should be betrothed to a prince or something similar."
When Feng Jin heard that a princess would be part of the delegation, anyone could guess Xiliang's intentions – they wanted a marriage alliance.
Among Emperor Xuanwen's princes, only Chu Chenyi and Chu Yanxi were notable. The Fifth Prince was too young, and the Fourth Prince was unremarkable.
However, Chu Chenyi and Chu Yanxi were already married. No matter what, she was a princess, and it wouldn't be appropriate to make her a concubine.
"Who has the Fifth Princess of Xiliang taken a fancy to?"
Ling Mo Han shook his head. "I don't know. Xiliang's imperial letter merely hinted at a desire for a marriage alliance. The letter didn't specify which prince."
"Whoever the prince is, if chosen, they will have to be granted the position of principal wife."
"And what if the chosen prince is already married? Will their spouse be forced to divorce?"
Feng Jin voiced her doubts. If that was the case, then whoever the Fifth Princess chose would suffer misfortune.
"That's not our concern. Once the Xiliang princess makes her choice, it will be difficult to refuse. We'll have to see which unfortunate soul it is."
The relationship between Dongchu and Xiliang had always been strained. Xiliang's proactive proposal for a peace treaty was due to two consecutive years of drought, leading to a complete crop failure and a significant weakening of their national strength, making them unable to wage war against Dongchu.
Seeking peace was a way to gain time for recovery. Dongchu, having fought successive wars with Cangnan in recent years, had expended vast resources and depleted its treasury. A peace treaty with Xiliang was the best option. This marriage alliance was inevitable.
Regardless of which prince the Xiliang princess chose, Emperor Xuanwen would certainly not reject Xiliang's proposal. All the princes were likely living in fear.