A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace Chapter 558: The 558th is too scheming.

Xia Ruqing was a bit dizzy.

She had already gnawed on the Small Wooden Sword of purple sandalwood her older brother had given him. Little children don’t know how to express their fondness. They only know to gnaw with their teeth. He hugged it every day, and its top was covered with rows of small teeth marks!

Xia Ruqing stared intently at her son, feeling very nervous.

Everyone else was the same, all staring intently at the Little Prince.

Aside from Zhao Junyao and Xia Ruqing, who shared the same emotions, the rest of the Concubines, including the Empress, had extremely complex expressions.

Little Bun looked left and right.

After receiving the ceaseless hints from his mother’s eyes, he finally understood.

Remembering this, Little Bun’s eyes immediately lit up.

Little Bun wobbled to his feet, standing in the middle of the large mat filled with objects.

First, he looked around at the objects placed all around.

Then...

A truly astonishing scene unfolded.

Little Bun took a few steps forward, squatted down, used his small hand to pick up an item, and tossed it off the mat.

Then he looked around some more, picked up another item, and threw it out.

He got up to look, threw again, and after tossing things out in a full circle, he continued to walk around with his hands behind his back, as if inspecting whether there was anything else to discard.

He had all the airs of a Great General surveying the battlefield!

Xia Ruqing was puzzled.

The others were equally baffled.

However, even though they were puzzled, they didn’t find it particularly strange. Children, after all, are still young. Many unexpected things could happen during an item-choosing ceremony; it wasn’t worth making a fuss about. A few auspicious words were usually enough to smooth things over.

Just as everyone was thinking this, they saw Little Bun suddenly stop.

He squatted down and, huffing and puffing, gathered all the remaining objects together.

Then he turned and lifted all four corners of the red carpet spread on the ground.

Using that red carpet, he wrapped up all the objects he hadn’t thrown away.

In the end, Little Bun stood beside the bundle, his eyes smiling into narrow crescents, looking so proud he seemed ready to ascend to the heavens!

He looked towards Xia Ruqing with a proud gaze.

Xia Ruqing was speechless.

She put her hand to her forehead and looked skyward.

Xia Ruqing looked at Zhao Junyao, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

However, she found that he, too, was very proud.

The two of them, one big and one small, wore the same proud looks and arrogant eyes, as if they were carved from the same mold.

Xia Ruqing felt like covering her eyes.

The Sister responsible for the item-choosing ceremony and for saying auspicious words couldn’t stand watching any longer.

Her composure threatened to crumble, but she finally managed to squeeze out a smile.

"Oh my! The Little Prince is truly intelligent by nature! He keeps everything he likes and throws out what he doesn’t. Just look... how smart he is!"

"In the future, the Little Prince will surely know when to advance and when to retreat, what to take and what to leave! He will excel in both his studies and martial arts!"

Sister Xi found herself at a loss for words by the end of her speech.

She had never seen anything like this before!

Other children, when they are just over a year old, still don’t understand. Most of them only grab one item, and some don’t pick any at all, just crying and causing a fuss.

She had ways to smooth over those situations.

Zhao Junyao was very pleased.

He first let out a hearty laugh, then had the Little Prince brought over to his side.

"Good boy, truly worthy of being my son!"

"The Imperial Eldest Son should indeed have such an assertive spirit!"

Little Bun, in his father’s embrace, also giggled happily, his little eyes brimming with smug pride, simply adorable!

"AH... OOH... OOH..."

Little Bun gesticulated joyfully!

Zhao Junyao patted his little bottom.

"Alright, stop wriggling. All the things you’ve chosen, Father will give to you! HA HA HA..."

As he spoke, he had the Wetnurse Nanny carry him away.

Upon hearing that all the items were his, Little Bun immediately relaxed.

When he was carried away, he didn’t cry or fuss; his little eyes were still filled with smug satisfaction.

Xia Ruqing’s face turned red.

「...」

And so, the item-choosing ceremony ended swiftly.

The Empress and the Concubines all felt somewhat disappointed.

Not only did they not get to see the Little Prince make a fool of himself, but they had also been thoroughly outshone!

The Little Prince was smart and handsome—plump and fair-skinned, a joy to behold.

The Emperor was also pleased, and Consort Xian Pin’s face flushed with pride.

So, everyone, hiding their bitterness and internal struggles, took turns presenting their birthday gifts to the Little Prince.

The Empress Dowager presented a set of clothes, several gold neck rings, and a box of exquisite trinkets.

It was a modest gift, with nothing to find fault with.

The Empress Dowager said with a smile, "I am old and can no longer manage needlework well. I made this set of clothes, but it was mostly with others’ help. I’m really not as capable as I once was!"

Xia Ruqing quickly stood up. "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager has worked hard. This concubine, on behalf of the Imperial Son, thanks Your Majesty for her gracious gift!"

The Empress Dowager waved her hand, indicating for her to sit down.

Xia Ruqing curtsied in acknowledgement and sat down.

After sitting down, Xia Ruqing thought to herself,

After the Empress Dowager had bestowed her gifts, the others began presenting theirs one after another.

The Empress’s gifts included a set of small garments for each of the four seasons, a gold neck ring with a longevity lock, ten bolts of satin, six bolts of silk, ten boxes of spices, and ten catties of bird’s nest. The sheer abundance of the gifts was astonishing.