Summer comes with heat. Everyone is complaining about the heat but not the Persian ladies. They feel like as if they are back home. The dry hot feeling. The blazing sun that burns the skin. Li Xing now can walk on his own but Banou is careful not to allow him to stay down the hot sun to burn his fair skin. Fair skin is prized in Great Tang therefore Banou wants Li Xing to keep his milky white skin as long as he can. Banou also teach him Mandarin and Arabic slowly as not to confuse him.
What Li Xing enjoy most is when his siblings return from school. He would want to play catching with them. The girls who are older now, sits around to watch the younger ones have fun. Li Ning try to withhold the excitement in her but sometimes with Li Kang's encouragement, they have a bit of fun like back in their child hood days. Li Ning will watch out for Li Xing as the pebbles on the ground are rough he might fall and hit himself.
Banou watch the children play but there is one time, she see consort Wu sighing alone. She must be worry for the expenses for the number of people living in this mansion. Banou don't know how to help her but she and Aylin make some pastry from the scratch in the kitchen. Aylin have been working in the royal kitchen in Persian so she knows a few. They make it easy with the available ingredients for her. Consort Wu is delighted as she love pastry. She never have a foreign dishes in the mansion therefore this is a treat for her.
One day, suddenly Li Jun brings back ice. Everyone is intrigued by it. Aylin who have seen this immediately look for fruits, milk and honey. With Ah Mu's help they cut up the fruits and place it in a bowl of ice. dripping milk and honey over it. Consort Wu who is enjoying it with frowning eyebrows.
"I know what you are thinking my consort. No these ice doesn't cost me a single coin. My father, the emperor received many wagons of ice from the cold county. He decided to give some blocks of ice to his son who is living outside the palace."
Immediately her frown becomes a smile and eat it will happiness. The children all enjoy the coldness it brings on a hot day. Li Xing is babbling about as he walks around and run back to Banou for a scoop of ice.
That night, all the ice is consumed. Everyone is feeling cold and relaxed. Even the servants got a bowl of ice.
Summer turn to autumn in a blink of an eye. Banou sits outside her bedroom to sew more clothes for Li Xing as he is growing up fast. His legs are usually long for for his age. He have begin to speak in simple sentences. He enjoys running around and getting himself dirty. In late autumn, Li Jun asked Aylin to take care of Li Xing in the night. While he enters Banou's room, heh tells Banou it's time to try to have another child. Banou who have no saying in this knows what to do but she still want to ask him
"Master, aren't you sleeping with Lady Ban and Lady Song."
"Yes i was sleeping with them and the other concubines but they show no sign of getting pregnant. Maybe because they are getting older, it's difficult to get pregnant when a woman is older. I met Lady Ban and Lady Chu when they are twelve to fifteen years older than i am. They got pregnant with my children before i marry consort Wu but i cannot marry them. My father the emperor doesn't allow it. They only can be my concubines." He remove his outer garments and sit on the bed.
"After you get pregnant, i have been sleeping with them. Till now there is no sign so i think they can't give birth anymore."
"Why do you like children so much?"
"I like them. Also It's for the royal family so that we have the number of sons available within the family. My ambition in life is to have the most number of children as a prince!" He laugh and Banou look surprise. "I am just kidding. whatever i can afford, i would like another child. You know in the olden days, the emperor will have hundred or more children with a large number of woman. So compare to them, i am nothing. Besides that won't you want Li Xing to have a sibling?"
"I would like him to have a brother or a sister but i don't think i am ready to give birth now. "
He look at her tenderly and hug her.
"Then don't, i will wait. Tonite we just sleep. I am tired too. I will respect you Ban Nu. " She look at him with gratefulness in her eyes. He knows what she is thinking.
"However i miss seeing that lovely body of your's. We shall sleep naked."
With those words, her smile disappear. She understand and undress him. Li Jun look at her fill with curiosity why don't she get mad and kick him out. Instead she obediently strip in front of him. They lay on the bed naked as he wanted. He grope her breast hard that milk is leaking out. He change his mind when she is so wet from him touching her all over. He keep sucking her milk and watch her facial expression. He is enjoying hearing her moaning and his member got hard and easy to get inside of her. While Banou is engaging with him on the bed, her mind wonder far away and allow the man who change her destiny to release himself inside her. After that when he sleep, she quietly walk up and clean herself. She put on her gown. She pour herself a cup of tea and look at Li Jun who is sound asleep. As long as he treats her and Li Xing well, there is nothing she won't do to for him.