On the day Mingxi completed her confinement month, Xiao Muchen finally settled on a name for their daughter after poring over countless books: Zhiyi.
Xiao Zhiyi.
As a royal princess, her name had to be registered in the Jade Records. When the emperor received Xiao Muchen’s memorial and saw the name, the corner of his mouth twitched—he truly didn’t know what to say.
Zhi Yi, “understanding intention”… it was just so blatantly obvious. That brat could hardly make his intentions more public!
Disgraceful!
The emperor, who had originally still been recuperating, was so incensed by this rebellious son that he stormed over to Consort Shu’s residence in a full recovery of spirit to vent his anger.
“He has no shame at all!” the emperor fumed. “Giving his daughter such a name—did he even get her consent?”
Consort Shu: …
Did you get my consent when you chose me to enter the palace?
You Father and son are exactly the same—who are you yelling at?
She thought: like Father, like son. What’s the point in complaining now?
All these years she’d been struggling in this murky harem and never once blamed him.
Internally grumbling, she still had to defend her troublemaking son. “Your Majesty is absolutely right. I think he’s lost all sense of propriety. It’s one thing to dote on his wife, but dragging his daughter into it too? We mustn’t let him have his way!”
Seeing that Consort Shu was genuinely furious and on the same page as him, the emperor’s temper began to cool. “It’s not that I disapprove of Duan Wangfei—it’s just that we can’t let this sort of indulgence go unchecked.”
“Yes, exactly,” Consort Shu said with a troubled expression. “Mingxi was lucky to be raised by her adoptive Father, traveling and trading far and wide. It gave her a hardened, resilient nature. If it had been someone else, they’d be unbearably arrogant by now, indulging in their favor and causing who knows what disasters.”
The emperor thought over what she said. Indeed, ever since Duan Mingxi had married his fourth son, she hadn’t been as flashy or ostentatious as when she was unmarried. And she had contributed a significant amount of silver…
The moment he thought of the silver, the emperor felt a pang of guilt.
Old Four’s household had asked for nothing in return. Back then, he hadn’t been able to reward Mingxi directly and instead conferred favor upon the Marquis Manor, only raising their rank by one level.
It hadn’t been a generous reward by any means, but neither Xiao Muchen nor his wife ever complained. Even the Marquis family had not said a word of discontent.
He also recalled poor Duan Yu, who’d been unlucky enough to get caught in the Qiping Prefecture case. That fool—twice tricked, and still so clueless in his official duties.
No sense at all.
Then there was Duan Ning, who had become a Geishizhong. Though illegitimate, he was exceptionally talented and had a strong spine. Despite his low rank, he was bold and unflinching. In just a few months, he’d offended almost everyone in the Ministry of Revenue.
But precisely because of his frank and upright nature, the ministry had been cleaned up thoroughly. Liu Chuxian had been able to retire honorably with his reputation intact—Duan Ning certainly deserved part of the credit.
Liu Chuxian had served him loyally for decades—how could he rest easy if Liu’s reputation weren’t preserved? The Qiping Prefecture case had come swiftly, and in his initial anger, the emperor had neglected Liu.
Thinking back now, Duan Ning, though young and headstrong, had shown stability and upright intentions in a crisis. He was a rare and promising talent.
Even the old second Duan son, working in the Imperial Kitchen, was doing well. The latest menu he’d submitted had several dishes that suited the emperor’s taste—his appetite had improved lately.
And the old third Duan son, assigned to the Imperial Stables, had managed the horses so well that they were strong and robust. The new breeding programs had produced foals that were faster and more enduring—ideal for long-distance campaigns.
All this made the emperor say to Consort Shu, “The Dingyuan Marquis family has been thriving these past couple of years. How did I not realize they had such capable people?”
Though none held high office, each one was practical, diligent, and not prone to claiming credit.
A rare thing indeed.
Consort Shu thought: obviously it was thanks to her daughter-in-law. Just look at the mess the Marquis household was in before she came—barely held together by the old Marquis fading prestige.
But this was not something the Consort Shu could say aloud. She looked at the Emperor and gave a light laugh. “Even a fine steed needs a discerning eye to recognize its worth. The people of the Marquis Manor may have some talent, but if it weren’t for Your Majesty’s exceptional appointments, how could they have achieved what they have today?”
The Emperor felt that these words were quite to his liking. Indeed, it was because he had credited Duan Mingxi’s merits to the people of the Marquis Manor that they had their current prospects.
Thinking of this, the Emperor again felt that Duan Mingxi had endured more than her share of unfairness. He looked at Consort Shu and said, “The daughter of Old Four must not be wronged. From the name he picked, I can see that this stubborn temper of his won’t change.”
Consort Shu thought to herself: her son was as stubborn as a mule—he’d rather kneel in punishment than change his ways. Not only did she know it, but the Emperor had experienced it firsthand too.
She looked at the Emperor, face full of worry. “This child is good in every way, except once he sets his mind on something, not even ten oxen can pull him back. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness on his behalf.”
The Emperor helped her up. “What has this got to do with you? My granddaughter must not be slighted. I plan to confer upon her the title of ‘Princess Zhaohua’. What do you think?”
Zhaohua?
Consort Shu’s brow twitched.
Zhao meant brilliance and radiance. Wasn’t this title a little too dazzling?
But one couldn’t afford to be foolish.
She immediately stepped forward to thank the Emperor. “Your Majesty is most gracious. With this title, the child will surely have a peaceful and smooth life, blessed in all things.”
The Emperor was also quite pleased. From now on, everyone would call the child Princess Zhaohua—who would even remember her given name?
His son may lack shame, but as a Father, he had to patch things up for him. Just thinking about it made him angry!
What was this—having a son? It felt more like…
The Emperor quickly stopped that line of thought, and his face darkened again.
Consort Shu noticed the flicker of change in the Emperor’s expression, and her eyes shifted slightly. She quickly spoke up, “Your Majesty, the title of the eldest imperial granddaughter should be settled right, and has a name been chosen for the eldest imperial grandson?”
The Emperor: …
Faced with Consort Shu’s expectant gaze, the Emperor felt a twinge of guilt. It wasn’t that he had overlooked it—the Eastern Palace and Yu Wang’s residence hadn’t submitted a memorial for naming and titles either, had they?
How could it be his oversight?
In truth, it was still Consort Shu who was the most thoughtful.
Putting on a serious expression, the Emperor said, “Of course I have thought it over. The edicts will be issued shortly.”
The Emperor returned to Chongzheng Hall to make amendments, and soon, three decrees were dispatched to the respective residences.
The Crown Princess’s daughter was granted the title Princess Ruian. The eldest imperial grandson was given the name Xiao Rong. Duan Wang’s daughter was granted the title Princess Zhaohua.
As soon as the decrees were issued, they stirred attention throughout the capital.
Xiao Rong’s name was acceptable—after all, Yu Wang had already been ruled out of the succession. The Emperor likely gave him a scholarly name to encourage him to focus on his studies and develop his talents.
But the titles “Ruian” and “Zhaohua” left many privately speculating about the Emperor’s true intentions.
The character Rui certainly carried auspicious meaning, but compared to Zhao, it seemed to lack a certain luster.
The heart of an emperor is like a needle at the bottom of the sea.
However, the very next day, Duan Wang was scolded fiercely by the Emperor for poor performance in his duties and was made to stand outside Chongzheng Hall for half an hour. With that, much of the murmuring quieted down.
