The Mid-Autumn Festival arrived in a flash. She didn’t bring her daughter into the palace. Little Zhiyi was over one year old now—at the mischievous and energetic age—running wild all over the manor, impossible to catch.
If she went into the palace, the risk of accidents would increase—and things might spiral out of control.
That morning, the whole family ate breakfast together. Little Zhiyi used her own spoon to eat, slow but precise, not needing her nursemaid to feed her. She was a very independent child with a strong sense of autonomy.
Xiao Muchen laughed and said the child was just like him.
Mingxi smiled but didn’t argue. A daughter shouldn’t be raised to be too delicate, but also not too unruly. She hoped her daughter would be independent and strong, with her own mind—not like herself in her past life, always yearning for the love of her biological parents, willing to wrong herself just for a smile from them.
In the end, she not only hurt herself but also dragged her adoptive parents into a mess.
“Daddy, eat.” Zhiyi stared at the dragon eye meat bun her Royal Father had given to her mother, her eyes sparkling.
These little buns were specially made by Mingxi for Zhiyi. The usual soup buns were too big for her, so she had the kitchen prepare these dragon eye-sized ones—about the size of a wine cup’s mouth, thin-skinned and full of filling, just right for a child to eat in one bite.
Because the chef made them so well, Mingxi also enjoyed them, and they became a regular item on their breakfast table.
Hearing her daughter, Xiao Muchen picked up one and placed it into the small golden bowl in front of her.
Yes, Zhiyi was especially fond of gold. Her bowl, chopsticks, spoon, and plate were all made of solid gold, intricately carved and inlaid with gems—tacky yet elegant, elegant yet unmistakably tacky.
Every time Mingxi saw her daughter’s golden tableware at meals, she would fall into self-doubt.
Xiao Muchen didn’t mind at all. “Great vulgarity is great elegance.” Since his daughter liked it, that made it good.
He even had a whole chest of golden bowls, plates, and spoons made for her. Because of this one chest of things, the bond between Zhiyi and her Father grew quickly.
After breakfast, Mingxi started getting dressed and doing her hair, while on the other side, Xiao Muchen was talking to their daughter.
“Daddy and Mommy are going into the palace. You stay home and be good.”
“Be good.”
“No running around.”
“No run.”
“No overeating.”
This time, Xiao Zhiyi didn’t respond. That was her silent refusal.
Mingxi held back a laugh. Xiao Muchen continued, “If you eat too much, your tummy will hurt again.”
After a long pause, Mingxi heard Zhiyi say, “No hurt.”
She could already imagine the expression on Xiao Muchen’s face. Xiangxiang, watching the scene, laughed and said, “The little princess’s love for food is just like Wangfei’s.”
Hmm?
Mingxi wasn’t happy. “When I was little, I had excellent self-control. I never ate until I was stuffed.”
“The little princess is smart—she only got a tummyache once. Since then, she’s always careful when eating,” Xiangxiang said with a smile.
Mingxi’s lips twitched. Yes, she always eats just up to the edge of a tummyache—she’d never miss a single bite if she could help it.
Once Mingxi was ready, the Father and daughter were still negotiating outside.
As she stepped out, both of them looked over simultaneously.
Zhiyi immediately ran over. “Mommy, carry.”
Mingxi was dressed in her formal Wangfei attire today—carrying a child would easily wrinkle her clothes, which wouldn’t do.
She instead lifted Zhiyi with both hands and spun her in a circle. The girl’s silvery laughter echoed through the room.
Xiao Muchen came over, took the child, and tapped her little nose. “Behave at home.”
Fang Momo took the little princess and said with a smile, “Don’t worry, Wangye, Wangfei, this old servant will keep a close eye on the young lady.”
The couple boarded the carriage and entered the palace. At the gate, they parted ways—Mingxi heading to the inner palace, Xiao Muchen to Chongzheng Hall.
As usual, she first visited Consort Shu, where she happened to run into Kang Wangfei.
Kang Wangfei’s due date was close, but the emperor had ordered her to attend the palace banquet. Though Consort Shu wanted to request a favor for her in front of the emperor, Kang Wangfei refused.
Consort Shu had already done more than enough for their marriage, always looking after them as husband and wife—such kindness was deep and generous. They couldn’t keep troubling her endlessly. Besides, she was in good health now, so attending a palace banquet wasn’t out of the question.
Kang Wang had always been in a weak position among the princes. As his wife, she too had to consider things for her husband.
Consort Shu wasn’t at Cuiwei Palace that day; she had gone to visit Consort Zhang early in the morning. So Mingxi sat and chatted with Kang Wangfei.
“If you’re not feeling well today, just say so. Don’t force yourself,” Mingxi reminded her.
Kang Wangfei nodded. “Don’t worry, Fourth Sister-in-law. I wouldn’t joke around when it comes to the child.”
Mingxi nodded. “Good. The child is ours, after all. How has Kang Wang been lately? I heard from your Fourth Brother that he’s been handling all sorts of errands and running about.”
Kang Wangfei smiled. “That’s right. It’s still better than idling around the manor. Wangye said he doesn’t mind the hardship—he treats it as training.”
Mingxi said in a low voice, “That’s a good mindset. There are so many departments in the court—if Eighth Brother handles a wide range of tasks, he’ll get exposure to many of them, which is a good thing for him.”
When opportunity came, the difference between being prepared or not could be like night and day.
Kang Wangfei caught the deeper meaning in her Fourth Sister-in-law’s words and responded in a soft voice, “You’re right. Wangye says he’s not particularly clever, but he’s willing to put in effort. Later on, he hopes to be of some help to Fourth Brother.”
Mingxi smiled. “With Eighth Brother’s support now, your Fourth Brother can also have a bit more peace of mind.”
Kang Wang had never held much standing in the royal family. None of the other princes really paid attention to him. Even if he had assignments, they were miscellaneous and without real authority—so no one cared.
But this was precisely the path Xiao Muchen had mapped out for Kang Wang: a chance to learn while staying under the radar. It suited him well.
After discussing Kang Wang, Kang Wangfei added, “I ran into Qi Wangfei on my way here. I don’t think her postpartum recovery is going well. She’s visibly thinner, and even with powder on her face, the dark shadows can’t be covered.”
Mingxi frowned. “She’s the one who can’t get over it. No one can help. And she was always too sharp and aggressive in how she did things. This time she gave birth to a daughter, which left Qi Wang and Consort De very disappointed. Their relationship as husband and wife wasn’t good to begin with, so her days naturally aren’t going well.”
Mingxi didn’t mention that the miscarriage of Side Consort Ming from Qi Wang’s household was connected to the Wangfei. There was a blood debt between Side Consort Ming and Qi Wangfei—now that the consort was weakened, Side Consort Ming was of course striking while the iron was hot.
But that wasn’t Mingxi’s concern. Qi Wangfei had always looked down on her for being born to a merchant family and had mocked her more than once. Mingxi had never had a good opinion of her.
As they were talking, Consort Shu returned. The two rose to greet her but saw that she looked displeased. Only when she saw them did her expression ease a little.
“Sit,” she said as she took her seat.
They sat down. Mingxi looked at her and asked, “Royal Mother, did something happen?”
A rare flicker of irritation flashed in Consort Shu’s eyes. She looked at the two of them and said, “Tan Jieyu made a suggestion to His Majesty—the Mid-Autumn banquet is to be held tonight at Liantai Pavilion.”
Liantai Pavilion?
Mingxi was taken aback. Liantai Pavilion was surrounded by water on all sides, with winding paths and a serene setting—perfect for enjoying the scenery and boating.
But to hold the Mid-Autumn banquet there?
She exchanged a glance with Kang Wangfei, whose expression didn’t look good either. She placed a hand gently over her belly.
