Chapter 234: Resolving Identity

Chapter 234: Resolving Identity

Qiu Huanian asked when Qingmei was born. Mei Wangshu replied, "The second day of the second month." Qiu Huanian calculated and said, "A child born in the Year of the Dragon, and on the very day of the Dragon-Head-Raising Festival. Despite all the hardships from the womb to birth, she remains safe and healthy. Qingmei’s life force is exceptionally strong."

In superstitious terms, considering the feudal society and the identity of her other biological father, it’s no wonder Qingmei possesses such an unyielding destiny.

Qiu Huanian carefully took the swaddled baby into his arms. Qingmei had woken up at some point. For an infant, she was unusually quiet—not crying or fussing even when held by a stranger she had never seen before. Instead, she simply stared at Qiu Huanian with her large, dark eyes.

Gu Gu and Yang Yang clambered over to observe the new little friend. Qiu Huanian crouched down, and Gu Gu gripped the railing, standing on tiptoe to get a better look before declaring, "Sister!"

"Not sister—she’s your Little Aunt," Qiu Huanian snorted in amusement at the vast difference in seniority.

Gu Gu couldn’t quite grasp the logic but obediently corrected himself, "Little Aunt!"

Yang Yang stealthily extended a tiny hand and, when no one was looking, lightly touched Qingmei’s face. Qingmei turned her head calmly to look at him. The two little ones stared at each other for a few seconds before Yang Yang yawned and flopped down on the spot.

"Why aren’t you greeting your Little Aunt, Yang Yang?" Qiu Huanian poked his little belly.

Yang Yang rolled over, hiding his belly underneath him. "Little Aunt likes to sleep. Yang Yang likes to sleep too."

Qiu Huanian snorted in amusement. "Little Aunt is only three months old—she has to sleep in an adult’s arms. But you? How old are you, little Yang Yang?"

Yang Yang lay motionless on the blanket, hands covering his ears in protest, as if refusing to listen.

According to the servants in the household who had raised children before, Gu Gu and Yang Yang were sharper than most. At just one and a half years old, they could already understand almost everything adults said and picked up speech quickly. Sometimes, their reasoning was so clear it hardly seemed possible for children their age.

Others attributed this to the fact that Prefect Du and Qishu County Princess were among the most brilliant minds in the world, so their children were naturally exceptionally gifted.

While intelligence certainly had a genetic component, Qiu Huanian believed that Gu Gu and Yang Yang’s rapid learning was also due to the fact that he and Du Yunse had always insisted on spending time playing with them and providing early education.

As fathers, they were naturally proud of their children’s sharp minds. But the saying "Too much wit bodes ill" lingered in their thoughts, and beyond joy, Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse couldn’t help but feel a twinge of worry.

At the very least, Du Yunse’s pre-birth wish—"Would that my children be simple and slow, free from calamity and rising to high office"—was certainly not going to be fulfilled.

The nursery wasn’t the place for in-depth conversation. After seeing Qingmei, Qiu Huanian handed her back to her father. Mei Wangshu vanished in a blur—a sight that never failed to amaze Qiu Huanian, no matter how many times he witnessed it.

He returned to the main hall, claiming he wanted to quietly review the accounts and dismissing the servants. Waiting in the heated parlor, he soon saw Mei Wangshu reappear.

This time, Qiu Huanian finally learned what his uncle had accomplished overseas.

Merely forging the identity of an overseas survivor was far beneath the capabilities of the former chief guard of Great Yu. A true guard would bring back an overseas protectorate!

Qiu Huanian had never expected that the Champa rice (a drought-resistant rice variety) and the Champa Protectorate, which had brought him such immense joy today, were both Mei Wangshu’s doing.

Had Mei Wangshu not saved Princess Yu Cao and Prince Chengsong, nor aided them in reclaiming their kingdom, Champa would now be entirely under Annam’s control.

Annam had long been a rebellious vassal toward Great Yu, repeatedly harassing its southwestern borders. If it controlled Champa, Great Yu would not only struggle to procure large quantities of Champa rice seeds but would also lose a strategic harbor for its fleets to dock and rest during voyages to the southern seas.

Of course, Qiu Huanian knew that on that foreign rainy night, when Mei Wangshu suddenly drew his sword before a desperate pair of siblings, he hadn’t considered any of this. He had simply acted on instinct.

Though Mei Wangshu spared few words, Qiu Huanian could still glimpse the ink-painting silhouette amidst the cold rain and swordlight, and hear the gradually intensifying heartbeat.

In Champa, Mei Wangshu had forged an identity under the name "Mei Yue." For practicality, he had altered his gender to male. With his mastery of disguise, no one would detect his true gender unless they conducted a thorough examination.

As for Qingmei, since taking a months-old infant on an overseas voyage was highly unusual, Mei Wangshu hadn’t forged papers for her—he had simply sneaked her aboard.

In Great Yu, with its strict census system, forging a plausible identity for an adult was extremely difficult, but for an infant, it was relatively easier.

Though Great Yu was in an era of prosperity under two successive wise emperors, with high-yield staples like maize widely cultivated in agriculture, and thanks to Qiu Huanian’s efforts, winter cotton at fair prices and sugar for energy in recent years, the quality of life kept rising.

However, some deeply ingrained malicious practices still persist, with the abandonment of female infants and male infants remaining a recurring issue in the populace.

After discussing with Du Yunse, Qiu Huanian arranged for Qingmei to be disguised as an abandoned infant left near the city gates, where she was "found" by Wei Li while he was out shopping. Wei Li reported to the authorities to search for the child's relatives—though in nine out of ten cases, abandoned infants like this would never be reunited with their families. Thus, the kind-hearted and unmarried Wei Li naturally took Qingmei in as his younger sister, registering her in the household registry and raising her in his residence.

With Qingmei's identity smoothly resolved, Mei Wangshu settled in the International District using a provisional ID and opened a small shop.

The prices of shops in the International District were nearly three times that of regular stores. During his time as a shadow guard, Mei Wangshu had no name, let alone private property. After twenty years of risking his life, everything belonged to his master, and he didn’t have a single tael to spare—the only money he had was the travel expenses Qiu Huanian had given him earlier.

Qiu Huanian didn’t expect his uncle to make a profit either. He gave him a thousand taels of silver to purchase a tiny shop, just enough to stock some goods for casual sales.

It wasn’t that Qiu Huanian couldn’t afford to buy a larger shop, but Mei Wangshu’s priority at the moment was maintaining a low profile and stability. He had no real interest in business, so the more inconspicuous the shop, the better.

Seven days after the fleet docked, the Taiping Marquis, along with the memorials documenting his journey, the diplomatic letters and envoys from various nations, carefully selected tribute, and those who had contributed meritoriously, entered the capital for an audience with the emperor. At the same time, Du Yunse and Qiu Huanian’s memorials were also delivered to the imperial palace.

Emperor Zhaoxin was highly satisfied with the results of the first voyage. The introduction of Champa rice, sweet potatoes, and the impressive display of numerous small nations paying tribute quieted the objections of court officials who had initially opposed the maritime expedition.

Zhu Jingcheng was rewarded for his efforts in discovering sweet potatoes and granted an honorary sixth-rank title in the Ministry of Revenue—a nominal position without real authority, but still conferring the benefits of a sixth-rank official. Though symbolic, this was an unprecedented honor for the Zhu family, who had been merchants for generations. From then on, Zhu Jingcheng’s branch of the family officially held official status.

When news of Zhu Jingcheng’s appointment reached Xiangping Prefecture, the Zhu family threw a city-wide celebration banquet. His father-in-law, Su Yi, was also delighted—only Su Xinyue, Su Xinbai’s half-sister, and Consort Fang bitterly resented it in private.

As Du Yunse had anticipated, Emperor Zhaoxin placed great importance on the establishment of the Champa Protectorate. He summoned the envoys from Champa separately and soon decided to appoint Taiping Marquis Kang Zhong as the commander-in-chief, leading ten thousand naval troops to Champa by sea. Simultaneously, Wu Shen was ordered to march from the southwestern border to attack Annam, launching a two-pronged assault to teach Annam a harsh lesson.