Chapter 150

Chapter 150

After chatting with Prince Hui for a while, Yao Huang took a long nap and woke up to find it dark outside the window.

Dazed for a moment, Yao Huang looked to the side and noticed that the swaddling blanket that had been there earlier was gone, replaced by Prince Hui, who was lying down fully dressed.

The Princess Consort: "..."

Although the Princess Consort made no obvious movements, Zhao Sui still woke up. Meeting the Princess Consort's clear gaze, unsure how long he had been awake or how long she had been watching him, Prince Hui stiffened slightly for a moment, then propped himself up and asked in a low voice, "Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

Yao Huang did feel a bit uncomfortable and pointed to her chest, which was covered by the blanket, saying, "It feels so swollen."

This wasn't a tease to the reserved Prince Hui; the Princess Consort's brows were furrowed.

Zhao Sui immediately sat back in his wheelchair and called for assistance.

Nanny Jin and Luo Jinhua entered in succession.

Prince Hui found it awkward to explain the Princess Consort's discomfort, so after glancing at her, he pushed himself out.

Yao Huang looked at her mother and asked, "Where is the baby?"

Luo Jinhua smiled and said, "He's been taken to the wet nurse for feeding. Seeing that you and the Prince were asleep, we kept him with the wet nurse. The little one is full and sleeping soundly now."

With her questions answered, Yao Huang looked to Nanny Jin for help.

Nanny Jin then gently massaged the Princess Consort. Feeding a child is a tough job, and both the royal consorts and the ladies in the mansions of high officials hire wet nurses to do it.

After marrying into the royal family and enjoying so many privileges, Yao Huang naturally chose the most comfortable way to manage child-rearing.

According to Nanny Jin, Yao Huang only needed to drink the herbal soup prepared by the kitchen for three to five days, and her chest would feel as light as before.

Seeing her daughter's increasingly relaxed expression, Luo Jinhua happily said, "I've heard about this massage technique from other noblewomen. It feels comfortable after, but it hurts during. But look at Nanny Jin's skillful technique, you must reward her well, and be even more filial to the Empress in the future."

Yao Huang: "Of course, without Nanny Jin, these past few months wouldn't have been so stress-free."

Nanny Jin, long accustomed to the Princess Consort's sweet talk, now being praised by both the Princess Consort and her mother, felt almost embarrassed at her age.

After cleaning up again, Luo Jinhua went to bring the baby back. Once she and Nanny Jin left, Prince Hui returned, carrying a tray covered with red silk on his lap.

The Princess Consort, who had been focused on the baby, was drawn to the red silk and asked, "What's this?"

Zhao Sui: "A reward from the Emperor."

The Princess Consort's eyes lit up, and she sat up, moving the swaddling clothes aside to make room for Prince Hui to place the tray.

Zhao Sui watched nervously, "Are you able to sit up already? Aren't you cold in just your undergarments?"

Yao Huang didn't feel cold, but to reassure Prince Hui, she picked up a quilted short jacket that was prepared nearby and put it on.

Zhao Sui placed the tray on the side of the pillow and lifted the red silk.

Yao Huang first saw a gold hairpin adorned with gemstones shaped like peony flowers. The outer layer of the peony had seven gold petals, each embedded with a red gemstone the size of a longan pit. The second layer was seven petals carved from mutton-fat white jade, the third layer was seven gold filaments, each curled around a pearl the size of a bean, and the fourth layer was more gold filaments, shorter and densely packed, surrounding a red gemstone the size of a hawthorn berry in the center!

Just looking at it made Yao Huang's heart flutter, and Prince Hui helped place the peony hairpin in her hand.

Yao Huang tried to pry out the red gemstone inside, making sure it wasn't easy to remove, which reassured her. Otherwise, if she wore it out one day and the most valuable red gemstone fell out, she would cry in distress!

On the tray, there was also a gold necklace with a longevity lock and a pair of shiny gold baby bracelets, all for the little prince.

Yao Huang thought to herself that Emperor Yongchang must dote on his grandson even more, but since the newborn grandson knew nothing and was easy to please, she could only emphasize the rewards given to her to show his satisfaction with this royal grandson.

"Father is truly amazing. Your Highness must be filial to him in the future, always caring for his well-being," Yao Huang sincerely advised, because both she and the child were the "two extras" that Emperor Yongchang loved along with Prince Hui. Only if Prince Hui remained favored by Emperor Yongchang would the rewards for her and the child continue to flow.

Zhao Sui ignored his consort's naive remarks, picked up a bracelet, and compared it to the baby's small wrists raised on either side of his shoulders—it was far too big to fit.

Yao Huang thought Prince Hui was being a bit silly too.

After nightfall, the nanny took the child away, and Prince Hui lay on the bed in the delivery room to accompany his consort to sleep.

The couple discussed the child's nickname.

The three children of Prince Kang were all named by Emperor Yongchang after their first birthday, so it was certain that the children of Prince Hui and Prince Qing would follow this tradition. The two couples only needed to think of a temporary nickname for their child.

Yao Huang: "Actually, 'Dandan' is really adorable, and it sounds like an easy name to raise a child with."

Zhao Sui: "Not appropriate."

Yao Huang: "Then how about 'Dandan'? The 'dan' from morning, as the day's plan lies in the morning—it's full of meaning."

Zhao Sui: "...Not appropriate."

Yao Huang pushed him: "Your Highness, you think of one. You've read more books than I've drunk water in my entire life."

Zhao Sui: "But that knowledge isn't suitable for nicknames."

A nickname should sound very endearing. Prince Hui still hadn't figured out how to affectionately address his consort, so he knew he couldn't come up with a suitable nickname for the child either.

Yao Huang: "My brother's nickname was 'Little Tiger,' and mine was 'Little Flower,' both taken from a character in my parents' names."

Zhao Sui looked at his consort.

Yao Huang immediately covered his eyes: "Don't use my name!"

Zhao Sui: "...My name is too serious."

Yao Huang: "And mine is too plain!"

She withdrew her hand, and the couple each stared at the bed canopy, deep in thought. Prince Hui silently focused on the character "Huang," while Yao Huang thought of the bamboo grove she passed by when the child was born, the bamboo courtyard Prince Hui liked to live in when she first married, and then looked at the elegant Prince Hui beside her. She smiled, leaned on Prince Hui's shoulder, and said, "Let's call him 'Little Bamboo.' Your Highness is the big bamboo, and he is the little bamboo. Bamboo grows quickly, and the name has a good meaning."

Prince Hui, who was praised as bamboo by his consort, tilted his head and after a while said, "Let's call him 'Yun Er.' 'Leaf by leaf, fresh bamboo in spring, with gentle streams below.' 'Yun' is the elegant term for bamboo."

Yao Huang thought the poem was beautiful and it matched the scene of the bamboo grove that morning, so she was particularly satisfied and kissed Prince Hui on the cheek.

On the day of the third-day celebration for the young prince of Prince Hui's residence, close relatives from both the prince and consort's sides who could travel came.

The Grand Princess and the Second Princess came together from the palace, arriving quickly as they were nearby, each bringing gifts for their sister-in-law and nephew. The rewards from the imperial concubines would arrive with Emperor Yongchang's gifts.

"The name 'Yun' is truly wonderful. I've always thought that Second Brother has the grace of bamboo," the Grand Princess praised with a smile.

Unaccustomed to such compliments, Prince Hui left early, leaving the eastern side room of the rear courtyard for the three sisters-in-law.

Luo Jinhua, who had just moved back to the new residence a day ago, quickly brought Yao Zhenhu and his son, along with the Luo family members who had stayed in the Yao family guest room for this occasion, to the prince's residence. Prince Hui observed everyone as he had done with his two princess sisters, ensuring no one was ill before having Eunuch Cao lead the female relatives to the back to visit the consort and child.

Prince Kang and Chen Ying brought their little prince, and Prince Hui continued to observe.

Prince Qing accompanied Grand Princess Fucheng and arrived last, as Zheng Yuanzhen was still in confinement and couldn't go out.

After observing, Prince Hui had Eunuch Cao guide Grand Princess Fucheng over.

Upon entering the eastern chamber, Grand Princess Fucheng immediately noticed the Yao and Luo families, dressed in plain silk, their demeanor and behavior starkly contrasting with those of noble families.

Grand Princess Fucheng's brow furrowed in displeasure.

Luo Jinhua, along with her mother and two of her sisters-in-law, prepared to step forward to pay their respects, just as they had done when greeting the two princesses.

Yao Huang stopped them, smiling, "We are all family here, Auntie, no need for such formalities, do you agree?"

Grand Princess Fucheng's frown was a clear slight. In her own home, why should Yao Huang demean her family to appease an outsider? When she first married Prince Hui, he had never looked down on her family.

Grand Princess Fucheng offered a thin smile, "Of course."

Ignoring the commoner women, Grand Princess Fucheng approached the bed and looked at the baby in the swaddle. Though small, Prince Hui's child was noticeably larger than her own grandson, born a month premature.

Grand Princess Fucheng politely praised the child and gifted a gold necklace.

Yao Huang thanked her, and as the second elder sister-in-law, inquired about the well-being of Zheng Yuanzhen and her child.

Grand Princess Fucheng's smile warmed as she explained, "Yuanzhen had a difficult early pregnancy, which led to the premature birth of the third son, who weighed just over five pounds at birth. Luckily, the child thrives, eating and sleeping well, and has gained weight recently. Yuanzhen said she will bring the child to meet his younger brother once she recovers from her postpartum period. Both of you married into the royal family in the same year, and your first sons were born in the same year—it's all fate."

Yao Huang was momentarily at a loss for words...

She was somewhat unaccustomed to the sudden warmth and friendliness from the Grand Princess.

After sitting for a while, Grand Princess Fucheng went to the front courtyard. After the meal at Prince Hui's, she accompanied Prince Qing back to visit her daughter.

To their own, every child is a treasure. As soon as Prince Qing entered Zheng Yuanzhen's room, he picked up his third son, Sanlang, and kissed him, saying to Zheng Yuanzhen, "After looking around, our Sanlang is the most handsome."

Zheng Yuanzhen glanced at her mother, seeking confirmation.

Grand Princess Fucheng remarked, "That child, born full-term, has a rounder face than our Sanlang, but his features lack Sanlang's refinement."

Zheng Yuanzhen naturally did not believe it. No matter how proud she was, she had to admit that she was not as beautiful as Yao Huang, and her husband, Prince Qing, was not as handsome as Prince Hui.

But such comparisons were trivial in the grand scheme.

Once Prince Qing departed, Zheng Yuanzhen leaned in, her voice a whisper, "Mother, what of the canal's destruction in Liangzhou?"

Grand Princess Fucheng patted her daughter's hand: "Don't worry, I have arranged everything. Two loyal retainers with families have been given five hundred taels of silver each. Once the task is completed and they return, they will each receive another thousand taels."

She promised this, yet upon their return, uninformed guards would silence them, erasing all traces, with their families soon to follow into oblivion.

Should they be captured, to spare their families, they'd swear allegiance to the Du family of the Duke of Enfeoffment, as per her command.

In the struggle between the snipe and the clam, it's the fisherman who reaps the benefit. If something happened to Prince Kang and Prince Hui, Noble Consort Du and the fourth prince would also benefit, and Noble Consort Du's dislike for Prince Hui was well known. With the retainers' confessions, it would be hard for the emperor to suspect her.

Grand Princess Fucheng counseled, "Stay calm, think of nothing. Only by believing we're uninvolved can you avoid suspicion during the emperor's inquiry."

Zheng Yuanzhen gazed at her slumbering child, then nodded with slow, resolute certainty.

Author's note: Noble Consort Du: 'Furious' 'Furious'

PS: Yao Yao's peony hairpin is modeled after a Ming dynasty gold inlaid gemstone floral hairpin. Interested sisters can search for it.

PPS: The quote "Each leaf of the new spring bamboo, below flows a clear shallow stream" used by Prince Hui is from the poem "Ten Songs of Apricot Creek - Bamboo on the Islet" by the Tang dynasty poet Yao He, who also shares the surname Yao.