The capital had regained its bustle, and the officials who had fled were gradually returning to their posts. After some reorganization, someone went to the palace to invite the Emperor to court. Li Huailin emerged from the He Xi Palace, changed into his dragon robe, and, carrying several scrolls, took his seat on the dragon throne.
“I, having received the grace of the late Emperor’s upbringing and the care of the Eldest Princess for many years, ascended to the throne. Yet, I have caused great trouble, destabilizing the Northern Wei dynasty and unsettling the people. Last night, I dreamed of the late Emperor, who reproached me for being unfit to rule. I, too, feel ashamed. Therefore, today, I wish to reveal the edict left by the late Emperor to the world.”
Many of those standing below in the court had their criticisms of this Emperor. Without the support of Ziyang Jun, how could he still be on the throne? Moreover, Li Huailin had been stubborn and favored sycophants over honest officials, leaving many ministers dissatisfied. Yet, upon hearing his words, they were all taken aback.
Now, they liked him very much, so they could bear anything.
Jiang Xuanjin’s lips curled slightly. “Back then, I didn’t like you this much.”
Jiang Xuanjin paused, recalling the Jiang family garden long ago. Her ankle was injured, and she stubbornly insisted he carry her. He had kept a stern face, looking indifferent.
With a twinkle in her eyes, Huaiyu playfully hooked her arms around his neck, swinging her legs. “I used to ask you to carry me, and you refused. Now, why are you suddenly willing?”
Both amused and exasperated, Jiang Xuanjin couldn’t take it anymore. He simply pulled her over and carried her on his back.
“Whimper, whimper~”
“Be quiet.”
Li the Rascal clung to him, kissing and nuzzling. “In front of my husband, I’m just a little woman~”
If someone like her could be considered a little woman, were there any scoundrels left in the world?
Stopping to look her up and down, Jiang Xuanjin found it hard to believe. “Little woman?”
“The dignified Ziyang Jun, what are you fussing about with a little woman?” She pouted.
“Keep making things up.”
“Hehe.” Feeling guilty, Huaiyu averted her eyes. “It’s a fateful bond, indeed. After all the misfortunes, we have a good fate, which I call a fateful bond!”
Jiang Xuanjin glanced at her. “Yesterday, you argued with me and said meeting me was a fateful bond.”
Blinking, Huaiyu hugged his arm, sighing, “I was thinking, the old master is indeed fair. To make up for it, he let me meet you.”
“What are you thinking about?” Jiang Xuanjin asked her.
Li Huaiyu was bewildered, having been chased out of the house by the old master along with Jiang Xuanjin, still a bit dazed.
“You young people don’t understand these rules,” the old master huffed. “Once children have names, they should wear gold lockets for safety and good fortune… Hey, have you finished talking? If so, go for a walk and stop staying in my house.”
“No!” Li Huaiyu quickly waved her hand, pointing to the abundance of things in the house and courtyard. “They’re still young and don’t need so much. It’s not too late to prepare when they turn one.”
Receiving praise, the old master was even happier, cheerfully rocking the two children by the desk. “Suìsuì and Fánchén, finally have decent names. I’ll have Chong’er go out and get two gold lockets later…”
“Good.” Huaiyu clapped her hands. “These names sound nice.”
With her smoothing things over, the old master laughed again, pointing to the names on the paper. “I had someone calculate the eight characters. The brother’s eight characters are heavy, so I wanted to give him a grand name, but I was afraid it wouldn’t suit him. Now it’s fine; he can bear any grand name. So, we’ll use the character ‘Chén’ and add the Li family’s generational character ‘Fán’ to make Fánchén. How about it?”
“Yes, I’ll decide,” Huaiyu laughed. “Father, why don’t you see what name suits Little Rascal? Don’t mind him, don’t mind him.”
Old Master Jiang sighed. “I’m just saying a few words. Whether they are born or not, isn’t it up to you?”
Good luck is good, but what if luck is bad? Jiang Xuanjin’s face was stern, his jaw set, showing no room for negotiation.
Huaiyu knew what he was thinking and quickly took his hand, whispering to soothe him, “No more, no more. Don’t get upset. I’m still fine, aren’t I?”
“That’s not okay,” he frowned, a hint of hostility in his voice, sounding defiant.
The old master was taken aback, glancing at him. “It’s not like you’re the one giving birth.”
“No,” Jiang Xuanjin’s face darkened at those words. “No more.”
“Don’t worry, Jiang’s second son has a boy with the surname Jiang,” the old master reassured her, seeing her bewildered expression. “Although his concubine is petty and suspicious, unwilling to let the child be raised by me, that child still carries the Jiang name and will inherit the Jiang family line. If you feel bad, you can have more when the time is right.”
Jiang Xuanjin remained indifferent as if he had expected this. The old master, though fond of children, was reasonable. As long as he could hold the children, everything else was negotiable.
Huaiyu was shocked, looking between him and Jiang Xuanjin.
The old master pursed his lips. “Xuanjin said these two children were born at the risk of your life. Our family neither took good care of you nor helped much. You bringing the children back already makes me very happy. Besides, these children are blessed. With the surname Li, they will rule the world. In the grand scheme, how can we quibble over surnames? They are still my grandchildren!”
“Wait a minute.” Seeing he was about to continue, Huaiyu quickly interrupted, “You… don’t mind Little Rascal having the surname Li?”
Turning to Li Huaiyu, he held Little Troublemaker tightly. “The girl must have the surname Jiang, okay? I’ve already thought of a name, Suìsuì, from ‘There is a fox, Suìsuì, on the Qi beam.’ The character ‘Suì’ is good! Very good! Listen to me…”
“Yes, I know.” The old master waved his hand. “With such a big commotion outside, I’m not deaf. Do I need you to tell me? The brother has the surname Li, that’s fine, but…”
Jiang Xuanjin said, “There’s something I want to discuss with Father.”
A piece of paper as large as half a table was filled with a small script, all names without surnames. Huaiyu glanced at it.
“Ah, you’re here?” The old master cheerfully put down his pen and picked up the rice paper on the table. “Come and see, which name is good?”
The old master had two cloth pouches hanging around his neck, each containing a little one. He didn’t seem to mind the strain on his neck, patting the swaddles with one hand and holding a pen with the other, writing something on the table.
However, upon entering the Hongyuan Pavilion, Huaiyu realized she might have overthought things.
Huaiyu was wide-eyed. Could she have overthought it? Which family would tolerate their child taking the mother’s surname, especially a prominent family like the Jiang family?
With a slight smile, Jiang Xuanjin said, “You’re overthinking it.”
“The old master likes Little Rascal so much, he’s even flipping through books to name him. If you suddenly tell him the child will have the surname Li, he’ll be furious!” Huaiyu shivered at the thought. “He’s been sleeping with the two little ones these past few days, never leaving their side!”
Jiang Xuanjin turned to her. “What are you afraid of?”
Li Huaiyu could understand their thoughts. After all, they couldn’t casually change the Li dynasty’s surname, but how to explain it to the Jiang family’s old master? She frowned, tugging at Jiang Xuanjin’s sleeve. “Slow down.”
However, there was a problem: the court hoped the child would have the surname Li.
In the ninth year of Daxing, at the beginning of September, Emperor Qin revealed the late Emperor’s edict, abdicating in favor of the son of the Eldest Princess of Danyang. The court was divided, sparking new disputes. However, with the armies of Ziyang and Danyang pressing outside the capital, the Eldest Princess summoned the Grand Marshal to court to report on the military situation. After the report, the disputes subsided, and the Minister of Rites selected an auspicious day for the enthronement, preparing to install the Eldest Princess’s son as Emperor.
As he spoke, his eyes unexpectedly brightened, as if recalling something warm, and his lips curled slightly.
“Your Majesty need not worry,” Li Huailin said. “I have a place to go.”
The late Emperor’s edict had been issued. Although there was still controversy in the court, he voluntarily relinquished the throne, so he could no longer reside in Longyan Palace.
Weighing the box, it felt heavy. Jiang Xuanjin put it away and asked, “Where do you plan to go?”
After a pause, he clenched his fist. “If the Empress doesn’t want it, Your Majesty can throw it away. It’s not worth much.”
“I’m used to it,” he said. “I thought she would die, so burning it for her wouldn’t matter. But she has a strong life force and won’t die, so I’ll send it to her.”
Wasn’t he planning to kill her back then?
Receiving the box, Jiang Xuanjin was puzzled. “Your Majesty even prepared this?”
“This year and last year, the Empress’s birthdays have passed,” he said, pursing his lips. “Give it to her for me.”
Li Huailin chuckled, his fingers repeatedly rubbing his sleeve. After hesitating for a long time, he stood up, walked to the bookshelf, and took down a box.
“No,” Jiang Xuanjin shook his head. “She cares a lot.”
Li Huailin stood before him, lowering his eyes. “Isn’t it redundant for Your Majesty to ask this now?”
After the morning court session, he stood in the imperial study and asked this question.
“Do you feel guilty towards your sister?”
Jiang Xuanjin stood below, silently listening to every word he read, his gaze fixed on the qilin incense burner, watching the wisps of blue smoke rise.
The deep voice echoed throughout the court, leaving the ministers dumbfounded and at a loss. Li Huailin, however, showed no sign of stopping, standing straight, clutching the worn scroll, and standing on the golden steps.
“However, Huailin is not my blood. The Li family’s legitimate heir is only Yu. If Huailin reaches sixteen, he should abdicate in favor of Huaiyu’s son. Yu is intelligent, virtuous, and naturally endowed with grace. Though a daughter, she can assist the nation. With the young son on the throne, the civil and military officials should work together to support him, ensuring prosperity. This is my wish…”
“I, with my meager virtue, inherited the great enterprise of my ancestors, ruling the world for just over a year, laboring day and night, and now I am gravely ill. Life and death are the natural order, the same path as the sages before, not worth lamenting. The state and the people must have a ruler. The young son, Huailin, is naturally kind, filial, and wise. I have long hoped for his greatness. Ministers and people, I hope you will support him as Emperor, to uphold the divine order and care for the multitude.”
Li Huailin’s face was pale, clearly still a teenager, yet white hair had already appeared at his temples, a few strands tucked into his dragon crown. He rose, took the edict held by the attendant, waved him away, and slowly unfolded it, reading word by word:
The edict left by the late Emperor?