After the Empress’s passing, Chancellor Lu Huai supported Imperial Grandson Li Zheng’s ascension to the throne. Though Li Zheng was young, the commoner families throughout the empire felt grateful for Emperor Taichang and the Empress’s benevolence, and were willing to wholeheartedly assist Li Zheng. Li Zheng was kind-hearted; even toward Princess Qi’an, who had repeatedly made things difficult for him, he didn’t deal a fatal blow, merely barring her from participating in state affairs while maintaining her other privileges. This posthumous son, born bearing his father’s original sin, under the careful nurturing of his mother and aunt, and the earnest teachings of his teacher Lu Huai, learned not to harbor resentment toward anyone despite his suffering. After an anxious and bumpy childhood, he finally came into his brilliance. After the Empress’s passing, all that she had done for Li Zheng was truthfully relayed to him by Lu Huai.

For instance, during Li Zheng’s childhood, though the Empress appeared indifferent, she couldn’t help but secretly order the Imperial Household Department not to neglect Li Zheng and his mother. After the unexplained fire at the Hot Springs Palace, the Empress didn’t thoroughly investigate on the surface, but half a month later, Prince Yong of the Jiang clan, who had been deeply favored, suddenly lost imperial favor and was imprisoned for questioning, then strangled in prison. From then on, the Jiang clan became extremely cautious, no longer daring to plot against Li Zheng. When Li Zheng fell ill while inspecting river works, his condition deteriorated rapidly, and the Empress sent five imperial physicians to Zhuojun day and night to treat him. Not to mention the many times when Li Zheng was handling state affairs in the Daming Palace, writing memorials by candlelight without sleep through the night, while the white-haired Empress, leaning on her cane, watched through the window screen as the young man bent his head and wrote quickly. She didn’t dare face this young man, but that didn’t mean she didn’t love him.

Li Zheng, wearing mourning clothes and with tears streaming down his face, only now realized how much his grandmother had loved him. His grandmother had left him the Great Zhou Empire, loyal ministers, and the people’s hearts, yet he never had the chance to thank her.

When the Empress passed away, she also left a posthumous edict, adopting Du Zhenyue, the daughter of the Yangzhou Magistrate, as her daughter, conferring upon her the title of Princess Wan’an, and granting two iron certificates to her and her husband. The ministers were astonished. This Du Zhenyue had only met the Empress once, at her wedding, just one day before the Empress’s passing. They had merely met once, so why did the Empress want to make her a princess and grant her two iron certificates?

An elderly palace attendant revealed the truth: Du Zhenyue’s appearance resembled the Empress’s beloved daughter Li Ying even more than Princess Qi’an’s did. So the Empress must have been deeply moved and thus showed her such favor. After all, the Empress had loved Princess Qi’an for many years because of her resemblance, so it wasn’t incomprehensible that upon meeting someone who resembled her daughter even more, she would adopt her and grant her immunity from execution. However, while conferring a princess title was a small matter, the iron certificates were extremely precious items. How could they be granted to a woman who had performed no meritorious service?

But Li Zheng, thinking of his grandmother’s care, wept with gratitude and reluctance to part. So he overcame the opposition and ordered that the Empress’s posthumous edict be followed, conferring the princess title on Du Zhenyue and granting the iron certificates to ensure her and her husband’s safety throughout their lives.

Seven years later.

On a beautiful, sunny day, Cui Xun sat on the ground. A few steps away stood a delicate little girl, about a year old. She was holding onto a crescent-shaped stool, anxiously calling out an unclear “Father.” Cui Xun smiled: “Father won’t carry you. You must walk over here yourself.”

The girl’s eyes welled up with tears, and she called “Father” again. Cui Xun shook his head: “You must walk over yourself.”

The girl still dared not walk. Cui Xun coaxed: “Jiaojiao, don’t be afraid. Father will catch you.”

He spread his arms. Seeing this, the girl summoned her courage, took her short little legs off the crescent stool, and wobbled forward. After three or four steps, she fell into Cui Xun’s embrace. Cui Xun held her and patted her back: “Father didn’t lie to Jiaojiao. Father won’t let Jiaojiao fall. Will Jiaojiao walk a few more steps?”

He picked up the girl and placed her back by the crescent stool. This time, her courage was much greater. She walked one more step than before, then again rolled into Cui Xun’s arms. After several repetitions, the number of steps she took increased each time, and the fear on her little face turned into giggles. On the last attempt, Cui Xun indulgently picked her up and gently pinched her nose: “Jiaojiao is so brave. Come, let’s go find Mother.”

He carried the girl out of the side room and into the courtyard, where Li Ying was flying a kite with a three-year-old boy whose features closely resembled Cui Xun’s. The little girl in Cui Xun’s arms saw Li Ying, reached out, called “Mother,” and wanted to be held.

These were Cui Xun and Li Ying’s children. Seven years ago, after the Empress’s passing and Li Zheng’s ascension, Li Zheng was grateful to Cui Xun for strongly advocating for him as heir, so he valued Cui Xun highly. Cui Xun, who had started as a top scholar, was initially appointed to the ninth rank as a National Youth School Four Gates Scholar, then steadily advanced. Now, at the age of twenty-three, he had already become a fourth-rank Vice Minister of Personnel—a remarkably fast promotion.

After being conferred the title of princess, Li Ying gradually overcame her grief over losing her mother with Cui Xun’s companionship. Although she was only the Empress’s adopted daughter in name, she still observed three years of mourning for the Empress on her initiative. Her two children were born after this mourning period ended.

Li Ying took Jiaojiao from Cui Xun’s arms: “How many steps did Jiaojiao take today?”

Jiaojiao was only a year old and couldn’t speak beyond calling “Father” and “Mother.” Her brother made a face at her: “Jiaojiao is so timid, she probably didn’t dare take even one step.”

Seeing his face, Jiaojiao’s lips trembled, and she began to cry.

Cui Xun sighed: “Pei Xian, if you scare your sister again, Father will spank you!”

Before Pei Xian was born, Cui Xun had been so excited that he could hardly sleep at night. He had always thought that when his child was born, he would love and cherish him, fulfilling his responsibility as a father. But after the child was born, he discovered that sometimes, one shouldn’t speak too soon. Pei Xian was like a little devil, very active and never quiet, completely unlike Cui Xun’s personality. Cui Xun held back again and again, but finally couldn’t help spanking him. Pei Xian was quite afraid of him, so when Cui Xun disciplined him, Pei Xian stuck out his tongue and no longer dared to scare his sister.

Li Ying comforted Jiaojiao in her arms, both angry and amused. She lightly knocked on Pei Xian’s head: “Every time it’s the same. You only behave after your father disciplines you.”

Pei Xian covered his head and muttered, “Mother is always the same, too.”

“What do you mean, ‘the same’?”

Pei Xian cried out: “Every time Father disciplines Xian’er, Mother always takes Father’s side. Mother only likes her husband and doesn’t like her son.”

As the three-year-old spoke, tears welled up in his eyes from feeling wronged. Li Ying was completely speechless: “Where did you hear that? When have I not liked you?”

Cui Xun said sternly: “Say that again.”

Pei Xian was so frightened by his tone that he began to wail loudly, dropping the kite in his hand to the ground. Li Ying shook her head: “He must have heard it from Princess Rongchang.”

Princess Rongchang was the Emperor’s legitimate daughter, the same age as Pei Xian. The current Emperor was steady in temperament, but his empress was free-spirited and unrestrained. Their daughter, Princess Rongchang, was so lively that she would be climbing walls if not disciplined for three days. Princess Rongchang and Pei Xian got along well, often playing together and being mischievous. Sometimes they would argue, but within a couple of hours, they would be inseparable again, like a pair of bickering companions.

Pei Xian cried loudly: “Rongchang said, said she’s never seen a couple like Father and Mother, still so affectionate after so many years of marriage. She also said that Mother only likes Father and doesn’t like Xian’er…”

If one only heard the second half of this statement, it wouldn’t sound like a bad thing.

When Pei Xian cried, Jiaojiao stopped crying and instead watched her sobbing brother with curious eyes. Li Ying handed Jiaojiao to Cui Xun, then picked up the kite from the ground and comforted her son: “Rongchang is wrong. Mother does like your father, but Mother also likes Xian’er. Xian’er is the most important, most important person in Mother’s heart.”

Pei Xian held the kite and sobbed: “Really?”

“Really.” Li Ying ruffled his hair: “Why would Mother lie to you?”

She turned her head and gave Cui Xun a reproachful glance, as if blaming him for being too strict and frightening their son. Cui Xun could only helplessly hold Jiaojiao while saying to Pei Xian: “Xian’er, if you stop crying, Father will take you horseback riding.”

At the mention of horseback riding, Pei Xian immediately perked up: “Good! I want to go horseback riding!”

The speed at which he was consoled made Cui Xun wonder if he had been dreaming earlier. But since he had promised his son, he had to keep his word. So Cui Xun’s rare ten-day holiday was spent teaching his daughter to walk in the morning and taking his son horseback riding in the afternoon, passing quickly.

By evening, after finally getting the two children to sleep, Li Ying kissed Pei Xian and Jiaojiao’s faces before having time to talk with her husband. She propped her head up, looking at their sleeping children, a smile involuntarily appearing at the corners of her mouth: “Seventeen, look at them. Aren’t they adorable?”

Such adorable children, born to her. She gave birth to such adorable children. Li Ying couldn’t get enough of looking at them. In his dream, Pei Xian muttered something and kicked off the brocade quilt covering him. Cui Xun carefully tucked him in again. Jiaojiao slept obediently, not moving at all. Cui Xun stared at Pei Xian and Jiaojiao, smiling: “They’re more adorable when they’re asleep.”

Li Ying pressed her lips together in a smile: “What are you saying? They’re not adorable when they’re awake?”

Cui Xun thought for a moment: “Although they can be noisy, the interesting moments are more frequent.”

That’s why whenever he had free time, he preferred to be with his two children, teaching them to walk, teaching them to ride and shoot, rather than leaving it to servants. He didn’t want to miss a single moment of their growth.

And Li Ying felt the same way.

Li Ying smiled, snuggled into her husband’s embrace, and put her arms around his waist: “Alright, I’ve spent time with my children. Now I want to spend time with my husband.”

The two nestled together like newlyweds, speaking intimately in low voices. After a while, the second watch drum sounded. Li Ying reluctantly said, “We should sleep. You have court tomorrow.”

Cui Xun smiled. He kissed her lips: “Mingyue Zhu, we still have a lifetime ahead of us.”

“Yes, we still have a lifetime ahead of us.”

Li Ying nestled in her husband’s embrace, with their two sweetly sleeping children beside them. The scene was so perfect that, for a moment, she thought of her father and mother. In her heart, she silently said: Father, Mother, do you see? Mingyue Zhu is a mother now, and Mingyue Zhu feels truly blessed today. Father, Mother, thank you. May your next lives also be as happy and fulfilled as Mingyue Zhu’s is now.