The Emperor was extremely pleased. Surprised that Chief Minister Chang had become so generous, he couldn’t help but tease him. “My beloved minister wasn’t this magnanimous before. The Qi Analects… I heard it’s a family heirloom passed down from one of the Chang family ancestors. To think you’re willing to bring it out… This shows that children are always more endearing than adults.”
Chief Minister Chang’s expression and heartbeat remained unchanged. “In reply to Your Majesty, it’s not that children are more endearing than adults. It’s that the little imperial great-grandson is truly a lucky star. Just as the Northwest has been pacified and Tatar envoys have come to the capital to offer tribute and apologies, the little imperial great-grandson is born at this very moment. This symbolizes that from now on, our Great Zhou will have peace across the four seas and favorable weather and harvests. This subject is not presenting a gift to the imperial great-grandson, but rather presenting a gift to the eternal prosperity of our Great Zhou!”
Ye Jingkuan secretly whispered to Li Er from behind, “This old fox really knows how to flatter!”
Li Er kept nodding. “I thought the old Chief Minister would never stoop to such flattering work. Who knew that when he does flatter, there’s simply nothing left for us to do? He’s said everything—what’s left for us to say?”
He racked his brains thinking, but ultimately couldn’t outdo Chief Minister Chang, so he gave up and asked Ye Jingkuan, “The old Chief Minister sent such a valuable gift. I wonder what our old master, who’s the great-grandfather on the maternal side, will send…”
The Song family was Xiang Mingzi’s natal family. Li Er lived alone with the young Xiang couple in the capital and had received considerable help from the Song family. The two families had grown increasingly close, so Li Er had gotten used to calling Old Master Song “our old master.”
Ye Jingkuan was quite curious too. “It definitely can’t be inferior. This is the first imperial great-grandson of our dynasty, and the legitimate eldest son of the Imperial Grand Prince at that… But to surpass Chief Minister Chang seems somewhat difficult. That’s the Qi Analects…”
Fortunately, Song Chengru seemed to have a tacit understanding with Chief Minister Chang. Where the Chief Minister sent a sacred text that scholars dreamed of, he sent a martial treasure—a small dagger.
This dagger was completely different from the kind that wealthy young masters usually played with. It was neither encrusted with jewels nor embedded with diamonds or jade. The item itself seemed quite ordinary with nothing special about it. Only when the small dagger was unsheathed did it elicit a chorus of gasps.
“The cold iron dagger left by the Mohist school!” Cui Shaoting stared without blinking. “The old master actually had this treasure in his possession.” He said to Cui Yingshu, “These two old foxes definitely coordinated this. Otherwise, how could it be so coincidental—one sending the Analects and one sending a weapon? Truly old foxes…”
Even Emperor Jianzhang was somewhat envious. “This little fellow is clearly a lucky star. If there are any other gifts, bring them all out for me to see.”
Fortunately, none of the subsequent gifts surpassed these two. Cui Yingshu and Cui Shaoting were originally still in the mourning period, but the day had been calculated by the Imperial Observatory, and they had cleansed away bad luck with pomelo leaves before coming. The gifts they sent were valuable but not shocking.
By the time gift-giving was almost complete, the appointed hour had arrived.
As this was the first imperial great-grandson, it was proper to inform the ancestral temple. Emperor Jianzhang personally led Zhou Weizhao and the civil and military officials to the Imperial Temple. Along the way, he was somewhat worried that the imperial great-grandson would throw a tantrum, but unexpectedly, the imperial great-grandson was exceptionally docile and quiet in his arms, sleeping until the ceremony was complete. Only when Emperor Jianzhang bestowed him with a name did he open his eyes slightly.
Emperor Jianzhang was very pleased by his great-grandson’s pure gaze. Smiling, he teased him, “A’Che, you must be like your name.”
Imperial great-grandson Zhou Che very graciously curved his lips in his drowsy state, looking as if he were smiling.
Emperor Jianzhang was greatly delighted. He personally carried Zhou Che all the way onto the dragon carriage. Upon reaching Wenhua Hall where the banquet was set, he first let all the officials view him before having a eunuch send him back to Qingning Hall.
Today’s third-day bathing ceremony was set in Qingning Hall.
Empress Lu had been anxiously waiting. Such a small child… Seeing Duke An personally deliver the child back, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. Hearing that a name had already been bestowed, she smiled and told Consort Song and the Song family members, “His Majesty personally chose it. This generation all takes the water radical…”
In an instant, eunuchs and palace maids quickly carried in a golden basin. They poured in scalding hot water that had been boiled together with peach tree roots, mugwort leaves, and tiger bones. Empress Lu personally took a ladle to pour in the first scoop of clear water, threw in a double-sided jade pendant symbolizing wealth and good fortune, then tossed in several exquisitely crafted golden anklets. Smiling, she touched Zhou Che’s head and spoke a blessing: “Peace and good health.”
Next was Princess Consort Lu. She first held him in her arms and kissed him, then touching his head also spoke blessings of wealth and peace. She poured red dates, dried longans, and other items into the basin, and placed a red string on Zhou Che.
Following in order were Grand Consort Dowager Zhuang, Grand Consort Dowager Jing, and others, then the various Imperial Consorts. When it was the turn of First Madam Song and Yin Yunduan, each threw in longevity gold locks meant for children to wear, carved with auspicious characters.
First Madam Song specifically threw in another pair of small gold bracelets embroidered with gold thread, telling Song Chuyi, “Your Majesty, this is a token of the Old Madam’s heart… She prepared it long ago…”
Song Chuyi’s eyes reddened slightly. After a moment, she nodded heavily.
Compared to Ran’geer, this child’s third-day bathing ceremony was so grand it was like heaven and earth. In this life, she could still receive gifts from Old Madam Song and Song Yi. Holding the child, her emotions were somewhat complex.
After the water was added, the midwife and Chief Stewardess Hu from the Empress’s palace unwrapped Zhou Che’s swaddling clothes. They first washed his head, then placed him in the water to cleanse his body.
On the day of his birth, he had only been hastily wiped down, not daring to expose him to wind, so there was still much dirt on his head and body. The midwife’s movements were gentle and careful, singing auspicious phrases as she washed.
Once finished, they dressed him from inside out in new clothes sent by his maternal family, then wrapped him in a bright yellow brocade blanket and handed him to Empress Lu. “Please, Your Majesty, hold the little imperial great-grandson to worship the Lady of Azure Heaven…”
Empress Lu nodded as instructed, held Zhou Che as she worshipped thirteen deity statues, then personally handed the child to Song Chuyi.
Next, Song Chuyi personally held Zhou Che to worship while seeing off the thirteen deity statues. She held the small child in her arms with sincere devotion, praying earnestly to the Lady of Azure Heaven.
This child must grow up well.
Once the ceremony was complete, the female guests all went to the side hall adjoining Qingning Hall to take their seats. First Madam Song took advantage of everyone dispersing to walk to Song Chuyi’s side, softly saying to her, “Qingzi doesn’t have an official title yet and couldn’t enter. She specifically asked me to offer congratulations to Your Majesty…”
Song Chuyi accepted their goodwill and smiled, nodding at First Madam Song. “Aunt, rest assured.”