Zhao Hanzhang lavishly praised Zhao Mingming and reviewed her Liaodong expedition with her. Mother and daughter even shared lunch in the great hall, talking until around the hour of shen, when Zhao Yunxin from the Secretariat led people carrying a large pile of official documents.

Only then did Zhao Hanzhang let Zhao Mingming go rest. “Go pay your respects to your grandmothers.”

Zhao Mingming wanted more to see her father and younger brother. She hurriedly asked, “Will Father return this evening?”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled. “I’ve already sent someone to the Institute of Natural Philosophy. He will definitely come back.”

Only then did Zhao Mingming happily head to the rear palace.

After leaving the main hall and passing beyond the courtiers’ line of sight, she broke into a run.

Her attendants behind her frantically chased after her. “Crown Princess, Crown Princess, one shouldn’t run in the palace…”

Zhao Mingming flew away in a flash and called back, “I’m going to see the Empress Dowager!”

But after running through the corridor, she still turned at a corner and went to another side hall first.

At the hour of shen, the Second Prince had just woken from his afternoon nap not long ago. He was currently sitting on cushions in the great hall, touching the toys before him, very quiet.

Hearing the thumping sound of running footsteps, he alertly raised his head. The only person who dared to run like this in his palace, who would run like this in his palace, was one person.

He dropped the toy in his hand and pushed himself up to stand.

Just as he got to his feet, Zhao Mingming came stomping in and stopped not far from him.

The siblings met, both their eyes lighting up with excitement. Zhao Mingming shouted, “Fu Jingjing!”

The calm Fu Jingjing also shouted, his entire being becoming animated. “Elder Sister!”

Fu Jingjing ran over barefoot. Zhao Mingming scooped him up in one motion and, amid the startled cries of the eunuchs and palace maids, stubbornly held him and spun three or four circles, then bounced him up a bit, somewhat disdainfully saying, “Have you gotten thinner?”

Fu Jingjing replied, “No, it’s that your strength has grown!”

Zhao Mingming put him down and used her hand to press down that tuft of hair sticking up from the top of his head. But his hair was too soft, and having just woken up, it was stubbornly sticking up. As soon as she removed her hand, it slowly unfurled again, still messily pointing skyward.

Zhao Mingming pressed twice but couldn’t keep it down. The patience she had rarely accumulated was exhausted, and like before, she simply gave his hair a thorough tousling, watching it become completely disheveled. Only then did her heart feel somewhat satisfied.

Fu Jingjing looked at his sister pitifully.

Zhao Mingming guiltily averted her gaze and took his hand. “Come on, let’s go see Grandmother.”

A eunuch quickly brought over the shoes and helped Fu Jingjing put them on.

Zhao Mingming pulled him along. The eunuchs and palace maids on the side wanted to speak but hesitated, very much wanting to tidy up the Second Prince again, but Zhao Mingming had already pulled Fu Jingjing away with stomping footsteps.

Fu Jingjing’s palace was not far from Wang Shi’s main hall. She also had work to do, having just finished discussing with Wang Huifeng about sending supplies next month to areas around Poyang Lake that had suffered flooding.

This fell under the Imperial Family’s charitable endeavors. The court had its disaster relief, and as the Imperial Family, whenever disasters occurred anywhere, they needed to set an example in helping the disaster victims.

With the nation stable and although natural disasters occasionally occurred in various places, most regions enjoyed good weather and harvests. The state had accumulated some capital, and Zhao Hanzhang’s practice of subsidizing the state treasury from her private coffers had slowed.

In recent years, apart from rewarding courtiers, funding Fu Tinghan’s various scientific and technological research, and some national research projects with no immediate returns, most of her private treasury had been saved.

Money, after all, was useless just sitting there—it only had value when spent.

Especially for Zhao Hanzhang as Emperor.

Therefore, she gave Wang Shi a considerable income specifically for doing charitable works everywhere.

Disaster relief, supporting the weak, protecting children, caring for the elderly, supporting education—as long as she could think of good deeds, she could do them.

All of this was planned and executed by Wang Huifeng for her.

Years of living in comfort and doing good works had cultivated in Wang Shi a magnanimity and confidence that made her gracious and self-assured, embodying the image of the nation’s mother in the hearts of people throughout the realm.

The last time she went to Chang’an to help the poor and support education while visiting her younger son’s family, the entire city of Chang’an turned out. People welcoming her crowded the streets, and some even fainted on the spot from excitement.

The Empress Dowager had become the Hua Kingdom’s first celebrity.

Not to mention the civil and military officials—even Zhao Hanzhang herself hadn’t anticipated that the most beloved person in the Imperial Family would be her mother.

However, she was happy to see this happen.

Zhao Mingming pulled Fu Jingjing inside. Wang Huifeng, sitting below the Empress Dowager, immediately rose to perform the proper courtesies.

Zhao Mingming and Fu Jingjing also stopped and bowed respectfully.

Wang Shi was delighted to see Zhao Mingming. “Your mother let you come? Come here quickly and let me look at you.”

Wang Shi felt her from head to toe, paying particular attention to her hands, heartbroken. “Your hands have gotten rougher again, and you’ve lost weight. Were you injured?”

Zhao Mingming puffed out her chest, proud and confident. “I was with the central army. Who could injure me?” She didn’t mention that she had led a unit charging onto the battlefield.

Wang Shi believed her and relaxed. Then she looked at Fu Jingjing, both heartbroken and amused. “Did you drink water after waking? Did your elder sister mess up your hair?”

She chided Zhao Mingming, “Your younger brother is getting older and needs to establish dignity. You can’t keep ruffling his hair.”

Zhao Mingming said, “His hair is too soft, Grandmother. Let him grow long hair—then when we tie it in a little braid, it won’t stick up to the sky anymore.”

Wang Shi hesitated, smoothing Fu Jingjing’s hair, but still shook her head. “No, your brother’s hair isn’t very good to begin with. We can’t let it grow too early. Let’s shave it a few more times.”

Fu Jingjing’s hair was both soft and sparse. His personality and interests had been revealed very early on.

Unlike Zhao Mingming who had shown her outgoing nature even as an infant, Fu Jingjing was very quiet. Except for whimpering a few times when he had needs, he spent most of his time opening his round eyes to quietly observe the world.

If not for the fact that his eyes were very clear, Zhao Hanzhang would have suspected he had past-life memories.

Wang Shi loved Zhao Mingming dearly. Having been away for three months, she couldn’t get enough of her now. Just listening to her describe the scenery along the way kept her thoroughly entertained.

Fu Jingjing also listened with great interest, his face full of admiration, his eyes sparkling as he watched his sister boast.

Only after a long while did Wang Huifeng find an opportunity to interject. “Crown Princess, you should also pay your respects to Princess Imperial and the Prince Consort today. It’s about time.”

As the palace’s chief steward, Wang Huifeng was also responsible for instructing the imperial princes and princesses in etiquette.

Zhao Mingming reluctantly stopped talking. Glancing at the clock in the corner, she realized that if she didn’t leave the palace now, she might not make it back in time to have dinner with her parents. Only then did she get up to take Fu Jingjing’s hand. “I’ll take Jingjing along!”

Wang Shi hesitated before nodding. “Go ahead, and keep your grandmother company for a while longer.”

She looked at Fu Jingjing once more and compassionately stroked his hair. “Take good care of Jingjing.”

Although Fu Jingjing’s personality and appearance both took after Fu Tinghan, Princess Hongnong was quite cold toward him, preferring Zhao Mingming instead.

The difference was visible even in everyday holiday gifts and birthday presents.

This made Wang Shi very sympathetic toward Fu Jingjing.

She didn’t know whether Princess Hongnong was deliberately maintaining distance for court stability or whether she genuinely disliked him out of personal feelings. In any case, she was unhappy that the Princess was being so obvious about it, so she wasn’t particularly pleased about Fu Jingjing visiting the Princess Imperial’s mansion.

Her Jingjing was only five years old. How could he suffer such grievances over those matters?

But she couldn’t very well prevent the grandmother and grandson from meeting, so she could only have Zhao Mingming look after Fu Jingjing more.

Zhao Mingming readily agreed and left holding Fu Jingjing’s hand.