Emperor Jingxi saw through her thoughts and smiled, “Mm, A wu is beautiful and clever, so the children she bears will be the best behaved.”
A wu was satisfied to hear this.
Emperor Jingxi smiled and his gaze fell on A wu’s swollen abdomen.
There, his bloodline was growing.
He stared long and after a while, the smile faded, his eyes deep and far-reaching.
***
Because they were twins, the delivery was earlier than usual—somewhat premature.
Fortunately, the babies were not too large, so the birth went smoothly.
First, a little Imperial Prince was born, followed by a little Imperial Princess, completing a perfect pair of son and daughter.
When the babies cried “wah wah,” A wu’s heart finally settled.
She knew her life now had a foundation.
Even if her father and brothers never returned, she had her own children, her own family.
A wu was overjoyed to have dragon-phoenix twins.
Emperor Jingxi was naturally delighted, and the Empress Dowager was so happy she wept tears of joy.
It must be known that Emperor Jingxi had ruled for eighteen years with only the Imperial Son and Princess Dening so far.
Now suddenly there were two more imperial children—four in total within a year—a joy beyond measure.
All the women in the harem received rewards—silver, silk cloth, decorations, everyone beaming with happiness.
The entire court was invigorated.
Emperor Jingxi ordered the Ministry of Rites to register the birth, perform sacrifices at the Ancestral Temple, hold banquets for the officials, issue a general amnesty, accept officials’ congratulatory formal dress, select an auspicious date to announce the news to the people and all royal mansions, and bestow embroidered silk and colorful brocade.
At the same time, the Ministry of Rites was instructed to select about a hundred widowed or unmarried women from the common folk to serve the imperial children.
For a time, the entire Country of Dahui was immersed in celebration.
After giving birth, A wu was carefully tended.
More than a hundred Palace Ladies and Nursemaids served her body in shifts day and night, treating her with utmost caution and meticulous care.
Not to mention, everything she ate and used was carefully arranged by the Imperial Physician to nurture her health.
Perhaps due to this meticulous care, by the time her confinement ended, her body was healthy, with only a slight discharge remaining.
Two months after delivery, A wu was promoted to Imperial Noble Consort, second only to the Empress.
When the imperial children reached their hundredth day, Emperor Jingxi ordered a Real Person Daoist to perform the Zhida Hongxiu Jinlu ritual in the Baodian, holding a seven-day-and-night grand ceremony to bless the dragon-phoenix twins.
The twins were honored in this way; the Emperor’s joy overflowed, known throughout the land and even spreading to distant foreign nations.
By comparison, the Imperial Grandson born to the Crown Princess was a far quieter affair, not comparable at all.
For this, the Crown Princess was naturally full of resentment, crying and complaining often, venting her frustrations on the Imperial Son.
The Imperial Son did not favor the Crown Princess much but bore the responsibilities of husband and father.
Hearing her complaints, he mostly endured in silence, occasionally warning her if she spoke too much.
The Crown Princess repeatedly provoked, and when the Imperial Son remained unmoved, she angrily returned to her natal family to cry and complain.
No one knew that upon hearing the Crown Princess’s words, the Duke of England’s expression changed drastically.
“You gave birth to an Imperial Grandson, the Imperial Son of the Crown Prince. The Imperial Noble Consort gave birth to imperial princes, the Emperor’s sons. How can these be compared?”
The Crown Princess was stunned, tears still on her face, looking at her grandfather in disbelief, “But the Crown Prince is heir apparent. My granddaughter is the Imperial Grandson, the royal legitimate eldest grandson. Can he not be more noble than a son born to a concubine?”
The Duke of England stomped in anger, “You’re unworthy of being the Crown Princess’s wife to say such ungrateful words! As long as the Crown Prince is heir, he can never be equated with the Emperor! Don’t you know this?”
To put it plainly, since the Emperor is the sovereign, he has the right to lavish celebration over his own sons!
Even though you are Crown Prince, you have yet to ascend the throne, and your eldest son’s position as Crown Prince is not guaranteed.
In short, the Emperor’s sons, even if not the eldest, are more precious than your son!
Moreover, the young woman in question has quickly risen to Imperial Noble Consort.
Now the Emperor is poised to take action against Zhen’an Marquis Manor in the East Sea.
Everyone sees the signs: if the Empress is implicated, this woman will immediately rise to Empress, and her son, legitimate by birth, will be more honorable than the Imperial Son born to a concubine.
After the Duke of England’s explanation, the Crown Princess was stunned and tearfully asked, “Grandfather, could it be that His Majesty actually intends—”
The Duke of England angrily interrupted, “Silence! Don’t say nonsense!”
The Crown Princess was frightened again.
Ever since the Duke of England’s mansion revoked three generations of hereditary titles due to her schemes against A wu, his temper had been particularly fierce.
When the Crown Princess returned home, her family always treated her with complicated expressions.
She herself felt ashamed.
The Duke of England said sternly, “The foundation of the nation concerns the realm. Once an heir is established, unless for a grave offense, lightly deposing him would disrupt the order and shake the foundation. His Majesty is a wise ruler and would not lightly devalue the heir and earn a reputation for cruelty!”
He paced solemnly in the hall, speaking clearly, “Besides, the infant prince is still in swaddling clothes with unknown qualities. His Majesty is cautious and prudent; how could he easily intend to depose the heir or bring calamity upon his youngest son?”
The Crown Princess thought about it.
Indeed, the little prince was still an infant; who knew what his future would be?
He could even be an idiot!
And if something happened to Emperor Jingxi, the court would be thrown into turmoil.
But she could not understand why the Emperor would treat the newborn prince so well while neglecting his eldest grandson.
Wasn’t this intentional?
The Duke of England said, “While the Imperial Noble Consort was heavily pregnant, His Majesty already ordered the Crown Prince into the cabinet to review memorials and draft replies. At just seventeen, the Crown Prince is entrusted with such responsibility, showing the Emperor’s care and trust.”
The Crown Princess vaguely knew of this.
The Duke of England continued, “Regarding major court affairs, the Emperor does not hesitate to delegate power boldly to cultivate the Crown Prince. All officials know the Crown Prince is heir apparent and that the Emperor has poured all his heart into him. On this point, His Majesty is already invincible. As for gifts to the infant, the amount of rewards, or grand Daoist ceremonies, these are mere trifles and cannot shake the Crown Prince’s foundation.”
He pointed tremblingly at the Crown Princess, “If you only focus on these trivial matters, scheming and complaining, and let word slip out, you will be seen as disrespecting your elders and unkind to your younger siblings. The Crown Prince’s position is secure, but you will have no chance at the phoenix throne. Do you understand?”
The Crown Princess suddenly realized the truth and, overwhelmed, felt a chill down her spine.
The Duke of England sighed deeply, “My health declines daily, especially after the New Year. I feel my days are numbered. Hearing your words today, I am worried! What I say now is difficult—if I say nothing, you remain oblivious. If I say it, you will live in fear, restless every day, afraid to act rashly. Perhaps the Emperor has already seen through your schemes and is using me to warn you, placing a heavy stone on your heart to make you uneasy!”
“While I am alive, I can watch over things. Once I’m gone, who knows how the heirs will handle this? Whether they can safely bring you to the throne and whether your descendants will ascend the great throne—that is uncertain. If not, all your efforts in life will have been in vain, making clothes for others.”
The Crown Princess was shocked and knelt, “Grandfather, please guide your granddaughter.”
She knew her grandfather was Emperor Jingxi’s tutor and knew him well.
Now she could only seek his help to plan ahead, preventing disaster.
The Duke of England looked deeply at his kneeling granddaughter, took a breath, and slowly said, “Remember what I say today if you want to ascend the throne.”
The Crown Princess said, “Yes.”
The Duke of England said, “You must always remember: respond to all changes by remaining unchanged.”
The Crown Princess’s eyes widened.
“Remain unchanged to respond to all changes?”
The Duke of England explained, “The Emperor is a father, merciful and kind. After Princess Dening’s coming-of-age, he will carefully select a good husband and settle her life well. The Crown Prince, as heir, is also carefully taught to rule. These two are grown now, and the Emperor need not worry much.”
“Only the two little ones—the children of his favored consort, born late in his life—are his greatest concern. If one day they are mistreated, or his consort is bullied, the Emperor would never rest in peace.”
The Crown Princess vaguely understood—she must cherish those two little ones so the Emperor would feel at ease and not consider deposing the heir.
The Duke of England said, “Therefore, to respond to all changes by remaining unchanged, by not contending, one achieves the greatest contention. You must also advise the Crown Prince to be low-key, gentle, supportive of his siblings, loving to his younger sisters, and filial to Mother Consort. As long as you do not fight or seize power, even if the Emperor were to have thoughts of deposing the heir one day, he would have no legitimate grounds!”
The Crown Princess suddenly saw the light, “I understand. If the Emperor forcibly deposes the heir, it will cause court upheaval, officials’ criticism, and even leave the Emperor with a reputation for foolishness.”
In other words, if the Emperor wants to act, he needs an opportunity, which depends on whether she and the Crown Prince give him that chance.
The Duke of England nodded and earnestly admonished her to remember this well.
This imperial tutor was truly shrewd and experienced, understanding Emperor Jingxi’s mind thoroughly.
If he had lived, perhaps none of the later troubles would have occurred.
However, the Duke of England eventually passed away the next year.
And that Crown Princess, who once nodded repeatedly to remember her grandfather’s teachings, ultimately forgot his earnest words.
So she never had the chance to ascend the throne, and even implicated the Imperial Son, triggering the Dahui Crown Prince crisis—but that is another story.