It could be seen from the titles that the other four sons were all vassal kings of other places, but the Emperor did not want to repeat the same mistakes decades later, so he wanted the four to live in the capital. At the same time, although the Emperor did not designate his son as the Crown Prince, the title of “Prince Duan”, which was different from his four younger brothers, told that her son was still the candidate for that position in his mind.
“Your father has his own considerations. What you have to do is to be a good Prince and do the errands entrusted to you by the Emperor after entering Beijing.”
“Remember, no matter what title, you are the eldest son. As long as you stand upright, treat the Emperor with loyalty and filial piety, treat your brothers with love, and treat your subjects with kindness, that position is yours.” Empress Xu spoke calmly with a kind voice, and Wei Yang, who was slumped on a chair, gazed at his mother. Although he still harbored a sense of injustice, the trace of despair gradually faded.
His mother was right; he was the eldest son. Even if he had no merits, as long as he committed no faults, it would not be easy for his father to choose one of his brothers as the Crown Prince.
Concubine Li, though her son had been named a prince, her daughter a princess, and even her son-in-law’s family a title, found herself holding the edict that granted her the title of “Concubine Li” and felt uneasy.
“Your Majesty, it’s a joyous occasion for you; why the frown?” The nanny beside her changed her address and asked curiously.
Concubine Li replied, “Concubine Guo was named Concubine Xuan, Cui was titled Concubine Shu, and Wen as Concubine Shun. Not to mention virtues, Shun praises women for their obedience. I am the only Concubine Li, which has nothing to do with moral character. Tell me, did the Emperor do it on purpose?”
Certainly, the nanny aimed to convey what the master liked to hear and suggested, “Li also praises women, embracing both beauty and wisdom, encompassing both appearance and intellect. You possess both qualities, and not to mention, you are the most beautiful among the five concubines. The title bestowed upon you by the Emperor is quite special; it signifies to the world that you are the sole recipient of his affection. Don’t you think so?” Concubine Li reminisced about her deep affection with her cousin in her youth. Well, if that was the case, “Concubine Li” was indeed a good title.
In Chengxig Hall, the atmosphere was filled with joy as the third master was crowned prince, and his wife was also bestowed the title of princess. The past three years had been fraught with unease, but at that moment, everyone radiated happiness.
Jinzhan and Yinzhan consistently addressed Yin Hui as “Princess” and swiftly became accustomed to this new form of address.
For Yin Hui, this experience wasn’t entirely new. The distinction lay in her previous life, where she and Xiao Heng waited alone at home for Wei Luo to fetch them. In her new life, she had the addition of Xiao Xun and Xiao Ning by her side.
“Mom, when will Father come back?” Xiao Heng, seemingly indifferent to the array of titles, was preoccupied with thoughts of his father, who had been away from home for nearly two years.
Jinzhan smiled and replied, “You should address him as Father Prince.”
Xiao Heng’s expression darkened.
He, who was only eight years old, no longer always smiled like he did when he was a child. In the four years from the death of the first Emperor to the end of the war, although the children in the palace were kept from the major things outside by their elders, they could always hear some news from parents or maid eunuchs. Therefore, Xiao Heng knew that his father had gone to war with his grandfather, and knew that his father might be injured at any time.
When his father was in such a dangerous situation, how could Xiao Heng still be carefree? He began to care about the war and became interested in the affairs of the court. The teachers of that dynasty did allow them to come discuss those so he asked them.
With so many things on his mind, coupled with occasional disputes with other cousins, Xiao Heng quickly restrained his child’s nature, calmed down, and became more like a grandson of an emperor.
How could the Emperor’s grandson allow a maid to instruct him on how to address his father when he missed him? He let go of such matters because Jinzhan was the maid beside his mother.
Jinzhan deliberately provided detailed explanations so that the children could memorize the titles of their uncles. Xiao Heng lowered his eyes and silently committed them to memory, while six-year-old Xiao Xun inquired, “Is the Shu Palace big?”
Yin Hui smiled and responded, “It’s not as large as the palace here, but it’s bigger than our Chengxin Hall. Xiao Xun, you’ll have your own yard.”
Xiao Xun immediately clung to Xiao Heng’s arm, declaring, “I want to live with my brother.”
Yin Hui affectionately rubbed his head.
The three years Wei Luo spent traveling occurred when Xiao Xun began to form memories. His time with his father was brief, and instead, he attended the studying hall daily with his brother. It was his elder brother who protected him from bullying by his cousins, assisted him with homework, and played together in the garden. It could be said that Xiao Xun’s favorite person was his elder brother, surpassing even his mother and his crying sister in his affections.
Xiao Heng looked at his younger brother and didn’t mind sharing the same yard with him.
Before the two Wei brothers arrived, the Yan Palace had already been cleaned up in advance under the orders of Empress Xu.
With the significant event now accomplished, Yin Hui, although unable to leave the palace yet, could receive letters from Zhou Shu, the Yin family, and Liao Qiuniang.
Yin Yong’s generous contribution of silver and provision of food garnered recognition. After Emperor Yongping ascended the throne, he conferred upon Yin Yong the title of Jichang Bo.
On Liao Qiuniang’s side, her father-in-law held the title of marquis, and her father, Liao Shisan, also held a prestigious title, enjoying a high-ranking position with a generous salary.
However, Liao Shisan was heading to Qin to serve as a border guard, leaving Liao Qiuniang to reside alone in the capital with the Feng family.
As the Yin family prepared to move to the capital, they also packed their belongings and scheduled a meeting with Yin Hui in Beijing.
Uncle Zhou sent a letter inquiring about Yin Hui’s plans for dealing with the property in Pingcheng. Yin Hui responded, asking Uncle Zhou to stay in Pingcheng. In her previous life, her father-in-law had seemingly entertained the idea of relocating the capital to Pingcheng.
Naturally inclined as a businesswoman, Yin Hui briefly entertained the idea of acquiring more property while land prices in Pingcheng were low. However, she promptly abandoned the notion. With wealth beyond what she could spend in a lifetime, she recognized the need to avoid excessive greed.
The Yin family served as a cautionary tale. Despite amassing immense wealth and becoming the richest in Yandi, they eventually had to surrender it all to the court.
Acknowledging Uncle Zhou’s words, Yin Hui emphasized in her reply letter that maintaining the status quo and refraining from taking advantage of the situation would be prudent.
Once the letters were dispatched, Yin Hui turned her attention to overseeing the servants as they packed their belongings.
On September 20th, the newly crowned Prince Shu and Prince Xiang finally entered Pingcheng.