Chapter 101: Adopted Daughter

Chapter 101: Adopted Daughter

Since His Majesty had previously stated that the Second Prince would not be recorded under the Empress's name, the jade tablets were naturally not for acknowledging the Second Prince as the heir. Chunyan's happiness stemmed from the fact that, after half a year of his birth, the Second Prince would finally have an official name.

Though it seemed like a favor extended because of the Third Prince, it was still good news that he would have a name.

Upon hearing this, the Empress smiled and responded affirmatively. After pondering for a moment, she instructed Xia Chan standing by, "Go and send a message to the mansion. Ask my mother to submit a request to visit the palace in a few days."

"Yes," Xia Chan replied.

The birth of the Third Prince seemed to dispel the gloom of the Dowager Empress's demise. His Majesty's face showed joy again. After visiting the Virtuous Consort and her son in Guangyang Palace, he sat in Liangyi Hall and instructed Sheng An, "Go get the memorial submitted by the Ministry of Rites in March."

There were many memorials from the Ministry of Rites, especially in March concerning the First Farming Ceremony and Silk Farming Ceremony. But given the birth of the Third Prince, Sheng An knew His Majesty was referring to the list of proposed names for princes previously submitted.

Sheng An efficiently retrieved the required document from a pile of unissued memorials in the side hall, respectfully presenting it at the imperial desk.

After examining it for a while, Emperor Xiaosheng selected two characters with a vermilion pen and instructed, "Send this to the Secretariat with an order to prepare a decree for my seal."

"Yes." Sheng An carefully held the imperial red-marked memorial, backing out of the inner chamber. Only after exiting the hall did he dare to sneak a peek at the two characters circled in red – Xuan and Xin.

On the day of the third prince's washing ceremony, the names of both princes became known throughout the palace. The second prince was named Xuan, and the third prince, Xin.

"Xuan, meaning warmth; Xin, like ruo (to burn)."

Jiang Hui, leaning on the soft couch while Wan Song massaged her legs, lost interest after reciting the names of the two princes.

Qingfeng, standing by the screen, continued, "My lady, I also heard that recently the official from the Imperial Judicial Commission, Eunuch Luo, left the palace with some people and hasn't returned for several days."

"The Imperial Judicial Commission?" Jiang Hui's eyes flickered slightly, murmuring, "It seems those people have already returned to the capital."

Those left by the Empress Dowager were bound to be interrogated by the Emperor. Not allowing the Ministry of Justice to get involved, but instead sending the head of the Imperial Judicial Commission out of the palace, clearly indicates the Emperor's suspicion regarding the Empress Dowager's death and his distrust of the former imperial harem.

Given this, the location of the interrogation almost goes without saying – likely in the Emperor's private residence, Prince Cheng's Mansion.

Jiang Hui wasn't sure if any of Grand Princess Chengping's people were among them, but she knew her mother was neither impulsive nor incompetent and wouldn't leave any trace that could implicate her and the Ningyuan Marquis’s household. Most likely, those people had blended in with monks and palace maids, and had already perished in the sea of fire with the Empress Dowager.

Although Qingfeng didn't understand why her mistress was interested in this matter, she didn't pry, simply asking, "My lady, do you need me to do anything?"

Jiang Hui gestured for Wan Song to stop and, with Qiukui's help, slowly stood up, her hand on her pregnant belly, and went to the window, suddenly asking, "Did Lady Linping submit a request to visit today?"

"Yes," Qingfeng replied respectfully, bowing her head, "She is expected to come to the palace to pay respects in the next couple of days."

Hearing this, Jiang Hui smiled slightly and said, "Send a message to the Marquis of Linping's residence from our household, hinting that... in Prince Cheng's Mansion, the Emperor has hidden a beauty."

"Yes," Qingfeng immediately agreed, quietly withdrawing to carry out the task without asking why.

Nine months of pregnancy was exhausting. Jiang Hui, standing only briefly, soon felt tired and reclined again on the soft couch. Qiukui knelt down, covering Jiang Hui with a thin blanket, whispering, "My lady, the wet nurses and medical maids sent by the Internal Affairs Department have all been checked, and no issues have been found so far."

"In a few months, I'll be overseeing the Internal Affairs Department. If the placed insiders fail to strike effectively, it's a wasted effort. It's normal to find no issues," Jiang Hui said indifferently.

"If there are any issues..." Qiukui's eyes flashed slightly, speaking softly, "then it's a problem with Fengyi Palace."

"That won't happen," Jiang Hui denied, "The Empress first used Zhao Shuren, then suspected me of a false pregnancy through Consort De. Acting against me again so soon, no matter how many children she has, she can't escape the fate of being deposed."

She glanced at Qiukui's expression and smiled, "Of course, if I were to play the victim now, given the Empress's temperament, the Emperor wouldn't believe it was Fengyi Palace's doing."

"I understand, my lady," Qiukui replied quietly.

The Liangyi Hall.

The Emperor stayed at the third prince's cleansing ceremony for a brief period before hurriedly returning to the Liangyi Hall.

In the main hall, a secret report lay on the imperial desk. Luo Yunlai, the head eunuch of the Imperial Judicial Commission, stood respectfully, reporting solemnly, "Your Majesty, I have finished interrogating all seventy-two guards and fifty-six palace maids brought back by General Yang."

The findings of the interrogation were all detailed in that secret report.

The Emperor quickly perused the document and, putting it down, said gravely, "So, all these people were sent down from the mountain on the late Empress Dowager's orders, without the involvement of anyone else?"

"Yes," Luo Yunlai affirmed.

The Emperor glanced at the report again, asking, "Besides distributing porridge and praying for blessings, did my mother send them out of the palace to look for someone?"

"Yes," Luo Yunlai, his temples slightly sweaty, continued, "After cross-checking the statements of these one hundred and twenty-eight people, there were no discrepancies; their other objective indeed was to find someone."

Luo Yunlai didn't dare to specify whom they were searching for, but the report made it clear, and the Emperor knew it well.

The Emperor turned to Sheng'an, asking, "Did Yang Rong'en bring all those people back?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Sheng'an replied promptly, "As per your instructions, they have all been placed in Prince Cheng's Mansion."

Luo Yunlai cleverly added, "I have also interrogated them, aside from learning some… there were no abnormalities."

The Emperor rubbed his forehead, then instructed, "Release them all. Send them back to where they came from."

"Yes," Sheng'an replied swiftly, then hesitated before asking, "Your Majesty, several of them are destitute refugees, still young, with both parents deceased. And one of them was adopted as a foster daughter by the late Empress Dowager. Should she also be returned to her original place?"

"For those without relatives, send them to the Charity and Orphan Bureau," the Emperor instructed, sipping from a porcelain cup, "As for the Empress Dowager's adopted daughter... what's her name?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, the girl's surname is Song, her given name is Ran, and she just turned nine," Sheng'an cautiously glanced at the Emperor's expression and whispered, "Originally from a government official’s family, her father committed a crime and was demoted to a commoner. The family returned to their hometown to live, and she lost her parents at the age of seven, ending up in the Charity and Orphan Bureau, later taken in by the Empress Dowager to Jinzhou."