"Congratulations to Her Majesty the Empress, to Prince Ke and the Princess Consort, it is a little imperial grandson!"
"An imperial grandson! It is truly my imperial grandson!"
The Empress happily pulled back the brocade quilt, confirmed carefully, and then let out a long sigh. She looked at the First Prince beside her and said, "My son, quickly, go tell your father, the eldest imperial grandson of Great Jin has finally arrived."
They had waited for nearly ten years, like waiting for the stars and the moon, and finally, this precious eldest imperial grandson was born.
She walked to the side of the frail Princess Consort Ke, holding her hand, and said, "I thank you on behalf of His Majesty and my son. From now on, just focus on recuperating your health. Everything else will be handled by me."
"Thank you, Mother Empress, for your concern." She didn't even have the strength to smile, but she said to the midwife, "Bring the imperial son here for me to see."
The midwife, with a beaming smile upon receiving the order, carried the child over. The eldest imperial grandson, nestled in the brocade quilt, looked quite robust. His rosy little face bore a striking resemblance to Emperor Qi.
"This child is truly a good one. I see him resembling His Majesty even more than my own son."
As if hinting at something, the First Prince's Consort, looking at the son she had carried for ten months and finally safely delivered, was also very fond of him. However, she was too weak to hold him now, though she wished she could.
"Alright, let the wet nurse feed him first. You should also rest quickly. You can hold him when you've recovered your strength," the Empress instructed.
The First Prince's Consort nodded. She was indeed exhausted. After the child was taken away, she rested her head and slept until dawn.
Early the next morning, the first thing Emperor Qi did after leaving the morning court was to visit Changle Palace to see his eldest imperial grandson.
They say children grow with the wind. He had only been born last night, and today he already looked much bigger.
Emperor Qi was extremely doting on his newborn grandson. The Empress seized the opportunity and said, "Your Majesty, the imperial grandson has not yet been named. Why not have Your Majesty bestow a name? It would also be a blessing for the child."
"Indeed, Empress, your words are wise. This is our first grandson, and we must give it due importance." Emperor Qi pondered for a moment with a furrowed brow and then said, "Let him be named Yong Cong."
"Xiao Yong Cong, may the Xiao family's empire prosper for generations to come," the Empress murmured softly. Then, with a beaming smile, she said to Emperor Qi, "Thank Your Majesty for the bestowed name. Cong'er will surely be a good descendant of Great Jin in the future."
Emperor Qi laughed heartily, momentarily forgetting the ongoing border conflicts. After visiting the eldest imperial grandson, when Emperor Qi returned to Jiaotai Palace, the Ninth Prince, the Duke of Wei who had not yet departed for the imperial mausoleum, the Old Prince Kang, Xiao Muqian, and General Su were all waiting there for news from the northwest.
"Your Majesty, I beg your permission to lead troops to assist General Xiao Ji."
Xiao Muqian grew up in Liangzhou and was General Xiao Ji's nephew. Ever since he learned of the unrest in the northwest, he had been worried. Now that he had finally reached the Emperor's ears, he was unwilling to delay any further.
"As expected of the Xiao family's descendants, never retreating in the face of a great enemy, just like my little Ninth, you are both pillars of Great Jin!"
Emperor Qi was quite fond of this nephew. Firstly, he was not the heir to Prince Kang's estate, thus posing less of a threat to the imperial descendants. Secondly, when he was stationed in Liangzhou with Xiao Ji, he had never overstepped his bounds. He was indeed a promising young man.
He said to the Ninth Prince, "Since Muqian has this aspiration, he shall be enfeoffed as Left Vanguard and General Pingyuan. This time, your expedition must show the Northern Di that daring to plot against Great Jin will cost them their lives!"
"Yes, your son accepts the order!"
"Yes, this minister obeys the decree!"
Both were fine young men in their early twenties. Looking at them, General Su felt a sense of awe at the saying that the waves behind the Yangtze River push on those before it.
"As for General Su, you shall be enfeoffed as Right Vanguard and General Anding. Coordinate with Ninth Prince and Muqian in your march. You two must not act rashly this time. General Su, with his years of campaigning, surely has many strategies to defeat the enemy. Do not be overly ambitious, do you understand?"
"Father Emperor, rest assured. Your son will regard General Su as his teacher and will not act rashly."
His sincere attitude greatly reassured Emperor Qi. At their age, brimming with youthful vigor, it would be dangerous if they were to become blinded by battle and fall into the enemy's trap. Hence, he had specially arranged for General Su to accompany the army, which would allow him to wait for news of their triumphant return in the capital with peace of mind.
"Duke of Wei."
"This old minister is here."
"Have you thought it over all night? Do you still intend to defy me?" Emperor Qi had spoken to this extent, offering the Duke of Wei a way out. With the Ninth Prince about to depart for the front lines, matters such as provisions would naturally need to be handled by a reliable person. In the past, the Duke of Wei had always been responsible for these matters, and he did not wish for this time to be an exception.
The Duke of Wei was not foolish. He took the step Emperor Qi offered and said, "This old minister was momentarily confused and spoke disrespectfully to Your Majesty, which is truly a sin. Your Majesty's willingness to forgive this old minister is his good fortune. How could I dare to act foolishly again? I shall obey Your Majesty in all things." His respectful attitude made Emperor Qi feel much more comfortable. He said to the Duke of Wei, "We are one in our sovereign and subject relationship. With the great enemy at our borders, we must cast aside trivial matters. With Ninth Prince and the others about to depart, provisions and troops are of utmost importance. Duke of Wei, perhaps you could focus more on these matters. I trust your work."
"Thank you for Your Majesty's trust. This old minister will not disappoint. Everything will be prepared within three days."
"This is excellent. Then you should all go and pack your belongings. Three days from now, I will see the army off at the West Gate!"
"We respectfully obey Your Majesty's decree!"
After the border affairs were settled, the Old Prince Kang, who had remained silent by the side, finally spoke.
"Your Majesty, this old minister has a memorial to present."
"Uncle Kang, what matter do you wish to discuss? Speak freely, and I will certainly uphold your request."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. This old minister is now in his seventies, and many matters at home are beyond my capabilities. I hope Your Majesty will grant permission to formally enfeoff the Heir Apparent as Prince Kang, and the Heir Apparent's son as the Heir Apparent. This way, this old minister can live out his remaining years in peace."
Emperor Qi had already considered this proposal long ago. He had merely thought that an old and frail prince would be easier to control, and thus had never brought up the matter of the Heir Apparent. Now that it was openly brought to the table, it would seem somewhat unreasonable to refuse. In any case, the Heir Apparent had always been low-key and docile, so it would not be a problem to support him. Thus, he said,
"It is indeed my oversight. I had forgotten about Uncle Kang's age. Very well, then after the spring examinations, the Heir Apparent shall be formally enfeoffed as Prince Kang, and the Heir Apparent's son shall be promoted to Heir Apparent. As for Muqian, if you return victorious, I shall bestow upon you the title of Prince of the Commandery, which can also be inherited in the future, how about it?"
Receiving such an honor, the Old Prince Kang and Xiao Muqian knelt again to thank the Emperor for his grace.
After leaving Jiaotai Palace, the Duke of Wei congratulated the Old Prince Kang, saying, "Your Highness's decision to abdicate and yield your position is truly admirable. Seeing that there will soon be another Prince of the Commandery in your household, it is truly a joyous occasion."
"This prince is advanced in age and cannot compare to the Duke of Wei's vigorous energy. The matters of the future will be left to the younger generation to forge ahead. As for the joyous occasion, this old man must offer his congratulations in advance to the Duke of Wei for his granddaughter's upcoming marriage. I shall certainly visit your mansion to partake in the wedding feast."