When the child’s milk name was reported to Song Yichun, he let out a cold snort at Liao Bifeng, saying, “Only girls are named ‘Yuanjie’, how can a boy be called ‘Yuange’? Go tell him to name the child ‘Dongge’ instead.”
Liao Bifeng smiled and agreed, then went back to report to Song Mo. Song Mo pretended not to hear and continued to call the child “Yuange”. Naturally, the people in Yizhi Hall followed Song Mo’s lead and called him “Yuange”, while the people in Duke Ying’s manor called him “Dongge” in front of Song Yichun and “Yuange” in front of Song Mo.
Chen Qushui teased, “Usually, the younger the child, the more such names can ward off evil and avoid disasters. But with ‘Yuange’ and ‘Dongge’, it’ll be troublesome if someone slips up. I think we should just call him ‘Young Master’. Yuange is the eldest legitimate grandson of Duke Ying’s manor, and his great-grandfather is no longer around, so this title is fitting.”
Liao Bifeng seized the opportunity to stir things up, saying, “Then let’s call him Young Master. It’ll save a lot of trouble.”
When someone reported this to Song Mo in an attempt to curry favor, although his expression remained unchanged, he rewarded that old woman with two taels of silver.
With this, the servants in the manor understood the direction of the wind and began calling Yuange “Young Master”.
People outside the manor heard this and couldn’t help but wonder, “Then what do you call your family’s Second Young Master now?”
The people from the manor laughed and said, “He’s still called Second Young Master.”
The outsiders couldn’t help but laugh: “So the nephew has climbed over his uncle’s head.”
“Well, the Second Young Master isn’t married yet, right? When he gets married, his title can be elevated then.”
Usually, the person being criticized is the last to know.
By the time Song Han found out, this matter had already spread throughout the capital and had been a joke for a long time.
Despite this, the formal name “Mingyi” that Song Mo had given the child was only used for one evening. On the day of the third-day celebration, Wang Ge, who had been promoted to Junior Supervisor of the Qianqing Palace, personally came to Duke Ying’s manor to deliver an imperial edict. The Emperor had bestowed the name “He” on Yuange.
Song Mo and Song Yichun were astonished.
Only the royal family would use such an obscure character for naming, to avoid taboos.
The Emperor was completely following royal customs in naming Yuange. And the Emperor wasn’t a fussy person; he couldn’t even recognize all of his grandchildren, so how would he think of bestowing a name on Yuange? Moreover, naming was always a matter for the family elders. Song Yichun hadn’t even spoken up, yet the Emperor had overstepped. Although this was a supreme honor, it came so unexpectedly that it made them uneasy.
Song Mo accepted the imperial edict, and together with Song Yichun, invited Wang Ge to the small flower hall for tea.
Song Yichun asked Wang Ge, “How did the Emperor think of bestowing a name on our child?”
Wang Ge dealt more with Song Mo, and although Song Yichun hadn’t been in the Emperor’s favor these past two years, he was still one of the five seal-holding commanders of the Five Commands. Wang Ge considered himself on good terms with both Song’s father and son, so he spoke frankly, “The Emperor is waiting for this servant to return and attend to him, so I won’t beat around the bush with the Duke and the Young Master.
Your family’s eldest young master has benefited from the Third Imperial Grandson’s good fortune. Yesterday was the Third Imperial Grandson’s third-day celebration, and the Emperor went to the Eastern Palace. Seeing the Third Imperial Grandson plump and healthy, eating and sleeping well, he was delighted and bestowed a name on the Third Imperial Grandson.
Early this morning, the Emperor suddenly remembered that your family’s eldest young master was only one day younger than the Third Imperial Grandson and would be having his third-day celebration today. So he ordered the Court of State Ceremonial to write an imperial edict and sent this servant as an imperial envoy to your manor to proclaim it.”
Was it really like this?
Song Yichun strongly suspected that Song Mo had pulled some strings.
But this wasn’t the right occasion to probe further.
He hurriedly said a bunch of “thank you for the Emperor’s grace” and similar phrases and stuffed two large red envelopes to Wang Ge.
Song Mo quietly asked Wang Ge, “What name did the Emperor bestow on the Third Imperial Grandson?”
Wang Ge then used tea water to write the character “Chong” on the tea table.
Chong: A wild swan flies ten thousand miles, soaring high into the azure sky.
He: The shaft of a feather, taking the large feathers as two wings, flapping and flying high.
Song Yichun drew in a sharp breath.
What did the Emperor mean by this?
Did he want Yuange to assist the imperial grandson?
Song Mo, however, was very grateful.
Whether the Emperor had made a spur-of-the-moment decision as Wang Ge said, or knew that his father was unkind and intentionally elevated this child, having this name bestowed by the Emperor was like putting a protective talisman on the child. Anyone who wanted to give the child trouble would have to think twice now.
He rewarded Wang Ge with two more large red envelopes before seeing him off. He then enshrined the imperial edict in the ancestral hall and went to the palace with Song Yichun to express their gratitude.
The inner courtyard was already in an uproar.
People who came to attend Yuange’s third-day celebration were congratulating Dou Zhao one after another.
Dou Zhao smiled and said “thank you” to each of them.
The midwife also felt honored, looking at the large and small silver and gold ingots in the basin, she couldn’t stop smiling, “Oh my, this old woman has also benefited. I can show off to the neighbors when I go back.”
Suxin and the others serving Dou Zhao covered their mouths and laughed.
The Fifth Madam couldn’t help but sigh, “The Fourth Young Master truly has face before the Emperor. The child isn’t even three days old, and a name has already been bestowed.”
The Sixth Madam nodded, but said, “What’s more admirable is the Fourth Young Master’s single-hearted devotion to Miss Shou.” She felt somewhat fearful, thinking that if she had stubbornly opposed this marriage at the time, wouldn’t she have harmed Miss Shou?
It seemed that in the future, she would need to be more cautious in her words and actions.
Madam Cai, on the other hand, had undisguised envy: “The Fourth Young Madam’s luck is indeed better than the Fifth Young Madam’s. When they were young, there’s no need to mention it. When they grew up, even though the Fifth Young Madam snatched her betrothal, she still managed to marry into a noble family. Not only did she marry in, but she married even better than before. One can’t help but admire her!”
Madam Guo didn’t know what to say and didn’t respond. Madam Han had always looked down on Madam Cai’s vulgarity, so she just smiled without saying anything. Dou Wenzhang’s wife, the First Madam Wen, wanted to ask how Dou Ming was doing, but seeing that no one mentioned Dou Ming at all, she swallowed her words and couldn’t help but sigh for Dou Ming in her heart.
The First Madam Song, however, felt bitter inside.
Now that Dou Zhao had given birth to a son, her position in the manor was even more secure.
Her words about the midwife that day were just testing the waters, and she feared there would be more questions to answer in the future.
But she didn’t know anything, how could she respond?
Thinking about how she had first offended Dou Zhao by taking over the household management of Duke Ying’s manor, and now Dou Zhao suspected her of being involved in Song Han and Jiang Yan’s affair, she felt like jumping into the Yellow River.