Dantai Ji: “Yes, Princess. You have always been a princess. You are my first child.”
Tears streamed uncontrollably down Rongyao’s cheeks. She was overjoyed—overjoyed that she could be a princess.
She couldn’t let this opportunity slip away!
“I want to be a princess!”
Looking at the excited, eager child before him, Dantai Ji felt a strange pang of sorrow. “Good! I shall issue an edict at once, naming Yaoyao a princess and announcing it to the whole realm.”
With that, Dantai Ji studied the little girl in front of him and tentatively held out his hand. “Would Yaoyao like Father to carry—”
“Mother!” Before Dantai Ji could finish, the little girl ran past him toward Cui Huaiyin. “Mother, you finally came back to see Yaoyao!”
Dantai Ji’s hand remained suspended in midair. He rose and turned to watch the little ball of a child rush into her mother’s arms. He clenched his fingers, then slowly withdrew his hand.
Seeing her daughter running toward her, Cui Huaiyin’s eyes reddened. She quickly crouched down and opened her arms, pulling the little girl into her embrace. Choking back tears, she said, “Mother has come to take Yaoyao into the palace. From now on, Yaoyao can stay with Mother forever.”
Rongyao: “Mm! Yaoyao wants to stay with Mother forever!”
When the emperor finally stood and walked over, Cui Yeping wiped the sweat from his brow and led the entire Cui family to kneel before him.
“Your humble servant, Cui Yeping, Vice Director of the Ministry of Revenue, respectfully wishes His Majesty good health and Consort Cui peace and happiness.”
After Cui Yeping finished speaking, Zhang Yingmei led her children in paying their respects to the emperor and Consort Cui as well.
Dantai Ji: “Rise. I have come out of the palace today to welcome back my eldest princess, Dantai Rongyao, who has been living outside the capital. I must also thank Lord Cui for taking care of my daughter.”
Although Cui Yeping had been prepared for this, he still felt the blood rush to his head upon hearing the emperor’s words. His entire body trembled with excitement.
Yaoyao—Yaoyao really was the emperor’s child. She was a princess!
That scoundrel who had bullied his daughter seven years ago was actually the emperor.
How could he not be shocked?
He had weathered his share of storms in life, but never one like this. Perhaps no one else would even dare dream of such a thing.
“Yaoyao is my granddaughter. It is only natural that I should care for and love her. Besides, Yaoyao is a little bringer of fortune. Ever since she came to our family, she has helped us through one crisis after another.”
Dantai Ji nodded, taking Cui Yeping’s words for mere flattery and not believing them in the slightest.
“Yaoyao is going into the palace too!” Cui Huaiyi suddenly spoke, apparently only just realizing what was happening.
Dantai Ji frowned slightly but did not answer.
Cui Yeping saw the emperor’s displeasure and hurriedly scolded his son. “Do not be insolent before His Majesty. Yaoyao is a princess now, so naturally she must enter the palace.”
Cui Huaiyi’s eyes immediately turned red. His little sister had only married a few days ago and had returned home today. He had been so happy, but now he had learned that she had come back to take Yaoyao away.
Yaoyao was really a princess? Could there have been some mistake?
Cui Huaiyi pinched himself hard. It hurt terribly.
This was not a dream!
Rongyao released her mother’s hand and walked over to her maternal grandfather, grandmother, and uncles. “Yaoyao is going into the palace to become a princess. It’s going to be so impressive! Yaoyao will definitely come back to visit all of you.”
Cui Huaiyi nearly burst into tears. He crouched down and hugged his niece. “Yaoyao, you must keep your word! Be careful in the palace, and take good care of your mother too. Sob, sob…”
Yaoyao patted her third uncle comfortingly on the shoulder. “Mm-hmm! Yaoyao will! Yaoyao is the cleverest, so I’ll definitely be able to protect Mother!”
Dantai Ji looked at the little girl in the Cui family’s third son’s arms. A trace of gloom and irritation flashed through his eyes, and his hand tightened slightly.
“The day is getting late. Now that I have welcomed the princess back, it is time to bring Consort Cui and the princess back to the palace.”
Since the emperor had spoken personally, no one dared object.
Cui Huaiyin’s mother, Zhang Yingmei, hurriedly packed up her granddaughter’s clothes and had them carried along.
The entire Cui family knelt on the ground and watched as the imperial carriage bearing the emperor, Consort Cui, and the princess departed.
Cui Huaiyi raised an arm to wipe away his tears and muttered softly, “The emperor is so cold and heartless! No wonder Yaoyao won’t kiss him or let him carry her.”
Veins bulged on Cui Yeping’s forehead. “Shut up! You worthless son—if you want to die, go find yourself a grave!”
Cui Huaiyi immediately clamped his mouth shut, ducking his head and falling silent.
The family had received the emperor’s favor. Their patriarch had been promoted, their daughter had been elevated to consort, and they had suddenly gained an eldest princess.
At that moment, the entire Cui family still felt as though they were floating in the clouds, unable to believe it was real.
Not only had the daughters-in-law yet to process everything, but the three brothers were also struggling to digest the news.
Everyone gathered in the family’s main council hall: Cui Yeping and his wife, the three Cui brothers, and their wives.
Cui Yeping: “After tomorrow, everyone in the capital will know that a daughter of the Cui family has been made a consort and that she gave birth to a princess for His Majesty years ago. All of you are members of the Cui family. Do not use the empress’s or the princess’s influence to cause trouble. If I find out that anyone has done so, they will be expelled from the family!”
Everyone hurriedly agreed.
Cui Huaiji: “Father is right. The empress and the princess will have a difficult time in the palace, so we must also be cautious outside it. We cannot damage their reputations.”
Everyone nodded firmly.
They secretly resolved to conduct themselves even better from now on and never become a burden to Consort Cui and the princess.
…
The imperial palace.
Rongyao took small steps across the ground and tilted her head back to stare at the dazzling golden roof of the Hall of Two Ceremonies. She felt that she, already so tiny, looked even smaller inside this place.
This was the Hall of Two Ceremonies, the emperor’s residence. In her previous life, even Princess Shengping and Noble Consort Chen could not enter it easily.
And now she had actually come inside!
“Yaoyao will stay in the side hall tonight,” the emperor said.
Cui Huaiyin nodded in agreement. “All right. Yaoyao and I will stay in the side hall together.”
Dantai Ji’s brows drew together slightly. “That will not do. You are my consort and should sleep with me.”
Cui Huaiyin clenched her hands. “Yaoyao has only just arrived at the palace. How could she possibly feel at home here? She is sure to have nightmares tonight!”
Dantai Ji lowered his eyes and glanced at the little girl gazing up at him with bright eyes. A hint of warmth appeared in his gaze.
“Very well. Yaoyao will sleep with us.”
Cui Huaiyin parted her lips, but could find no further argument. She gently patted her daughter’s head. After all, the emperor was Yaoyao’s father. Perhaps Yaoyao wanted to grow closer to him too.
But the moment she heard the words “sleep with us,” Rongyao’s little body stiffened.
No. No, no! No…
Night fell.
In a large bath, the water was warm. Rongyao lay naked in her mother’s arms while her mother washed her. She was still young, and many things had to be done for her by her mother.
However, before she could enjoy the bath for long, her eyelids grew heavy. Drowsy and dazed, she soon drifted off to sleep.
When she woke again, the sky was already bright.
Rongyao opened her eyes in confusion and saw only curtains embroidered with golden thread.
“Mother,” she called.
Before long, the curtains were lifted. Chenxiang stood there, smiling brightly.
Behind Chenxiang was a large group of palace maids standing in neat rows.
Rongyao let Chenxiang carry her while she raised her arms and legs to be dressed in a brand-new outfit. She then allowed the maids to wash her face.
As soon as she had been tidied up, several palace maids knelt together and called out in unison:
“This servant pays respects to Princess Fuxi. May the princess enjoy boundless blessings!”
Rongyao’s eyes lit up.
Had the emperor given her a title?
Princess Fuxi. Fuxi, the princess.
She liked it!
It sounded much better than Princess Shengping’s!
Rongyao struggled to straighten herself and said, “Rise. All of you, rise.”
“Thank you, Princess.”
Just then, Mother came over.
She was dressed in a pale yellow skirt, her hair arranged in a soaring celestial coiffure. Her fair face was as white as snow, her lips naturally red, and she looked radiant.
“Come here, Yaoyao.”
Rongyao scampered over to her mother and hugged her around the legs, unable to contain her excitement. “Mother! I’m Princess Fuxi!”
Cui Huaiyin gently stroked her daughter’s soft, drooping hair and said tenderly, “Yes, my little princess.”
Cui Huaiyin then led Rongyao off to eat.
Rongyao drank a large bowl of almond and red-date soup, ate two sesame-oil baked flatbreads and a plate of lotus duck slivers, and planned to rest for a while before gnawing on the other steamed pig’s trotter.
In her previous life, she had been frightened of hunger. Now, whenever she saw food, she wanted to eat as much as possible.
She was still little, and whatever she ate would go toward her growth. Surely it would all add to her height.
…
Meanwhile, in Shoukang Palace.
The Emperor had barely crossed the threshold when the Empress Dowager sharply rebuked him.
“Kneel!”
