The Emperor and Xiao Jin thought Xiao Shan was lazy and perfunctory, but Xiao Shan himself had no such awareness. He hadn't anticipated that the Emperor and Xiao Jin would see both letters simultaneously. After sending the letters, he began to wait, knowing that not informing the capital immediately after the child's birth was his fault. He was ready to admit his mistake and hoped for the Emperor's forgiveness.

 

However, ten days to half a month passed without any reply from the Emperor, not even a word from Xiao Jin. Xiao Shan calculated the time in his mind, thinking that even with express delivery, the letters should have made a round trip by now.

 

He began to worry, thinking that perhaps the distance was too great, making it difficult to receive the Emperor's favor. He hadn't been away from the capital for long, and it seemed the Emperor had already forgotten him. Xiao Shan felt conflicted, knowing that in a society where the Emperor's word was law, maintaining a good relationship with the Emperor was essential.

 

He pondered whether the Emperor might not have received the letter or if the Emperor was genuinely angry about not being informed immediately about the birth. So, Xiao Shan decided to write another letter to the Emperor and one to Xiao Jin.

 

This time, the content of both letters was identical. In the letter to the Emperor, he once again mentioned the child and used many words to express his longing for the Emperor. In the letter to Xiao Jin, he mainly inquired about the situation in the capital, asking whether the Emperor was unwell and hadn't seen the letter, or if he had somehow offended the Emperor.

 

If it was the former, he hoped Xiao Jin would quickly write back and not keep him in the dark, so he wouldn't worry excessively and could return to the capital as soon as possible.

 

If it was the latter, he felt a bit wronged and wanted to know why the Emperor was ignoring him.

 

When the two letters once again landed in the Emperor's hands, he was so angry that he laughed. Pointing to the letter addressed to Xiao Jin, he said, "Look at this, now he's feeling wronged. Shouldn't Zhen be ignoring him?"

 

Xiao Jin quickly responded, "Of course, you should. Third Brother was so perfunctory in naming the child. It's for his own good that you are ignoring him. He will surely understand your good intentions in the future."

 

Then, with a worried expression, he added, "But Third Brother is very concerned about your health, Father Emperor. If we don't send him a letter explaining the situation, I'm afraid, given his temperament, he might rush back to the capital from Yunnan. While it's appropriate for him to come to the capital to see you, the child is still young, and such a journey might be too much for him."

 

"Hmph, can't he come back on his own?" the Emperor said, his expression displeased.

 

Xiao Jin smiled slightly, "Of course he can, but with Third Brother's child just born, he would feel uneasy if he didn't bring the child to see you, Father Emperor."

 

The Emperor understood this reasoning. Although he had been feeling annoyed, he wouldn't have truly insisted that Xiao Shan abandon all his duties in Yunnan to return to the capital.

 

After Xiao Jin's words, the Emperor's annoyance completely dissipated.

 

Finally, the Emperor said, "You write back to him first. Tell him that Zhen’s health is fine and that he should settle down in Yunnan and take good care of the child. As for the matter of the name, Zhen will make the decision. He doesn't need to worry about it."

 

Xiao Jin knew the Emperor found Xiao Shan's chosen names for the child too unpleasant, so he smiled and said, "I will follow your orders."

 

As Xiao Jin was preparing to leave, the Emperor added, "Your Mother Empress is currently selecting candidates for the position of Crown Princess. This time, she is putting a lot of effort into it. You should also consider if there is anyone you favor."

 

Lady Xu's child had also been born, a daughter. Since she was born full-term and Lady Xu had always been in good health, the baby was much healthier than Little Snowball. However, the Eastern Palace still lacked a Crown Princess, which was not ideal. The Empress had proactively suggested looking for a suitable candidate, and with the Emperor overseeing the process, Xiao Jin's opinion would carry significant weight.

 

Xiao Jin thanked the Emperor and said, "I understand, Father Emperor. I will keep it in mind."

 

The Emperor nodded, finally allowing him to leave.

 

It would be impossible to say there was no estrangement between the Empress and Xiao Jin, but the Empress had candidly spoken with Xiao Jin. She said, "If I were to say that we could be as we were before, it would be a lie. However, I will still fulfill my responsibilities as your Mother Empress and do my best to support you in all aspects. I won't hold you back or deliberately create obstacles for you."

 

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jin nodded firmly.

 

Both he and the Empress understood that Xiao Shan would not turn back, and the Empress had no other support. Likewise, he could not acknowledge Consort Lan, even knowing that all her actions were for his sake.

 

Living in this world, one must inevitably gain some things and lose others.

 

The Emperor, aware of all this, did not show any particular reaction. He had a candidate in mind for the position of Crown Princess, someone who was sensible and understanding. However, he did not issue an edict immediately, waiting instead for the opinions of the Empress and Xiao Jin.

 

***

 

Meanwhile, Xiao Shan put all the messy affairs of the capital out of his mind. He was eagerly awaiting Xiao Jin's letter, and this time, he finally received it.

 

In the letter, Xiao Jin expressed his own longing, mentioned that the Emperor was in good health, and relayed that the Emperor was very displeased with the names Xiao Shan had chosen for the child. He advised Xiao Shan not to act rashly and to wait for the Emperor's decision.

 

Finally, Xiao Jin remarked that when the first letter arrived, he and the Emperor were discussing state affairs, and the Emperor had seen both letters at once. Both the Emperor and he were a bit puzzled as to why the letters were identical.

 

Even now, this sense of frustration lingered in Xiao Jin's heart. Every time he thought about it, he wanted to personally ask Xiao Shan what he was thinking. Being so far away, why was he so perfunctory towards his father and brother? Was he truly that lazy?

 

It was only after reading the last word that Xiao Shan realized where he had gone wrong.

 

He thought the Emperor and Xiao Jin were really something. Discussing state affairs was one thing, but why did they have to exchange letters? This truly caused him a lot of trouble. Fortunately, he was far from the Emperor; otherwise, he would surely have received a kick from him.

 

When Xie Zhui learned the truth, he saw Xiao Shan's aggrieved expression and said, "How about I write the next letter for you, Your Highness?"

 

Xiao Shan said weakly, "That's not the issue. I was just thinking that the letters I wrote to Father Emperor and Second Brother mostly talked about the same things. Since they were the same, there was no need to use different words to write them again. That would be a waste of brain cells. That's just how I see it; it's not that I'm really lazy or perfunctory."

 

Naturally, Xie Zhui firmly stood by Xiao Shan's side. He said, "Your Highness is certainly not lazy. It's just that the Emperor and the Crown Prince miss you and want to read more letters from you."

 

Xiao Shan replied, "That makes sense. In the future, I'll try to write letters with different content."

 

This was a life lesson prompted by the two identical letters. He realized that he needed to be more cautious when dealing with such matters in the future.

 

Afterward, Xiao Shan became more diligent in writing letters to the Emperor and Xiao Jin, finding plenty to say about his son Mingming. For instance, he would write about how the child had gained weight, was unbearably cute, ate more that day, wet his diapers, and so on...

 

Every time the Emperor read Xiao Shan's ramblings, he couldn't help but picture the child in his mind, sometimes wishing he could see for himself what the child looked like.

 

The grand name for Xiao Shan's child, which he had been pondering over, was finally sent by the Emperor when the child was one month old.

 

The Emperor named the child Xiao Mingyu, taking into account Xiao Shan's suggestion and incorporating the nickname into the formal name.

 

Xiao Shan repeated the child's name a few times and felt it was quite good.

 

On the day of the child's full-month celebration, not only did the Emperor bestow a name, but he also granted many gifts, and Xiao Jin naturally followed suit, though his gifts were just slightly less extravagant than the Emperor's.

 

This caused those who attended the full-month feast to internally exclaim that the Emperor truly favored Xiao Shan. They wondered why they previously thought the Emperor disliked Xiao Shan. Had they known it would be like this, they would have married their own gers to Xiao Shan.

 

Many people had this thought, but none dared to voice it.

 

Not only did they not dare to speak, but they also had to offer their sincere congratulations. They all knew that Xiao Shan treasured the ger born to Xie Zhui as a precious jewel, and from then on, their targets for ingratiating themselves extended beyond Xie Zhui to include this cherished infant.

 

Moreover, now that the Emperor and the Crown Prince also valued the child so highly, they had to show their own sincerity even more.

 

That day, the child did not make an appearance, and outsiders did not see what the child looked like. Mainly, Mingming was asleep the entire time, so Xiao Shan and Xie Zhui did not wake him.

 

That evening, before Xiao Shan returned to the room, Xie Zhui had the wet nurse take the child away, took a bath himself, and then lay on the bed waiting for Xiao Shan.

 

While waiting, he touched the soft flesh on his abdomen, noting that his abs had disappeared. He began to calculate in his mind how long it would take to get them back.

 

When Xiao Shan lay down on the bed, he saw Xie Zhui's serious expression and asked, "What's wrong?"

 

Xie Zhui glanced at him, shook his head, and said nothing. Xiao Shan smiled and didn't press further.

 

Noticing that the child was not in the nearby crib, Xiao Shan felt a surge of emotion and then lifted the blanket to cover both of them.

 

In the darkness, both of them felt a bit excited, their bodies easily aroused. It had been a long time since they had been intimate, and they both missed each other.

 

However, in the end, Xiao Shan and Xie Zhui only helped each other with their hands and did not go all the way.

 

After everything was over, they casually took a bath. When they returned to the bed, the bedding had already been changed.

 

Xiao Shan kissed Xie Zhui's eyebrows and eyes, whispering, "Wait a little longer." The child had just turned one month old, and Xie Zhui's body had not fully recovered; waiting another half a month would be best.

 

Xie Zhui, with his eyes closed, hummed in agreement. Xiao Shan said, "Let Mingming sleep with the wet nurse tonight. We can steal a night of leisure for ourselves."

 

Xie Zhui replied, "Okay."

 

Having a child was a joyous occasion, but personally taking care of the child was indeed exhausting.

 

Given their status, they didn't need to do this themselves, but Xiao Shan and Xie Zhui chose to personally care for their child, finding joy even in the fatigue.

 

The next day, Xie Zhui carried the child out of the room to meet Xie Sui.

 

Xie Sui looked at Xie Zhui, who appeared rosy and healthy, and nodded in relief.

 

Yin Jin also took Xie Zhui's pulse and concluded that his recovery was going very well. It was only then that Xie Sui felt reassured. Pregnancy and childbirth were particularly challenging for gers, and Xie Zhui's current condition was undoubtedly due to Xiao Shan's efforts.

 

Xie Sui looked at Xie Zhui with a smile and said, "The prince truly values you from the bottom of his heart; this also puts my mind at ease."

 

Xie Zhui hummed in response, and the child in his arms cooed twice, as if agreeing.

 

The child's sleep had decreased compared to before, and since he rarely went out, he was wide-eyed and vocal in this unfamiliar place.

 

Xie Sui looked at the child and thought he was growing more and more beautiful, perfectly combining the best features of Xiao Shan and Xie Zhui.

 

With big eyes and a round face, he looked so adorable that one couldn't help but want to reach out and touch him.

 

Seeing Xie Sui's reaction, Xie Zhui handed the child to him, allowing him to hold the baby.

 

Xie Sui took the child and smiled, "The child is truly adorable."

 

Xie Zhui nodded naturally, "He looks like His Highness."

 

Xie Sui glanced at him and smiled, "He also looks like you. After all, he carries the blood of both of you."

 

Xie Zhui felt that this was very true.

 

***

 

In the following days, Xiao Shan frequently sought out Shi Yan, consulting him about Xie Zhui's health.

 

He wanted to ensure that Xie Zhui's body recovered well and that no lasting issues remained.

 

With the heart of a physician, Shi Yan offered many suggestions. Seeing how much Xiao Shan valued Xie Zhui, he felt quite moved. Sometimes, he wondered if he could be as devoted as Xiao Shan if he married a ger.

 

However, such things were impossible to imagine, as they were hypothetical scenarios with no real conclusions.

 

Xiao Shan was very satisfied after receiving advice from Shi Yan on how to nurse Xie Zhui back to health and how to use the prescribed medicine.

 

In this era, it was rare for husbands to let others know about their wives' or husbands' physical conditions, but Xiao Shan did not share this sentiment. As long as it was beneficial for Xie Zhui's health, he saw no reason to keep it a secret.

 

After Shi Yan prepared the medicine, Xiao Shan applied it to Xie Zhui that very night.

 

Xie Zhui blushed from Xiao Shan's ministrations. Xiao Shan said, "These medicines are quite gentle. Using them to nourish your body will save you from suffering in the future."

 

Xie Zhui buried his head in the pillow and responded with a muffled "Mm."

 

Another half month passed in this manner. That evening, Xiao Shan had the wet nurse take the child away.

 

After Xie Zhui finished his bath, Xiao Shan grabbed him.

 

As the red candles burned halfway, Xie Zhui kept calling Xiao Shan's name. Xiao Shan, breathing heavily, said, "Xie Zhui, I've missed you."

 

His longing made his whole body tense, and sometimes his actions were inevitably a bit rough. Xie Zhui's body went from tense to soft, clearly feeling Xiao Shan's state, and he accepted it calmly.

 

After all, it had been several months since they had been this close. Xiao Shan held onto Xie Zhui and spent a long time making up for lost intimacy.

 

By the time the commotion completely settled, it was already midnight. Xiao Shan held Xie Zhui in his arms and fell into a deep sleep.

 

The two of them slept soundly and missed breakfast the next morning.

 

After getting up, Xiao Shan called for the wet nurse and inquired about the child's condition. The wet nurse, with her head lowered, said that the child was with Xie Sui.

 

The child had woken up and started fussing, but none of them dared to wake Xiao Shan and Xie Zhui.

 

Fortunately, while taking the child for a walk, they encountered Xie Sui and Yin Jin. After the two took the child, he quickly calmed down.

 

Seeing this, it seemed like fate.

 

Xiao Shan responded with an "Oh" after hearing the wet nurse's words.

 

He and Xie Zhui ate something casually and then went to Xie Sui's place to check on the child.

 

By the time they arrived, the child had already been coaxed to sleep. Xie Sui looked at them with a calm expression.

 

Thinking about the reason they hadn't gotten up early, Xiao Shan felt a rare moment of embarrassment.