Chapter 262: Volume 1, Chapter 262 — Crying While Hugging the Leg

The news that the Noble Consort had given birth to a little prince quickly spread throughout the Hou Gong, then reached the imperial court, and like it had grown wings, flew onward to the common people.

Han Xinglan wanted everyone to know that the Noble Consort had given birth to his eldest son, and that he was beginning to pave the way for establishing an empress.

On the very first day after the Noble Consort gave birth to the eldest prince, the first round of screening for the palace candidates began, and the Inner Court Office, as the assisting party, was bustling from top to bottom.

Prince Qi sat in the main hall of the government office, his mind still somewhat dazed — Rong Luoge had given birth to the imperial eldest son!

He didn't know what was wrong with him lately; he kept thinking about the past, especially the days he spent with Rong Luoge, as if he were possessed.

He remembered when she was first brought back from the countryside, her timid smile the first time they met.

He remembered how she would quietly ask him what he liked.

He remembered how she would always gaze at him with eyes that hesitated to speak.

But what had he done back then?

He couldn't see her; he only found her annoying. A village girl raised on a farmstead — so what if she bore the title of legitimate eldest daughter? How could she ever be worthy of him?

She was merely a stepping stone for him and Rong Dai.

But at some point, things seemed to have changed, though he hadn't even noticed.

Now, hearing that she had borne a child for someone else, Prince Qi sat there for a long while without moving.

"…Is what you said true? This news can't be false, can it? How could the drawloom possibly have been the Noble Consort's idea?"

Prince Qi, abruptly hearing the words "Noble Consort," rose to his feet, pushed open the door, and asked two passing servants: "What were you just talking about?"

The two had only been passing through on duty and chatting casually, never expecting to startle Prince Qi. They hurriedly knelt and bowed, saying, "To answer Your Highness, news came from the Ministry of Revenue today that the drawloom was the Noble Consort's idea. Everyone is talking about it right now."

"The drawloom?" Prince Qi was startled again. Who didn't know about the drawloom by now? The Ministry of Revenue had earned quite a lot of silver from it, and the national treasury had grown considerably fuller as a result. "Who did you hear it from?"

"This servant doesn't know either," one of them said. "They only said the news came from the Ministry of Revenue. I heard the Noble Consort has also developed some new kind of gauze loom. I don't know what a gauze loom is, but it sounds quite impressive."

The other chimed in eagerly, "This servant knows a little about the gauze loom. They say it can weave patterns onto gauze silk — isn't that a joke? Gauze silk is thin and soft; only embroiderers using silk thread can work patterns on it. How could a loom do that? This servant certainly can't imagine it. The Ministry of Revenue is in an uproar over it, everyone passing along news of this gauze loom. I hear His Majesty doesn't plan to place the gauze loom in the Ministry of Revenue's Weaving Workshop this time, but wants to move it to the Glaze Kiln instead."

Prince Qi's head buzzed. He waved the two away, looked up at the sky, and somehow felt that this was no mere rumor.

The drawloom had been at the Ministry of Revenue for a long time now, earning who knows how much silver, yet no one knew where it had come from — they only knew that His Majesty had produced the blueprints and had the Ministry of Revenue build it.

Prince Qi recalled how Rong Luoge's temperament had changed drastically after that — all because of the absurdity on their wedding night…

Thinking back on it now, he just wanted to slap himself twice. He truly didn't know what had been going through his mind back then, why he had done such a thing.

So much so that every time he saw Rong Dai now, he felt awkward. It was hard to describe — a feeling of still liking her yet not wanting to see her.

Prince Qi didn't know what was wrong with him, but he couldn't help feeling that ever since he had escorted his imperial father into the imperial mausoleum for burial, his entire outlook on everything had changed.

While Prince Qi was contemplating his life in the Inner Court Office — whether in frustration, shame, or anything else — it had not the slightest thing to do with Rong Luoge. She was now happily amusing her baby and doing her postpartum confinement.

The entire Yuzhao Gong had been cleaned and arranged with crisp efficiency, and the two wet nurses were carefully selected. She did not breastfeed — not because she was unwilling, but because there was no such custom in the palace.

Rong Luoge also knew that nursing was hard work: getting up in the middle of the night, timing the feedings during the day. She actually quite wanted to try, but Han Xinglan refused to allow it no matter what.

This was the first time Rong Luoge had seen him get angry with her — half angry, half amused. She had been so focused on Han Xinglan that she accidentally missed the optimal first three days for lactation; after the engorgement and soreness, her milk dried up.

She: …

What could be done about it?

Thinking it over carefully, Rong Luoge realized that Han Xinglan had done it on purpose — he had deliberately made her focus her attention on him so she wouldn't be able to attend to the baby's nursing.

Han Xinglan didn't care about that. He simply said to Rong Luoge, "The wet nurses were chosen well in advance. He won't go short of milk to drink. If you don't do your confinement properly and end up with a lifetime of illness, that would be the real problem."

Hearing this, Rong Luoge couldn't bring herself to blame him. It was all because he doted on her, so their son would just have to suffer a little. But the little fellow didn't know any of that — he had plenty of energy when it came to nursing, and couldn't tell the difference between one milk and another.

As long as he could eat his fill, that was fine.

"Your Ladyship, I truly never expected His Majesty to do such a thing. This is wonderful — Your Ladyship's reputation has been established in one stroke," Rong Xin said with a smile. "Outside, everyone now knows that the drawloom and the gauze loom are Your Ladyship's achievements. Some didn't believe it, so His Majesty even brought out the original sketches Your Ladyship drew — stacks and stacks of blueprints that left the entire court speechless."

Rong Luoge just smiled. These were the original manuscripts — something that couldn't be forged, because every single sheet could be traced back.

"Things aren't going too smoothly at the Ministry of Revenue regarding the gauze loom, are they?"

"Your Ladyship is so clever, you must have anticipated this." Rong Xin took out needle and thread, sat on a small stool, and began making little clothes for the young master. As she threaded the needle, she said, "This servant doesn't know the details, but I heard from Yuan Bao that the court was in an uproar over this matter. They say the Minister of Revenue nearly grabbed His Majesty's leg and cried right there in court."

Rong Luoge: …

That was quite an exaggeration.

When Han Xinglan returned, Rong Luoge saw him and asked right away, "I hear the Minister of Revenue wanted to hug your leg and cry?"

Han Xinglan rubbed his forehead. "Who told you that? It wasn't that exaggerated. How was today? What about Kangkang?"

Kangkang was the childhood name Rong Luoge had given her son, hoping he would grow up healthy and well. Han Xinglan thought it was nice and called him that too.

"He just nursed and fell asleep. The wet nurse is watching him in the side hall," Rong Luoge said with a smile. "Don't go over right now — he's a light sleeper. The moment you go in, he's sure to wake up."

Han Xinglan nodded and stayed put, holding Rong Luoge's hand. "I've thought of his formal name too — let's call him Chong'er, Han Chong. What do you think?"

"The swan takes flight and soars ten thousand li; with one flight it pierces the azure sky. That's wonderful — let's go with that." Rong Luoge smiled as she spoke. Han Xinglan was hoping the child would always press forward — the meaning and the hopes behind it were the very best.

She and Han Xinglan would raise this child well, letting him stand on their shoulders to go farther and higher.