Chapter 461: Passing on the Enterprise

The little imperial grandson cried fiercely.

He had been born before term, yet seemed determined to display his ability from the moment he entered the world, wailing with astonishing volume.

The female medical officers were cleaning him.

Ji Chengjue, meanwhile, lay almost prone beside He Sisi’s bed, clutching her hand and pressing it against his face.

He Sisi’s entire head was drenched in sweat.

Wet strands of hair clung to her face.

Her complexion was pale.

Since ancient times childbirth had always been a gate between life and death for women.

He Sisi turned her face and looked at her husband.

She had always believed herself fortunate.

That happiness did not come from marrying an imperial prince.

It came from the fact that when her husband was at home, when he was before her he was always witty.

Always considerate.

Of course, as a woman born from an ordinary household, whenever she sat alone in her room, she occasionally could not resist remembering that decisive choice she had made all those years ago.

Somehow she had chosen an imperial prince.

There was inevitably a little pride.

A little secret delight.

A little self-satisfaction.

And a little unease.

Naturally, being a Prince’s wife also carried enormous responsibility and pressure.

Childbirth had been exhausting.

Painful.

Agonizing.

And those were only the physical torments.

Mentally, she had been crushed beneath fear and the terrible sensation that the suffering would never end.

Body and spirit both tortured together.

Yet while giving birth, He Sisi had still clearly heard the commotion outside.

“Your Highness.

“No matter what happens, Sisi will make sure our child is born safely.”

“As long as *you* are safe.”

At a moment like this a husband’s heart contained little except guilt toward his wife.

The tenderness between husband and wife inside this room stood in complete contrast to another clean, orderly hall nearby.

There the atmosphere had fallen so low it almost seemed frozen.

The Emperor of Yan had not left.

And if the Emperor did not leave, then the First Prince, Crown Prince, Fourth Prince, Fifth Prince, and the others beneath him naturally could not leave either.

Even Consort Shu from the imperial palace had sent Little Seventh over.

Perhaps in Consort Shu’s thinking, since all the imperial princes were gathered at the Princes’ Residence and the Sixth Prince’s wife had just given birth to the eldest imperial grandson, Little Seventh, as the younger brother, ought to come offer congratulations.

It would also give him an opportunity to spend some time with his father and elder brothers.

Supported by his attendant, Little Seventh entered the hall.

Naturally, the attendant did not dare follow him inside.

Little Seventh looked at the elder brothers present.

Then, he spread both arms and ran toward his father.

He wanted a hug.

But halfway across the hall the Emperor of Yan’s cold gaze fell upon him.

Little Seventh froze instantly.

Then immediately dropped to his knees.

“This son...

“This son pays respects to Father Emperor.

“And to my imperial elder brothers... and Imperial Sister-in-law.”

Nearby, the Fourth and Fifth Princes exchanged one look.

Both understood exactly what the other was thinking.

The Fourth Prince:

*Consort Shu really is stupid enough. We’re all desperate to leave as quickly as possible, and she actually sent Little Seventh here.*

The Fifth Prince:

*Little Seventh still thinks he’s the baby of the family. Now Father Emperor has an eldest grandson. Little Seventh has become cabbage leaves just like the rest of us.*

What exactly were imperial sons competing for when they fought over succession?

Setting aside the extreme road of outright rebellion the answer was simple.

Favorability before their father.

And that “favorability” had two parts.

First impression.

How much Father Emperor liked you.

Second ability.

How highly Father Emperor regarded what you could actually do.

At present, the Emperor of Yan had already trampled the aristocratic clans beneath his cavalry and purged the interior.

Externally, he had expanded Great Yan and annexed Jin.

Unless the Northern and Southern Marquises suddenly both went mad, raised banners, and rebelled there was no individual or force inside Great Yan capable of shaking the Emperor’s authority.

In other words, before this father of theirs, the road of rebellion had been removed from the princes’ list of viable options altogether.

Little Seventh was still kneeling.

Father Emperor had not told him to rise.

So he did not dare move.

At this moment, he felt deeply wronged.

In the past—

Father Emperor had still shown him affection.

Today everything felt different.

But no matter how aggrieved he felt, he did not dare cry.

All he could do was keep his head lowered.

There was no heated floor in this hall.

The stone tiles were cold.

Kneeling upon them was uncomfortable.

Yet he had no choice except to endure it.

Little Seventh did not know that the role of “toy” he had once occupied in his father’s life had just been replaced by an even smaller life.

Now there was someone younger.

And from the grandson generation at that.

Naturally, the Emperor no longer needed to maintain much interest in his youngest son.

That was reality.

The Fourth and Fifth Princes nearby saw it very clearly.

What tormented them even more, however was Old He standing in one corner of the hall.

The man was trembling.

Normally, with the Emperor seated in the place of honor, the princes could be granted seats.

But Old He was not sitting.

So the princes found it awkward to sit either.

After all in terms of generation, Old He and the Emperor of Yan were technically equals.

True.

The sovereign stood above all.

But who would dare test that distinction while Father Emperor was already furious?

Every one of them was his son.

Naturally, all of them understood their father’s temper.

Whoever made a mistake now would be volunteering to become Father Emperor’s punching bag.

Little Seventh was the example directly before them.

Old He was genuinely panicking.

He had recognized the only man seated inside the hall.

Wasn’t this the landlord who rented him his little courtyard?

But Old He possessed absolutely no instinct to walk over and try to claim familiarity.

Earlier, the matter of “saving mother or child” had provoked him until he screamed and shouted.

Now his courage had vanished.

Before the Emperor of Great Yan this butcher of Great Yan no longer possessed any of the boldness he displayed when slaughtering pigs.

All that remained was the submission toward rank and hierarchy branded deep into his bones.

The oppressive silence inside the hall continued.

The Barbarian Princess stood properly to one side.

Truthfully she had always felt that this father-in-law of hers resembled her own royal father in certain ways.

But clearly this father-in-law possessed much greater majesty.

Perhaps because her own father, though Barbarian King, directly controlled only the Royal Court and possessed little more than nominal leadership over the vast desert tribes.

Her father-in-law, meanwhile spoke once within Great Yan, and no one dared answer twice.

Still as a woman, after seeing He Sisi give birth today, she instinctively began longing for a child of her own.

The problem was that the First Prince worked extremely diligently upon her yet her belly never showed any reaction.

She did not think something was wrong with her husband.

Otherwise how could one explain the Savage slave women who had already given birth to children?

Even if their bloodlines might not all be pure surely they could not *all* be impure.

The Crown Prince was the calmest person present.

He stood there staring at a blue-and-white porcelain vase resting upon a shelf ahead.

He looked as though he were carefully studying the painted patterns.

Completely absorbed.

The Fifth Prince lightly nudged the Fourth Prince beside him with one elbow and signaled for him to look at the Crown Prince.

Then, their gazes met again.

The Fifth Prince:

*Why does the Crown Prince look more and more like he’s about to become a Daoist and start cultivating as a Qi Refiner? He practically looks ready to float beyond worldly affairs. Is he pretending?*

The Fourth Prince:

*Who knows? Looking like this today doesn’t mean he won’t suddenly become heroic and vigorous again tomorrow.*

Truthfully the Crown Prince had suffered extraordinary bad luck over these past several years.

Yes.

He had entered the Eastern Palace.

But the maternal clan that should originally have become one of his greatest supports had been exterminated by his own maternal uncle.

His mother the Empress had suddenly died.

His marriage to the Commandery Princess ended without result.

During the spring examinations, where he had served as deputy examiner the scholars ultimately recognized someone else as their true patron and mentor.

And Little Sixth who had been suppressed so badly in earlier years that he had nearly vanished from sight used one wedding to reveal the forces accumulated beneath the surface.

Now he controlled the Ministry of Revenue.

His momentum stood unrivaled.

If one carefully added up the Crown Prince’s fortunes these past few years then aside from entering the Eastern Palace he resembled a crab skewered upon a chopstick.

One claw after another.

One leg after another.

Slowly everything was being broken away.

And he could do nothing.

All he could do was watch.

Finally the oppressive atmosphere loosened when a female officer carried the eldest imperial grandson into the hall.

Everyone present almost simultaneously released a small breath.

The officer brought the child before the Emperor of Yan.

The Emperor extended both hands.

He took the swaddled infant into his arms.

Newborn children were rarely attractive.

One had to give them time to grow a little before their cuteness began emerging.

But as a man who had already fathered seven children the Emperor of Yan was fully prepared for that.

He held the child.

Looked down at him.

The infant’s eyes were closed.

Apparently, after exhausting himself crying earlier, he now wanted to sleep.

“Wei Zhonghe.”

“This slave is here.”

“Have wet nurses been prepared?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty— they have.”

Truthfully there had been no need for the palace to prepare any.

Little Sixth had long since done so himself.

Years ago, when Ji Chengjue and Zheng Fan talked in Beifeng Commandery, he remembered Zheng Fan saying that breast milk was best for a child.

So Little Sixth originally intended to let He Sisi personally nurse their baby.

Still for the sake of avoiding accidents wet nurses had already been prepared.

Besides, He Sisi had now suffered premature labor and a difficult birth.

Although the child had been delivered safely her vitality had been badly damaged.

Relying upon her to feed the child herself was probably no longer realistic.

“Transmit Our decree.

“Grant Ji Chengjue the right to establish his own residence.

“All necessary expenses will come from the Inner Treasury.”

The Fourth and Fifth Princes heard those words and both felt the stones pressing upon their hearts finally drop away.

They were not jealous that Little Sixth could now move outside and establish his own independent princely residence.

Not in the slightest.

All they knew was that they no longer had to live inside the same walls as Little Sixth.

That alone made them feel refreshed.

Even breathing became easier.

Recently, Little Sixth had stuffed so many experts into the Princes’ Residence that his two elder brothers had spent every day on edge.

As for the Inner Treasury paying for everything they were not jealous of that either.

Everyone knew that most of the money inside the Inner Treasury had been earned for Father Emperor by Little Sixth himself.

Use your own money to buy yourself a mansion and still have to thank someone else for the favor.

Tsk-tsk.

Nothing to envy.

If anything it almost inspired sympathy.

“Yes, Your Majesty.

“This slave obeys.

“I will arrange it immediately.”

Wei Zhonghe understood.

The right to establish an independent residence had been granted for the safety of the eldest imperial grandson.

At that moment, Ji Chengjue finally entered the hall after spending some private time beside his wife.

Truthfully he had not wanted to come.

Right now, he wished he could remain beside Sisi indefinitely.

The problem was Sisi was exhausted.

She needed to sleep.

And Father Emperor was still sitting in his house with an entire collection of brothers.

If Ji Chengjue refused to appear at all it would genuinely be inappropriate.

If the old man still refused to leave much longer—

Ji Chengjue would have to start worrying about serving everyone dinner!

“This son pays respects to Father Emperor.

“Pays respects to His Highness the Crown Prince.

“Greetings, Eldest Brother, Eldest Sister-in-law, Fourth Brother, Fifth Brother.”

Little Seventh, still kneeling on the floor, immediately added:

“Greetings, Sixth Brother.”

Ji Chengjue arrived.

And immediately everyone felt the oppressive atmosphere that had only just loosened because the eldest imperial grandson was brought inside descend once more.

The confrontation between father and son outside the delivery room earlier still made everyone shiver whenever they remembered it.

Especially Ji Chengjue pointing toward the room and roaring word by word at the Emperor of Yan:

**I want my wife.**

That one act alone was more than enough to convict him of grave disrespect toward the sovereign.

Wei Zhonghe spoke first:

“Sixth Highness.

“His Majesty has just issued a decree permitting Your Highness to leave the Princes’ Residence and establish an independent residence.”

Hearing this—

Ji Chengjue felt some relief.

He had wanted to move for a long time.

Plenty of grand mansions inside Yanjing were technically his property already.

Yet he could not live in any of them.

Instead he had to remain here in what amounted to a dormitory for imperial princes.

Truthfully, living here had once been quite pleasant.

At least it had been pleasant years ago.

Back then the First Prince and Fourth Prince frequently sparred in martial arts.

The Fifth Prince helped them build sand tables so they could practice military exercises.

The Second Prince and Third Prince recited poetry together, discussing wind, flowers, snow, and moonlight.

Later those days gradually disappeared.

Eldest Brother spent most of his time outside leading troops and living in military camps.

After marrying the Barbarian Princess, he established his own residence.

Second Brother entered the Eastern Palace.

Brothers became sovereign and subjects.

Third Brother moved away as well.

He lived beside the pavilion in the middle of the lake now because appreciating snow was more convenient there.

After the Deng Clan collapsed, Fourth Brother stopped practicing martial arts.

Fifth Brother, at least continued faithfully doing his carpentry.

In any case, for Ji Chengjue, possessing a residence that truly belonged to him would make everything he did in the future far more convenient.

At the same time the decree also meant that the incident between him and Father Emperor earlier, including his grave disrespect would not be pursued.

Though that itself had already been within Ji Chengjue’s expectations.

As long as he remained useful.

As long as he could continue producing money and grain for Great Yan.

As long as he could continue accumulating the military funds Father Emperor needed for southern conquest—

Father Emperor would no longer casually suppress and dispose of him the way he once had.

In that regard—

Father Emperor possessed enormous tolerance.

A son.

A house.

Ji Chengjue suddenly experienced the strange feeling that he could now retire from office and return home.

Of course, the sensation lasted only an instant.

He understood very clearly.

Some roads once stepped upon never allowed a person to turn back.

“Have you chosen a childhood name?” the Emperor asked.

“Reporting to Father Emperor.

“This son has considered one.”

“Let Us hear it.”

Only *let Us hear it.*

The final authority still rested in the Emperor’s hands.

“Call him...

“Brother Xun.”

“Brother Xun?”

“Yes.

“Xun from swift wind— the meaning being that sickness will never be able to catch him.”

Literally he would run faster than disease.

In this age, child mortality remained frighteningly high.

Few blessings were greater than simply suffering fewer illnesses.

Truthfully the name had been suggested in a letter by Count Zheng.

Originally—

Count Zheng had wanted to call the boy **Runtu**.

But after the Blind Man reminded him, Count Zheng suddenly remembered that the “Run” in Runtu conflicted with the Emperor of Yan’s personal name—

Ji Runhao.

Great Yan did not treat name taboos with anything like the obsessive strictness found in the State of Qian.

But still what grandson would be given a childhood name directly colliding with his grandfather’s imperial name?

So Count Zheng suggested **Brother Xun** instead.

At that moment, Wei Zhonghe spoke:

“Your Majesty.

“The eldest imperial grandson still lacks a formal name.

“The Grand Director of the Court of the Imperial Clan is already waiting outside.”

The birth of the eldest imperial grandson was an enormous matter for Great Yan’s imperial clan.

It meant the third generation had now begun branching outward.

As head of the Court of the Imperial Clan, the Grand Director naturally treated it with utmost seriousness.

Besides the eldest imperial grandson had not suddenly jumped out from a crack in a stone.

His formal name had obviously been considered long before today.

“This is Our eldest grandson.

“You brothers belong to the **Cheng** generation.

“The next generation should belong to the **Chuan** generation.

“We have chosen for him the name...”

Among the Emperor of Yan’s seven sons, the First Prince, Ji Wujiang, stood apart.

Because he had been the Emperor’s firstborn son, and because the old master within the palace had calculated his fate at the time, one character of the normal generational naming scheme had been altered.

That was why he had been named Ji Wujiang rather than Ji Chengjiang.

The remaining princes all carried **Cheng** as the second character of their names.

The next generation would carry **Chuan**.

This naming sequence had been established by their ancestors long ago.

More precisely, it had existed even before the Marquis of Yan received the Great Xia Son of Heaven’s command to enter Yan.

The family’s generational order was older than the Great Yan Dynasty itself.

And then, the Emperor of Yan spoke the name he had chosen for his eldest imperial grandson.

Every person present changed expression.

The First Prince’s gaze sharpened.

The Fourth and Fifth Princes’ mouths opened slightly.

Ji Chengjue abruptly raised his head.

Even the Crown Prince, who had earlier been staring so intensely at the blue-and-white porcelain vase that he seemed nearly lost inside its patterns trembled faintly.

“We name him...

**Ji Chuanye.**”

————

[End of Chapter 461]