According to tradition, when the Crown Prince ascends to the throne, he will bestow titles and honors to the harem.

It would be perfectly acceptable to confer the title later.

Yuanbao was already the Crown Prince’s eldest son, and he did not necessarily need to compete for the primary consort’s title.

In the future, as long as he was acknowledged as the legitimate son, no one could surpass him.

The Crown Prince’s brow twitched. “Is this what Mother said to you?”

“The Empress did not say this directly; it’s my own conjecture. What do you think, Your Highness?”

“Nothing much.” The Crown Prince paused. “But considering it is the Empress’s careful consideration, as she wishes, we shall temporarily confer the title of Secondary Consort.” In fact, he had never thought the Emperor would agree to this; he was merely testing the Empress’s feelings.

Seeing the Crown Prince relent, Xie Yuanchu was overjoyed. “That’s right. First, we confer the title of Secondary Consort, and in the future… further advancements are not impossible. When I left the palace, the Empress mentioned that the ninth day of next month is an exceptionally auspicious day. We could hold a grand banquet for Yuanbao on that day in the Eastern Palace.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Yuanchu.”

“It is the duty of a minister to help His Highness.” Just then, the sounds of Rongrong and Yuanbao chatting and laughing came from outside.

They seemed to have walked straight from the study to the bedroom.

Xie Yuanchu glanced at the Crown Prince and suppressed his laughter. “Your Highness, how is it that you are being driven out of your own bedroom?”

“Get out.” The Crown Prince said coldly, throwing a thick book at Xie Yuanchu.

Xie Yuanchu, unlike Fuquan, dodged swiftly and knew he had angered the Crown Prince.

He quickly laughed and left the study.

As he exited Yuhua Palace, he saw Rongrong and Yuanbao each holding a kite.

“Yuanbao, flying a kite?” Xie Yuanchu approached and picked Yuanbao up. “Can you fly a kite?”

“Of course I can. Father taught me last year,” Yuanbao said confidently.

“Oh,” Xie Yuanchu scratched his cheek, puzzled. “Really? I remember someone once hung a kite in a tree and cried, asking Uncle Xie to get it down.”

Yuanbao disliked being embarrassed in front of Rongrong.

Hearing Xie Yuanchu mention his mishap, his face immediately turned red.

He began to untangle the kite string.

“You’re talking nonsense. Auntie, don’t listen to Uncle Yuanchu. I’m going to fly the kite now. I can fly it really high!”

“Alright, I’ll hold the kite for you. When I say you can run, you should run forward, but don’t just focus on the kite. You need to watch where you’re going too. It wouldn’t be good if you fell.”

“Mm, I understand.”

Yuanbao held his swallow-shaped kite, looking back at Rong Rong with eager eyes.

Rong Rong held the kite, and when she felt the kite was ready to take flight with the wind, she shouted “Run” and released the kite string.

Yuanbao immediately ran forward at the command.

The wind was just right, and with a swoosh, the kite soared into the sky.

“Great! My kite is flying!”

Outside Yuhua Palace, laughter rang out.

The Crown Prince stood by the window, watching the cheerful scene of the three people outside.

He slammed the window shut with a thud.

Fu Quan, watching beside him, sighed deeply.

Why insist on maintaining appearances and suffering? If you want to play, just go out yourself!

Rong Rong, completely unaware of the undercurrents in Yuhua Palace, was enjoying the perfect weather for outdoor activities.

The day was pleasantly warm, neither too hot nor too cold, making it ideal for playing outside.

The swallow kite was handmade by her, and though her hands had been cut by the bamboo strips, she was delighted to make the kite for Yuanbao.

“Rong Rong, you look much better now than when you were at the Marquis’s residence.”

“Thank you for your concern, Master Xie.”

“Don’t be so formal. In the Eastern Palace, you don’t need to call yourself a servant. From now on, I should be the one to pay respects to you.”

Rong Rong’s face flushed. “Master Xie overestimates me. The people in the Eastern Palace are only being polite because of Yuanbao.”

Xie Yuanchu looked at Rong Rong quietly.

Her snow-white gown and satin skirt were made from the finest materials, but they were plain fabrics with only subtle patterns, giving a simple yet elegant appearance.

The finishing touch was the outer gauze garment, likely made from celestial silk, flowing like water, smoke, or mist.

Rong Rong looked as though she was enveloped in a cloud, adding an ethereal quality to her presence.

Rong Rong had been watching Yuanbao when she suddenly noticed the silence next to her.

She turned her head and met Xie Yuanchu’s dazed gaze.

As soon as their eyes met, Xie Yuanchu quickly snapped back to reality and looked away.

“Rong Rong, haven’t you been back to Wutong Lane recently?”

“Mm,” Rong Rong replied, indeed she hadn’t returned to Wutong Lane since she had decided to stay in the Eastern Palace with Yuanbao.

Since the Crown Prince’s actions ten days ago, she had been on high alert, leaving no time to think about other matters. “Is there something wrong at home?”

“It’s not a big deal. Zhenzhen visited your home a few days ago to see your grandmother and mentioned that your family rented a shop at the end of the alley to open a bun shop.”

Her grandmother is opening a bun shop?

Hearing this from Xie Yuanchu, Rong Rong felt a pang of guilt.

In her heart, she always considered her own child as family, and the Xue family was merely an add-on.

But having taken on the original owner’s identity, the Xue family had treated her with genuine care.

“Thank you for letting me know, Master Xie. I’m truly ashamed that I haven’t had the chance to visit recently. Zhenzhen helped me check on my grandmother,” Rong Rong said, looking at Xie Yuanchu. “Zhenzhen is a wonderful girl. I hope… I hope she finds a good match in the future.”

She couldn’t directly mention the matter of promoting a concubine, but speaking to a smart person like Xie Yuanchu, a hint was enough.

Upon hearing this, Xie Yuanchu’s expression became a bit awkward.

He naturally cared for Zhenzhen and was willing to give her a recognized status, but with the current turmoil in his family due to Xie Yuanrui’s situation, he could hardly attend to the matter of taking a concubine.

Clearing his throat, Xie Yuanchu said, “I’m afraid you won’t be able to return to Wutong Lane for a while.”

“Why do you say that, Master Xie?”

“The Emperor has decided on Yuanbao’s name. The Empress Dowager wants to make up for the lack of a grand celebration at the hundred-day banquet, so this time, she insists on holding a grand event in the Eastern Palace. You’ll be quite busy.”

“Decided? What name has the Emperor given Yuanbao?” Rong Rong asked curiously.

Previously, Yuanbao had mentioned waiting for the Emperor’s bestowal of a name.

Rong Rong had privately thought of several names for Yuanbao and often wondered what the final name would be.

She thought she’d find out when Yuanbao officially entered the royal records, but it seemed Xie Yuanchu already knew.

“You don’t know?” Xie Yuanchu asked, surprised.

Rong Rong shook her head, indicating she didn’t know as no one had informed her.

Xie Yuanchu said, “Liu Jing. The Emperor has bestowed the name ‘Jing’ on Yuanbao.”

Xie Yuanchu’s words seemed like a thunderclap, startling Rong Rong and leaving her dazed for a while.

After a moment, she began to recover her senses.

“Jing? Which Jing?”

Seeing Rong Rong’s anxious reaction, Xie Yuanchu was a bit surprised and said solemnly, “It’s Wang Jingjing. The name Yuanbao received is from the word ‘Jing’.”

Is it named according to generational order?

Rong Rong mentally repeated the name “Liu Jing.”

The character “Jing” looked beautiful when written and had a good meaning, referring to the brilliance of jade.

The Emperor likely chose this name for Yuanbao because he appreciated its meaning.

However… she and Yuanbao really are fated.

“To choose this name, Yuanbao has been without a proper name for four years. The Emperor and Crown Prince have been arguing, and we’ve been at a disadvantage.”

Hearing Xie Yuanchu’s disjointed comments, a question Rong Rong had been wondering about resurfaced.

The Emperor and Empress Dowager seemed to care about Yuanbao.

Why had Yuanbao been left without a name for so long?

She didn’t dare ask Yuanbao, fearing it might remind him of his deceased mother and cause him sadness.

Nor could she ask Wang An or Fu Quan, as they were both loyal to the Crown Prince, and she didn’t want it to seem like she had ulterior motives.

But perhaps Xie Yuanchu could provide an answer.

Rong Rong moved a bit closer to Xie Yuanchu and asked, “Master Xie, is it because the Emperor dislikes Yuanbao’s background that he has not been given a name?”

“Of course not,” Xie Yuanchu replied. “Yuanbao’s background is indeed unusual, but he is still the Crown Prince’s child. The Empress Dowager is one thing, but the Emperor would not be harsh towards him.”

“Then why…” Rong Rong was surprised to learn that there was another hidden reason.

“It’s all because of this character ‘Jing’. When Yuanbao was born, the Crown Prince named him…”

Just as Rong Rong was engrossed in listening, someone suddenly coughed beside her.

Both Xie Yuanchu and Rong Rong turned to see the Crown Prince standing with a stern face, while Fu Quan was coughing and giving Xie Yuanchu meaningful glances.