On the 29th day of the 12th lunar month in the 9th year of Taichu, it was an auspicious day for traveling, bathing, offering sacrifices, coming - of - age ceremonies, and adopting children.
Early this morning, Song Yihuan and Ji Lingchuan left the Princess Changhuan's Mansion with Xiangxiang and headed for the Prince Ning's Mansion.
The Prince and Princess of Ning had received the news early and were already sitting in the main hall waiting.
Today was a big day for Xiangxiang to recognize his ancestors. From this day on, Xiangxiang would officially become the young heir of the Prince Ning's Mansion, addressing the Prince of Ning as grandfather and the Princess of Ning as grandmother.
"His Highness the Heir Apparent, Her Highness the Princess, and the young heir are here!"
Following the loud announcement of the inner official, Song Yihuan and Ji Lingchuan walked slowly towards them, leading Xiangxiang.
The Prince and Princess of Ning both sat up straight involuntarily. Their faces looked very solemn, but anyone could tell that their gazes were fixed on Xiangxiang, filled with eagerness and affection.
Before coming, Song Yihuan had told Xiangxiang the importance of today and promised to take him to eat the most delicious pastries in the capital city after it was over. Therefore, he put aside his usual naughtiness, with a serious little face, following Song Yihuan and Ji Lingchuan in a rather imposing manner.
When the family of three entered the main hall, the Prince of Ning was overjoyed. He lifted his buttocks off the chair, but suddenly realizing it was inappropriate, he sat back down.
They stopped in front. Song Yihuan and Ji Lingchuan bowed to the Prince and Princess of Ning respectively. Then it was Xiangxiang's turn. For a moment, everyone in the hall looked at Xiangxiang involuntarily.
Xiangxiang felt a bit nervous all of a sudden being stared at by so many people. His little hands were sweaty.
He stole a cautious glance at Song Yihuan. After getting his mother's encouragement, he took a step forward, bowed with his hands clasped to the Prince of Ning and said:
"Xiangxiang pays respects to grandfather."
Then he looked at the Princess of Ning and said, "Pays respects to grandmother."
The Prince and Princess of Ning both responded happily and told the servants to hand over the red envelopes they had prepared long ago as a meeting - gift for seeing their grandson for the first time.
Xiangxiang was of royal blood, so the ancestor - recognizing ceremony was different from that of ordinary people. There was no common ritual of opening the ancestral hall and retrieving the genealogy, but a name had to be chosen according to the generation and sent to the Zongzhengyuan to be recorded in the royal genealogy.
Regarding the matter of naming Xiangxiang, Ji Lingchuan and the Prince of Ning had a dispute.
"Far to the north there is a fish named Kun. The Kun is so huge that it is hard to tell how many thousands of miles it measures. When it transforms into a bird, its name is Peng. Look, what a wonderful meaning this has! Xiangxiang is my eldest grandson, so smart and cute. In the future, he will surely achieve great things like the Kun and Peng. How about naming him 'Ji Kunpeng'? What a resounding name!"
The Prince of Ning slapped the table and said.
Ji Lingchuan said coldly, "Although the meaning behind this name is good, Xiangxiang is still young. I'm afraid he can't hold up such a grand name. I think it's better to name him Daiyuan. 'Dai' refers to Mount Tai, the chief of the Five Great Mountains, and 'yuan' means profound. This can stabilize his personality."
"He's just a child, at the innocent and carefree age. What does he need stability for? He should soar freely like the Kun and Peng!"
"I'm his father. It's only natural for me to name him!"
"I'm your father!"
"My name was given by Your Highness before. Your Highness has already experienced this once. Why do you still compete with your son for this chance to name the child?"
The Prince of Ning said, "I did name you, but I haven't named my grandson. You wouldn't begrudge me this chance, would you? Isn't the Princess pregnant again? You'll have plenty of opportunities to name your children in the future. Why care about this one?"
Listening to the two of them bickering like children, Song Yihuan was really amazed.
The Princess of Ning was also seeing the Prince of Ning being so unreasonable with his son for the first time. The mother - in - law and daughter - in - law exchanged a glance and both burst into laughter.
In the end, neither of them won. Seeing that the father - son duo couldn't reach an agreement, Song Yihuan came up with an idea. She, the Prince of Ning, Ji Lingchuan, and the Princess of Ning would each come up with a name, and then let Xiangxiang choose by himself.
The four pieces of paper with the names were put into a box by Nanny Chen. After shuffling them, the box was handed to Xiangxiang.
Facing the expectant looks of his parents, grandfather, and grandmother, Xiangxiang reached out his hand and rummaged in the box. Finally, he took out a piece of paper and handed it to Song Yihuan beside him.
"Mother, Xiangxiang has chosen!"
Song Yihuan cleared her throat, unfolded the paper that Xiangxiang had chosen. After showing surprise on her face, she smiled and looked at the Princess of Ning. "Congratulations, Your Highness. Xiangxiang has chosen the name you came up with - Ji Yuanyi."
The Princess of Ning stood up excitedly, stepped forward to take the paper from her hand and took a look. The words "Yuanyi" were clearly written on it. Then she smiled and bent down to ruffle Xiangxiang's hair.
"Xiangxiang, from now on, your name will be Ji Yuanyi."
Xiangxiang - now Ji Yuanyi - immediately widened his eyes, which sparkled. "Xiangxiang has a name! Just like Brother Ergou whose name is Li Fei, right?"
Song Yihuan smiled and said, "That's right."
The Prince of Ning was very disappointed that Xiangxiang couldn't be named "Kunpeng", but then he thought that there would soon be another grandson or granddaughter. He regained his enthusiasm.
After drafting the documents for naming and recognizing the heir, the Prince of Ning went to the Ministry of Rites in person. After the imperial edict was issued from the palace some days later, Xiangxiang's identity would be completely confirmed.
After settling the matter of the name, Song Yihuan and Ji Lingchuan left Xiangxiang in the Prince Ning's Mansion, allowing the Prince and Princess of Ning to bond with their grandson more. The couple then returned to the Princess's Mansion.
The grand wedding of Song Yihuan and Ji Lingchuan made all the unmarried women in the capital city envious.
After the wedding, invitation cards and visiting cards flew into the Princess's Mansion like pieces of paper. Countless people wanted to see the true face of Princess Changhuan of Yanyun, the woman whom the Heir Apparent of Prince Ning cared for so tenderly.
However, the main gate of the Princess's Mansion never opened for others.
Recently, though, the Princess of Ning had become more active than before. She often held plum - viewing banquets and snow - boiling banquets, inviting the noble ladies in the capital city to gather in the Prince Ning's Mansion.
It was said to be a gathering, but in fact, it was to show off her newly - found young heir, Ji Yuanyi.
Although Xiangxiang was lively and naughty, Song Yihuan had taught him very well. When he was with the Princess of Ning, he was sweet, lively, and smart. At such a young age, he could recite the Hundred Family Surnames and the Three - Character Classic completely. Moreover, he could call out the names of anyone he saw at a glance, which really made the Princess of Ning proud.
Before long, everyone in the capital city knew that there was a three - year - old young heir in the Prince Ning's Mansion!
This young heir was the eldest son of the Heir Apparent of Prince Ning, and his biological mother was, of course, Princess Changhuan of Yanyun.
Because of this, there were more and more speculations about the identity of Princess Yanyun. Just when everyone was speculating and opinions were divided -
One day, a carriage stopped outside the Princess Changhuan's Mansion.
Gu Yunzheng, the Minister of the Supreme Court, got off the carriage with his pregnant wife on his arm. Princess Changhuan, supported by Ji Lingchuan, the Heir Apparent of Prince Ning, came out to greet them in person.
That beautiful and peerless face was so familiar!
But now she was no longer the ill - treated concubine daughter of the Marquis Ding'an's Mansion. She was the noble Princess Changhuan of Yanyun, the wife whom the Heir Apparent of Prince Ning had married in a proper and grand manner!