Chapter 1459: Growth (Part 3)

After Fu Jingjing was born he was very quiet. Several times Zhao Mingming tried to coax him; he was never startled or delighted, just opened those round eyes of his, dark as obsidian, and looked at her. That made Zhao Mingming like this little brother even more, yet she wished he would respond a bit more, so she insisted that his milk-name should follow what she called him.

Zhao Hanzhang considered herself quite open-minded. Seeing that both father and daughter favored this milk-name, she agreed.

So that year the newborn child’s milk-name was set as Jingjing.

This matter spread out and slowly evolved into talk that the Eldest Prince’s authority was so weighty that even the newly born Second Prince’s milk-name had to pass through her approval.

Mrs. Wang was once worried this would damage the affection between the siblings, and she really put her foot down before she managed to stop that wind.

At that time Fu Jingjing was just an infant, naturally knowing nothing; but Zhao Mingming could feel it.

She already understood that her identity doomed her to be guessed at by the world; even a closest relative like her grandmother, the Elddest Princess, would treat her and her younger brother differently because of her status.

Only the grandmother in the Imperial Palace followed her true heart, simply loving her and her younger brother.

If she felt Mingming had had a hard time, she’d love her a bit more; if she felt the younger brother was wronged, she’d dote on him a bit more. Her laughter and scolding all came from the heart, simple to the extreme.

The Eldest Princess Mansion was not far from the Imperial Palace. After leaving the Imperial City, one could arrive in a quarter of an hour. From afar, the servants waiting at the street corner saw the carriage bearing the royal emblem and at once ran back to report, "Quick, inform the Elddest Princess, the Crown Princess has arrived."

Today, as soon as the mansion received the news that the Crown Princess had returned to the capital, they prepared for her to come pay her respects. The clever servants immediately came to wait at the street corner, just waiting to get the news in advance and run back to report to the Princess.

Sure enough, once the news was reported inside, the inner quarters rewarded them.

The gatekeepers cast envious looks at him, then at once opened the main gate to welcome the Eldest Prince; if they did their job well, they too would be rewarded.

Zhao Mingming and Fu Jingjing often came to pay respects to their grandfather and grandmother; even Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan would occasionally come over to show filial piety, so the gatekeepers were very experienced in receiving Princes and Princesses.

They had just removed the threshold when Aunt Ren Hui from the inner court came hurrying over with the maids, a group of people standing respectfully on either side of the main gate.

Zhao Mingming jumped down from the horse and immediately smiled at Ren Hui, "Auntie, why are you being so ceremonious again?"

Ren Hui saluted and said with a smile, "You and the Elddest Princess truly speak with one heart. As soon as the Elddest Princess heard that the Eldest Prince and Second Prince were coming, she was overjoyed. I volunteered to come receive you, but the Princess also said that the Eldest Prince and Second Prince are coming home to their own grandmother, so there’s no need for such formality. It’s just that this maidservant wanted to lead the way for the Eldest Prince and Second Prince..."

Ren Hui stepped forward and took Fu Jingjing’s other hand, and the group went in through the gate, talking and laughing.

Princess Hongnong had already ordered many delicious snacks to be prepared. Seeing the siblings, her gaze slid over Fu Jingjing’s body and focused on carefully sizing up Zhao Mingming.

Seeing that the childishness on her face had slightly faded, and that she now carried a trace of firmness about her, she could not help nodding inwardly. This child was becoming more and more outstanding. It seemed Zhao Hanzhang had been right: if one wants a child to grow up, she must go through some things.

Princess Hongnong’s lips curved slightly. After they finished their formal greetings, she pulled Zhao Mingming to her side and asked carefully about the trip to Liaodong.

Zhao Mingming excitedly told her about the Youzhou Governor she had met, and the various officials at all levels, as well as the battle tactics they used when attacking Liaodong, the traps...

In one battle, when their Central Army was shifting position they encountered a Xianbei reinforcement unit. She herself had charged right to the front and personally killed an enemy officer!

Princess Hongnong said, "Wasn’t the battle report saying you killed two enemy officers?"

Zhao Mingming waved her hand and said, "One doesn’t count. That man had half his skull chopped off by Zeng Yue with a single stroke. I couldn’t brake my momentum and thrust a spear into him; they counted that officer as mine, but that’s not right. The one I killed myself is only one."

Zeng Yue did not care about the credit for that officer, because for him the greatest merit in that battle was having protected Zhao Mingming.

These were things Fu Jingjing had not heard from their grandmother the Empress Dowager. Clearly it was the same trip to Liaodong, yet the stories being told were completely different, even the atmosphere was different.

Fu Jingjing was equally engrossed, his eyes shining, following his sister’s storytelling rhythm with one startlement after another.

It was not until Fu Tinghan came to fetch the siblings that everyone suddenly realized the sky had already grown dark and the sun was setting in the west.

Ren Hui immediately stepped forward and said, "Elddest Princess, the meal is ready. Do you think we should set it out in the flower hall or send it up?"

Princess Hongnong hesitated for a moment, then said to the siblings, "Your father is here, go and see him."

Ren Hui hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back, looking at Princess Hongnong with heartache.

Princess Hongnong’s expression did not change. She let Ren Hui escort Zhao Mingming and her brother out.

Zhao Mingming, grinning, suggested, "Let’s set the meal out in the garden. The weather is nice now, and there’s a light breeze. We can eat and enjoy the scenery at the same time."

Ren Hui immediately answered and went off, ignoring Princess Hongnong’s warning look.

Zhao Mingming then pulled Fu Jingjing along to welcome their father.

Fu Tinghan had also intended to come pay his respects to Princess Hongnong, but the servant who reported back ran fast and arrived before him. The family of three bumped into each other under a moon gate.

Fu Tinghan also subconsciously looked at Zhao Mingming first. Seeing that she was safe and sound, he then smiled and took Fu Jingjing’s hand, and together they went to pay respects to Princess Hongnong.

Ren Hui was very quick; she had already brought people to set out the dishes.

Fu Tinghan said nothing. After the formal greetings, he and the two children stayed to accompany Princess Hongnong at supper.

Fu Xuan was not in the mansion. Ever since Zhao Mingming was made Crown Princess at the age of five and the court stabilized, he had begun traveling among mountains and waters.

At first he stayed around Luoyang, and when he found that Zhao Hanzhang did not restrain him and Princess Hongnong did not stop him, he started to expand his range and in the end roamed farther and farther.

Now, no one knew on which mountain he was admiring the moon and stars and looking for an old Taoist.

Princess Hongnong would occasionally quarrel with him, thinking that he neglected his proper business and corrupted public morals, but once he was no longer in front of her, she found that even her temper flared up less often, and the common folk did not develop bad habits just because the Prince Consort indulged himself, so she turned a blind eye and stopped bothering about him.

Thus in this large Princess Mansion, usually only Princess Hongnong was the master.

Ren Hui had always felt sorry for her, thinking she was too lonely. Whenever she saw Zhao Hanzhang and the others, she would hint that they should come often to keep her company.

In the past, Zhao Mingming hadn’t quite understood all this, but now she could read faces and gauge people’s words.

Her mother had said that whether as a General, as Crown Princess, or as the future Emperor, reading faces and words is a basic skill.

Ruling a country is like treating a person; the Emperor is akin to a physician.

One must know where the root of the illness lies in order to prescribe the right medicine.

And for a physician, reading faces and gauging words is the most basic skill of all.

As Crown Princess, and future Emperor, she too had to possess this most basic skill.

Zhao Mingming picked up a piece of stewed tofu, soft and melting, for her grandmother; then she picked up a slice of stuffed lotus root for Fu Tinghan; then she gave Fu Jingjing one of his favorite big meatballs. Only then did she pick up a chopstick of beef for herself, eating with evident relish.

Princess Hongnong couldn’t help but smile as well. No longer worrying about the consequences of their returning late to the palace, she concentrated on eating.

With the three of them accompanying her, Princess Hongnong even had a better appetite that night. By the time they finished eating, the sky was completely dark, and Princess Hongnong had successfully eaten until she was full and heavy.

For someone as proper and health-conscious as her, this was a rare experience; even she herself was taken aback for a moment.