The emperor laughed when he saw Liu Rou Niang's expression: "What? He's my son, is that something that surprises you so much?"
Liu Rou Niang realized she had lost her composure and quickly waved her hand.
The emperor continued, "I keep my word. Once I make a promise, I will not take it back. Tell me what your wish is, and I will fulfill it for you."
Liu Rou Niang thought for a moment, then solemnly bowed to the emperor and said, "This humble woman has only one wish, and hopes that Your Majesty will grant it!"
The Emperor, understanding the situation, asked, "Tell me about it." Liu Rou Niang bowed and said, "I was extremely surprised to learn that Xiao Shan is Your Majesty's son. My wish is that, regardless of whether Xiao Shan remains Your Majesty's only son or not, and regardless of his conduct, I hope Your Majesty will treat him kindly."
The emperor was quite surprised; he hadn't expected Liu Rou Niang to make such a request with this promise.
He said, “He is my son, and I will naturally treat him well. Why don’t you think carefully about what you are asking for? Wouldn’t that be a waste of my promise?”
Liu Rou Niang shook her head and said, "Your Majesty, all I ask for is that Xiao Shan live out his life peacefully and smoothly. This is more valuable than gold and silver. I hope Your Majesty will remember the promise you made to me today. If Your Majesty is ever dissatisfied with him in the future, please allow Xiao Shan to live out his life peacefully and smoothly, no matter what."
The emperor smiled. Mo Xiaoshan was the child his wife had risked her life to keep for him, so he would naturally treat him well. In that sense, Liu Rou Niang was a good person at heart.
And when he recognized Mo Xiaoshan yesterday, it was clear that Xiaoshan was very well-mannered. He was already literate. Considering that Liu Rouniang was a woman who had a hard time raising four children, not to mention Old Man Mo, she still managed to send the children to school.
He gestured for the eunuch to fetch the eldest prince, and then wrote three characters on the Xuan paper: Mo Xiaojin.
"Do you recognize these three characters?" the emperor asked.
Liu Rou Niang looked over and recognized him. She nodded.
The emperor asked, "What do you think of this name?"
Seeing that the emperor was puzzled, Li Rouniang still said, "This humble woman is not very learned and only knows a few words. I am afraid that I do not understand the deeper meanings."
The emperor smiled and said, "A carefree life is like a beautiful jade, untouched by dust. What do you think of the name I gave Xiaoshan?"
"Your Majesty means this is the name of Xiaoshan?" Liu Rou Niang suddenly realized.
The emperor smiled and nodded, saying, "Now that he is a prince, he can't still be called Xiaoshan. Of course, this is not to say that Xiaoshan is a bad name, but it can only be considered a nickname. He should have a formal name."
Liu Rou Niang nodded. She hadn't thought much of the three characters at first, but now, looking at them more closely, she suddenly felt they were excellent. She smiled and said, "Your Majesty is so talented! This name is truly wonderful!"
The emperor laughed upon hearing this: "If she knew this in the afterlife, she would surely think it was a good name."
Liu Rou Niang paused, realizing that the woman the emperor was referring to was Mo Xiaoshan's birth mother. She had heard from Mo Bei that this woman, in order to ensure the Mo family's bloodline continued, had taken labor-inducing drugs and risked her life to give birth to Mo Xiaoshan.
She admired her. Having already had three daughters, she knew all too well that childbirth was like walking through the gates of hell for a woman, let alone being induced.
Only women who have given birth can truly understand the hardships involved.
At that moment, the eunuch outside the door announced: "The Crown Prince has arrived!"
Liu Rou Niang turned around with delight and saw Mo Xiaoshan, oh no, he should be called Mo Xiaojin now, dressed in brocade robes and wearing a golden crown. From a distance, he looked eight parts like the emperor. At this moment, he stepped forward in a proper manner to greet the emperor: "Your subject greets Father!"
The emperor said, "Get up. I summoned you here today to bring your wet nurse into the palace so that you can see her and satisfy your longing."
Mo Xiaojin looked up and saw Liu Rouniang, her heart filled with tenderness. The emperor felt a pang of sadness; he had never seen such a look in his eyes before.
Mo Xiaojin walked up to Liu Rouniang and asked, "Mother, are you alright at the Liu residence? Are my sisters all well?"
The emperor frowned upon hearing this form of address, but said nothing.
Liu Rou Niang smiled and said, "We're all fine, don't worry. How are you doing in the palace?"
Mo Xiaojin nodded. The Emperor felt a pang of sadness. The mother and son chatted on and on, oblivious to everyone else, for quite some time. Finally, the Emperor couldn't help but cough twice, at which point the two stopped talking and looked at him.
The emperor touched his nose and said, "I think it's already noon. Why don't we let Miss Liu have her meal in the palace?"
Liu Rou Niang quickly expressed her gratitude. Since the emperor did not have a harem, the only masters of the palace were the emperor and the eldest prince. The meals were naturally of the highest quality, with a large table full of food, and there were also palace maids and eunuchs serving them.
This setup was even grander and more impressive than that of the Liu residence. Rou Niang felt quite uncomfortable eating there, as she didn't need to use her chopsticks at all; the palace maids served the food in delicate little dishes for her to eat.
The taste was quite good, but Liu Rou Niang didn't savor it carefully at the moment.
After the meal, the emperor wanted to continue reviewing memorials in the imperial study, so he sent Mo Xiaojin and Liu Rouniang for a stroll in the imperial garden. Mo Xiaojin was delighted and pulled Liu Rouniang out; the mother and son finally had a chance to be alone together.
Mo Xiaojin dismissed the palace maids and eunuchs. The two strolled alone in the Imperial Garden, which was actually maintained by eunuchs. It was a beautiful sight, but Mo Xiaojin's heart sank. He said heavily, "Mother, I'm sorry..."
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