The Imperial Household Department was full of incompetent officials, but also quite a few capable ones. Turning coarse wool into wool yarn? Although I secretly thought Consort Wan's idea was impractical, someone actually did it.
After being combed and processed, the coarse wool was roughly what Wan Anran wanted when it appeared in front of her. It had all sizes, from coarse to fine.
The palace maids in the sewing room, all smiles, presented a color selection booklet with both hands: "The yarn here is all in its natural color. Would Your Highness like it dyed? Water green, water red, begonia red, imperial pink, peach pink, willow green, or perhaps dark purple, ultramarine, lilac..."
The color selection booklet was filled with fabrics of various colors, with each color and material clearly labeled—it was meticulously and concisely presented. The only problem was that the sheer number of colors undoubtedly caused Wan Anran to suffer from choice paralysis; she looked left and right, liked them all… well, she liked them all.
"Which one do you think is more suitable for Mao Tao?" Wan Anran frowned and gestured for Hai Tao and the others to come forward and help her choose.
The palace maid in the needlework room looked utterly astonished.
"Peach? What peach? Who is this again?" Just as the palace maids in the sewing room thought they had probably misheard, the maid Hai Tao smiled and said, "This servant thinks that the young prince is more suited to wearing brighter colors, such as silver-red, which would be quite nice."
Mao Tao was actually referring to the eleventh prince!
The palace maids in the sewing room tried their best to suppress their laughter, bowing their heads and raising their hands to control themselves so as not to burst out laughing.
The servants and mistresses of Xianfu Palace are still engaged in serious discussion.
Zisu shook her head: "This servant once heard Mother say that children should not wear clothes that are too dark in color, lest they easily attract evil spirits!"
Haitao immediately changed her mind: "Then it's better to choose something more elegant, something like white, ivory, light blue, or aquamarine."
Zisu nodded: "Embroider some flowers, plants and trees on it, or if Master prefers darker colors, how about making a separate little bib?"
“A little bib…” Wan Anran rested her cheek on her hand, and in her mind, she saw a round and chubby little peach wearing a little bib, her plump little hands waving at her in a cute and innocent way. Her cheeks flushed slightly and her eyes sparkled: “That’s a good idea.”
The red one is used as a bellyband.
Wan Anran selected several elegant colors to make new clothes for Mao Tao. Of course, this time she also chose apricot yellow and a few other colors to make one for the emperor as well—so that the petty emperor wouldn't complain again. At the same time, she could also prepare this year's New Year's gift together.
The east side hall gradually quieted down.
After the palace maid from the needlework room left Xianfu Palace, she couldn't help but chuckle softly: "The Eleventh Prince's childhood name... Pfft!"
"Mao Tao... do you think Consort Wan would have come up with such a nickname?"
"Perhaps it's because a humble name makes a child easier to raise?"
"Ah, I've heard that before at home, but in the palace..."
The palace servants marveled at this.
Look at the grand and elegant names the Emperor gave to the previous princes; compared to that, the Eleventh Prince's name seems so ridiculous. They sighed briefly and quickly forgot about it. However, the palace servants who received the news relayed it back to Chengqian Palace, hoping to bring a smile to the face of Consort Tong, who had been unable to hide her worries lately.
Consort Tong seemed to be deep in thought.
She tucked the corner of the quilt around the Twelfth Prince and pondered for a moment: "...Speaking of which, I have also heard the saying that a humble name makes it easier to raise a child."
It's just in the palace...
Look at Consort Wan, who chose the nickname "Mao Tao" (毛桃, meaning "peach"), and it's already causing laughter among the palace servants. If I were to give the Twelfth Prince a nickname, I wonder how much discussion it would spark?
But when Consort Tong looked down at the sleeping Twelfth Prince, her eyes softened. The Emperor had lost six princes before, and after experiencing pain and grief, he had learned to be heartless. He would not develop any affection for his children unless he was close to them, and if he did not develop any affection for them, he would not feel heartache or pain if they died... Since the Twelfth Prince was born, the Emperor had not entered the palace gates again except for visiting him on the first day.
But if the emperor is willing to sacrifice himself, how could he possibly be willing to do the same?
Consort Tong gritted her teeth, reached out and gently stroked the young prince's cheek: "I'll call you A-Mou."
The palace servants were suffocated.
Just moments ago we were mocking Consort Wan for naming her son Mao Tao (毛桃), and now Consort Tong is naming her youngest son A Mou (阿哞)? Isn't that amazing?
The question was named by the master.
Even if the palace servants didn't think the name was very good, they still forced smiles and praised it: "Your Highness has chosen such a wonderful name! It's amazing! It sounds so nice! The young master will surely grow up strong and healthy and become a great warrior of the Qing Dynasty!"
I wonder if Mao Tao, far away in Xianfu Palace, will feel relieved after learning about Ah Mou? At least he wasn't given the nickname Ah Mou in his past life.
Unfortunately, Mao Tao is unaware of this matter for the time being.
The former Emperor Yongzheng, Yinzhen, now lies expressionlessly in a cradle. In his previous life, he had worked tirelessly through the night reviewing memorials, and even while ill, he dared not slacken his efforts, eventually dying at his desk. When he opened his eyes again, he had become a baby in a cradle.
At first, Yinzhen thought he had been reborn in Wuya's womb. When he felt the large hand holding him and gently rocking him, and gently stroking his hair and cheek, a thousand thoughts surged in his mind.
It turns out that Uya had also done this to her before...
He struggled to open his eyes, but everything before him was blurry and indistinct, with figures swaying and he couldn't make out the faces of the people in front of him.
Unable to see anything clearly, Yinzhen could only listen to the conversations around him, and was shocked to discover that his mother was not actually from the Uya clan!
Instead... is it... Noble Lady Wan?
Who is this? Yinzhen's small brain was too small to think about anything else. After a short while, a deep weariness rose in his head, forcing him to go to sleep.
Perhaps changing the mother wouldn't be so bad?
Before falling asleep, one last thought surfaced in Yinzhen's mind.
It wasn't until almost a full moon that Yinzhen could clearly see the person in front of him.
In this life, her birth mother was not from the Uya clan, but from the birth mother of the twelfth prince, Yin Tao... Consort Ding, of the Wanliuha clan.
Yinzhen still had some impression of Consort Ding.
She and her birth mother, Uya, were both selected to enter the palace in the same batch. Not only did they live in the same room, but they also became favored concubines one after the other.
Unlike Uya, who rose through the ranks to become a Noble Lady, Consort, and Imperial Concubine, Wanliuha only gave birth to her twelfth brother after ten years of stagnation. Even after that, her fortunes did not improve. Her twelfth brother was given to Sumala for adoption, and Wanliuha did not receive any promotion, demonstrating the Khan's indifference and coldness towards her.
And so it was.
It wasn't until the 57th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign that Wanliuha was granted the title of Consort, and only after her father's death was she promoted to Imperial Concubine Ding. What was truly enviable was that Imperial Concubine Ding was cheerful and healthy. Before her sudden death in her previous life, she was still lively and energetic, capable of chasing her twelfth brother around with a broom.
How did I become the child of Wanliuha?
Could it be that I've taken the position of the twelfth brother? No, everyone is clearly calling him the eleventh prince, which is the order before the Khan changed the imperial register.
Yinzhen stared blankly at the swaying toy on top.
However, he had no mind to think about these things right now. He felt a churning in his stomach, and Yinzhen's face turned pale. He kicked his short legs and groaned.
Wan Anran and the other two were immediately drawn to the attention.
Seeing Mao Tao kicking his legs, the three of them suddenly realized what was happening and quickly called the wet nurse to change the little prince's diaper. Hai Tao, as usual, had to boast: "Master, the little prince is really well-behaved. He has rarely made a fuss in all these days. He can make a sound when he wants to eat, drink, or poop. He is really smart."
As the wet nurse lifted the little prince's legs to change his diaper, she chuckled and chimed in, "Such a clever one, this is the first time I've ever seen one. Look at him, still looking so dissatisfied!"
Wan Anran was slightly taken aback.
She didn't think about whether he was reborn or not, since there weren't many words about the Fourth Prince in the book. She just couldn't help but sigh inwardly—Yongzheng is indeed Yongzheng, he's different from a young age.
Wan Anran looked pleased.
In Yinzhen's eyes, that would likely be interpreted as suspicion. His heart skipped a beat, and he instantly realized that his act of pretending to be a baby was not up to par. Looking at the curious faces around him, Yinzhen gritted his teeth, nibbled on his little hands, and let out a silly laugh to himself.
Hai Tao chuckled, "Looking at your adorable, innocent appearance, you're just like your master."
Wan Anran nodded with a smile.
After a while, she widened her eyes, grabbed Hai Tao's ear and said, "You little brat, Hai Tao, how dare you ridicule your master like this?"
Does the peach look like my adorable, silly self?
Wan Anran snorted, unable to help but mutter, "If you ask me, you're clearly as smart as me, and as adorably clueless as the Emperor—"
Who does he look like?
“Like—a concubine.” Wan Anran broke out in a cold sweat.
The sound entered the inner room through the curtain.
Even so, everyone in the room recognized the voice as belonging to the Emperor, and they all knelt down in unison.
Emperor Kangxi gave a half-smile.
Luckily, the Crown Prince insisted on seeing his new brother, otherwise he wouldn't have known that Consort Wan dared to speak ill of him behind his back. She was truly audacious!
Look, they've been caught red-handed.
Kangxi, his face stern, snorted coldly, "Oh? What I heard earlier seems different?"
Wan Anran felt guilty for a moment.
For a fleeting moment, she glanced at the curtain and felt reassured. After all, the Emperor couldn't see her expression, so what was there to fear? Wan Anran changed her tune without hesitation: "Perhaps Your Majesty misunderstood? I was just telling the palace servants that the Eleventh Prince's intelligence must be like Your Majesty's, and his occasional adorable and silly moments are all like mine."
"At least you have some self-awareness."
"..." The person opposite him was the emperor, the emperor! Several veins bulged on Wan Anran's forehead as she forcibly suppressed the anger rising in her heart.
Emperor Kangxi was unaware of Consort Wan's reaction.
He didn't pay much attention, since the main purpose of his visit today was to see the Eleventh Prince, not Consort Wan. He exchanged a few words to pass the time, and when the wet nurse came out with the swaddled baby, he, along with the Crown Prince, Wan Fu, and the First Princess, went up to them.
Looking at the snow-white and adorable little prince, those memories also surfaced before Kangxi's eyes. He reached out and picked up the little prince to tease him a bit. Kangxi's body stiffened, and Yinzhen's body stiffened even more. The father and son stared at each other, and it must be said that they really did resemble each other by three or four points.
Crown Prince Bao Cheng was displeased.
He tugged at the corner of Kangxi's robe: "Father, I also want to see my younger brother."
"Okay, okay, I'll show you."
"Father, my brother has really become more handsome." The Crown Prince exclaimed in amazement, and Wan Fu and the eldest princess nodded in agreement.
"He's a bit chubby, like a dough ball."
"Yes, round and chubby, just like a little pig!"
The three chattered away.
Yinzhen looked at the people before him with suspicion and uncertainty. Were the Crown Prince and Princess Chunxi really that close? And who was this little prince he had never seen before? Countless questions swirled in Yinzhen's mind. Overthinking made the baby's brain feel hot and sluggish, and his eyes were practically spinning.
Their silly reactions are even cuter!
The Crown Prince, Wan Fu, and the eldest princess were having a great time teasing each other. After a while, Crown Prince Bao Cheng finally remembered the important matter. He looked up at the curtain and asked, "Consort Wan, what is your younger brother's name?"
The bewildered Yinzhen quickly came to his senses.
If the Crown Prince and others found out about this nickname, wouldn't they ridicule him to death when he grew up? He was babbling in panic. Yinzhen tried to attract everyone's attention, but Wan Anran reacted quickly and directly betrayed him.
Wan Anran spoke very loudly.
She said with great satisfaction, "It's called Mao Tao!"
The Crown Prince, Wan Fu, and the Eldest Princess: ...
Kangxi's expression froze: "...Huh??"
He couldn't hide the sympathy in his eyes.
Baocheng, Baoqing, Ankang... Not to mention, each of these are auspicious names, but why is there a peach in them? Poor thing, it's all because of my momentary oversight that the right to name your child fell into your mother's hands.
Emperor Kangxi looked down at his young son, and with a sense of sympathy, quickly put choosing a name for him on the agenda.
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