The atmosphere in the Golden Palace was solemn and dignified.
The civil and military officials stood on both sides, heads bowed, and only the slightly aged and drawn-out voice of the Minister of Works echoed in the entire hall.
"...Your Majesty, due to the erosion caused by last autumn's floods, many sections of the dikes along the lower reaches of the Yellow River have developed ant nests. Although these have been promptly repaired,...I believe we should follow the example of previous dynasties and construct secondary dikes along the banks to prepare for unforeseen circumstances. This project is enormous, requiring approximately..."
Xiao Che sat upright on the high dragon throne, wearing a black dragon robe and a twelve-tassel crown. His face was calm and his eyes were deep, exuding the majestic aura of a ruler who reigns over the world.
However, deep within his heart, where no one could see, he was already bored and lost in thought.
The Yellow River floods are discussed and addressed every year. He's heard these clichés so many times he's practically worn out. This Minister of Works is also notoriously cautious; he can repeat the same thing three times over, and his reports can take half an hour to prepare, yet contain very little of useful information.
Xiao Che's thoughts had already flown back to Kunning Palace.
I wonder what Wanwan is doing now?
Is she awake, or still lazing in bed? Did she enjoy her breakfast today? Did she secretly hide some sour plums under her pillow again?
Just thinking about her increasingly round and adorable face due to her pregnancy, and her increasingly mischievous and teasing manner, made Xiao Che's lips twitch into a slight smile. He forcibly suppressed this smile, maintaining his imperial dignity, but in his heart, he was already planning which pavilion in the Imperial Garden he would take her to bask in the sun after court.
Ever since the day they decided on the child's nickname, Lin Wanwan has called him "Little Dumpling" affectionately and naturally. And he himself, after that "slip of the tongue," completely gave up resisting.
At first, he thought the name was too cutesy and didn't fit the regal air. But for some reason, the more he heard it and the more comfortable he got with it, the more fitting it seemed. Their child, wasn't that the most precious and tender little dumpling between him and Wanwan?
Thinking of this, Xiao Che subconsciously reached out and gently touched a bright yellow pouch hanging at his waist.
The purse was embroidered by Lin Wanwan herself a few days ago. The stitches weren't particularly exquisite, but they were still meticulous and thoughtful. What was most special was that, in the very center of the purse, instead of a dragon or auspicious clouds, there was a chubby, adorable cartoon dumpling, grinning foolishly.
He initially complained that it was childish and detrimental to imperial dignity, but he immediately changed into it and never took it off when attending court every day.
As his fingertips touched the soft fabric and raised embroidery, Xiao Che's heart softened. He felt more and more that this morning would be unbearably long.
"...Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty to reconsider the matter and to deliberate carefully on the allocation of funds..."
The Minister of Works was still rambling on, citing classical texts and weighing the pros and cons of the matter over a sum of money for repairing the river embankment.
Xiao Che's impatience finally reached its peak. All he wanted was to end this tedious meeting as soon as possible and return to his empress's side to hear how she would call their "little dumpling" in that soft voice again today.
He frowned, interrupting the Minister of Works, his voice carrying a hint of anxiety that even he himself was unaware of.
Get to the point!
This sound, though not loud, was filled with the imperial pressure, instantly causing the Minister of Works to swallow back the rest of his words and bow tremblingly.
The entire Golden Palace fell silent, and everyone looked at the emperor on the dragon throne, thinking he was about to make some important decision regarding the flood.
However, Xiao Che's next words left everyone speechless.
He blurted out in an unquestionable tone, "If you keep rambling on, my 'little dumpling' will get impatient!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.
You could hear a pin drop.
The air seemed to be sucked out in that instant, and time seemed to stand still.
The entire court, from white-haired veterans of three reigns to newly appointed young officials, all stared wide-eyed, their faces bearing the same expression—shock, confusion, bewilderment, and deep self-doubt.
Dumplings?
What kind of dumpling?
Whose dumplings are these? They have such great influence that His Majesty couldn't forget them in court, in front of all the civil and military officials, and even became displeased because of them?
Who is this person?!
Could it be the code name of some newly promoted, unknown, and trusted minister? Or perhaps a secret weapon planted by the emperor somewhere?
In an instant, countless speculations churned in the officials' minds. They exchanged glances, trying to find answers in each other's eyes, only to see the same bewilderment as themselves. The entire Golden Palace fell into an eerie, conjectured silence.
Xiao Che himself was stunned the moment the words left his mouth.
Oops!
A warning bell rang in his mind, and he realized that in his haste, he had blurted out his private nickname for his child in front of the entire court!
This...this is outrageous!
He maintained a calm demeanor, but his heart was in turmoil. He could even feel an extremely rare heat spreading from his neck to his ears.
In this awkward, almost frozen atmosphere, it was the newly appointed prime minister, who stood at the head of all the officials, who reacted the fastest.
The old prime minister, well past sixty, had watched Xiao Che grow up and was one of the main forces behind that "forced childbirth" drama. His eyes darted around, and he immediately connected this unfamiliar term with the biggest joyous event in the palace recently.
He stepped out of the queue shakily, and cautiously, with a hint of probing, bowed and asked, "Your Majesty... could the 'dumpling' Your Majesty spoke of... refer to His Highness the Crown Prince, who is still in the Empress's womb?"
This question was like a thunderbolt, instantly waking everyone present!
Dumplings!
Imperial heir!
So that's how it is! It turns out that "Tuanzi" was actually the affectionate nickname His Majesty and Empress gave to their unborn imperial heir!
Once they understood this, the expressions on the officials' faces instantly became quite varied. Some were suddenly enlightened, some couldn't help but chuckle, and several senior officials even wore benevolent smiles that said, "So that's how it is, how adorable!"
They imagined that the emperor, who was usually decisive and incomparably majestic, would call his child such a soft and affectionate name in private. This huge contrast did not diminish the emperor's majesty, but instead added an unexpected layer of fatherly tenderness to him.
With the prime minister's words so bluntly pointed out, Xiao Che knew he could no longer hide it. Looking at the various expressions on the faces of the officials below, the blush on his face could no longer be concealed, and a rare hint of embarrassment flashed across his face.
But he was, after all, an emperor, and his mental fortitude was incredibly strong.
He quickly regained his composure, coughed lightly to cover up his earlier lapse in composure, and regained control of the game.
"cough!"
He surveyed the entire room, his gaze sharpening and deepening once more, and in a forcedly calm, unyielding tone, formally announced:
"'Tuanzi' is the nickname that the Empress and I gave to our imperial heir."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the ministers whose lips had twitched the most violently just moments before, and slowly, with a hint of barely perceptible threat, added:
"Anyone who has objections may come to the Imperial Study after court to discuss this with me in detail."
He emphasized the words "discuss in detail" with exceptional clarity.
Every official in the court is shrewd and astute. Upon hearing this, they immediately understood His Majesty's meaning. This wasn't an invitation for a detailed discussion; it was clearly a warning—anyone who dared to object to the name of my child was an objection to me!
In an instant, the will to survive triumphed over everything.
All the ministers, regardless of their inner thoughts, immediately bowed in unison and shouted in unison, their voices filled with heartfelt (forced) praise and support:
"A very good nickname! Very cute! We second that!"
The sound was like a tidal wave, resounding throughout the entire Golden Palace.
From then on, the whole world knew that the future crown prince of the Great Liang Dynasty, or the princess showered with love, already had a soft and adorable name, full of the emperor and empress's affection, even before they were born.
It's called a dumpling.
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