Xiao Che's smug expression froze for a moment.
tired?
He racked his brains and fought with a group of learned scholars for three days and three nights to come up with a name that contained endless domineering power and expectations. But when it came to the Empress, it only received the evaluation that "it would be a bit tiring to write".
What kind of reason is that?
As the descendant of an emperor, the future crown prince or princess, would he be afraid of writing a few more strokes?
Xiao Che frowned slightly, feeling somewhat unconvinced, but he didn't directly refute it. Instead, he said quietly, "Is it just because there are too many strokes? I think it's just right, which makes it look substantial."
There was a hint of barely perceptible grievance in his tone, like a child who had carefully prepared a gift but did not receive the expected praise.
Lin Wanwan found his expression amusing, knowing that her excuse earlier had been rather perfunctory. She sighed softly, pulled Xiao Che to sit down on the soft couch, and said gently, "Your Majesty, I was just joking. I didn't mean to complain about the number of strokes."
"Then why?" Xiao Che immediately pressed, his eyes filled with "Give me a reasonable explanation."
Lin Wanwan did not answer immediately. Instead, she took the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone that the palace maid had prepared and spread a sheet of fine Xuan paper on the low table. She picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and her fair hands and wrists appeared as smooth and lustrous as jade under the lamplight.
“Your Majesty,” she said softly as she ground the ink, “a name is the first blessing parents give to their child, and it accompanies them throughout their life. It carries our expectations, but I feel that these expectations should not be heavy shackles.”
Xiao Che looked at her serious profile, said nothing, and listened quietly.
"Whether it's 'Breaking the Sky' or 'Dragon's Pride,'" Lin Wanwan's tone was gentle yet firm, "these names are full of conquest and domineering spirit. They are good, very imposing, as if prepared for a monarch who expands his territory. But Your Majesty, you have already secured this peaceful land for our children, haven't you?"
She raised her head, looking intently at him: "You have gone through countless hardships to bring about the peace and prosperity of our nation today. Do we really want our children to live their entire lives amidst war and bloodshed?"
Xiao Che's heart skipped a beat.
Yes, he himself had walked a path fraught with danger and knew all too well the hardship and bloodshed of the road to imperial power. He gave his children those domineering names, hoping they would inherit his strength and be able to control the vast empire. But he forgot that everything he had done with all his might was precisely to ensure that his descendants would never have to endure such things.
Seeing him deep in thought, Lin Wanwan knew he had taken her words to heart. She smiled slightly, picked up her brush, and wrote two characters on the rice paper.
The handwriting was elegant and beautiful, with a gentle and refined quality.
"Xiao Mu'an".
"Mu An?" Xiao Che murmured, savoring the words.
“Qingmu Anning,” Lin Wanwan explained, her voice as gentle as moonlight, “Your Majesty, I do not ask that our child conquer new territories or go down in history. I only wish that he can admire Anning, enjoy the prosperous era you have built for him, live a peaceful and smooth life, unburdened by imperial power, and undisturbed by conspiracies. That would be enough.”
Looking at those two words, Xiao Che was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. He had spent half his life on the battlefield, and what he ultimately sought was nothing more than "peace." He hoped his son would be strong, while she hoped for his son's happiness. This deep affection and expectation moved him more than any of his grand narratives.
He was about to nod when he saw Lin Wanwan pick up her pen again and write three more words next to her.
This time, however, the surname at the beginning of his name made him pause slightly.
"Lin Zhile".
Taking the mother's surname?
The thought flashed through Xiao Che's mind, and far from being displeased, his heart softened. He knew that this was a small thought deep in her heart, a connection between her and this child that went beyond blood ties.
Before Lin Wanwan could explain, Xiao Che grasped her hand and said in an unquestionable tone, "Okay."
Lin Wanwan was stunned. She had thought that her bold suggestion would cause him to hesitate, or even require some persuasion, but she did not expect him to agree so readily.
"Your Majesty, you..."
"My daughter can take her mother's surname, what's wrong with that?" Xiao Che's eyes were full of doting and a sense of entitlement. "As long as she is born of you, it doesn't matter whether she takes the surname Xiao or Lin. Does my empire not have the capacity for a princess to take her mother's surname?"
Seeing the surprise and emotion in her eyes, he felt incredibly content. All ancestral rules and court criticisms seemed insignificant in the face of her smile.
Lin Wanwan felt a warmth in her heart, and her eyes welled up with tears. She took his hand in return and explained softly, "Contentment brings happiness. I hope our daughter can live freely and happily, always know how to be content, and always have joy in her heart."
Xiao Che looked at the two names, "Mu An" and "Zhi Le," both gentle and refined, filled with the most simple and sincere expectations for personal happiness. Then he thought about "Xiao Zhanhuang" and "Xiao Ling Shuang" on his own list and suddenly felt that his aesthetic sense was really... too crude.
He had to admit that the name Lin Wanwan better reflected his hopes for his children's future. He hoped they would be strong, but even more so, he hoped they would be happy.
While he was filled with mixed emotions, Lin Wanwan could clearly see a fierce internal battle taking place in the emoji area above his head.
First, a chibi-style figure dressed in a dragon robe, clutching a three-meter-long scroll, cries out in a heart-wrenching wail: "[My unparalleled name in history! My Xiao Aotian! Waaaaah! .gif]"
Then, the scene shifts, and the little figure carefully holds up the Xuan paper with "Xiao Mu'an" and "Lin Zhile" written on it, a suspicious blush appearing on his face, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turning up: [It seems...it seems not bad...my wife's names are all nice.jpg]
In the end, the two images merged into one, becoming a cartoon little emperor holding the character "霸" (domineering) in his left hand and the character "安" (peace) in his right. He weighed the characters on the scales for a long time before finally throwing away the character "霸" and rubbing it against the character "安".
Lin Wan-wan almost burst out laughing at the change.
“Now that the name has been decided,” she said, knowing that continuing to argue would likely hurt the emperor’s pride, so she cleverly changed the subject, “Let’s think of something more interesting.”
"Anything else?" Xiao Che's attention was indeed drawn.
“Hmm,” Lin Wanwan smiled slyly and proposed a concept that was practically brand new in this era, “A formal name is what outsiders call you, used in formal occasions to show your status. But at home, among our own family members, we can use a more intimate and cute name. For example… a nickname.”
"A nickname?" Xiao Che was clearly hearing this term for the first time, and his face showed great interest. To him, a name was simply a name, utterly dignified; what difference did it make between "nickname" and "senior"?
Seeing his curious expression, Lin Wanwan patiently explained, "It's a nickname, a pet name. For example, if the baby is chubby, we can call him 'Little Fatty'; if he loves to laugh, we can call him 'Happy.' It's a loving name that belongs only to family members. It's not recorded in the family genealogy, nor is it used in formal occasions. We just call him that in private because we're close."
For Xiao Che, who had lived his entire life within rules and grand narratives, this concept was like opening the door to a new world.
An affectionate term of address that belongs only to family members.
He imagined himself holding a soft, cuddly little baby in his arms, not calling him "Your Highness," but rather a cute name known only to the three of them. Just thinking about that scene melted his heart.
He thought the idea was absolutely brilliant!
This not only solved the regret that their formal name wasn't "powerful" enough (since they have nicknames they can call anyone), but also added a sense of intimacy that belongs exclusively to their family of three.
Looking at Lin Wanwan, he felt more and more that his empress was an inexhaustible treasure trove, always able to come up with some wonderful ideas that surprised and excited him.
He stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, his eyes gleaming with eager anticipation, and looked at Lin Wanwan solemnly, as if discussing some matter of national importance, and asked earnestly:
"Then... in your opinion, what kind of nickname should we choose?"
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