Blissful Days After Widowhood - Chapter 516

As Gu Ye mentioned, after he celebrated his tenth birthday, Emperor Zhengyuan and the court spontaneously brought up the matter of designating an heir, and he no longer declined.

The appointment of the Crown Prince is a significant state affair with elaborate rituals. Gu Ye needed  to undergo three days of fasting and bathing, followed by sending officials to offer sacrifices to heaven, earth, ancestral temples, then receive the imperial edict, and finally express gratitude in the imperial court, taking control of the harem.

Moreover, after the Crown Prince was appointed, there would be a grand amnesty, announcing the fundamental principle that the Crown Prince was the foundation of the world.

Emperor Zhengyuan began preparations, and the grand ceremony was tentatively scheduled for after June.

In April, Xiao Yudi turned two. Since her first birthday had already been celebrated grandly, Gu Yin decided not to make a big fuss this time, opting for a simple family reunion dinner.

Others, however, felt a bit disappointed upon hearing her decision.

Gu Ye spoke up, “Affairs in the residence naturally follow Mother’s decisions. It’s a pity that Chef Xu practiced hard for a year.”

The previous year, at Xiao Yudi’s birthday banquet, Chef Xu showcased his skills by making a double-layer cake. Subsequently, the cake was sold at Food of Heaven, initially purchased by those aristocrats who had tasted it. Later, commoners followed suit, and now, anyone with a wealthy household in the capital would pre-order from Food of Heaven when their children celebrated birthdays.

It was a demanding task, and Gu Yin assigned it to Chef Xu. She also shared the cake profits with him.

Compared to the Chefs and Manager Zhou, Chef Xu’s skills were not outstanding. However, now, he had finally secured a job that belonged exclusively to him, relying on his own expertise in this area. Naturally, he worked wholeheartedly.

Concerning the intricate decoration that Gu Yin didn’t know how to do, he used rice paste as a substitute for practice. He actually honed the skills of a modern cake artist, making the buttercream cake look irresistibly delicious.

This time, for Xiao Yudi’s birthday, Chef Xu had long been eager to make an even bigger and more beautiful cake.

Gu Yin smiled at him, “Chef Xu practiced cake-making skills not just for Yudi’s birthday but also for the business in the store. It’s not a waste in any way.”

Gu Ye didn’t respond to her words but asked his sister, “What about Yudi? How does she want it?”

He still wanted to celebrate his sister’s birthday in a lively manner. After all, his status would be different later, and it would be inconvenient to leave the palace, requiring more caution and restraint under the supervision of officials and the public.

Gu Yin thought it made sense. After all, her daughter was the protagonist of her birthday celebration, and she was growing up. It was time to let her express her opinions. So, Gu Yin turned to look at her daughter, waiting to hear what she had to say.

Xiao Yudi had turned two and understood many things. She sensed the disagreement between her mother and brother at the moment.

Both were her favorite people, the little girl tightly hugged her arms, frowned, pouted her chubby cheeks, looking as if she were in deep thought.

Coincidentally, Wu Qingyi returned just in time and couldn’t help but laugh at the comical appearance of her worry.

“Daddy!” Xiao Yudi, as if seeing a savior, quickly stretched out her arms to welcome him.

Wu Qingyi walked to the edge of the kang where his daughter was playing, feeling embarrassed, “Daddy hasn’t changed clothes yet. Yudi, aren’t you afraid Daddy smells bad?”

The little girl was very sensitive to smells, and Wu Qingyi, being on duty at the military camp, not only had his own sweat but might also pick up others’ scents.

So every time, she insisted that Wu Qingyi change and freshen up before allowing him to hold her.

But that day, Yudi showed no sign of disgust, embracing his neck and saying, “Not stinky, it’s Daddy’s smell!”

Her attempt to please and act cute was just like a spoiled little kitten.

Gu Yin and Gu Ye were deliberately teasing her. Seeing her genuinely worried, they didn’t press her for an answer. Now, seeing her avoiding the question and resorting to such cute antics, they naturally wouldn’t force her.

However, Gu Yin could tell that her position in her daughter’s heart wasn’t higher than that of her brother.

If it weren’t for the fact that Xiao Yu was also raised by her, she might have felt a bit jealous.

Later, Xiao Yudi’s birthday was celebrated according to Gu Yin’s preferences, albeit on a smaller scale. Although it wasn’t as lively as before, the little girl was happy. After all, Wu’an also had his birthday in April. She thought that if her little uncle didn’t have a grand celebration, there was no reason for her to feel uneasy.

In May, something new happened in the capital—a foreign envoy arrived.

The envoy came from the distant Yue Ming Kingdom, where communication with the Central Plains was slow. The news of the establishment of the New Dynasty had reached them only six months ago.

The Yue Ming Kingdom had considered developing trade relations with the former dynasty, but the arrogant and overbearing attitude of the Fallen Emperor had scared them away by demanding an exorbitant share of profits in trade. Now, they sent an envoy to assess the strength of the New Dynasty and discuss the possibility of trade once again.

Emperor Zhengyuan expressed his desire to develop foreign trade, evident in his decision to easily transfer the Gu Shipping line to Duke Ying’s Mansion. He instructed people to arrange the mission at the inn initially, with Gu Ye assigned to oversee the reception. Subsequently, he set a half-month time frame for peace talks.

The two weeks in between served as a period for the envoys to rest and recuperate from their long journeys, allowing them time for investigations. Simultaneously, it served as a small test for Gu Ye.

The assignment was not burdensome; it mainly involved entertaining foreign people, providing them with food and drinks, and allowing them to experience the peaceful and contented life in the empire.

However, a complication arose as the mission included a little princess, just a few years older than Gu Ye, and the daughter of the current lord of the Yue Ming Kingdom. This princess, having lost her mother early on, had been spoiled by her father since childhood. Despite the importance of the diplomatic mission, she dared to follow secretly in disguise.

Dealing with the precious little princess posed a challenge, given the impracticality of her moving around with a group of men. Gu Ye sought assistance from Gu Yin, who agreed, thinking it was a simple task of entertaining a small guest.

The following day, the little princess, eleven or twelve years old with blond hair, blue eyes, fair skin, and a doll-like appearance, arrived at Duke Ying’s Mansion. Unhappy due to language difficulties and the varied gazes from the people of the Central Plains, she complained to Gu Yin with red eyes upon meeting her.