Su Chong was happy to have a son, but Prince NanAn and the others felt like they gained a son-in-law, and were even happier.

From the city gate to the military camp, Prince NanAn and the others had already figured out how to woo the son-in-law.

The girls from the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion are treasures, while the boys are dispensable.

They lack beatings but need love.

They wanted him to feel the love from his father-in-law from an early age, worried they wouldn’t be able to win over the son-in-law?

Su Chong was exhausted.

Shouldn’t the focus be on having a daughter?

Without a daughter, they’re dreaming of a son-in-law.

But this wasn’t the first time Prince NanAn and the others missed the focus, so he became used to it.

Dongxiang Marquis Mansion.

Today was the day Dongxiang Marquis Mansion held the full-month banquet.

The usually quiet Marquis Mansion was exceptionally lively.

Red silk was tied on the stone lions at the entrance, and two plaques were hung, the smiles on the servants’ faces were dazzling.

The guests were numerous, and the congratulations were endless.

Mrs. Tang and the Duchess of Chong were practically smiling until their cheeks went numb.

With few people in the mansion, Dongxiang Marquis and Su Chong were not present, Madam Shen and Third Madam Shen came to help entertain the guests.

Old Master Shen and Third Master Shen had to come even more.

Princess Fu Yun came out holding the baby and stayed for a quarter of an hour, receiving so much praise it almost drowned them.

Wherever the child went, Young Master Su and the others followed.

The wet nurse put the baby in the cradle, and the four of them surrounded the cradle.

Miss Shen looked at the little person lying in the cradle and said, "He’s so small."

At such a small size, she could even hold him.

The little baby was eyes open, not crying, not fussing, quite obedient, just with too many people he couldn’t keep up with his eyes.

He played by blowing bubbles.

"I hope he grows up soon so he can eat the sugar figures I bought for him," Miss Shen said, stroking his little hand.

Ever since Princess Fu Yun had the baby, Miss Shen stopped eating sugar figures to save them for her little nephew until he grew up a bit.

Young Master Su said, "It’s better for him to grow slowly."

"Why?" Miss Shen asked, puzzled.

"Grows up means he’ll get beaten."

"So small, a punch would make him cry for a long time."

"... "

The wet nurse standing by listened to Young Master Su’s words, turning pale.

So young yet so fierce.

Such a small child, and already thinking of beating him?

The Ninth Prince also thought Young Master Su was fierce, though Young Master Su grew up this way, he said, "Can you bear to hit him?"

"Of course, I can’t bear it now," Young Master Su said.

"When I was this small, my parents couldn’t bear to hit me either. Now do you see them hesitate?" The thought was bittersweet.

"... "

The wet nurse’s mouth twitched.

She’d been at Dongxiang Marquis Mansion for only a month, and more than half the month Young Master Su had been getting beaten and punished.

Other children might become dispirited for half a month after a beating, while he could barely stay quiet for half a day.

Young Master Su’s words were hard to refute, but the Ninth Prince and others were an exception, casting a sidelong glance at Young Master Su, the Ninth Prince said, "That was because you were too young to find trouble back then."

Young Master Su, "... "

Saying he was looking for trouble, did he know he was also asking for it with his words?

Young Master Su didn’t even have time to glare; he just doted on

this little nephew too much.

The baby still hadn’t been named, so he didn’t know what to call him.

Naming is a big deal, usually done by the father or grandfather, but none of them were in the mansion, and they hadn’t decided before leaving the Capital.

Mrs. Tang and the Duchess of Chong had been thinking about what the child should be called, but hadn’t even reported the good news to Dongxiang Marquis and the others.

If not a formal name, there could still be a nickname—a clever nickname makes for easy raising.

While Mrs. Tang and the Duchess of Chong were discussing, Young Master Su and the others actively helped with the naming.

The name "Dog Egg" that Young Master Su suggested almost got him beaten so hard he jumped onto the roof to escape the feather duster.

That day, the Ninth Prince happened to solve the Nine Linked Rings and took them to the Emperor.

Since Young Master Su didn’t go, the Emperor asked about him.

The Ninth Prince then mentioned Young Master Su’s beating, and the name "Dog Egg" made the Emperor spray his tea.

Luckily Dongxiang Marquis wasn’t there, or who knows how it might have gone.

Young Master Su felt aggrieved.

Wasn’t it agreed they needed a clever nickname?

The more clever the better for raising, right?

When he ran away from home pretending to be a beggar, he came across all sorts of clever names, and even adapted by giving himself the name Huwa.

Dog Egg—

This he thought was the most clever!

Young Master Su looked at the little nephew in the cradle and solemnly said, "How about I pass down the name Huwa to you?"

"From now on, you’ll be called Huwa."

"You don’t speak, I’ll take it as you agreeing."

"... "

The Ninth Prince looked at Young Master Su with an expression as if seeing an idiot, yet saw him beam with joy and said, "You’re bullying him because he can’t speak."

"In our family, the big ones always bully the little ones, he’s no exception."

"Besides, isn’t Huwa a nice name?"

The Ninth Prince rolled his eyes; could he falsely say it sounds nice?

Compared to Dog Egg, this was already infinitely better.

If they actually named him Dog Egg, they’d be fighting whenever the uncle and nephew met in the future.

Over here at Dongxiang Marquis Mansion they celebrated the full-month banquet happily, while over at the military camp Prince NanAn and the others drank in celebration, yet Xie Jingchen was depressed and dejected.

Dong Chenglang, Heir of Marquis Changning, was dispatched back to the Capital by General Shi, his uncle, and Xie Jingchen was to escort.

Xie Jingchen didn’t want to leave Nanliang Military Camp, but he couldn’t resist, so he just went along.

Given General Shi’s high prestige in the army, the task given to Dong Chenglang must be significant, perhaps there might be other gains on this trip.

But after leaving Nanliang Military Camp, and riding hard for two days, Dong Chenglang became frivolous.

First claiming a stomach ache, then dizziness, or dropping the letter down the latrine while squatting...

Xie Jingchen noticed his perfunctory behavior.

General Shi instructed him to quickly deliver the letter, and he had eagerly taken this task, yet now was deliberately delaying. Though Xie Jingchen didn’t see any sign of distrust or ulterior motive regarding his uncle.

Still, he was clearly dragging time—this was very apparent to Xie Jingchen.

One day, while lodging at an inn.

Clear that traveling another twenty li offered a government post to stay, he insisted it was too late, unsafe to travel, and opted for the inn.

He’s a General, Xie Jingchen had no choice but to obey.

It wasn’t his business to be anxious about Nanliang matters, why should he be?

The two each stayed in separate rooms, adjacent to each other, and at night, Xie Jingchen tossed and turned unable to sleep, reflecting whether he picked the wrong person.

As General Shi’s nephew, Dong Chenglang held a low position in the army, maintaining close proximity without raising suspicion, yet capable of knowing things even a Second-Grade General might not know.

But having little knowledge, being stuck wasting time with him here, he wondered what Su Jin was doing now, recalling the knife being held against her throat...

Xie Jingchen tossed and turned sleeplessly, when suddenly the sound of a door creaking open came.

It wasn’t his door; it came from next door, very faint, had it not been for Xie Jingchen’s keen ear, it would have gone unheard.

The two of them were alone traveling to the Capital, how could there be door sounds at this time?

Xie Jingchen got up.