Palace Fighting Naive Concubines’ Ascent to Power
Chapter 242: A Poor Sequel

Chapter 242: Chapter 242: A Poor Sequel

Lian Hua finished in one breath, sat down, poured herself a cup of honey water, and began drinking it, feeling very satisfied. That was roughly the whole story.

Emperor: "..."

His Little Concubine was really skillful at telling a story all skewed, emphasizing where she should gloss over, and glossing over the key points that needed detailed explanation...

Starting with a long background introduction, but when it comes to the crux, the narrative suddenly changes and ends abruptly.

The Emperor, feeling helpless, thought, "Well, I’ll just have to ask her slowly."

After Lian Hua had her drink, the Emperor began to ask her in detail about her summary:

Regarding this family, their life was blissful, but there was one thing that worried the head of the household — his wife had given birth to three sons, each one a boy!

While having many sons was considered a blessing, this head of the household had always hoped for a delicate and soft daughter, yet no matter what, they had boys.

One family’s issue became the concern of many; while other neighbors worried about not having sons, the Lian Mansion lamented not having a daughter. Alas!

After Lian Hua’s mother gave birth to Lian Hua’s eldest brother, Lian Hua’s father thought that since the family fortune was adequate and there was a son to inherit it, the duty of passing on the lineage and ancestral business was considered fulfilled.

From then on, he dearly wished for a cute and soft little daughter, a girl who looked pleasant at a glance.

Three years later, while Lian Hua’s mother was pregnant with her second child, Lian Hua’s father hoped for a little daughter.

The woman next door mentioned Lian Hua’s mother’s belly was very round, suggesting it looked like she was carrying a daughter. They even called a locally renowned midwife to confirm, and she too said it seemed to be a daughter.

Hearing this, Lian Hua’s father was overjoyed. The midwife they found was a famous one in the city, accurate with every pregnancy she attended; if she said it appeared to be a daughter, it surely must be a daughter. It was almost a certainty.

Therefore, Lian Hua’s father busily flipped through books day and night to choose a name, though his knowledge was limited. After much deliberation, he slapped his forehead and promptly selected a girl’s name, Lian Wanzhen, a name meaning an exquisite treasure and to cherish immensely.

After the name was set, he joyously told everyone that this child would surely be a daughter, and the listeners all wished that his dream would come true.

With anxious anticipation, under the eager hopes of Lian Hua’s father and the neighborhood, the Matriarch Lian went into labor.

Idle children roamed the streets, telling everyone that the Matriarch Lian was about to give birth to a daughter.

The crowd hurried to wait with congratulations, all saying that Old Master Lian’s hopes were about to come true.

Amidst immense joy and anticipation, the Matriarch Lian’s second child was born.

Lian Hua’s father was the first to rush into the birthing room, and after checking on Lian Hua’s mother and being sent away by her, he then went to see the newly born, precious little daughter.

He took the swaddle from the midwife’s hands, holding his newly born little daughter close, laughing and smiling without showing her to anyone, saying he was afraid of exposure to wind; they could see her at the full moon celebration. Anyway, the smile never left his face.

The midwife, wiping her sweat, dared not to offer congratulations for the first time, nor did she dare to take the festive money; she quietly slipped away.

By the time Lian Hua’s father realized it, the midwife had already vanished, so he had to order someone to deliver the festive money to her.

Lian Hua’s eldest brother was curious. Being a three-year-old child at his peak curiosity, seeing his father constantly yearning for a sister, and now that the sister was born, he also wanted to see what she looked like.

Seeing his curiosity, Lian Hua’s father reluctantly revealed a small face to show Lian Hua’s eldest brother.

Lian Hua’s eldest brother, taking after his mother, was quick-witted. He looked here and there, asking what the difference was between a sister and a brother.

Lian Hua’s father was displeased but hesitantly lifted a corner of the cloth; both father and son looked, their smiles freezing as they realized it was a boy. What was almost certain turned out to be a mirage.

Lian Hua’s father was shocked, hardly believing his eyes as he inspected closely. He touched Lian Hua’s second brother and finally convinced himself, then rushed off in a fury to confront the midwife.

Lian Hua’s mother, awakened by the commotion, scolded him and made him put down Lian Hua’s second brother, giving him a stern lecture that finally calmed him down. Otherwise, who knows how the newborn would have coped with such turmoil on his very first day?

After such a mix-up, Lian Hua’s father felt powerless and hastily changed his second son’s name, improvising a character to call him Wan Zhen, and from that moment on, Lian Hua’s second brother was known as Lian Wanzhen.

The whole farce caused a ripple of sighs through the neighborhood, where everyone consoled him by saying the next child would surely be a girl.

Someone mentioned that judging a woman’s pregnancy by sight was unreliable. One must sincerely pray to Buddha for blessings.

Upon hearing this, Lian Hua’s father agreed, finding the reasoning sound!

Waiting and waiting, three years later, Lian Hua’s mother was finally pregnant with a third child. From the moment he knew, her father began fervently praying to the gods, donating copious amounts of oil money, believing his sincerity would surely ensure a safe pregnancy this time.

This time, Lian Hua’s father had already picked names for the unborn girl, "Baobao" for a pet name, and "Lian Bao" as the full name, meaning the precious treasure of the Lian Family.

Days and nights filled with anticipation, and this time, the neighbors began praying for the Old Master Lian’s dream to come true and for a daughter to be born.

This time, not only the neighbors but also the tenant farmer’s wife came to offer her support.

With everyone anxiously waiting, the new midwife came out of the outer courtyard and happily announced: "Congratulations, Matriarch Lian has safely given birth to a healthy boy."

The crowd cheered and offered their congrats. Lian Hua’s father, thinking he might have misheard, joined in the cheering, while Lian Hua’s eldest brother, leading his playful younger brother who wanted to play in the mud, frowned without making a sound.

When the excitement had almost died down, Lian Hua’s eldest brother with his clear childish voice asked: "Father, doesn’t the word ’boy’ imply a male child?"

The crowd suddenly fell silent, their smiles freezing. They hadn’t really heard the midwife, just knew the Matriarch was safe. It was the tenant farmer’s wife who cheered first, so they joined in the jubilation.

The tenant farmer’s wife said, "What does ’boy’ mean around here? They use that term regardless, so they didn’t understand its meaning either. They had just heard the Matriarch had safely delivered, and that was worth celebrating regardless."

Unable to believe it, Lian Hua’s father rushed into the inner courtyard to check for himself, and sure enough, it was a boy!

Well, another mix-up unfolded, and the crowd dispersed one by one, some kindly suggesting perhaps naming the child too early had scared the girl away.

Lian Hua’s eldest brother, looking at his father squatting on the ground, thought for a moment, then asked if they should change his younger brother’s name?

This was a big deal for his younger brother!

He was the eldest, and his name, Lian Musu, carried his mother’s surname—Su. It symbolically meant his father adored his mother, a relatively normal implication.

The name of his second brother, Lian Wanzhen, was barely passable.

But if his youngest brother were called Lian Bao, naming a boy that was really...

As the eldest, he couldn’t bear it.

Lian Hua’s father, feeling helpless, just waved his hand dismissively. "Let it be. I don’t have the heart to change it."

Lian Hua’s eldest brother, just a six-year-old kid, looked after a three-year-old mischievous toddler, frowned, and after thinking it over, decided to make one last effort and speak to his mother.

When Lian Hua’s mother heard this, she sighed and said to let her husband do as he wished. His overwhelming joy had turned to grief, a burden on his heart, and it was better to let him come to terms with it on his own. The name would remain as it was.

Besides, the name wasn’t bad; the boy was still a treasure in the household.