Palace Fighting Naive Concubines’ Ascent to Power
Chapter 243 Three More Years

Chapter 243: Chapter 243 Three More Years

From then on, Lian Hua’s third brother was named Lian Bao, and perhaps influenced by the name, he had been delicate from a young age, somewhat willful, sensitive and thoughtful, with a nuanced mind, and clever to the point of being almost otherworldly.

Year after year, year after year!

Another three years passed, and Lian Hua’s father had almost given up hope, lamenting that his wife just couldn’t conceive again—seeing the three boys every day made his meals tasteless, his sleep restless, dreaming only of having a daughter.

Just when Lian Hua’s father thought he wasn’t fated to have a daughter and was about to give up, Lian Hua’s mother became pregnant once more.

This time, Lian Hua’s father remembered a neighbor’s comment during his third son’s birth, suggesting that naming a child too early might scare away a daughter.

Heeding the lesson, he restrained himself from naming the child and kept the news quiet.

He only spoke of his wife’s pregnancy when it became obvious, casually saying it didn’t matter if it was a boy, as long as his wife and child were safe and healthy, asking for nothing more.

But inside, he was extremely anxious, anxious every day, knowing that this might be his wife’s last pregnancy and he couldn’t bear to put her through this ordeal again in the future.

No amount of consolation from Lian Hua’s mother helped, and as the due date approached, he became even more nervous, unable to sleep, getting up in the middle of the night to touch her belly, muttering to himself.

Finally, the day of delivery arrived, and Lian Hua’s father, with a smile, chased away the gathering neighbors, tenant farmers, and well-meaning onlookers, claiming it was nothing serious and there was no need for concern, promising to host a feast later to apologize, sending everyone home.

Once the door was closed, his anxiety surged, and he walked in circles around the courtyard, anxiously awaiting the outcome, tormented by the wait.

At last, the midwife announced the birth and instructed him to come and see for himself.

Lian Hua’s father nervously entered the room, only to see Lian Hua’s mother, having worked up an appetite, eating noodles comfortably, pointing towards the swaddling clothes and gesturing for him to look himself.

Lian Hua’s father approached, his heart tightening and hands trembling as he lifted a corner of the swaddling clothes. Seeing it was a little girl, he rubbed his eyes and looked again closely, finally confirming it—a daughter!

Overwhelmed with ecstatic joy and acting almost crazed, his eyes rolled back and he fainted. Just before collapsing, in fear of landing on the baby girl, he staggered sideways and was caught by someone.

Lian Hua’s eldest brother, together with the two ignorant younger brothers, rushed over in concern. The house physician, who had been waiting outside in case his services were needed, checked and simply stated that the master had fainted from exhaustion.

The entire Lian Family couldn’t help but cry and laugh, all breathing a sigh of relief.

Xiao Lian Hua was born amidst the hopes and expectations of tens of thousands, and it was clear how spoiled and doted on she was by many.

In the Lian Residence, despite the three brothers having vastly different personalities, each one, without exception, was obsessively protective of their sister.

Whenever Xiao Lian Hua got into trouble, her second brother would rally his friends to her cause, while her third brother would come up with cunning schemes, yet evil never prevails over good, and they were still too young and inexperienced, especially docile in front of their mother and thus always ended up losing to her wits in the end.

When her eldest brother went to the academy, the chances to see him were rare, but if he were around, he was often able to persuade their mother not to punish her. At the Lian Residence, their mother listened to her eldest son the most, and every time he returned, he would bring her many wonderful toys.

Apart from households that held grudges against the Lian Family, which neighbor, aunty or uncle, didn’t spoil and indulge her when they met her?

Even though she was a mischievous troublemaker as a child, upsetting people to the point of being detested, those most afflicted by her mischief could only go as far as complaining bitterly, yet the next day, they still couldn’t help but call her over for cake.

When it came to the origins of Lian Hua’s name, her father was so nervous that he didn’t dare to name her before she was born. As a result, Lian Hua had no name when she arrived and was simply called Nannan, a term of endearment for little girls, for a very long time without an official name.

Lian Hua’s father, having been blessed with a precious daughter, was initially so overjoyed that he completely forgot about the naming matter. It was Lian Hua’s eldest brother who reminded him, while Lian Hua’s mother was too lazy to bring it up, enjoying the quiet normalcy of the past few days. If it were mentioned, it would surely make him anxious again.

And sure enough, Lian Hua’s eldest brother was still too inexperienced, lacking his mother’s understanding of his father’s temperament.

From that day on, Lian Hua’s father made a fuss every day about naming her, thinking hard but to no avail. Whenever he encountered someone, he would ask for good name suggestions. Seeing his second and third sons would only irritate him, as he resented that the boys had taken the names intended for his daughter. He scratched his head and pondered over it day after day.

He often called the family together to brainstorm a name for Nannan, but was never satisfied with any suggestions. The names he came up with himself, like Lian Tiantian or Lian Xiangxiang, were rejected by the whole family. His ability to choose names was truly limited, and were all vetoed by her mother.

The matter was dragged on until Lian Hua’s first month celebration.

A grand feast was held for the full-month celebration, attended by relatives, friends, neighbors, and tenant farmers from the countryside. It was a joyous and lively event.

An old monk happened to pass by, thirsty and seeking water to drink. The old monk had a celestial and transcendent appearance.

Lian Hua’s father stepped out to greet guests in high spirits and upon seeing the old monk, hurriedly invited him in, explaining that it was his daughter’s full-month celebration. He said if the respected monk didn’t mind, he could join the festivities at their house. He then led the monk to a separate table in the back courtyard and asked the cook to prepare vegetarian meals.

After settling the old monk, Lian Hua’s father went back out to attend to his guests.

Amidst the feast, Lian Hua’s father let out a sigh, saying that everything was good except that his daughter still lacked a name.

As someone unlearned and without scholarly aptitude, he found it hard to choose a suitable name for his girl.

The others sighed as well, aware of the situation and having offered their suggestions too, only to be rejected. By now, they also had no more ideas.

By chance, the old monk finished his meal and heard the conversation. He uttered an "Amitabha" and approached Lian Hua’s father, suggesting that if the patron didn’t mind, he could name the child.

When everyone saw the old monk approaching, they fell silent, sensing an untouchable, sacred aura emanating from him. The previously noisy hall suddenly quieted down.

Upon hearing this, Lian Hua’s father was delighted and quickly brought Xiao Lian Hua swaddled in his arms for the old monk to observe her features, also handing over her Eight Characters of birth.

The old monk examined Xiao Lian Hua and her Eight Characters. Sensing something extraordinary, he half-closed his eyes and began to calculate, fingering his prayer beads with his right hand and counting with his left.

After a long while, amid the silent anticipation of Lian Hua’s father and the others, the monk finally chanted an "Amitabha" and finished calculating a significant divination for the baby in the swaddle.

Lian Hua’s father eagerly inquired about it, with everyone’s ears pricked up listening.

The old monk brought his palms together and said that a person’s fate was predestined and should not be revealed indiscreetly. Lian Hua’s father then politely dismissed the guests and closed the doors, leaving only the Lian Family’s three sons and himself. Then, the old monk disclosed his findings.

He said that the baby girl in the swaddle was born with a complete and prosperous elemental composition, destined for great fortune. However, she had a major calamity in her fate. If she could overcome this ordeal, the second half of her life would be smooth sailing, and she would achieve immeasurable status.

Lian Hua’s father hurriedly asked, "And if she cannot overcome it?"

He said he only cared about his daughter’s safety and well-being, not about wealth, as their family was already quite prosperous. It was enough for his little girl to be safe and sound. Should her future husband prove to be unambitious, they could simply divorce and find her a man who would marry into their family.