CHAPTER 1001: CHAPTER 999: EVEN THE BABY NAME IS ALREADY CHOSEN

Just past the Chen Hour, Madam Yin, resting briefly at the Jiang Family, was currently accompanying the palace nanny to impart childcare knowledge to Ye Xinyan when relatives started coming to visit.

At this moment, Jiang Yifan, feeling no discord whatsoever, was standing to the side, listening attentively. Upon hearing the maid’s report, he was rather displeased.

Visitors at this time were mostly somewhat reputable household servants. The mother-in-law, Madam Yin, could handle the wives and old woman servants, but for stewards and housekeepers, he had to personally meet them.

He was in the midst of learning how to care for his daughter, and these people were delaying his important business.

However, those visiting now were from close families, and he really couldn’t avoid them. After all, he was on leave and happened to be at home.

The first wave of two family stewards hadn’t been sent off yet when another two families arrived. Astonishingly, the stewards from these two families very respectfully let three eunuchs enter first.

What was this about?

Jiang Yifan listened to Shi Yu as she urgently whispered, quickly apologized to the two stewards in the hall, and got up to greet them outside.

If it were common household stewards, he naturally wouldn’t need to greet them outside, but eunuchs were palace emissaries, and even officials of Second Rank wouldn’t dare to neglect palace people.

The first wave included Zhou Bingyi’s household steward and the housekeeper from Jiang Yifan’s clan uncle’s mansion. Both were quite surprised to see Jiang Yifan actually go out to greet them.

Who had arrived that warranted Jiang Yifan’s personal greeting? Was it a master from a mansion? No, masters usually visited after the third day wash, and typically female relatives came. Jiang Yifan wouldn’t need to greet them, right?

Soon, Jiang Yifan returned with a middle-aged eunuch, followed by two young eunuchs carrying two boxes, and servants from Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion came to deliver gifts.

The eunuch didn’t stay long, he merely sat down briefly before presenting the two boxes. In one slightly longer box was a Jade Ruyi, with the emperor clearly stating it was a gift for Jiang Family’s daughter.

Jiang Yifan quickly knelt in gratitude and received it with both hands.

The other box was even more peculiar, containing just a sheet of paper. Written on it, the emperor’s bestowed name for Jiang Yifan’s newborn daughter: Jiang Jinxiu.

This was tolerable since the emperor, though rarely, occasionally intervened to name newborns. But bestowing a nickname was a bit excessive!

Behind Jiang Jinxiu were additional words denoting the nickname: Ah Xiu.

Holding the paper, Jiang Yifan attached three silver notes to it, feeling utterly dejected as he sent off the three eunuchs. His heart echoed a feeling of wanting to cry but being unable to, wasn’t it?

Wasn’t it a mistake? This was his first child, wasn’t it? So benevolent of His Majesty to grant a formal name, but even the nickname being given by the emperor... As a father, did His Majesty understand such a profound regret?

Other families’ stewards, expressing their masters’ greetings and delivering nourishment gifts, stared at the paper that left Jiang Yifan extremely conflicted, their eyes gleaming.

What was this? It was far from a simple naming; it was a significant affair! The emperor naming the newly born Jiang Family daughter, even granting a nickname, showed the emperor’s attitude towards the Jiang Family.

Such a little girl, with such a mother, and now having an emperor-bestowed name; how might she fare in the future?

Such big news, such important information, had to be promptly reported back to their master. They were the first witnesses to this event, and if someone else reported to the master, they would be shamed.

Not wanting to linger, the several people hastily took leave from Jiang Yifan, fleeing like escapes away to their mansions.

Indeed, they didn’t think wrongly; the lanterns filling the Jiang Family courtyard last night remained lit until after the Zi Hour, and at dawn, the Jiang Family shared the joyful news with neighbors and distributed celebration eggs.

The neighbors just learned Madam Jiang from the Jiang Family birthed a daughter, immediately receiving visitors with congratulations, even three eunuchs arrived. Eunuchs, only present in the palace and Prince’s Mansion.

Judging by the scene, these were clearly palace arrivals. During Jiang Yifan’s welcoming and sending off, the host and guest conversed cheerfully, which was undoubtedly a positive sign, right?

With the Qi Family Mechanical Workshop patent infringement case on high alert, news spread across the capital of the emperor granting Jiang Yifan’s newborn daughter a name. It was a name-giving from the emperor, bestowed even at the first moment of the baby girl’s birth, such grace!

Jiang Yifan’s promotion wasn’t long ago, and the Jiang Family already had a child named by the emperor, which reliably showed imperial favor. Plus, Jiang Yifan had the credentials of a first-rank scholar, seemingly destined for a successful official career that possibly led to entering the Cabinet, right?

At this moment, various people devised strategies.

Jiang Yifan took leave today, originally intending to experience fatherhood enjoyably, staying home with his wife and daughter.

However, ever since the palace eunuchs were sent off, he hadn’t had time to properly bond with his daughter, as visitors arrived in droves. All were stewards and old woman servants of high standing, all coming under the pretense of congratulating Jiang Yifan on his baby daughter and asking for celebration eggs.

Finally, it reached the point where there weren’t enough eggs to distribute.

Not until late Shen hour did Jiang Yifan have the chance to show the emperor-sent paper to Ye Xinyan.

Ye Xinyan was leaning against her pillow, beside her, the sleeping infant, the one named Jiang Jinxiu by the emperor.

She had already heard the report from Nanny Jin and the Song Ping’s Household. Madam Yin was also present at the time, immensely delighted. Seeing the house busy indeed, Madam Yin lingered half a day more at her daughter’s house, dealing with congratulating old woman servants from other families. Once the visitors dwindled, she tidied up and left.

Not able to name her own child, Ye Xinyan herself didn’t feel anything; as long as the name was good, the namer didn’t matter, right?

Poor Jiang Yifan.

Jiang Yifan had long been contemplating names for his child, considering multiple possibilities, deliberating, reducing and adding, finally confirming a few. Little did he know they would be casually replaced by someone else.

There was nothing to be done about it; Ye Xinyan could only tell Jiang Yifan: "Don’t dwell on it; His Majesty picked quite a good name, Jiang Jinxiu, it sounds grand."

In ordinary families, adding a child commonly meant finding someone who read a bit more, or among knowledgeable neighbours, to name the child. Since the emperor bestowed a nice name, using it was fine, no need to be so depressed.

Jiang Yifan listlessly collected the sheet of paper, returning it to the box, saying gloomily: "This isn’t about whether the name is good or not. This is our first child, as a father, it’s a rare event to have a daughter, yet I’m not allowed to name her, even the nickname is for someone else to decide, what kind of situation is this?"

What does he mean by not allowed to name her? Listening to this, it truly evoked a sense of pity. Ye Xinyan, stifling laughter, comforted: "In a way, it’s better; this way, no one will dare bully our Ah Xiu in the future."

Jiang Yifan immediately glared, "Let’s see who dares! Even without His Majesty’s bestowed name, my daughter won’t be bullied!"