Chapter 744 - 359: Three Daughters_2
Zhu Sujin was utterly disappointed but still signaled the midwife to start the cleansing ritual known as "washing three".
The midwife smiled as she lifted the eldest daughter to the washing basin, beginning to sing auspicious phrases. Consort Yang was the first to add a small spoonful of clear water to the basin, followed by six small silver ingots, and then, according to the hierarchy of seniority and age, others added items to the basin. For the royal children’s cleansing, items such as gold, jade, and fruits like lychees, longans, and jujubes, which are considered auspicious, were included.
After the "washing three" ceremony had ended, the emperor’s decree finally arrived. He bestowed the child with the name Zhu Minjia and granted her the title of Commandery Princess Minjia.
Zhu Sujin bade farewell to all the guests, heading towards Mingrong Hall. He knew in his heart that the late arrival of the emperor’s decree was due to his imperial father’s disappointment. He felt helpless, for he had wished for a son more than anyone else, but fate wouldn’t comply.
Then he thought, if he had married Yixiu, would he now have two delightful twin sons? The moment this thought arose, he shook his head vigorously, driving it away. Yixiu was forever his sister, and it was improper to have such thoughts. In doing so, he would not only be unfair to Yixiu but also to Lanlan, Minmin, and Qinqin, who were all devotedly in love with him.
Although Min Jia was a girl, she was still his first child, and she was as adorable as white jade. Especially when he saw her gentle and serene eyes, he always felt a sense of peace and heartache.
When he arrived at the bedroom, Fu Minglan was chatting with their daughter, "... Min Jia, that’s a lovely name. Your imperial grandfather must hope that you will be intelligent and excellent, good in every way."
Seeing her husband, Fu Minglan repeated Qian Yixiu’s words with a smile.
"Like my imperial mother?" Zhu Sujin asked in disbelief. He bent down to take a closer look at the child and, indeed, she bore a resemblance.
Zhu Sujin hadn’t thought that the delicate child resembled his mother, since Princess Ning’s beauty had since faded, but now that he looked carefully and remembered his mother’s voice and smile, he saw the similarity. Especially the eyes and their expression, those were most alike. No wonder he always felt a sense of peace and heartache when he looked into her eyes.
Seeing her husband also acknowledge that the child resembled Empress Yuan, Fu Minglan smiled and said, "If father emperor saw the child, perhaps he wouldn’t be so disappointed anymore? And he wouldn’t blame me."
Zhu Sujin laughed, "Whether it’s a boy or a girl, it’s not something you can decide. My father emperor is wise and just, how could he blame you?" He added, "My father emperor had deep affection for my mother. It’s fortunate that Min Jia resembles my mother. With the New Year approaching, when the entire family gathers, father emperor, upon seeing our daughter, will surely be pleased."