Chapter 125: Chapter 125

"Baozhu, are you truly decided?"

"Do you understand what you'll face if you take this noble title?"

Moreover, whether this title can even be obtained remains uncertain...

Gazing at her determined great-granddaughter, An Ning's usually gentle eyes grew uncharacteristically sharp.

Originally, both she and her nominal husband had intended to leave the title and mansion to their own daughter. However, upon hearing this, Yu Ludai was moved but instead pushed forward her seventeen-year-old granddaughter Baozhu.

A prince's title, even if reduced upon inheritance, would still be a commandery prince or beile rank.

Who wouldn't want such a position? Even Baozhu's own mother Niohuru might harbor thoughts about it. In the future, she might resent this daughter for taking what should belong to her son.

An Ning raised these points precisely so Baozhu could consider carefully.

As expected, the seventeen-year-old Baozhu nodded without hesitation.

Her lips pressed tightly together, the young girl clenched her fists.

Baozhu had matured early. She still remembered when she was four or five, how her mother constantly lamented not having given birth to a son, fearing Baozhu would be bullied in the future. Even though at that time, even her grandmother hadn't said anything about it.

Later, when her mother became pregnant, Baozhu had been happy too. Though occasionally jealous and feeling neglected, she had sensibly suppressed those feelings.

Baozhu knew her mother wasn't wrong—in this era, without a biological son, everything in the household would eventually go to a concubine's child.

How many in this world could be as fortunate as her grandmother? Even her usually doting father cared most deeply for his sons in his heart.

She couldn't fault her mother for these customary biases, couldn't be greedy...

Hadn't everyone always lived this way?

Yet whenever she recalled those years in her memory, she couldn't help feeling resentful. Perhaps because of these thoughts, or perhaps due to their age gap—with her younger brother having moved to the front courtyard early—the siblings had grown increasingly distant these past two years.

Since childhood, she had yielded many things—except at her grandmother's place. But this time, she didn't want to yield.

This was something her grandmother had strived to obtain for her. Why should she give it up?

She also wanted a household where she could be fully in charge, an identity that might be her only chance at independence—not having to live under someone else's roof after marriage, serving a mother-in-law...

She didn't want to yield...

After seeing off her teary-eyed granddaughter, Yu Ludai instinctively nestled closer to her mother.

Perhaps influenced by her mother, Yu Ludai cared for her grandchildren but wasn't particularly devoted—except for Baozhu.

If asked why, even Yu Ludai couldn't explain. But whenever she saw this granddaughter, she felt inexplicably relieved...

On the couch, An Ning gently stroked her daughter's hair.

In any era, those who see clearly suffer most. Pioneers in thought and action always do.

Baozhu just now was a perfect example.

This was also why An Ning had never tried to impart modern thinking to her daughter all these years.

Call her hedonistic or lacking ambition—what she wanted, for both herself and her daughter, was simply a smooth, worry-free life.

Several more years passed. With the Industrial Revolution raging across the seas and increasingly frequent exchanges, changes in the Qing dynasty weren't insignificant.

At least when Yin Tang, gravely ill, submitted his memorial again, Hongxi didn't reject it but instead sighed to the attendant beside him:

"Ninth Uncle has served the court diligently all these years, making tremendous contributions to the Qing. Now he has but one final wish!"

"Even going so far as to say no incense offerings would be needed in the future—how could I bear to refuse?"

The attendant promptly chimed in:

"Indeed! After all, this title was earned through Prince Yi's own decades of hard work. Wanting to leave it to his blood relatives is only natural."

"Besides, women ultimately differ from men. Even for imperial clansmen, changing a surname wouldn't affect anything."

At most it's just a title and a mansion—the real authority would still return to the imperial clan.

As he spoke, he personally prepared the health tea delivered by Princess Heyi.

Soon, the Hall of Mental Cultivation was filled with the tea's fragrance.

Even the attendant, accustomed to fine things, couldn't help inhaling deeply. Princess Heyi, for her parents' sake, had long studied health preservation with imperial physicians and collected rare medical texts from various places. What seemed like a hobby had yielded remarkable results.

Everyone knew how frail Prince Qin had been—couldn't even father a son. Yet he'd lived to this age.

And that princess consort—hadn't she been in poor health after childbirth? Yet now she remained spirited!

Sipping the fragrant tea, Hongxi's resolve grew firmer.

Soon, an imperial edict in bright yellow was drafted.

Only upon receiving the edict confirming his bloodline would inherit his household did Yin Tang finally close his eyes in peace.

Afterwards, aside from missing the constant chatter beside her ear, An Ning's life remained unchanged.

With her great-granddaughter as the mansion's heir, naturally all the best things were reserved for her great-grandmother. Fearing her mother might feel lonely, Yu Ludai practically moved in, dragging her nominal husband along frequently.

Watching these two act foolish every day was quite entertaining.

Though some narrow-minded individuals grumbled about a woman inheriting a title, Retired Emperor Hongxi still lived. Having ruled for over forty years with deep authority, and this being his final decree before abdication—even for reputation's sake, his successor couldn't oppose it.

Thus, this seemingly absurd decree to contemporaries was preserved.

And Aisin Gioro Baozhu smoothly became the Qing dynasty's first female commandery prince...