Chương 465: The Child is Born and Named

The seven little princesses were all exquisitely beautiful, with skin as white and tender as a peeled egg, and their eyebrows and eyes resembled their mother's, delicate and pretty.

Wrapped in a swaddling cloth embroidered with tiny flowers, held in the midwife's arms, her little mouth pouting, she was a sight that melted anyone's heart.

Following that, the little princes were born one after another:

"Congratulations, my lord! Lady Zhen Jiang has given birth to a baby boy!!"

"Congratulations, my lord! Lady Ren Hongchang, Lady Zhen Dao, Lady Zou Yu, Lady Du Xiuniang, Lady Mi Zhen, Lady Gan Mei, Lady Yin Ying, and Lady Feng Yu have all given birth to sons!"

Nine little boys, with chubby faces and loud cries, kicked their little arms and legs with great strength, and looked robust and full of energy.

Zhen Jiangsheng's Liu Heng cried the loudest, and the whole courtyard could hear it.

Ren Hongchang's Liu Yi is quiet and doesn't cry much.

When Cheng Yaojin heard that Feng Yu had given birth to a son, he was overjoyed and held a three-day banquet in the military camp, telling everyone he met, "The woman I introduced has given birth! A little prince!"

Sixteen babies were born in quick succession, instantly enveloping the Prince of Yan's mansion in joy.

Liu Ce picked up each of his children one by one, not daring to use his fingertips too hard, for fear of hurting the soft little dumplings in his arms.

Whether it was a son or a daughter, he couldn't stop smiling, his eyes full of doting affection. He held the child tightly, reluctant to let go, and kept murmuring:

"You are all my good children, your father loves you all."

After giving birth, Zhang Ning leaned against the bed, watching Liu Ce holding his daughter and grinning foolishly, and couldn't help but laugh:

"My husband, the way you hold the baby is more tense than if you were in a war."

Liu Ce chuckled: "That's different! I never panic when fighting, but I'm really afraid of dropping a child when I'm holding him."

Zhen Jiang laughed, "Husband, this isn't your first time being a father, why are you still so nervous?"

"That's different. Each one is precious to me. I'm nervous no matter how many times I hold them." Liu Ce carefully placed the child in the cradle and then went to hold the next one.

He Lian held her daughter, her eyes red-rimmed. She never imagined she would be where she was today.

She whispered to Liu Ce, "My husband, thank you."

Liu Ce grasped her hand: "What are you thanking me for? You're my wife, and this is our child. It's only right."

Cai Wan watched from the side and said with a smile, "Sisters, look at your husband, he's almost become a king of children."

Everyone looked at Liu Ce, who was surrounded by a group of children. Liu Chen, Liu Ying, and the others had already run over to see their younger siblings, and they were all curiously leaning over the cradle, chattering and asking questions.

"Father, why is my little sister sleeping all the time?"

"Daddy, my little brother is so ugly!"

"Daddy, can I hug my little sister?"

Liu Ce quickly waved his hand: "No, no, you're too small. Wait until your younger siblings are a little older before you hold them."

The children wouldn't let it go, surrounding Liu Ce and acting spoiled, making a huge fuss.

Afterwards, Liu Ce happily named the children.

Cai Yansheng's daughter was named Liu Xian.

He Liansheng's daughter was named Liu Wan.

Zhang Ningsheng's daughter was named Liu Yao.

Zhen Misheng's daughter was named Liu Jin.

Zhen Tuosheng's daughter was named Liu Hui.

Zhen Rongsheng's daughter was named Liu Xuan.

Cai Wansheng's daughter was named Liu Zhi.

Zhen Jiangsheng's son was named Liu Heng.

Ren Hongchang's son was named Liu Yi.

Zhen Daosheng's son was named Liu Shao.

Zou Yusheng's son was named Liu Ke.

The son born to Du Xiuniang was named Liu Su.

Mi Zhensheng's son was named Liu Jun.

Gan Meisheng's son was named Liu Yi.

Yin Yingsheng's son was named Liu Yang.

Feng Yusheng's son was named Liu You.

After finishing the naming process, Liu Ce looked at the list and couldn't help but laugh: "Goodness, my naming skills are almost on par with a fortune teller."

Zhang Ning, holding Liu Yao beside her, smiled and said, "My husband is quite skilled at naming things."

Cai Yan nodded and said, "Yes, these names all have meanings, and the children will definitely like them when they grow up."

Once the name was chosen, Liu Ce had Uncle Liu write it on the family genealogy, stroke by stroke, neatly and carefully.

Sixteen more names suddenly appeared under Liu Ce's name on the family genealogy, so densely packed that Uncle Liu's hands trembled. The Prince of Yan's ability to expand his family line was truly astounding!

Afterwards, Liu Ce held Liu Xian in his arms, looked her over again and again, and said with a smile, "Xian'er, your father fought for eight years (184-192), and with your arrival, the world is at peace. You are a lucky star."

Liu Xian closed her eyes, yawned slightly, and ignored him completely.

Liu Ce then picked up Liu Heng. The little guy was chubby, with a face full of fat—no, a face full of baby fat—and looked quite robust.

Liu Ce tossed him around and laughed, "This kid will definitely be a military general in the future. He's much more important than Xian'er."

Hearing this from the side, Zhang Ning immediately exclaimed, "Husband, hold my Yao'er too! She was just smiling at me!"

Liu Ce quickly put Liu Heng down and took Liu Yao.

Liu Yao was small and soft, nestled in his arms, fast asleep, her little mouth moving slightly, as if she were eating something delicious.

Liu Ce's heart melted as he looked at it.

...

The news that the Prince of Yan had sixteen children spread throughout Luoyang in an instant, causing a stir throughout the entire Han Dynasty.

In the streets and alleys, in teahouses and taverns, everyone was talking about this:

"Have you heard? His Highness the Prince of Yan has had sixteen children! Seven girls and nine boys!"

"Really? Sixteen?! His Highness Prince Yan is amazing!"

"What's so difficult about this? Your Highness, having a few children isn't a big deal, is it?"

"Yes, yes, yes! His Highness is destined by Heaven, so of course his offspring will be plentiful!"

All the civil and military officials exclaimed that the lord's many offspring were a good omen for the prosperous Han Dynasty!

Even those old ministers who are usually fond of finding fault couldn't find anything wrong with it. You can't criticize something like having a child, can you?

...

The next morning, a long queue formed at the entrance of the Prince of Yan's mansion, stretching from the gate all the way to the main street.

Civil officials such as Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Xun Yu, and Guo Jia, and military generals such as Xu Da, Zhang Liao, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Dian Wei, and Xu Chu all arrived carrying generous gifts.

Gold and silver jewelry, children's fine clothes, century-old ginseng, and toddler toys—all sorts of congratulatory gifts were piled up like a small mountain. Everyone wore a sincere smile and bowed to Liu Ce as they entered to offer their congratulations.

"Congratulations, my lord! Congratulations! Your descendants are numerous, a truly joyous occasion!"

Liu Ce stood in the courtyard, looking at all his trusted advisors gathered together. He was in a great mood, smiling as he accepted gifts from everyone. He chatted with them, and when he talked about the children, his eyes were full of undisguised joy. He showed no airs of the Prince of Yan.

Cheng Yaojin rushed in carrying a large box, which made a clattering sound, and it was unclear what was inside.

He slammed the box down on the ground, patted his chest, and shouted:

"My lord! I, Old Cheng, have brought you a congratulatory gift! Sixteen gold locks, one for each child, to bless them with long and healthy lives! These were specially made by me, Old Cheng, and they're pure gold! Not one is missing!"

When Liu Ce opened the box, he saw sixteen gold locks neatly arranged, each engraved with a different pattern, and they were very exquisite.