Prince Nolan hosted the full-month banquet to announce Little Dumpling's identity to the world. So while the celebration was grand, it wasn't extravagant—every detail showed how much the baby was valued, but nothing was wasteful or ostentatious.
Serena Feng brought Little Dumpling to the rear hall to sit with the other noble ladies. Serena wasn't officially Empress yet, so these titled women didn't need to kneel to her. Still, everyone here was clever—though the formal decree hadn't been issued, they all understood Serena was already Eastlyn's crown empress.
All the noble ladies spoke with respect, treating Serena as empress in both words and manner. Every sentence was flattery, and Little Dumpling had already been praised to the heavens.
“So strong—look at that grip! He’ll be remarkable one day.” All Little Dumpling did was wave his tiny fists.
“The First Prince looks just like His Majesty—almost as if they were stamped from the same mold.” In truth, Little Dumpling resembled Serena more, which was one reason why Prince Nolan doted on him so much.
“Look at those eyes—so clever…” He was only a month old, so honestly, no one could see much cleverness yet. But at least he wasn’t dull.
“Ah-ah…” Little Dumpling grew impatient with all the attention and let out a few cries. The ladies immediately clapped in delight: “The First Prince is so bright—already calling out to people at this age!”
All this praise left Serena exasperated… but no matter what she thought, she kept smiling, never showing the slightest impatience.
The higher you stand, the more you need to keep a low profile. With her status, no one dared look down on her—so there was no need to act arrogant or put on airs.
A few of the ladies had once received medical treatment from Serena. They thought she might snub them now, but found her just as gracious as ever—and breathed a deep sigh of relief.
When someone is riding high, the last thing they want is to see those who witnessed their lowest moments. These ladies had all seen Serena at her worst—but luckily, Serena was open-minded and never let it bother her.
Serena chatted casually with the ladies for a moment before the imperial edict arrived—this was the real highlight of the full-month banquet.
The eunuch announced loudly for Serena to accept the decree. Serena was about to kneel when she heard, “His Majesty says Miss Feng may accept the edict standing.” Prince Nolan couldn’t bear to make Serena kneel to him, so how could he let her kneel to a eunuch?
Serena didn’t make a fuss—she stood calmly in place. With all the other ladies kneeling behind her, Serena stood out even more. The kneeling ladies had complicated feelings, but in the end, could only offer more flattery…
The edict was simple, but its content was anything but—heavy with significance. Not just the noble ladies, even Serena herself was caught off guard.
Prince Nolan formally named Little Dumpling as Rory Dongling and immediately enfeoffed him as a king, granting him a princely fief. For a newborn prince to be made a king was the highest honor, but not without precedent—still, the title itself was extraordinary.
King of Phoenixfield!
That’s right—Prince Nolan granted Little Dumpling the title King of Phoenixfield, explicitly stating he would use the original Phoenixfield King’s Seal from the Former Dynasty. Even the ladies who didn’t know politics realized what this meant.
Does this mean the First Prince is to inherit the Phoenixfield Kingship? But…
What about the throne?
Could it be that the First Prince will inherit both the Phoenixfield Kingship and the imperial throne? Is Nolan making the King of Phoenixfield the emperor, or is the emperor taking on the Phoenixfield Kingship and gradually absorbing the Phoenixfield Clan?
Of course, these matters are between the emperor and empress—they’re not for outsiders to worry about. Whatever the truth, once the imperial edict is issued, it’s settled. The Phoenixfield Kingship is inherited by the Phoenixfield royal house, but it also requires imperial sanction. Prince Nolan’s decree was perfectly valid, as long as the Phoenixfield Clan recognizes Little Dumpling’s identity.
After the shock wore off, everyone crowded around Serena to offer congratulations. Serena herself hadn’t known the details of the edict beforehand—even Little Dumpling’s formal name was news to her. She was stunned by how decisively Prince Nolan acknowledged the Phoenixfield Kingship.
Shocked as she was, Serena didn’t let it show. She answered the noble ladies’ compliments with a gentle smile. When Little Dumpling yawned, Serena signaled the nursemaid to carry him out.
Though Little Dumpling was the star today, he was just a baby and couldn’t do much—the real work of hosting fell to Serena.
The courtiers in the front hall heard the edict a moment after the noble ladies. When they learned Prince Nolan had made Little Dumpling King of Phoenixfield, they were baffled. It’s normal to grant a prince a title before naming him crown prince, but what did it mean to make him King of Phoenixfield? Was the emperor stripping the First Prince of his right to inherit the throne?
Not until Prince Nolan gave Little Dumpling the Phoenixfield Command Token surrendered by Phoenixfield You did the courtiers understand: making Little Dumpling King of Phoenixfield was a way to openly transfer command of the Phoenixfield Clan’s 300,000 elite troops into his hands.
With three hundred thousand troops under his command, even if more princes are born, no one could shake Little Dumpling’s position. He might not be named crown prince right away, but his claim is now unassailable. Even if he never becomes emperor, he’ll rule his own fief as king—and not even the emperor could touch him.
“This is truly the highest honor.”
“Such an honor is truly unmatched—what skill, Phoenixfield Heiress!”
The King of Phoenixfield is still a child; to say the military power belongs to the King is less accurate than saying it belongs to his mother. Sigh... For a woman to hold such authority, who knows whether it is fortune or disaster.
...
All the ministers in court, except for Wang Jinling, saw Serena as a bringer of calamity, convinced that Ninth Royal Uncle only doted on Little Dumpling because of her.
Everyone knew Serena had delayed moving into the palace, and Ninth Royal Uncle had withstood all pressure to make her empress. No one believed Serena wasn't relying on his favor.
Still, people only dared to gossip in private—no one wanted to offend the current master, nor the future one. A few self-righteous ministers submitted memorials of impeachment, but Ninth Royal Uncle didn't even look at them and just tossed them back.
When a minister publicly questioned him, Ninth Royal Uncle made it clear: Little Dumpling is his designated successor. Everything he owns, and everything Serena owns, belongs to Little Dumpling. Even if he has a second or third son, the throne and Phoenixfield Kingship will only belong to the First Prince.
There were dissenters, of course, but also supporters. The clever ones saw that letting Little Dumpling inherit the Phoenixfield Kingship was good for the realm. Although the King of Phoenixfield must be appointed by imperial decree, the prerequisite is the approval of the Phoenixfield clan elders—otherwise, even if the Emperor appoints a king, the clan would not obey.
Little Dumpling's Phoenixfield Kingship is less a grant from Ninth Royal Uncle than an inheritance from Serena. Without Serena as the Phoenixfield Heiress, even the imperial First Prince or future emperor could not be named King of Phoenixfield.
This move made everyone realize that, as Phoenixfield Heiress, Serena's prestige in the clan was immense—the entire Phoenixfield Clan was already in her hands!