After thinking it through again and again, Zhang Xin grew more certain of his guess.
Ordinarily, if the emperor wished to speak with the female relatives of a minister, he would do so through the empress or the empress dowager. Summoning them directly was a breach of etiquette. Even those foolish rulers of history who coveted their subjects' wives would first have the empress issue the summons, preserving appearances before acting.
For the emperor to meet a minister's wife face-to-face, there could only be one explanation: she was already family.
"Marquis Xuanwei?"
The female attendant at his side gently reminded him, pulling him from his thoughts.
Zhang Xin came back to himself and nodded. "Lead the way."
Whether his guess was right or not, he would know once he asked her directly.
Returning to his residence, he had the attendant wait in the main hall before hurrying to the inner courtyard. There, Liu Hua was laughing as she played pitch-pot with the others. Seeing him rush in so suddenly, she blinked in confusion.
"Aren't you supposed to be on duty? Why are you back?"
"Sister Hua, come here a moment."
He pulled her aside and lowered his voice. "Do you… have some connection to His Majesty?"
"You should say 'His Majesty,'" Liu Hua corrected instinctively, then frowned. "Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"
Zhang Xin quickly explained the situation. "If it were just about letting our son study with the prince, His Majesty could have summoned the child alone. Why insist on bringing you as well? That's not proper."
Then he added, "You're from Hejian. His Majesty is also from Hejian… I'm guessing you might have imperial blood."
At that, Liu Hua first froze, then her face lit up with joy. "Our son… will study with a prince?"
But almost immediately she became flustered. "And His Majesty wants to see me too? I… I need to prepare—"
"Answer me first."
"…Yes." She nodded. "But it's a distant relation—four generations apart. That's why I never mentioned it."
Zhang Xin's eyes widened.
So it really was true.
"Does His Majesty know?"
"He should. I once wrote to him on your behalf."
Only then did everything click into place.
Back when he surrendered, he had only hoped for a prefecture. Yet the rewards he received far exceeded his expectations. He had thought it was due to He Jin's support—but now it seemed the real reason lay elsewhere.
It was Liu Hua.
The Han imperial clan had countless distant branches, but even the faintest connection still mattered. As long as the emperor acknowledged it, Zhang Xin's past as a former Yellow Turban would no longer be openly used against him.
More importantly, it would make recruiting talent far easier.
Who would dare slight the emperor's in-law?
Looking at Liu Hua now, Zhang Xin's gaze turned noticeably warmer.
"Sister Hua…"
"Don't be weird." She shivered. "I'm going to fix my makeup."
By the time she finished preparing, Zhang Xin was left idly playing with his son.
"Say 'Father.'"
"Awoo."
"It's 'Father.'"
"Awoo."
"Fa-ther."
"…Why."
Zhang Xin stared.
Somehow, it felt like he was the one calling out "father" more often than the child.
The women nearby covered their mouths, laughing softly.
Soon, Liu Hua returned, properly dressed. Under the guidance of the palace attendant, they entered the imperial palace together.
Along the way, Zhang Xin carefully noted the layout of the halls and corridors—his mind wandering to thoughts he wisely kept to himself.
Inside the hall, Emperor Liu Hong held the young prince in his arms, waiting.
Zhang Xin stepped forward, bowed deeply, and pressed his son down to kneel as well. Liu Hua followed suit.
"No need for such formality," Liu Hong said with a faint smile. "Come closer."
After they were seated, the attendants withdrew, leaving only a few trusted eunuchs behind.
The emperor turned to Liu Hua first, asking after her family. Their conversation was light, almost casual.
But his eyes soon shifted to Zhang Xin.
"You don't seem surprised."
"I made a guess on the way here," Zhang Xin replied calmly.
Liu Hong laughed and glanced at Zhang Rang. "Not a fool, this one."
Then, after a brief pause, he spoke again.
"I will give you another chance. Break the engagement, and I will formally bestow Liu Hua with the title of princess. You will become an imperial son-in-law. With your merits, I will appoint you General of the Guards."
The offer hung in the air.
Zhang Xin didn't hesitate.
"A man cannot stand without integrity."
He had already made up his mind before entering the palace.
The emperor valued him for his ability—not for his marriage. And in a dynasty filled with countless relatives, one more imperial in-law meant little.
But a reputation for loyalty and honor?
That was priceless.
Seeing his resolve unchanged, Liu Hong said no more on the matter. Instead, he looked at the child.
"Does your son have a name?"
Zhang Xin hesitated. "I… haven't chosen one yet."
"Then give him one now," Liu Hong said. "If he is to study alongside Xie'er, he should have a proper name."
Zhang Xin fell silent for a moment before replying:
"When he was born, I was campaigning against the Xianbei. It ended in victory."
"Let his name be Polu."
"Zhang Polu."