Jian Xubai returned in the evening and heard that her daughter’s name had been given by the Empress Dowager. And she also sent a decree, which let Jian Xubai dumbfounding. He said, “Mother must have done it on purpose. She clearly knew when we named the child before.”

He added, “Yesterday Mother did not say anything about the name. I thought she was too happy to forget it. It turns out she had her own plans.”

The intention, naturally, was to let the ...