Chapter 71 Pregnancy
Uncle Du, Du Qing, and the rest of the Du family were invited into Prince Qi's mansion. Du Qing walked over to Gu Wen and asked quietly, "Isn't it a bit inappropriate for so many of us to come?"
After Du Qing and his family received the letter that An An was about to become a princess, the clan felt that this was an opportunity. This time, the Du family sent a total of more than 30 people to Songjiang City. Now that all the Du family members have come, it seems that the Du family members are like poor relatives who come to beg for money.
Gu Wen smiled and said, "You are An An's uncle, the closest relative. Since she invited you here, she must be sincere. There's nothing wrong with that."
Du Qing said embarrassedly: "I'm also afraid of embarrassing An An."
Mrs. Du said, "You all brought so many gifts. You are all distinguished guests. Who would dare to say that you are disgraced?"
This time, the Du family came to Songjiang City with ten carts of gifts, all of which were good things that were hard to buy outside. Not many uncles were willing to give such generous gifts to their niece when she got married.
Uncle Du said, "Okay, stop being so petty. It would be a joke for the servants in the palace. Be open and honest!"
Gu Youan valued the Du family, so he specially entertained guests in the banquet hall in the front yard today. Five tables were set up, and Gu Youan personally greeted them at the door of the banquet hall.
"Uncle, second uncle, and all the elders are well."
Du Qing, Uncle Du, and the others greeted Gu Youan with a smile. Du Qing looked his niece over and praised her, "Our An'an is becoming more and more energetic, and her complexion is better than last year, which shows that she is in good health."
When Du Qing heard that An An was getting married, he had always been worried that An An's poor health in childhood would affect her offspring. But now, one look at her and he knew he didn't have to worry about that anymore.
Among the people who came this time were the women of the Du family. Women are always more careful. They only looked at the princess who came from the Gu family, the mistress of the palace, and her extraordinary demeanor. The servants behind her were all obedient to her, and they knew that she was a capable person.
This Princess Qi can control the servants in the palace, so her life is naturally not bad.
Mrs. Du stood beside her daughter and said with a smile, "Look at this person. This is the eldest daughter-in-law from the next room of the same clan as the Du family. You should call her Aunt Qian."
Gu Youan nodded politely, and Qian hurriedly stepped forward and saluted with a smile: "Greetings, Princess."
Mrs. Du introduced several other female relatives to her daughter. After they had just introduced everyone, her uncle Du Qing introduced several male members of the Du family to Gu Youan. Gu Youan wrote down their names one by one.
After the meeting was over, Gu Youan said, "Everyone, please come in."
There were five tables, and the seating was arranged by Gu Wen and Mrs. Du. Gu Youan naturally sat at the same table with the Gu family, his uncle Du Qing, and his second uncle Du.
As soon as we sat down, people came from the kitchen. Servants and maids came in like a stream to serve the dishes. Today's dishes were all prepared according to the standards for entertaining guests in the palace. The table was filled with all kinds of delicacies from land and sea. They were colorful, fragrant and delicious. They were really delicious no matter how you looked at them.
Although the Du family lived a relatively wealthy life, for example, Uncle Du had been to the top restaurants in the capital Luoyang City, but if compared with the table of dishes in the palace today, it was really nothing.
The members of the Du family looked at each other, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Mrs. Du smiled and said, "The dishes on the table today are quite nice. I wonder how they taste?"
"Mom, you'll know if you try it."
Mrs. Du sighed and said loudly, "Everyone, start eating. The food is served to people. Don't be picky. We are all family. There is no need for so many rules."
Mrs. Du's words made everyone in the Du family laugh, and then they picked up their chopsticks and started eating.
Although Mrs. Du spoke so eloquently, she had never actually attended such a formal banquet hosted by Prince Qi's Mansion.
The wedding banquet of Prince Qi and Gu Youan was prepared according to this specification. The Gu family was the bride's family, so naturally they would not come. Later, the Gu family came to Prince Qi's mansion several times, and Gu Youan always instructed the kitchen to prepare dishes according to the family's taste and would not hold such a banquet.
It was her first time eating there, so she had a great time. Mrs. Du tried every dish and they all tasted good, but not as good as the ones she usually ate when she came to Prince Qi's mansion.
After eating half full, Mrs. Du put down her chopsticks and drank the soup. Only then did she notice that her daughter was staring at the vegetarian dishes in front of her. Mrs. Du picked up a few dishes that she thought tasted good for her daughter.
"Mom, you eat yours, I'll do it myself."
Even though the dishes were placed in the bowl, Gu Youan didn't eat them. He only ate the few vegetarian dishes that were easy to eat.
Mrs. Du disagreed and said, "Girl, when did you become picky about food?"
Gu Youan definitely denied it: "I just don't have an appetite today. It's a good day today, so please stop nagging me."
The Du family members were still there, and Mrs. Du, wanting to protect her daughter's reputation, didn't say anything. She asked the maid to bring an empty bowl, filled it halfway with shredded chicken and lotus soup, and handed it to her.
The soup looked good, so Gu Youan drank it all.
Du Qing knew his niece's eating habits and was a doctor with good medical skills. He was very good at observing, smelling, asking and feeling. Seeing that his niece was picky about food, he casually asked a few questions about her diet and daily life, and he had some guesses in his mind.
After lunch, the Du family stayed and drank two cups of tea. Then Uncle Du asked to leave. Gu Youan happened to be sleepy again, so he asked Liu Zhong to send the guests back.
Gu Wen took the Du family members away first, but Du Qing and the Du brothers and sisters stayed behind for some reason.
Gu Youan covered his mouth and yawned: "Mom, is there something wrong?"
Mrs. Du's eyes sparkled with anticipation and eagerness to try: "An An, please sit down quickly and ask your uncle to take your pulse."
Gu Youan felt that something was wrong with her mother, and she looked at her uncle hurriedly: "What are you doing?"
"Don't ask yet, let your uncle take your pulse first."
At this time, Zheng Er's wife, Xiaoyue and Xiaoju, who were serving in the room, also showed expectant expressions.
Gu Youan sat down slowly and said with a smile: "You don't think I'm pregnant, do you?"
Zheng Er's wife was so excited that she swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue: "Princess, please ask your uncle to check your pulse."
Everyone is so excited, who knows... Gu Youan also felt a little bit of anticipation in his heart.
Lifting up his sleeves and extending his hand, Gu Youan said, "Then please let my uncle take a look."
Du Qing closed his eyes and felt the pulse carefully twice before saying, "She should be pregnant, but it's just a short time since her birth, so her pulse isn't very strong."
Du Er's wife hurriedly said, "If that's the case, then if we calculate the date, it should be less than a month."
Mrs. Du slapped her thigh fiercely: "What are you waiting for? Go to East Street and ask Doctor Zhang to come over."
"I'll go right away." Xiaoju ran away.
Xiaoyue smiled and said, "Grandpa's medical skills are definitely correct. We have a court physician in our house. Why don't we call him over to see the princess?"
Mrs. Du nodded hurriedly and said, "Go and invite them. It will be more reassuring if there are more people to see."
Du Qing didn't care. He took a sip of tea and said to Gu Youan with a smile, "You are in good health. Your parents have taken great care of you. Now that you are married and your parents are not around, you must take good care of yourself. Having children is not an easy task for you."
"Well, thank you uncle, I know."
The medical environment in the Zhou Dynasty was at this level, and the diseases that could be cured were limited. Instead of seeing a famous doctor when you are sick, it is better not to get sick.
If your health is too poor, spraining your ankle will injure your ligaments or fracture your bones, and you will suffer for the rest of your life; if you have bad teeth and get dental disease, then just bear with it. How many officials in ancient times retired and returned home because of dental disease?
These daily minor illnesses are so tiring, not to mention the difficulties of childbirth that can easily cost a woman her life.
Gu Youan knew this all too well. Compared to before she traveled through time, she now cared about her health ten times more.
The epidemic was severe a few years before she traveled through time, so she stockpiled a lot of household medicines at home. Those were good things to save her life in the future. She had counted and recorded how many boxes and how many pills there were.
When her grandparents passed away, Youzi was worried about her and lived in her house with her children for a few months. Later, she moved back to her house. There seemed to be some diapers and other baby products left in the cabinet, and she would have to count them out later.
If she really has a child, the little baby of Youzi's family, her godson will use the leftover infant medicine, and every pill must not be wasted.
This is a long-term idea.
Liu Zhong reported at the door: "Princess, the court doctor has arrived."
"Come in."
The doctor at Prince Qi's mansion was originally a military doctor. He was better at treating ulcers than taking pulses. After taking the pulse, the doctor couldn't say for sure whether the woman was pregnant, only that it was possible.
After a while, Zhang Shinan was invited in. After feeling the patient's pulse, he said, "She's pregnant. She won't have much time left. Don't run around too much. Take good care of yourself."
Mrs. Du was overjoyed: "Great, great, it's really God's blessing."
Gu Youan's eyes curved into a smile, and as she touched her belly, she thought of the days when Zhou Qi pestered her at home every day, asking her what she wanted to name the child, how many she wanted, and whether she wanted boys or girls.
If he knew that I was going to have a child, he would definitely be very happy.
Zhang Shinan asked her about her diet and daily life. After asking, he smiled and said, "Don't worry if your appetite changes slightly. It will probably return to normal after a while. You can eat when you want and sleep when you want. Don't force yourself to follow your old habits."
Gu Youan nodded with a smile.
Mrs. Du hurriedly said, "Doctor Zhang, please come to the palace more often in the future to check An An's pulse so that we can feel more at ease."
Zhang Shinan smiled and agreed: "I'll come here once every two weeks in the future."
Gu Youan thought it was okay and she was confident in Zhang Shinan's medical skills.
Now that things here are done, Zhang Shinan still has to go to the clinic to see patients, so he'll leave first. Du Qing also stood up and followed him, going to help out.
Mrs. Du was in no hurry to leave. She first asked, "An'an, who are the servants in your room?"
Gu Youan pointed out to her mother that the maids were mainly Xiaoju and Xiaoyue, the wives in charge were Zheng Erjia and Wei Saozi, and there was also the head eunuch Liu Zhong and several younger eunuchs under him.
Mrs. Du frowned: "Why are there only so few people?"
"Mom, you know me. I don't like too many people around me. Having these few people to take care of the chores in my house is enough."
Mrs. Du disagreed, "It was fine before when you were the only one, but it's different now. You should choose a few more experienced wives and maids to serve in the house. In a few months, it will be time to choose a wet nurse for the child."
Mrs. Du told her daughter everything, from pregnancy to childbirth to raising a child, what kind of manpower was needed, how much preparation was needed, and how much thought was required.
The more Mrs. Du spoke, the more worried she became. "I have nothing to do at home anyway, so why don't I take care of you?"
Gu Youan felt that this arrangement was inappropriate: "It won't work if you're not home every day. There's also Axuan at home who needs your care. Without you watching over her, that girl will probably make a scene. Besides, as for my sister-in-law, she's probably six or seven months pregnant now, so she'll be giving birth soon."
Mrs. Du thought about it and realized that everything was a big deal.
Mrs. Du: "Then I will go home to take care of your sister-in-law first. When your sister-in-law gives birth in August and she finishes her confinement, I will come to take care of you."
"That's not bad. My belly was only five or six months old at the time."
Mrs. Du sighed, "Before you got married, I thought you wouldn't have a mother-in-law to pressure you, nor any sisters-in-law to bother you. Once you're married, you'll have the joy of being the head of your own household. Now that you're pregnant and having a child, it's a hassle without anyone to look after you."
Gu Youan said with a smile: "Why are you sighing? If I meet someone I don't like, I wouldn't dare let anyone get involved even when I'm giving birth to a child."
"That's right, there is nothing perfect in this world."
Gu Youan was really sleepy, so Mrs. Du didn't bother her to rest. After watching her wash up and lie down to sleep, Mrs. Du hurried home.
As soon as Mrs. Du returned home, she asked, "Is the master home?"
Butler Wang Quan replied, "The master is talking with the Du family in the front yard."
Mrs. Du hurried to the front yard. When she reached the door, she suddenly remembered that her daughter was still young and it would be difficult to make it known to everyone. So she endured it for the time being and turned back to the backyard.
Today, Duan and Axuan did not go to Prince Qi's Mansion. Duan had just woken up from a nap and was walking in the corridor with one hand on her waist and the other holding Axuan's hand.
Duan smiled and said, "Mother, you're back? How is An An?"
Ah Xuan supported her sister-in-law and said to her mother, "Mom, I stayed at home to take care of my sister-in-law today and didn't go to the palace. Did my sister miss me?"
Mrs. Du went over happily, sent the servants away, and said excitedly, "An An is pregnant."
Duan was overjoyed: "That's good now. You and Dad can rest assured."
Mrs. Du nodded hurriedly. This was exactly what she said. She was completely relieved that An An was pregnant.
"Oh, then I'm going to be an aunt?" A Xuan said.
Mrs. Du and Mrs. Duan both laughed. Mrs. Du said, "Yes, in a few months you will be an aunt. After the Chinese New Year this year, you will be a little aunt. When you become the elder, don't act recklessly and lead them astray."
"No, I didn't go to the palace to play today. I was accompanying my sister-in-law."
Duan praised: "Our Ah Xuan is really sensible."
Axuan was satisfied after being praised. Both Mrs. Du and Mrs. Du couldn't help but smile. This child is so easy to fool.
In the evening, Gu Wen returned to the backyard and heard that his daughter was pregnant. Gu Wen immediately thought of his daughter's lack of an elder to look after her. He also thought of his eldest daughter-in-law who couldn't live without someone, so he said, "How about we invite Madam Duan to stay with us for a while?"
After years of marriage, Mrs. Du understood her husband's intentions and said, "It would be nice if you could invite Madam Duan to stay with us for a while, but as her mother-in-law, I can't leave."
"But An An..."
"I've discussed it with An An. After Wan Niang finishes her confinement, I'll go to the palace to take care of An An. There's still time."
There was indeed no other way. Gu Wen thought about it and thought of the women of the Du family. Could he invite them to live in the palace for a few months?
"Firstly, they are the daughters-in-law of the Du family. They know a little bit about medicine. They are also relatives who need our help. They will definitely take care of An An with more dedication. With them as a comparison, it will also help to suppress those old servants in the palace."
"Secondly, my uncle and his family will be making two trips this year, and they will return to Songjiang City in the fall. It would be a good time for the Du family's wives to leave with them then."
By the time the Du family returned to Yizhou Prefecture, the eldest daughter-in-law had given birth, and Mrs. Du was free too, so the date just happened to match.
Mrs. Du immediately said, "I'll discuss this with someone later. If they agree, I'll send them to Prince Qi's mansion tomorrow. But since An'an is still young, tell others..."
"We're all family, there's no need to worry about that. Affordability is what matters most."
"That's right."
Mrs. Du went to invite people in person, and not only the female members of the Du family, but also the other members of the Du family agreed immediately.
Uncle Du even said to the women of those families: "We will help you send your goods to the south to sell, and then purchase goods to ship back. You just need to collect the money."
"Yes, since the princess is in need of trustworthy people, you can go and take care of her for a while. Otherwise, you can stay in Songjiang City this year, and we will come to take you back to Yizhou Prefecture next year."
Mrs. Du laughed and said, "How can that be possible? My sisters-in-law all have their own families. How can they not go home for the New Year?"
Mrs. Du took Mrs. Qian's hand and said, "Sister-in-law, I'm sorry to trouble you with An An."
Qian said, "Don't worry, leave it to me. We will take good care of the princess. We will go to Prince Qi's mansion tomorrow."
"Hey, thank you in advance, sister-in-law."
Mrs. Du had already made arrangements with the Du family and sent someone to deliver a message to Prince Qi's mansion. When the servants from the Gu family went there, Gu Youan was having dinner, a noodle soup with vegetables and eggs. He ate both the vegetables and the soup and felt very full.
"Alas, I've already told you I can take care of myself, but my parents are still worried."
Xiaoyue smiled and said, "Master Gu and Madam Du are very thoughtful. They are relatives of yours, Princess, and they understand some medical knowledge and have both given birth to children. I will always feel more at ease with them around."
Gu Youan nodded, and after careful consideration, he made the arrangements: "Xiaoyue, you are too young. I'm afraid you won't be able to talk with them. When they come tomorrow, ask Sister Wei to receive them and arrange for them to stay in Sister Wei's yard."
Xiaoyue nodded and agreed: "I'll go tell Sister Wei?"
Gu Youan nodded: "Send a few little girls to their rooms to help, don't neglect them."
"Why."
Xiaoyue had just left when Liu Zhong came in: "The letter to the prince has been sent out of the city."
Gu Youan leaned back in the recliner and changed his posture comfortably, with a smile on his face. He wondered how Zhou Qi would react when he saw the letter.
Gu Youan was pregnant. Apart from the servants in the main courtyard, only the palace physician, the chief secretary Zhou Chen, the chief eunuch Liu Ling, and the chief guard Li Xian knew about it.
After learning that the princess was pregnant, Li Xian immediately adjusted the guards inside and outside the main courtyard to ensure that everything was safe and that the princess would not be frightened in the slightest.
Li Xian mobilized the guards in secret. If it weren't for someone who was paying attention, the ordinary servants in the palace would have no idea that the guards in the main courtyard were tighter than before.
Zhou Chen is the chief historian of the palace, the official steward of the palace, and also an insider. After dark, he took a walk outside the main courtyard.
When he met Li Xian at the main courtyard gatehouse, Zhou Chen said, "Guard Li, Chief Guard Li, the princess can't afford any mistakes. You've worked hard these days to keep an eye on her."
Li Xian knew his duties without Zhou Chen's explanation. He said, "It's more convenient for female guards to be in the inner courtyard. The selection will be held in half a month. As long as they are not too bad, all the female escorts who signed up for the selection at the Ping An Escort Agency have been selected."
"Are all selected?"
"Well, anything is fine as long as it's not too bad. I can practice more after I enter the palace."
The princess needs female guards, and after the little master is born, he will definitely need attentive female guards to take care of him.
Li Xian and Zhou Chen were different from ordinary people. They knew how wary the emperor in the capital Luoyang City was of their master. Now that their master had a successor, he probably wished the young master would die.
Zhou Chen sighed: "Have you met Liu Ling?"
"Yes."
Li Xian and his guards are all in the open, but their secret methods are hard to guard against. Liu Ling and the young eunuchs he brought with him are the masters of secret conspiracies, and the harem must rely on him.
Zhou Chen said, "You go and do your thing. I'm going to go see that old man Liu Ling."
Zhou Chen made several mistakes with the princess. Some of them were due to his own lack of carefulness, while some of them were also due to the old man Liu Ling adding fuel to the fire.
In order to help his godson Liu Zhong consolidate his position and prevent others from vying for favor with the princess, Liu Ling secretly fanned the flames and harmed him. If the princess had not been a decent person, he, the chief historian of the palace, would have been sidelined long ago.
The two of them were secretly trying to show off their skills. They hadn't seen each other for a long time. Today, Zhou Chen went to see Liu Ling in person, which meant that he was bowing his head.
They have to bow their heads. The master's affairs are of great importance. If these servants harm the master for the sake of fighting, will they lose their entire family's life and property?
Liu Ling had dinner in the side yard of the kitchen in the backyard. There were twenty or thirty dishes on the table. There were also more than a dozen cooks, maids, and several eunuchs standing next to him while he ate.
Such a grand scene, haha, even Zhou Chen felt jealous when he went in and saw it.
Liu Ling raised his eyelids, glanced at Zhou Chen lightly, and ignored him.
Liu Ling pointed to a dish of black fish stewed with eggplant on the table and asked, "Who made this dish?"
A cook who looked to be around 17 or 18 years old said with a smile: "To answer the chief steward, I made this dish."
“Why did you choose this dish?”
The young man smiled and said, "You said you wanted something light and nourishing. Snakehead fish is the best for nourishing the body."
Liu Ling put down his chopsticks and said, "Boy, where are you from? How many years have you been learning to cook? When did you start working in the kitchen?"
"My father works in the account office, known as Accountant Meng; my mother works in the courtyard, her surname is Zhao. My parents originally came from the Meng family with the late queen, and they are both elders in the palace. I learned cooking for three years and just started working in the kitchen at the beginning of this year."
Liu Ling sneered, "Three years of learning to cook? How many cookbooks have you memorized? If it weren't for the side dishes, you wouldn't even know how to cut vegetables. Who told you to go into the kitchen?"
The young man retorted, "Of course I've memorized the recipe. My master praised me for my talent in cooking, so he recommended me to work in the kitchen."
Haha, a fool who doesn’t even know that black fish can’t be paired with eggplant, dares to say that he has talent?
He doesn't know, so don't the other cooks in the kitchen know either?
Liu Ling's cold eyes swept over everyone present, and even Zhou Chen was suddenly frightened. Could this old guy be murderous?
"When will Zhang Er come back?"
The young eunuch said, "Reporting to the chief steward, Steward Zhang has gone to the farm and will not be back until tomorrow morning."
"Since Zhang Er is not here, we'll leave the kitchen to you." Liu Ling pointed at the idiot and said, "Take him away and interrogate him thoroughly. His parents, brothers and sisters, and the person who recommended him to the kitchen, we'll all interrogate them thoroughly."
The young man surnamed Meng panicked: "General Manager, why are you arresting me? General Manager..."
The two young eunuchs immediately covered the man's mouth and dragged him away.
The other people in the room lowered their heads as much as they could, each one of them terrified and silent.
Liu Ling wiped his hands slowly with a hot handkerchief. "The prince and princess are really too indulgent towards you. Just because you've received a few rewards, you think you're important people."
A small manager under Zhang Er wanted to defend himself and his colleagues, but when he looked up and met Liu Ling's venomous gaze, he shuddered all over and dared not speak anymore.
The handkerchief he had used to wipe his hands was casually thrown onto the table. Liu Ling's sinister voice, which sounded like a man or a woman, echoed in everyone's ears: "Where there are people, there are fights. We don't care who lives or dies in your family. As long as the mission goes wrong, no one can escape, regardless of whether it was your fault or not."
"Beihuang Village is in need of slaves to open up wasteland every year. If you don't want to stay in Prince Qi's Mansion, go to Beihuang Village to open up wasteland."
"Master, calm down, Master, calm down!"
Zhang Er, the head chef of the kitchen, got the news. He heard that Liu Ling had gathered everyone in the kitchen as if something big was going to happen. He didn't care about the vegetables that had not yet been loaded onto the truck, and borrowed a horse to rush back.
Zhang Er begged for mercy, "Manager Liu, Grandpa Liu, please forgive us this time. If you have anything to say, just tell me and I will investigate it thoroughly for you."
Liu Ling gave a sarcastic smile: "Zhang Er, what are you talking about with your Grandpa Liu? You can't even say for sure whether your head can be saved."
Zhang Er was shocked. How could this... happen to him?
Liu Ling stepped out of the door. Zhang Er knelt down and tried to come to Liu Ling's side, but was stopped by the young eunuch: "Steward Zhang, I'm sorry, but could you please come with us?"
Liu Ling left the house, and Zhou Chen quickly followed him: "Butler Liu, does your... princess know?"
Liu Ling asked him, "Master Zhou, what do you want to tell me? Please tell me now. I have other things to do and am very busy."
Liu Ling ignored him, and Zhou Chen couldn't get anything out of him, so he could only ask him in a nice tone to ensure the safety of the palace's backyard and ask for his help.
Liu Ling sneered, left Zhou Chen behind and walked away.
Zhou Chen was so angry that he couldn't say a word.
It was dark and time to rest. Before going to bed, Gu Youan drank a bowl of Tremella soup, and Liu Zhong reported on what happened in the kitchen.
"If Godfather gets angry at the kitchen staff, he'll go to the embroidery room, the storeroom, and the stables and send out those who don't understand their ways to avoid any trouble."
"Well, I trust Manager Liu to do things."
Trust the people you employ, and a loyal old servant like Liu Ling who has no other support except the palace is the most trustworthy.
She has been in the palace for more than half a year, and the power of the princess is firmly in her hands. She should take this opportunity to carefully clean up the servants in the palace from top to bottom.
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