Chapter 79 Ambition: It’s Better to Be a Husband and Wife Than an Rival
August 15th, Mid-Autumn Festival.
Gu Youan originally thought that his sister-in-law was about to give birth, so he took advantage of the Mid-Autumn Festival to reunite with his family. However, she was suffering from morning sickness, so the reunion was impossible. He could only instruct Liu Zhong to go to Gu's house to deliver a Mid-Autumn Festival gift, and the Mid-Autumn Festival was spent in a hasty manner.
It had been hot for several days, but on the morning of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the cool breeze was very comfortable. The young couple lay side by side on the low couch under the window, enjoying the rare weather of the past few days.
"I see thick clouds in the sky. Will it rain?"
"I don't know. Let's wait and see. If the wind blows away the clouds, it shouldn't rain. We can still enjoy the moon tonight."
Gu Youan touched his belly and sighed: "Mid-Autumn Festival, there is no atmosphere at all."
Zhou Qi propped himself up on the bed with his arms, leaning over to look at her face: "Want to go back to your parents' home?"
“I want to go back, but it’s not easy to go back.”
She touched his face and said, "My eldest sister-in-law is about to give birth. Mother already has enough to worry about at home. If I go back, Mother will also have to worry about me. I'm afraid of tiring her."
Gu Youan smiled and said, "By this time next year, our child will be over six months old, and my eldest sister-in-law's child will be one year old. We can invite our parents to the palace to celebrate the New Year. It will definitely be a lively occasion."
"Okay, wait until next year."
Zhou Qi is a quiet person who doesn't like noise, but if the princess likes it, he likes it too.
As for Gu Youan, after her grandparents passed away, she, like Zhou Qi, had grown accustomed to being alone. But after coming to the Great Zhou Dynasty, she found loved ones who loved her again, and she began to miss them. She didn't usually feel it, but during the holidays, she longed for the whole family to be together.
She cared more and more about Zhou Qi, and also wanted Zhou Qi to feel this kind of intimate liveliness.
Zhou Qiying understood him, so every time she mentioned her family, he never disagreed. Even if it was just for her sake, Zhou Qi was still very good to the Gu family.
Gu Youan held his forehead and sighed. He was suffering from morning sickness. He had lost a lot of weight in the past half month and was not as energetic as before. Now he didn't even care about what was happening in Luoyang and Shanhaiguan. He just thought about when he could stop the morning sickness all day.
When Yuzu was pregnant, she was told that severe morning sickness could lead to miscarriage. She didn't take this low-probability event seriously at the time, but now that it has happened to her, she can't help but feel worried.
She was feeling uncomfortable, and he stayed with her. The couple did not get up, but leaned against each other on the low couch and chatted. When they were tired, they closed their eyes and rested for a while. Before they knew it, a day had passed.
After waking up in the evening, Gu Youan rubbed his eyes to wake himself up. He looked up at the sky outside, patted the person next to him, and said in a hoarse voice, "You're right. The clouds in the sky have all dispersed. There will be a full moon tonight."
Zhou Qi: "After dinner, have someone bring two lounge chairs to the yard so we can enjoy the moon there."
"As you say."
At this time, Liu Zhong came in to report: "Your Highness, Princess, General Gu came to our house to deliver mooncakes and fruits. He also said that Madam Gu has started labor and is expected to give birth tonight."
Gu Youan asked hurriedly: "Where is my brother?"
"General Gu sent the festival gifts and went back, saying that he was busy at home and would not come to pay his respects to the prince and princess."
"Oh, what's the point of talking about formalities now?"
Gu Youan sat up suddenly. Zhou Qi was afraid that she would stretch herself if she moved too quickly, so he hurriedly supported her.
Gu Youan got off the bed and asked Xiaoju to put on her shoes. She hurriedly asked Liu Zhong, "Have you hired a doctor at home?"
"General Gu said that since my uncle is at home watching over him, there shouldn't be any problems. Today is a holiday, so it's not a good idea to disturb Doctor Zhang unless it's something important."
Gu Youan said, "Don't worry about asking Uncle Zhang and Liu Zhong. Ask Aunt Qian and the others. They know some medical knowledge and they are female relatives. Ask Aunt Qian and the others to go to the Gu family and help."
"I will go and invite you right away."
Liu Zhong turned around and ran to invite several female members of the Du family to go to the Gu family.
Xiaoyue stepped forward and said, "Princess, I want to go to the Gu family to take a look. I can't say I can help, but I can help bring water and handkerchiefs."
Xiaoju wasn't stupid. After hearing Xiaoyue's words, she said, "Princess, I'm familiar with the Gu family. I'll go and help too."
Xiaoju and Xiaoyue are the maids serving the princess. They are not married yet and don't know how to have and raise children. They go to the Gu family now to see the world first, so that they won't be caught off guard when the princess gives birth to the little master.
"Go if you want to. But when you get to Gu's house, don't act on your own. Listen to my mother's arrangements."
"Hey, don't worry, Princess. We servants know everything."
Xiaoju and Xiaoyue both ran out and bumped into Aunt Qian and the others. They all trotted to the stable and took a carriage to the Gu family.
The sky gradually darkened and the moon came out.
After dinner, Gu Youan vomited again as expected. Zhou Qi frowned when he saw it, but Gu Youan was used to it.
They asked the maid to bring them some water to rinse their mouths. After taking a break, the couple went for a stroll in the yard to get some fresh air.
The nausea and vomiting were suppressed, and he felt better. Gu Youan looked at the moon and smiled, "Today, the breeze and the bright moon are here to meet you. This kid has picked a good day for himself."
Zhou Qi helped her sit down and said, "Our baby was born in the first month of the year, so any day is a good day."
Gu Youan immediately smiled: "Is this something worth fighting for?"
In Zhou Qi's heart, no matter whether it is a boy or a girl, as long as the child is born to him by the princess, he will treasure him. No matter whose children they are, they are not as precious as his children.
Zhou Qi certainly couldn't say these words, he just smiled and didn't respond.
It was dark, and the lanterns hung high in the corridor swayed in the wind. The dancing candlelight brought a sense of the liveliness of a lantern festival.
The couple lay down on the recliner again. She had no strength left from vomiting these days.
"Are you feeling better?"
"Um."
"Would you like to eat mooncakes?"
“No.”
"Ask them to cook some sour soup dumplings?"
Gu Youan touched his stomach and hesitated: "Hmm, it sounds a bit delicious."
Zhou Qi immediately ordered the servants beside him: "Go ask them to make a pot of sour soup dumplings, put less meat, and don't make it too fishy."
Perhaps it was the cool breeze that made her feel cold and she wanted to eat something hot, or perhaps it was the sour soup dumplings that were so appetizing that she ate a whole bowl of ten plump dumplings, and even after half an hour she didn't feel the urge to vomit.
Gu Youan was puzzled: "Is it okay?"
Zhou Qi's face lit up with joy: "Whether it's good or not, you definitely won't vomit after eating this dish."
"Then... do you want to try other dishes?" Gu Youan wanted to try.
Zhou Qi disagreed: "You finally have something to eat, don't torture yourself."
Gu Youan held his stomach and laughed, "That's right. If I want to try it, I have to wait until tomorrow morning for breakfast."
Zhou Qi said, "The food today is to the princess's liking. Give orders that everyone in the kitchen be given two months' wages, and the servants in the main courtyard also be given two months' wages."
The servants in the main courtyard hurriedly said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the reward."
Feeling a little sleepy after eating, Gu Youan yawned and asked, "What time is it?"
"In reply to the princess, it is the first quarter of the evening."
Oh, it’s past nine o’clock now.
Gu Youan said: "Send someone to the Gu family to ask what's going on."
Zheng Erjia hurried out to call people, and they rode fast and came back fast. After two quarters of an hour, someone came to report that it was still early over there.
"Madam Du told the princess not to wait and to go and rest first. She will send someone to report when there is news from the other side."
"Got it. Go on down."
The servant who delivered the message bowed and retreated.
Zhou Qi pulled her up and said, "Let's go. Listen to mother-in-law and go back to the house to rest."
"Well, if my sister-in-law gives birth, you must wake me up and let me know."
The couple talked as they walked into the house.
One asked, "Is it uncomfortable right now?"
One answered: "Not uncomfortable."
Another asked, "Shall we ask them to cook some other dishes with the sour soup tomorrow?"
Another one replied: "I'll listen to you and try them all."
After washing up, the couple lay down on the bed. He put his arm around her waist. Although she was more than three months pregnant, her body was thinner than before the pregnancy.
Unconsciously, his arms tightened slightly. She patted his iron-like arms uncomfortably: "Be gentle."
He loosened his arms a little, she closed her eyes to rest, and fell asleep unknowingly.
Just after midnight, there was a noise outside the bedroom window. Zhou Qi opened his eyes and asked, "Who is it?"
It was Liu Zhong outside the window. He whispered, "Your Highness, the young lady of the Gu family gave birth to a baby girl this morning. Both mother and daughter are safe."
"Okay, I understand."
Liu Zhong stood outside the window and waited for two seconds. When the master in the room stopped talking, he quietly left.
Mrs. Gu Wenqing gave birth to a daughter. Zhou Qi pinched the princess's fingers. In the darkness, he smiled and thought that it would be nice if An An gave birth to a daughter for him.
Gu Youan woke up the next morning and heard that his sister-in-law had given birth to a daughter. He was surprised and said, "Everyone says my niece looks like my aunt. I don't know if she looks like me or Axuan."
"Like you."
Gu Youan snorted with a smile: "Just coax me."
Xiaoju and Xiaoyue both returned last night. Gu Youan instructed Xiaoyue, "Send the gift list I prepared a few days ago. Then select a few pieces from the warehouse that suit the young lady's color. Oh, the ingredients for my sister-in-law's health are not on the gift list. Don't forget."
Xiaoyue smiled and said, "Don't worry, Princess. Aunt Qian and the others are in charge of the food for nourishing the body. I just need to ask them for it. I won't forget it."
After packing up and heading to the dining room, Gu Youan sighed before even reaching the door. Zhou Qi pulled her in and said, "Didn't you vomit after eating sour soup dumplings yesterday? Let's try again today."
The dishes served in the small kitchen this morning were sour soup noodles, a plate of sour beans and steamed buns, and the cold dishes were all mixed with vinegar. The sour smell could be smelled from a distance.
Gu Youan sat down, picked up the chopsticks as if he was being tortured, and tasted a spoonful of the sour soup first, which was particularly appetizing.
"Would you like to try it?"
Zhou Qi couldn't eat something so sour, but he listened to her and took a bite. He said expressionlessly, "What do you think?"
“The hot and sour soup tastes just right.”
"Since it suits your taste, drink more."
Knowing that he didn't like sour soup, Gu Youan didn't force him. He smiled and finished the sour soup noodles mouthful by mouthful, sweating on his back.
Comfortable.
"Try this." Zhou Qi handed the sour bean bun to her.
She tried one out of courtesy and it tasted good, but not as good as the sour soup noodles.
After breakfast, the couple went to the flower hall facing the morning sun to walk around to digest the food. When they came back, she said she was thirsty and asked Xiaoju to bring her a pot of tea.
Xiaoju asked happily, "What kind of tea would you like, Princess?"
"Flower tea, please."
"Hey, I'll make it for you right away."
Gu Youan's mouth curled up slightly, as if the morning sickness was really over?
Zhou Qi also looked at her and smiled: "Will you come with me to the study later?"
"Sure."
This morning, someone came back from Dongsheng City, where the Grand Commander of Zhenbei was located. Zhou Qi wanted to meet this person. Gu Youan became more energetic and also wanted to know the situation over there.
The couple went to the study together. Xu Zhi, who was guarding the study door, opened the door and saw someone waiting inside.
The secret guards of Prince Qi's Mansion were going smoothly in clearing out the imperial spies north of Shanhaiguan. However, the progress in Dongsheng City was not smooth because the Grand Commander-in-Chief of Zhenbei was unwilling to completely side with Prince Qi's Mansion, and Zhou Qi did not force it.
After listening to the secret guard's report and reading the documents presented, Gu Youan sneered, "If your Zhou family doesn't have many descendants and a capable ruler, if not this generation then the next, the Shen family will definitely raise their flag and become a separatist vassal."
"Just talking about this generation, Zhou Xuan is not ambitious. With me here, he won't have a chance." Zhou Qi is not afraid of what the Shen family is thinking now.
The primary duty of the Grand Commander-in-Chief of Zhenbei is to protect the peace of the northern border. If he starts a rebellion and gives the Tartars in the northern border an opportunity to take advantage, he will no longer be able to hold the position of Grand Commander-in-Chief of Zhenbei, as all the military officers under him will rebel against him.
"The generals in the south and northwest have already sided with Zhou Xuan. If Shen were to defect now, Zhou Xuan wouldn't consider him his own, as he didn't have the upper hand. If he were to side with me, he would see the Qi Wang Mansion as less powerful than him, and he would be at a disadvantage if he sided with me."
Therefore, the Shen family secretly supported the Prince Qi's Mansion, while openly siding with the court to show their loyalty to the emperor. To Zhou Xuan, who sat high on the throne, these contradictory practices seemed like the Shen family was demanding benefits from him.
In Zhou Qi's view, all of Grand Commander Shen's biases were driven by his own interests. For example, when faced with the possibility of the Tartars breaking through the Northeastern Army blockade and looting southward, he chose to support the Prince Qi's mansion. When the Prince Qi's secret guards strangled a court spy, the Shen family chose to side with the emperor.
Gu Youan pondered for a moment and said, "If I were the Grand Commander-in-Chief of Zhenbei, holding military power, I would definitely hope that you uncle and nephew would kill each other. It would be best if both sides were defeated, and all the descendants of the royal family were killed or injured. Only then would he rise up for the greater good of the country and the people."
Zhou Qi laughed and said, "You forgot that the Shen family still has a daughter serving as a concubine in the palace. In the end, he can control the world by using the young emperor to ascend the throne, and it is not impossible for him to steal the imperial power for himself."
Let me tell you something, this is how the ancestors of the Zhou family rose from a small force to the position of dominating the world.
Gu Youan glanced at the secret letter on the table and said, "It's difficult. Not to mention the Zhou family's royal family members, your nephew is too fertile. Concubine Shen's two-year-old son is already the twelfth prince. Who knows how many more princes she will have in the future."
"What you said is also what the daughters of military officers who entered the palace in recent years have worried about. They all feel that there are too many princes in the palace and too many rivals."
Gu Youan suddenly thought of the secret palace medicine that could kill off his offspring, and asked hurriedly, "Is it them..."
Zhou Qi nodded: "We don't need to take action, we just need to add fuel to the fire."
The Great Zhou Dynasty, beginning with his father, had been characterized by a situation in which the government was small and the people were powerful. Local officials and border garrisons grew increasingly powerful, and Zhou Xuan hoped to control the military commanders through women, using the prospect of giving birth to princes to lure them into submission.
"Oh, if we only win over one family, it would be fine. At least they might choose to join us because the next emperor will be from their family, and they might become the most powerful foreign relatives in the future."
It's like a family has a daughter and hundreds of families want her, but you can't really promise your daughter to a hundred families.
For the first time, Gu Youan felt that the Great Zhou Dynasty was on the brink of collapse. After thinking about it, he also felt that it would not be easy for Zhou Xuan to take over the mess.
It was a difficult problem for every dynasty to reduce the power of the vassal kings. Except for Zhou Qi, all the vassal kings of the Zhou Dynasty lived in Luoyang and were insignificant.
It would still be difficult if there were no vassal kings but there were strong border troops.
After the couple discussed it, Gu Youan concluded, "We may be able to buy food inside the border now, but that may not be the case in the future. If the Shen family really has evil intentions, we'll be in trouble."
Zhou Qi stared at the map of Songjiang City: "Too few people, too little land, too little food."
Gu Youan said, "We must develop our own territory, but Songjiang City is cold and harsh. Even with a vast territory and sparse population, it is difficult to attract a large number of people. In the next few years, we still have to find ways to expand outside and leave ourselves a way out."
The education that Gu Youan received since childhood told her that nothing is unbreakable, and she should always leave herself a way out. It is not advisable to take a gamble and believe that there has always been only one way to go.
Zhou Qi's finger landed on Liaodong, and Gu Youan smiled and said, "We're thinking the same thing."
"You think..."
Gu Youan pointed his finger towards the east of Songjiang City and said, "I don't have to go out through Liaodong. I choose to go out to sea from here."
"East? The east is all wasteland, and the freezing period is long. It's not a good choice to go to sea from here."
"Build a highway from Songjiang City to the sea estuary, and our eastern passage will be open. Even if we turn against the Shen family, the people from Prince Qi's Mansion can't enter Shanhaiguan. We can go to the sea from the east, and there will be no place we can't go. What supplies can't we buy?"
"Besides, the wasteland will eventually be reclaimed. This estuary is also the estuary of Songjiang. After the official road is repaired, more and more people will gradually settle on both sides of the road, and the population will increase."
Gu Youan had another idea in her mind that she didn't mention. She thought that even if the Great Zhou Dynasty perished in the future, as long as the sea and land transportation in Songjiang City were open and this place developed, it could radiate to Northeast Asia. The later rulers would continue to strengthen their control over this region, and the Northeast would not be lost.
This will happen in who knows how many years from now, so let’s not talk about it for now. The dilemma Songjiang City is facing now is the dilemma of development. More external roads mean more ways to survive.
The Yanzhou Army is not under control yet, and the Liaodong Army is unlikely to be established in the next few years. After repeated consideration, Zhou Qi stared at the vast land in the lower reaches of the Song River and said, "The wasteland in Beihuang Village has been reclaimed almost completely. Princess, next year, send your people to reclaim the wasteland in the lower reaches of the Song River."
Land must be reclaimed and conscription of laborers and road construction must be carried out at the same time.
"Don't rush to decide. Discuss this with your think tank."
Zhou Qi smiled and said, "Aren't you, Princess Qi, the smartest person around me?"
Gu Youan waved his hands pretending to be tired: "Princess Qi is pregnant and tired, how can she understand these profound principles?"
Zhou Qi laughed out loud, hugged her and rubbed her hair affectionately: "If this thing is really done, Songjiang City will be half yours."
"nature!"
Not only does Songjiang City belong to her half, but his half will also belong to her child in the future.
If he dared to break their agreement, she would let him know that she would be a more difficult opponent than Zhou Xuan and the Shen family.
The couple's eyes were burning with ambition that seemed to overflow.
Being a couple is better than being rivals!
The couple roughly decided on the future development path of Songjiang City. Songjiang City needed to attract more people to settle down and cultivate more capable officials. Each of these was urgent, but they could not be rushed.
After the couple finished discussing, they found that the secret guard had already left, and the doors and windows of the room were closed tightly. There was no ventilation in the room, making the two of them sweat.
"Xu Zhi!"
Xu Zhi, who was guarding outside the door alone, hurriedly opened the door. The wind blew in, and Gu Youan sat down in the place where Zhou Qi usually sat to rest.
"Bring me a cup of tea."
Xu Zhi knew that the princess was definitely not ordering him around, so he opened the doors and windows and quietly retreated. When he stood outside the door and looked up, he saw his prince serving tea to the princess and asking in a gentle voice if the tea was hot.
Xu Zhi laughed in his heart, tsk, the princess really knows how to control people.
I used my brain today and it seemed that I was getting hungry. At the beginning of noon, Gu Youan asked Liu Zhong to serve him food and said that he wanted to eat something sour and spicy.
Liu Zhong hurried to the small kitchen to pass on the message. The cook there smiled and said, "This is the first time I've heard the princess ordering food in these days. It shows her appetite has improved."
Aunt Qian and the others also laughed: "Amitabha, if we can really make it through, it will be great. We can leave with peace of mind."
When Liu Zhong heard Aunt Qian say this, he said, "The two masters in our palace are not difficult to serve. If you think our palace is good, why not stay here?"
Aunt Qian and several other women from the Du family must have discussed this matter in private. They looked at each other and said nothing.
Among the few people, it was Aunt Qian who spoke up, "The whole family is still in Yizhou Prefecture. No matter how good Prince Qi's Mansion is, we have to go back."
Liu Zhong smiled and said, "According to the princess's custom of employing people, regardless of gender, as long as they have ability, they will have a good future. You are all relatives of the princess. The princess has always liked to use her own people, and you are even better than others. If you are willing to come to Songjiang City, you can choose any house on North First Street to live in."
Aunt Qian was very tempted, but still refused to speak up. Liu Zhong did not try to persuade her, but simply said, "When the young master is born, he will need many people to take care of him. You are good at taking care of people, and the princess will definitely trust you."
Aunt Qian then added, "We are still somewhat capable of taking care of children."
Liu Zhong smiled and went back to report this to his master.
Zhou Qi said: "It depends on what you mean."
Gu Youan neither nodded nor shook his head: "Let's wait and see, it's not a good deal if you rush in."
There were two more dishes besides the sour soup on the couple's table at noon today. Gu Youan found the food very appetizing. From the master to the servants in the main courtyard, they all breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that they had finally made it through.
There was a lot of food to eat, and the next day the Gu family held a third-day bath, and Gu Youan took a carriage back to his parents' home to join in the fun.
Hearing her daughter was coming, Mrs. Du happily went to the second gate to greet her. As soon as her daughter stepped out of the carriage, she hurriedly asked, "I heard you had morning sickness?"
Gu Youan nodded with a smile: "Yes, I could eat anything yesterday."
Mrs. Du cried out in admiration and couldn't help slapping her thigh. "Oh, my Three Pure Ones, it seems it's really working. When I have some free time in the future, I'll go to the mountain to fulfill my vow."
There were many female guests for the third day of bathing today, and when Mrs. Du shouted like this, everyone around could hear it.
Princess Qi is pregnant?
Mrs. Du had cried her heart out, and she wasn't afraid of others finding out. When a lady came up to her and asked about it, she smiled and said, "It's been more than three months. I don't know what's wrong with the little naughty girl in my belly. She was so well behaved before, even when her mother was so busy, but now she's making a fuss now that she's three months old."
Madam Yuan casually looked at the young and noble Princess Qi. The baby in her belly was only three months old. Didn't that mean that when Prince Qi was injured and she led people to the grassland to rescue him, the baby in her belly was only about two months old?
She was pregnant, but she handled such a big thing quietly. She is a ruthless person!
Their Meng family and the one in the palace really underestimated the Princess Qi!
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