Chapter 1: A House of Fortune and Elegance
On July 16, the third year of Emperor Jingdi’s reign, it was late summer and the heavy rains had been going on for nearly a month.
In the Yime Courtyard in the inner house of Yin's mansion, Zhang, the pregnant wife, was lying on a low couch to rest after dinner. Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning and thunder. The lightning was as bright as daylight, and Zhang was startled and woke up immediately.
Zhang listened to the sound of heavy rain outside and the sound of thunder like exploding rocks, one after another, without stopping. Lightning flashed through the window, illuminating the dark room as bright as day. At this moment, Zhang was so frightened that she lost all desire to sleep.
The maids Xiaomei and Xiaolan helped Zhang sit up. Xiaomei wiped the cold sweat from Zhang's head and asked, "Madam, are you okay?"
Zhang waved her hand and said, "It's okay, Xiaomei. It has been raining for nearly a month, and now it has started again.
This weather is so hot and stuffy that it makes me feel uncomfortable. Can't sleep.
My husband was sent by the Emperor to the Yellow River front line to supervise flood control. It has been more than a month and there is still no news. My husband also asked Yier to go with him, saying that he wanted to gain some experience. Yier is only 14 years old now, and I am really worried!
One is my husband and the other is my eldest son. What should I do if anything happens to them?
I heard that the Yellow River has burst its banks at several points, flooding countless people, crops and houses. ”
Xiaolan, who was standing by, rubbed Zhang's shoulders and comforted her: "Madam, please relax. Your Excellency and the Young Master will be safe. Your Excellency is now the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works. This time he is ordered by the Emperor to go to the Yellow River front.
If you can accomplish something meritorious this time, and with the help of the virtuous concubine in the palace, your promotion to the position of the second assistant of the cabinet is just around the corner.
What Madam needs to do now is to take good care of the fetus and eat and drink well. In two months, the little boy will be born, and then you and the eldest son will come back. ”
After listening to what Xiaomei and Xiaolan said, Zhang felt much better. She asked Xiaomei to support her while she put one hand on her waist and walked back and forth on the ground.
She said to Xiaolan next to her: "Yes, I just need to take good care of myself, give my husband a big fat son, manage the inner house well, and let my husband have no worries. The doctor said that walking more will help with childbirth. Anyway, I can't sleep now, so let's walk!"
Xiaolan, go get me a plate of sour plums. I have a tasteless mouth. ”
Xiaolan smiled and said, "Madam, a sour boy is like a spicy girl. This baby of yours is bound to be a son. Madam, more blessings are yet to come." After saying that, she went to get the sour plums.
Xiaomei, who was standing by, said with some concern: "Madam, Aunt Li from Yiju Courtyard is about to give birth in the next few days."
Zhang suddenly looked ugly and sinister, completely lacking the kindness and gentleness she had just shown. She asked in a cold tone, "Are you ready for everything I asked you to prepare?"
Xiaomei said: "Madam, don't worry. Everything will be easy to handle while the master is away. We are all ready now."
Zhang heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Just be prepared and relax. Without the master, no one can protect that bitch. I have the final say in this inner house."
Before Xiaolan took the sour plums back, she saw an old lady walking quickly outside. The old lady was about fifty years old, and her whole body was wet, with water droplets dripping from her hair.
She was wearing a dark red double-breasted waistcoat with a black border and small peonies embroidered on it. She wore a black undershirt under the double-breasted waistcoat, and a black horse-faced skirt underneath. The black and white hair is fixed with a silver hairpin.
The old nanny hurried to Zhang's side and said, panting, "Madam, Aunt Li is about to give birth, and the midwife has already rushed over."
Zhang tightly grasped Xiaomei's arm, her face unfriendly and eyes sinister, completely devoid of the kindness and love she had just shown. The originally delicate and small face also had a slight distortion.
Zhang held her waist and said as if facing a great enemy: "Let's go to Yijuyuan."
Xiaomei quickly dressed Zhang in an emerald green horse-faced skirt, and then put on a light pink wide-sleeved jacket on the outside, and finally put on rain gear.
Xiaomei supported Zhang, who was pregnant, and a group of maids followed her out of the inner room.
As soon as I left the inner room, there was a strong wind outside, lightning and thunder, and heavy rain poured down. The rain had already reached above my ankles. Zhang was restless and paced back and forth under the eaves.
Nanny Zhou, who had just informed Zhang, did not care that she was soaking wet, and hurried to comfort Zhang: "Madam, please relax. Yiju Courtyard is full of our people. Nanny Liu is watching in the room personally, so that bitch can't do anything. The sedan chair will be here soon, so wait a little longer."
After hearing what Madam Zhou said, Zhang felt somewhat relieved and said to Madam Zhou: "Wet nurse is the safest and most reliable person to handle things. I feel most relieved."
When Zhang arrived at Yijuyuan, Aunt Li was still crying out in pain. The maids helped Zhang change into new clothes and took off her wet clothes.
Zhang had someone bring a stool and placed it not far from Aunt Li. She held her waist and sat on the stool.
Zhang stared at Aunt Li who was groaning in pain. Her eyes were like those of a cannibal, as if she was saying: "Aunt Li, you'd better pray that you give birth to a daughter. If you give birth to a boy, I will make you regret giving birth to him..."
The midwife said anxiously: "Auntie, please try harder! This won't work. Do you want to end up with two lives?"
Aunt Li lay on the bed, clutching the quilt tightly, her face grim and sweating profusely, groaning in pain: "Ahhh...ahhh...I'm trying hard, I have no strength left..."
The midwife anxiously looked at the maid who was wiping Aunt Li's sweat and said, "Quick, give Aunt Li a bowl of ginseng soup."
Then he looked at Aunt Li and said, "Aunt, try harder, the baby will be out soon."
Aunt Li clutched the quilt tightly and used all her strength: "Ahhhhhhhh..." Finally, after about half an hour, the crying sounds, the thunder and lightning, the wind and rain outside, mixed together and resounded through the sky.
Aunt Li looked at her newborn baby and finally felt relieved.
The midwife knelt on the ground holding the crying baby, and happily congratulated: "Congratulations, madam, congratulations, it's a little boy."
Although Zhang was pregnant, she was full of vigor. She looked at the midwife on the ground and said in a bad tone: "Say it again, is it a boy or a girl?"
The midwife was so happy that she forgot her instructions and said quickly, "I saw it wrong, madam. Aunt Li gave birth to a girl, who is as beautiful as a piece of jade. Madam, please take a look."
Zhang took the baby, held it in her arms, looked at it, and then handed it to Madam Zhou to hold. She looked at the midwife with appreciation and said happily: "You have good eyesight. I will reward you handsomely."
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