Chapter 990 Little Ayao
For more than half a month, Tang Ning was drowsy and spent half of his time sleeping every day.
Knowing that she had injured herself before, Madam Qin had given her doctor's orders for a double confinement period, so Tang Ning stayed in Yongzhao Palace to recuperate every day. Fortunately, Rong Yue, Xue Ru and others were with her all the time, Qian Qiyue and Zhou Yuchang also came to the palace from time to time, and Xiao Yan almost stayed in Yongzhao Palace after court every day. The little boy was growing up day by day, so Tang Ning didn't feel bored.
In mid-October, Lady Qin and Zhuo Shuisheng developed an antidote to the epidemic, completely averting the crisis left by Lu Zhinian. Lady Qin visited the palace to meet with Tang Ning and Xiao Yan, then returned to Shu with her apprentice Zhuo Shuisheng to face punishment. At the end of the month, the final round of the imperial examination concluded, with Li Chi crowned first. He, along with nearly twenty other students from Rongsheng Academy and several other locations, received official positions and embarked on a career in government.
In early November, the new emperor of Southern Qi, Nie Xuan, was assassinated and seriously injured. Although he survived, the King of Yue of Qi rebelled and captured two cities. Nie Xuan suppressed the rebellion while injured, and the capital of Southern Qi was in chaos.
In early December, the northwestern border trade was established, and a steady stream of commercial goods, led by the Gu and Feng families, were sent to Beiling County.
At the beginning, both the northern barbarians and other merchants were suspicious of the Northwest Trade. Few merchants dared to go there, and the tribes from the grasslands rarely entered. However, the north was covered with heavy snow, and the winter was coming. The grasslands were short of supplies and it was difficult to survive the winter.
Some barbarian tribes tried to go to the border market and exchange furs, herbs and other items for salt, tea and food. The Wei Dynasty had no intention of suppressing them. After the news spread, people flocked to the border market. Seeing that the Gu and Feng families were making a lot of money, other merchants also began to go to the border in an endless stream.
In just a month, the originally deserted market became crowded, and with the completion of the school in Beiling County, the tribes of the grassland allowed the barbarian children to study there as originally requested. Everything in the north was developing in a good direction.
…
Although Tangning was recuperating in Yongzhao Palace, she could hear news from the outside world every day.
About Beiling, Southern Qi, and the territory of Wei.
She had cleaned up the court during the war, but at that time, considering that the army was outside, the court needed to maintain stability, so she still showed leniency in many things. After Xiao Yan returned to the capital, he had the military and court power in his hands, and had no worries about foreign races. His methods were far more ruthless than Tang Ning's.
In just three months, everyone in the court obeyed him. No one dared to question his will, and no one dared to challenge him.
Two days before the Lunar New Year, continuous heavy snow covered the branches and roofs of the houses with white snow, and festive red silks were hung everywhere in the palace.
Inside Yongzhao Palace, Xue Ru looked at the child in her arms with curiosity. The three-month-old little girl was no longer the wrinkled baby she used to be. Her little face was pink and fair, her big eyes were black and clear, and her pink little mouth was open, making babbling sounds.
Xue Ru couldn't help but move closer and kiss her, and she felt as if she was also stained with the fragrance of milk. She couldn't help but shake her hand and said, "Little A'yao, call me auntie."
Tang Ning leaned on the couch and chuckled: "She hasn't grown up yet, how can she call you now?"
"Practice early so you can shout when you open your mouth."
Xue Ru gently squeezed the child's hand and gestured: "Sister, she seems to have grown a little bit."
"Children are like this, they change every day."
Qian Qiyue was shaking a rattle next to her. Seeing that the little guy seemed to be attracted by the noise, she smiled and said:
"I still remember that when my nephew was born, my second brother took two days off. After that, he was busy with government affairs every day. The last time he didn't go home for seven or eight days, when he returned, he found that the child looked different. He also shouted that he suspected someone had replaced his child."
That day, my second brother was holding the child and acting suspiciously, and was beaten on the head by my mother. My second sister-in-law was also made to laugh and cry by him.
"When will your third brother come back?" Tang Ning asked with a smile.
Qian Qiyue said, "It should be in the next few days. I received a letter a few days ago saying that he is on the way. My mother said that according to the date, he should be able to give birth in time for my third sister-in-law."
"That's good."
Before, the second and third sisters-in-law of the Qian family were both pregnant, but at that time there was a shortage of people in the court. Not only was Qian Baokun very busy, but Qian Qiyue's three brothers were also drafted into the army by her. The third brother Qian had been away from the capital during the pregnancy of the third sister-in-law of the Qian family. It was finally a good thing that he could catch up with the birth now.
Tang Ning said, "I heard that your third sister-in-law's pregnancy is not going well, and she's pregnant with twins. You need to be more careful. When you leave the palace later, take the midwife who delivered my baby home with you. Also, get a sign from the Imperial Medical Bureau and leave it in your house so you can call for help at any time."
The imperial physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau all hold official positions. Apart from royal family members, it is very difficult for even court officials to invite them. But it is different if you have a palace badge.
Qian Qiyue knew her third sister-in-law's situation, so she didn't refuse. She just smiled and said, "Aning is the best. I want to thank you on behalf of my third brother and sister-in-law. When their baby is born, I will bring the little guy and his brother to the palace to play with Ayao."
Tang Ning sneered at her and said, "Your nephew is not a toy. Be careful or Madam Qian will beat you up."
The little princess was still young and fell asleep after playing for a while. Hua Wu led the wet nurse and skillfully took the child away. Qian Qiyue and Xue Ru's hands were free, so they walked over to sit next to Tang Ning. Xue Ru poured the somewhat cold tea on the table into the teapot next to her, and picked up the teapot on the small stove to refill the tea.
Qian Qiyue held up a warm teacup and asked, "By the way, Aning, Ayao is already three months old. Why haven't you and His Majesty officially named her yet? And although she wasn't well enough to have a full-moon banquet, it's understandable. But why hasn't His Majesty opened the Imperial Ancestral Temple yet? It seems Ayao hasn't even been officially included in the Imperial Book of Records yet?"
Normally, after a prince or princess is born, they should be named and recorded in the imperial genealogy before the full month. However, this only little princess is already three months old, and this has not been done yet.
Tang Ning only gave her the nickname Ayao and called her every day, but the official name has not been announced yet.
Tang Ning propped up his chin and said, "I asked His Majesty, and he said he needed to think carefully about the name. It wouldn't be too late to enter the imperial edict after the name is decided. Besides, Ayao will be a hundred days old soon, which will coincide with the New Year's feast. His Majesty said that we should open the ancestral temple and offer sacrifices to the ancestors at the same time."
Xue Ru heard this and said, "I've also heard about the New Year's Palace Banquet. Sister, I heard that His Majesty is planning a grand banquet this time, not only inviting the princes of various regions, but also representatives from Beiling County, Southern Qi, and Western Xinjiang."
Tang Ning nodded: "That's true. This year is the first year of his ascension to the throne, and the palace banquet should have been held a long time ago, but it was delayed due to constant events."
"We've been fighting for so long, and the army's return from victory should be a celebration for the generals. The literary banquet hasn't been held since the final exam, and with Beiling County's surrender and Ayao's centenary coming around, Your Majesty decided to hold it all together to avoid the hassle of organizing it again and again. Therefore, this palace banquet will be a bit grand."
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