Chapter 6: A Son's Status Depends on His Mother
Jiang Yingli was yawning as she wrote a draft on rice paper.
Since the admonitions are used to teach the new concubines how to serve the emperor well, naturally they must include things like being of one mind and one heart, being of one mind among the six sisters in the palace, and having many children.
After writing the word "offspring", Jiang Yingli was silent for a moment, lowered her head and secretly glanced at her belly between her elbows.
She had been in Prince Su's mansion for four years, and except for the first year when she did not consummate her marriage, she had been favored by the emperor for three full years.
Xiao Chenglan never thought about having children.
It was fine when she was in Prince Su's Mansion before, but now that she is in the palace, it is said that offspring are a bargaining chip for concubines. Then, since she adopts the approach of "advancing and retreating with moderation and keeping to herself", shouldn't she also have a prince or princess by her side?
The biological mother of the royal heir, plus an old member of the imperial palace, these two identities are like a golden ticket to immunity from death!
She doesn't have to worry about dying in the palace fight!
Do you want to, before the new concubine enters the palace...
Jiang Yingli raised her eyes to look at Xiao Chenglan who was sitting beside her writing official documents.
Perhaps her gaze was too intense, Xiao Chenglan stopped writing and looked at her.
Seeing the glint in her eyes, Xiao Chenglan frowned and asked:
"What's wrong? Are you hungry?"
This unexpected question made Jiang Yingli blush, but her mind quickly calmed down.
No, no, you can’t have that!
What if Xiao Chenglan agreed and the baby really got pregnant, and it was a prince, then he would be the eldest prince!
If things go wrong, not only will she not be able to stay with her, but it may also attract a fight between various gods, or all the gods will gang up on her!
How to defend?
Jiang Yingli quickly shook her head like a rattle.
"No, nothing, I was just thinking about how to write it."
Jiang Yingli quickly lowered her head, sat up straight and picked up the pen. Seeing her like this, Xiao Chenglan didn't ask any more questions, but just looked at the rice paper where she was writing the draft.
The ink on the word "offspring" hasn't dried yet.
Xiao Chenglan understood immediately, and his eyes deepened with emotion, but he did not say anything more and continued to write the document at hand until the person next to him slammed his forehead on the table with a bang.
Xiao Chenglan looked at the sleeping Jiang Yingli, but did not wake her up. Instead, he took away the draft that was under her hand.
He glanced over it, then picked up the pen, circled and revised some content for her, and then pressed the rice paper with a paperweight.
"Fu Wanquan." Xiao Chenglan called softly.
Fu Wanquan, who had been waiting outside, responded and came in.
Xiao Chenglan handed him the official document he had written, "This is my reply to the Ministry of Works. I'll send it to you overnight."
Fu Wanquan bowed and took it. He glanced at Jiang Yingli who was sleeping on the table, then at the dark sky outside. He couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, it's getting late. You should go to bed early."
His Majesty has been on the throne for only two months, and he has been serving by his side, staying up until midnight every day. It's not so bad for him, as His Majesty rarely calls him to handle official business. He can take a nap outside the door, but His Majesty has to stay alert all the time to deal with all kinds of complicated government affairs.
Your Majesty works so hard day and night. Although you look like a wise ruler, how can your body bear it? People are not made of iron!
Xiao Chenglan said nothing, simply waving his four fingers together at him, signaling him to send someone to deliver the document. Fu Wanquan didn't dare say anything more and left with the document.
Xiao Chenglan rested his elbows on the table, closed his eyes, pressed his fingertips on his heavy eyebrows, rubbed them, and then glanced sideways at the person who was lying beside him and had fallen asleep.
Jiang Yingli's sleeping face is peaceful, her thick and long eyelashes cast a well-behaved shadow under her eyes, her small nose is upturned, and her lips are not lipsticked, a very natural light pink.
Xiao Chenglan looked at her peaceful and lovely sleeping face, and a look of peace and gentleness suddenly appeared on his tired face.
He leaned over, rubbing his knuckles against her cheek with a hint of fascination, and finally couldn't help but press a kiss on her lips.
Then, Xiao Chenglan stood up, bent down, put his arms around Jiang Yingli's knees and arms, picked her up and walked towards the bed.
Jiang Yingli woke up a little in a daze in the familiar embrace, but her consciousness was still heavy. She felt someone put her on the couch and took off her shoes, so she subconsciously turned over and tried to pull the quilt.
But the next second, the arms that held her on the couch did not leave, but suddenly wrapped around her waist...
Jiang Yingli suddenly opened her eyes, and in her blurry vision, Xiao Chenglan's face was very close.
"Your Majesty..." Jiang Yingli moaned.
Xiao Chenglan whispered in her ear, "Don't you want a child?"
Jiang Yingli regained consciousness and asked in surprise, "How did Your Majesty know?"
"What don't you know?" Xiao Chenglan whispered.
Jiang Yingli panicked and quickly pushed Xiao Chenglan's waist.
"Your Majesty, no more, no more!"
Seeing her refuse, Xiao Chenglan chuckled, grabbed her wrist, and said jokingly:
"Don't worry, I won't. Don't push it."
"However, you changed your mind so easily, it seems you are not ready. So don't have such thoughts again, understand?"
Jiang Yingli was confused for a moment. She really hadn't thought it through. She just felt that having an offspring would be enough to keep her company. But what did Xiao Chenglan mean?
His implication seemed to be that he didn't want children.
However, Jiang Yingli thought about it again and felt that this was easy to understand - the eldest son of the new emperor of Daye should not be from a lowly merchant family.
In other words, her status is not yet worthy of a dragon heir.
Seeing Jiang Yingli's unfocused eyes, Xiao Chenglan knew she was distracted. He pulled her back and warned her:
"Jiang Yingli, stop thinking about the idea of a mother gaining status through her son."
"If you want to have a son, he will be honored by his mother."
Jiang Yingli gritted her teeth and reluctantly responded to the first sentence, but the rest of the sentence was intermittent and unclear.
Anyway, everyone was warning her to give up the idea of having children. Jiang Yingli didn't think much about it. She really didn't dare to have children anyway.
After Fu Wanquan sent someone to deliver the official document, he turned back and went outside Zhaohua Palace to continue his duty.
When he reached the door, he happened to see two palace maids walking in with bath towels and clean nightgown.
Fu Wanquan couldn't help but cover his face when he knew what was going on.
He was worrying too much. Your Majesty's body is really strong!
**
For half a month, the new concubines selected into the palace were taught etiquette by a nanny outside the palace.
Jiang Yingli, an old resident of the palace, studied etiquette in the palace during the day, and Xiao Chenglan came to guide her in writing admonitions at night.
However, Xiao Chenglan was busy with government affairs and did not go to Zhaohua Palace every day.
On the tenth day, the admonitions written by Jiang Yingli were finally approved by Xiao Chenglan.
Xiao Chenglan read her words of admonition with a serious expression, finally nodded and said, "Okay."
Jiang Yingli took out the silk with a happy face and copied the draft carefully, stroke by stroke.
Xiao Chenglan watched her finish writing and then said, "For the next five days, you should memorize the words well."
Jiang Yingli was stunned, as if struck by a bolt from the blue. "Your Majesty, are you saying that I need to read without a manuscript? Can't I just read from it?"
Xiao Chenglan smiled and patted the back of Jiang Yingli's head. "What else? You sit at the head of the concubines, holding a piece of silk and reading in a rigid manner. Where is your authority? How can you convince others?"
Jiang Yingli rubbed her non-aggressive little face and said, "I, a concubine, have no dignity to speak of."
Xiao Chenglan smiled as he watched her rubbing her face. "So, am I not helping you establish your authority?"
Jiang Yingli wanted to say, what's the point of her establishing her authority as a concubine?
In front of the new concubine, establishing authority inevitably becomes showing off one's power.
It will cause hatred.
This goes against her survival philosophy of being a salted fish concubine.
It's really worrying.
If only Xiao Chenglan could come and take a look on the day of the lecture, she wouldn't be so panicked.
Jiang Yingli glanced reluctantly at the neatly written commandments on the silk in her hand, then looked at Xiao Chenglan and whispered:
"Then why didn't Your Majesty tell me earlier that I couldn't read it aloud? Wouldn't I have written it in vain?"
Xiao Chenglan took the dark blue silk from her hand and said slowly, "This isn't written in vain. This will be registered and included in the historical records categorized according to my Jiaqi reign."
Jiang Yingli opened her eyes slightly wide, feeling a little flattered.
Historical materials.
But Jiang Yingli also found it incredible, "How can these things written by this concubine be put together with those written by Your Majesty and circulated to future generations?"
She is just a small concubine.
Her status is insignificant and should leave no trace in the long river of history. But His Majesty is different. He will definitely be a good emperor whose reputation will last forever.
Xiao Chenglan gently stroked her face with his hand, his narrow black eyes staring at her quietly, the emotions in his eyes deep and distant.
"certainly."
Later, they will have more things to put together.
Thousands of years later, people in later generations will know from the broken old history that during the Jiaqi period, the emperor and the empress had a very deep relationship.
…………
Jiang Yingli worked hard to memorize the words.
In the blink of an eye, it was early May, the day when the new concubine entered the palace.
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