Zhang Yu'er looked at her younger sister's pleading expression and hesitated. Duan Shi walked in and said, "Since she doesn't miss home, let's keep her here and have a chat to cheer her up."
Turning to her youngest daughter, Duan warned her again, "You are not allowed to run around in the palace, and you are not allowed to act naughty. You must be obedient and don't cause trouble for the Empress."
Zhang Wan'er nodded her head cheerfully and said, "Be obedient, don't run around, be good, and talk to me to cheer me up."
Zhang Yuer smiled and touched her younger sister's head. Although she didn't say it, she agreed.
Duan Shi hadn't been home for several months and was somewhat worried about her daughter, which was quite difficult. Fortunately, Zhang Yu'er was already familiar with the palace servants who served her, and they seemed very dedicated.
Therefore, after Zhang Yuer asked the emperor for permission, Duan was allowed to go home for the New Year and come back after the New Year.
Zhu Youxiao was very concerned about his first child in this world. Although it was against the rules of the imperial palace to let Duan serve him, it was also the safest consideration.
"Mother has packed everything and will be leaving the palace tomorrow morning." Duan looked at her daughter, her face full of reluctance. "It's cold in winter, and the ground outside is slippery, so you must be careful. If you feel unwell, have the palace maids report to the emperor and ask the imperial physician to see you. And be careful with what you eat..."
Zhang Yuer listened to her mother's chatter and nodded with a smile. Although she had said it several times, she did not look annoyed.
Although she was sent to the palace at a young age, her relationship with her mother should not be that deep or close, but blood is thicker than water, and Zhang Yuer can feel her mother's love, the kind of motherly love that is tinged with guilt and compensation.
When the palace maid outside shouted "Your Majesty", Duan stopped giving instructions and hurriedly asked Zhang Wan'er to kneel down.
Zhu Youxiao stepped into the hall, waved his hand at Zhang Yuer, and said with displeasure, "Didn't I say there's no need to salute? You don't want me to come over, right?"
"I dare not." Zhang Yu'er quickly stopped squatting and just bowed her head slightly.
Zhu Youxiao glanced at the kneeling Duan and Xiao Wan'er, and his tone became calmer. While ordering "No need for formalities", he walked past the two of them and took Zhang Yu'er's arm and entered the inner hall.
Duan let out a long sigh, quickly stood up and pulled Wan'er out to avoid it.
Zhang Yu'er's belly was already noticeably bulging, but not yet bloated. After the palace maids served tea, Zhu Youxiao dismissed his attendants and took Zhang Yu'er to sit beside the couch.
"I've checked with the imperial physician, and everything has been fine." Zhu Youxiao reached out and gently stroked Zhang Yu'er's slightly round belly, smiling and saying, "How do you feel? If you feel any discomfort, send someone to report to me immediately."
Zhang Yuer placed her hand on the emperor's, feeling at ease, and replied softly, "I feel very good. Yes, I think he (she) is also very good."
Oh, can you feel it?
Zhu Youxiao immediately became excited, lying on his beloved concubine's legs, putting his ear to her lower abdomen, and listening attentively.
Zhang Yu'er stroked the emperor's face, enjoying the sweetness brought by this intimacy, and smiled so comfortably. This was not the first time that the emperor had lost his dignity. Zhang Yu'er was already used to it when they were intimate.
Zhu Youxiao seemed to hear the noise of new life and felt the tranquility of his heart.
At this moment, he was either the emperor or a happy husband, being intimate with his woman without any image.
………………Dividing line………………
The cold wind blew the snowflakes all night long and only stopped at dawn. Under the calm and bright winter day, the snow was so white that it was dazzling everywhere.
Yingzi and her father had already piled the snow in the yard together, opened the gate, and started clearing the village road outside.
It is only a dozen miles away from Lushun Fort and is one of the few flat villages in the Lushun area, which is "six hills, half water and three and a half fields".
After Zhang Zhuzi's persuasion and good treatment, Yingzi's father finally agreed to stay. And Yingzi's aunt and her family.
The so-called good treatment meant the same rations as the officers and soldiers stationed in the Dalian area. In addition, there was arable land allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
The people who stayed behind were not idle either. Some went to the dock to unload ships, some helped the army with odd jobs, some picked up seafood on the beach, and some fished on boats near the coast.
At the beginning, the people were a little uneasy, worried that the Jiannu would attack again.
However, with the improvement of defense facilities, the arrival of reinforcements from Dengzhen, the deployment of large and small artillery pieces, and the patrol and vigilance of ships at sea, the people's hearts were basically settled.
The garrisoned officers and soldiers also maintain sufficient manpower and vigilance. The tall lookout towers, patrol ships, and complete defense facilities are all for one purpose: to survive this winter.
When the two thousand war horses dispatched by the court arrived, the left and right associations immediately selected officers and soldiers who could ride horses to form a rapid reaction force, and tentatively advanced to the defense line to scout the situation of the Jiannu in Jinzhou Weicheng.
As the weather turned colder, the Jiannu troops in Jinzhou City retreated. Zhang Pan, building on the existing defense line, advanced more than ten miles, solidified the ice with stakes, set up two more barriers, and used cavalry patrols to provide early warnings.
After this arrangement, although they did not say it out loud, they still asked the officers and soldiers to remain on guard, but Zhang Pan and Kong Youde both believed that it was foolproof.
We used to worry that the Jiannu would attack from the outside by crossing the ice, but now with such a long beach, it is impossible that they would not be discovered.
Without the ability to launch a surprise attack, and with the narrow coastal area unlikely to have too many troops, coupled with being attacked from both land and sea, if the Jiannu came, they would only be giving away their lives and military merits.
The reason why he had to conduct inspections in person every day and why he didn't say it was foolproof was because he was afraid that the officers and soldiers under him would lose their enthusiasm and relax.
The sun rose higher and higher, but it didn't bring much warmth.
After finally clearing the snow, Yingzi and her father returned to the house and just rested for a while when they heard the loud clanging of gongs outside.
"It seems like they're going to give out something?" Yingzi, who had good ears, stood up and said, "I'll go and take a look. Maybe they're giving out rice, flour, and even meat so we can have dumplings for the New Year."
Yingzi's father smiled and said, "You're dreaming. I'd be quite content if I could have the same rations as the officers and soldiers."
Yingzi didn't believe it, so she opened the door and walked out. She thought to herself: let's not talk about fermented meat, fermented dough is also good, fish can also be used to make dumplings!
For the people of Dongjiang, rice distribution was normal, mostly shipped from the south or Southeast Asia. As for dough, the army did have it, but not much.
After leaving the house, Yingzi wrapped her headscarf, put her hands into her sleeves, and walked towards the village office.
There weren't many people living in the village, and on the way to the village office, there weren't many people either. When they saw the gate to the village office, Ah Tao came running up from behind, shouting, and took Yingzi's arm as they walked into the house, chatting and laughing.
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