Chapter 136 Scientific Preparing for Pregnancy & Planting Seedlings...
Shen Lingyue excitedly threw a series of wild punches inside the car.
Don't talk to her about valuing peace; she just wants to nuke a certain island.
If we don't fight, we're not Chinese!
"Hey, is there such a thing as a quiet life in this world?" Illiterate Xiao Shen blinked his big, confused eyes, his thirst for knowledge overflowing. "Then why didn't our fellow villager bring back an enclave back then?"
Or you could call it a vassal state, a fiefdom, or a prefecture.
Yan Yi leaned back slightly to dodge her chaotic punches, and thought for a moment before saying, "Perhaps it was a chaotic time back then, and Emperor Xiao was busy conquering the world, so he couldn't do many things."
Even Yunshao Girls' School was only established more than a hundred years later by Princess Tongan.
A mere small island is certainly not as important as national policies such as stabilizing the political situation, restoring production, and promoting population growth.
The biggest advantage of Pei Jingyi working at the Ministry of War was that Yan Yi got to see quite a few maps. Although they weren't very detailed, they were enough for her to recognize the familiar outlines.
Previously, when Pei Jingyi was still in the Arsenal, Yan Yi saw in his study the amount of military supplies and equipment that the border garrisons in various places updated every year, and the amount of copper and iron ore required was a considerable sum.
Unfortunately, his official rank was not high enough, and the confidentiality of information from the Ordnance Bureau and the Firearms Battalion was even stricter. Otherwise, Yan Yi would have liked to see what stage Daye's firearms technology research and development had reached.
Although she didn't study this major, what if she could exchange ideas and inspire each other with the technical talents of this era?
After all, truth is only within the range of cannons, and every Chinese person has a bit of a fear of insufficient firepower.
You can choose not to use it, but you must have it.
However, Yan Yi was only thinking about it. She couldn't let Pei Jingyi risk stealing information and then be accused of plotting a rebellion by someone with ulterior motives.
My husband is not available for the time being, but thankfully there is Princess Tong'an.
Anyway, Yan Yi has plenty of patience and time to wait.
But the copper reserves in Daye really can't wait any longer.
"If history continues in its current trajectory, the depletion of copper mine production will first impact the currency, either by switching to paper money or by using more silver for settlement."
Yan Yi recalled that she had specifically sought out information about the ancient financial system because Shen Lingyue had posted her Shi Tong anecdotes on a whim.
“Paper money needs the backing of the state’s credit and official financial institutions, but noble families and ordinary people would rather trust the money shops run by large local merchants to issue banknotes than place their hopes on paper money. Ultimately, there are too many uncertainties.”
“I know that.” Shen Lingyue remembered everything and raised her hand enthusiastically. “The Great X Treasure Note is not as good as toilet paper. We even bought some cultural and creative postcards when we went to the exhibition before.”
Gold and silver are precious metals, after all. Even if this dynasty suddenly collapses today, as long as the people have gold and silver in their hands, they will not panic.
But paper money... when the imperial court is short of money, it prints a batch, and the more it is issued, the more it depreciates. Who would dare to use it?
Shen Lingyue stroked her chin and chuckled, "Daye didn't issue paper money, so I guess you've heard the toilet paper joke before, hehe."
Yan Yi nodded, "Although we usually use silver when we go out, for ordinary people, copper coins, grain, and cloth are the most commonly used currencies for settlement."
Copper mine production has been declining year by year, the impurity content of privately minted copper coins has increased, the exchange rate between copper coins and silver has become increasingly unstable, and the loss rate has also increased.
She had experienced this firsthand when she helped Meng Wanyin manage the accounts, especially the properties the Marquis's family had acquired in various places. The tenants paid grain to the master and taxes to the government every year, and how to convert these amounts was a troublesome account.
Shen Lingyue felt dizzy, as if she had returned to a general education class in college.
She slammed her hand on the table and concluded, "...Anyway, we're short of copper and silver, while the island across the way has abundant reserves. So what are we waiting for? Bring them over!"
Before they knew it, they had arrived at the princess's residence.
Princess Tong'an did not disappoint Yan Yi. She collected a lot of information in just one night to support her bold hypothesis.
Given Yan Yi's familiarity with Pei Jingyi's study documents, she easily identified that many of these materials were key, confidential files.
It's certainly not something an ordinary princess could just casually produce.
Her assessment of Princess Tong'an rose a few points in her mind.
His Highness's trump card is as unfathomable as the Prince Consort's feigned illness.
This is the kind of partner you can trust.
Shen Lingyue sat on the side eating fruit, listening to their conversation as if it were gibberish, and yawned a few times.
I was up a bit too much last night, I didn't get enough sleep at all...
Princess Tong'an glanced at Shen Lingyue out of the corner of her eye and saw that she had already started pecking at rice like a chicken, which made her laugh.
Having personally experienced a palace coup yesterday, to be able to sleep so carefree is a rare gift.
Just then, a maid came to report that Physician Wen had finished examining the prince consort's pulse.
Princess Tong'an quickly invited her in to talk.
Last night, Wei Shao was angry that she and Yan Yi were whispering behind the carriage, and even more angry that Yan Yi questioned his health. He was still jealous for a long time after returning to the mansion.
Princess Tong'an had no choice but to give him a chance to prove his strength and health on the spot.
But she was genuinely worried about Wei Shao's health, so she secretly invited Wen Xian over. She acted first and informed him later, so Wei Shao wouldn't dare to act childishly in front of Aunt Wen.
Wenxian didn't stand on ceremony with her and sat down with a smile. "After years of careful treatment, the prince consort's old injury is unlikely to recur. The more careful you are with him, the more you will increase his psychological burden and make things worse."
Princess Tong'an breathed a sigh of relief, then muttered to herself, "That scoundrel, he managed to fool me by faking illness."
You just enjoy seeing her worry and fear for him, don't you? Then she won't hold back tonight.
Many indescribable images flashed through my mind in an instant, but when I looked up again, I resumed my serious and businesslike demeanor.
Princess Tong'an casually remarked, "Since Aunt Wen is here, A-Yue, Yan Yi, why don't you ask her to take your pulse as well?"
When Shen Lingyue met Wen Xian's smiling face, she snapped out of her daze and quickly shook her head to politely decline, "No, no, I'm perfectly fine, hahaha..."
I've heard that a skilled traditional Chinese medicine doctor can know exactly what kind of erotic comics you read last night just by placing his hand on your wrist.
And last night... well, that's not something you can talk about!
Having worked in the Imperial Hospital for so many years, how could Wenxian not see through Shen Lingyue's little scheme? Her smile deepened, "Young Madam Shen has bright eyes and a lively spirit; she clearly has a healthy body with abundant blood and energy."
Praised, Shen Lingyue's smile grew even brighter.
The next second, Wen Xian spoke leisurely: "Young people should just be mindful of moderation and balance; that's the way to maintain good health."
Shen Lingyue: ...Damn it, we're exposed!
Her face flushed red at a visible speed. When she met Princess Tong'an's teasing expression, she snorted and covered her head with her sleeve, pretending that she didn't exist.
Princess Tong'an smiled even more broadly and nodded understandingly, saying, "What's there to be shy about? Everyone has been young once. This is a good thing."
To help her out of the predicament, Yan Yi offered her wrist, saying, "I haven't been feeling well since I left the palace yesterday. I'm sorry to trouble Physician Wen."
Shen Lingyue immediately pulled down her sleeve and asked anxiously, "Yanyan, what's wrong? Were you frightened?"
Wenxian also put away her smile and carefully took Yanyi's pulse.
Her face was tense, her brows slightly furrowed. She finished with her left hand and then switched to her right, remaining silent for a long time.
Shen Lingyue became even more nervous. Could it be that Yan Yan's condition had become so troublesome that even the imperial physicians found it difficult to treat?
She has been taking medication for the past two years, and theoretically she should have recovered a lot since when she first got married.
"Aunt Wen, what's going on?" Princess Tong'an asked impatiently. "Is something amiss?"
When Wenxian looked up, she saw three identical, nervous faces. She slowly put away the pulse pillow.
"The pregnancy is still early, and the pulse is not very clear, but based on my many years of experience, it is very likely that it is pregnant."
Wenxian said the most "scary" thing in the calmest tone.
She smiled at Yan Yi and said, "Congratulations, Your Highness's wife, you are pregnant."
Yan Yi froze, and subconsciously looked down at her lower abdomen.
She has a child?
No wonder she's been feeling unusually tired these past few days; I thought it was from going to the palace every day to mourn.
It turned out that without her even realizing it, her and Pei Jingyi's child had quietly arrived.
Shen Lingyue suddenly yelled and rushed to Wenxian, asking anxiously, "Is the baby healthy? I mean, we've been going to the palace to mourn every day lately, kneeling for half a day at a time. Yesterday we even ran quite a distance within the palace..."
"Don't worry, pregnant women aren't as fragile as you think."
Wenxian comforted her with amusement, saying that it was clearly Yan Yi who was pregnant, but Shen Lingyue was the one who turned pale with fright.
She asked Yan Yi for more details, such as whether she had lower abdominal pain or bleeding in the past few days, and when she last had intercourse...
Yan Yi snapped out of her daze and answered each question with a blush.
"Hmm, it's nothing serious. Go back and rest for a couple of days, recharge your energy, and don't be too stressed."
Wenxian quickly wrote out a prescription for a mild tonic with paper and pen, and then took out a booklet from her medicine box.
“In previous years, there were often good news from the palace. They would come to me all the time to ask if I could eat this or do that. I got annoyed by their questions, so I simply compiled a pregnancy handbook. It contains common questions and dietary and medication taboos. Take it home and read it slowly.”
Yan Yi thanked Wen Xian and carefully put the package away.
"Imperial Physician Wen, could you give me a copy too?" Shen Lingyue asked, blushing as she reached out her hand. "Maybe I'll need it soon."
Wenxian was amused by her. She had never married or had children in her life. She had seen too much intrigue and backstabbing in the palace. Seeing Shen Lingyue, such a lively, lovable, and cute little sweetheart, was like eating a big slice of iced watermelon on a hot summer day. It was so refreshing and sweet that it touched her heart.
She deliberately raised an eyebrow. "Then why didn't you let me take your pulse just now?"
Shen Lingyue stretched out her hand as if facing death without fear.
So what if she gets killed? She's going all out!
Joking aside, Wenxian still gave her a serious check-up and immediately pointed out her "bad habits" of irregular eating and staying up late.
"Eat less spicy, cold, and greasy food. You already have too much internal heat, and you're also deficient in yin and excessive in yang..." Wenxian pointed to a red, swollen pimple on her forehead, "Don't you want your pretty face anymore?"
Shen Lingyue listened obediently to the instruction, tearfully bidding farewell to hot pot, barbecue, fried chicken legs, and French fries...
"But you have a good constitution, so it won't be difficult for you to have a child."
Wenxian took out two more booklets from her medicine box. One was a pregnancy guide like Yan Yi's, and the other was a collection of tips on preparing for pregnancy, carefully summarized by generations of imperial physicians.
Shen Lingyue casually flipped through the pages and happened to find one with illustrations.
!
This...this is happening in broad daylight! Is this appropriate?!
Wenxian said earnestly, "Don't be embarrassed. Posture is also very important. The position of a woman's uterus varies, with some being anterior and others rear-facing. Also, remember to elevate your lower back after each use..."
Shen Lingyue's face was pale, as if she had returned to the day when Zhao Lan gave her a crash course on the eve of her wedding.
She used to be indifferent, but now she studies incredibly hard!
...
Yan Yi was unexpectedly diagnosed with pregnancy, and Princess Tong'an didn't want to trouble her any further.
“Pregnancy is hard for women. In the first few months of my pregnancy with Ah Xu, I vomited everything I ate, which terrified the prince consort.”
Princess Tong'an personally escorted the two to the door, patted Yan Yi's head, and said, "Go back and get some rest. I will take care of the arrangements for the sea crossing and mining."
Yan Yi came today only to supplement some details she knew about the location of the island nation's silver mines. As for how to persuade Emperor Qingxi and who to arrange to board the ship, that would have to wait for Princess Tong'an to plan and arrange.
She nodded and smiled, "Then I'll wait for Your Highness's good news."
Princess Tong'an's eyebrows were raised, her expression confident and certain: "I will not let you down."
The two boarded the carriage to go home, but Shen Lingyue, contrary to her usual behavior, sat in the seat opposite Yan Yi, the furthest away from him.
Yan Yi waved to her, "Come here, I'm not made of glass."
Shen Lingyue chuckled, snuggled up to her, and gently placed her palm on Yan Yi's lower abdomen. "That's great, you're finally pregnant."
She stared intently, wishing she had laser eyes so she could see the tiny little thing inside.
“Baby, I’m your Aunt Moon, your godmother, your second aunt… the second person in the world who loves you the most!”
Who is Pei Jingyi? I don't know him.
Anyway, this is her and Yan Yan's baby!
Yan Yi watched with amusement as she gurgled in front of her stomach, unaware that Princess Tong'an had already sent someone to the Ministry of War to report the good news.
As soon as Yan Yi got out of the car, she saw Pei Jingyi, who should have been at work, standing at the gate of the Marquis's mansion, having been waiting for who knows how long.
Pei Jingyi returned home without having worked. He received a message from the princess's residence and ran away without even having time to ask for leave.
When Yan Yi finally returned, he strode forward and, without saying a word, picked her up in his arms.
"Hold me tight." He looked down at her slightly surprised face, his voice trembling with caution. "I'll carry you back."
Yan Yi sensed his seriousness and nervousness, so she obediently put her arms around his neck and said, "Okay."
Only Shen Lingyue remained standing at the door: ...
Forget it, she won't stoop to the level of the father!
Touching the two booklets in her arms, she decided to try the new position that Physician Wen had strongly recommended that night.
...
With the fall of Prince Heng, another major purge ensued in the court.
Emperor Qingxi was seething with anger, and like any doting father, he vented his pent-up resentment on outsiders.
The eldest son was clearly an honest child when he was young, so why has he become like this? It's all because of you corrupt, scheming officials who form cliques and scheme against him!
If he can't bring himself to punish his own children and grandchildren, surely he can handle these scheming ministers!
He ordered Chief Steward Huang to bring out all the baskets of memorials from the impeachment between the Heng Prince and Yu Prince's factions, and to deal with the most vocal ones first.
—That's right. Although Prince Yu did not force the emperor to abdicate, the people around him were no good either!
Since the goal is to curb the influence of the Hengwang faction, the Yuwang faction should not be allowed to dominate; the approach should be to distribute influence evenly.
Pei Xian took Pei Jingyi to court every day. As more and more empty seats appeared around him, he was once again glad that he had not been blinded by the so-called merit of following the emperor and was content to remain the Marquis of Changning.
One radish, one hole; once the old radish is pulled out, a new one must be planted.
Just then, the batch of scholars who had studied in the Six Ministries three years ago had almost finished their studies. Emperor Qingxi signed off on important matters every day, promoting those who deserved promotion and appointing those who were to take office, and everyone had a bright future.
Princess Tong'an secretly planted her own people in the new radish pits. She didn't need their support, as long as they didn't oppose her, that was enough.
When Emperor Qingxi was making a large-scale reshuffling of officials, he finally remembered that he had forgotten to reward the two "meritorious officials who saved his life".
Just then, the Minister of Rites was impeached by the Censorate for having too deep ties with Prince Heng, and Emperor Qingxi sent him directly to the imperial prison to keep Prince Heng company.
And the vacant position of Minister of Rites...
He pulled a familiar name out of his mind.
"Let's choose him!"
...
"I?"
Shen Hang was completely stunned when he received the appointment.
He thought he would remain in the position of Vice Minister of Rites until his retirement.
How come there was suddenly good news from the delivery room—she's gone up in spurt?!
Shen Hang entered the palace to express his gratitude in a daze.
Emperor Qingxi waved his hand.
"No need for formalities. My dear minister has a fine daughter, brave and resourceful, loyal and fearless to the emperor. Surely you will follow in her footsteps and manage the Ministry of Rites well for me?"
Shen Hang: ...He's still benefiting from his little girl's fame?
But what does it mean to inherit a father's will from his daughter?! It's practically... a complete reversal of the natural order!
Shen Hang was unconvinced, but he dared not speak. He bowed even lower and said with trepidation, "Your Majesty, I am terrified. I will do my utmost to repay Your Majesty's kindness in promoting me."
After Shen Hang withdrew, Emperor Qingxi, biting his pen, wrote another imperial edict.
Pei Jinghuai was promoted to Light Cavalry Commandant and concurrently appointed as the Vice Commander of the Left Guard of the Golden Guard.
The former was a fourth-rank meritorious official promoted from Yunqiwei, but it was still a nominal title.
However, the Jinwu Guard was one of the twelve guards in the Forbidden City, responsible for guarding and patrolling to maintain the safety of the imperial city.
This means that Pei Jinghuai has ended his life as a lazy second-generation rich kid who lives off his parents...
He's going to work!
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Author's Note: Pei Er: The sky has fallen [melted]
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