The Second Prince thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Brother, haste makes waste."
"If we rush things today, I'm afraid the Song family will become suspicious."
"In a few days it will be the birthday of the old lady of the Zhenguo Mansion. I heard from Madam Song that she will take Song Wanwan with her."
"My father mentioned this today, saying he would go personally to congratulate Old Madam Qin on her birthday. Why not settle the marriage that day?"
The Crown Prince pondered for a moment and understood what the Second Prince meant. He smiled and said, "Your Highness, this is a good idea. Father will make the decision for you when the time comes."
The Second Prince smiled inscrutablely again, "Brother, just remember what you promised me. As long as you keep your word, I will wholeheartedly support you in ascending the throne."
After that, the two brothers chatted for a while and left the side hall one after another.
Soon, the banquet began. Emperor Xuande, still accompanied by his concubine Chen and several other empresses, entered the main hall.
After sitting down and looking at the people below in the hall, Emperor Xuande thought back to yesterday's events. It was only a day ago, but it felt like a lifetime ago.
Afterwards, the second prince entered the palace and reported on the border defense situation in the western border over the past two years. He also presented the state gift from the king of Xiyue to Emperor Xuande.
Emperor Xuande nodded and said, "Jianzhong, you have worked hard. Stand up."
The chief eunuch Hu Lu formally read out the imperial edict, conferring the title of King of Pingxi on the second prince and awarding him a mansion.
In addition, Emperor Xuande also rewarded gold, silver, treasures and antiques, and specially wrote a plaque for the second prince's residence.
The second prince knelt down again to express his gratitude before returning to his seat.
After sitting down, he greeted the prince and several brothers.
The prince only nodded slightly and didn't say much. It can be seen that the relationship between the two is a little cold.
Song Hongshen raised a smile at the corner of his lips, picked up the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, his drooping eyebrows and eyes flashing with brilliance.
Song Wanwan sat properly, not even glancing at the Second Prince, and no one could find any fault with her being rude.
After three rounds of drinks, Emperor Xuande looked at Shen Zhixiu and asked, "Why didn't your wife come?"
Emperor Xuande still remembered what Su Qingyu said in the hall yesterday, so he asked casually.
Shen Zhixiu did not hide it either. He stood up and said, "Your Majesty, my wife is pregnant. I will let her rest at home."
He didn't hide it, but spoke directly. There were still many things to come in the capital, and Su Qingyu should have been involved. By saying this today, he could also save Su Qingyu a lot of trouble.
Hearing that Su Qingyu was pregnant, Emperor Xuande immediately laughed, "Mr. Chen finally has a successor, I am happy for you."
Turning to Hu Lu, he said, "Go to my small storehouse and find a pair of jade ruyi to ensure safety. Also, prepare some supplements, the best ones. Deliver them to the Shen family in person and say they are for Madam Shen to help with her pregnancy."
Shen Zhixiu knew that the emperor was showing favor to the Shen family and Qingyu, so he quickly stood up and thanked him.
Compared to yesterday, today's palace banquet was a feast for both the emperor and his ministers. By the time it was over, it was completely dark outside.
Shen Zhixiu hardly drank any alcohol today, fearing that it would be inconvenient to take care of Su Qingyu at night.
After the banquet finally ended, he just wanted to go home quickly.
However, when leaving the palace, cabinet minister Zhang Zhongliang put his hand on Shen Zhixiu's shoulder.
"Master Shen, we're going out to have some fun. Wouldn't you like to come with us?"
Zhang Zhongliang drank a little too much today. On normal days, he wouldn't dare to do that with Shen Zhixiu.
Shen Zhixiu took his hand away in disgust and said, "No."
Zhang Zhongliang laughed meaningfully twice. "Your wife is pregnant, and you don't have a concubine. Why don't you go out with us and have some fun? It will help you relax a little."
Shen Zhixiu glanced at Zhang Zhongliang and said, "Master Zhang, please do as you please. I am going back to my residence now."
Zhang Zhongliang blushed and laughed. After Shen Zhixiu walked away, he muttered, "Why are you pretending? I bet that within three months, Master Shen will have a concubine."
Someone covered his mouth and said, "Master Zhang, please be careful with your words."
In fact, it wasn't just Zhang Zhongliang; many of the ladies who entered the palace today also thought so. Some even had the idea of sending someone to the Shen family as a concubine.
The one or two years when Mrs. Shen San was pregnant and gave birth were a great opportunity to rely on Mr. Shen San.
Shen Zhixiu didn't care what others thought. He got on the carriage and went straight back home.
When he entered the room, Su Qingyu was still awake and was leaning against the head of the bed doing needlework.
Seeing him come in, Su Qingyu stood up and was about to greet him.
Shen Zhixiu quickly stepped aside and said, "I smell of alcohol. I'll go in and wash first."
He was afraid that Su Qingyu would vomit because of the smell of alcohol, so he did not dare to be careless. He went into the bathroom to take a shower and wash his mouth.
Only after confirming that the only scent on his body was soapberry did he change into his normal clothes.
"Why are you still sewing? You need to rest more now." Shen Zhixiu came out of the bathroom and took away her needle and thread.
Su Qingyu smiled and said, "I have something to do. It will be better if I can divert my attention."
Shen Zhixiu sat down beside the bed and first looked at Su Qingyu's face. "How are you today? Did you vomit again?"
Su Qingyu nodded and rested her chin on Shen Zhixiu's shoulder.
"I vomited everything I ate during the day, and drank a bowl of plain bok choy soup at night."
"My mother was worried, so she asked Mr. Zhou to come and see me. Mr. Zhou didn't have any good solutions, so I had to get through this by myself."
Shen Zhixiu gathered her hair and said distressedly, "If this baby is a boy, we won't have any more children in the future."
It's not that he is selfish and must have a son, but for a family like theirs, if they don't have a son, Qingyu will be the one who suffers.
Although he doesn't care what others think, rumors can hurt people.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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