Chapter 3212 Good News
Zhu Feng calculated and said, "It will probably take about half a year."
When Nan Yan heard this, her whole body drooped.
Seeing her listless appearance, Zhu Feng smiled, reached out and rubbed her hair, and said, "Okay, it's not like you can't wait for half a year."
“…”
"Besides, if that favorite concubine of Parthia is truly related to you, she will naturally send you news. If she is not related to you by blood, you will never get any news no matter how many years you wait."
“…”
"Be at ease."
Nan Yan said weakly, "This is the only way."
For people of their age, if they have free time, one day can feel like a whole year.
For example, Nan Yan used to be used to traveling around with Zhu Feng, but this time when suppressing Zhu Chengjin's rebellion, she was almost in danger several times. Several ministers in the court were ready to die for the emperor, but for the sake of these old ministers' face, Zhu Feng really stayed quiet for a while.
Once he was well behaved, Nan Yan naturally had no chance to go out and had to stay in the small harem every day.
The other concubines rarely caused trouble for her, and even if they did, Concubine Yi and Concubine Xi would deal with them first, so things rarely came to her. So, every day, she just had to take care of Xin Ping, who was always playing cats and dogs, and Han Wang Chengjun, who had grown a lot taller and started to follow her sister around. There was nothing else to do.
However, when people are busy, like Zhu Feng, they would like to break the twelve hours of the day into pieces.
But time cannot be broken.
During these six months, Zhu Feng devoted himself to reformulating policies to govern the people's livelihood in the south of the Yangtze River. At the same time, Shu took on a new look under the governance of a group of young officials such as Liu Yueze. They opened schools in Shu to educate the people. Also because of the support of the court, the brocade production in Shu increased by nearly one-fold compared with previous years.
Before that, the caravans that followed Gu Yiyou and Tong Sinian to the Western Regions opened the doors to the Western Regions, and tea, silk, and porcelain from the Central Plains were exported to Western countries. Soon, the Silk Road, which had been silent for nearly a hundred years, became prosperous and bustling again.
Because of this, Jiangnan and Shu areas achieved rapid development.
On the other hand, because Simuyun handled the relationship with Japan properly, the threat of Japanese pirates near the coast was alleviated a lot. However, Zhu Feng did not rely entirely on Adachi Yoshio. He had already ordered the Ministry of War to start training the navy. Although Adachi Yoshio was currently obedient to the Great Yan Dynasty, the relationship between countries could not rely solely on one person. They had to rely only on their own strength.
Only with a strong navy capable of defending the southeast coast can there be true peace.
Facing these major national policies and countless small matters every day, it is no wonder that Zhu Feng wishes he could split the twelve hours of the day into twenty-four hours. Even so, time still flows by in front of his eyes like water.
In the blink of an eye, it’s the end of the year.
Because Zhu Feng had been almost entirely absorbed in state affairs for the past six months, let alone the harem, he had barely entered Nan Yan's Yonghe Palace. When the New Year was finally approaching and everything was going smoothly, Nan Yan specifically asked Zhu Feng for permission to hold a banquet in the warm pavilion on the eve of the Chinese New Year, inviting the concubines from each palace, as well as the prince and his consort, to gather together. Zhu Feng agreed.
On the day of the Little New Year's Eve, it started snowing at noon and did not stop until the evening. A thick layer of snow had accumulated in the courtyard, and the entire palace was decorated with pink and white, which looked particularly beautiful against the red walls and green tiles.
The ladies from each palace sat in the warm room, looking at the snow scene outside, and they were all very happy.
Especially Princess Xinping and Han Wang Chengjun, who finally had some free time to play, were not quiet at all. They jumped up and down and almost bumped into Gu Qiqing who was sitting next to Zhu Chengxuan. Zhu Chengxuan quickly reached out to stop Xinping and whispered, "Xinping, don't run around."
Zhu Feng glanced at him and said, "It's rare for you to come to the palace. What's wrong with your sister playing with you for a while?"
When Zhu Chengxuan heard this, he immediately lowered his head and said, "Yes."
Xinping also pouted: "Brother doesn't like me anymore?"
Zhu Chengxuan hurriedly patted her little face and said softly, "How could I not like you?"
Xinping said, "Then why hasn't my brother come to the palace to see me recently? Oh, and there are no more candied haws either, hum!"
Seeing her acting so jealous, Gu Qiqing covered her mouth and laughed. He hurriedly pushed Zhu Chengxuan to ask him to comfort his sister. His Royal Highness then pulled her into his arms and said with a smile, "Brother was in a hurry to go to the palace today, so I didn't have time to buy you candied haws. It's not that I haven't been coming to the palace to see you recently, it's just, it's just——"
Zhu Feng said, "Just speak properly, why are you hiding something?"
Seeing his unhappy face, no one dared to laugh. However, Nan Yan, who was sitting next to Zhu Feng, looked at the Crown Prince and his wife, especially the cautious look when Zhu Chengxuan brought Gu Qiqing into the palace. She seemed to sense something and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, it may not be a bad thing that His Royal Highness is hiding something."
As he said this, he looked at the two of them with a smile: "Don't you think so?"
Zhu Chengxuan glanced at her and couldn't help but curl up the corners of his lips, while Gu Qiqing's face turned a little red.
Zhu Feng sensed something and asked, "What are you talking about? You're so mysterious."
Zhu Chengxuan then stood up and bowed to Zhu Feng, saying, "Father, I have some good news that I've been wanting to share. Since today is New Year's Eve and you and all the ladies are here, I'll tell you."
"Good news?"
Zhu Feng looked at him, then at Gu Qiqing, and suddenly came to his senses: "You mean--"
Zhu Chengxuan's face was a little red, maybe because of the alcohol he had been drinking, and he said softly, "Qi Qing, she is already two months pregnant."
"ah?!"
The whole warm room suddenly became lively.
The ladies from all the palaces were talking and laughing with joy, and they hurried to congratulate the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. Xinping was also jumping for joy, clamoring to touch her sister-in-law's belly. Gu Qiqing pulled her to him and told her that it was only two months and they couldn't feel anything yet. Although Han Wang Chengjun didn't know much about pregnancy, seeing that everyone was happy, he also jumped up and down.
Zhu Feng, on the other hand, sat in his seat in a daze, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.
Nan Yan was still happy, but when she saw him like this, she reached out and bumped him: "What's wrong with the emperor?"
"ah?"
Zhu Feng let out a short, low cry, looked at her, then came back to his senses and looked at Zhu Chengxuan: "You, you mean the Crown Princess - then, I, I am -"
Nan Yan said with a smile: "The emperor is going to be a grandfather!"
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