Chapter 280 Shen Yuanjing's eldest daughter is born!
Two days later, Sun Maoshan, the garrison commander of Xiling, died at the hands of bandits. Zhou Ruan expressed his deep sorrow and made a military pledge that he would not return to the capital until all the bandits in the Northwest were wiped out.
Just as Zhou Ruan was busy taking over Xiling City, Shen Lanxi returned to Huangtu City in a very low-key manner.
"General, Zhou Ru'an's men have been keeping an eye on our General's Mansion. Should we have someone find an opportunity to get rid of them?" Liu Yan asked.
Shen Lanxi: "No rush, let them keep an eye on things, let's go to Yuan Jing's house!"
Zhou Ru'an's men also sent people to keep an eye on Shen Yuanjing's house, but fortunately they were prepared in advance and entered through a secret passage.
Kang Zhu looked two sizes bigger than before, her belly looked like a small pot had been placed on top of her. When Shen Lanxi saw her walking over, she immediately stopped her.
"You'll be giving birth soon, we're family, no need for so many formalities!"
Kangzhu smiled brightly, her face radiating maternal love, and she supported her belly with one hand as she spoke to them.
"General, you and Yuan Jing have only been gone for less than two days, and the Second Prince has already sent someone to take Zhou Yunyue away!"
Shen Lanxi already knew about this.
"Don't worry about her. If she leaves anything behind, don't touch it. Have the servants take care of it!"
Kang Zhu shook her head: "She didn't leave anything behind. When she left, the Second Prince's men were watching her. Those guards were very strict, probably on the Second Prince's orders. She didn't dare to be arrogant."
Zhou Ru'an was ultimately wary.
Shen Lanxi: "Take good care of yourself during your pregnancy. I've already arranged for a midwife and a wet nurse."
Kangzhu had previously asked her brother to find two highly experienced midwives from the Oirat Mongols, along with a wet nurse. Her brother said that the Oirat people were as strong as calves from a young age because they drank their milk. Although the people of the Central Plains were clever, they were ultimately not as strong as the Oirat people.
Since the topic had come up, Kangzhu didn't want to spoil the mood and quickly expressed her gratitude.
"Thank you for thinking of me, big sister!"
Shen Lanxi smiled and nodded: "I heard Yuan Jing say before that you wanted me to name the child?"
Kang Zhu nodded without hesitation and replied, "Yuan Jing and I have already agreed that without you, there would be no us. Now that you are a general, the name you choose will surely be prestigious. We want to benefit from your influence. Our child will be the first one named by you!"
Shen Lanxi nodded and said seriously, "I don't care about the other children of the Shen family. If you want me to treat you differently, you have to let me acknowledge you. Otherwise, no matter who the child is, in my eyes, they are not my family!"
Kangzhu's heart was filled with emotion, and she said excitedly, "It must be a blessing from heaven that we have such an amazing relative as our eldest sister!"
Shen Lanxi glanced at Shen Yuanjing and promised, "My brothers, Shen Lanxi's brothers, must be monogamous for life. If Shen Yuanjing dares to take a concubine in the future, I will definitely cut off his two legs and send them to you!"
Shen Yuanjing was startled and quickly explained, "Elder sister, I wouldn't dare. I'll only marry one wife in my life!"
Shen Lanxi nodded seriously.
Although Kangzhu was happy, she dared not show it openly. After all, which man doesn't have multiple wives and concubines? Even her brother had more than ten women, not to mention a family like the Shen family.
Although that's what she thought, Kang Zhu looked at Shen Lanxi with eyes that practically worshipped her like a goddess.
Shen Lanxi had some official business to attend to, so she chatted with Kang Zhu for a few minutes before leaving for the camp.
Shen Yuanjing had intended to stay home with Kangzhu, but Kangzhu herself refused. In their Oirat tribe, it was unheard of for men to accompany women during childbirth; when women gave birth, men were mostly out hunting, busy supporting their families.
Having this intention is enough; a man should prioritize his future.
Unexpectedly, Kangzhu's stomach started to feel uncomfortable in the middle of the night. Her maid wanted to go and call for help, but Kangzhu stopped her from doing so.
It wasn't until morning that the guards realized something was wrong and hurriedly sent someone to deliver a message.
Shen Lanxi and Shen Yuanjing rushed back to the Shen residence. Around noon, Kangzhu gave birth to a baby girl safely.
Upon hearing the news, Shen Yuanjing was overjoyed and immediately shared it with Shen Lanxi.
"Big sister, I'm pregnant, it's a daughter!"
Shen Lanxi immediately presented the name she had already thought of.
"Let's name her Shen Emei, for she is a woman who is just as capable as any man!"
In the delivery room, Kangzhu looked at the baby girl wrapped in swaddling clothes with a forlorn expression. Why wasn't it a boy?
"If you are a man, you can be like your father, go to the battlefield to fight, make meritorious achievements, and even inherit the title!"
Now we can only pin our hopes on a second child.
Even after hearing that Shen Lanxi had named the child and given her and the child many gifts, Kang Zhu's smile remained forced.
Fortunately, Shen Yuanjing was very happy afterwards, saying that his daughter would be very close to her aunt in the future, and that women could also learn martial arts, just like his older sister, and could also achieve great things. Kang Zhu's mood improved after that.
Shen Lanxi stayed in Huangtu City for three days. When she left, she left Shen Yuanjing behind.
"Kangzhu has just given birth and needs someone to take care of her. Please take good care of them first, then come find me!"
Seeing Shen Lanxi's resolute attitude, Shen Yuanjing had no choice but to nod.
Shen Lanxi: "Although outsiders may take care of him, it can never be as meticulous as being cared for by one's own family. After Zhou Ruyuan recaptures Xiling City, he will definitely become overconfident. I bet he will soon launch an attack on the three clans!"
This was one of the reasons she kept Shen Yuanjing with her, and it just so happened that Shen Yuanjing had a perfectly legitimate reason to stay!
“Big sister, Zhou Ru’an has only fought a few battles. He won those cities without losing a single soldier. He won them all without lifting a finger. If he attacks foreign tribes, he will definitely lose.”
Shen Lanxi: "Don't worry about those things for now. Protect Kangzhu and the child first. If he sends you to fight, find an excuse not to go!"
Shen Yuanjing remembered these instructions and watched Shen Lanxi leave.
...
"General, when will we take back military power? I'm worried that Zhou Ru'an's influence has infiltrated our Zhenbei Army too deeply, causing our morale to waver!" Liu Yanhui voiced his concerns.
Shen Lanxi gave a cold laugh and said, "Zhou Ru'an is a good excuse, and we can use him a few more times. When he's no longer of any use, we'll kick him out!"
Che Mingyuan frowned: "What I'm afraid of is that Zhou Ru'an, under the guise of imperial power, might actually manage to win over people!"
Shen Lanxi said coldly, "If anyone in our Zhenbei Army is recruited, it means that person is not suitable to stay in the Zhenbei Army. Let Zhou Ruan assess them for us!"
That's what they say, but people's hearts aren't so easily controlled. Che Mingyuan feared that in the end, all their actions would just be a waste of time and effort for someone else!
Ten days later, Zhou Ruan returned to Huangtucheng.
Upon returning to the city, he immediately summoned Liang Shao, presented him with the imperial edict of amnesty, and said in a condescending tone, "If you can help the Zhenbei Army reclaim the cities taken by the three Turkic tribes, I will put in a good word for you with my father and get you a position in the Zhenbei Army!"
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