Chapter 571 Zhang Chuchu's last wish was to have her child adopted by Shen Lanxi!
"She comes from a humble background, and she can't possibly bring down the immense good fortune of our Shen family!" Madam Miao tried her best to smooth things over.
Shen Lanxi naturally wouldn't gossip about a dying woman.
"Third Aunt, after Zhang Chuchu leaves, call Yuan Hao back to see the child his wife gave birth to for him, a child for whom she lost her life!"
"After I return to the palace, I will issue an edict summoning him back!"
Miao felt a lump in her throat, wiped away her tears, and nodded.
The old woman came to report.
"Your Majesty, Zhang Chuchu wishes to see you."
"Your Majesty, no! The delivery room is an extremely inauspicious place..."
Before the eunuch could finish speaking, Shen Lanxi had already strode inside.
Those who were not close relatives in the delivery room had already left, leaving only Zhang Chuchu's family and the people from the third house.
"Your Majesty..." Zhang Chuchu, with silver needles inserted into her body, struggled to sit up, the needles trembling with her movements.
Shen Lanxi pressed her hand down.
"You should lie down and not move."
In fact, Hang Chuchu was pale and had no strength left because of excessive blood loss.
"Your Majesty, I know I am not going to live." She said, tears streaming down her face.
The baby, a pillow-sized swaddle in her arms, was breathing weakly because she had been born a month early and the amniotic sac had not yet shed.
"I can't bear to part with my child!"
Shen Lanxi calmly assured him, "Don't worry, with me here, no one will bully this child."
On her deathbed, Zhang Chuchu was naturally making plans for her child with great care. She disregarded everything else for her child's sake.
"Your Majesty, this child is pitiful. He was born too early and lost his mother right after birth."
"My husband is stationed away from home all year round. After I die, he will marry a new wife." Thinking of this, Zhang Chuchu's tears rolled down even more.
Shen Lanxi gently wiped the corner of her eye.
"From this day forward, any male member of the Shen family who loses his wife must observe a three-year mourning period for her!"
Zhang Chuchu couldn't help but smile, but even with such assurances, she was still uneasy.
She also needs to make long-term plans for her son.
“After I die, my husband can observe a six-month mourning period. He is away guarding the border for many years and has no time to take care of the children. I wish to have the children adopted by Your Majesty. With this status, no one will dare to bully my children in the future.”
"In this way, I can leave with a smile. I beg Your Majesty to grant my request, considering that I have not made any major mistakes in marrying into the Shen family."
"This is my last wish!"
Shen Lanxi withdrew her hand and threw the handkerchief aside.
The room was quiet, everyone was listening intently, eager to find out the answer.
Some were anxious, some were resentful, and some were annoyed.
"I believe you will plead for a favor for the Zhang family!"
Zhang Chuchu was taken aback.
The Zhang family was also taken aback.
They immediately realized that the child was also of Zhang family blood. Once adopted by His Majesty, he would likely be made Crown Prince, and their status as the Crown Prince's maternal family would naturally rise accordingly.
The capable son of the Zhang family immediately said, "Sister, save your energy. Don't ask for favors for us, and don't worry about home. Everything is fine here."
Hearing her family say that, Zhang Chuchu felt relieved.
She looked at Shen Lanxi with teary eyes, as if she were clinging to Shen Lanxi as her last lifeline.
"His Majesty……"
The power of the silver needles sealing the acupoints gradually faded, and the blood on the delivery bed swelled layer upon layer until finally, the bleeding was uncontrollable, and the blood flowed in a continuous stream onto the ground.
Zhang Chuchu was too weak to speak, so she just kept her eyes open until the very last moment, when she finally heard a sound.
"good!"
As Zhang Chuchu closed her eyes, the sound of crying began again in the room.
I just don't know how many of these cries are genuine, or how many are hiding ulterior motives.
Shen Lanxi emerged from the delivery room heavily, and Miao Shi followed her out.
"Your Majesty, what did Zhang Chuchu just say?"
Shen Lanxi: "Third Aunt, don't worry. I did this so that she could leave without any worries. That child is still Yuan Hao's child."
Miao was unsure of her own feelings. She felt uncomfortable when she heard that her grandson had been adopted out. Now, she felt uncomfortable again when she heard that he wouldn't be adopted.
"I am going back to the palace to issue an imperial decree. I will trouble Third Aunt with the funeral arrangements for Zhang Chuchu."
With mixed feelings, Miao saw Shen Lanxi off from the courtyard.
...
Shen Lanxi left the courtyard but did not leave immediately. Instead, she went to the place where Zhang Chuchu had slipped and fallen.
"Your Majesty, there are traces of soap on the floor."
The water that was spilled on the ground has dried, leaving only a few white marks.
"I've already asked. Zhang Chuchu has a habit of using soap when washing her hands. People in the manor always have soap ready when washing their hands."
Shen Lanxi: "No traces of human intervention were found?"
"Nothing has been found yet. I have already sent people to investigate the family relationships between the old woman and the maid."
"Find the results and report them to me immediately!"
"yes!"
As I was leaving the mansion, I happened to run into Huang Yu.
"Your Majesty, I have heard..."
Shen Lanxi didn't stop, ignoring Huang Yu, and strode away.
Huang Yu knelt on the ground, glaring angrily in the direction Shen Lanxi had left, her fists clenched tightly.
...
"Your Majesty, a secret message has arrived from Tianjin!"
Shen Lanxi glanced at it and then put it aside.
"I hereby grant Zhang Chuchu's request to adopt her child!"
The room was quiet. After a moment, a piece of paper was placed on the table.
The paper reads: "His Majesty has several thousand adopted sons and daughters."
Shen Lanxi smiled after reading it, instantly dispelling the gloom.
“Send a letter to Yuan Hao, explaining the reason and summoning him back to the capital.”
A word was added to the paper: Yes!
On the day of Shen Yuanxin's wedding, such a thing happened in the Shen family. The Liu family, who were related by marriage, had some taboos, but dared not show it because of Shen Lanxi's superior position.
He also did not immediately pass the message on to his son and daughter.
The bride was returning to her parents' home, but the Shen family was holding a funeral, which was considered very unlucky.
As officials of the Imperial Observatory, the Liu family cared most about this matter.
Fortunately, Shen Lanxi ordered the next day that Zhang Chuchu be placed in an ice coffin and buried after Shen Yuanhao returned to the capital.
Now that ice-making technology is mature, the Shen family easily purchased an ice coffin and moved Zhang Chuchu to the Shen family's old house.
The next day, after Shen Yuanxin learned of the news, she sent someone back to inquire. After careful consideration, the Shen family replied that the homecoming would proceed as planned.
Even so, Shen Yuanxin's mood didn't improve much.
"Zhang Chuchu really knows how to pick a date. Of all the times, she had to choose to give birth on the day I got married."
The old woman advised, "It shouldn't have been her due date; it's just bad luck. Fortunately, she's from the third wife's family, and the young lady is from the first wife's. If something happens to the third wife's family, it won't affect our first wife's family!"
Hearing this, Shen Yuanxin felt a little better.
"Today we're going home to pick up the kids. Is the yard where they're staying ready?"
"All packed, but...?"
Shen Yuanxin was already impatient.
"Just what?"
The old woman stammered and replied cautiously, "It's just that the room is a bit simple, and many things haven't been added."
Putting everything else aside, there wasn't even any bedding prepared. The two young ladies couldn't possibly use the quilts from their new home to cover themselves, could they?
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