Chapter 61 (None)
The Great Yin Dynasty had many customs. On the third day after a child's birth, it was believed that the baby brought uncleanliness and impurity from the mother's body. From royalty and high-ranking officials to commoners, everyone was required to perform a "third-day bath" for the baby.
The baby's third-day celebration was exceptionally grand, presided over by the Ministry of Rites. The princes used gold bath tubs, and the princesses used silver ones. The tubs were filled with bathwater made from mugwort and locust branches. Relatives and friends would come to refill the tubs, adding gold, silver, and jade items. Experienced midwives would then bathe the newborns while chanting auspicious hymns.
After the singing and washing, the next step is to treat the baby's umbilical cord stump and apply moxibustion to the fontanelle. Relatives and friends pass the baby around, holding him and saying auspicious and celebratory words.
The custom of washing hands on the third day after birth has a long history. Wenjuan and the others all assumed that Jiang Ling knew about it, and no one mentioned it.
That evening, Jiang Lingfang heard Wen Juan mention it and was utterly shocked.
Due to inadequate medical care, the infant mortality rate is high. This high mortality rate leads to the holding of blessing ceremonies for infants, which in turn results in an even higher mortality rate.
Customs and beliefs cannot be changed overnight. Even with the advanced technology of later generations, many people's perceptions remain outdated and rotten.
Previously, Jiang Ling merely eked out a living in the harem, but since having a child, her mindset has subtly changed.
She should do something, for herself and the Third Prince, and also for the women like her who were able to give birth smoothly, and for the children who were fortunate enough to come into this world.
Breastfeeding is already unusual, so Jiang Ling certainly wouldn't let the Third Prince take that risk.
In that case, she wants to turn the dregs of the third-day washing custom into her political capital!
Jiang Ling said, "Wen Juan, go and invite the Emperor. I have something to say to him. The Third Prince does not perform the third-day ritual."
Wenjuan was taken aback and said, "Your Majesty, every household is having a baby's third-day celebration. The Ministry of Rites has already made all the preparations. In previous years, those who came to the palace to add to the basin were all imperial relatives. Your Majesty's mother will also be coming to the palace."
Jiang Ling rolled his eyes and said, "In this vast world, there are countless mortal realms, and there are far more than three thousand that we can't see with our naked eyes. It's fine for the adults to have a good time praying for blessings, but don't torment a newborn baby! The Third Prince won't be taken out to be washed, nor can they be carried around like that, and they certainly can't be allowed to clean his umbilical cord or moxibustion his fontanelle!"
She shouldn't have been angry, but thinking about the origin of the third-day bathing custom, she couldn't help but feel furious: "If the mother didn't nourish the fetus with her own flesh and blood, how could the fetus grow and survive? These bastards think menstrual blood and childbirth are unclean. Women risk their lives to give birth to such a bunch of beasts!"
Whenever Emperor Yuanming had a spare moment, he couldn't wait to go to Fanying Pavilion. Unexpectedly, upon entering, he heard Jiang Ling cursing and asked in surprise, "What's wrong? Who has angered you again?"
Wen Juan quickly stood up to pay her respects, and Jiang Ling curtsied. Emperor Yuanming reached out to help her up, saying, "Why are you getting off the bed? Go up and lie down."
Having walked around for quite a while, Jiang Ling was tired, so he sat down on the couch. Emperor Yuanming sat leaning against Jiang Ling, leaning over to look at the Third Prince, who was fast asleep in the cradle, and his eyes involuntarily revealed affection.
"What's wrong?" Emperor Yuanming asked softly, dismissing Wen Juan.
Jiang Ling recounted the story of the baby's third-day celebration, saying, "Your Majesty, the Third Prince is still young. In this freezing weather, I dare not take him out to fuss over him."
Emperor Yuanming was taken aback, and advised, "The Third Prince's elder brothers and sisters have all been bathed and are all safe and sound, so you can rest assured."
"I am not at ease with this, and giving a baby a third-day bath is really not advisable," Jiang Ling said resolutely.
After the bath, the gold and silver treasures added to the tub were all given as rewards to the midwives and the officials who oversaw the ceremony.
Jiang Ling, not wanting to block someone's path to wealth, compromised to minimize resistance, saying, "The celebration and blessing can proceed as planned, but not because of the impurity brought by the mother's body, but to celebrate the arrival of a new life. Newborn babies are weak, and the danger of washing them in dirty water is unimaginable. Let alone babies, even adults cannot withstand such torment. If Your Majesty does not believe me, you can send someone to inquire how many babies fell ill after the third-day bath, with their umbilical cords becoming infected and their fontanelles being cauterized."
The umbilical cord is tied tightly with silk floss, cut with scissors, and the cut end is burned with moxa wool. The same method is used to moxibustion the fontanelle, which is meant to "seal the orifice".
It was downright torture; to survive was pure luck.
Emperor Yuanming was skeptical. After a moment of contemplation, he summoned Huang Liang and instructed him, "Go and summon Zheng Ze and Wu Shishan to Fanying Pavilion."
Huang Liang hurriedly agreed and went to deliver the imperial decree. Emperor Yuanming looked at Jiang Ling and noticed that her complexion had improved considerably compared to the previous two days.
The third prince, in his rocking carriage, was only covered with a thin blanket, his legs and feet were not bound, his little fists were placed near his mouth, his cheeks were rosy, and he was sleeping very soundly.
"He is dressed too lightly; be careful not to catch a cold," Emperor Yuanming said with concern.
An incense burner sat in the room, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. To prevent dryness, a basin of water was placed next to the burner to retain moisture. The window lattice was left slightly ajar for ventilation, with a cloth curtain blocking the gap to prevent cold drafts from blowing directly on people.
“It’s not cold in the room. He only needs to wear one more layer than you and me.” Jiang Ling gently reached out and touched the back of the Third Prince’s neck. Feeling that it was warm and dry, she withdrew her hand.
Emperor Yuanming grunted in response. Seeing that Jiang Ling insisted on her own opinion and that her pregnancy and childbirth had been safe and sound, he had unknowingly developed a deep trust in her and did not insist any further.
"I have already chosen a formal name for the Third Prince. For now, we will use his nickname. When he turns one year old, we will add his formal name to the family genealogy."
Emperor Yuanming pondered for a moment, about to reveal his childhood name, when Jiang Ling preemptively said, "Let's call him Xiaozhou."
“A small boat?” Emperor Yuanming murmured, then laughed: “Boating on the river, you’re making him take your surname.”
Jiang Ling's surname is Jiang and her given name is Ling, with Ling also meaning boat. The Third Prince's formal name certainly won't follow hers, but she'll definitely fight for his childhood name.
"What grand name did His Majesty give Xiaozhou?" Jiang Ling didn't want to say more, so he asked instead.
Emperor Yuanming said, "From the generation of Yun, the name is Zan. The jade Zan is beautiful, with yellow flowing inside. Zan means beautiful jade."
Jiang Ling didn't understand "瑟彼玉瓒，黄流在中" (a phrase from a poem). The eldest prince was named Xiao Yunrui, the second prince Xiao Yunjue, and the third prince also had a character with the "王" (king) radical. She couldn't help but think to herself, "When there are many princes, I'm afraid there won't be enough characters with the '王' radical."
Emperor Yuanming glanced at Jiang Ling and said slowly, "Consort Zhuang has always been in poor health, thin and frail, a stark contrast to when you were pregnant. Do you have any ideas to help her recover?"
"Your Majesty, I am not a physician, and everyone's body is different. I dare not offer advice recklessly."
Jiang Ling saw through Emperor Yuanming's little scheme and secretly looked down on him. She then truthfully said, "If Your Majesty insists that I say something, I can only say that you should take less medicine and eat more food. You should eat a variety of foods, including fish, shrimp, various vegetables, tofu, grains, and dried fruits. You should also avoid lying down and try to move around more."
Now she has given birth to a son and been promoted, and her actions are attracting attention.
Firstly, she had no intention of harming anyone; secondly, if Consort Zhuang gave birth smoothly, it would draw some of the attention away from her.
The diets of imperial concubines during their pregnancies were all recorded in their medical records and presented to Emperor Yuanming, to be kept by the Imperial Hospital. Jiang Ling's account was consistent with the dietary records in those records.
Seeing that she was completely open, Emperor Yuanming's smile grew even wider, and he teased, "You used to lie around all day, but now you've become quite diligent."
Jiang Ling didn't want to pay attention to Emperor Yuanming and secretly glared at him. At this moment, Huang Liang arrived with Zheng Ze and Wu Shishan. Fearing that he would disturb Jiang Ling and her son, Emperor Yuanming got up and went to the main room to inquire about the matter of umbilical cord removal and fontanel cauterization.
Zheng Ze and Wu Shishan had treated many infants. Recalling the incident together, they said, "There were indeed cases of umbilical cord suppuration and persistent high fever. Also, when moxibustion was applied to the fontanelle, the infant's skin was delicate and often suffered burns. Even with the utmost care, the infant would cry incessantly, which was quite unbearable to hear."
Emperor Yuanming looked grave and said, "In this case, the umbilical cord cutting and fontanel moxibustion should absolutely not be done again. The baby's third-day celebration is a joyous occasion, and the infant is still very weak. It is not appropriate to subject the baby to such unnecessary treatment. The baby's usual items can be substituted."
The two exchanged a glance and quickly bowed in agreement. Zheng Ze said, "Your Majesty is wise. The baby's third-day celebration should not be too complicated, as it may be detrimental to the infant. However, I dare not make a hasty decision on how to handle the umbilical cord. I will discuss it with the imperial physicians and then present it to Your Majesty for a decision."
Hearing this from the next room, Jiang Ling raised his voice and said, "Don't touch the umbilical cord. Keep it dry and clean, and it will fall off on its own. Also, the midwife, the doctor, the scissors used to cut the umbilical cord, and the delivery room must all be kept clean. Whether using scissors or a knife, they must be boiled for at least the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. The knife must be replaced after each use and cannot be reused."
She explained in detail the ways that Da Yin could disinfect and prevent infection: "When someone is sick, everyone is afraid of the disease. When an epidemic occurs, everyone rushes to escape, and they don't even dare to touch the clothes of the sick. It's the same reason. We can't see the disease on our clothes. We can boil or cook the food we eat so that we won't have stomach aches or diarrhea."
Zheng Ze and Wu Shishan had witnessed how Jiang Ling prepared the delivery room, and Chen the midwife had also mentioned the rules before entering the delivery room.
The two believed Jiang Ling's words to a great extent and asked one after another, "If we follow Your Highness's method, there will be no more high fever, suppuration, or rotting, and everyone will be able to survive?"
Jiang Ling chuckled and said, "Of course not. However, as long as it is kept clean, it will definitely improve. You two can try it first and see how it goes."
Zheng Ze and Wu Shishan hurriedly agreed, greeted each other, and took their leave. Emperor Yuanming returned to the side room and said with a smile, "If your method is truly effective, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. You have saved hundreds and thousands of people. They should build a shrine for you in the future."
"I don't want these." Jiang Ling hurriedly waved her hand, her brows furrowed, and said with disdain, "I really don't care about these empty titles. Besides, the offerings in the shrine are a real waste."
Once you're mistaken for a deity, you can't descend to the mortal realm. A reputation for wisdom, selflessness, and benevolence is the real benefit!
Emperor Yuanming was amused and laughed heartily, saying, "You only care about eating and drinking, you even have your eyes on the tribute!"
The Third Prince was awakened by Emperor Yuanming's laughter and began to wriggle and whimper in the rocking carriage. Jiang Ling quickly patted him gently and coaxed him to sleep.
"You brat!" Emperor Yuanming's voice softened as he chuckled and scolded.
It was getting late, so Emperor Yuanming ordered Huang Liang to serve the meal, saying, "Bring me Consort Shu's meal, so that Consort Shu and I can eat together."
Jiang Ling was surprised. Although he didn't say anything, he thought to himself, "Niu Fen is really smart. He knows my food is good, so he doesn't even need the imperial cuisine and eats with me."
Emperor Yuanming, annoyed by Jiang Ling's inward criticism, raised an eyebrow smugly. Wen Juan entered to guard the Third Prince, while Jiang Ling and Emperor Yuanming went to the main hall for their meal.
Huang Liang led the eunuchs and palace maids to set out bowls and plates, filling the food table to the brim. The main dishes were fish, shrimp, and eggs, along with blanched pork liver, various winter vegetables, tofu, a small bowl of mixed grain rice, and a handful of walnuts.
The dishes were plentiful but small in quantity, and Emperor Yuanming unknowingly finished all the food.
After the meal, Emperor Yuanming sipped his tea with satisfaction and said with a smile, "The food at Fanying Pavilion is truly excellent. From now on, I will eat there with you."
Jiang Ling said bluntly, "They are just some common dishes. His Majesty can simply have the Imperial Kitchen make them accordingly."
"Your dishes are not sweet at all, but rather light and delicious." Emperor Yuanming raised an eyebrow and said unhurriedly, "I find your taste quite to my liking. Where I dine is none of Consort Shu's business."
Seeing that Emperor Yuanming was lingering at her place, Jiang Ling cursed under her breath and asked, "I wonder if there's any progress in Your Majesty's investigation into the Cuiwei Pavilion matter?"
Emperor Yuanming was taken aback, his eyes lowered, and his expression became inscrutable. He remained silent for a long time.
Jiang Ling glanced at Emperor Yuanming's reaction and his heart skipped a beat.
Could there be a bigger secret behind this?
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