Chapter 104 (Final Chapter): The Future is Long
Countless people in the court hoped that Yu Mingshu would leave his post as soon as possible so that they could take his place.
As her pregnancy progressed, He Zheng couldn't help but feel anxious. He tried several times to ask for leave for her to stay home and rest during her pregnancy, but Yu Mingshu firmly refused each time.
The two of them had an unprecedented argument about this matter several times, and each time it ended with He Zheng bowing his head and giving in.
Yu Mingshu appears to have a mild temper and is reasonable in everything, but in reality, when she gets stubborn, no one can persuade her.
She was well aware of her physical condition each day. If the pregnancy symptoms were unbearable, she certainly wouldn't force herself to endure them. But now she was eating and sleeping well, and apart from feeling a bit cumbersome and having some difficulty breathing, she had no other discomfort. She was perfectly capable of handling her work, so why would she need to take a leave of absence?
For this, He Zheng was summoned by Tao and given a thorough scolding.
"Your wife is carrying your child, don't you know how to cherish her?"
He Zheng cried out that he was wronged, "My heart is breaking, it's breaking from the pain! She won't listen to me, what can I do?"
He Ting shook his head upon seeing this, "In terms of kinship, you and His Majesty are cousins who grew up together. Now your wife has become His Majesty's right-hand woman, while you are just sitting around doing nothing, enjoying your salary and fief. Now, your words at home are not as weighty as a snowball falling from the sky."
He Zheng retorted irritably, "Stop trying to sow discord between us. I'm lucky to be able to enjoy a peaceful life."
Jinghong told Luoyan about the little quarrel in the He family as an amusing story, and Luoyan couldn't help but tell Yu Mingshu about it.
Yu Mingshu simply smiled when she heard this, but took it to heart the next day.
The next morning, He Zheng returned from his morning exercise and casually placed her clothes at the foot of the bed. He noticed that she, who usually gets up at this time, was still lazily nestled in the blankets.
He Zheng nervously lifted the bed curtains and leaned over to help her sit up.
Before he could speak, Yu Mingshu said in a languid voice, "It's too cold, I don't want to get up. Please ask for leave for me today."
He Zheng was incredulous. He reached out and touched her forehead. Her temperature and complexion were normal.
"Where do you feel unwell? I'll go and fetch Physician Zhou."
“I’m very comfortable. But if I count the days, there’s still more than a month until my due date, so it’s time to take a break.” Yu Mingshu pressed his hand down and held it gently. “I’m lucky to have met such a good child who has come to repay my kindness. I can’t let my easy pregnancy block the path for future babies.”
"You've certainly thought ahead." Knowing she was alright, He Zheng finally relaxed. "I'll have Jing Hong make a trip."
Yu Mingshu pulled him back, frowning as she said, "How many times have I told you? Put your clothes on after your martial arts practice in the morning. Going out in the cold wind covered in sweat, aren't you afraid of catching a cold?"
He Zheng laughed and said, "I'll definitely remember next time."
Having taken leave in the morning, Zhou Fuling arrived at the Pingyan Marquis's residence in the evening, repeatedly checking Yu Mingshu's pulse before feeling at ease.
"I told you everything was fine, why are you so nervous? This is my own child, if there were any real problems, would I have stood by and not called you?" Yu Mingshu said with amusement.
Zhou Fuling said, "You usually act like you won't come home until you're about to give birth, so why did you suddenly change your mind today?"
Yu Mingshu glanced out the window. "He Zheng has said it many times, but I can't go against his wishes."
Zhou Fuling had no doubts. "Only he can persuade you. That's good, though. It's been snowing these past few days, and the roads are slippery. It's not safe for you to go out this month."
After seeing Zhou Fuling off, He Zheng entered the room and sat down beside her, clicking his tongue in admiration.
"I also said a couple of days ago that the roads were slippery due to the snow and it wasn't safe to go out. What did you say to me then?"
He had barely begun when Yu Mingshu guessed what he was going to say, covered his ears with both hands, and turned his back.
He Zheng helped her turn around by the shoulder and repeated what she had said in a rambling manner, "You said that you would take a carriage on your commute, and once you enter the capital, there would be people shoveling snow all the time, so your child would not fall. I gave you a few more words of advice, and you still complained that I was interfering."
Yu Mingshu glared at him and raised her chin, "Little mouth."
He Zheng pursed his lips, swallowing back all his bitterness. "Never mind, what do you want to eat tonight? I'll have the kitchen prepare it."
Yu Mingshu thought for a moment, then looked up and said, "I want to drink mutton soup."
“Okay, just yesterday my family sent over half a sheep, saying that my dad went out winter hunting with some people and brought it back.”
When it was completely dark, the kitchen brought out the stewed mutton soup. Yu Mingshu brushed away the oil and tasted a mouthful of the clear soup. He stirred it a couple of times with the spoon, but suddenly lost his appetite.
"It doesn't taste good?"
"This isn't the taste."
He Zheng took two bites and didn't notice anything wrong with it.
Yu Mingshu added, "This soup is quite good, but it doesn't taste quite the same as the one my mother makes."
He Zheng understood. "Tomorrow I'll have them ask my mother-in-law for the secret recipe and stew it for you again."
The next morning, Jinghong went to Yongningfang and explained his purpose to Wu Qiuniang.
In the afternoon, Wu Qiuniang simply packed her things and moved to the Lin'an Marquis's residence so that she could easily go next door to take care of her daughter.
Yu Mingshu also thought this was a good thing. With Wu Qiuniang not coming, her huge mansion would just sit empty next to it, which was a waste of this precious land in Chongrenfang.
With her mother-in-law guiding the kitchen in arranging daily meals, Yu Mingshu's appetite improved considerably. Seeing this, He Zheng regretted not inviting his mother-in-law over sooner.
Seeing Yu Mingshu's energetic appearance, Wu Qiuniang felt a pang of emotion.
“Your pregnancy is truly a blessing. When I was pregnant with Sanlang, he started tormenting me from the third month. I couldn’t eat well, and I would throw up everything I ate. I was nauseous until the fifth month before I felt better. Who knew that he would stop for a short while and then start acting up again. I had headaches and lower abdominal pain at night, and I couldn’t sleep because of the pain.”
The sheer scale of this torture is terrifying to even hear about.
Yu Mingshu gripped her mother's hand tightly. "What about me? Did you suffer when you were pregnant with me?"
"You're doing well. You were well-behaved in the womb and didn't suffer much." Wu Qiuniang stroked her belly with relief. "It's my fault for being weak and not listening to the elders. I didn't take good care of myself during my postpartum period, which is why I have some health problems now."
Upon hearing this, Yu Mingshu sensed something was amiss, and sure enough, the next sentence was a word of advice to her.
"So you have to listen to my advice, and you absolutely cannot rush out after giving birth."
Yu Mingshu reluctantly agreed, "I understand."
…
He Shiqing was born in February, when spring was in full bloom, and the day she turned one month old was also the day Yu Mingshu finally regained his freedom.
Since taking leave to go home at the end of the year, she has hardly left the hospital. Fortunately, Chen Qingyue would occasionally bring her some official business to relieve her boredom, otherwise she would have really become depressed.
On the day she returned to the Secretariat, she encountered many unpleasant faces along the way, but some people also greeted her with fawning smiles.
"Minister Yu has returned victorious, still as dashing as ever!"
That sounds so strange.
After dismissing a few worldly-wise minor officials, Yu Mingshu returned to his workstation and found an unfamiliar tea set on the tea table.
"What does this mean?"
The servant who had just finished sweeping said, "Last month, the roof of the east room leaked, and Li Sheren moved into this room for a few days. But you can rest assured, Minister Yu, the roof has been repaired, and Li Sheren will definitely move back today."
"Okay, I understand."
After dismissing all the bystanders, Chen Qingyue approached Yu Mingshu to report the situation.
"A couple of days ago, someone advised His Majesty to promote an official to fill your vacancy, but His Majesty refused. After that, someone questioned whether you should have your salary suspended or be directly dismissed because you had been on leave for more than two months. Guess what His Majesty said?"
Yu Mingshu moved Li Ji's tea set aside, took out his own cups and saucers, rinsed them with boiling water, brewed fresh tea, and asked in a moment, "What did His Majesty say?"
"His Majesty said that according to the laws of Daliang, an official who urgently requests sick leave can only be suspended from office after 100 days. He told him to come back to impeach him after the fifth day of the fourth month."
Chen Qingyue said with a smile, "Some people objected, saying that Vice Minister Yu took leave because he was pregnant and waiting to give birth. A woman's pregnancy is not an illness, so can it really be treated as sick leave? His Majesty also said that Prime Minister Li also always takes sick leave. He takes three months off and then comes back to attend court for two days. He takes another three months off and then comes back to attend court for two days. No one knows what illness Prime Minister Li is suffering from. Why not take this opportunity to send an imperial physician to examine Prime Minister Li's pulse?"
“Prime Minister Li also suffered an undeserved misfortune.” Yu Mingshu shook his head. “That official is right. Pregnancy is not an illness, and one should not use the pretext of sick leave. Now His Majesty favors me and has shielded me from criticism, but what about the other female officials?”
Chen Qingyue could tell that she already had a plan. "What do you plan to do?"
“In the past two years, more and more women have taken the imperial examinations to enter officialdom. But entering the imperial court is not the same as entering a nunnery. In the future, there will be times when they want to have children but dare not leave their posts. The law is not a dead thing and should keep pace with the times.”
It took nearly a year from the submission of the memorial suggesting an increase in maternity leave to the actual addition of this provision to the Da Liang legal code.
Starting from the first day of the first month of the eighth year of Tianyi, female officials of Daliang could apply for maternity leave according to their own circumstances. The duration of the leave was limited to the same as that of sick leave, with a maximum of 100 days.
That autumn, some once-powerful families in Hedong, whose fortunes were declining, could no longer sit still.
Since Liang Yuanjun ascended the throne, a large number of new people have entered the court, regardless of their family background, origin, or even gender.
Scholars across the land, seeing how their predecessors had risen to power through their own abilities, gradually realized that the Great Liang was no longer a realm controlled by powerful families. They no longer needed to rely on these withered old trees to rise to prominence.
Then the diseased tree was about to fall, and the monkeys had scattered.
Several powerful clans, barely clinging to life, unearthed the emperor's true parentage and instigated a rebellion in Hedong.
The rebellion lasted only four months before being quelled by He Zheng's troops.
Liang Yuanjun still has no intention of clarifying her background, but a number of best-selling stories have been circulating among the people.
There are palace secrets stories with altered appearances and pseudonyms, and there are also stories of immortals descending to earth with Taoist elements.
When Yu Mingshu saw this batch of storybooks before the emperor, he clicked his tongue in amazement. Looking up to meet the emperor's inscrutable gaze, he hurriedly defended himself: "Your Majesty is wise, this time it really wasn't written by me."
Liang Yuanjun said, "It certainly doesn't look like your writing style."
At this moment, Yang Leyi coughed lightly and admitted, "It was written by your subject."
Yu Mingshu praised: "Yang Zuocheng's stories are written with a literary flair, the language is refined and elegant, the story scenarios are poetic, and the use of mythological allusions shows his profound knowledge."
Yang Leyi blushed slightly at the praise and subconsciously looked at His Majesty's reaction.
Liang Yuanjun randomly picked up a book, carefully flipped through two pages, and said, "It's really well written."
He made no further comments, then ordered the storybooks to be put away and returned to discussing politics.
…
In the fourteenth year of Tianyi, news of an old friend arrived from afar.
Xie Huaijin is returning to Beijing.
It was still next to the same tavern where they had said goodbye. The carriage stopped, and a middle-aged man got off. He had a rustic air about him, and Yu Mingshu hardly recognized him.
Xie Huaijin cupped his hands in greeting to her, smiled and nodded, "Prime Minister Yu, how have you been?"
The person in front of me had wheat-colored skin, a thick beard that was somewhat dry, a coarse cloth turban wrapped around his head, and a dark, unpatterned cotton robe.
His clothes were loose, so it was not immediately clear what had changed in his size, but judging from his shoulders and back, he seemed to be much stronger than before.
Coming to her senses, Yu Mingshu waved her hand, "This isn't a work setting, so why are you calling yourself that? It's been so many years, I almost didn't recognize you."
Xie Huaijin's gaze lingered on her still beautiful face for a moment, and he sighed softly, "The wind and sand are strong outside the pass, and the conditions are indeed more difficult. It's not like the luxurious life in Chang'an. How can you stay young forever like this?"
"I am ashamed, I am ashamed," Yu Mingshu said repeatedly. "You have been deep in Yan for more than ten years. When you left, everything was in ruins and when you returned, everything was thriving. Future historians may criticize me, but they can only praise you."
He Zheng, who was standing to the side, listened for a while and couldn't help but clear his throat.
Xie Huaijin finally turned his gaze to him, "He Erlang, you haven't changed much."
“I was standing in this position back then, but you were only concerned with saying goodbye to Ming Shu and pretended not to see me. It’s the same today.” He Zheng chuckled. “Indeed, nothing has changed.”
Yu Mingshu changed the subject, "Back then, I only found out you were leaving at the last minute, so I could only give you a hasty farewell at this tavern. It's quite early today, so let's go somewhere else for a nice meal?"
Xie Huaijin had no objection. "I've been away from the capital for over ten years, and I'm completely unfamiliar with Chang'an. I'll listen to you."
When Yu Mingshu mentioned changing locations, he was naturally referring to Fengyang Tower.
Cui Hongli's business grew bigger and bigger, and the Fengyanglou restaurant was renovated twice, becoming even more luxurious and grand than before.
Standing on the wide street of the East Market, Xie Huaijin looked up at the huge signboard of Fengyang Tower, and then looked around.
The vendors' stalls along the street were neatly arranged, and the passersby were dressed in fine clothes. Compared with more than ten years ago, nothing seemed to have changed, yet something that was once inconspicuous seemed to have been completely renewed.
It is a vibrant life force.
Seeing him hesitate, He Zheng patted him on the shoulder. "Let's go, let's go upstairs."
Xie Huaijin followed them up to a private room on the second floor, sat down, took a sip of tea, and then said to Yu Mingshu, "You are too modest."
"What?" Yu Mingshu was completely confused.
"In future historical records, you will also be remembered as a meritorious and capable minister who brought peace to the world," Xie Huaijin said.
Yu Mingshu smiled, "I still have a long way to go."
When the food and drinks were served, He Zheng poured Xie Huaijin a glass of fruit wine, shutting down their mutual compliments.
"You've been in Yan for so many years, haven't you ever thought about finding a suitable woman to marry there?"
Xie Huaijin calmly said, "A person doesn't necessarily have to get married in this life. Isn't Prime Minister Yang also single all his life?"
He Zheng nodded and took a swig of his drink. "That makes sense."
Yu Mingshu stared at the rim of his cup, then suddenly remembered something. "Speaking of which... how is Miss Yunying doing now that she's been sent back to Sangyang?"
He Zheng paused, his hand holding the wine glass. "Why are you asking her this out of the blue?"
Yu Mingshu said, "Isn't it enough that I hope she returns to the right path?"
So much time had passed that Xie Huaijin only vaguely recognized the name when he first heard it. But seeing the unusual expressions on Yu Mingshu and He Zheng's faces, he remembered the absurd farce that had shocked the Great Liang Dynasty.
"You mean Yun Shi? She was taken back by her uncle's family back then. For the first two years, she tried to kill herself quite a bit. Later, I heard that her aunt taught her a lesson, and she finally came to her senses. She started managing the clinic with some relatives from her maternal family, and she should be doing alright."
"It's good that you've come to terms with it."
Yu Mingshu didn't press further, poured himself a glass of wine, and turned the page.
…
He Shiqing had reached school age. Twenty years ago, a noblewoman like her, whose parents were both marquises, would undoubtedly have been sent to Chongwen Academy.
However, He Zheng had deep doubts about the atmosphere of the two academies. In addition, the current Chang'an Academy was almost a new school that Yu Mingshu had single-handedly promoted and reformed. She had a natural trust in this place. After thinking it over, she decided to let her daughter become an alumnus of the same academy as her.
Before entering school, He Shiqing was lively, cheerful, poised, and quick-witted. She was an exceptionally intelligent child, and Yu Mingshu had little doubt about her academic talent.
Who would have thought that in the second month after enrolling, she would be invited to Zhishan Hall.
The seat where Yang Congen once sat is now occupied by an old friend.
Lin Qingxian looked up at her and nodded expressionlessly. "Prime Minister Yu, sit down and let's talk."
Yu Mingshu felt inexplicably uneasy. "Mr. Lin, Shi Qing, she..."
Lin Qingxian remained calm, pulling out two sets of homework from a stack of calligraphy practice papers from newly enrolled students and handing them to her.
“Yesterday I asked the students of Wuzi Hall to copy a chapter of the Great Learning. This is the homework that He Shiqing handed in. Take a close look at it.”
Yu Mingshu looked at it carefully, and the more he looked, the more familiar it seemed.
This is clearly He Zheng's handwriting.
That evening, the manuscript was placed on the dining table at the Pingyan Marquis's residence.
"He Xingzhao, are you out of your mind? You handed in blank papers when you were in school, and now you're writing them for your daughter after graduation. Is this book for you to read?"
He Zheng touched his nose. "She said she was sleepy, so I wrote it for her."
"You think the teachers at the academy don't recognize your handwriting?" Yu Mingshu realized his mistake as soon as he finished speaking, and laughed at himself. "Yes, you haven't handed in your papers many times, so the teachers really don't remember your handwriting."
He Shiqing asked, puzzled, "If the teacher doesn't recognize Father's handwriting, how did he discover it?"
"Because you can tell the difference between a child's and an adult's handwriting." Yu Mingshu originally wanted to hit her, but looking at the little girl's innocent and cute appearance, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
A thought suddenly struck her. She leaned in and looked into He Shiqing's eyes, saying, "Do you want to imitate your father's handwriting without the teacher noticing?"
He Shiqing nodded, "I want to!"
"Then take the articles your father copied and try to imitate them. If you can imitate them well, the teacher won't notice."
The child took the bait and started using He Zheng's calligraphy as a model the next day.
He Zheng was clearly not used to going from being the father of a young child to being the parent of a student.
In the soft moonlight and under the dim candlelight, Yu Mingshu rested her head on his arm and said earnestly, "I hope that our Shiqing can grow into a mature person. She may have mediocre grades and achieve nothing, but at least she cannot let the rich material conditions corrupt her will and become a rich but useless person that can be seen everywhere in Chang'an."
He Zheng's steady breathing reached her ears, and after a long while, he responded with a deep sound.
“I am learning to be a father.”
Yu Mingshu turned to the side, placed her left hand on his chest, and stretched her stiff neck. "You've done a great job these past few years, and I'm also learning how to be a less negligent mother."
He Zheng pulled his arm back and turned to hug her waist. The two looked at each other in the dim bed curtains, and Yu Mingshu's eyes reflected the starlight.
He gently kissed her lips, their foreheads touching, and said, "There's plenty of time ahead."
-----------------------
Author's note: I struggled with the ending for a long, long time, so the update is a little late.
The main story is finished. There might not be any side stories, and even if there are, it won't be this soon. (The author is going to study hard for exams now, I'll read it after the exams.)
My next book might be "Hidden Beauty in Brocade Robes" or "Falling into the Qinghe River," depending on the situation. If you're interested, please add it to your favorites! [pink heart] Love you all!
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