"Can't breastfeed? This isn't cow's milk?"...
Banban seemed to have had a very, very long dream.
She dreamt of an orphanage under a pear tree. She looked up and sat by the window, her hands thin and her skin pale with a yellowish tinge. How could she be here? Wasn't she giving birth in Zhaoyang Palace?
Just then, the sound of a car engine came from outside the window, and a black luxury car slowly pulled up.
Pear blossoms drifted in the misty rain. A man in a black suit opened an umbrella by the car door, and a tall, slender young man appeared at the door. The next moment, he accurately followed her gaze.
Surrounded by light and white mist, she couldn't see his face clearly.
Who is that?
She suddenly opened her eyes and saw the familiar bed curtains. Her mouth was dry and sticky, and she subconsciously called out Cong Yun's name.
"Your Majesty, you're finally awake!" Cong Yun and Qian Yin squeezed together by the bedside, weeping with joy. "You slept for a whole day and night!"
He brought her some water from the clouds to moisten her mouth, helped her up, and placed two soft pillows under her arm to make her more comfortable.
"A whole day and night, is that long?" Banban still felt it was unreal. She rubbed her eyes, then remembered something and quickly lifted the covers to touch her stomach.
“His Highness the Crown Prince was taken to a side hall, where a wet nurse is looking after him,” Congyun explained. “His Highness has a loud voice and is always crying or making a fuss. He is very energetic, and His Majesty finds him too noisy to allow you to rest.”
Qian Yin held her hands, her eyes sparkling, and said, “Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince was given the name Zhao and was made Crown Prince on the first day of his birth. At first, there were objections from the royal family, but the King ignored them all. He said,” she mimicked a few words from Ying Zheng, “that the Queen’s child is my first son and should be made Crown Prince to inherit the ancestral temple and the state.”
Yun was amused and nudged Qian Yin with her elbow, not too hard.
These things were expected, so there was no particular surprise. However, he was certainly happy, so he smiled and snorted dismissively, "It's no big deal if others don't care."
"Quickly bring Zhao'er here so I can see her."
Before long, the wet nurse brought Zhao'er over. Upon seeing the Queen, she immediately knelt by the bed and carefully placed the infant beside her. "Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has just finished nursing and is now asleep."
Banban held her breath and carefully peeked through the swaddling clothes.
"He's so small, so tiny..." She was at a loss, not daring to reach out and touch him. The last time she had been this close to an infant was with Geng'er.
Was she really the one who gave birth to this?
The baby's skin was slightly red, but it had already opened up and wasn't wrinkled. She touched it gently, as if she were touching a crystal bun with a thin skin and a thick filling. She didn't dare to use her fingertips too hard, for fear of puncturing it.
"All newborn babies are like this," the wet nurse explained gently.
As soon as she finished speaking, the baby who had been poked on the cheek slowly opened his eyes as if he had been awakened. The wet nurse was taken aback. "He opened his eyes? Usually, because the eyelids of babies are swollen due to the pressure of the birth canal during childbirth, some babies will not open their eyes for three days, and many will not open their eyes for seven or eight days."
A gasp of surprise rippled through the crowd, with everyone flattering the prince, saying he was no ordinary infant.
Banban seemed to be captivated, gently waving her hand in front of him. He was a beat slow to react, and after a few seconds, he slowly followed her hand and looked at her with his clear black eyes.
The wet nurse was excited, immersed in the joy of the prince opening his eyes. "Newborn children have very poor eyesight and cannot see their surroundings clearly at the moment. Therefore, things that move are more likely to attract Your Highness's attention."
Upon hearing this, Banban quickly waved her hand more, and sure enough, he followed her hand around. After teasing him for a while, he yawned wearily and closed his eyes again.
"He's asleep again."
"Your Majesty, the baby sleeps for eight or nine hours a day. This is because he is used to sleeping in Your Majesty's womb and has not yet changed. In the future, when you will be close to him..."
"Oh, then I'll leave him here." Banban was so fond of the baby that she wanted to look at him as much as possible.
The wet nurse naturally had no objection and knelt down in agreement.
As soon as the wet nurse left, Yun came over and explained in detail the wet nurse's background. She had been found by Ying Zheng beforehand and was of good character and gentle temperament.
There's no need to worry about anything.
She dozed off for a while while keeping company with her child, when a messenger came from outside saying that the Empress Dowager had arrived.
Ji Changyue came in and asked a few questions about whether the child was alright. She sat down by the bed and said with a slightly melancholy expression, "This child looks just like Zheng'er."
"These eyebrows, these noses. But the lips are like yours, and the ears are like yours too."
"I can't even imagine how beautiful Zhao'er will be." Banban thought to herself, feeling quite pleased.
Ji Changyue glanced at her irritably and said reproachfully, "How can you still be so childish after becoming a mother?"
“No matter how old my cousin and I are, we are still our mother’s children,” Banban said matter-of-factly. “Besides, my cousin is good-looking because our mother is beautiful. There’s a reason for that. So, Zhao’er’s good looks are mostly thanks to our mother.”
"Alright, alright, I can't argue with your words." Ji Changyue couldn't stop smiling. "You've always been impulsive and clever since you were little. I think Zhao'er is no less so."
"Where is that?" Banban retorted, unconvinced.
"This child was born yesterday and couldn't wait to open his eyes," Ji Changyue still remembered the situation at the time. "He couldn't open his eyes, but he insisted on opening them. When his eyes were uncomfortable, he cried loudly. Even though he was just born and didn't understand anything, he was already thinking about his mother. He wouldn't let go when the wet nurse held him."
"It's just that Zheng'er was angry that he was disturbing your rest, so he insisted that the wet nurse take him away."
“Zheng’er was just like that back then.” Ji Changyue said, a slight smile on her face, gently stroking Zhao’er’s cheek. “Even the late king couldn’t hold him, he only let me hold him. He opened his eyes early and looked around everywhere. His curiosity about the world was greater than anything else. From the time he could crawl, he crawled all over the house. He almost got pecked by a rooster when he crawled into the yard.”
Banban tried to imagine the scene, but couldn't picture his cousin being pecked by a rooster.
"What are you saying, so happy?"
"I was just talking about you, and here you are." Ji Changyue stood up to make room for her. "Go and see the child. You can't seem to get a moment's rest."
If he hadn't heard that the Queen had woken up, he probably wouldn't have returned ahead of schedule.
“She can’t talk or walk,” he thought, “what’s there to see?” But after checking his cousin’s complexion and expression, Ying Zheng glanced at the sleeping baby and asked, “How are you? Is anything bothering you?”
"I'm fine." Banban felt as if she hadn't seen her cousin for a long time, and her tone unconsciously became a little coquettish.
Ying Zheng sensed her dependence and gently stroked her cheek with his hand, his expression softening considerably.
Knowing that the couple wanted to have a private conversation, Ji Changyue went out first.
There were only two people in the inner room. Banban immediately opened her arms to hug her. Ying Zheng chuckled and pulled her into his arms, saying, "I knew you would be embarrassed in front of the Empress Dowager."
So what!
Banban nuzzled against him affectionately, saying, "I missed you so much."
“Me too.” He stroked her long hair. “…You slept for too long.”
Did I scare you?
"Um."
She wasn't sure if her long sleep was related to the dream; it was like a dream yet not a dream. What pear tree was there in the orphanage she remembered? And she couldn't possibly be sitting by the window looking at the scenery for no reason.
And then there was the boy whose face was obscured, who looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old. He was extremely tall, and his build was somewhat similar to that of my cousin when he was seventeen or eighteen.
Perhaps it's because she's been thinking a lot about modern things lately that she dreamt about them.
"I'm just tired," Banban comforted him with her eyes crinkling. "I want to live a long, long life, and stay with my cousin forever, so I won't fall asleep and never wake up again."
Banban slept for a day and a night. Every half hour, Ying Zheng would call the physician to check her pulse. Each time, he was certain that she was just sleeping and that there was nothing seriously wrong with her. He almost couldn't resist waking her up, but when he saw the weariness in her eyes, he stopped himself.
"You are not allowed to say such things again." Ying Zheng was displeased, wishing he could sew her mouth shut.
She has always been outspoken since childhood, constantly talking about life and death without any restraint.
If you don't want to say, then don't say.
Banban mumbled to herself, rubbing her cheek against his neck, unwilling to be separated from him for even a moment. His faint scent lingered in her nostrils, slowly soothing her tense nerves.
When Banban woke up, she knew that it was not advisable to have a heavy or oily meal, so she simply ate chicken porridge with tender green vegetables. After dinner, she watched her wet nurse breastfeeding, somewhat dazed.
A bowl of freshly brewed herbal medicine descended from the clouds. "Your Majesty, the temperature is just right. Would you like to take your medicine now?"
At this time, wealthy and noble ladies generally did not breastfeed themselves after giving birth. Breastfeeding was considered a physically demanding and rough job that should be done by servants.
Furthermore, breast milk is essentially made from the mother's blood and fluids. Breastfeeding lasts for several months, which consumes a large amount of the mother's blood and is not conducive to postpartum recovery.
The bodies of daughters of the powerful and wealthy are very delicate.
Furthermore, women often give birth repeatedly, and if they have to breastfeed themselves, it will only make their bodies weaker. Therefore, those with a little power will hire wet nurses.
Although Ying Zheng did not intend for her to have children continuously, he also disagreed with allowing her to breastfeed.
His chest felt a bit swollen and uncomfortable, so Banban quickly took the medicine bowl and drank it all in one gulp.
This medicine is used to stop lactation. "How long will it take to get better?"
Cong Yun had already consulted the physician, and now he answered fluently, "It will take about three months. Stopping too abruptly or too quickly will also damage the body."
"If you are feeling uncomfortable, the physician said that we servants can help you relieve it."
"?" She was taken aback, puzzled. "What do you mean? Do you mean I have to squeeze it out myself?"
Hearing such blunt words, Cong Yun felt a little embarrassed and nodded with pursed lips.
"..." Well, never mind then, she felt too embarrassed to ask someone for help.
The postpartum period wasn't too difficult, but not being able to shower was incredibly uncomfortable. Her chest would feel tight and painful from time to time, and she did secretly squeeze her chest twice, which made her feel a little better afterward.
After she finished, looking at the milky white milk, she secretly took a sip herself, like a pervert.
……Wow.
What does this taste like?
It has no taste.
Aside from a faint sweetness and a hint of milky aroma, it tastes just like drinking water.
She has a strong palate; she usually adds a lot of milk to her milk tea.
But we dare not give the expressed milk to Zhao'er, for fear that he will refuse to drink the wet nurse's milk after drinking it, which would be troublesome.
"It collapsed?" she asked hesitantly.
Cong Yun opened her eyes wide and disagreed, "This was transformed from Your Majesty's blood and energy, and it is quite nourishing. How can it be easily destroyed?"
Banban stared wide-eyed as well: "Then what do you suggest we do?"
Should we make her drink it herself? That's so weird!
Cong Yun advised her, "You yourself—"
"I won't drink it! I won't drink it! I won't drink it!" A certain queen started to throw a tantrum.
The two had conflicting accounts, and in the end, it was stored away. Ice was used during the height of summer, so it didn't spoil or deteriorate.
As night fell, news arrived that the previous dynasty had issued an order to expel all foreign guests. Qian Yin served Banban a meal and asked in confusion, "Is the order to expel all foreign guests? The Chief Secretary was once a guest minister." He was a representative figure among foreign guests.
"What will happen to Princess Yongning if the entire Li family is also expelled?"
“How could Li Si obediently leave Qin?” Banban wasn’t worried about him at all. “Besides, Ying Yue married Li You, so the king certainly didn’t really want to expel him.”
It all depends on what he does.
Ying Zheng was busy with court affairs and entertained his ministers for dinner, so he did not return home to eat.
After having a meal, Banban has been able to get out of bed and walk around for the past two days. The attending physician also recommended that she walk around every day, saying that staying in bed is not good and is not conducive to her recovery.
The physician didn't explain it very clearly, but Banban understood that this was to help the uterus contract faster, expel the menstrual blood, and aid in intestinal peristalsis. Lying down for too long would also weaken the muscles and limbs, so it was generally necessary to get out of bed and walk around.
After walking for a short while, my forehead was covered in a layer of sweat.
Cong Yun wasn't much better off than her; she was always on edge, afraid that something might be wrong with her.
Zhao'er is active at night and refuses to sleep. After dinner, I pick him up and put him in the cradle, then walk around him slowly and talk to him.
As they were talking to Cong Yun, they heard a childish voice from the cradle: "Ah~"
The two of them immediately craned their necks to look.
He slowly swung his forearms, which were as thin as lotus roots, and looked around with his pair of clear, black grape-like eyes. As soon as he saw Banban, he opened his toothless mouth and kept making "ah ah" noises, revealing two rows of fleshy gums.
"Baby, you're so cute." Banban's heart melted, and she cupped her face and giggled.
"This afternoon, while you were resting, His Majesty went to the side hall to visit His Highness the Crown Prince. His Highness got His Majesty all wet; his court robes were completely soaked."
"I didn't even know about such a fun thing."
Yun recalled for a moment, covered her mouth and laughed, then recounted the story in detail.
At that moment, Ying Zheng was holding his son and had only teased him for a couple of minutes when suddenly his arm got wet. He watched as Zhao'er's open-crotch pants were urinating, which was flowing down his robe.
He was stunned. His face darkened, and he couldn't bring himself to say "insolence." He was at a loss, unable to throw him away. But he was holding him and hadn't even finished urinating when he couldn't stand it anymore. He angrily scolded him and told him to stop immediately.
The wet nurse was terrified, saying that His Highness the Crown Prince couldn't understand anything.
Banban was speechless.
I'm speechless. How can a child stop peeing halfway through? Do you think it's a water pipe that you can just squeeze?
As she played with the child, the thin layer of sweat on her forehead slowly faded. Seeing that she was thirsty, Cong Yun said, "How about I add some diced fruit to that milk and make it into sweet fruit milk for you?"
"..." Who would understand? The maid was single-mindedly urging her to produce and sell her own products.
"All right."
After playing with the child for a while, I took him back to the side hall and helped him wash his body simply. He couldn't take a bath, so this was the only way. However, his hair could be washed normally, and I wrung it out promptly afterward.
Thankfully, she was the Queen. After giving birth, she didn't have to do anything herself. Her husband, the King of Qin, would take time every day to care for her and visit the child. If she had to do everything herself, then I really don't know what the point of having children was.
Banban thought this to herself, feeling utterly bored. She lay down and had her hair dried. After changing her clothes, she lay down to rest. The palace servants combed her hair and carefully applied some fragrant floral essential oil to nourish her hair. After it dried, her hair was as smooth as silk and naturally fragrant.
Ying Zheng returned not too late. No matter what happened outside, he always returned to Zhaoyang Palace with a faint smile, looking around but not seeing anyone.
"Where is the Queen? Has she retired for the night?"
Qian Yin said, "After the Queen finished washing up, the palace maids massaged her head. Perhaps she was too tired, because she has already fallen asleep."
Having said that, she asked routinely, "Would Your Majesty like to order a meal?"
"Pass it on, in accordance with the Queen's example," he said casually.
When talking with the imperial ministers, he naturally made sure not to focus on dinner, even though the table was full of delicacies, he barely ate any.
Turning his gaze, he saw a cup of milk tea on the table. He picked it up and brought it to his nose to sniff. There was no tea flavor, but some diced peach pieces were added to the milk.
My cousin must have been coming; I fell asleep and didn't drink anything.
He brought it to his lips and took a sip.
The milk tea slid down his throat, leaving a faint sweetness on his tongue. He moved the cup away and frowned strangely.
What does this taste like? It doesn't taste like milk.
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Author's note: I've been listening to "Beautiful Myth" on repeat while I'm writing lately, and it fits the Qin Dynasty background so well.
There will be an extra chapter tonight, as usual at 11 PM!
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