Chapter 67 Pregnant "I want to take one last look at my cousin."...
Ying Zheng hurried back from Xianyang Palace. Finding the sedan chair too slow, he even ran back. The autumn sun was warm, and he was covered in a thin layer of sweat.
The ministers in the council chamber looked at each other, bewildered, wondering what had happened.
Wang Wan gestured to Li Si, "Does the Chief Secretary know..."
Li Si shook his head, "It's probably not a bad thing." Recalling the maidservant from Zhaoyang Palace who had hurriedly requested an audience earlier, Qin Ju had whispered something in his ear, causing the King of Qin's cups to fall to the ground.
Lord Changping touched his face and said, "There's no use in being anxious. His Majesty will inform us himself."
Lu Buwei sat upright, eyes closed, looking completely at ease, while Marquis Changxin, Lao Ai, twitched at the corner of his mouth, his entire attention focused on him.
When Ying Zheng returned to Zhaoyang Palace, Banban was leaning against the bed. The physician had put away his medicine chest, and all the palace servants in the room were beaming with joy.
Only the person in question sat there, seemingly not quite present.
"So-so!"
The sudden sound startled everyone in the room, and countless people knelt down in an instant. He waved his hand, telling them to get up.
"Cousin, did you run back?" Banban chuckled, touching his face; it was covered in sweat.
"Is this true?" He reached out to touch her stomach, but was afraid of hurting her, so he hesitated to touch her for a moment.
“It’s true!” She took his hand and placed it on her lower abdomen. “It’s a pity it’s still small, so we can’t feel anything yet. You can feel it.”
"I can't feel anything." Her lower abdomen wasn't entirely flat; she must have eaten quite a bit in the afternoon. With the subtle rise and fall of her breath, it was soft and breathtaking.
Banban held his cousin's hand, which trembled slightly. The veins on the back of his hand were hidden in his forearm, and it would go soft if poked.
She used to love playing with the bluish marks on her cousin's hands, but now seeing him looking scared, she felt both amused and sorry for him.
"Cousin, what's with that expression? Are you unhappy?" she asked, feigning displeasure.
"Joy." He's probably gone mad with joy.
When he was young, he had the idea that he didn't want children. At that time, he was immature and only wanted to be with his cousin and not have anyone else in between them.
As he grew up, his thoughts changed. He was the King of Qin, and his throne would be passed on to his child with his cousin. So he had higher expectations for their child.
Looking at my cousin's belly, I felt as if a tiny Qin king had already sprouted inside.
It was formed from the blood of him and his cousin; he was truly ecstatic.
There will never be another child in the world who could make him lose his composure like this.
He pulled her into his arms, gently encircling her waist in a protective and caring manner. "Having a child is not an easy thing. It will be hard on you, cousin."
"This is my child too!" Banban nestled in her cousin's arms, poking his chest, still smiling like a young girl, completely innocent. "I know my cousin won't let me suffer."
Of course he wouldn't let her suffer. In that instant, he had already thought of many things, even how he would teach the child after its birth.
It's time to think of a name, for both a boy and a girl.
He then inquired in detail about the physician's condition.
Banban was less than two months pregnant. Upon careful calculation, it turned out that she conceived during her time in Shu. However, he was quite worried about her recent pregnancy. "A few days ago, I had intercourse with the Queen. Is that alright?"
The physician calmly reassured him, "Your Majesty need not worry, there will be no problem."
"This is because when the fetus is less than two months old, it is still safe and sound inside the amniotic sac, surrounded by amniotic fluid as a buffer, which is enough to withstand external impacts and vibrations. In addition, its position is inside the bones, protected by the bones, and it is not easily hit."
"However, sexual intercourse will be prohibited after two months."
Banban: "..."
Wow, are all physicians this blunt?
She was completely at a loss, and her cheeks flushed red.
Even Ying Zheng had a fleeting moment of unease on his face, but quickly returned to normal.
Neither of them spoke, but the physician was about to continue:
"During the second trimester, which is from five to seven months, it is relatively safe. Your Majesty and Queen may have intercourse appropriately. However, at that time, the Queen's body will be heavy and she may have difficulty moving around. Your Majesty should be gentle and avoid going too deep—"
"Alright, alright, shut up and get out of here!!"
The physician was kicked out, and the couple remained silent, neither of them uttering a sound.
It's unclear who laughed first, but the two embraced again, their hearts filled with anticipation for the future.
Soon, news of the queen's pregnancy spread throughout the court and the country, and the whole nation rejoiced. The most direct manifestation of this was that the King of Qin ordered that the people be allowed to drink freely for three days.
The congratulatory gifts sent from all over the country were almost piled up like a mountain in Zhaoyang Palace. Zhu and Pang entered the palace to visit, and Pang was moved to tears, gently touching Banban's belly.
"Your aunt can finally put her mind at ease," Zhu joked. "Otherwise, she would have been so worried at night that she couldn't sleep."
“Mother should have said so earlier.” Banban was completely unaware. “If I had known, I would have sent someone to knock on Grandmother’s door at night to ask if she was having trouble sleeping.”
Pang laughed speechlessly, then pretended to hit someone with his cane.
After the joke, Madam Pang carefully instructed, "You must carefully check the items that are close to your body before using them. This is a critical period. Although the king has no concubines in his harem, not everyone will be happy with your pregnancy. You can never be too careful."
“Your aunt is right.” Madam Zhu nodded repeatedly. “There are some food combinations that don’t go well with each other. It would be better to have the physician cook for you every day.”
"Don't burn incense in the house anymore, it's easy for someone to tamper with it."
"Yes, yes, I know. My cousins have all sent people to check, and there are no problems."
Pang said that was good, but then hesitated for a moment, "Is Yueji still in Yong?"
"I've already sent a letter; my aunt should be coming back soon."
“She’s lived in Yongdi long enough. Now that you’re pregnant, how could she, as your mother-in-law, not come back to take care of you? I saw her during the Empress Dowager Huayang’s funeral, and she didn’t seem to have any health problems.” These were Pang’s complaints, and Zhu and Banban couldn’t say anything.
As expected, three days later, the Empress Dowager's carriage returned to the capital, Xianyang. The journey was tiring, and Ji Changyue was not in good spirits, but the joy brought by her pregnancy helped to alleviate her fatigue.
Ying Zheng came to greet her and said happily, "Mother, please stay here. I have many things to attend to, so I hope you can take care of my cousin for me."
Banban was puzzled, but she knew best whether her cousin was busy or not. He had indeed been a little busier lately, but he had made all the necessary arrangements for her pregnancy, giving her as much free time as possible and no longer going out to race horses.
How could the affairs be so complicated that the mother needed to take care of things?
Ji Changyue paused for a moment, seemingly pondering something, but quickly nodded without hesitation, "Okay, of course, you can go about your business with peace of mind."
"Then I'm relieved." Banban took her hand and acted coquettishly. "Back then, it was so dangerous, yet Mother was able to give birth to my cousin safely and take such good care of him. Mother is incredibly capable; she's the best mother ever!"
Although Ying Zheng was born with the protection of the late king and Lü Buwei, so there shouldn't be any major problems, this is all about praising Ji Changyue, so naturally we have to ignore them.
"You're so good at talking." Ji Changyue tapped the tip of her nose, recalling the hard but warm days in Handan, and took her son's hand, giving him a gentle smile, "Come on, let's go home."
Ying Zheng slowly withdrew his mother's hand, a faint smile appearing on his face.
The palace servants followed the long procession from a distance, and the last few could still see the Queen Mother punch the King on the shoulder, saying, "You brat, you're really growing taller and taller. I, as your mother, have to look up at you."
The queen then chimed in, "That's right, that's right. My cousin has been eating the magic herb, and he always takes advantage of his tall stature to bully me."
The king smiled leisurely and said easily, "How can you blame me for this?"
"You don't know, your cousin has been a troublemaker since he was a child. He was very naughty when he was born and would deliberately play tricks on people. If he was dissatisfied with anything, he would cry loudly and endlessly. He was not actually hungry or uncomfortable, but he just couldn't be separated from someone for a moment and needed someone to accompany him."
"When he got a little older, he would cause a ruckus every three to five days. Even the late king couldn't do anything about him. After he could walk, he even dared to throw stones at the big yellow dog on the street, causing the late king to pick him up and be chased for several blocks."
Banban suppressed a laugh of surprise and winked at Ying Zheng.
She finally understood who Geng'er resembled; no wonder Ying Zheng admired him.
"Mother is talking nonsense, I don't remember it anymore." Ying Zheng touched his nose and refused to admit it.
"You don't remember, but I do. When you have grandchildren, I'll bring it up again." Ji Changyue said with a hint of self-satisfaction, the redness on her eyebrows from when she was queen slowly fading.
Ying Zheng indeed begged for mercy repeatedly.
After dinner, Ji Changyue and Banban spent the first night alone together. She had a lot to say about the precautions during pregnancy.
They also chatted all night about the interesting things that happened in Ying Zheng's childhood, including but not limited to when he rolled over, when he crawled, when he walked, and when he called out to people.
The next morning, Ji Changyue was indeed concerned. She had to ask about and check what Banban ate at every meal before she could feel at ease. "There's definitely nothing wrong with your pregnancy."
"How can Mother be so sure?" Banban was also very worried because in ancient times, there were no regular prenatal checkups, and it was impossible to truly perceive the condition of the child in the womb, so she was always uneasy.
"While it is true that childbirth relies on women, men also need to contribute."
Ji Changyue's first words silenced Banban.
Yes, they did their part!
Seeing her daughter-in-law's expression, Ji Changyue knew she had misunderstood. "What I mean is, the man has to be in good health. If the man is weak and sickly, or if he drinks and makes merry all day and is addicted to brothels and his body is worn out, then he won't be able to have a child. The child will be unable to have a child and will make the mother feel uncomfortable even before the child is born."
"If a man is physically strong, does not drink alcohol or indulge in pleasure, is chaste and upright, and rarely gets sick, his child will certainly be healthy and will not cause the mother any suffering."
This idea was quite novel to the ancients. It seems that only in modern times, with scientific evidence, have many people come to realize that the success of childbirth also depends on the man. So, shouldn't we...?
Banban asked, "How did Mother know? Did she read a medical book?"
"No, I thought of it myself."
She didn't have the patience to sit down and read. She fainted after only a few glances.
"—???"
“Don’t disbelieve me. Although books may not necessarily write it this way, what you see is the truth,” Ji Changyue said, widening her eyes as she tried to persuade Banban. “I’ve seen a lot since I was a child, and those situations are almost exactly what I’m describing. I’ve also drawn conclusions from them.”
Ji Changyue's beautiful face was full of 'what's written in books is bullshit,' which reminded Banban of Ji Hao, who taught Ying Zheng to read in Handan.
When talking about sages like Confucius, he looked disdainful and said, "Sages my foot! They only speak according to their own ideas. How can they educate the world? It's utter nonsense! Zheng'er, you must not listen to them."
Banban suppressed a laugh and said seriously, "I will listen to my mother. My cousin has always been upright and honest. He is good, and we will all be good too."
For several days in a row, Ji Changyue stayed with Banban every night. Ying Zheng gradually began to have some complaints, but he was dismissed before he could say anything. "You are tall and strong, and you have always loved to cling to Banban since you were little. What if you roll over and crush her while you are sleeping at night?"
Ying Zheng was speechless; he couldn't refute those words at all.
After sleeping alone for two more days, he couldn't stand it anymore, so he simply had the palace servants set up a bed outside the inner room and behind the screen, where he could make do with sleeping.
Occasionally, he would wake up in the middle of the night and couldn't help but go to his bedside to check on his cousin. Only when he confirmed that she was lying there peacefully asleep, breathing and with a pulse, and that her cheeks were soft and warm, could he feel a little at ease.
The two did not sleep together before they got married. At that time, he did not think anything of it. When he missed his cousin, he would ask someone to tell him what she had done, said, ate, and slept for that day.
Now he couldn't bear being apart from her, and an immense anxiety welled up inside him, as if she would stop breathing and die if he couldn't see her for even a moment.
The last time she felt this strongly was when she was a teenager and wanted to leave the palace and return to the Ji family.
Ji Changyue got up in the middle of the night and was caught off guard to see a dark shadow standing in front of her bed. She was so frightened that she almost screamed. When she saw who it was, she was furious and angry. She almost kicked him and yelled at him in a low voice, "What's wrong with you?!"
"Did I scare you by glancing at my cousin?"
What do you think?
Ji Changyue shoved his shoulder, "If you don't sleep, you'll stand by the bed like a ghost. If Banban wakes up and sees you, he'll scream in fright!"
"Let me take another look."
Ying Zheng bypassed Ji Changyue and only saw his cousin's chest rising and falling rhythmically as she slept soundly and sweetly. Her delicate, curled eyelashes reflected a dark orange glow in the dim candlelight.
"What are you looking at? Aren't you going to court tomorrow?" Ji Changyue was completely baffled. She shoved his shoulder and they left the inner room together. "Did you have a nightmare?"
No, not at all.
"Can't we see it all day?"
"no the same."
"What's different?"
"..." He didn't say anything.
In the latter half of the night, neither the mother nor the son continued to sleep; they sat together under the eaves, gazing at the moon.
"Mother, what did you look like when you were pregnant with me?"
Ji Changyue paused for a moment, then unconsciously recalled the events, her tone suddenly turning melancholy, "Back then, when I was pregnant, your father was the same. He always had trouble sleeping at night. Once, when I woke up, I found him checking my breathing. He said he was afraid I wasn't breathing."
Ying Zheng turned his head to look at her.
“At that time, I was the only one by his side, so he loved me more than anyone else. The child in my belly was his only offspring.”
“If it weren’t for how good he was to me back then, I wouldn’t have been able to wait for so many years.”
In any case, during those years in Handan, Ying Yiren truly loved her. He was a prince of Qin, handsome, and without any airs of a prince. He was humble and eager to learn, treated her gently, and was willing to listen to her.
At that time, Ji Changyue only had him in her heart.
Relying on love for two or three years, she endured six or seven years of loneliness in Handan. She thought that she could finally hold her head high after returning to Qin. She didn't understand politics or factional disputes.
It was indeed a triumphant moment, but there was also much more repression and forbearance. Even as King of Qin, Ying Yiren still had to rely on Lü Buwei's policies in every aspect. If he tried to please Lady Huayang, wouldn't she suffer?
She was neither a good queen nor a good empress dowager, because no one taught her.
However, she was quite proud of rising from a mere dancer to the positions of queen and empress dowager.
“It’s all in the past.” Ji Changyue smiled. “My son is the King of Qin, and no one will dare to bully me anymore.”
Ying Zheng smiled and said that was of course, then brought up another topic, "Was Father the man who loved Mother the most?"
The faces of Ying Yiren, Lü Buwei, and Lao Ai instantly flashed through Ji Changyue's mind. She knew her son was unaware of her relationship with Lao Ai, so he must be asking about Lü Buwei.
“You child…” She was speechless for a moment, her heart filled with a sense of avoidance and unspeakable unease. “I thought you would never want to talk about this in your entire life.”
“I’m past the age of holding grudges, and I shouldn’t have held grudges back then, because it wasn’t Mother’s fault.”
Ji Changyue's eyes reddened, and she lowered her head to hide it. She stroked her son's forearm and spoke frankly and without reservation, "Lü Buwei... he has no feelings for your mother."
"They only thought I was a rare commodity because they saw that I was beautiful and had good singing and dancing skills."
"You may not know how much benefit Lü Buwei gained by sending beautiful singers and dancers to powerful figures to make friends and form alliances."
"Although he was also a merchant, he did not make money for a living, but rather gave it away to others in exchange for the power and influence he desired. Therefore, he was highly respected by the powerful and influential and held a prominent position."
“Our Ji family is different. Your uncle’s family has been doing business for many years. Although they have some money, they have no status, and are even of low status.”
From this perspective, it refers to political status. Merchants during this period had extremely low status; no matter how wealthy they were, they had no political standing.
No matter how wealthy a family is, without power, it is nothing more than an appendage of the powerful, and beautiful women are merely gifts that can be given away at will in the game of power.
Ji Changyue was a precious gift that was perfectly packaged back then.
“Back then, he took in countless singers and dancers. I was just one of them. He gave the others away. I was fiery and unwilling to admit defeat, so he only glanced at me a few times.”
"He may have had feelings for me during those days, but ultimately his ambitions were more important."
“When your father visited Lü Buwei’s residence, he took a liking to me at first sight. Without a moment’s hesitation, he immediately gave me to your father. At that time, I knew that Lü Buwei was a man with no feelings in his heart but only power.”
Why would Lü Buwei allow these singers and dancers to become pregnant if he intended to give them away? He was shrewd enough not to leave behind such a troublesome situation that could be easily dealt with.
Therefore, when Ying Zheng first ascended the throne, Ji Changyue considered those who said he was the son of Lü Buwei to be pure nonsense, slander, and mudslinging, which angered her so much that she smashed several sets of porcelain.
"My dearest..." Ji Changyue was momentarily lost in thought. She wasn't still thinking about Lü Buwei, but for a split second, she noticed something subtle amiss in the comparison between Ying Yiren and Lao Ai.
Although after becoming King of Qin, Ying Yiren had so many unavoidable circumstances, causing her to suffer so many grievances—
But it seems that he is the one who loves her the most.
The brain began to make uncontrollable comparisons, quickly listing and placing past experiences with Ying Yiren and his interactions with Lao Ai together for people to examine.
Ying Zheng lowered his eyes and remained silent, waiting for his mother to think.
These days, Marquis Changxin, Lao Ai, who has been dispatched to the capital, keeps sending letters into the palace, trying to contact the Queen Dowager and urge her to return to Yong. He has forgotten that the Qin Palace is his territory. Will these letters even reach the Queen Dowager's hands...?
His word is law.
He urged her to return to Yongdi, perhaps wanting her to develop a mother-son bond with the twins she had conceived? He wouldn't grant his wish. If she endured these ten months and the affection faded, and she realized that Lao Ai had deceived her, she would hate him to the bone. He understood Ji Changyue's character; she was someone who clearly distinguished between love and hate.
At that time, those two wretches will be at his disposal.
He can make them die however he wants!
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