Chapter 66 Pregnancy "Innocence stems from happiness."...
Yingyue probably never imagined that at this hour, the couple would still be eating. They were having a popular antique soup, but the one the queen was using was different from the traditional one. It contained butter and other spicy seasonings, and it was bubbling away, exuding a wonderful aroma.
As soon as they came in, the pungent smell made Ying Yue want to sneeze, while the aroma made her mouth water.
"Sister's here, Qianyin, add another set of chopsticks and a bowl!" Banban turned to Qianyin and instructed her.
"I—" The hasty refusal was barely out of her throat when Ying Yue met Ying Zheng's gaze and immediately swallowed it back, obediently sitting down next to the Queen.
Although he only glanced at her lightly, Ying Yue instinctively felt that she should not refuse the Queen's kindness.
Yingyue is now the daughter of the Empress Dowager. On the surface, she cannot observe mourning for Lady Han and Empress Dowager Huayang, probably because her conscience wouldn't allow it. Although she is not wearing mourning clothes, they are still simple and elegant.
Banban and her cousin never asked the palace servants to serve them food when they ate together. However, other people in the palace were very particular about their meals. Every bite of food had to be served by the palace servants, who would prepare it to the best temperature and taste before placing it in their master's bowl. This was especially true for noodles; the servants would pick up a piece of noodles and place it in front of their master, and he could only take another piece after he had finished eating.
Banban, being particular, picked up clean chopsticks and used them as serving chopsticks to scoop some fragrant cooked vegetables for her. "Try it, I bet you haven't had it before, it's delicious."
I didn't dare pick up any meat or vegetables because the other person's biological mother had just passed away not long ago.
As a result, Yingyue kept drinking tea because of the spiciness, and her face turned bright red.
It was so awkward that Banban didn't dare to serve her any more.
After a quick lunch, Banban sent her cousin, an outsider, to rest. She then took Yingyue for a walk in the yard. Her potato seedlings were already as tall as her forearm, and she watered them as she went.
Once everyone was alone, Banban asked, "Have you encountered any difficulties? Please tell me."
Ying Yue felt conflicted. She used to think Ji Chengyin was foolish and naive, but kind and cute. Now that Ji Chengyin was being so considerate, she felt a little uncomfortable.
The discomfort stemmed not from anything else, but from an indescribable bitterness that made her heart ache.
"Sister Wang, I've come here recently because I have some misunderstandings that I want to explain to you."
"Are you talking about your affair with Meng Tian?"
Ying Yue was slightly taken aback, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "How did you know?"
"Am I that stupid?" Banban put on a profound and inscrutable expression, but it was all an act.
"..." Yingyue hadn't expected the Queen to know everything. Had she been hiding her abilities before? Her impression of her was completely refreshed in an instant. Unconsciously, she awkwardly turned her head away. "Since the Queen knows, then Yingyue has nothing more to say. However..."
"What?"
“Meng Tian’s wife, Lady Bu, helped me out of that predicament that day, and I owe her a debt of gratitude.”
“She didn’t care.” Banban was curious. “But I really want to know what you said to her back then?”
Ying Yue pursed her lips, remained silent for a long time, and then frankly said, "I tried to coerce and entice her into leaving the marriage, but she remained neither humble nor arrogant, and argued her case with reason, showing no fear of me whatsoever." To be honest, Ying Yue was somewhat shocked at the time, and for a moment she admired such a woman.
Strangely enough, when Ying Yue wanted to marry Meng Tian, she didn't do anything despicable, like drugging or seducing someone, as one might expect. Instead, she went directly to Madam Bu and told her, as if she could succeed if Madam Bu agreed. She didn't even consider Meng Tian's opinion.
Meng Tian is a normal man. According to what his cousin revealed a few years ago, Meng Tian was not entirely unmoved by Ying Yue when he was young, but he did not want to be used by the Chu faction, so he gave up that idea.
It seems that Ying Yue was pursuing Meng Tian relentlessly, while Meng Tian kept his distance, but in reality, it seems that the situation was not so simple from an emotional perspective.
After a moment of contemplation, Banban hesitated and asked, "Yingyue, is marriage to you merely a tool to maintain your power?"
Ying Yue didn't answer immediately, but looked into her eyes with a puzzled expression. After two seconds, she said in confusion, "Isn't that so? In the royal family, whether it's a prince or a princess, marriage is never their own choice. The only difference is that men can marry multiple wives, while women can only serve one husband."
“But in the long journey of marriage, how difficult would it be if there were no feelings to sustain it?” Banban said earnestly. “Your husband’s family is your second home, a home without blood ties. If there is only cold power dynamics between you, can you still be happy once the balance is lost?”
"Chengyin." This was the first time Yingyue had called Banban by her name. They had grown up together since childhood. She stared at her and said, "You are too naive. Feelings? Feelings are the things that cannot be forced. You are lucky to have met your brother when he was still a nobody. Otherwise, you would never have been able to be together."
Seeing Banban's sudden change in expression, she continued, "I know this sounds harsh, but I'm a straightforward person, and I can't hold back my words."
“I knew my mission as a princess from a very young age. I never fantasized about so-called love. Since it all comes down to exchanging oneself for benefits, why not plan for the people I care about most? My grandmother wanted to win over the Meng family, so I went, but I didn’t succeed.”
“I’m a hot potato; the Meng family doesn’t dare to marry me.”
“But it doesn’t matter who I marry. I might be better off as a princess. No one would dare to mistreat me, as long as I don’t marry into the royal family. If I say no, my husband wouldn’t even dare to openly take a concubine.”
“You are different. Even though the Ji family is your brother’s maternal family, you might be able to marry into a good family because of that. But men are all the same. No matter how beautiful a bride is, the novelty wears off after a while. How many men in the world don’t take concubines or seek out women? If you are harboring feelings of love, then you will suffer for a lifetime.”
The atmosphere suddenly froze.
Yingyue was indeed straightforward and said what she meant. She was not good at flattering others. After she finished speaking, she remembered Madam Han's instructions before her death and regretted it.
Unexpectedly, the queen did not immediately lose her temper.
"I was very angry at first, but after hearing what you said, I'm not angry anymore." Banban's face was tense. "It's true that there are very few men in the world who don't take concubines or seek out women, but that doesn't mean these men are not wrong. Since women are required to be faithful, they should also be faithful themselves to be fair. If not, then it is a one-sided exploitation and bullying of women by men."
Upon hearing this, Ying Yue took a half-step back, momentarily stunned by such explanation, and stammered, "You—"
"If you are being bullied or exploited, just abandon that man! Following your own thoughts is not difficult."
"This has nothing to do with whether you are a princess or not. Only by standing up for yourself can you avoid being looked down upon."
"Furthermore," Banban said with a forced smile, "it is indeed very lucky for me to meet the King, and it is also very lucky for the King to meet me. I think I am very good. No matter what others think of me, I think I will always be confident and cherish myself!"
If you don't love yourself, who can you expect to love you?
"I refuse to follow others in belittling and bullying myself."
Do things that benefit yourself, not others. Confidence makes people radiant, so that they will not be defeated no matter when or where.
The queen left with a triumphant and imposing air.
Ying Yue stood there, gazing at her retreating figure, lost in a long, bewildered state.
"Take care of yourself?" She slowly squatted down, looking at the unfamiliar plant in the pot.
Just as she squatted down, the plant's buds slowly opened, revealing a cluster of pale purple petals.
Yingyue rested her chin on her hand, gazing at the cluster of flowers for a long, long time.
Ying Zheng was a light sleeper to begin with, and with his cousin tossing and turning beside him, he simply got up and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
"No!" She lay with her back to him, looking exactly like a sheep struggling against the bed, and she said those two words very quickly... her speech was just like that too.
"Then why are you sulking?"
"Give birth to your own children."
Banban jumped up abruptly, her eyebrows raised, and shouted loudly, "I just had a fight with Yingyue, so I didn't perform well."
"..." Ying Zheng was speechless.
"Why don't you ask what Yingyue and your cousin had a fight? Don't you care about me anymore?"
She was being completely unreasonable, tugging at his clothes and making a scene.
Even a fool could guess what these two would argue about, and there was no need to ask, "What did they argue about?"
Now she had something to say. She grabbed his hand and kept rambling on and on. She would repeat a sentence Ying Yue said, and then she would frown and comment on a whole bunch of things she was unhappy about.
Ying Zheng patted her shoulder lightly, as if soothing a baby, and said sarcastically, "To say you are innocent and naive is to praise your happiness. How can someone whose life is miserable be innocent?"
My cousin's words immediately calmed me down; there's some truth to that.
She rested her head on his shoulder for a while, lost in thought, but ultimately didn't reveal what Yingyue had said about her good fortune. Otherwise, he would definitely be angry, and who knows how he would punish Yingyue.
When night fell, Yingyue came to apologize.
She brought two gifts, one of which she entrusted to deliver to the Meng residence; it was for Madam Bu.
“I don’t want to come forward myself, otherwise it will attract attention from others, and the Bu family will also have more concerns.”
Before Banban could speak, a voice came from outside, "So Princess Yongning has a day when she thinks of others? It's truly as if the sun has risen in the west."
Who else could it be but Yang Jiang?
Ying Yue nearly lost her composure. "How could I possibly compare to Princess Yang Jiang's majesty? How dare I, your younger sister?"
“I can’t stand your flattery now,” Yang Jiang smiled, her words carrying a hidden meaning. “I am the eldest princess, that’s true, but Princess Yongning is the legitimate princess. I can’t compare to you.”
The title of legitimate princess, which she had worked so hard to obtain, was obtained in such a way. These words were like a stab to Ying Yue's heart. Her expression immediately turned ugly, and although she moved her lips, she said nothing.
"How rare! He doesn't get angry or argue with me." Yang Jiang peeked out with a curious expression. "That's it. Once you're married out of the palace, you'll probably hear these words quite often."
Ying Yue was taken aback and frowned: "You did this on purpose?"
"Who cares about whether it was intentional or not?" Yang Jiang rolled her eyes at her, then turned to ask Banban for food, "I thought the dried peaches from last time were pretty good, do you have any more?"
"You're just a debt collector." Banban glared at her and ordered Congyun to fetch it.
Yang Jiang, thick-skinned, ignored it and sat down, then took the initiative to say, "I know the Bu family. I've heard from the common people that she is the Goddess of the Brush."
"What 'Brush Lady'?" Ying Yue had never heard of her.
"It was she who, together with Meng Tian, improved the calligraphy brush, greatly increasing its utilization rate. A brush, if properly maintained, can be used repeatedly for a long time, unlike before, when some places even erected stone statues in her honor." Banban also heard about this and ordered a plate of fruits and stir-fried milk tea to be served.
"I really want to see her," Yang Jiang thought to herself, resting her chin on her hand.
"Meng Tian has rendered meritorious service, so he will bring her to the palace banquet this year. You won't have to worry about not seeing her then."
"It's so far away, you can't possibly see a ghost."
Ying Yue was startled and repeatedly turned her head to look at Yang Jiang.
"What are you looking at? We're in private now, can't we speak freely? Does the princess have to be so proper all the time?" Yang Jiang rolled her eyes again, speechless.
When Ying Zheng returned, he heard the three women, aunt and sister-in-law, laughing and joking. Back then, when they returned to the Qin Palace, Banban was only eight years old, Yang Jiang was seven, and Ying Yue was six.
Now Banban is twenty, Yangjiang is nineteen, and Yingyue is eighteen. This can be considered a kind of experience of growing up together. However, back then, they were all on their own and their relationship was not close. They even occasionally clashed.
"I wonder how things are in Liyang?" Yingyue suddenly asked.
Princess Liyang was the same age as Yingyue, but she married exceptionally early. Two years after Banban and Yingzheng's wedding, she was hastily married under the urging of the remaining Zhou royal family. It is said that her husband was also her cousin. How could this not be considered as returning to the Great Zhou that her mother longed for?
The other two were unaware that, as the Queen, Banban was obliged to exchange gifts during festivals and holidays, and she did indeed know some of the inside story.
It's not appropriate to tell the two of them.
The three talked for a while longer, and only after listening to Qin Ju's conversation outside did they realize that Ying Zheng had returned. Ying Yue and Yang Jiang quickly got up to say goodbye.
"What did you and Li Si eat in the council hall? Are you still hungry? There's still some milk tea left."
"I won't drink." After casually naming a few dishes, Ying Zheng lay down on his side and casually flipped through a book. "Tea is indeed refreshing, so you shouldn't drink it after nightfall either."
Banban: "Oh."
“The princess who has been married off, I don’t know when she will be able to return to Qin.” She peeled melon seeds. “Yang Man is fine, she is doing well now, her position is stable and no one dares to look down on her, but Liyang is really not suitable.”
"At such a young age, only eighteen, she is already a mother of two. She is so physically exhausted, yet no one cares for her over there."
"She chose it herself." Ying Zheng said calmly. "She has grievances against Qin and will not come back." Saying she had grievances was a euphemism; she probably hated Qin.
"The frequent births were a deliberate attempt to create an offspring with bloodlines from both the Zhou and Qin states." There's a lot more to this than meets the eye.
Banban hesitated, then remembered something: "Why leave the remaining royal family members alive after the country is destroyed?" If the six countries are destroyed, wouldn't there be remnants of the six countries? This is a huge threat. Don't they want to restore their country?
"Father may not have been merciful enough to spare their lives back then." Ying Zheng sighed and closed the book. "Firstly, the vassal states of today were ultimately enfeoffed by the Zhou royal family. To destroy them and then uproot them would easily provoke the anger of the six states. Secondly, it was to appease the people of the Zhou royal family, to let them know that losing a battle would only mean a change of ruler and would not affect their lives. Killing them would easily provoke a backlash."
"How could we not know that their minds are wavering and they are not truly surrendering? But there is no other way to suppress them in the short term." Ying Zheng paused briefly, lost in thought, and then got up and went to his study.
"Time to sleep!" Banban called to him from behind.
"You go to sleep first, I'll be back in a bit." He didn't turn around.
He would only lie to her about such things, and she was afraid he wouldn't come back to sleep tonight. She told Qin Ju to prepare two of Ying Zheng's favorite nighttime tonics and to urge him to rest early.
Qin Ju kept saying "Hey, hey," but he was thinking to himself, "My Queen, how could the King listen to me?"
Anyway, Banban needed to rest. She was particularly tired today, even though she hadn't done anything.
One autumn rain brings a chill; I woke up to find it was raining outside.
Summer passed slowly. I took an umbrella outside to check on the potato seedlings. The flowers were blooming profusely, which meant that potatoes had already begun to grow underground.
Using a small stick to pry open the soil, sure enough, there were several small, round spheres, each about the size of a thumb, growing together. Yun exclaimed in surprise, "It's fruiting, Queen! It's fruiting!"
"Quickly cover it up, don't disturb the little potatoes." Banban hurriedly dug out the soil and covered it up.
"Could it possibly become a spirit?" Cong Yun covered her mouth and chuckled.
“Yes, I think so,” Banban said earnestly. “Don’t you know that’s how ginseng is? If you don’t tie it with a red string when you find it, it will grow two legs and run away.”
"Then let's keep our voices down." Cong Yun covered her mouth.
Banban hummed in agreement, then asked, "How has the Princess of Chu been these past two days?"
“She’s very well-behaved, never coming out of her room. She asks the servants for books and scrolls, and once she starts reading, she doesn’t put them down. Sometimes she even forgets to eat.” Congyun muttered, “I’ve never seen such a strange princess before.”
"However, according to the Prefect, this Chu princess is not very favored in Chu. She is practically invisible. If the Prime Minister hadn't selected her according to the criteria, no one would have noticed her."
"What kind of books does she read?" Banban asked.
"It seems like most of them are medical books," Cong Yun tried to recall. "He also read some astronomy and geography books."
Why does it feel like this princess is giving up a bit?
While in Shu, she still wanted to put up some resistance, since her mother was in the hands of the King of Chu. But after arriving in Xianyang, she became completely powerless.
“If you love reading, there’s nothing wrong with reading more,” Banban instructed. “Send her two copies of the medical books that I and the other physicians have been compiling over the past two years.”
From the clouds, none could disobey.
The drizzle lasted for two days. After the weather cleared up completely, it got a degree colder. Banban was worried about the two Pixiu, so she went to Taxuexuan to check on them.
The grass outside was soaked by the rain, and two Pixiu were rolling around happily, their bodies covered in dirt. Qian Yin was screaming and yelling at them until her voice was hoarse.
Upon seeing this, Cong Yun couldn't help but laugh.
"Your Highness, you have no idea how difficult these two are to wash," Qian Yin said with a bitter face. "No one else dares to approach them easily, so only this servant can do it."
"I'll give you a tip!" Banban rolled up her sleeves. "I'll try it too. How do you wash it?"
"How can we allow that? They're stronger now, we don't want them to hurt you." Qian Yin and Cong Yun wouldn't let her get close no matter what they said.
"It's alright. These two have been by my side since they were young. How are they any different from my own children?"
When I went inside, wow, there were two mud bears, their black paws covered in mud. They smelled the scent of the mud bear and rubbed against me, making little noises as they did so.
Banban gave them sliced naphthalene fruits to eat.
Despite their large heads and mouths, their teeth are surprisingly flexible. Even if food the size of a fingernail is placed right in front of their mouths, they won't bite your hand.
After feeding them, she touched their big noses. Xuanxi puffed out air, poked its head in, and rubbed its head against her hand, its dark eyes reflecting her face.
"Hands." Banban reached out to it, and it sat down with its paws out, hugging the person's leg.
The claws had already been rinsed; all that was left was to wipe them clean with a cloth. Before Xuanxi's claws were even finished being wiped, Xuanjiao's head popped out from under Banban's arm, trying to compete with her brother for his favor.
Xuanxi was unhappy and squeezed it.
Xuan Jiao roared and bit its ear.
Xuanxi immediately became obedient.
"Oh my, baby, you're so cute." Banban Kele murmured, rubbing Xuanjiao's big head and giving him a kiss.
Just then, Xuan Jiao raised his head, and his wet nose touched Ban Ban's lips, a crisp bamboo fragrance filling his nostrils.
"vomit--"
She covered her mouth, her stomach churning.
Qian Yin was terrified and quickly helped her up, then sent someone to fetch the physician.
Cong Yun was overjoyed, "Your Majesty, could it be that you—"
Banban looked bewildered. "Huh?"
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