Chapter 378: The Country Has No Successor
Ten days passed peacefully.
By February, Zhaohua was already eight months pregnant.
Jamel Xiao was very nervous about her pregnancy and now he no longer allowed her to move around privately.
But this move is not to restrict her freedom.
Instead, wherever she wanted to go, Jamel Xiao would accompany her and take good care of her the whole time, for fear that she would have any unexpected incidents.
If any of the concubines were given his meticulous care, they would probably be moved to tears of gratitude.
But when these benefits fall on Zhaohua, it only makes her feel inexplicably uncomfortable.
On this day, the sky was bright and beautiful, and in the courtyard, flowers were in full bloom, butterflies were dancing, and birds were flying.
The unique fragrance of soil in the spring air, mixed with the refreshing fragrance of flowers, fills your nose.
With the soft sunlight pouring down and shining warmly on people, it is a rare peaceful time.
Taking advantage of the good weather, Zhaohua wanted to take a break and read a book quietly.
But just as I was about to calm down, I heard a big commotion outside the door.
That was the sound of palace servants coming and going.
She knew without looking that Jamel Xiao was here again.
His good mood was instantly shattered. Zhao Hua rolled his eyes helplessly and was too lazy to stand up and greet him with a smile.
She pretended she heard nothing and continued reading her book while sitting in the warm seat.
Soon, she heard light footsteps approaching her.
Then a gentle male voice with a smile sounded behind her.
"What are you looking at? So absorbed in it?"
Zhao Hua's fingertips twitched slightly as he turned the page, and when he suddenly turned his head and met Xiao Jingheng's gaze, he said in surprise:
"Xiao Lang is here?"
She pretended to stand up to greet him, but Xiao Jingheng had already sat down beside her and kissed her on the forehead.
"Why are you reading the Book of Songs today?"
Xiao Jingheng took the scroll from Zhao Hua's hand and smiled as he read the first sentence that caught his eye.
"Preparing firewood, three stars are in the sky. What a night it is to meet this good man."
After saying this, the frown on his eyes deepened, and he held Zhaohua's hand and joked,
"My beloved is always by my side. I just didn't come to see Zhao'er for one day, and Zhao'er missed me like this?"
His eyes were full of smiles, and Zhao Hua did not want to spoil his mood, and followed his thoughts and said:
"If Xiao Lang doesn't come to see me for a day, it will feel like a long time. If I were to say, even if I lived at the head of the Yangtze River and you lived at the tail of the Yangtze River, I would still be suffering from the pain of missing you...ah~"
She was speaking soft words of love when she suddenly uttered a coquettish sound, gently stroked her belly with her right hand, and smiled helplessly.
"This little guy kicked me again."
Xiao Jingheng laughed loudly, and suddenly leaned down, put his ear to Zhao Hua's lower abdomen, and listened quietly to the movement.
"He can be so noisy, he will definitely be a healthy little prince in the future."
'Bang, bang, bang'
A sudden knock on the door forced Xiao Jingheng to sit up straight and straighten his expression.
"What is it?"
"Your Majesty..." Jiang Deshun's timid voice floated in from the crack of the door, "The prefect Yin of Kyoto, Mr. Yang of the Agricultural Bureau, and... and Mr. Yan, the Grand Counselor, are waiting in the Shangshufang at this moment. They said they have important matters to report to the emperor."
Zhaohua watched quietly.
After Jiang Deshun reported the names of the first two, Xiao Jingheng's expression remained calm.
But when he heard the word "great remonstrance", his brows furrowed for a moment, and the disgust in his eyes and eyebrows was about to overflow.
"What is Yan Qi doing here?"
Jiang Deshun's voice trembled as he said, "This... The three gentlemen came in a hurry. I wanted to ask a question, but Lord Yan scolded me and told me to just come and tell the emperor. I won't worry about other trivial matters."
Jiang Deshun is an old man around Xiao Jingheng. Apart from the "great remonstrance" Yan Qi, there is probably no other minister in the court who dares to speak to him like this.
This so-called "great remonstrance" was one of the censors that gave Xiao Jingheng the most headaches in the previous dynasty.
Their job is to supervise the emperor, to give honest advice, and to give frank advice.
Moreover, according to the rules set by the ancestors, those who made "great remonstrations" could not be beaten or punished, let alone deposed. Therefore, whenever he came, Xiao Jingheng had to listen to a lecture.
Xiao Jingheng obviously didn't want to see him, so he just asked Jiang Deshun to send him away.
"Go and tell them I'm busy and ask them to come back another day."
"this......"
Hearing Jiang Deshun's embarrassment, Zhao Hua leaned on Xiao Jingheng's shoulder and whispered softly:
"The court officials came to look for Xiao Lang at this time, there must be something extremely important. If Xiao Lang delays state affairs in order to accompany me, I cannot bear the guilt."
Xiao Jingheng was silent for a while before he sighed helplessly:
"Okay. I'll come see you later."
After leaving Changle Palace, the emperor went straight to the Shangshufang.
Three ministers had been standing outside the Shangshufang door, waiting for a long time.
As soon as Fang Yi saw Xiao Jingheng and completed the formalities, before Xiao Jingheng entered and sat down, Mr. Yang from the Agriculture and Sericulture Bureau hurried to report back.
"Your Majesty, Kyoto, Kyoto is infested with insects..."
"Insect pest?" Xiao Jingheng asked curiously, "Last year, there was heavy snow in Kyoto in winter, and it was warm again after New Year's Eve. How could there be an insect pest?"
Lord Yang wiped the sweat from his forehead and explained, "The insect pest that broke out this time has never happened in Kyoto before. The pests are two types, the green caterpillar and the gray weevil, both of which feed on the tender buds of mulberry trees. They suddenly became a disaster, causing all the new buds of mulberry trees in the suburbs of Kyoto to be eaten away..."
Prefect Yin bowed to Xiao Jingheng and continued with what Lord Yang said.
"Although Kyoto is not as big a farming and textile city as Suzhou and Hangzhou, many people still make a living by weaving. Now that the mulberry trees are invaded by pests, the spring silkworms have nothing to eat and it is difficult for them to produce silk. Now the people of Kyoto have already complained about this matter..."
"Complaints?" Xiao Jingheng waved his sleeves in anger and said unhappily, "If it's a natural disaster, the imperial court will find a way to deal with it. What are they complaining about?"
"I blame the emperor."
Yan Qi, who had been keeping a calm face and saying nothing, suddenly said this in a loud and clear voice:
This made Xiao Jingheng's face turn even darker, and he stared at him sideways.
"What does Lord Yan want to say next?"
Yan Qi bowed slightly to Xiao Jingheng, then said in a voice as loud as a bell:
"People are talking about the fact that the Silkworm Ceremony in March every year has not been held for more than four years since the death of Empress Jiarui. The Silkworm Ceremony is presided over by the Empress, who leads a group of concubines and court ladies to worship the silkworm goddess Leizu, pick mulberry leaves and feed the silkworms in person, and pray to the gods for the prosperity of the textile industry.
The importance of the Silkworm Ceremony is comparable to the Xiannong Ceremony presided over by the Emperor and his nobles. Now the silkworms are not being cared for, which has led to abnormal celestial phenomena. The insect disaster is only in Kyoto now, but if the news spreads to Suzhou and Hangzhou, won’t the people who have just recovered from the flood disaster worry about their livelihoods day and night again? "
Having said this, Yan Qi suddenly slammed his knees to the ground, knelt heavily in front of Xiao Jingheng, and said in a resounding voice:
"The country cannot live without a queen for a day. I ask the emperor to make plans early and appoint a queen as soon as possible to reassure the people!"
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