After Gao Xuance's return, the happiest person was Emperor Jianzhang, as he now had help in handling government affairs. The second happiest person was Chengyun, as father and son could meet often before the war.
On this day, Cheng Yun was released by the emperor. Yao Niang asked the kitchen to prepare delicious food. The family of five gathered together, looking at each other and feeling very happy.
Gao Xuance saw the little kids sitting next to him. Although he was not a very filial person, he felt very comfortable under the lights of thousands of homes.
"Okay, everyone, don't just stand there. Chengyun, we have your favorite honey-roasted quail and crispy fish. Since you don't like mutton, I asked someone to prepare eel noodles. There are also rice dishes such as Pantao Rice and Yujing Rice. Just tell them what you want, okay?" Yao Niang only remembered to let Chengyun enjoy his meal.
After all, Chengze and Xun Ge'er were by his side, and Chengze would have dinner with Yao Niang every night when he came home, so there was no need for him to do so. Yao Niang would ask the kitchen to prepare whatever he wanted to eat.
As long as he has the luck, he will not suffer in Fu Ning Palace, but there will be some inconvenience after all.
Following your grandfather is different from following your own mother.
Cheng Yun smiled and said, "I understand, mother."
The children were not allowed to drink alcohol yet, and Yao Niang was also not allowed to drink alcohol as she was pregnant, so everyone used pulp and honey water instead of alcohol and drank together.
Sometimes Yao Niang is not as meticulous as Gao Xuance. She has always adhered to the principle of grasping the big picture and letting go. Although she likes to worry, she only likes to worry about things she likes. It doesn't matter if she suffers some losses in other things.
Gao Xuance asked Cheng Yun one by one about how his life was in Funing Palace, who he got along with, whether he suffered any losses, etc.
Of course, both father and son are good at riding, archery, and military tactics. For Cheng Yun, he regards Gao Xuance as the only person with whom he can speak freely, because Gao Xuance has practiced martial arts for many years and does not act like a father.
Yao Niang didn't understand a lot of things they talked about, but she didn't interrupt to ask questions. Instead, she took care of the two children while taking careful note of what she didn't understand so that she could learn about it in the future.
She is not the kind of person who would ignore something just because she thinks it has nothing to do with her.
In a family, there must be both a mother and a father to educate their children together so that the children can grow up healthily. For example, when Chengyun said he wanted to go horse racing after dinner, Chengze also insisted on going, and even Xun'er looked at his brothers with eagerness in his eyes.
Before the meal was finished, Gao Xuance found that Yao Niang was already drowsy. He said to the children, "Your mother is very sleepy. I will carry her in to rest."
The three boys were very obedient. They didn't say a word and kept quiet. Yao Niang didn't even notice that she was being carried to bed. She only found herself in bed when she woke up in the middle of the night to drink tea.
She pushed the person next to her: "I want to drink some water."
Gao Xuance was pushed awake from his sleep. He was about to get angry, but when he heard that it was Yao Niang who wanted to drink water, he quickly got up and poured water for her. Looking at her small face hidden in her soft long hair, he felt heartbroken.
"It's all my fault. We have three sons, which is enough."
Yao Niang shook her head: "Well, we are already pregnant, why are you still talking about this? If you say this to our father and mother, we will be really finished."
To be honest, if she was in poor health, had narrow hips, or even had uterine cold and irregular periods, she would not be so stupid as to enter the palace. Although she wanted to be a support for Yu, she was not so stupid as to completely ignore her own life or death.
In her previous life, it was relatively easy for her to give birth to a child in that condition. Although she had some minor ailments, they were all properly managed.
But the imperial physician would prescribe medicine for her from time to time, and she would not hide it. In this palace where fertility plays an absolute role in a woman's development, you can't say that you have it easy. You must say that you also have minor ailments and problems. Only in this way can others feel that giving birth to children is not easy and that it is really hard work for women.
After drinking the water, she went to the toilet again and lay on the bed, feeling upset and irritable and unable to fall asleep.
Huang Rushuang also had trouble sleeping. Her mother Zhuang Lingyi had also returned with her stepfather. When she saw her mother again after returning from the palace, she seemed unable to recognize her.
"Mom, what's wrong with you? Why are you so thin?"
Zhuang Lingyi had been ill for some time at the border since she was humiliated by Gao Xuance last time. Later, she was relieved to see that Gao Xuance did not look for her again.
But from now on she no longer had the airs of a legitimate daughter of the Duke of Xian. No matter what, she had to live her life well now.
The Xian Guo Mansion has become a mere shell, and Madam Zhuang has lost her mind. This has probably happened in the past two years. With her mother, she still has a home. Without her mother, she has no home.
Precisely because she is so clear-headed, she wants to live well because she still has children.
"I'm fine. How about you? How are you doing in the palace?" She wanted to know whether the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess had targeted her daughter.
Huang Rushuang smiled and said, "It's very good in the palace. My daughter and Miss Jing have moved out of the East Palace and have been living in the Hanfang Palace. We usually pay our respects to the Empress, and the Crown Princess always sends us snacks and takes very good care of us."
Huang Rushuang said that she still liked the life in the palace. Although her grandmother's house was good, she was a granddaughter and had to live under someone else's roof.
In the palace, she just needs to follow Jing Wan, and Wan Wan is also a very nice person.
Zhuang Lingyi finally put aside her lofty side and went to Princess Zhenyang's mansion to flatter her. If her daughter wants to gain a foothold in the palace now, she still has to rely on Princess Zhenyang.
There is just one thing. Zhuang Lingyi said to Huang Rushuang: "Don't think too much about what your mother told you before about pursuing a career. With our family background, it's good enough to be valued by nobles."
Even she, the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Xian, had never thought that she would be despised like that by Gao Xuance, let alone a daughter?
Perhaps, she expected Gao Xuance to be tolerant, but at the same time she felt that he might not care about Huang Rushuang at all.
After a while of being distracted, I heard my daughter say, "Mother, I feel that in the palace, although I am just a servant, as long as I am by the side of the Queen, everyone will subconsciously try to please me. Even if the person who comes is a first-rank imperial minister, they will be very polite to me, but my daughter knows that they are not being polite because of me, but because I am by the Queen's side."
Her daughter actually understood something that she had not understood for many years.
When she was very young, she had everything, but she looked down upon it, thinking that a simple life was best. The life in the palace, which was as deep as the sea, would drive a person crazy.
Now she realizes the importance of power and status.
That is the courage to make others shut up, but it is very difficult because her husband does not hold a high position and seems to want to get benefits from her.
But Gao Xuance in the palace made her feel uneasy: "Shuang'er, now that mother is back, why don't you leave the palace too? I think it's not that easy to get by in the palace."
Huang Rushuang shook her head: "If you can choose to fly, who would choose to walk?"
She didn't like her stepfather, who was very rude and snorted while eating. And her stepsister looked at her with unfriendly eyes and was very defensive. In the Duke of Xian's Mansion, she was living under someone else's roof, so it would be better for her to enter the palace.
I heard that the Crown Princess also served as a reading companion before she took the leap.
Moreover, although there are many rules in the palace, she can see hope.
Zhuang Lingyi had no choice but to go to Princess Zhenyang's mansion again while Wanwan was still at home, using his former study partner's identity. Princess Zhenyang met Zhuang Lingyi for a few days after her daughter came back.
She asked Wanwan privately, "Did Miss Huang have an accident in the palace?"
Wanwan shook her head: "No, how could anything go wrong?"
"Then why does she come to my house so often? After Zhuang Lingyi remarried, her personality changed." Princess Zhenyang found it strange.
"I don't know." Wanwan felt that everything was much easier now that she could return to the princess's mansion.
In the princess's mansion, she could do whatever she wanted and was not as restricted as in the palace.
Princess Zhenyang also felt sorry for her daughter: "You have to get up early every day to study. Look at your hair, it has become much thinner."
She herself was in poor health because of the exhaustion from studying. She suffered pain and discomfort all over her body every time she had her period. If it weren't for her desire for her daughter to be given the title of a princess, Princess Zhenyang would have felt sorry for her daughter and wanted to take her back.
"My daughter can't get up in the morning, but she's afraid of what others will say, so she has to wake up early. Mother, it's really hard. My daughter heard that my second cousin is a little behind in his studies, and the Crown Princess even scolded him for not being diligent enough." Wanwan was still frightened after hearing this.
Princess Zhenyang shook her head: "I don't know what the Crown Princess will do? She was so diligent and hardworking before, and she is still the same after becoming the Crown Princess. Let me say--"
She couldn't say anything more about what would happen if the second or third son worked too hard and then tried to seize the throne.
Isn't history going to repeat itself?
But she still knows her limits and won't say anything irresponsible.
Wanwan was puzzled again: "Mom, my uncle doesn't seem to be as good to me as my aunt? Isn't he your biological brother?"
Everyone said that my mother was the only legitimate princess and had been doted on since she was a child, but why did everyone in the palace revolve around my uncle? It was really everyone, including my grandparents and even the Crown Princess. Since the Crown Prince came back, the Crown Princess has been revolving around him.
What's even more exaggerated is that even among the children, Cheng Yun's eldest cousin and his brothers always revolve around their uncle in various ways.
Princess Zhenyang didn't care after hearing this: "Your uncle is the crown prince, this is as it should be."
Since childhood, the Queen Mother has loved the third brother the most. What's so strange about that?
She had been dissatisfied before and even expressed it to Yao Niang, but Yao Niang later became like her mother, almost regarding her husband as her God.
"Wanwan, you must remember, you may be my daughter, but in the palace, you must be careful with your words and actions." She warned her daughter.
Wanwan has always been obedient and listens to her mother.
After Gao Xuance came back, Yao Niang felt more relaxed. After all, one person can make up for one's shortcomings while two people can make up for one's shortcomings. With Gao Xuance around, she had an errand boy who would definitely carry out her orders.
Of course, he couldn't run errands today because today was Chengyun's day to become an apprentice.
Luo Zhizheng was chosen as Cheng Yun's master, and he was also Cheng Yun's grandfather. Cheng Yun was about to bow, but Luo Zhizheng waved his hand and said, "Please don't be so polite. I can't accept it."
"Sir, it is a sign of respect for the teacher that a disciple bows. Please allow me to bow, will you?" Cheng Yun said seriously.
Luo Zhizheng was forced by the crowd to accept the gift with reluctance, looking as if he couldn't accept this. However, he was very happy in his heart. After all, he would be able to have regular contact with his grandson in the future.
Gao Xuance smiled and said, "I will trouble Luoge from now on."
"You are making trouble again. Why are you calling him Old Luoge? Isn't this your old Taishan?" Emperor Jianzhang scolded with a smile.
Although Emperor Jianzhang has loved his younger sons very much in recent years, he somehow always feels that Gao Xuance has not grown up. This morning, the father and son were quarreling, but Emperor Jianzhang still loves Gao Xuance as always.
Luo Zhizheng glanced at Gao Xuance secretly, thinking that even his daughter was coaxed away by him, let alone the emperor? It was rare for a prince to be so favored.
Gao Xuance was unaware of the situation and waited until his son's apprenticeship ceremony was over before returning to the East Palace to tell Yao Niang the good news.
"With my father teaching, there will be no problem. You don't know my brothers. My father is very picky and looks down on everyone, so he has very strict requirements. I feel relieved to have him discipline our son." Yao Niang smiled.
Gao Xuance shook his head and said, "You don't know, this guy is so close to me that I can't stop him."
It is true that only those who are on the sidelines can understand each other. Yao Niang was worried: "What should I do?"
Gao Xuance held her shoulders and said, "Don't worry. Father must have his reasons for doing this. Maybe his health is not very good."
The most direct thing is that almost all the eunuchs in Funing Palace began to pass messages to Gao Xuance from time to time. The emperor's people began to surrender to you, which means that the emperor might have health problems.
He became more and more restrained, and even when Emperor Jianzhang proposed to marry Concubine Li Gui's niece to him as a concubine, Gao Xuance directly refused.
"Father, although I dare not refuse the gift from the elders, the Crown Princess Xianhui also had people to serve her son when she was pregnant. Why bother to marry another one? Besides, she is the niece of Concubine Li Gui, and according to her status, she can be the prince's principal wife."
Emperor Jianzhang was relieved to hear his son's righteous words. Ever since he fainted last time, Concubine Li had witnessed it and was in a panic. She kept mentioning her niece in front of him, as if she wanted him to arrange a marriage for her.
And who has the highest status in this palace? Of course it is Crown Prince Gao Xuance.
Perhaps when I die in the future, the fifth and sixth princes will be able to go to better fiefdoms. Otherwise, Gao Xuance has several sons of his own. Why would he give the good place to his younger brother instead of his own son?
You should know that Concubine Xiaoli's fifth prince is about the same age as Chengyun.
Gao Xuance was a very willful person. He could not allow the emperor to give someone away. Otherwise, he would have to support a woman out of filial piety. How unfair would that be to Yao Niang?
If he had no children, it would be understandable for his father to give someone away like this. But now Yao Niang already has three sons and is pregnant with another. If he gives someone away again, wouldn't that be a slap in Yao Niang's face?
"Okay, I get it. You two are a loving couple. Well, there's nothing else to do today. You can go down first."
If Gao Xuance knew that he was going to entrust his son to someone else, he would have definitely agreed, and guessed his feelings, and would probably not dare to disobey him. Now it seems that his son still doesn't know what his situation is.
When he came back, he immediately reported to Yao Niang: "Don't worry, even my father can't force me."
"But what if father uses this incident to see whether you are filial?" Yao Niang thought this question was sharp, but she still asked it.
Which one does he think is more important, the country or himself?
Just like the desperate meeting he mentioned that year, King Zhuang of Chu would rather sacrifice his beauty to be groped by others than let his soldiers be punished and affect military morale.
Because once a man has power, how many beauties does he want?
Gao Xuance knew that the best solution was to marry Liangdi as well and just have her as a decoration, while he and Yaoniang would get married and be devoted to her.
But he didn't dare to think about it, because he couldn't allow himself to do so, not even in name.
"Even if my father is so rude, I will still disobey his order. The worst that can happen is that I will become a vassal king. I will take back this position myself in the future. I don't want to see you suffer any injustice." This was what Gao Xuance decided.
Yao Niang didn't expect him to say that and didn't know what to say for a moment.
"Are you willing to give it up? Are you willing to give up those who follow you? Are you willing to give up the position that is just one step away from you?" For some reason, she would never ask such sharp questions on normal days.
Gao Xuance walked in front of her and said, "I dare not hide it from you. If I marry someone else, even if I have three wives and five concubines, it is not a big deal for me. But for you, I can give up everything. I will never be coaxed away by others."
Just because it's you——
It's not because I'm philanthropic.
If I don't have you, I'll be the same to everyone else.
"I, Gao Xuance, have been a mixture of truth and falsehood in my life. I have told many lies and have never been sincere to anyone. The only person I will never be unfaithful to is you."
Yao Niang glanced at him. It was already late autumn and beads of sweat were dripping down his forehead. It was obvious that he was anxious.
She pulled him to sit on the armchair and snuggled in his arms: "I believe you."
Gao Xuance buried his head in her shoulder: "No matter what others say, you must believe that I will always be sincere to you. No one can coax me away."
The husband and wife embraced each other and could not be separated for a long time.
Of course, Emperor Jianzhang also told Concubine Li Guifei about the marriage arrangement. This time, he was talking about the marriage of the fifth prince. "I heard that Marquis Jianguo has a daughter, who is the daughter of the first wife. I want to betroth her to the fifth prince, and wait until the fifth prince reaches the age to get married."
As for Shen Xiyin, he didn't mention her at all.
Compared to her niece, her son was able to marry into the Jianguo Marquisate. Concubine Li bowed and said, "I would like to thank the emperor for his great grace on behalf of my fifth son."
She was also smart enough not to ask about her niece's marriage. It was precisely because Concubine Li knew when to advance and when to retreat that the emperor always liked her.
Although Concubine Nali was somewhat disappointed, she was relieved when she mentioned this to her niece: "In fact, if you were really given to the Crown Prince, even if you were as pretty as the morning glory, the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince have a very good relationship. The Luo family is not an in-law like our Shen family, so it would be too easy for them to deal with you. Now that you are free, you can ask your family to find a good marriage for you in the future, and I will be relieved."
Shen Xiyin even said, "My niece is happy to be able to leave the palace. She can often meet her parents outside. The Crown Princess is a very kind person, but my niece thinks that she has been alone in the palace for many years. She was able to resist the powerful Zhou Wangfei and the Fourth Prince's wife. It shows that she is very scheming. I am afraid that my niece is not her opponent."
"Hey, don't underestimate yourself. With your looks and talent, it's easy for a man to fall in love with you." Concubine Li Guifei didn't think her niece was bad.
Just like when she entered the palace, Empress Hong was very favored and she had to serve her carefully, but now the emperor hardly cares about an older concubine.
Men all like young and pretty girls. No matter how much they like a girl, they will no longer like her when she gets older.
Unfortunately, the emperor kept silent, probably because he felt that the Shen family was too low-ranking and the daughter of the Shen family could not even be a concubine. After all, the emperor always gave the best to the prince.
If the emperor disagrees, she will never sing a different tune, and the Luo family is not someone to be trifled with.
Shen Xiyin was a relative by marriage, with Concubine Li Guifei as her favored concubine. She was also very beautiful, and she married into a wealthy family, but this happened later.
Now, Yao Niang has received Gao Xuance's promise. She holds her belly and feels that in this life, she seems to have made up for what she lacked in her previous life.
She is loved by her parents, married to a man of her dreams, holds a high position and will soon be the mother of the world. Even her son is not the Jinyiwei who only did dirty work as in her previous life, but the legitimate grandson of the emperor.
But what about herself?
Although she was grateful that her parents and husband were by her side, she still had to avoid the sharp edge as in her previous life. In her previous life, she did so to avoid Xu Qingrong, and now she did so to be the prince's virtuous wife and loving mother, and she couldn't let the emperor think that she was doing anything wrong.
In fact, the heart is still the same.
Maybe there is something I should do in the future?
Thinking of this, she shook her head.
But Princess Zhenyang came to the palace some time later. She was thinking about Wanwan's title and didn't want the child to suffer. She hoped Yao Niang could help: "You and I were very tired from studying in our time. I only have this one daughter. I don't want her to suffer like us. I just hope she can grow up safely."
This means that I want Wanwan to go home, but before she goes home, I want to get the matter of the princess' title settled as soon as possible.
As expected, she laughed at herself and said, "Actually, I don't care about any false reputation, but my body has been damaged for a long time, and it is impossible for me to have children. I will only feel relieved if Wanwan has an identity to protect her in the future."
"I've also heard about this from my mother. Don't be anxious. The eldest princess's daughter is also in the palace. Unless we reward them together, the emperor will definitely not agree." Yao Niang felt that Princess Zhenyang was too anxious.
Princess Zhenyang said, "After the prince consort returns, we are thinking about returning to Jiangnan. Over the years, I still like being in Jiangnan, where I feel free and unconstrained. So I hope to settle things quickly so that we can leave."
The key point is that Yao Niang herself cannot make the decision, and Princess Zhenyang said this actually to bring it up to her and Gao Xuance.
Their relationship has never been very good. This has nothing to do with Yao Niang. From a very early age, Zhen Yang felt that his mother favored Gao Xuance, so he has always disliked his third brother and often stood up for his second brother.
But as to why Queen Hong likes Gao Xuance, it is probably because he is smart, intelligent, filial, and most importantly, he is on her side.
In the palace, giving birth to a daughter and a son are completely different, unless the girl can inherit the throne. Queen Hong is not stupid, of course she knows how to choose, and Princess Zhenyang is not the kind of person who is good at reading people's expressions and fighting for favors.
In many children's homes, parents are usually partial. Some pity the poor and weak, some want to rob the rich and help the poor, and some like those who are smart and good-looking.
If she were Princess Zhenyang's companion, she would definitely feel sorry for her, but as Gao Xuance's wife, she felt that who would not be partial to Gao Xuance?
After all, he is such a lovely person that makes people's heart beat.
She was always considered fair and just by others, but the only time she showed moral bias was towards him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
