To confer the title of Crown Prince, the Ministry of Rites had to first prepare clothing and carriages, so the ceremony could not be performed immediately. But since Emperor Jianzhang had agreed, Yao Niang was no longer worried.
Seeing Cheng Yun giggling, she said with some emotion: "Your father is so good to you. I just hope you will remember your father in the future."
Gao Xuance, who had just come out of the inner room, heard what Yao Niang said and said, "I think he should remember your kindness. A princess breastfed me herself. My mother never breastfed me! No wonder they say that sons are stronger than ordinary people. I think it's because they drink their mother's milk."
Compared to the wet nurse, Yao Niang was obviously in better health. She was pampered and well-fed on a daily basis, and she was never bored. In Cheng Yun's eyes, the mother came first and the wet nurse took a back seat. This was different from other princes and even Gao Xuance's wet nurse, Fu Ma, was closer to him.
"What nonsense are you talking about? You were not at home. When I gave birth to him, I didn't expect him to repay me in the future. I just hoped that he could be born safely, and I would be very happy." Looking at her son's carefree look, Yao Niang felt that no amount of pampering was enough.
Gao Xuance pinched his son gently, then leaned over to Yao Niang and said, "You should also let me be like Cheng Yun."
Yao Niang immediately understood what he meant and couldn't help but hit him: "You are not learning in broad daylight."
"I understand. As long as you understand it, that's good." Gao Xuance pointed at Yao Niang and laughed.
Seeing that he was in such a good mood, Yao Niang put Cheng Yun in his hands and said, "You play with Cheng Yun. I'm going to play on the swing. I haven't been on the swing for a long time."
Gao Xuance went wherever Yao Niang went, so he quickly said, "I'll go swinging with you."
"Oh, I don't want to." Yao Niang was actually joking, because it was rare for her to play alone, and she didn't want to have a husband and son as a burden.
She really did quickly go to the backyard, and played on the swings with the palace maids, laughing happily.
Bai Ying and Bai Zhi couldn't help but feel happy watching this. No matter what, at this moment, their girl was either someone's wife or someone's mother, or herself.
"Push me higher..." Yao Niang said happily.
Cheng Yun, who followed his father, saw Yao Niang flying so high and wanted to go over to play, but Gao Xuance said silently: "Let your mother have a good time."
She was already a woman when he saw her in his previous life. In this life, because of him, she was not happy for many days after getting married. She was worried all the time and even had to raise a child by herself. It was too much for a girl of fifteen or sixteen to bear.
After sitting on the swing, Yao Niang was sweating all over. She wiped it with a towel and finally sat down. She saw Gao Xuance's wet nurse coming over.
Because of Gao Xuance's relationship, this Nanny Fu was quite respectable in the palace, and Yao Niang gave her generous rewards. Sometimes she asked her son to run errands for her, and Yao Niang didn't care, knowing that he would be greedy for money.
"Mammy is here. The prince was here just now, but he is out now." Yao Niang asked with a smile.
When Nanny Fu was chosen, she was healthy and had fair skin. Now, at the age of over 40, she still looks like a middle-aged person.
"I am here to see the princess. It's not a big deal. My good-for-nothing son has reached marriageable age, so I would like to ask if you have any suitable candidates so that they can work for the masters together in the future." Nanny Fu stated her purpose.
As soon as she gave birth to her son, Nanny Fu entered the palace to feed Gao Xuance. Therefore, she felt very sorry for her son and doted on him very much. However, her son was a gambler.
Normally, out of consideration for Gao Xuance's face, Yao Niang would only let him do some trivial tasks occasionally, and the rewards he got were limited.
Of course, Aunt Fu has the dignity, but how could Yao Niang marry a beautiful girl by her side to him? After listening to Aunt Fu's words, she put the teacup on the table and said, "We'll talk about it if there is a suitable one. I'm young and don't know how to be a matchmaker."
Upon hearing this, Nanny Fu's expression froze. She had her eyes on Danju, the second-rank maid who came with the princess' dowry. Danju was an excellent needleworker and was in charge of the hairpins in the princess' room. She was very trusted by the princess and was considerate and gentle.
But from what the princess said, it was clear that she disagreed.
Nanny Fu had no choice but to laugh dryly and leave. When she left, the maids around Yao Niang all breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing them like this, Yao Niang said, "Don't worry. I won't let such a gambler marry you. In the future, I will choose a good person for you."
Danju heaved a sigh of relief after hearing what Yao Niang said.
As for Nanny Fu, when she saw that Yao Niang was not convinced, she went to Gao Xuance to persuade him, and all she said was to marry someone around Yao Niang so that she could be filial to her master in the future.
Gao Xuance and Nanny Fu had a deep relationship, but after hearing what she said, he said, "You should talk to the princess about this matter and see what she says."
"The princess has always been cautious and doesn't dare to make decisions at will. I just have to see what you think, Your Highness..." Nanny Fu smiled.
Gao Xuance knew Yao Niang had not agreed when he heard this, so he immediately said, "You are his mother, why are you letting the princess worry about choosing a daughter-in-law? She has to take care of the prince and serve the imperial concubine, so she doesn't have the time to do that."
Because Gao Xuance had spoken, Nanny Fu didn't dare to ask any more questions.
Of course, Yao Niang also told Gao Xuance about this matter: "Your foster brother usually makes some money from me, I don't mind. But he has a bad character. If he gets involved in gambling, he will sell his children and daughters in the future, and there is a possibility that the family business will be ruined, so I didn't agree."
So that's how it is. When Gao Xuance was out, he had never seen minor characters like Nanny Fu's son.
"You always have your reasons for doing things. When she told me that, I refused because I knew you didn't agree." Gao Xuance quickly praised himself.
It turned out that Nanny Fu had gone to Gao Xuance to complain. Yao Niang suppressed her anger and said to him, "It's fine to give more money to others, but when you entrust a woman with your life's affairs, you can't choose someone with questionable character."
Gao Xuance nodded: "You are always so kind."
Yao Niang smiled but said nothing.
From then on, the maids around Yao Niang became more loyal. According to the palace rules, Bai Ying and others could not leave the palace until they were 30 years old. Even Yao Niang could not change this rule unless there was grace, so they had to do it one by one.
Bai Ying and Bai Zhi clearly stated that they did not want to leave the palace to marry and wanted to stay with Yao Niang for the rest of their lives. They were the most determined. Yao Niang nodded and said, "I will ask my family to buy 50 mu of land for each of you to live on in your old age. When you are 30 years old in the future, if you want to leave the palace, these fields will be given to you."
Getting married and having children is important, but once you get past that, your status becomes different.
They have the position of female officials beside Princess Chen. If Prince Chen aspires to rule the world in the future, Princess Chen will be the empress, and the maids beside the empress will be more comfortable as teaching maids.
But once they go out, they will not be daughters of officials and will no longer have the status of being close to the empress. From then on, they don't know who they will marry and they will no longer have any status.
Just like Nanny Fu, she was just one of the eight wet nurses of Prince Chen, but she was very respectable.
In addition to the fifty acres of land specifically for old-age support, there are naturally many other daily rewards, which I will not elaborate on. As for those who want to get married, Yao Niang will also see their performance.
Otherwise, if someone does not do things carefully and only wants to step on her to get to the top, if she is given a high position, who knows what she will do with it in the future. As for those who perform well, of course, their respective futures will be arranged, especially for those who serve her. Now, the fifty acres of good farmland is only the minimum guarantee, and the dignity and power in the future are the most important.
It's just that I can't say it out loud.
Nanny Fu didn't get any good thing here, so Gao Xuance was relieved to leave the family to Yao Niang and would not care about her at all.
From then on, the officials in Prince Chen's Mansion showed more respect to Yao Niang.
In the winter month, Princess Lanfeng, the wife of Prince Jinyang, gave birth to a daughter. When the baby was one month old, Yao Niang and others wanted to leave the palace to attend the banquet. This time, Mu Wantong also went.
"Fourth sister-in-law, you are pregnant, can you come over?" Xu Qingrong couldn't help but ask.
These princes' wives are traveling together. It would be bad if something happens to Mu Wantong and they blame her, their sister-in-law.
Mu Wantong smiled and said, "Don't worry, sister-in-law. My baby is safe and everything is fine now."
She is different from the pretentious Yao Niang. Yao Niang doesn't care about her husband's affairs outside the house, but she wants to help her husband achieve great things. It's not that she is reluctant, but now that her body has recovered, she can't help but get up.
The Second Emperor went to provide disaster relief, and needless to say, the Prince of Chen was very trusted and might even lead the army on behalf of the Emperor. If he didn't work harder, the Fourth Prince would be completely left behind.
Yao Niang was very happy to be able to leave the palace. No matter how good the palace was, it would be annoying to be stuck there all the time.
The wife of the Chief Secretary of the Jinyang Prince came out to greet them, and there were also many clan members. Xu Qingrong, as the eldest sister-in-law in name only, behaved very kindly and politely. Yao Niang also acted shy and didn't say much.
When Princess Blue Phoenix came out holding the child, her face looked a little fuller and her eyes were not as sharp as before. Instead, her whole body exuded a soft glow.
She once competed with Yao Niang in piano skills and was defeated with conviction. However, she had a good relationship with Yao Niang afterwards. Moreover, because the relationship between Jinyang Palace and Gao Xuance was close, their relationship was also very close.
"Have you chosen a name?" Yao Niang took off her nail covers and touched the baby's face.
"Yes, the prince said to call it Yugui." Princess Lanfeng was very happy.
Unlike the playboy and philandering Prince Gao Jian of Jinyang, the King of Jinyang himself is not interested in women, so it is rare that he dotes on this daughter so much, which is also a respect for Princess Lan Feng.
"As beautiful as a flower and as charming as a fairy beast, what a good name! It's a good name indeed." Yao Niang praised.
It was a rare blessing for an old man and his young wife to have this child. The princess also had something to rely on for the rest of her life. Otherwise, if she was not favored and was alone in her homeland, her life would definitely be difficult.
Princess Lan Feng smiled and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Princess Chen. I often listened to Buddhist music when I was pregnant. This child seldom cried when he was born. He liked to laugh as soon as he opened his eyes. He is a happy child."
After listening to her, Yao Niang took off a jade pendant and gave it to Princess Lan Feng personally: "I see sadness in this child's eyes, she will definitely be extraordinary in the future. This jade Buddha was given to me by my father personally, so I will give it to her."
Praising a child for being smart, cute, and blessed is a common way of complimenting. Princess Blue Phoenix's home country is a Buddhist country, so the best compliment would be to say that her daughter has a Buddha-like appearance. And for a daughter who has children, it is better to praise her children than to praise herself.
As expected, Princess Lan Feng couldn't help but say happily, "How can a little kid endure this?"
"How can the daughter of Prince Jinyang be such a little child? I think the princess has a noble status, which is just right for her." Yao Niang smiled.
Usually, the women of the royal family had also met the Prince of Chen. The Prince of Chen was a young man who was favored and a close minister of the emperor. He was a little reserved and even quite arrogant. However, the Princess of Chen was friendly. Judging from her appearance, she did not seem like a scheming person. Moreover, she was very fair and just. If anyone gave her generous gifts, she would return them.
However, she usually doesn't like banquets and doesn't socialize with people.
However, Yao Niang knew that if she was just a girl from the Luo family, it would be proper for her to socialize everywhere. But as the Princess of Chen, it would be a bit too conspicuous for her to be too enthusiastic and try to build relationships everywhere.
Here, she also met Princess Zhenyang. The princess had become much calmer now that she was married. There were so many people around, so the two of them couldn't talk much. After finishing their meal and drinking, they went out for a walk to disperse the wine.
"You haven't been to the palace recently, and I haven't asked you how you are doing?" Yao Niang looked at Princess Zhenyang.
Even if the mansion was built outside the palace, there were actually many rules for the princess' mansion. Even the princess and her husband did not live together. However, Princess Zhenyang was a very optimistic person. She said to Yao Niang, "I have been living very well recently. Also, do you know Zhuang Lingyi? He was my former study partner."
Yao Niang nodded: "Of course I know that. She has lived with me for several years, but she always persuaded the princess to get close to Concubine Lin."
"Yes, I remember that she married a man who was the second or the first place in the imperial examination. It seemed that he was transferred to the inner cabinet as a clerk with great difficulty, but he leaked the secret to outsiders, was taken away by the Imperial Guards, and was thrown into prison. Fortunately, he was rescued by the Duke of Xian, and was demoted to a county as a magistrate. She ran around everywhere before and even came to me for help, but this is a national affair, how can I, a princess, interfere?" Princess Zhenyang still sighed when she thought of this.
You have to know that Xiaolun was in charge of the inner cabinet and had experienced countless confidential matters. He was very powerful, but at the same time, the risks were very high.
Back then, Yao Niang heard Luo Zhizheng mention that when he was on duty in the inner cabinet, his limbs were swollen and he was on standby every day. Although they were only clerks in the inner cabinet, none of the six ministers dared to offend them.
When Luo Zhizheng was the Minister of Rites, he specially gave two thousand taels of silver to the person in charge of the study, and the money was from the public account, which was a precedent.
Huang Daobin was probably too proud of himself and didn't do things carefully enough. He was also very proud of himself, so trouble soon occurred.
"Fortunately, Zhuang Lingyi was born in the Duke of Xian's Mansion. Otherwise, after hearing what you said, I'm afraid it would be difficult for him to get out." Yao Niang covered her chest, seeming a little scared.
Princess Zhenyang nodded: "Third sister-in-law is indeed from a family of officials. It is indeed the case. It is really hard to imagine."
Even Princess Zhenyang had heard that if Zhuang Lingyi became her study partner, she would most likely be betrothed to her third brother. Unfortunately, neither her third brother nor her mother liked her.
If Zhuang Lingyi had married the third brother, the current Princess Chen would be the object of praise wherever she went.
However, this is also because of the third sister-in-law herself. If it were Zhuang Lingyi, he might not be able to force his third brother to commit suicide to force his mother to agree to let him marry.
Zhuang Lingyi's story made many people sigh, and Gao Xuance naturally heard about it. He couldn't help but think that those who do evil will eventually suffer the consequences. It seems that what Yao Niang said makes sense.
Zhuang Lingyi was at home getting ready to accompany Huang Daobin to the place where he would take up his post, when the wife of Duke Xian advised her: "Why don't you take this opportunity to divorce? Or you can live in the capital, which is much better than going to that remote and poor place with miasma."
"How can a couple share happiness but not hardships? If this gets out, what will happen to their daughter?"
She married Huang Daobin with great fanfare, but now she has become a laughing stock in the capital. How could she tolerate this?
Her parents were already old, and although they still had authority, her brother and sister-in-law were the ones in charge of the family. Her sister-in-law had some complaints about her, not to the point of being sarcastic, but still very annoying.
After hearing this, the wife of the Duke of Xian coughed heavily several times: "My health is already very bad, what will you do in the future? This time my son-in-law suffered such a disaster, which is enough to show that although he is talented, he is not careful in doing things. You always said that the Prince of Chen was arrogant. Although he has a handsome appearance, he is a snobbish villain. He has some cleverness but no great wisdom. But he defeated the eldest prince and is now more courageous and responsible. His prestige in the army has greatly increased. You really disappoint me."
At this point, the wife of the Duke of Constitutional had no choice but to say something harsh.
My daughter is too stubborn. She won't turn back even if she hits a wall.
"My mother has brothers who take care of her. Since I was the one who was going to get married, I will have to bear the consequences myself in the future." Zhuang Lingyi's words were decisive.
The wife of the Duke of Xian slapped her and said, "You really pissed me off."
But in the end, the wife of the Duke of Xian still loved her daughter, and took out 30,000 taels from her private money to give to Zhuang Lingyi. This was known to Zhuang Lingyi's sister-in-law, who was furious.
"The old lady only loves her daughter and doesn't think about the fact that our mansion is no longer as good as it used to be. This is really too much."
"Yes, last time our aunt offended Princess Chen, she was really asking for her life. She is a married woman, and she always brings trouble to our mansion. It is a good thing that she is gone. The birthday of the Royal Concubine is coming in a few days, so let's prepare a generous gift for Princess Chen." Grandma Zhuang of the Xian Guo Mansion has always been quite witty. She is the daughter of the old Marquis Xuanping, and has always been trusted by her husband and mother-in-law.
Mrs. Zhuang nodded and said, "You are right. I will tell my master about this as well."
…
As the Royal Concubine's birthday celebrations began, no one remembered that Zhuang Lingyi had left the capital. Yao Niang also received generous gifts from the Duke of Xian's Mansion. Knowing their intention to show goodwill, she gladly accepted them and gave return gifts to the Duke of Xian's son's wife and others. Let's not talk about these for now.
Also because of Zhuang Lingyi's departure, the Duke of Xian's Mansion is not as hostile to Prince Chen as before. The old Duke believes in establishing the eldest son as the heir, but the position of the current Duke of Xian's son is not so firm.
Gao Xuance was of course very happy. He said to Yao Niang, "I defeated the Donghu last year, but I'm afraid there will be trouble again. I may have to go on another expedition. If you have any questions, just write to me."
"No, I won't write it. What if the letter falls into the hands of someone else?" Yao Niang looked at him and said.
He had just come back and was about to go out again. She stroked his face and said, "You must come back in good condition."
"Don't worry. Although there are many foreign enemies, the scholars and officials of our dynasty don't take it seriously. According to the rules before my reign, as the emperor of Dalin, I must lead the army in person and win a battle within three years. It's a pity that my father has always been kind and weak, and he has just taken office. My second brother is not good at martial arts, and my fourth brother has no experience. I am the only one left." Gao Xuance did not take the fourth prince seriously.
Yao Niang said, "Your Highness, please do not look down on the Fourth Prince. Before you came back, the Fourth Prince and his wife had private contact with many people, and his foot disease has healed. We can't be surrounded by enemies, but we can't underestimate the enemy either."
Since she was reborn, she found that many things were different from what she imagined. It was not the case that it was in her previous life, and this life would be the same?
Gao Xuance nodded, and was relieved that Yao Niang and she were really devoted to each other, so she couldn't help but smile and said, "Please rest assured, I will definitely make sure everything goes well."
A man like Gao Xuance who is born with great ambitions but is also arrogant and can hardly tolerate failure. Sometimes he may become pessimistic after a setback. Therefore, Yao Niang looked at him and said, "How about this? If you are sad, just send me a message. No matter where you are, I will come to find you. Okay?"
Gao Xuance didn't take this seriously. He knew that nothing is perfect in this world. Moreover, if he was really in trouble, he would never let Yao Niang see it. With her appearance, what would she do if someone coveted her beauty along the way?
"Are you afraid that I will be forced into the forest like King Ling of Chu in the future?" Gao Xuance joked.
Yao Niang covered his mouth: "Stop talking nonsense."
There is no such thing as a foolproof journey on the battlefield, but Gao Xuance actually requested to go to the battlefield when the Western Rong people were fighting, and even wanted to destroy the Western Rong people this time.
It just so happened that Luo Zhizheng had just completed his term as Minister of Rites and was recommended by Yuan Fu to enter the cabinet as the Second Auxiliary, ranking the Fourth Auxiliary. Emperor Jianzhang had always admired Luo Zhizheng's integrity and impartiality. Moreover, Luo Zhizheng seldom formed cliques and was a noble and talented person. Such a person would not be too power-hungry, which was a good thing for the emperor.
The first thing the cabinet discussed was the rebellion of the Western Rong and whether Dalin should send troops.
Emperor Jianzhang executed the Lin and Wang families, firstly because they formed cliques for personal gain and openly caused chaos, and secondly because these two families controlled the country's military and had too much power.
"What do you think of the Minister of War?" asked Emperor Jianzhang.
The Minister of War Jiang Changli was also a famous official. He was the first to support the war: "We won the battle against the Donghu last year. Although they are making trouble on the border, they dare not cross the line. We can fight the Xirong. The Xirong are always brave and have excellent riding skills. Now, they are instigated by the Donghu and are preparing to attack our country. They want fifteen cities. If we don't fight, I am afraid that our country will be destroyed."
Wang Xuening, the Minister of Finance, said, "What the Grand Marshal said is true, but there was famine in the country a few years ago, and there was war last year. How can the Ministry of Finance come up with so much money to support the wars year after year? We even have to go to Shandong to buy food, which is not something that can be done overnight."
The Ministry of Revenue was running low on money, so Jiang Changli pleaded with Yuan Fu, "Yuan Fu, don't you still have 100,000 taels of silver?"
"That's used to buy war horses..." Yuan Fu couldn't bear it.
Emperor Jianzhang was kindhearted and weak. Even when his son rebelled, he was only imprisoned. Yuan Fu and the Minister of Revenue did not support fighting now, but only supported negotiations. Some even said that those fifteen cities were not originally my territory...
The good-natured Emperor Jianzhang was furious: "Let me cede the land, unless I die."
No one dared to say anything more.
"Please ask Prince Chen to come and see what he has to say." Emperor Jianzhang held his forehead with his hand and had to call his third son.
Luo Zhizheng, however, was moved. His Majesty was indecisive by character, otherwise he would not have been so hesitant in the matter of appointing an heir, which led to the chaos of the eldest prince. At this time, he himself could not make a decision. On the contrary, his son-in-law, Prince Chen, was brave and capable, and could emulate his ancestors' ability to lead the army into battle personally. He was better than his brothers.
The ministers of the cabinet and the six secretaries of state were just waiting there with nothing to do. After a while, a young man came in through the curtain. He had a handsome face and was dressed in the clothes of a prince. He walked at a steady pace, with a firm gaze and great authority.
Emperor Jianzhang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "My son, come quickly."
The Prince of Chen, who had been so dignified just now, walked forward with an admiring smile and greeted the Emperor Jianzhang: "Your son Xuan Ce greets you, father."
The Minister of Revenue was crying just now, but when he saw Gao Xuance coming in, he glanced at him. Luo Zhizheng found something strange. Yes, this Prince Chen had worked in the Ministry of Revenue before, and he probably had a close relationship with Minister Wang. Now that Prince Chen is here, the Ministry of Revenue might have to change its tune.
In this way, he is able to make plans and decisions in the inner cabinet. This guy is so terrifying.
It is just around the corner that my daughter will become a famous mother in the world in the future. I was able to vent my anger for my daughter last time, and it can be considered a reward.
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