"Father, look how terrified Zhu Yao has become by your methods!"
Inside Zhaoning Palace, Gu Qingyan looked at the marigolds sewn onto the sleeve of the robe Jiang Yu had given him, and said to Gu Lin, "I have already ordered that Zhu Cheng is not allowed to take the imperial examination and enter officialdom, but Zhu Yao still insists on banging his head against the pillar."
Gu Lin snorted coldly, "If your mother truly fainted because of Zhu Cheng, then naturally she should kill him."
Gu Qingyan couldn't help but shudder when he said those words.
Gu Lin, with his white hair, should have given off a chilling aura, but he carefully held a bowl of herbal medicine in his hands, checking the temperature before handing it to Jiang Yu, saying, "Ayu, it's time to drink your medicine."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yu put down her needlework, pinched her nose, and drank the medicine in one gulp.
"The medicine Mei Chu prescribed is really bitter."
As he spoke, Gu Lin quickly stuffed a candied fruit into Jiang Yu's mouth, saying, "Eating a candied fruit will make it less bitter."
"Mother, Father has never fed me candied fruit since I was a child."
Gu Qingyan ran up to Jiang Yu and said, "Father, it's not good for you to fight like this. That's why the position of Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review has become vacant. I haven't decided who to send yet."
"I have a good idea."
The sweet taste spread through her mouth, and Jiang Yu leaned back lazily in her chair. "Next March, the top scholar will go directly to the Dali Temple to serve as the Vice Minister. Until then, the position will remain vacant."
"The Lingyun Garden incident at least lets us know that the Great Yu court is not as calm as we imagined. Since that's the case, let it be chaotic."
Gu Qingyan's eyes lit up. That's a good idea!
"As for Zhu Yao, he will naturally have a chance to return to the capital when he has earned merit in the future."
"Let's do as Mother says."
......
The news of Jiang Yu's pregnancy was not kept from Jiang He. Almost immediately after learning the news, Jiang He brought Bai Qian to Zhaoning Palace.
"Your Majesty, are you feeling unwell?"
Bai Qian looked at Jiang Yu nervously, her eyes fixed on Jiang Yu's stomach. "Did Doctor Mei come to take her pulse? Did he say anything?"
A barrage of questions rained down on Jiang Yu, who opened her mouth, then finally burst out laughing.
"Axi, you have so many questions, which one should I answer first?"
"Look at me, I was too nervous for a moment."
Bai Qian was clearly still on edge. "Your Majesty, childbirth is like a brush with death for a woman. Your body was previously damaged, so you must take good care of yourself."
"I know you're worried, Axi. Mei Chu has already prescribed medication to prevent miscarriage, and everything is fine now."
Even so, Bai Qian still held Jiang Yu's hand with lingering fear, and Jiang Yu could feel the sweat on Bai Qian's palm.
"That's good, that's good."
The birth of Jiang Yao left a deep shadow on both her and Jiang He. For four years in a row, Jiang He did not allow her to get pregnant again. Every time they had sex, he would make her drink a contraceptive soup.
“I’m so happy, Axi. When I was pregnant with Ayan, I stayed in Zhaoning Palace every day, and no one kept me company except for the palace servants.” When talking about the past again, Jiang Yu was already at peace. “This time, I want to really experience what it feels like to be pregnant and give birth.”
She was especially grateful whether it was a boy or a girl.
"I felt the same way when I was pregnant with Yao Yao," Bai Qian smiled. "With the Emperor Emeritus and the Emperor by Your Majesty's side, Your Majesty's pregnancy will surely be safe and smooth."
"If I could have a clever little girl like Yao Yao, that would be wonderful."
While Jiang Yu and Bai Qian were already speculating about whether the baby in their bellies would be a boy or a girl, and what it would look like, Jiang He and Gu Lin stood facing each other, their expressions serious.
Is Your Majesty currently in a condition suitable for pregnancy?
The veins on the back of Jiang He's hand were bulging. He knew everything that had happened back then, and the fact that she was pregnant made his heart leap into his throat.
Mei Chu said there was no problem.
"No problem?" Jiang He wanted to punch Gu Lin. "The mole under Her Majesty's eye is still undiagnosed, and her weakness has suddenly disappeared. What if something happens while she's pregnant? You're a woman giving birth..."
At this point, Jiang He couldn't help but get teary-eyed.
When he first heard the question of whether to save the mother or the child, his legs went weak. At that moment, all the blood in his body rushed to his head, and he clearly understood for the first time what childbirth meant for a woman.
"This is my problem."
This was a rare instance of Gu Lin yielding.
“I always thought Ayu wouldn’t get pregnant, so I never thought about the contraceptive medicine.” Gu Lin’s brows furrowed with worry. “Ayu insisted on keeping the child, so I could only protect Ayu and the child.”
"The mastermind behind the cheating scandal is still at a loss."
Jiang He sighed inwardly, "These things all happened after those family heads came to Dayu. Your Majesty, the waters of Dayu are about to be battered by waves."
"If one comes, we'll take it down; if two come, we'll take them both down."
Gu Lin put his hands behind his back and said, "Da Yu and the aristocratic families will eventually clash. Da Yu is not afraid of famous players, but it must guard against hidden attacks."
After saying that, the two looked at each other, both understanding each other without saying a word.
I'm afraid there are already spies from powerful families in the capital of Dayu.
Thinking deeper, it's not impossible that such things might exist in the imperial court as well...
......
Jiang Yu rested in Zhaoning Palace for a few more days before finally arriving at Lingyun Garden in a sedan chair after receiving Mei Chu's "permission".
Lingyun Garden.
Everyone stood waiting outside Lingyun Garden, anticipating Jiang Yu's arrival. They had prepared a belated birthday gift for her.
"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
The clear, melodious female voices rang out in unison, and Jiang Yu couldn't suppress her smile, "Get up, everyone."
Once inside the courtyard, Xie Zhiqing helped Jiang Yu to sit in the seat of honor.
"Your Majesty, we had prepared birthday gifts for you, but something came up and we had to put them aside. Now that we know you are coming, we all want to celebrate your birthday for you."
"A birthday gift?"
Jiang Yu smiled and said, "Your bright futures will be the best gift for me."
"Take the scroll."
As Xie Zhiqing finished speaking, all the women took out scrolls from their sleeves. The scrolls slowly unfurled, and a look of confusion appeared in Jiang Yu's eyes.
The women in the paintings are either dressed as maids, singing in brothels, or washing clothes at home...
"These paintings..."
As Jiang Yu looked at the paintings, a voice rang out, striking her heart like an ancient bell.
"Your Majesty, this is how we are meant to be."
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