Merry Christmas to everyone
While most people eagerly await pregnancy, the Crown Princess, in her current situation, wishes she could postpone it. She already has two sons and doesn't have an urgent need for children. Her priority now is to minimize the excuses people have for filling her household with children.
Unfortunately, there were so many young women living in the palace right now, and the candidates were all ready. If she wanted to do it again...it's better to be safe than sorry, she had to come up with a plan.
Perhaps there were a few talented individuals left among the common people, but in terms of overall quality, the average level of the imperial physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau was definitely the highest in the country. The imperial physician assigned to take the Crown Princess' pulse was likely above average in skill. How to deceive this imperial physician was a skill.
With current medical standards, it's only possible to confirm pregnancy after taking a pulse two months later, but even without taking it after four months, you'd know for sure! She wasn't even two months pregnant yet. Shujia decided to give it a little time.
On the fifth day after Student Pang started school, Student Pang's mother felt unwell, so she called the imperial physician to see him. At that time, Student Pang's grandfather and father were at work.
The Forbidden City was undoubtedly a gathering place for the powerful and wealthy. Those who lived there and could be called masters were both powerful and valuable. However, masters were also divided into different levels, and the one before him could definitely be classified as super.
The illnesses of the women in the palace all had a common trait: serious illnesses never lasted long, and those that did were not serious. The imperial physicians were accustomed to seeing all sorts of ailments among the women of the Forbidden City. Most of the ladies fell ill every two or three months. These were often diseases of the wealthy. Whenever the imperial physicians were summoned, they wouldn't say anything, but they'd think: You're "sick" because you're too well fed and idle.
But I can't neglect them, especially the one in front of me.
The imperial physician felt the patient's pulse but couldn't find anything wrong, realizing it was the disease of the wealthy. He vaguely said it was the onset of summer's sweltering heat that had caused him some discomfort. Shujia gave Hongxiu a look and sent him to write a prescription.
Hongxiu led the imperial physician forward while whispering, "Ever since our Third Prince was brought to the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the master has missed him."
Those who followed the Crown Princess were all very discerning people, and naturally they also wanted their master to continue to be cared for by the Crown Prince. These days, the Crown Princess missed the little prince, and the Crown Prince has been accompanying the Crown Princess. Hongxiu and others saw it clearly. She has been serving her personally, and she is also aware of Shujia's physical condition. It won't hurt to get sick now!
The imperial physician also knew what Hongxiu said, and after thinking it over, he realized it was true. He silently modified the prescription he had prepared slightly. Prescribing such prescriptions was a common occurrence, and he quickly finished writing, "Just a few doses will be enough."
Hongxiu took it, sent someone to get the medicine, and thanked the imperial physician. The imperial physician took the "medical fee" and left in style. This is the good thing about the people in the palace.
After a busy day at work, Yinreng returned home and smelled the medicine, his face changing slightly. Sick servants were to be removed; it was impossible for them to be ill. The only people qualified to make medicine for the Crown Princess were either his wife or her son—people he cared deeply about.
He quickened his pace and walked in.
Shujia's illness needed to be just right, neither too mild nor too severe. Therefore, Yinreng saw a slightly tired wife waiting for him. He lowered his voice and asked, "What's wrong? ...You."
Shujia forced a smile and said, "It's a little hot, I feel dizzy and tired." It was all the truth, but she concealed a lot.
Yinreng immediately concluded that his son was fine, and it was his wife who was in trouble: "Have you summoned the imperial physician?"
"Here I am. I've prescribed some medicine." She had even compared it with the medical book. It was harmless. Yinreng breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Sit down quickly." He took off his hat and sat down in the chair. He took the wet handkerchief and wiped his face. "I'm going out in a couple of days. If you feel unwell now, I'll be worried again."
Shujia asked, "Going out? You?"
Yinreng didn't even realize that the corners of his lips had curled up. "Well, at the beginning of next month, Khan Ama will be inspecting the Yongding River. He has asked me, my fourth brother, and my thirteenth brother to accompany him. I guess Hongdan will go too."
"Him? Always?" Shujia was more concerned about her son. "How long will you be gone?"
"It'll take a few days," Yinreng took the teacup, scratched it with the lid, and took two sips before saying, "Now is a good day for a trip. Khan Ama meant that Hongdan shouldn't just stay in the palace and study rote mere books. He should understand the hardships of ordinary people."
Shujia was very much in favor of this. Besides, the tour was to the suburbs, with her son accompanying her, and right under Kangxi's nose. Traveling was good. It would quiet the house, and she wouldn't have to be "sick" for too long.
Knowing his wife had no serious issues, just minor problems common to palace ladies, Yinreng felt relieved and spoke more. "When I was young, the weather was cold, but I went along too and didn't suffer any loss. Now the weather is not too hot, so it's a good time to go out. Knowing more about the situation down there will be beneficial to Hongdan in the future. Otherwise—why are there rice paddies and vegetable fields behind Wuyi Zhai?"
Shujia supported this, but she was still worried: "This is his first time leaving Beijing."
"Everyone has a first time."
Shujia was silent, and only then did she remember, "Are the fourth and thirteenth brothers going too?"
"Well," Yinreng had a good impression of the two. "Khan Ama always likes to take Thirteenth Brother with him whenever he goes on any trip. Fourteenth Brother even wanted to go along, but Khan Ama chose Fourth Brother instead. Now these two brothers, who share the same mother, are going to be angry again."
again?
Shujia felt that perhaps some of what the Qing Puyuan said about the Fourth and Thirteenth Brothers was correct. At least in the early days, they had no bad intentions towards the prince.
"When are we leaving? I need to pack your things. I wonder what to bring back for Hongdan?"
"It turns out that you are not packing things for me, but for your son." Yinreng joked in a relaxed tone.
Shujia was surprised and asked, "You actually figured it out?" After thinking seriously, she said, "Then I'd better not lie. I'll just pack my son's things and ask you to take them with you. As for you—"
Yinreng pretended to be pitiful and said, "You won't let me go alone and naked, will you?"
Seeing him playing tricks, Shujia sighed. He used to be able to put on a dignified front to scare people, but now his image at home is really getting worse and worse! Her eyebrows raised: "You know too much."
Yinreng laughed out loud.
————————————————————————————
Although she was "ill," Yinreng took the time to consult the imperial physician the next day, as it was a common "emotional illness" among the palace ladies. After hearing the physician's explanation of the hot weather and her bad mood, he began to understand a little better. Shujia had always been in good health, and perhaps missing her son was the main cause.
Counting the days, it was almost time for Hongdan to go home and live. Seeing her son, she might feel relieved. She glanced at the prescription again. It was really common!
The imperial physician's medicine remained the same. He left behind a prescription and instructions, stating what foods should not be taken with the medicine and what other symptoms should not be treated with the prescription.
The recipe has one characteristic: it is peaceful.
Yinreng thought to himself, the prescription I can prescribe is more effective than yours, and there are only two words on the prescription: son.
As expected, Shujia's mood improved significantly the day Hongdan returned. She had been anxious for the past few days. Her main concern was her daughter, but the prince thought it was her son.
Now that his son is coming back from vacation, Yinreng thinks again: Oh, my son is coming back. She is indeed much more energetic. In fact, the Crown Princess is the one who is really worried about her son now.
The two people each had their own thoughts, but they were able to...match the beat. It can only be said to be a miracle.
Kangxi said that students were allowed to go home once every ten days, but this wasn't like Sundays in later schools, where you could go home and play all day. He had to attend classes first: cultural classes in the morning and horseback riding and archery in the afternoon. Kangxi looked at the weather and decided to let him learn swimming after returning from the Yongding River.
The so-called home visit only meant that after the afternoon horseback archery class, I was allowed to do less homework, come back for a meal, chat, stay the night, and then... go back to class before dawn the next day.
Shujia had ordered the cleaning of Student Fatty's yard from the morning of the first day, and she personally inspected it inside and out. She also personally prepared a menu that suited Student Fatty's tastes, had bedding dried in the sun, and prepared clean clothes.
Just like a princess visiting her parents, all preparations had been made in advance and she only stayed here for a short while.
Finally, in the afternoon, the student Pang came.
Because he had just returned from a horseback archery lesson, his face was still flushed with excitement. As he entered the house, his greetings were much louder than usual: "Your son greets your mother."
As soon as Shujia finished speaking, "Come here quickly," he rushed over very aggressively.
Shujia reached out and hugged him. She had never thought of someone like this before. She touched his forehead and started to fuss: "Why is it so hot?"
As soon as she said that, Xiuniu, Qingjin and others gathered around her. The fat student tried hard not to roll his eyes: "Mother, I just came back from archery practice. Aunts, I'm fine."
After he explained, the group of women let him go, and the fat student wiped his sweat again.
It was too early to be relieved. Then came a barrage of questions, her mother taking care of every aspect of his food, clothing, housing, and transportation. How's the master? How's Mafa? Did your father see you? Are you telling the truth? Oh, and by the way, are you used to the food?
The fat student originally wanted to act like a spoiled child, but now there was no need for that. He decided to take back the initiative: "Mother, I miss you so much~"
Shujia fell silent and hugged him tightly. The fat student rubbed back and forth: "My son is doing well. He can see his father every day. It's okay to miss mother. Seeing the words mother wrote for me makes me feel much better."
Shujia's nose felt a little sore, and suddenly she heard her son say, "Mother, where is my brother?"
Shujia's cheeks jumped. The fat kid had developed a new hobby—tearing up books. At first, he'd been learning to recognize characters, and he was doing quite well. But two days ago, he couldn't recognize the character for "round." He angrily slammed his textbook, making a rustling sound. Since then, he seemed to have found a new hobby. In just two days, he'd already destroyed three textbooks.
As a good mother who tried hard to prevent her son from developing bad habits, she slapped his fat little butt numerous times without hesitation. The fat little boy was very angry and turned his butt towards everyone, even Yinreng.
Hongdan burst out laughing and shook Shujia's arm: "Good mother, let me go and see my brother."
Shujia leaned over and said, "Wipe off the sweat and change your clothes before going."
"I've wiped my sweat off. Can I go without changing clothes?"
Shujia nodded helplessly.
Hongdan went to see his brother happily.
Shujia glanced around, and Wang Youde stepped forward and said, "The maids and eunuchs accompanying the prince are waiting outside."
I think Kangxi didn't need to let the little fat boy run from the Qianqing Palace to the Eastern Palace alone.
Shujia nodded: "Let them in." Of course she had to ask questions, otherwise why would she be so easy to talk to and let the little fat boy go to see his brother?
Everyone who followed Hongdan, whether maids or eunuchs, was full of energy. Having their master respected was more important than anything else. Look at the two maids who served the Emperor back then: one was Lady Fengsheng, the other Lady Baosheng, both imperially appointed! Then look at Liang Jiugong and Wei Zhu: people whom the princes, concubines, and court officials all tried to curry favor with.
Everyone does their best.
When the Crown Princess asked about his food, clothing, housing, and transportation, she was full of praise: "His Majesty is very fond of our prince. He personally brought him to the palace to sleep with him for the first two days, and His Majesty didn't even ask for a name. After two nights, seeing that our prince was used to it, he asked him to move to the side hall."
"He checks the students' homework every day and teaches them how to write step by step."
"Rice is for one meal."
Shujia ignored all this: "Is the food in the Palace of Heavenly Purity any different from that at home? Also, is he used to it? I don't care if it looks glamorous or not, I just care if he lives comfortably."
Fang pondered for a moment and replied softly, "Yes, there are slight differences, but they are all easy to deal with. The Crown Prince is taking care of them every day."
"Are the people in the Palace of Heavenly Purity easy to get along with?"
This time it was Guo Chaoyong who said, "My Lord, the Emperor is in the Palace of Heavenly Purity. Besides, there are few blind people in the world. At the very least, we servants are still of some use."
Shujia nodded. "You are all fine and tired. Go and rest. You don't have to come up to serve me. I'll give you half a day off. Tomorrow morning you can help my prince go to the Palace of Heavenly Purity to study."
After everyone left, Shujia felt a little relieved.
Before Yinreng returned, the little fat boy had already brought out the textbook killer. The second fat boy, aggrieved, let his brother hold the little fat boy's paw as they moved forward, one step at a time. Hongdan turned around helplessly and said, "Let's go." This expression, made by a young boy, was truly adorable, especially when the target was a small dumpling.
Shujia couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing. Erpang finally let go of his temper and, with a startling tumble, crawled all the way into Shujia's arms. Shujia hugged him, patted his back, and smiled at the fat student.
Then Hongyang and Hongxi also came back. They were a little older, not in the same grade as Hongdan, and had more homework, so they came back later.
After greeting, Shujia held Erpang in her arms as the three brothers engaged in casual conversation. Having not seen each other for a few days, the brothers naturally had something to talk about. Hongxi was quite excited to see his younger brother, but Hongyang was much calmer. The conversation primarily involved the second and third brothers exchanging thoughts, with Hongyang occasionally adding a few words. The atmosphere was pleasant, and it lasted until Yinreng returned.
He could see his son every day. Whenever there was a break in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Kangxi would considerately call his grandson over so that the three generations of grandparents and grandchildren could talk together. So he didn't seem particularly excited to see the student being fat.
Thanks to the casual communication between Yinreng and Kangxi, Student Pang also became more warm to Kangxi, and it was okay for him to be a little casual when it didn't involve homework.
Yinreng glanced around the room and said to his three sons, "I'll check your homework later. Go play first."
As if to say, I'll give you my report card after winter break. The difference between the death penalty and suspended death penalty is so subtle.
Shujia knew that parental disagreements about parenting should only be discussed privately, never in front of their children. She didn't think there was anything wrong with that, and there was no need to express concern by saying, "Don't be like that, they're just having a good conversation."
So she just said one sentence: "Can I eat now?"
—————————————————————————————————
The student Pang went back to continue being a student. Shujia was reluctant to leave when he was about to leave.
Yinreng said: "They are all in the palace. He will be back in a few days..."
Shujia said dissatisfiedly: "I have calculated that the next time he comes back, he will follow you to see the riverbank."
Yinreng was speechless: "When you came back from outside, it was your birthday. Ask him to come back to see you."
Shujia was satisfied and waved her handkerchief: "You guys can get back to your business."
Yinreng: ...
Xiaopang: ...
After seeing them off, Shujia calculated the date again. She continued taking the harmless medicine until the emperor left with his children and grandchildren. The day for checking the emperor's pulse was approaching.
Hongxiu was a little anxious and whispered in Shujia's ear, "Master, I'm afraid your wedding is confirmed." Shujia knew what she was talking about. Her period hadn't come yet. She probably knew about it, but they were just keeping it a secret.
"Why do you think I bothered the imperial physician?"
Hongxiu suddenly realized, "Master, you are wise!" Then she wondered, "What's the point of this?"
"I'm sick, so my pulse is unreliable. Wait until next month, when all the concubines have returned home—"
"But--"
"Is she ready?"
Hongxiu paused and said, "Okay, take off your nail covers, a pair of bracelets, two rings, and put on one of your old clothes from last year."
To check a patient's pulse, a hanging thread was not necessary. In fact, a curtain was drawn between the more distinguished patients and the imperial physician, with only one hand extending from inside. This hand was also covered with a handkerchief.
As it happened, one of Hongtong's wet nurses was a woman named Zhao, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, good-looking, of similar age, and in good health. Shujia used her as a fill-in behind the curtain, so she naturally avoided the situation this time.
Since the Crown Princess had been "ill" a while ago, the Imperial Physician naturally focused on her previous "illness." After finding nothing serious and confirming the Crown Princess's health, the Imperial Physician congratulated her on her "recovery" and returned to writing his report.
The Duanyi Palace was completely silent, with only the Crown Princess laughing as she said, "That's good now. They don't have to bother me anymore. I was just missing my son a while ago, and they've been pouring out all this bitterness on me. Don't tell anyone!"
This time there was a sound: "Huh."
The author has something to say: When Pangpang called, I realized that I had asked for leave from everyone yesterday, but I didn’t tell him, so he came to confirm whether I was alive or dead.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
