Pearl in my arms
The lanterns of the Lantern Festival had not yet faded, and the air was still filled with the sweet aroma of gunpowder and icing sugar.
Wu Zetian was examining the blueprints for a new type of loom in the Zichen Palace. This loom was an improvement on the sketches she had drawn by the Imperial Workshop, and it was said to increase weaving efficiency by 30%.
As she was pondering how to promote it, a familiar wave of dizziness suddenly struck, and her stomach churned. She grabbed the table for support and subconsciously touched her lower abdomen.
(Inner monologue: This feels... no way? Li Xian has only just learned to walk! Even modern working mothers wouldn't dare to have so many children at once, and I, the Empress of the Tang Dynasty, am even more ruthless than the 996 work schedule!)
She forced herself to sit back on the bed, counting down the days until her period, her heart filled with anxiety.
(Inner monologue: According to history, this should be a girl...)
At this moment, Li Zhi returned from court, beaming with joy, wanting to share with her how he had silenced the powerful families in court that day using the new canal transport data. However, he saw her pale-faced, leaning against the pillow, and he immediately panicked.
"Meiniang? Did you tire yourself out while staying up all night yesterday?" He strode forward, placed his palm on her forehead, and urgently called to the palace servants, "Summon the imperial physician! Summon the imperial physician immediately!"
The imperial physician rushed over with his medicine chest, carefully examining the patient's wrist pulse with his fingers.
A moment later, his face showed a mixture of surprise and fear, and he knelt down with a thud: "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! The Empress is pregnant! It's been almost two months, and the pregnancy is stable!"
The hall fell silent instantly.
Wu Zetian and Li Zhi looked at each other, both caught off guard.
"Your Majesty..." Wu Meiniang clutched her sleeves helplessly, "Xian'er is still an infant, this..."
Li Zhi, however, had already recovered from his shock and was overjoyed. He carefully embraced her as if holding a fragile treasure: "What a wonderful thing! This is a blessing from heaven! Heaven must have seen our merits in governing the country and bestowed upon us a son!"
He gently said to her still-flat belly, "This time it will definitely be a little princess like Wu Zetian, clever and beautiful."
(Inner monologue: Boss, your preference for daughters over sons is dangerous! Are you saying sons are just freebies with phone top-ups?)
When the news spread, the three princes reacted differently.
Li Hong immediately put down his calligraphy practice book and meticulously consulted the almanac, his brows furrowed deeply: "According to the timeline, my sister should be born around the Autumn Equinox. That's when the canal transport will be at its peak, and Father and Mother will likely be very busy..."
Li Xian excitedly ran and jumped around the palace, knocking over Li Xian's favorite cloth tiger: "I'm going to have a little sister! I'm going to teach her to ride horses and shoot arrows!"
The most amusing was Li Xian, who had just learned to walk. He toddled over to his mother, tilted his little face up to look at her curiously, then stuffed his most treasured teething biscuit into her hand, pressed his little face against her belly, and mumbled, "Sister... play... biscuit..."
Wu Zetian's heart melted instantly; all her worries were dispelled by this tender affection.
(Inner monologue: Okay, since I'm here, it must be fate. So what if I experience ancient childbirth again? I can handle it!)
The morning sickness came on suddenly and was more severe than when I was pregnant with my previous three children.
That day, she was feeling nauseous as she looked at the annual performance evaluation list presented by the Ministry of Personnel—the densely packed names and comments on it were flashing before her eyes, and her stomach was churning violently.
She suppressed her discomfort, and suddenly a brilliant idea struck her. She summoned the female official:
"A decree has been issued to all regions... vomiting... pregnant women, all of whom may postpone their performance evaluations... until after childbirth..."
The lady-in-waiting exclaimed in shock, "Your Majesty, this...this has never happened before!"
"Tell me... ugh... this is a rule I personally established." She said weakly, leaning on the spittoon, cold sweat beading on her forehead. "Pregnancy is already difficult enough, why be so demanding? If men could conceive, this rule would have been set eight hundred years ago..."
(Inner monologue: Being a working mom is tough, it's always been this way! Why should women have to deal with morning sickness and KPIs all at the same time!)
When Li Zhi learned of this, he felt both sorry for him and amused, so he simply included this in the "Order on Rest and Bath for Officials".
From then on, pregnant women in the families of Tang Dynasty officials were entitled to special care.
This new policy unexpectedly won the gratitude of many female officials and their families, who all said that the Empress was considerate of the hardships faced by women.
As her pregnancy progressed, Wu Zetian's cravings for sweets grew stronger day by day.
The food supervisor made all sorts of desserts, including candied fruit, sugar cakes, and crispy cakes, but she always felt they weren't sweet enough.
That day, after court, Emperor Li Zhi saw her sulking over a plate of exquisite crystal candied fruit, her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel hoarding food.
"What's wrong?" he asked, suppressing a laugh, reaching out to pinch her cheek.
"Too sour..." she said, looking aggrieved, and dodged away. "I want lychee syrup... I want it sweet..."
It was early spring and the lychees in Lingnan were not yet ripe.
Li Zhi, however, said, "What's so difficult about that?" He even rolled up his sleeves and went to the Imperial Kitchen, where he pointed and gestured to the trembling imperial chefs, instructing them to mix honey, sugarcane juice, and rose syrup to make lychee-flavored syrup.
When he returned with the bowl of glistening pink syrup, Wu Meiniang was pleasantly surprised to find that there were still some sugar stains on the cuffs of his dragon robe.
(Inner monologue: So even a domineering CEO can cook! This syrup is just the right sweetness; the boss has a real talent!)
On the day the first signs of fetal movement appeared, Wu Zetian was reviewing the reports of female officials.
Feeling a slight, butterfly-like movement in her womb, she paused, then suddenly remembered something and added to the memorial: "Orphanages in all regions should add introductory courses for girls, teaching them 'Rules for Women' and 'Arithmetic'..."
Li Zhi walked in carrying medicine to prevent miscarriage. He saw her smiling at the memorial and couldn't help but feel curious.
She pulled his hand to her abdomen: "Your Majesty, she's kicking. So lively, she must be someone who can't sit still."
That evening, the emperor and empress took a walk together by the Taiye Pond.
The early spring evening breeze still carried a chill, and Li Zhi carefully fastened the belt of her fox fur coat.
Wu Meiniang gazed at the rising stars and suddenly asked, "Does Your Majesty still remember the bet we made?"
Li Zhi chuckled: "Of course I remember. If a princess is born, you may decide her title; I will not interfere."
"Let's name her Taiping." She gently stroked her pregnant belly, her gaze tender yet firm. "May she live a peaceful and carefree life, and may our Great Tang Dynasty enjoy lasting peace."
(Inner monologue: Since history has destined her to be Princess Taiping, I might as well give her the best wishes from the very beginning. In this life, I will make sure she truly lives in peace and happiness.)
The moonlight, like water, spilled onto their intertwined figures, scattering their whispers in the spring breeze.
Listening to the gentle words of those around her and feeling the stirrings of the new life in her womb, Wu Meiniang suddenly felt that this unexpected child might be the best arrangement of fate.
——
[Mini-drama: New Regulations Regarding Pregnancy]
(Observations of a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel)
The Empress continued to govern even during her pregnancy, but in a unique way.
Nowadays, the Zichen Palace is always stocked with sour plum drink and spittoons, and the piles of memorials are mixed with "Taboos During Pregnancy" and "Childcare Manual".
The most outrageous thing is that today, even though the Empress was vomiting and her face was pale, she still insisted on summoning us: "Bring... ugh... bring me the revised draft of 'Rules for Women'... to add the right of women to inherit..."
His Majesty went even further, actually reading the memorials on grain transport to the unborn princess, euphemistically calling it "prenatal education."
When the emperor read out the story of a certain aristocratic family obstructing the new policies, the empress suddenly felt a movement in her womb, and the emperor was overjoyed: "Even the princess thinks this person should be punished!"
The three princes, however, adapted well.
His Highness the Crown Prince has learned to make ginseng soup, His Highness the Second Prince tells jokes every day to make His Majesty happy, and His Highness the Third Prince... is holding the Thousand Character Classic and trying hard to learn to call her "sister".
(It seems this young prince will begin learning governance even before he's born.)
What is most touching is that today, as the Empress's morning sickness eased slightly, she immediately summoned the Ministry of Works to discuss setting up "nurseries" in government offices across the country.
This is a truly exemplary example set by royalty.
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