The Golden Palace was deathly silent.
Xiao Che frowned as he looked at the tray wrapped in bright yellow brocade that Prime Minister Gu Xuan held high in his hand, his heart filled with vigilance and confusion.
A congratulatory gift?
At this tense moment, after these old foxes had just cornered him with their "parenting methods," they presented him with a congratulatory gift.
This was by no means a good intention; it was more like a new, unknown conspiracy.
"Bring it here." His voice was icy, suppressing his doubts.
Zhao Gao hurriedly ran down the steps and carefully took the heavy tray, placing it steadily on the dragon table in front of Xiao Che.
All the officials in the court craned their necks, curiously looking at the tray. They also wanted to know what the Prime Minister was really up to.
Xiao Che's gaze fell upon the brocade with an almost tangible intensity. He did not immediately lift it, but instead looked coldly at Gu Xuan and asked in a deep voice, "Minister Gu, is this the 'solution' you and the other ministers prepared for me?"
"Exactly!" A hint of pride and excitement appeared on Gu Xuan's old face. He said loudly, "This is a strategy for stabilizing the country that we, a group of old ministers, have painstakingly devised overnight for Your Majesty and the unborn heir!"
To bring peace and stability to the country?
Xiao Che sneered inwardly. He wanted to see what tricks these old guys could pull!
He reached out and suddenly ripped off the bright yellow brocade!
However, the next second, he froze completely.
There was none of the expected dagger, poison, or impeachment petition.
On the tray, there were no gold or silver jewels, no rare treasures, only... stacks of books piled up like small mountains.
Moreover, they were all books with incredibly strange titles.
"The Heart Sutra of Pregnancy and Child Rearing for Women", "Records of Royal Child Education", "The Prenatal Education Methods of Sages", "Detailed Explanation of the Commentary on the Three Hundred Thousand Character Classic"...
Looking at this huge pile of "parenting guides" that provided a complete one-stop service from pregnancy care and prenatal education to early childhood education, Xiao Che was completely stunned, unlike anything he had ever done before.
He was prepared for a bloody battle over the national treasury and imperial power, but instead the other party handed him a whole set of "Five Years of College Entrance Examination and Three Years of Simulation" parenting edition?
What's this?
Just as he was completely dumbfounded, Prime Minister Gu Xuan, the former absolute leader of the "baby-making group," was now in tears. Facing Xiao Che on the dragon throne, he led the large group of old ministers behind him and knelt down in unison with a "thump"!
"Your Majesty!" Gu Xuan's voice trembled with tears, filled with overwhelming joy. "These old ministers...they have finally waited for this day!"
Behind him stood the Minister of Revenue, the Minister of War, the Minister of Rites… all those old ministers who usually held absolute authority and were solemn and dignified in the court, now all wept like children, tears streaming down their faces.
"Heaven has eyes! Our Great Liang has a worthy successor!"
"Our ancestors, we can finally comfort your spirits in heaven!"
"Waaah... This old minister has no other wish in this life but to witness the birth of the imperial heir. I will die without regret!"
In an instant, the solemn and majestic Golden Palace became a sea of weeping. The heartfelt joy and excitement even overshadowed all the previous tension.
Xiao Che looked down at the group of old men crying their eyes out, seemingly even more agitated than his own father, and his lips twitched involuntarily. He finally understood that these old guys weren't plotting anything.
They were genuinely happy for him.
However, their way of expressing their joy was rather... too hardcore.
"Everyone... get up." Xiao Che waved his hand, somewhat amused and exasperated. "It's just a small matter, why make such a fuss?"
"Your Majesty! This is no small matter; it is a matter of national importance!" Gu Xuan wiped away his tears, stood up excitedly, pointed to the pile of books on the dragon desk, and said passionately, "Your Majesty yesterday wished to build the Antai Palace, and your love for your son is evident to Heaven and Earth! However, palaces are inanimate objects; education is fundamental! The heir to the throne is the future monarch, and his every word and action concerns the fate of the nation! As your subjects, we have a responsibility to share Your Majesty's burdens! Therefore, we have compiled these classic texts overnight, which contain the essence of educating heirs throughout history. We earnestly request Your Majesty to study them carefully for the sake of the imperial heir and the future of our Great Liang!"
Xiao Che: "..."
Looking at the "child-rearing manual" that was thicker than the most tedious memorials, he felt, for the first time, a pressure even heavier than when facing the regent's rebellion.
...
An absurd "parenting seminar" came to an end in an even more absurd way.
Exhausted, Xiao Che adjourned the court. All he wanted now was to return to Kunning Palace immediately, see Lin Wanwan, and draw some energy from the normal world.
However, he had just stepped down the steps when he was blocked by a group of people.
Led by Prime Minister Gu Xuan, a group of veteran officials stood with their hands tucked in their sleeves, like a row of door gods, blocking his only way back to the inner palace.
"My beloved ministers, is there anything else?" Xiao Che's eyelids twitched, a sense of foreboding creeping over him.
"Your Majesty, state affairs are settled, it's time to talk about family matters." Gu Xuan wore an overly kind smile, looking just like a kind old grandfather next door.
"Family matters?"
"Indeed!" Gu Xuan leaned forward, lowered his voice, and said mysteriously, "Your Majesty, the matter of the Pregnancy-Protecting Palace must not be mentioned again. Let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart: for a pregnant woman, it's important to have a peaceful mind and body. Once you're used to living in Kunning Palace, you'll develop a connection with every plant and tree. This is called 'people nurture the land, and the land nurtures people,' which is best for the imperial fetus!"
Before Xiao Che could answer, Wang Defa, the Minister of War, squeezed in, patted his chest with his large, fan-like hand, and said with a "you believe me" expression, "Your Majesty, listen to me! Let the Empress eat more walnuts! Look at my sons, they're all as clever as monkeys, all because my wife ate walnuts like they were her main meal when she was pregnant! They're good for the brain! Absolutely good for the brain!"
"Minister Wang, you are mistaken!" the Minister of Rites immediately retorted. "Dietary supplements are secondary; music education is the best policy! Your Majesty, you should play more elegant music for the Empress."
"You've only scratched the surface!"
Shang Tian, the old man from the Ministry of Revenue who studied feng shui, suddenly pulled out a string of amulets from who-knows-where and insisted on stuffing them into Xiao Che's hand: "Your Majesty, this old minister specially obtained these from the most famous 'Fertility Guanyin Temple' in the outskirts of the capital! Have the Empress wear them close to her body, and you will be able to ensure the safety of the imperial fetus and protect it from all evil!"
In an instant, Xiao Che was completely surrounded by this group of overly enthusiastic "parenting experts".
You say one thing, I say another.
This says that pregnant women should lie on their left side, as it's good for the fetus.
Someone said that hanging a picture of a Qilin (a mythical creature) above the bed would bring good fortune and a son.
Some people have even started debating whether it's better to appoint a civil official as tutor or a military general as teacher after the child is born.
Xiao Che felt his head buzz, as if a thousand ducks were quacking in his ears. He was surrounded by this group of old men, his hands stuffed with all sorts of random things—wrinkled ancient books, folk remedies of unknown origin, and even a few walnuts that were supposedly "heirlooms" that could make children smarter.
The most outrageous thing was that Prime Minister Gu Xuan actually pulled out a copy of "The Enlightenment: Three Hundred Thousand Character Classic" from his large bosom. The book was worn out, crumpled, and even had suspicious teeth marks on a few corners!
"Your Majesty!" The old prime minister said solemnly, as if entrusting a national seal, as he stuffed the tattered book into Xiao Che's arms. "This was used by my old minister, Changsun! It contains his annotations from when he was studying! This is a treasure blessed by the 'God of Literature'! Take it and let the imperial heir absorb some literary energy in advance!"
Xiao Che, holding the tattered book that still retained warmth and a hint of saliva, was completely petrified.
Looking at the group of enthusiastic and spittle-flecked old ministers before him, and at the pile of "treasure books" in his arms that were practically trash, he could no longer maintain his imperial dignity.
For the first time, he felt completely overwhelmed by an irresistible torrent called "happiness".
After what seemed like an eternity, Xiao Che finally managed to squeeze out of the crowd.
He was carrying a huge pile of messy books and folk remedies, and his dragon robe was even stained with some walnut crumbs that Minister Wang had forced on him. His appearance was as disheveled as if he were a refugee.
He stood at the palace gate, looking in the direction of Kunning Palace in the distance, and let out a long, long breath.
There was helplessness and a sense of bewilderment in that tone, but more than anything, there was a sweet panic that he had never felt before.
Raising children...
It seems that it's really harder than governing a country!
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