Chapter 11 Tian Family Affairs
Zhu Yuhuan looked at Hu Shanwei's somewhat solemn expression, and when she thought about what the female official who brought her here just said, she could vaguely guess what Hu Shanwei would say next.
As expected, Hu Shanwei spoke worriedly, "The Crown Prince's Concubine has been pregnant for ten months and will soon give birth. I don't know whether the baby will be a boy or a girl. If it's a boy..."
Although she didn't say it explicitly, Zhu Yuhuan immediately guessed what Hu Shanwei was worried about.
If Sun Mengqiu gave birth to a baby boy, Hu Shanxiang's status would probably be much worse than before - although it doesn't seem to be much better now.
Hu Shanwei squatted down, put her hands on Zhu Yuhuan's shoulders, and said seriously, "Young Master, Huanhuan, when you go back, you must persuade the Crown Prince's Consort not to get angry with the Crown Prince. Only by giving birth to a child as soon as possible can you protect the three of you and your children. Not to mention in the royal family, even ordinary families must have a son, otherwise they will only end up being eaten up in the future." As if she was afraid that Zhu Yuhuan would bring up some reason, she continued, "I'm saying this not only for the sake of our family, but also for your mother's own good. Although the children born to Sun will have to call the Crown Prince's Consort mother, they are not their own children after all. How can they be as filial to their biological mother in the future?"
Seeing that she could say so many responses in one breath, Zhu Yuhuan could guess that Hu Shanwei must have often used these words to persuade Hu Shanxiang on weekdays, but Hu Shanxiang had her own way of living and probably would not live according to Hu Shanwei's wishes, otherwise she would not have been so lukewarm towards Zhu Zhanji until now.
Although Zhu Zhanji was not a good husband, especially to Hu Shanxiang.
A heartless father, a bad mother, an ambitious aunt, and a tired woman...
Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly, but she still said patiently, "Aunt, having a son doesn't guarantee everything will go smoothly. If the emperor is determined to do something, who can stop him? Although the ministers had complaints about the campaign against the Tatars, Great-grandfather still launched five expeditions to the northern desert." She lowered her voice and continued, "What's more, the world is unpredictable. We don't know what Daddy's situation would be like then."
Hu Shanwei's face paled, yet he felt unwilling to accept the situation. "But having one is better than having none. Although Sun appears respectful and respectful on a daily basis, she doesn't really take your mother seriously. She only considers herself the 'legal wife'. Seeing how close she is to the Crown Prince, you can tell she's obsessed with replacing your mother. Not to mention that she's pregnant now. People around her are praising her to the bone, as if she's already given birth to the Crown Prince's eldest son. If your mother could get pregnant at this time, it would be a slight blow to her prestige."
Zhu Yuhuan finally understood why his own mother was always reluctant to meet his elder sister. Not to mention that Hu Shanxiang and Zhu Zhanji were basically a couple who cared about face, it would be hard for most people not to develop a rebellious mentality if there was someone behind you urging you to "make progress" every day.
Not to mention Hu Shanxiang herself, even Zhu Yuhuan felt a little scalp tingling when she heard it. What's more, she had witnessed the scene of Hu Shanxiang giving birth, and knew how much Hu Shanxiang had sacrificed for Zhu Zhanji's offspring.
Zhu Yuhuan took a deep breath and said, "Aunt, don't worry about it. Mother has her own plans. Besides, Great-grandfather is still here, and I am still useful. Father won't be so heartless."
Hu Shanwei stared at her for a moment, her eyes, similar yet completely different from Hu Shanxiang's, filled with helplessness. She sighed softly and said, "Huanhuan, if you were a man, your aunt wouldn't be so worried. You and the Crown Prince were exactly alike when you were children. You both knew how to please others."
She had been a palace lady for so many years, having lived through the reigns of Hongwu, Jianwen and Yongle. How could she not know that the scheming of the emperor's sons and grandsons was unfathomable? It was for this reason that Hu Shanwei was even more worried that her foolish sister would be swallowed up by the deep palace, so she stayed in the palace at all costs. Even when she was almost at the age when ordinary women would enjoy playing with their grandchildren, she was still unwilling to go home to enjoy her retirement.
Zhu Yuhuan looked at her quietly and said, "Aunt, mother would never say to you, 'It would be better if my eldest sister was a man.'"
Hu Shanwei was startled. Looking into her pure eyes, her eyelashes trembled slightly as she said, "If I were really a man, why would Mrs. Hu send her daughter to the palace?"
Zhu Yuhuan knew that Hu Shanwei was talking about her time as a palace lady, so he raised his hand to wipe away the tears on her cheek and gently comforted her: "Aunt, don't cry."
Hu Shanwei then realized that she had been crying without knowing when. She hurriedly raised her hand to wipe away her tears. If the young palace maids outside saw her, they would definitely be frightened by her rare and embarrassed appearance.
Hu Shanwei said softly: "I was confused. How could I cry in the palace..."
Zhu Yuhuan simply said seriously: "Although I am a woman, I am not necessarily living a worse life than others. Even if the Sun family has a mother who is honored by her son, why can't my mother be honored by her daughter?"
Although Hu Shanwei had been immersed in the palace for many years and was no longer an innocent girl, she was still shocked when she heard Zhu Yuhuan's words. She quickly reached out to cover her mouth. After confirming that Zhu Yuhuan's voice was not loud and there was no one around, she breathed a sigh of relief and said in a low voice, "Young Master...you can't say such things. The Grand Ancestor has made a solemn promise, strictly forbidding women to interfere in government affairs. Even if Empress Xiaoci asked whether the world was peaceful, she would still be reprimanded by the Grand Ancestor."
Zhu Yuhuan smiled, took her hand, and said, "Auntie, you understand so well, why should I say more? The emperor's family affairs are also state affairs. How can we tolerate the gossip of 'outsiders'? Auntie, you should have left the palace long ago to live a good life. Why does she have to stay in the palace, arousing everyone's jealousy and criticism, which will ultimately lead to no good results?"
Hu Shanwei pulled up the corners of his mouth, as if giving a wry smile, and after a while he said, "I know I'm crazy, but I'm really worried about your mother. If I leave, what will she do in this palace all alone?"
Zhu Yuhuan gently shook her hand, tilted his head and smiled, "Aunt, you forgot, I'm here, how could mother be alone?"
Seeing her determined expression, Hu Shanwei had no choice but to say, "This matter... Young Master, please allow me to think about it for a while."
Seeing that she was already showing signs of being convinced, Zhu Yuhuan stopped talking and simply said, "I heard that the Fashion Bureau made me some new spring clothes. They should have been sent to my aunt by now, right? I'll take them back later. That'll be a good excuse."
Hu Shanwei wiped her face with a handkerchief, and then said, "I will have someone take it back along with the clothes that have been altered before. I happen to have a hand mask here, so you can take it with you, young master, to avoid hurting your hands in this winter." After that, she handed the hand mask to Zhu Yuhuan. However, Hu Shanwei was stunned when she saw the new calluses on Zhu Yuhuan's hands. However, this time she did not shed tears, but just lowered her eyes to conceal her feelings. At this time, she and Hu Shanxiang looked more like a pair of sisters.
Although it was unknown when Hu Shanwei's considerations would come to an answer, now that things had come to this, Zhu Yuhuan had done his best and could only put his mind at ease for the time being.
It was already late when Zhu Yuhuan returned with the female official who had been delivering clothes to Hu Shanwei. The Crown Princess had been sitting there drinking tea with a memorial book at hand. Seeing Zhu Yuhuan return, the Crown Princess smiled leisurely and said, "Why are you back so late? Normally, you should be back to write by this time."
Zhu Yuhuan just showed a sly smile and said, "Today is Daddy's birthday. I specially prepared a surprise for Daddy."
The Crown Princess hadn't taken it seriously at first, but when she suddenly heard the chirping of crickets, she couldn't help but show surprise. She looked at Zhu Yuhuan and said, "Did I hear it wrong? Why does it sound like crickets? Your father is particularly fond of this thing."
Zhu Yuhuan was even more proud now. She deliberately kept it a secret and said, "Grandma will know in a while."
Seeing her like this, the Crown Princess couldn't help but laugh: "You are the most eccentric."
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