After he established himself as the crown prince, the government gradually settled down. The three judicial departments had already found out the result of the earthquake in the imperial mausoleum. All the guilty ones confessed their crimes and those who had made contributions were rewarded. In addition, there was a good news from Fujian that more than 300 Japanese pirates were wiped out in Yanping County, Fujian, and a Japanese pirate daimyo was captured. The atmosphere in the capital became much more relaxed.
At the same time, King Jin also began to lose ground.
First, when attacking Nanchang, they encountered desperate resistance from the Nanchang prefect and the people, resulting in heavy losses.
Later, they met the guards of Prince Linjiang in Poyang Lake. With 18,000 men against Prince Linjiang's 10,000 men, they were defeated and returned.
Good news came one after another. King Zheng also wrote a letter saying that King Jin suffered heavy losses and had retreated to Guangchang for a while and had not made any major moves for a long time. He was stepping up discussions with King Linjiang on how to put down the rebellion.
Emperor Longqing finally showed a genuine smile and took Prince Zheng's memorial to show everyone in the cabinet.
The first and second assistant ministers knelt down first, shouting "Long live the emperor" and congratulating Emperor Longqing.
Emperor Longqing waved his hand and said, "The people are always the ones who suffer the most in war. Why should you congratulate me? You should be happy for the people!"
He also issued an order to lift the curfew in the capital for ten days.
Because he was happy, he was even more friendly towards Concubine Lin Shufei.
After the incident with Queen Fang, he felt that there was a barrier between him and Concubine Peng De. Perhaps because he had loved Queen Fang sincerely, whenever he thought about why she had gone to a dead end step by step, he would inevitably feel guilty and resist Concubine Peng De.
On the contrary, Concubine Lin Shu has been non-competitive and peaceful for so many years, and has never done anything out of line, which makes him feel at ease. In addition, Concubine Lin Shu's belly is getting bigger and bigger, and she is about to give birth, so he is more willing to come to Concubine Lin Shu's palace.
Concubine Lin Shu was as gentle as ever. Seeing that he was happy, she just smiled warmly and didn't ask any more questions.
This attitude made Emperor Longqing feel more comfortable, so he took the initiative to tell her about Prince Linjiang's dispatch of troops, and said, "Old Five is a good man, and he has lived up to my expectations."
Concubine Lin Shu hurriedly bowed and congratulated Emperor Longqing.
Emperor Longqing waved his hand to let her get up. For some reason, he sighed, feeling somewhat lost. "Everyone comes to congratulate me. What should I be congratulated for? Even if we win this battle, the people in Jiangxi and nearby areas have nothing to be happy about. Their harvest this year has been ruined... There are still many things to do in the future."
The more he experienced these things, the more he doubted whether he was really suitable to be the emperor, and whether the decision of the Feng and Ming families to push him to the throne was wrong.
Until now, as he walked step by step, the people around him died or scattered, and there was really no old friend left. He closed his eyes.
Concubine Lin Shu noticed his melancholy and fatigue, so she quietly walked behind him and began to press his temples.
Emperor Longqing did not open his eyes. After a while, he suddenly reached out and grabbed Concubine Lin Shu's hand, and said softly, "You are not feeling well, so don't do these things."
He smiled at her again and reached out to touch her belly: "Is the baby still moving?"
He was looking forward to Empress Fang's childbirth, so he often reached out to feel the movement of the baby in her belly. The same thing happened when it came to Concubine Peng De.
When he arrived at Concubine Lin Shufei's place, he became less anxious and more expectant, and therefore extra patient.
From the moment the child began to move in his belly, he began to feel his existence.
Concubine Lin Shu laughed, then suddenly cried out in pain and widened her eyes: "Your Majesty, he is kicking me again!"
Sure enough, Emperor Longqing soon felt a vibration in the palm of his hand.
He couldn't help but smile: "He must be a little boy to torment his mother like this!"
New life always brings joy. Emperor Longqing was delighted again: "When he comes out, I will take good care of him for you."
Emperor Longqing had very few sons, and they were extremely precious. Even the concubines who gave birth to them did not dare to beat or scold them at will. Emperor Longqing was joking, so Concubine Lin pursed her lips and smiled without saying anything. After a long while, she said intentionally or unintentionally: "I have another thing that I forgot to report to you."
Emperor Longqing raised his eyebrows: "What's the matter?"
"It's about my brother." Concubine Lin Shu said with a sigh, "He is a stubborn man. He likes the girl, but the girl doesn't like him. I am worried."
Emperor Longqing has always liked Young Master Lin, and Young Master Lin grew up under his watch. He became more intimate with him, and he couldn't help laughing when he heard the words: "He looks steady, but he is actually a child! Since you like the girl, you should have come to report to your elder sister and ask me to grant you a marriage. With this imperial decree, it doesn't matter whether you like her or not. But since you didn't come to ask for a marriage..."
Emperor Longqing glanced at Concubine Shu, stretched out his hand and pulled her to sit beside him, and sighed: "Even if I really respect the girl's opinion, since she doesn't like it, forget it. In the end, we don't become a couple of lovers, but a couple of resentment. What do you think?"
He knew that Young Master Lin liked Wei An.
I also know that Shen Chen likes it too.
Now the decision has been made.
Concubine Lin Shu had never meant to disobey him, and she would not do that now. She sighed and smiled helplessly at Emperor Longqing: "That's what I said. If the girl doesn't like it, what can I do? Even if it's successful, you won't be able to live a good life."
As she spoke, she suddenly changed the subject: "I do like Princess Shouning, but it all depends on fate. There is really nothing you can do about some things that are not destined to happen. I was thinking of asking Princess Shouning again, but now there is no need to ask." She looked at Emperor Longqing and said softly: "Princess Zheng said that Shouning is going to attend the coming-of-age ceremony of the eldest daughter of the Rongchang Marquis's Mansion. She still has this in mind, which shows that she has never hesitated about this matter. In this case, a forced melon is not sweet."
Rongchang Marquis Mansion
Emperor Longqing raised his eyebrows and said, "What does the Wei family have to do with the eldest daughter of the Rongchang Marquisate's coming of age? I remember that Mrs. Wei said she wanted to take Shouning to Fujian to see her eldest daughter-in-law and grandchildren?"
Concubine Lin reached out and took an apple to peel it for him, nodding nonchalantly, "Yes, I heard that we had originally planned to leave on the 15th, but after receiving the invitation from the Rongchang Marquis's Mansion, we postponed the departure time. I heard from Princess Zheng that..."
She hesitated for a moment, as if she was considering whether to say it or not, and then she coughed after a moment: "I heard that Yonghe and Yongqing were also going that day. I'm afraid they postponed their departure because they didn't want to offend the princesses?"
Emperor Longqing did not speak, and his expression did not change much.