Because Zhulan came to the second house specifically to visit Zhao, Zhao didn't need to be moved when she suddenly went into labor. She was moved directly to the delivery room. The Zhou family was so experienced in childbirth that Zhulan didn't need to make any arrangements as the mother-in-law had already done it.
Zhulan only needed to wait for the baby to be born, sitting on the small kang with snacks on the kang table.
After waiting for half an hour, the doctor was already at home.
Zhulan looked at the falling snow and said, "Mingrui was born on a snowy day. This child is just like Mingrui!"
Su Xuan smiled and said, "Mom is right, they are all blessed children."
Then thinking of her son, Su Xuan sighed a little. Her son was smart, but also a bit reckless. It would be better if he could integrate with her daughter's personality.
Zhao's delivery went smoothly this time. Before Chang Yi got the news and left the government office, the baby was born. The midwife came out holding the baby and said, "It's a big fat boy weighing more than six pounds. Congratulations, Madam, on having a grandson."
Zhulan took her grandson and said, "Oh, this child is really well taken care of. This is the first time I've seen a child so fair right after birth."
Su Xuan was also very fond of him. "Second sister-in-law and second brother really treasure this child. It really paid off to nourish him."
Zhulan knew how much the second wife valued the child. The family had the means. After Zhao became pregnant, she liked to eat fruit and never stopped. She would buy it no matter how expensive it was. Fortunately, she knew how to control the amount of food and didn't give the child too much to make it difficult for her to give birth. "Look, the child is smiling."
Su Xuan also saw it and said, "This child is very lucky."
Zhulan happily gave the wedding money, and then asked the maid to take the child back. After the house was tidied, Zhulan went to see Zhao. Zhao was still in high spirits. Her expectations of the past few years had come true, and Zhao had completely let go of her worries. Everyone could feel her relief.
Zhulan said: "You should also go to bed early."
Zhao was tired but didn't want to sleep. She wanted to wait for her husband to come back. "I'll rest after I see my husband."
Zhulan said a few more words and then went back to the main courtyard. When she returned, it was snowing heavily. Before she entered the house, she heard Yuyi teaching Yujiao to read.
Yuyi heard the noise and quickly put down her book, "Grandma, has Second Aunt given birth?"
Zhulan warmed her hands, "It's born. You have a little brother."
Yuyi, "Then I will go to see my second aunt and little brother tomorrow."
Yujiao also shouted, "I'll go too."
Zhulan had raised many children, so her patience was almost exhausted, and she responded softly, "Okay, okay."
After the two children went to write, Zhulan started thinking about the names of her grandchildren. She named Chang Lian's son Ming Ling. She found it difficult to name him, so after thinking about it, she decided to name Chang Yi's youngest son Ming Feng.
As soon as Chang Yi left the yamen, he asked for the carriage to go home quickly. When he got home, he rushed to the yard. When he saw his youngest son, he grinned and praised him repeatedly. It was not that he was partial, but having two sons was a guarantee, and this child was born with hope.
Chang Yi held the child skillfully and said, "We won't have any more children in the future."
Zhao was stunned, "Not having any more children?"
Chang Yi nodded, "No, you are old, and having children will be too much of a burden for you. We have enough children in one room, two sons and two daughters, with a good name. It is a great blessing, enough."
Zhao also felt the hardship of this pregnancy. Seeing her husband's seriousness, she smiled and said, "Okay."
Chang Yi teased his youngest son, and after putting him down, he said to his wife, "You've worked hard."
He saw that his daughter-in-law drank medicinal herbs all year round to keep healthy. In recent years, his wife was the one who suffered the most.
However, Zhao did not feel it was hard. Instead, she felt that marrying her husband was the greatest blessing in her life. Not to mention giving birth to a child, even taking her life would be worth it.
Zhou Shuren came back in the evening and brought back a piece of news. Zhou Shuren said, "The emperor has finished studying the textbook you compiled and he thinks it's very good."
Zhulan had been looking forward to it since the Empress Dowager took her away and sent her back a few days later, but she had not received any news and it was not easy to ask the Empress Dowager. As time went by, she stopped paying attention. Unexpectedly, "The Retired Emperor has learned it?"
Zhou Shuren nodded, "Recently, the Emperor has been studying the textbook you compiled and didn't let me talk to you. Now that he has finished studying, he is asking if there are any more profound ones."
Zhulan naturally had it, but, "What is the attitude of the emperor towards the textbooks I compiled?"
Zhou Shuren, "The Emperor praised the textbook and your ability, but he didn't say anything else."
The main reason is that a daughter-in-law is a woman. In ancient times when men were studying, it was easy to send a daughter-in-law to a private school or academy, but it was difficult to make her famous.
So he couldn't guess what the emperor was thinking.
Zhulan was not disappointed. "Times are different. Thoughts passed down from ancient times cannot be changed overnight. The attitude of the emperor is not obvious now. Obviously, the textbooks I compiled are not shocking enough. There is no rush. Take your time."
Zhou Shuren doesn't want anyone to take credit for his wife's achievements, even if it's his own son. He and his wife came to this era together. His wife is his lover and comrade-in-arms. His wife taught him a lot to help him achieve what he has today.
The daughter-in-law's abilities should not be hidden, she has her own brilliance.
Zhou Shuren held his wife's hand and said, "Yes."
Zhulan is very motivated, unlike the passive state she was in the beginning. Now she wants to pass on what she knows.
The next day, Zhou Shuren took away another textbook that his daughter-in-law had sorted out.
Zhulan was also invited to the Prince of Qin's Palace. It was very lively today, with several other concubines being there. The Gui Concubine was the biological mother of Prince Liang. She used to be a very flamboyant person, but now she was very quiet.
Today we are all here to watch the play that the Empress Dowager has someone rehearse.
The Prince of Qin's Mansion is truly luxurious. Although it is freezing cold outside, the Prince of Qin's Mansion has a large glass greenhouse with flowers and some small green vegetables in it. The empty space has been used for shelves.
Zhulan was the only outsider in the royal family, and if it weren't for her story, she would not have been invited.
Xue Han whispered to her mother, "Mom, I'm here to help as well. I was the one who suggested the song. You can listen to it later."
Zhu Lan frowned and thought, "Okay, now not only has the Empress Dowager found a career for retirement, but her daughter has also found one."
The Empress Dowager was talking to several concubines. It was obvious that they were extremely envious of the Empress Dowager's colorful life.
This story is actually very simple, a series of tragedies caused by clichéd missed opportunities. Even if they had the chance to be together, the hero and heroine are no longer as pure as they were at the beginning, and it ends in tragedy.
Zhulan didn't put her heart into the story when she was speaking, but when she performed it with various music, the feeling was more intuitive. Watching it up close, well, it felt pretty good.
For someone like Zhulan who has seen too much melodrama and clichés, she complained while watching the show.
The concubines had never seen anything like this before. When they were at home, they had to do it secretly if they wanted to read the books of scholars and ladies. Moreover, they were young and had no dreams of it. This heart-wrenching tragedy ended on stage.
Zhulan had finished eating all the melon seeds in front of her and had even changed the pot of tea. She was now eating an apple. Even though the apple was cut into pieces, it still made noises when she bit it.
The Empress Dowager was moved to tears again by the story she herself adapted. The same was true for several concubines. They started crying as soon as the music on the stage sounded and they even changed their handkerchiefs.
Now, hearing the sound of eating apples, they all turned their heads to look at Zhulan.
Zhulan was facing several ladies who looked at her with cold-blooded and cold eyes, accusing her. Zhulan, "???"