After the rewards were given, the dance and music, which were essential to every banquet, began.
As the protagonists of today's celebration banquet, they are naturally the objects of everyone's toasts. Even if someone like Xiaocao does not drink alcohol, he must drink tea instead of wine and have a few drinks as a token of his appreciation.
Perhaps knowing this situation, Emperor Xuanren did not call Xiaocao to sit with him.
Wei Tingyu, as the man sitting next to Xiaocao, was pushed away at the beginning of the banquet - Fan Wuguo still had some "brotherhood" and pulled him over - other people might not do such a thing, but with Zhen Muyao, who has a good relationship with Xiaocao and has a temperament somewhat similar to Fan Wuguo, anything is possible.
And because of her action, Wen Renying also came over happily.
Seeing Wen Renying walking fast despite her big belly made people scared. Some people subconsciously stayed away from her, fearing that something might happen to her, which would make them unable to explain themselves.
Wen Renying has become plumper, but her clothes are loose, so her belly isn't that obvious when viewed from the front.
Zhen Muyao hadn't seen Xiaocao for so long, and was hugging Xiaocao's arm and "acting coquettishly". She entered the palace relatively late today and had no chance to talk to Xiaocao before. When she saw her coming, she quickly moved her seat. Others were worried about Wen Renying, but she didn't feel anything. After all, when she was pregnant, she always did what she was supposed to do and didn't feel the need for special care. The people around her reacted more and were startled, which made her speechless.
Xiaocao was not as careless as Zhen Muyao, and was not worried either. Wen Renying was in good condition.
Later, Xu Tongdan hesitated for a moment and went over. Xiaocao's attitude towards her was not much different from before.
"Why didn't I see Bihe today?" Most of the people in the Xia family were there, and Xiaocao was confused because she didn't see Xia Bihe.
"Bihe, now she is devoted to medicine and doesn't want to get married. The Chief Censor has no objection, but Sister Xuan, you also know the situation of the Xia family. After all, the Chief Censor is old, and he can't always protect Bihe. Bihe's face is too attractive, and there are always some disgusting men. Something happened in April, and Bihe almost disfigured herself. Although the matter was barely suppressed, Bihe couldn't stay in the imperial city anymore. After all, this girl who doesn't get married is always criticized, and she obviously didn't do anything, but she was accused of seducing people everywhere. At that time, two old doctors were going to learn from the Divine Doctor Lin to go out for "study tours" for a period of time, and they brought a lot of people with them, so Bihe followed them. In order to go out, she made herself ugly and dark, which made people feel distressed. Why can't God be better to her?"
What happened back then? Zhen Muyao and the others were so furious, but the world was so unfair to women. They were lucky enough to be able to live a carefree life, so how could they care about others
Wen Renying also sighed beside her, "That time, Sister Xia would rather stay the way she was before, but it's probably just a thought. After all, being too fat makes it easy to get sick and it's inconvenient to do things. Sister Xia is gentle and has a good temper. She is good at needlework and cooking. Now she is studying hard and learning medicine. Doctor Lin said that although she is not as talented as you, the fourth sister, she is not bad. With such tenacity and diligence, she will become a great person in time. I just hope that by then, others will be less prejudiced."
Xiao Cao was silent for a moment, "Wait for her to come back. I am here in the imperial city now."
"Yes, now we have you, the fourth sister." Wen Renying said with a smile.
Zhen Muyao and Xu Tongdan also laughed. Of course, with Princess Anguo's current status, if she wanted to support someone, who could slap her in the face and not give her face
Probably because they are all young women and have good relationships with each other, not to mention those close to them, most of the others are relatively sensible. However, there is always a small group of people who are not sensible. Facing these people, Xiaocao has an indifferent expression and seems to have a perfunctory attitude, and she just sends them away casually.
This made the people around her look at each other in bewilderment. The fourth sister (Sister Xuan) seemed a little different from before, but they didn't know how to describe it for a moment. After accidentally seeing Princess Fukang, they suddenly had an idea. She was becoming more and more like a princess. They didn't think there was anything wrong with it. After all, she was still the same when facing them. It's just that she had been at the border before. Normally, such a transformation should not be completed there. But when they thought of her experience in the middle, they seemed to understand everything. Being in an enemy country, it was naturally impossible for her to be approachable.
So, everyone tacitly agreed not to mention anything.
However, their small team did not continue to work together. Later, Xiaocao went to meet several elders.
There were cups being clinked, music being played, and graceful dancing and singing, creating a scene of peace and prosperity.
The news of Xichi's request for peace arrived at this time, pushing this grand scene to its climax.
I didn't want to continue wasting time with Xichi in the first place, and it was naturally the best thing that Xichi couldn't bear it anymore and proposed peace talks.
Emperor Xuanren was in a good mood and invited everyone to raise their glasses to wish the dynasty a prosperous future.
The banquet became more and more lively. After all, today was a very happy day. Some people felt like they had eaten lemons and were so sad. There was nothing they could do but to force some people to drink a few glasses of wine. Once they drank too much, their emotions were inevitably not so restrained.
Some people were obviously out of control, but Emperor Xuanren did not say anything. They probably knew that in an occasion like today, even if someone behaved improperly in front of the emperor - there were so many people around, and if they went too far, someone would definitely stop it - the emperor would not do anything.
Compared to the hustle and bustle of Qi Chao, the small group of people in Liuqie stayed in that small world, very quiet and seemed so out of place. When Emperor Xuanren’s birthday came, they dared to arrogantly compete in drinking with the people from Qi Chao, but now even delicious food and fine wine can’t attract them. They looked at everything in front of them with resentment and jealousy. Their status was different, and the treatment they received was really very different.
No one from the Qichao side paid any attention to what the Liuqi people thought. To put it bluntly, letting them attend today's celebration banquet was just to hit them in the heart. Not coming forward to ridicule and squeeze them directly was already the greatest tolerance as a country of etiquette.
In such an occasion, naturally no one would cause any trouble and it was lively and cheerful from beginning to end.
After leaving the palace, she would naturally be very busy in the next few days. After all, she had been away for such a long time, and all kinds of interpersonal relationships needed to be dealt with. Moreover, both the medical staff and the doctors who were gradually "dividing into specialties" for study and research did not stop learning because of her departure. On the contrary, the scale of their study became larger and more systematic.
Some people even began to be sent to local areas, and corresponding "colleges" were gradually developed in the prefectural cities surrounding the imperial city. As long as they keep doing this, it will definitely radiate to a wider range, and it seems that we can foresee the prosperity of the medical field in the future.
It is said that most of the matters here are handled by Mr. Xie Sanye. This man with "long arms" has indeed lived up to his former reputation. If he continues like this, it will be just around the corner for him to be as famous as the six ministers.
Xiaocao is naturally not the only one who is busy. The "peace talks" with Liuqi have officially begun. Liuqi is "extremely poor", so there is no expectation that they can pay compensation or anything. However, it is impossible to take back the places occupied by Qi Dynasty. Then, the biggest possibility is to pay tribute. Although Liuqi is poor, horse, cattle, sheep and furs are all good things.
Think about what the Liuqi people did to Qi Chao in the past. They are tough and arrogant at heart. If they were reduced to ceding land and paying tribute, it would be tantamount to shattering their pride. However, Qi Chao was definitely not a pushover and would only ask for more, not less.
At the same time, those who should be liquidated must also be liquidated, for example, Li Ruoshui, who is still hanging on to her life, and the Li family who raised such a daughter. No matter whether the two adults of the Li family are decent people, they have to share the blame because the Li family has such a daughter. Correspondingly, Li Ruoshui is still the daughter-in-law of the Pingjin Marquis Mansion, even though the Pingjin Marquis Mansion had already released the news of her death from an acute illness, but did not divorce her or remove her from the Hua family. She is still a member of the Hua family.
- One can imagine how shocked the people in Pingjin Marquis's mansion were when they found out what Li Ruoshui had done. The Marquis's wife fainted and Hua Bochen vomited blood.
Hua Bochen was overwhelmed with unprecedented regret. He might have regretted it before, but never as much as he did now. This woman had ruined the reputation of the Pingjin Marquis Mansion and the Hua family. He, Hua Bochen, had become the biggest laughing stock, especially after all the things were exposed. Some people used the things between him and Li Ruoshui as a topic of conversation - although it was actually just an ambiguous relationship, when they said it, they exaggerated it countless times - to them, it was just a romantic affair, but to Hua Bochen, it was another heavy hammer that made him dizzy.
Subsequently, Wei Tingyu set about rehabilitating those poems and completely nailed Li Ruoshui to the pillar of shame.
Li Ruoshui had a long history of bad deeds and many flaws, which could not stand up to scrutiny at all. Therefore, there was no need to make up anything carefully. Even among her beautiful poems, it was not surprising if one or two were buried, but it was very strange that so many were buried and then sorted together. People still easily believed that she was a thief. Literati were very noble and would never see such a thing. Both the Li family and the Hua family were criticized by them.
Hua Bochen vomited blood and fainted this time. He was originally attracted by Li Ruoshui's talent, which was enough to save his dignity. But in the end, he found out that she was not only useless, but also extremely despicable. This blow to Hua Bochen was simply devastating.
Seeing him like this, the people in Pingjin Marquis' Mansion could no longer blame him. They just hated Li Ruoshui so much that if she were right in front of them, they would tear her to pieces.
However, it was at this time that Wei Tingyu considerately handed the worthless Li Ruoshui over to the Pingjin Marquis Mansion. After all, Li Ruoshui didn't actually do anything to harm Qi Chao. She knew very little about Liang Ming, probably only about what happened on the way from Qi Chao to Liu Ge. She had no idea what he did in Liu Ge. After squeezing out his surplus value, he was still a member of the Pingjin Marquis Mansion, so it was only right that he be returned.
It is conceivable how miserable Li Ruoshui will be. I believe that he will completely disappear from this world in the near future.
On the contrary, the Pingjin Marquisate and the Li family were completely sworn enemies, and would make trouble for the Li family whenever they got the chance. The Li family also knew that they were in the wrong, and if they made a big fuss they would lose face in front of Emperor Xuanren, so they tried to avoid the incident.
Naturally, everyone in the Li family hated Li Ruoshui to death. In fact, her influence on the Li family was even greater. With the emergence of this lowly, lowly, and shameless daughter, the reputations of the other daughters were also seriously damaged. One of those who were already married was even divorced, and the in-laws of those who were not divorced no longer cared about the power of the Li family. The original mistress of the house fell to a level that was even worse than a servant. Even so, they could only endure it, secretly wiping their tears and cursing Li Ruoshui, not daring to do anything.
Those who were unmarried cried their hearts out and felt that their future was bleak.
—Wen Renying, who got the news by chance, sighed. You know, in her previous life, the few golden flowers in the Li family were all very good, with good reputations and talents. Now they were harmed like this by Li Ruoshui, who didn't know what was going on. Even for Hua Bochen, this scum, she couldn't help but feel a little more pity.
I think I'm lucky. While eating the fresh fruits sent by my fourth sister, Wen Renying sighed happily, saying that these were tributes from other places.
—At other times, what the local government sends to the mouth may not be the best. After all, if the best cannot be obtained due to some reasons in a certain year, and it is not sent in time, it will be punished. However, it was not the case during the reign of Emperor Xuanren. The tribute was definitely the best of the year. It did not matter if it was a little worse in some years. On the contrary, if it was used to fool people, it would be a real crime.
According to Xiaocao's current level of favor, any good things presented to her must have a share for her. No matter whether it was the wife of Pingyang Marquis or the Wenren family, they could all benefit from it to some extent. Now Wen Renying is experiencing the best time of her life. These good things are basically never-ending every day.
Wen Renying praised herself more and more for her cleverness. Fortunately, she did not go hysterical and get on bad terms with her fourth sister, and instead established a good relationship with her. Now, looking across the entire imperial city, how many of those noble ladies from high-ranking families could compare to her
Even if she married a man from a poor family, they would all be envious and jealous of her. When she went out to attend banquets, many people said sour words and were jealous of her, but they could only watch. She had a considerate husband, a kind mother-in-law, a supportive family, and a most powerful fourth sister. She would be reborn and enjoy the shade under a big tree, so what
Wen Renying is truly becoming more and more like the pampered person she was before, having never experienced those things in her previous life.
Mrs. Li from the Li family is having a very hard time. After Wei Tingyu learned some things from Li Ruoshui, he interrogated Bai Qingchuan again. Bai Qingchuan might never say a word about Xichi's affairs, but he told him everything he knew about Liang Ming. In the final analysis, he just wanted to take the opportunity to make a few sarcastic remarks.
Liang Ming was proven guilty of treason, which was completely different from the previous events. All the Liang family members who were still in the imperial city were sent to prison, and those who left would also be arrested. Not to mention that they would all be beheaded, they would definitely be exiled to a bitter and cold place.
How could Mrs. Li, who came from the Liang family, have a good life? What's more, she had once come into contact with Liang Ming, who secretly returned to the Kaiping Imperial City, so she was summoned by the Kaiping Guards. Naturally, everything she had done was known to the father and son of the Li family. It was already a mercy that they did not drive her out of the Li family.
Knowing that she was a bad person, Lady Pingjin Hou spat at her fiercely and said, "She deserved it. The daughters of wealthy families were basically brought up by their mothers. The fault for Li Ruoshui's behavior was all on Lady Li's head, and she deserved her fate."
As time went by, the negotiations with Liu Kari were basically finalized, and we only had to wait for Liu Kari's final confirmation and the submission of the formal letter of credence.
The envoys from Xichi had almost arrived at the Kaiping Imperial City.
Another tug-of-war started. Compared with the one with Liuqi, there would be more wrangling. After all, Qichao and Xichi were of equal status, and it was impossible to gain all the benefits from Xichi.
However, Qi Chao was holding Bai Qingchuan in his hands, so he was determined to tear a piece of flesh from Xichi.
—Wei Tingyu knew that Bai Qingchuan was of extraordinary value, and that this man was indeed a tough guy. Without knowing much about his background, it would be difficult to win over his heart. Wei Tingyu asked Xiaocao if there was any medicine that could play a corresponding role. Xiaocao put aside other things for the time being, and after much thought, he spent almost half a month to prepare a hallucinogenic drug. The result was miraculous, and Bai Qingchuan told him everything.
Including his identity, the tasks his subordinates are responsible for, his alliance with Liuqi, etc.
Having seized a powerful handle, especially since Xichi was the first to initiate peace talks, Qi Chao naturally had the upper hand.
Xiao Cao did not ask about the following events, except that she occasionally learned about the progress of some things from Wei Tingyu. In fact, whether it was the "peace talks" with Liu Qi or Xi Chi, Wei Tingyu had a seat at the table, even the second or third in command. He spoke sharply, and the conditions he offered made people jump to their feet and vomit blood. His attitude was biased and strong.
The bigwigs in the court couldn't help but twirling their beards and sighing that this young man Wei Tingyu was extraordinary. If he was not too young, he could have directly taken over the position of Chief Censor after Chief Censor Xia retired.
So, even if there was no Princess Anguo, Wei Tingyu's future would still be promising. Now, at most, he is relying on Princess Anguo's help to make his life smoother and may receive a few more criticisms from others, that's all.
Wei Tingyu never cared about what others thought. His goal from the beginning to the end was to become Xiaocao's support and backup. Even though Xiaocao is now spoiled and protected by many people, his goal has never changed. For some things, you should never pin your hopes on others. It would be best if she could always be the same as she is now. What if one day she can't be anymore
So, this couple, one dedicated to climbing up the ladder and the other working hard to develop his career, lived a harmonious and happy life.
Before the matter of Xichi was finalized, Fan Wuguo went to Northern Frontier again, and this time he ran away secretly, for sure, because his marriage could not be delayed any longer, and his mother would not indulge him this time. He did not want to get married, at least not now, he would at least wait a few more years. However, he was not like before, he was a serious military general now, and he left the imperial city without a transfer order. Emperor Xuanren ordered him to be arrested and dealt with according to the law.
However, this gentleman probably understood the trick halfway through and changed his mind. From then on, he was nowhere to be found. Even when letters were sent back to report safety, when people chased after him, no one knew where he had gone. Princess Fukang was furious, and Emperor Xuanren was also irritated by this bastard. As a result, Young Master Fan was stripped of his official position before he could even get comfortable with it.
So what was he trying to achieve by going to the Northern Frontier and establishing himself with his own abilities? However, there would probably be no wars in the short term, so Young Master Fan could continue to build his career.
Fan Wuguo could run away, but Mu Bei couldn't.
After resigning as the commander of the Dingbei Army and seeing off the Xichi envoys, Mu Bei simply proposed to marry a princess of the royal family. Being in the royal family, this girl was unusually gentle and docile. Xiao Cao had met her twice. Her father was the cousin of Emperor Xuanren, so he had some ability and naturally had some power in his hands. However, it was still a long way behind the Dingbei County Prince's Mansion. Therefore, this marriage was naturally a happy one for everyone. However, the girl was still under sixteen years old, so the marriage still had to be delayed.
Probably because of what happened last time, the old concubine was a little nervous. She almost went directly to the palace to ask for an imperial decree to let Mu Bei get married early. Fortunately, she was stopped by Mu Bei. She was a county lord of the royal family and her business concerned the reputation of the royal family. Naturally, it was impossible for her to do anything messy. After much persuasion, the old concubine was appeased.
Time flies, and it is the end of the year. I have been busy all the time. Suddenly I look up and it is the Chinese New Year. Time flies.
On New Year's Eve, Xiaocao and Wei Tingyu went to the palace for a banquet. If you have a princess as your daughter-in-law, you have to be prepared that your son will "become someone else's family" when the New Year comes, and it's the same for every family.
Xiaocao had been feeling a little unwell these past two days, but it was not obvious. She had also paid attention to rest, but because her diet was also light, when the heavy dishes were placed on the table, the smell made Xiaocao feel nauseous and retched immediately.
"Xuan'er..." Wei Tingyu immediately became nervous.
Xiaocao felt very uncomfortable at the moment and just waved his hands without giving any further response.
People around looked over...
"Is Anguo feeling unwell?"
"Oh, looking at this reaction, could it be that she is pregnant?"
Others also echoed it, and I'm afraid it's probably true.
Wei Tingyu paused, but didn't think too much. If there was really a child, it would certainly make people happy, but seeing Xiaocao so uncomfortable, he felt even more distressed. Speaking of which, the possibility of pregnancy is actually quite high. Wei Tingyu has always remembered Xiaocao's menstrual period clearly, but during the time in Northern Xinjiang, she worked day and night, which caused Xiaocao's menstrual period to be disordered. It was only last month that it stabilized. This time it was delayed again. Wei Tingyu just thought that she hadn't adjusted yet. Now thinking about it, if it was because of the child...
Xiaocao recovered and Wei Tingyu immediately brought her a glass of water.
Xiaocao rinsed her mouth, and the dishes on the table in front of her had been cleared away. It was really thoughtful.
Emperor Xuanren of Shangfang spoke with concern at this time, "How is An Guo? Is he really pregnant?"
"My son has lost his manners."
Emperor Xuanren waved his hand, not caring about this at the moment.
"I don't know, but I did feel a little tired these days, it was very mild, so I didn't pay much attention to it." Xiao Cao said as he took his own pulse, his brows relaxed and he smiled unconsciously, "It is indeed possible."
"Good!" Emperor Xuanren was happier than having a grandson when he saw Xiaocao was pregnant. "Immediately ask the imperial kitchen to send some food suitable for pregnant women. - Is there anything Anguo wants to eat?"
"Thank you, Father. I don't have anything special I want to eat. Just something light will do."
Emperor Xuanren nodded and asked people to prepare quickly.
Xiaocao didn't ask for any dishes, but the imperial kitchen dared not be careless at all. It was well known how favored Princess Anguo was. She often invited people to stay for meals in the palace, so people knew that she was not picky about food. However, she still had her taste preferences. Now that she was pregnant, they dared not neglect her and had to serve her well. You know, no matter whether the baby in her belly was a boy or a girl, the title had been given a long time ago, and it was a real treasure.
The food from the imperial kitchen was also prepared quite quickly and was served very quickly. Compared to before, it was all steaming hot and there was a small stove specially used to simmer the dishes so there was no need to worry about them getting cold quickly.
Emperor Xuanren saw that Xiaocao was eating quite well, so he rewarded the imperial kitchen and also reminded Wei Tingyu to take good care of him.
To be honest, with such treatment, even if the other people persuaded themselves again and again not to be jealous, they still couldn't help but feel jealous. When Princess Duan was pregnant with her first child, she didn't even say a few words of advice to Prince Duan. Of course, daughters and daughters-in-law are treated differently, and it is not appropriate for a father-in-law to ask too much about his daughter-in-law's affairs. However, this woman in the harem is pregnant, and it is his child, so at most he would just give her more rewards and let the imperial doctors keep an eye on her.
Therefore, Emperor Xuanren had never met someone who could make him partial to someone before. Once he became partial to someone, he would be equally unreasonable. The only thing to be thankful for was that Princess Anguo was not the kind of spoiled person who would bully others or take the initiative to cause trouble. If he had met someone who was a crab, it would have been really worrying.
It started to snow lightly in the afternoon, so when the palace banquet ended, Emperor Xuanren let Xiaocao stay in the palace. Anyway, the court officials would bring their families to the palace to pay New Year's greetings the next day. Now that Xiaocao was pregnant, she didn't have to make the trip back and forth.
Wei Tingyu was also kept this time.
So, on the second day, it was not an exaggeration to say that the whole imperial city knew about Xiaocao's pregnancy. For other people, it would take at least three months for a pregnancy to be established before making it public. But for Xiaocao, even if we calculated based on her last menstrual period in her previous life, the baby was only a little over a month old. In reality, it was only about twenty days, but the news had already become known to everyone. Xiaocao was helpless about this.
However, Xiaocao's child has too many innate advantages, so it is difficult for people not to notice him.
Both the Wen family and the wife of Pingyang Marquis were very happy. Although the wife of Pingyang Marquis never said anything, her only son would have a successor. Even if she really escaped from the worldly life, she would definitely be happy. What's more, she was still some distance away from escaping the worldly life. After the child was born, according to Xiaocao and others' plan, it was still unknown what would happen to her in the future.
The elders, relatives and friends who were close to Xiaocao were also very happy for her. Mu Bei even said in front of Wei Tingyu that he wanted to be the baby's godfather. This was true, but seeing Wei Tingyu's dark face, he was in a good mood.
Zhen Muyao was even more direct. He stared at Xiaocao's belly and wanted to become in-laws with her children even though he didn't even know whether it was a boy or a girl.
This made Xiaocao speechless.
Wen Renying gave birth to a big fat boy two months ago. He sighed and said, "Now these cousins can't get married, but this way, they are just like real brothers and sisters."
In fact, there are more people who beat children for their own benefit than just the good feelings. Xiaocao's favor over others now overshadows everyone else. In addition, Emperor Xuanren killed Prince Cheng last time, and the other princes' restless hearts were almost wiped out. Prince Duan is almost certain to be the next emperor, and if it weren't for Xiaocao, Prince Duan would probably still be blind, and there would be no need to talk about the throne. Therefore, when Prince Duan ascends the throne, Princess Anguo will become Princess Anguo's eldest princess, and her status will still be unshakable. Marrying her children with her will bring countless benefits.
This is still an embryo. Even Xiaocao's cold face couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of some people. Then they just hid away, hiding from Emperor Xuanren. No one dared to move forward.
Emperor Xuanren seemed to be enjoying the show, and Xiaocao felt very resentful.
"You are too soft-hearted, girl. They are the ones who are clinging to you. Just ignore them. You are a precious princess. If you turn your face away, no one dares to do anything to them. You should be tough to the end. You are thin-skinned, so those thick-skinned people will think you have a good temper and take advantage of you. As long as you make it clear that you are unhappy, they will understand after a few more times. You were fine when you came back from Northern Xinjiang. Now you are going back again?"
"Father is right."
Later, whenever Xiaocao encountered this kind of situation, he would remain expressionless and look at the other person a few more times. The other person's tone would consciously become weaker and then he would mute himself. Sure enough, after a few times, he had figured it out and didn't dare to mention it again.
So, some people are just mean people who can't understand nice words.
After leaving the palace and returning to the Marquis' Mansion, Xiaocao entered into a daily routine of taking care of her pregnancy. During the first three months, she knew that others would be nervous as well, so she basically put her work aside. On weekdays, she mostly read books, played chess, listened to music, etc. Both Han and her sisters and friends often went to the Marquis' Mansion to see her, and when Wei Tingyu was fine, he stayed by her side all the time.
There were some pregnancy reactions, but they were not serious. There was always someone to accompany her, so she felt more relaxed and her mood was more stable. After the first three months, Xiaocao was ready to continue working normally. In her previous life, did those working women stop working after getting pregnant? That was not the case. And with Xiaocao's personality, if she had to be obedient for half a year, she would have gone crazy.
Wei Tingyu didn't say anything about her decision on the surface, but he was inexplicably anxious in his heart.
The people around Xiaocao were even more direct. How could you be so tired during pregnancy? If anything went wrong, not only the child would suffer, but you would suffer as well. So, you should take a good rest and wait until the baby is born.
Xiaocao didn't take it too seriously and went to the hospital as usual. The hospital wouldn't let her see a doctor because they were worried that they would pass the disease on to her. So, Xiaocao went straight into the "laboratory". She planned to make some more popular and generally usable finished medicines.
But less than three days later, Han came over. Compared with others, Han, the mother, was not so polite. She directly pulled Xiaocao out of the "laboratory" and scolded her. Xiaocao, who was originally energetic, suddenly wilted. She wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Han fiercely, "Don't say you are a doctor, you know it yourself, I see you just won't stop, deliberately making excuses to fool us."
Xiaocao was being "forced" by Han to be sent back to the Marquis' Mansion, and she saw Wei Tingyu after a few steps.
Xiaocao's face immediately turned sour. The changes in hormones in the body during pregnancy can cause all kinds of emotional problems, and sometimes people become irrational. Xiaocao didn't even think about it and directly put the blame on Wei Tingyu, saying that it was he who had called her mother here.
Wei Tingyu looked at Xiaocao's expression and knew what she was thinking, and he was suddenly speechless.
Xiaocao did go back, but she remained silent and ignored Wei Tingyu, and her appetite seemed to have decreased.
Wei Tingyu was humble and tried to persuade and coax her carefully. If she was angry, she should not keep it in her heart, she could scold him or beat him.
Xiaocao didn't even bother to look at him. She was depressed all night and had severe pregnancy reactions the next day. She vomited all over. Not to mention Wei Tingyu was heartbroken and anxious, the servants were also extremely anxious. They hurriedly invited Doctor Lin to come. Not only did the wife of Marquis Pingyang be alarmed, but Han also got the news soon.
Han said that she was tired and had refused to listen before. Seeing that Xiaocao was listless, Wei Tingyu hurriedly stopped Han and asked her to stop talking. In fact, he roughly knew where the problem was, and then he got the answer from Doctor Lin.
Wei Tingyu coaxed Xiaocao with kind words, "Xuan'er, I won't stop you from doing whatever you want, but the time cannot be too long. You also have to listen to me about other things. This is the bottom line."
Xiaocao finally looked at him straight in the eye.
Wei Tingyu breathed a sigh of relief and stroked Xiaocao's cheek, "But your condition is really not good now, so, take two doses of medicine, rest for two days, and then go to the hospital, okay?"
Han looked at it, but in the end the words were on the tip of her tongue but she didn't say them.
After Xiaocao took the medicine, she felt much better. For the next two or three days, apart from eating, drinking and resting, she did what she was supposed to do. Her spirit recovered quite quickly. Han Shi did not go back because she was worried. After these two or three days, she realized that her daughter was destined to be a hard worker. Letting her rest and take care of the baby would be the death of her. Seeing that Wei Tingyu was doing everything by himself and serving him, she felt that she was redundant, so she simply left to avoid her daughter looking at her with resentment.
After Han left, Xiaocao returned to her daily routine, her energy and spirit returned, and her appetite returned. However, Wei Tingyu kept her schedule very tight, and she was always on time to do what she was supposed to do. Xiaocao even suspected that the Kaiping Guard had been abolished, so he had so much free time to hang around her all the time.
It was just something they had agreed on before, so sometimes when he was interrupted, Xiaocao would just look at him unhappily.
After a long time, Xiaocao still felt unhappy and wanted to make some trouble. His taste had become strange recently, so Commander Wei could be seen from time to time inside and outside the imperial city looking for all kinds of food. In the morning he might be in the east and in the afternoon he might be in the west. Today he was in the inner city and tomorrow he might be in the outer city.
It would be hard for people not to know about such a scene. Han had a wooden face and didn't know what to say. Her daughter Xuan'er was considerate and sensible. Even when she was stubborn, it was always about the patients. At other times, she was the least troublesome thing to do. But as a result, this pregnancy made her like this.
Han may have had some complaints about Wei Tingyu before, but now she felt a little distressed, "Don't spoil her all the time. She may not eat the food you bought from far away..."
"Mother-in-law, Xuan'er has worked hard to bear a child for me. When a woman is pregnant, her taste changes. When she wants to eat, she eats. If she doesn't want to eat, that's fine. It's not a big deal."
Han choked and said, "Then you can also ask the servants to buy it. Whether it is the Marquis' Mansion or the Princess' Mansion, there are plenty of people there. Why do you have to run around in person?"
Wei Tingyu smiled, "I stare at her all day, and Xuan'er is annoyed. If I let someone else go, she will be even more unhappy."
"So she was just making trouble on purpose, and you just let her do it?"
"As long as Xuan'er is in a good mood, it's just running errands, it's not a big deal."
Well, Han also saw through it. It was obvious that one party was willing to fight and the other was willing to be beaten. She said too much and was just being nosy.
Han couldn't help but scold Xiaocao when she turned around, telling her to stop making trouble. There might not be another husband like her in the world, so she should cherish her happiness. Xiaocao looked at her mother and said softly, "He is willing to go of his own accord. I didn't force him. If he doesn't want to go, then he doesn't have to go." Xiaocao was now possessed by a demon.
Han was choked and speechless, and poked Xiaocao's forehead angrily.
Some of the rumors were getting more and more outrageous. Emperor Xuanren was speechless. He called Wei Tingyu over, still looking cold and aloof, dignified and noble. There was no trace of the "cowardly" look of "fearing one's wife, not daring to go west when the wife said to go east". "Wei Qing, An Guo is pregnant now, her temper may be a little..."
"Your Majesty, the princess is fine." Wei Tingyu said neither lightly nor seriously.
Emperor Xuanren was choked by Wei Tingyu just like Han. Fine, he was meddling in other people's business. He was the emperor, and he was busy with many things every day. How could he have the time to care about the affairs of this couple? "Handle the Kaiping Guard affairs. I don't want to bother with you anymore."
"Your Majesty, rest assured. All matters in Kaiping Guard are going well."
Emperor Xuanren didn't want to see him standing around anymore, so he waved his hand and sent him away.
However, the situation seemed to be getting more and more serious. Commander Wei still served his wife personally. He would never give her anything she said. However, when there was something in the court and Emperor Xuanren asked for his opinion, he would go all out with sharp words. If he disagreed with anyone, no matter who the other person was, he would directly fight back, looking like he was going to kill everyone.
Some people are so angry that they are about to vomit blood.
—This Wei Tingyu is indeed henpecked and afraid of his wife. He was irritated by Princess Anguo, but he didn't dare to fight back, so he took it out on them. What kind of reason is this! Even though Princess Anguo is deeply favored by the emperor and has a noble status, the child in her belly is already more noble than you, the father. You can't be unreasonable by relying on these arrogance and domineering. You, a grown man, are so afraid, it's simply a shame for men!
Some people were probably criticized too harshly and went straight to Wei Tingyu to curse.
Wei Tingyu responded indifferently and said nothing. Then, he turned around and reported the other party: slandering and despising Princess Anguo, being disrespectful to the princess, and further, being disrespectful to the royal family and the emperor.
Once this big hat is put on you, no matter who you are, you will have to kneel down and apologize.
Emperor Xuanren was also speechless. He knew exactly what was going on, but if you say that Wei Tingyu was making up stories, that's not true. So he punished people symbolically, also to tell others not to make trouble for no reason. He, Wei Tingyu, is "shameless" and it's none of their business.
In fact, after Wei Tingyu played such a trick, other people really didn't dare to make a fuss about this matter anymore, so they just found other things to confront Wei Tingyu. However, Wei Tingyu was vicious and cruel, and he held the Kaiping Guard in his hands, so he knew a lot of private matters. If they were not careful, he would find a sore spot, and before they could confront him, they would get into trouble first.
Xiao Cao didn't know that she had become a rouge tiger in some people's hearts. Wei Ting was just like dough, without any backbone at all, being held in her palms, kneaded and flattened at will.
She drew up prescriptions for several common diseases, such as headaches, fever, coughs, nasal congestion, sneezing, abdominal pain and diarrhea, and divided them into medicines for adults, children and even infants. She then convened major pharmacies and hospitals to promote the finished medicines.
Common diseases are usually similar, so there is no problem at all if you pay attention to the dosage of common ready-made medicines.
This matter has received the support of the vast majority of people. After all, it is a mutually beneficial thing.
After that, Xiaocao also launched some plasters and some medicines for treating more difficult diseases. It must be said that they were all very popular. But in the final analysis, these medicines were just for Xiaocao to kill time during this period. Others could also take them out. Her goal was always those difficult and complicated diseases, which required her to spend her energy. Some medicines were not suitable for her to touch now and had to wait until later.
As the hot summer approached, Wei Tingyu took Xiaocao to the farm to escape the heat. This year's summer was a bit long.
At the beginning of August, Master Fan, who had been wandering outside, finally came back. It was said that he was beaten by Princess Fukang as soon as he came back.
Not long after that, Xia Bihe returned with the old doctors who were studying abroad.
When Xiaocao got the news, it was Princess Fukang who asked for Xia Bihe's hand in marriage for Fan Wuguo. Xiaocao was stunned at the time. How could these two people who had nothing to do with each other be linked together? Thinking about it, it couldn't be Princess Fukang's intention, otherwise she wouldn't have waited until now. Xiaocao grabbed Wei Tingyu and asked, "What's going on?"
"The young master met Miss Xia outside and was attracted by her beauty."
"Impossible!" Xiaocao denied it subconsciously.
Fan Wuguo may be a gangster, but he would never act recklessly when it comes to things like this.
Wei Tingyu held Xiaocao's hand with good temper, "This is what Princess Fukang said when she asked the young master."
Xiaocao could no longer sit still, and rushed back to the imperial city. She let others off the hook, but Fan Wuguo had done something terrible to Xia Bihe, so Xiaocao was the first one to deal with him.
Xiaocao didn't even go home, but went straight to the Xia family. The Xia family seemed very happy, which meant that the marriage was most likely successful. Xiaocao suppressed her anxiety. The Xia family was actually shocked by her visit, and everyone in the family hurried to the main gate to greet her. Xiaocao specifically asked to see Xia Bihe, and everyone else left.
Seeing Xiaocao coming to the door with a big belly, Xia Bihe was also surprised. After knowing the purpose of Xiaocao's visit, she felt very guilty, but when it came to marriage, Xia Bihe couldn't help blushing.
Well, this was not a unilateral "seizure" by Fan Wuguo. She had always said before that she would not marry. Now this reaction clearly showed that she was interested. Xiaocao couldn't help but be curious and asked what was going on.
Then, well, it was a rather clichéd “hero saves the beauty” story.
Because it was an emergency and the other party was a woman, Xia Bihe had no time to make herself look ugly, so she just put on a veil. After she was done, she was sweating. When she didn't pay much attention, she took off the veil to fan herself. In just a few breaths, she caused trouble. Later, the little bully wanted to take Xia Bihe as a concubine. Even though he moved out of the imperial city, the other party didn't believe it at all. Although there were more than ten people in their group, their force was limited. Xia Bihe didn't want to hurt innocent people. When she collapsed and despaired, she met Fan Wuguo who was passing by...
Later, Fan Wuguo saw this group of "old, weak, sick and disabled" and showed some kindness, so he escorted them for a while.
He saved Xia Bihe when she was going to the market. Seeing that he was very picky along the way, she cooked for him. Seeing that his clothes were torn, she sewed and mended them for him. This back and forth, didn't it...
"Young Master must have said that out of concern for my reputation." Xia Bihe twirled her fingers, her voice as soft as a mosquito.
After all, Fan Wuguo has never had a good reputation, so it is not surprising that he was "lusted by beauty". If he really said that they fell in love after meeting each other outside, people might fabricate that Xia Bihe seduced someone again. Fan Wuguo has too many debts to worry about, so it doesn't matter if he just takes the blame.
To be honest, Xia Bihe's personality is quite complementary to Fan Wuguo's. However, Xiaocao is worried that she is too soft and will be bullied by Fan Wuguo. "If he bullies you in the future, come to me and I will deal with him."
"No, the young master is a very good person."
Okay, I'll protect him now. It seems like he really cares about me. I just hope it's not a filter of gratitude for saving my life.
Even so, after leaving the Xia family, Xiaocao went to Fan Wuguo's Duke's Mansion and gave Fan Wuguo a good scolding.
Fan Wuguo had never seen Xiaocao in such a bad temper, but seeing her big belly, his heart began to tremble. He didn't know about this before, and he kept acting cute and asking her to take it easy.
Xiao Cao felt relieved only after he had a good laugh.
Fan Wuguo glanced at Wei Tingyu, but Wei Tingyu didn't take it seriously. As long as his wife was happy, whatever she said was fine. Let alone trying to persuade her, it was good enough that he didn't have to help.
The marriage was settled because both of them were not young anymore, especially Xia Bihe, who was in her early twenties and definitely an older girl, so the wedding was scheduled within three months.
In September, Mu Bei married his successor princess, but Xiao Cao did not visit him because she was about to give birth. Some people were keenly aware that King Dingbei was not in a good mood, and those who did not know the truth thought that he was still thinking about his deceased first wife. However, Fan Wuguo, as an insider, could not help but mock him.
As a result, on the day after Mu Bei's wedding, news came that Princess Anguo had given birth to a baby boy.
The third baptism ceremony was exceptionally grand, and he was then canonized as a Duke, enjoying the emperor's special favor.
Fan Wuguo muttered, "This kid is so young, but he thinks he is equal to me? No, I have to give birth to a daughter as soon as possible after we get married. The age is just right." If he becomes the father-in-law of this kid, he will be at his mercy then, huh.
In November, Fan Wuguo and Xia Bihe got married. After the marriage, because Xia Bihe had a good temper and was always gentle, she was able to restrain Fan Wuguo very well. The only thing she insisted on was studying medicine. On this point, Fan Wuguo did not stop her, but strongly supported her.
When Young Master Wei was three years old, the daughter of Prince Dingbei was one year old. The daughter that Master Fan had been dreaming about was a little boy, only a few days older than Prince Dingbei's daughter. At this time, Xiaocao gave birth to her second child, a little princess.
So, Lord Fan, without saying anything, set his sights on this little princess and wanted her to be his daughter-in-law. With his and Xia Bihe's looks, and the child they gave birth to, without cleft lip and palate, she would be extremely beautiful. He held his son and kept nagging him, asking him to seduce the little girl from the Wei family. The innate conditions had been created, and if he still couldn't marry her in the future, hmph...
In fact, Zhen Muyao’s second child, a son, is already half a year old. How could she let Fan Wuguo succeed so easily
So, these two, both with domineering tempers, would be fine if they didn't meet, but when they met, they would argue even more fiercely.
Xiaocao had a headache all day and wished he could kick them out of the house.
Wei Tingyu has inherited the title and become the new Marquis of Pingyang, but he didn't say anything. He just held his daughter in his arms and muttered something. You know, Wei Tingyu is now very famous in the court. The daughter he taught may not be so easy to pursue. Some bad boys may suffer in the future.
When Master Wei was five years old, Wei Tingyu was thirty and entered the Inspectorate, taking the position of Deputy Censor-in-Chief. After only two years, he was moved again. After nearly six years, he served as a vice minister in six ministries. Frequent transfers below the fifth rank were not surprising, but as a third-rank official, this was absolutely unprecedented. Then he jumped directly from the third rank to the second rank and became the Minister of Personnel.
Another year passed, and Emperor Xuanren, who still looked strong and vigorous, abdicated the throne to Prince Duan and became the emperor emeritus. He no longer took care of any state affairs and lived out his days in peace. At this time, Prince Duan was actually quite old. If Emperor Xuanren had lived until his death before abdicating the throne, perhaps Prince Duan would have had no chance of getting the throne.
When the new emperor ascended the throne, he conferred titles on his concubines, appointed his eldest son as crown prince, and made the rest of his sons who were old enough kings.
Then Princess Anguo was promoted to Princess Anguo Chang, and the Minister of Personnel Wei Tingyu entered the cabinet and was given the title of First-Rank Taifu (an honorary title). There were also other rewards for some officials.
These are all secondary. The key is Wei Tingyu, who, at the age of forty, reached the highest position a minister could reach.
In recent years, there have been no major natural disasters in Qi Dynasty, and Xiaocao has never left the imperial city. Her reputation is not as prominent as before, although she is still the dean of Kaiping Medical College - influenced by the medical college, other engineering colleges were born, and liberal arts colleges became more and more popular - in comparison, Wei Tingyu is more prominent.
However, the way the couple gets along has remained the same for many years—Lord Wei is strong outside but timid at home.
Those men always thought that Wei Tingyu was henpecked and it was a shame for men. But those women, many of them were attracted to him. Even though he was forty years old, he was still handsome. Even teenage girls wanted to marry him. However, Lord Wei only had Princess Anguo in his heart. He held her in high esteem, loved her, and doted on her. No one else would catch his eyes.
As a result, it has become increasingly difficult for these girls who have become more discerning to get married. Alas...
However, he is not the only good man of his age. For example, Mu Bei, Fan Wuguo, Jian Shu, Wen Renyang who is already known as a great scholar, and even Chen Wenzhen who is now the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, actually do not have concubines. But these people do not have as high status as Wei Tingyu, and they cannot treat their wives to the same extent as Wei Tingyu. At any other time, these people can become models of good men, but with the example of Lord Wei, they are slightly inferior.
Wen Renying understood this point best. After all, in his previous life, Chen Wenzhen had a concubine and a illegitimate child, and he was already known as a clean-minded and rare good man.
—Well, it turns out that the fourth sister is the most powerful. Haven't you seen that these good men are directly or indirectly related to the fourth sister? It is not surprising that they are affected. She is more and more satisfied with Chen Wenzheng now. Although Chen Wenzheng's achievements are not as good as hers in her previous life, it is also quite remarkable to be able to sit in the current position.
Xiaocao never cared about these things, and she didn't even know that her eldest son was now fifteen years old and his marriage was being targeted again.
There is no way. Although the mother's status has not changed much compared to when he was born, the father's status is incomparable. The forty-year-old Shangshu is in his prime, and there is no need to worry about not being able to borrow help for a few more years. What's more, this young Master Wei is also extremely outstanding. His character, appearance and knowledge are all outstanding. Among his peers, he is an absolute leader. In addition, Wei Tingyu sets an example and will not be a playboy. In this way, his popularity is even far beyond that of the prince.
As a man, it is not the time to consider marriage at this age. However, the fifteen-year-old girl is at the best age to be chosen. She is the same age as Young Master Wei, and people can say that they are a match made in heaven.
Fortunately, my parents are very supportive. They just refuse when they say no and are very firm.
Xiaocao also hopes that her son can find someone he likes. Besides, Young Master Wei and the eldest daughter of the Dingbei County Prince's Mansion are childhood sweethearts, so a future together is possible.
After Xiaocao talked to her son once, she let it go.
She and Wei Tingyu were both busy, so when the child was young, Lady Pingyang Hou helped to take care of the child most of the time. The child became closer to Lady Pingyang Hou, so that Lady Pingyang Hou's Buddhist nature weakened and she had enough human spirit, so she never thought of becoming a nun.
This child was born considerate, sensible, filial to his elders, and caring for his younger sister. He basically never caused his parents any worries. On the contrary, he often helped his parents share their worries, making Xiaocao the envy and jealous of others.
…
Wei Tingyu suffered too much loss when he was young, which damaged his foundation and shortened his lifespan. Even though Xiaocao had been taking care of his body, Wei Tingyu still did not live past sixty.
He didn't look that old, but he was indeed weak inside. Before he died, he gave some instructions to the younger generations and sent them away. Only the grass was left around him.
Holding Wei Tingyu's hand, she couldn't help shedding tears. She didn't want to cry, but she couldn't help it. "Tingyu..."
"Don't cry, it hurts your eyes." Wei Tingyu raised his hand and wanted to wipe away her tears, but he couldn't raise it now.
Xiaocao put his hands on her face and felt him wiping them again and again.
In Wei Tingyu's life, he only made her cry when she was young. In the following decades, he never made her cry once. Seeing her cry, he felt distressed. "I am satisfied and dissatisfied to be able to accompany you for so many years. But in the end, I can't continue to accompany you. But it doesn't matter. I'll wait for you down there. Let's be husband and wife in the next life, okay?"
"Okay." Xiaocao said without hesitation.
Wei Tingyu smiled, still looking so pretty. "Xuan'er, don't rush to find me. You need to live a long, long time. I know you still have a lot of things to do. You need to do it step by step. You can't work day and night and ruin your body. I can wait for you. It doesn't matter how long I wait. So, there's really no rush."
Xiaocao's tears fell even more violently.
“Don’t cry, don’t cry…” Gradually, Wei Tingyu’s voice became a little hoarse, “Don’t cry…” He couldn’t bear to do it, he really couldn’t bear to do it… Finally, in reluctance, he closed his eyes forever.