Chapter 313 Reward
Zhang Guifen smiled and said, "I am fine. I don't have any morning sickness. It's just that my appetite has been a little poor these past two days. I didn't take it seriously, but Cui'e insisted on asking Old Madam He to come and check on me, and then I knew I was pregnant."
"If you feel unwell, just find the imperial physician in time. Otherwise, why would I spend so much salary to support them? Fortunately, Cui'e is smart, otherwise if something happens to her, you will regret it." Zhao Xing blamed him when he heard it.
Zhang Guifen also said with some fear: "This time it's all thanks to Cui'e."
The weather has been getting warmer these days and her appetite has been poor, but she didn't care.
If anything happened, she would blame herself to death.
"Okay, don't blame yourself. Be more careful next time."
Zhao Xing was afraid that Zhang Guifen would have wild thoughts because of this, so he changed the subject and said, "It's because the child loves you as a mother that he didn't torture you, otherwise you would have suffered."
"Yes, it looks like it must be a boy." Zhang Guifen said with a smile, stroking her belly.
"That's not necessarily true. I think it's a daughter. Only daughters know how to love others." Zhao Xing said.
In fact, he also hoped to have a son. It was not that he favored boys over girls. Zhang Guifen was the queen, so it would be better for her to have a son first.
However, he was afraid that Zhang Guifen would have too high expectations and that giving birth to a daughter would be too disappointing.
Zhang Guifen said angrily, "No, it's not like that. Isn't it said that mother and child are connected by heart?"
"Okay, okay, okay. I like both boys and girls." Zhao Xing said with a smile.
After chatting for a while, Zhang Guifen urged Zhao Xing to handle government affairs.
However, Zhao Xing did not agree. There was nothing important right now and there was no rush to deal with it tomorrow.
After dinner in the evening, Zhao Xing helped Zhang Guifen take a walk in the garden.
"Your Majesty, I have only been pregnant for a short time. I can leave on my own," said Zhang Guifen.
"You should be more careful about this kind of thing."
Zhao Xing said, "I am usually busy and don't have much time to accompany you. If you are bored, ask Yanran and Rulan to go and talk to you. If not, you can ask your mother-in-law to come to the palace to accompany you."
"correct!"
Zhao Xing patted his forehead and said, "I was so happy that I forgot to send someone to the Duke of Ying to announce the good news."
"I forgot too." Zhang Guifen reminded: "We need to send someone to inform the Emperor and the Empress."
"Well, it's getting late now. I will send someone to report the good news tomorrow." Zhao Xing said.
In the evening, Zhang Guifen wanted Cui'e to serve Zhao Xing, but Zhao Xing did not agree.
Although he had favored Cui'e before, it was too much for him to favor Cuiwei while Zhang Guifen was just pregnant.
The next day, after having breakfast with Zhang Guifen, Zhao Xing went to Longtu Pavilion.
…………
I don’t know if it was Zhang Guifen’s good luck brought by her pregnancy, but in the morning she received an urgent letter from the north, which was eight hundred miles away, saying that Yelu Chongyuan had sent troops.
Yelu Chongyuan mobilized 300,000 troops, as if he was ready for a decisive battle with Yelu Yixin.
Shangjing is an important city with nearly 200,000 troops in the city. Even if Yelu Chongyuan dispatched 300,000 troops, it would not be easy to capture Shangjing. Therefore, Yelu Yixin was not worried.
However, just in case, Yelu Yixin still transferred some troops from nearby cities.
However, they did not expect that after Yelu Chongyuan's army arrived, they turned their guns around, deployed half of their forces, captured several cities, and then encroached on the surrounding areas.
Although the Liao court had more troops than Yelu Chongyuan, it still needed to leave troops to defend the border between Song and Xia.
There were not many troops left garrisoning those cities, and some of them had been transferred away by Yelu Yixin, so they were no match for the enemy.
For a time, many cities even surrendered.
In fact, this situation is very normal. For most people in the Liao Kingdom, this is a civil war of the Yelu family. No matter who wins or loses, the Liao Kingdom will still be the Liao Kingdom, and the interests of most of them will not be affected.
There is absolutely no need to prefer death to surrender.
Now Yelu Yixin was panicking. If Yelu Chongyuan had seized most of the territories, there would be no need to fight at all, he would be exhausted to death.
However, Yelu Yixin was not an easy person to deal with. He sent out all the cavalry in the city to launch a surprise attack on the troops that Yelu Chongyuan had sent out to attack cities and plunder the land.
You must know that Yelu Chongyuan still has 150,000 troops outside Shangjing City.
Yelu Chongyuan did not dare to send troops to directly blockade Shangjing City because he was concerned about the cavalry in the city.
Once he divided his troops to block all the gates of Shangjing, with the forces dispersed, Yelu Yixin could easily send out cavalry to deal with the troops coming from one direction.
By doing this, Yelu Chongyuan was also luring the snake out of its hole.
However, Yelu Yixin had no choice. He did not send out the cavalry, and Yelu Chongyuan continued to attack cities and seize territories. When only an isolated city was left in Shangjing, Yelu Yixin was eventually defeated.
If Yelu Yixin sent out the cavalry, he could besiege the city with impunity.
Moreover, there are only a little over 100,000 soldiers left in the city, so it will be much easier to attack the city.
The urgent report finally mentioned that Yelu Chongyuan had already dispatched troops to besiege the city.
After reading the intelligence, Zhao Xing smiled slightly. The more intense the fight against the Liao Kingdom, the better.
Previously, Zhao Xing asked Han Zhang to find the Liao envoy and hint to the Liao that as long as the Liao was willing to cancel the annual tribute, the Song Dynasty would not send troops.
After the Liao envoys brought the news back to the Liao Kingdom, the Liao Kingdom kept dragging its feet on the matter, neither agreeing nor rejecting it.
Now, under such great pressure, the Liao royal family will inevitably transfer troops from the border.
It is very likely that they will agree to the conditions of the Song Dynasty. Although the civil strife in Liao, even if it is quelled, it will not be able to recover in a short time.
Even if the Song Dynasty did not give it, the Liao Kingdom would not send troops to invade the border.
However, Zhao Xing wanted to destroy Western Xia first and then launch an attack on the Liao Kingdom. Therefore, he did not want to fall out with the Liao Kingdom before that.
Before any news came from the Liao Kingdom, good news came from the harem.
Minglan is pregnant!
Zhao Xing had always lacked reasons to confer a title on Minglan, but now that Minglan was pregnant, he had reasons to do so.
Zhao Xing directly conferred the title of beauty on Minglan, placing her on the same level as Rulan.
…………
Spring Court
Rulan said with a depressed look: "Now that you've moved away, there's no one to talk to me."
"This place is not far from Fifth Sister's Lanxun Pavilion. If Fifth Sister wants to talk to me, it's only a few steps away." Minglan said with a smile.
"But usually you and I sleep together. Now that you've moved out, I'm the only one left sleeping alone. I'm not used to it." Rulan muttered.
"Fifth sister." Minglan leaned close to Rulan's ear and whispered, "Now the eldest lady is pregnant, and I am pregnant too. There are not many concubines in the harem, so won't you be able to get more favor from His Majesty?"
"You know that the reason why His Majesty comes to my room so often is because we sisters serve him together. Now that you have moved away, his favor will only become less, not more." Rulan shook her head.
"Uh…"
Minglan didn't expect Rulan to be so shrewd now, and she didn't know how to comfort her.
Indeed, apart from Zhang Guifen's place, Zhao Xing spent the most nights with them.
She had also served Zhao Xing alone before, and she could clearly feel that Zhao Xing would be much more excited when he was with Rulan.
Fortunately, Mother Cui came in at this time and rescued her.
"Sixth... Queen, the Queen has arranged for the female officials to send some palace maids over." Mother Cui said.
Before, Minglan had no name or status, and she always called herself the Sixth Miss, just like when she was in the Sheng family.
Now that Minglan has been canonized as a beauty, it's time to call her "Empress", but it's a bit difficult to change this approach for the time being.
"Mother Cui, please take care of the arrangements." Minglan said.
"Yes!" Mother Cui responded, "The female official sent by the Queen also brought a message saying that if a concubine is canonized or conceives a prince, her family will reward her. I wonder if the Queen has any letters to take back."
"I understand. I'll write a letter right now and you can send someone to deliver it for me," said Minglan.
The palace is different from the Eastern Palace. Although she cannot go back to the Sheng family in the Eastern Palace, she can still ask someone to deliver a message or something.
The entry and exit of the palace is very strict, and if you want to send a message back, you need permission.
Minglan said something to Rulan, asked someone to prepare writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone, wrote a letter and gave it to Mother Cui.
…………
Moriya
"Alas, my mother is also angry with me because of my sister's matter." Mrs. Wang sighed.
Ever since Lin Xiaoniang disappeared as a rival and her daughters got married, Madam Wang had nothing to do and felt a bit bored.
It was fine before, when her sister Kang Wang often came to talk to her, but now there is no one to talk to.
When this person is idle, she likes to think about random things, and she unconsciously thought of Queen Kang again.
Mrs. Kang was sent to the Ministry of Punishment. Old Lady Wang couldn't blame her son-in-law Sheng Hong, so she put the blame on her.
She believed that if it weren't for her, Princess Kang would not have gone to the Eastern Palace, and naturally would not have angered Zhao Xing.
Seeing Madam Wang sighing, Madam Liu was worried that she might get sick, so she said, "Madam, Feng'er's wedding is coming soon, and there are still many things that have not been arranged."
"Just let him decide. I won't bother with how he chooses a wife. If I do a good job, he won't be grateful to me. If I don't do a good job, the husband will blame me." Madam Wang said.
Mother Liu wanted to persuade her further when a maid came in.
"Madam, someone from the front yard said that someone from the palace has come to deliver rewards." said the maid.
"Reward?" Madam Wang was stunned and asked in surprise, "Didn't I give rewards a few days ago? Why are there rewards again during this non-holiday season?"
"Madam, no matter why, it's always a good thing. The palace gave a reward, which means that the fifth lady is favored in the palace. Madam, please go and take a look quickly, so as not to keep the people in the palace waiting for too long." Mother Liu reminded.
"Yes, yes, yes, please help me to dress up." Madam Wang also reacted and urged.
There was a commotion and Madam Wang, who had finished dressing up, hurried to the front hall.
Mrs. Wang entered the front hall from the back door. When she entered the hall, she saw many boxes on the floor and several tables were also filled with various boxes.
This seems to be much more than the reward Lan received when she was canonized as a beauty some time ago.
"What is the name of this eunuch?" Madam Wang asked the leading eunuch with a smile.
"My surname is Wang." The leading eunuch saluted with a smile.
Madam Wang secretly thought it was bad luck that he had the same surname as her.
"I wonder why the palace suddenly sent rewards?" asked Madam Wang.
(End of this chapter)