It will take at least two days for the letter to be delivered to Muyun Pass, and it will take ten and a half days until Meng Hui arrives again.
After the morning court, Sui Heng specially invited Xu Qiao out for a drink.
Xu Qiao was pleasantly surprised and sat down, saying, “Your Highness, if you have any instructions, just say so. Why be so polite?”
Speaking so, he quickly picked up a small pot of pear blossom wine and poured a cup for Sui Heng and a cup for himself. In addition to the famous pine cone wine, the Taibai Shop’s pear blossom wine is a masterpiece in the entire Jiangbei region. The wine is usually made in the spring of that year, buried in a specially designed cellar, and then taken out for sale in the winter. It has a rich and mellow taste, is gentle in the throat, and has a strong aftertaste, not inferior to Shaodaozi. However, the price is also expensive. A small pot requires two ingots of gold. Although Xu Qiao usually craves this, his wife is very strict in managing the money, and he rarely gets to drink it. Now, as soon as Sui Heng sat down, he ordered two pots of pear blossom wine. Treating him, a subordinate, extremely generous, and he couldn’t wait to satisfy his craving.
Sui Heng said solemnly, “Gu has nothing to do and suddenly wants to come out for a drink.”
Drinking at the Taibai Shop is all about ‘elegance’. In the cold winter, the shop owner thoughtfully sets up a small red clay stove next to each seat for guests to warm up their drinks. Who wouldn’t want to take a sip of warm water to warm their body in this weather?
The temperature of the red clay stove is just right, and it didn’t take much work to get a pot of hot wine. Upon hearing these words, Xu Qiao smiled and said, “It’s rare to see Your Highness so elegant. Could it be that His Highness Rongyu is busy with other things today?”
Before getting married, Sui Heng would call the senior general of the Qinglang Battalion to Taibai to drink every three or five times when he was in the capital. Sometimes, if the meeting was late, he would directly leave them to eat in the hall. After getting married, the Crown Prince became a good man who cared for his family. He would rush to the mansion immediately. Even if the meeting was held at night, he would rarely leave them to eat there. At most, he would let the servants prepare some fruits and snacks.
The group of generals, knowing that their Commander is newlywed, are also very knowledgeable and try to improve the efficiency of the deliberation. Before entering the council hall, they draft a constitution in their minds in advance to avoid delaying matters too late and facing their Commander’s cold gaze.
Moreover, Sui Heng was always self-disciplined. Although he had an astonishing alcohol tolerance, he rarely led his generals to drink all night, which was very different from the style of ordinary aristocratic children in the Sui capital city. The generals naturally had various gatherings in private, and it was common for them to get drunk when they won the battle and were in high spirits. As an old man from the Qinglang Battalion, Xu Qiao often participated, but no one dared to make a scene in front of Sui Heng. Because Sui Heng issued a strict order, any general of the Qinglang Battalion who dared to get drunk and cause trouble during his rest period would be directly punished with three hundred military batons and expelled from the battalion.
So it surprised Xu Qiao so much when Sui Heng suddenly invited him to drink at Taibai today.
Xu Qiao even suspected that His Highness the Crown Prince had done something irresponsible and was kicked out by the other Highness. He felt distressed in his heart, that’s why he ran out to get drunk.
Sui Heng picked up the freshly scalded jade-colored, long-necked wine pot and poured a small cup. The originally clear wine became slightly cloudy, and the faint aroma of pear blossoms mixed with the aroma of wine filled the private room separated by the screen.
Sui Heng said, “What kind of elegance does drinking wine require? If Gu wants to drink, he will drink, do you want to drink it or not? Does Gu has to be told what to do with a drink?”
“That’s not what the subordinate meant.”
Xu Qiao fully understood the Crown Prince’s need to maintain the dignity of a man and nodded in cooperation, saying, “The subordinate just heard that the holy cranes have recently produced two new red crane eggs. The subordinate was thinking of finding an opportunity to congratulate Your Highness, but it hasn’t been achieved yet. On the contrary, Your Highness has been obliged to treat the subordinate to a drink first, how embarrassing.”
Xu Qiao said, and he nonchalantly poured himself a third glass of wine.
He took small sips and beaks, as if savoring the precious liquid. Sui Heng couldn’t bear to look and said, “You’re at least the Right General of the Qinglang Battalion. Why do you make it seem like you haven’t had any good wine before? How about Gu get you two more pots?”
“No need, no need. This is a good thing, it’s best to drink it in a small portion. Drinking too much is also a waste. Your Highness hasn’t said why you look for the subordinate today yet.”
Sui Heng is naturally not idle and comes here to have fun.
He cleared his throat and said, “It’s not a big deal either.”
“Gu just wanted to ask you, ‘when sister-in-law was pregnant, how did you take care of her?’”
Upon hearing this, Xu Qiao almost dropped the wine cup in his hand and exclaimed in shock, “Your Highness, this…”
“Don’t daydream. Gu just asked casually. You know, when that little thing was born, Gu wasn’t there to guard or take care of him, and Gu has always felt a little guilty. Gu was looking for a chance to make it up for it all.”
Xu Qiao’s eyes became eerie as he looked at Sui Heng.
Sui Heng touched his face, “What kind of gaze are you using?”
Xu Qiao: “Your Highness means to compensate according to the standards of caring for pregnancy?”
Sui Heng was satisfied with his subordinate’s superior and raised an eyebrow in satisfaction, saying, “That’s right, that’s what Gu’s meant. Just tell Gu about the preparations that need to be made in all aspects.”
Xu Qiao had to temporarily put down his wine cup and sat forward, sincerely saying, “Your Highness, the subordinate can understand your feelings, but if what you said is true, the subordinate still suggests that Your Highness change the way.”
Sui Heng frowned, “Why?”
“You don’t know it either?”
“No, didn’t sister-in-law give you two big fat boys, how could you not even know about that?”
Sui Heng’s gaze towards this subordinate was already filled with dissatisfaction and condemnation.
“The previous one was fine, because you followed Gu to the northern border. But didn’t you accompany her throughout the whole process with the later one?”
“No, no, no, that’s not what the subordinate meant.”
Xu Qiao busily explained: “What the subordinate means is that there are significant differences in diet and daily habits between when they’re pregnant and when they’re normal. Your Highness may not necessarily achieve the goal and may even offend the other Highness if You Highness insists on making up for it according to pregnancy standards.”
Sui Heng needs to listen to this key point. With a wave of his hand, he said, “It’s fine. You can talk about the differences first. Gu will listen and choose the essentials.”
Xu Qiao’s gaze became increasingly inquisitive: “Is Your Highness being serious?”
“Of course, when has Gu ever lied to you?”
Xu Qiao didn’t quite understand how the Crown Prince suddenly came up with such a strange way to compensate.
He picked up the wine jug and poured again, saying, “Alright, then the subordinate will explain to Your Highness in detail. This is the first and most important aspect, which is diet. In the early stages of pregnancy, people’s tastes usually change greatly… By the way, which month does Your Highness plan to make up for it?”
Sui Heng said, “Naturally follow the whole process, you start from the beginning and explain it in detail.”
“Alright, according to the subordinate’s experience, the most important thing to pay attention to is the first three months of pregnancy. At that time, the fetus is still unstable, and the pregnant woman also has the greatest reaction.”
“How big is it?”
“It’s possible to be a picky eater and anorexic and partial, especially when waking up early, because pregnancy can lead to gastrointestinal dysfunction, making it easy for them to vomit sour water and be unable to eat.”
Sui Heng tightened his hand slightly as he held the wine cup.
“Is it so aggravating?”
“Yeah, so at this time, it’s especially important to take care of them. In terms of diet, it’s important to ensure nutrition while also considering the taste preferences of pregnant women. Some fancy mansions even spend a lot of money hiring chefs who are good at making pregnancy meals to arrange a three-meal daily recipe.”
Sui Heng asked for the specific recipe again.
“This… naturally needs to be nourishing, nutritious, and have a lighter taste. Chicken and fish soup are essential but should not be supplemented too much; otherwise, the fetus will be too large and not easy to produce. Of course, this is not a problem that Your Highness needs to consider. Your Highness was only making amends after the fact, so there is no need to be too serious in this regard. Moreover, experienced palace officials and women understand these things.”
“Stop talking nonsense. If Gu asks you to speak carefully, you should explain all these precautions word for word.”
“Yes, yes.”
Xu Qiao then went on to talk about some dietary precautions. “Things that are raw, cold, and stimulating must not be touched, and there is one thing that must not be touched.”
“What?”
“Wine.”
Sui Heng was taken aback for a moment, thinking of something, and his face looked a bit ugly.
“What would happen if they touched the wine…”
Xu Qiao said, “It also depends on the quantity. If they only drink a few light cups, as long as they don’t touch anything particularly strong, it won’t have a significant impact. However, if they drink too much, the consequences can be very serious. Mild cases can affect fetal intelligence, and in severe cases, it can also affect fetal development. It can even lead to fetal death in the womb.”
Sui Heng’s hands tightened again, and even his body stiffened a bit.
“Does that have any impact on the pregnant person?”
“Does that even need to be mentioned? Pregnancy is already a difficult and dangerous thing, drinking too much alcohol can definitely affect the gastrointestinal and even physical health.”
“What if… drinking a lot of wine?”
Xu Qiao didn’t notice the change in Sui Heng’s face yet and casually said, “It’s impossible. Who would let pregnant women drink liquor during pregnancy unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Unless that husband’s brain was kicked by a donkey.”
After Xu Qiao finished speaking, he suddenly remembered something, and his face paled. He quickly closed his mouth and looked up at Sui Heng’s face.
He is the one with a brain kicked by the donkey, why didn’t he think of that? Based on Xiao Huangsun’s birth date, when they met on the river that day, Xiao Huangsun should have already existed.
Sui Heng poured a mouthful of wine with no expression on his face.
Xu Qiao comforted and said, “At that time, it was also a special situation. Your Highness did not know the real identity of the Crown Prince of Jiang, nor did you know that the Crown Prince of Jiang was… the young gentleman.”
“The subordinate believes that a person as wise and generous as His Highness Rongyu won’t make a fuss about it with Your Highness.”
If he does, he wouldn’t get married to you either.
Sui Heng said, “But the more he ignores it, the worse it is for Gu. Gu really can’t imagine how much he suffered in the first place. You say, why didn’t Gu notice it earlier?”
“This… at that time, the situation on the river was chaotic, and the two ships were far apart. Not only did Your Highness not notice it, but the subordinate and the Guozhu of those subordinate countries did not notice any abnormalities either.”
Sui Heng gave him a faint glance.
“Can Gu be the same as you guys?”
They spent several months together, day and night, and had the closest relationship. He was familiar with all of his characteristics.
Xu Qiao hurriedly said, “That’s naturally different. It’s just that Your Highness is not a saint. Your Highness hates the Jiang Empire and the Crown Prince of Jiang to the bone that day, and it’s inevitable that Your Highness would view everything opposite Your Highness with prejudice and stereotypes. Your Highness doesn’t need to be too harsh on yourself. Instead of being immersed in guilt, it’s better to think more and make up for it.”
Sui Heng nodded. “That’s natural. Gu is also not a coward who only indulges in the past. Alright, Gu understands these. Don’t talk nonsense, hurry up and talk about the rest.”
After drinking until noon, Sui Heng left the Taibai Shop and was summoned into the palace by someone sent by the Emperor Sui to discuss matters. It was already late at night when he returned to his mansion.
In the main hall, the lights were on, and Ji An and Gao Gong stood together in the corridor, waiting. When Sui Heng returned, the two of them hurriedly welcomed him, one preparing for a bath and the other helping Sui Heng undress.
Sui Heng made a silent gesture and entered the room. Xiao Jiang Nuo was already asleep on the small bed, with long and dense eyelashes shining under the candlelight, while Jiang Yun sat on the small couch to read.
Sui Heng walked over lightly and said, “Why did you sit here? Aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?”
Jiang Yun pointed towards the small bed.
Sui Heng understood and extinguished the light on the small table. He directly picked up Jiang Yun horizontally and placed him inside the bed curtains.
In winter, the weather is cold, and the bed has two thick layers. Inside the bed curtains, there is an official lamp covered with a glass cover. Sui Heng touched Jiang Yun’s hands and feet, feeling a bit cold, and said, “Wait, Gu will fetch some water and soak your feet.”
Jiang Yun stopped him, said that there was no need, and then asked, “Where did you go? Why did you come back so late?”
Sui Heng then talked about being summoned into the palace by Emperor Sui.
“The implementation of the ‘Sui Capital Reclamation Order’ has had a good effect. During this year’s Great Court Meeting, many small northern countries also mentioned it in front of Emperor Father, hoping to emulate the Sui Capital’s approach and try to implement it domestically, using the previously abandoned farmland due to war. Of course, not all countries apply for it.”
“One order of reclamation, and you’ve been talking about it all day?”
Sui Heng was dumbfounded, he had a rare experience of being investigated. He cleared his throat and said, “It wasn’t much of a big deal originally. Coincidentally, those small countries’ Guozhu were also here. With more people, they talked and talked about everything.”
Jiang Yun listened and suddenly extended his nose, sniffing at his chest and robe.
He leaned against his chest like a little fox, sniffing non-stop. Sui Heng touched his nose and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Did you drink?”
Jiang Yun looked up, furrowed his eyebrows, and asked.
Mad.
Sui Heng didn’t expect Jiang Yun to have such a sharp nose, so he forced himself to remain calm and said, “Isn’t it because Emperor Father had people prepare a small palace banquet to entertain those subordinate countries?”
“But don’t worry, Gu also just drank a few symbolic drinks, Gu definitely didn’t drink too much. If you don’t believe, you smell it.”
Jiang Yun pushed him away, moved inside, covered his mouth and nose, and said, “You go wash up quickly.”
“I feel uncomfortable smelling it.”
Sui Heng suddenly thought of what Xu Qiao had said about not drinking alcohol during pregnancy, and his heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself, Maybe he’s really pregnant. He also raised his arm and followed suit, but didn’t smell anything.
The bath was ready-made, and Sui Heng dared not linger, fearing that it would really intoxicate him. He took the quilt and wrapped it around Jiang Yun, then immediately left the bed and headed towards the bathroom.
As he left the room, he saw Gao Gong and Ji An still standing in the corridor. Sui Heng summoned the two of them and asked, “You guys try smelling. Is there a particular odor on Gu’s body?”
The two people looked at each other in disbelief.
Sui Heng said, “Ask you guys to smell, just smell.”
“Yes.”
The two of them nervously responded and walked up to Sui Heng. Following the instructions, they sniffed Sui Heng’s clothes on the arms and chest one by one, then shook their heads at the same time. “There is none.”
“Really?”
“The old servant dares not deceive Your Highness.”
Sui Heng chuckled and thought to himself, His nose was really sharp. Fortunately, he went to Taibai shop without telling him because he wanted to inquire about the matter. If he really fooled around with those big old men, he was sure to be caught in the act.
Sui Heng went straight to the bathroom, washed his whole body thoroughly, and then changed into a clean nightgown before returning to the bedroom. Jiang Yun hasn’t slept yet, he sits by the bedside, reading as usual, while Xiao Jiang Nuo was taken away by the nanny and went to the bed in the compartment.
This was a rare time of warm interaction between the two of them in a day, and Sui Heng immediately took off his boots and couldn’t wait to tightly grip the bed.
“You’re still reading, you’re not afraid of damaging your eyes?”
A while ago, Jimo Qingyu received a batch of rare books at the Qingtan Conference and specially sent some to the Crown Prince’s mansion for Jiang Yun, his beloved disciple, to study.
Jiang Yun is busy with discussions during the day and spends half an hour reading before going to bed at night.
Jiang Yun said, “This is left by a well-known Confucian scholar. It records the content of the Confucian scholar and his disciples’ class dialogues. Although the Confucian scholar has passed away in ancient times, his teaching content has been compiled into books by several of his disciples and passed down. They are very precious. If they were to be sold on the market, one book could at least be sold for this amount.”
Jiang Yun extended three fingers.
Sui Heng guessed, “Three hundred gold?”
Jiang Yun shook his head, “At least three thousand gold.”
Sui Heng had also heard of these rare books, which were priceless and valuable in the market. Many literati and scholars were obsessed with collecting and repairing these rare books, but he did not expect them to be so valuable.
Sui Heng looked at the yellowed and old cover, with even small stains on the edges, and said, “It’s a lot of work to hold it like this. Gu will frame a new cover for you someday.”
Jiang Yun immediately vetoed, “No, this kind of ancient book is very fragile. If you bind it haphazardly, it may damage the pages and content inside the book.”
“Don’t worry, Gu will never tamper with your treasure. How about Gu find the bookstore’s attendant?”
Jiang Yun nodded.
Sui Heng casually took out the book and placed it on the bedside table, saying, “Alright, it’s getting late. Read it tomorrow. By the way, do you feel any discomfort today?”
Jiang Yun said there was none.
“Really?”
“En.”
Sui Heng thought it strange, according to Xu Qiao’s words, there should be quite a big reaction in the early stages of pregnancy. Are men and women different in this regard?
Just as he was thinking about it, Jiang Yun suddenly leaned over and smelled his robe.
“Did you not wash properly?”
Jiang Yun asked.
Sui Heng wondered, “What?”
“There’s still a smell.”
With confusion on the face, “What smell? Why can’t Gu smell it?”
Sui Heng couldn’t believe it, so he raised his sleeves, lifted his robe, and sniffed everywhere.
“The smell of alcohol… what the hell have you been drinking? Why does it smell so bad?”
“It can’t be.”
“Really, no, you go wash again, I really can’t stand it.”
Sui Heng couldn’t help but say, “Wasn’t it too troublesome to take two showers a night?”
Jiang Yun moved in again, looking at him like a raging beast. “But you haven’t washed cleanly.”
Sui Heng smelled himself again but still couldn’t smell anything.
Jiang Yun lightly kicked him, “Hurry up.”
“Alright, alright, Gu will go wash.”
Ji An and Gao Gong looked at Sui Heng in surprise, who came out again in his nightgown.
“Your Highness, this?”
Sui Heng said, “Prepare bath water for Gu.”
The two of them showed confusion.
Sui Heng tried his best to maintain a calm expression and said, “Gu washed in a hurry just now.”
“Yes.”
The two of them dared not ask more questions and hurriedly took the palace attendants to prepare.
This time, Sui Heng washed for a full incense stick before coming out. Returning to the bed, Jiang Yun still wrinkled his nose.
Sui Heng’s heart thumped.
He said, “What? There shouldn’t be smell, right?”
Jiang Yun shook his head and asked, “What kind of bath beans did you use?”
Sui Heng rarely showed a hint of embarrassment and said, “Isn’t it because Gu was worried about not washing himself clean and might intoxicate you? Gu specifically took out the box of bath beans that the small western regions gave a while ago and used it.”
Sui Heng rarely used this kind of bath bean with a strong fragrance on weekdays, so when he got it, he directly asked Ji An to put it away, put it in a high cabinet. Today, because of the special situation, he deliberately dug it out, considering that this thing can cover up the smell.
After washing, he smelled it, and indeed, even his clothes were stained with a strange fragrance.
Jiang Yun covered his mouth and nose again and touched his throat.
Sui Heng asked, “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Yun didn’t speak. He endured for a moment, but couldn’t help and spit out all the sour water.
Sui Heng was startled and quickly helped him up.
“What’s going on?”
Jiang Yun pushed him aside a bit.
“You… wash it off quickly.”
Sui Heng did not expect such serious consequences from a bath bean. He first went to fetch water and rinsed Jiang Yun’s mouth. After confirming that Jiang Yun had no other strong reactions, he quickly made the bed and went out to have Ji An prepare new bath water.
Ji An and Gao Gong’s eyes could no longer be described as confused and peculiar.
Taking three consecutive showers with just a few breaths between each one at night, what is he doing?
However, Sui Heng’s authority was placed there, and they dared not ask much, so they could only quickly prepare. Sui Heng had been washing for about a moment this time and deliberately used clean water. He didn’t even dare use the usual bath beans anymore. After coming out, he deliberately changed into a clean, no-odor nightgown.
“Is Your Highness good?”
The two chief stewards couldn’t help but ask.
Sui Heng didn’t really want to answer this question. As he approached the door, he didn’t know what was on his mind. Suddenly, he paused and ordered, “Always have the bath water ready.”
“Yes…”
The two of them were anxious and doubtful.
Inside the bed, Jiang Yun has picked up the book to read again.
Sui Heng walked in, put down the bed curtains, and squeezed into the bed, saying, “Let’s get it done this time. If Gu continues to wash, tomorrow Gu will have to wash and peel his skin off. Even dead pigs don’t need to be scalded with this hot water.”
This made Jiang Yun couldn’t help but smile.
“You still have the nerve to say it, who told you to use that kind of bath bean?”
“Isn’t it to just cover up the alcohol smell? Your nose is even sharper than a dog’s.”
Jiang Yun gritted his teeth and looked at him. “Who do you think is a dog?”
“I make a mistake; it’s me, naturally. You are the Crown Prince of Jiang, the revered and admired Crown Prince Rongyu of Jiangnan, and you are also the monarch descending to earth. How could you be a dog?”
Jiang Yun was squeezed tightly by him and said, “You go out.”
“Going out is fine.”
Sui Heng’s voice was a bit hoarse.
“But you, Your Highness, the Crown Prince of Jiangnan, who saves those who are in need, must first save Gu.”
Jiang Yun was taken aback for a moment and later realized that there was a strange and hot sensation coming from the side of his leg. He was a bit shocked and said, “You… didn’t you take a shower?”
“It’s not that Gu is bad. But being tossed to wash up by you like this, how can Gu avoid having trouble?”
“Can’t.”
“Why can’t?”
“I’m sleepy, I want to sleep.”
Sui Heng naturally wouldn’t let him go so easily, he said, “Then you have to finish your homework before going to bed.”
“What homework?”
Sui Heng shook the fair and beautiful hand beside him, feeling no shame, and said, “Gu will teach you.”
His other hand reached out and moved the palace lamp further away, causing the inside of the bed to completely darken. After a long struggle, Jiang Yun asked from his soul, “Can’t you do it yourself?”
Sui Heng coughed twice: “How can that be the same?”
“Why is it different? The Grand Commander of the Qinglang Battalion can’t even accomplish this thing?”
“Is this a question of whether Gu can do it or not? It’s fine if Gu was not married. But after getting married, and Gu was still like that. Won’t he becomes the laughing stock of the whole world?”
Jiang Yun leaned directly onto his shoulder, closed his eyes, and urged him to hurry up.
Sui Heng looked at the warm and soft body within reach, with black hair scattered around his neck like silk. It felt like he was holding a rare and beautiful jade but was unable to profanely touch it. He couldn’t help but extend his finger and scrape his shiny and pretty nose, saying, “Some things can be fast, can some other things be fast as well?”
“You are really capable of making it so hard for Gu.”
Jiang Yun immediately bit him on the shoulder.
“Fine, fine, you’re the ancestor, you’re in charge.”
Sui Heng laughed again.
The two figures overlapped in the bed. After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Yun’s eyelashes trembled, and he opened his eyes. He found himself still lying on someone’s shoulder, covered in a cloak, and his palm… Jiang Yun frowned and asked, “Why haven’t you finished yet?”
“Finish soon.”
Sui Heng tightly wrapped his hand around his little lover’s waist and comforted him in a low voice.
His voice was not only hoarse but also carried a heavy magnetic force.
Jiang Yun had run out of patience and supported his shoulder with one hand, wanting to get up. At such times, Sui Heng refused to let the person go and said, “It’s up.”
After about half an hour, Jiang Yun was finally put back into the quilt.
Sui Heng leaned over and lightly kissed the smooth forehead, then took a handkerchief and a tea cup and gently and patiently wiped Jiang Yun.
He felt a bit guilty after all the fuss today.
Since Jiang Yun showed signs of pregnancy, he didn’t dare touch him again. He had been holding on for so many days and couldn’t control himself. His whole body is exquisite, he’s more pleasing to the eye than the most exquisite and precious jade carving in the world. It’s fine if he can’t see him. But who can be like Liu Xiahui1He was a faithful and upright person. when he holds him in his arms?
Jiang Yun did not respond.
Sui Heng, as a person, has already been tired too. He quietly got out of bed, put away everything he had at hand, and also took care of it briefly. Seeing that the sky outside had already begun to turn blue, he dared not delay and lay down on the outside.
One hand suddenly touched his chest again.
Sui Heng looked, and Jiang Yun opened his eyes at some point. His pupils were dark, and he looked at him quietly, full of exploration.
Sui Heng: “What?”
Could it be that he has had all the fun, but the beauty hasn’t had all the fun yet?
He doesn’t mind sacrificing his life and being a gentleman, but he’s worried that his body won’t be able to handle it.
“Go to bed earlier…”
Sui Heng spoke the three words with great righteousness and then heard Jiang Yun ask, “Where is the gold?”
“What?”
“What about the three ingots of gold I gave you when you left this morning?”
Sui Heng remained calm and said, “Naturally, they’re inside the robe. Gu has already changed into a nightgown, how can you feel it?”
Jiang Yun looked at him for a moment and said, “But I didn’t feel it in your robe just now as well.”
“You must have felt it wrong.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Think about it, Gu is the Crown Prince. Does Gu still lack those few ingots of gold? If you want them, Gu will bring you more ingots tomorrow.”
Fortunately, Jiang Yun didn’t hold onto it either. He looked at Sui Heng a few more times, then withdrew into the bed, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.
Sui Heng breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a little puzzled. Jiang Yun had never cared about money before, so why did he suddenly need to check those few ingots of gold today?
Due to a lot of turmoil the night before, the next morning in court, both of Sui Heng’s eyes were slightly dark.
Today’s morning court is a bit special, in addition to the civil and military officials in the Sui Empire, the lords of the northern underground vassel kingdoms are also present.
After the Great Court Meeting, these Guozhu stayed in the capital of Sui for the purpose of discussing the land reclamation order. The land reclamation order came from the Yangtze River, and during its implementation, it underwent a series of reforms based on the situation in the northern region. As subordinate countries in the northern region, these Guozhu wanted to draw on existing experiences. According to regulations, although subordinate countries have the right to rule over their own national affairs, any important decisions related to military agriculture and even talent selection must be approved by the suzerain country.
Emperor Sui opened a quotation and let the ministers discuss it themselves.
The Left Prime Minister, Jimo Qingyu, was the first to speak: “The reclamation order may seem simple, but the details and interests involved are very complicated. One mistake may cause unrest in people’s livelihoods. The prime minister dares to ask, are all the Guozhu prepared?”
One of the Guozhu of a country asked, “I’m not sure of what the Left Prime Minister’s words of preparation mean?”
Jimo Qingyu succinctly said, “Let it benefit the people.”
“This… isn’t the land reclamation order a good thing that benefits the national economy and people’s livelihoods? I have naturally made sufficient preparations.”
“That’s just the most superficial thing.”
Jimo Qingyu turned around and looked at the people, saying, “The reason why wasteland has become wasteland is due to both historical and practical reasons. Transforming wasteland into good land is a long and arduous process. Nobles occupy large areas of good land and can obtain food and wealth without any effort, while most people can only rely on a few acres of thin land to barely make a living. The reclamation order has solved some of the problems of refugees, but it cannot solve the fundamental root cause of people’s livelihood difficulties. The Sui Empire implemented the reclamation order, which was to encourage nobles to voluntarily give up some of the good land and take the lead in cultivating wasteland, inspiring the enthusiasm of the people. Do you have the courage to break your wrists?”
“This…”
Everyone looked at each other with a hesitant expression.
After all, in this era, the nobility mainly relied on occupying land to obtain wealth. Losing land also meant losing the luxurious lifestyle. Cultivating wasteland sounds inspiring, but there is uncertainty about when it will turn into good land and whether its yield can match that of ordinary good land.
As the saying goes, only when a sword falls on one’s own neck do they know it hurts.
Now that the sword has not fallen, a group of subordinate states’ Guozhu and ministers have already felt flesh pain.
The Chen Kingdom’s Guozhu was sandwiched between a group of subordinate states’ Guozhu. The Chen Kingdom’s Guozhu belonged to Jiangnan, and the experience of Jiangbei was not suitable for the Chen Kingdom’s Guozhu. He was completely forced to participate today.
When all the Guozhu remained silent and looked at each other, the Chen Kingdom’s Guozhu felt that it was not appropriate for him to remain silent, so he casually agreed, “What the Left Prime Minister said is very reasonable.”
After he finished speaking, he felt even more silent around him.
Looking up, he received dagger eyes from several subordinate countries Guozhu.
Wei Lian, sitting beside him, coughed sickly twice.
A country Guozhu mocked. “I heard that Brother Chen has been wandering around the vicinity of the Crown Prince’s mansion these days, wanting to pay his respects to the Crown Prince of Jiang. This land reclamation order came from Jiangnan and can be considered an important achievement in the north-south exchange. Come to think of it, Brother Chen is eager to return to be His Highness Rongyu’s command in Jiangnan and disdains being with us.”
The Chen Kingdom’s Guozhu pale slightly.
“Brother Fu, you can eat randomly, but you can’t speak recklessly.”
In the end, Sui Heng smiled and said, “Everyone wants to pick this ready-made fruit. The Sui Empire provides experience and technology and is willing to send specialized officials to various places to guide the specific implementation, and we won’t expect everyone to give back a single penny. It is already the end of benevolence and righteousness. But everyone was still pushing around here. Come to think of it, it’s true that there is really no sincerity in doing this. In that case, let’s not waste time. Emperor Father, Erchen requested to leave the court.”
“This…”
The crowd slightly paled and wanted to say something more. Emperor Sui on the throne truly agreed to Sui Heng’s request and announced his withdrawal from the court on the spot.
After going down the court, Han Xiao asked with concern, “Your Highness, what’s going on? Didn’t sleep well last night?”
Sui Heng responded vaguely.
Han Xiao had a knowing expression on his face and chuckled. “It was said that the two sacred cranes in Your Highness’s mansion have hatched two auspicious eggs recently. The old minister hasn’t had time to come to the mansion to congratulate Your Highness yet.”
Han Xiao helped out a lot during his previous wedding, and he has always been smooth in dealing with people. His relationship with the Crown Prince Mansion has always been quite good. Sui Heng said, “Gu is grateful for Prime Minister Han’s kindness, but Gu will waive this gift. Gu heard that Prime Minister Han had just received another precious grandson yesterday, so Gu should be the one to congratulate Prime Minister Han first.”
Han Xiao did stay up all night happily because of this.
On the way to court, he received countless congratulations from all his colleagues. Upon hearing these words, he couldn’t conceal his joy and said, “It’s a shock, to say the least.”
The two of them were also on their way out of the palace together, casually chatting about home’s matters. Sui Heng strangely asked, “Isn’t this a good thing? Why is there still a danger?”
Han Xiao said, “Hasn’t Han Chong just been sent out as a local official? The old minister’s daughter-in-law stayed in the Sui capital to raise the fetus alone. A while ago, she went to Baoguo Temple to offer incense and accidentally got infected with a pollen that was incompatible with her constitution, which almost caused her to slip. Fortunately, His Majesty was kind enough to send an imperial physician from the Imperial Medical to the mansion for treatment. The old minister’s daughter-in-law and grandson were able to be safe and sound. Originally, they had all given up on the small one and tried their best to keep the big one. This woman’s pregnancy is really a one-in-nine chance, and if she is not careful, her life may be in danger. It’s also Han Chong’s fault that he left at the wrong time, otherwise… if he stayed by her side every day, such a thing wouldn’t happen.”
Han Chong is the elder son of Han Xiao.
Sui Heng suddenly stopped when he heard this.
Seeing his expressions weren’t quite right, Han Xiao asked, “What? Does Your Highness still have any business?”
Sui Heng said, “That’s right, Gu suddenly remembered something important and forgot to report it to Emperor Father. Prime Minister Han, please go back first, Gu won’t accompany you.” Han Xiao naturally nodded.
After all, he is also quite anxious to go home and pick up his grandson.
Sui Heng stopped for a while and didn’t go to see Emperor Sui. Instead, he took a detour and went directly to the Imperial Medical.
The two heads of the Imperial Medical’s age are already advanced, and if there are no major events on weekdays, they are basically not on duty at the Imperial Medical. Therefore, at this time, only a group of imperial physicians of different grades were working.
The sudden visit of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince made the entire Imperial Medical both radiant and trembling, as if facing a great enemy. After all, His Highness has not only criticized the Imperial Academy but also them, Imperial Medical. He said that their level of insect infestation is no less than that of the group of garbage from the Imperial Academy.
Extremely aggressive and insulting.
Sui Heng slowly moved to the main seat and casually ordered a few people to come forward to reply.
The unlucky ones who were pointed out were all kneeling on the ground in fear, with a grand demeanor that dared not reveal themselves. Only the last one with a higher rank and an older age trembled and asked, “May the minister knows why Your Highness summoning the minister?”
Sui Heng said, “It’s not a big deal either, it’s just to ask you all some small questions.”
Everyone looked at each other in confusion.
Another person with courage asked, “Your Highness’s question is?”
“Cough.”
Sui Heng cleared his throat and said, “It’s like this. Gu has a friend who recently had a wife who suddenly became pregnant at home. He doesn’t have much experience in this area, so he asked Gu to come and ask, what aspects of care do we need to pay attention to on a daily basis? For example…”
Sui Heng leaned forward a bit, and his gaze swept coldly over the crowd, saying, “How do you determine the pollen that matches his physique?”
“Po-pollen?”
“Yeah, that friend of Gu’s has heard that if they accidentally get contaminated with toxic or physical pollen, it may pose a risk to his wife’s life.”
When he said this, Sui Heng’s palms were already sweating profusely.
An imperial physician suddenly looked up and asked, “Is it possible that Your Highness, this friend, is friendly with the Young Master of Prime Minister Han’s family?”
Last night, there was a woman in Prime Minister Han’s mansion, who had difficulty giving birth. His Majesty summoned the imperial physician from the Imperial Medical overnight, and this imperial physician happened to be on duty, so he knew about this matter.
Sui Heng said, “You don’t need to ask, just answer the question.”
“Yes, yes, the minister talks too much.”
The imperial physician trembled and said, “There is no fixed answer to this matter. Because everyone has different constitutions, the pollen that conflicts with their constitutions naturally varies from one person to another. The minister wonder if Your Highness’s friend’s wife has ever experienced pollen allergy symptoms on a daily basis?”
Sui Heng thought for a moment, wanting to say that he probably didn’t, but he was also a bit uncertain; after all, during the long eighteen years of Jiang Yun’s life in the Jiang Empire, he did not participate.
“His wife comes from Jiangnan, but this friend of Gu’s has been growing up in Jiangbei since childhood, so he’s not very sure about this. Don’t you all have any quick preparation methods?”
There are millions of flowers and trees in the world, so how can this be judged quickly?
But since His Highness the Crown Prince specifically asked, they must provide an answer.
With a flash of inspiration, the imperial physician said, “The best way for Your Highness’s friend is to uproot all the flowers and trees that can bloom in the mansion and eliminate the source from the root. In the future, pregnant women should also try to avoid contact with unfamiliar flowers when going out.”
“Moreover, compared to pollen allergy, Your Highness’s friend’s wife, who comes from Jiangnan, has a more important thing to pay attention to.”
Sui Heng asked, “What’s it?”
“Local environment issues..”
“When women become pregnant, both physically and psychologically, they will be more fragile and sensitive than usual. This is due to environmental and dietary factors, as well as emotional factors.”
“Emotions?”
“Yes, according to the minister’s experience, many people in the early stages of pregnancy tend to be unpredictable and irritable. Does Your Highness’s friend’s wife show signs of this?”
Sui Heng directly thought about it and wants to say there’s none.
But inexplicably, Jiang Yun suddenly checked his smell and money yesterday and cautiously asked, “What is the main manifestation of the anger?”
There’s just so much more that can be said about this.
The imperial physician said, “It also depends on the person. Sometimes, the gentler one’s temperament on a daily basis, the more likely they are to show a fierce side from the inside.”
“The minister has seen the most serious one before, who once smashed her husband’s head and left him bleeding.”
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