nucmednet Chapter 203 Good News
Chapter 203 Good News
Prince Duan was a little confused: "Why summon the imperial physician?"
Consort Qin slapped her thigh hard: "Oh dear, of course I should examine your wife! Judging from her appearance, she must be pregnant!"
Upon hearing this, Prince Duan was overjoyed and quickly poured Zisu a cup of warm water: "Rinse your mouth, it will make you feel better." He then immediately called out, "Someone come here!"
Hongcha hurriedly walked in.
Prince Duan said, "Quickly, summon the imperial physician to examine the princess!"
"Yes, Your Highness." Hongcha was both surprised and delighted, and quickly went out to personally fetch the imperial physician.
Prince Duan helped Zisu sit on the soft couch next to the tea table: "Are you feeling unwell? Would you like another glass of water?"
Zisu shook her head: "I want to go back to Rongrui Hall." Since Consort Qin is so hateful, she doesn't need to play the good daughter-in-law anymore. She might as well go back to her own place, which would be more comfortable.
Prince Duan said, "Okay, I'll take you back right away!" After saying that, ignoring his mother's shocked gaze, he carefully picked up Zisu by the waist and left Rongfu Hall.
Consort Qin stood at the door, watching her son's departing figure, and couldn't help but stomp her foot hard: "Fine, how dare you ignore me like this! If you are really pregnant, I will let you go! If you are not pregnant, then it won't be so easy. I will immediately find Hao'er a concubine and two maids!"
Upon hearing this, the maid Huaihua couldn't help but shake her head.
Sigh, what is the Dowager Consort doing? The Prince and Princess have only consummated their marriage a few months ago, less than half a year. They don't have a child yet, which is really nothing. If she wants to take a concubine, she should wait at least three years. Besides, even if it's three years later, she can take a maid first, and then promote her to a concubine after she gives birth.
If the prince takes a concubine right away, how could the princess possibly comply willingly? It's no wonder she'll demand a divorce! And how could the prince possibly agree to a divorce? In that case, will the concubine even have a chance to enter the palace? If the prince is adamant about not taking her, even if she enters the palace, she won't be able to have children.
Why bother? The Dowager Consort is just too stubborn, and sometimes she's clueless. It's obvious the Prince can't live without the Princess; why can't she understand that? By angering the Princess, the Dowager Consort will end up with nothing, possibly even losing her son, let alone any grandson!
The imperial physician arrived soon.
Since Prince Duan had issued a summons, it was naturally impossible to ignore. Although he was no longer the regent, in the eyes of the world, he was still the regent who was second only to the emperor. Moreover, Prince Duan treated people very well, never scolding anyone casually, nor mistreating anyone.
The imperial physician who arrived was a renowned gynecologist.
After examining Zisu, the imperial physician smiled and said, "Congratulations, Your Highness! The Princess Consort is pregnant!"
Prince Duan was overjoyed: "Thank you, thank you very much!" He then said to Hongcha, "Give the imperial physician a large red envelope!"
Hongcha quickly stuffed a large red envelope into the imperial physician's hand, containing two twenty-tael silver notes. Normally, the Prince Duan's large red envelopes were twenty taels, medium ones were ten taels, and small ones were five taels.
The imperial physician gave detailed instructions for a long time, mentioning many taboos that pregnant women should be aware of, before happily taking his leave.
Such a light red envelope must contain silver notes, maybe even twenty taels. Last time, when he came to treat Consort Qin, he received a large red envelope containing twenty taels.
Zisu frowned slightly: "Twenty taels, that's four months' salary for an imperial physician. Money shouldn't be spent like this. We should save when we need to. If you think the money is too much, you can use it to open a charity!" Imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital only receive five taels of silver a month.
Prince Duan: "It's alright. I rarely give big red envelopes. I usually give small ones. It's only about ten times a year, which adds up to about two hundred taels."
However, Zisu is right. Twenty taels of silver is enough for an ordinary family in Wuliping to live a good life for three years. Rather than pretending to be generous, it would be better to set up a charity hall and help the poor.
Zisu: "It's not a big deal to be generous to the imperial physicians. I'm just worried that Your Highness will be so generous to other people too." Being generous to the imperial physicians is because they are there to heal and save lives. Being generous to them will encourage them to do their best in the future.
Prince Duan: "No, I'm not stupid. Why would I be so generous to just anyone? I'm only generous to the imperial physicians."
Zisu: "In the future, if we have any illnesses, we should still consult the old doctor! The imperial physicians in the palace might be bribed by the concubines, it's impossible to guard against them!"
Prince Duan: "Yes, you're right! In a while, the old doctor's disciples will all come to the capital from Medicine King Valley. When that time comes, the Medicine King Valley pharmacy will be converted into a pharmacy and clinic, and the old doctor won't be so busy anymore!"
"Oh, by the way, the old doctor also asked me to buy the shops next to the pharmacy on both sides. Otherwise, Medicine King Valley wouldn't be able to expand into a pharmacy and clinic, and the disciples wouldn't have a place to stay when they come to the capital. Behind each shop is a two-courtyard house, just enough for the disciples to live in."
Zisu: "The shops and houses next to Medicine King Valley must be very expensive, right? And with such a good location, would anyone be willing to sell?"
Prince Duan said, “Medicine King Valley is not short of money, it has plenty of gold. As long as I step in and offer a price that is twice the market price, how could those people not sell? You don’t know, when I went to discuss with those people and offered the price, they all agreed without hesitation!”
Zisu: "Sigh, this is a bit like using power to bully others!"
Prince Duan: "You can't say that. It was all a matter of mutual consent. I didn't threaten anyone."
Zisu: "Hey, you don't need to threaten me. When people see you showing up, why wouldn't they give you face? Not to mention, you can sell it for such a high price!"
Prince Duan couldn't help but laugh.
What she said was true. In the Western Liang Kingdom, who wouldn't be afraid of his name? However, he didn't think it was particularly glorious; he didn't really care for such glory.
Prince Duan: "Next spring, I will find a way to resign from my position as commander of the Imperial Guards. Then we will keep a low profile and stay in this palace when there is nothing to do, living a happy and peaceful life!"
Zisu: "Well, our palace is big enough anyway, there's no problem with horse racing! When our children grow up, the fruit trees we planted will have already borne fruit, and we can take the children to wander around the palace every day."
Zisu: "That's right. Our Prince's Mansion is like a small city, with vast land, sparse population, and beautiful scenery. If we wanted, we could be completely self-sufficient and wouldn't even need to go to the market to buy things!"
Nowadays, the food consumed by the Prince's manor comes entirely from its own farmland, as do the chicken, duck, fish, and pork. The manor also grows corn, vegetables, and fruits; the only things they need to buy from outside are fabric for clothing and fruit. In two years, when the orchard in the west courtyard of the manor bears fruit, they won't even need to buy fruit from outside anymore.
When Consort Qin heard that Zisu was pregnant, she felt a mixture of joy and worry.
She was overjoyed that her son was finally going to be a father; yet she was also troubled because she had just had a falling out with her daughter-in-law over her grandson. The harmonious scene in the Prince's mansion would likely be a thing of the past. And would Zisu ever come to Rongfutang for meals again?
In that case, she, who was used to eating with her family of three around the table, will have to endure the loneliness and solitude of eating alone again. Alas, this is all her own doing, and she can't blame anyone else.
Sure enough, the son sent a messenger named Hongcha to deliver a message: "His Highness says that the Princess Consort is pregnant and will no longer be coming to Rongfutang for meals. Please make yourself at home, Your Highness!"
After finishing her speech, Hongcha bowed to Consort Qin and turned to leave. Her attitude remained respectful, but all the intimacy she had shown Consort Qin in the past was gone.
Consort Qin felt as if she had swallowed a fly, choked and unable to speak. She wanted to call out to the person and scold them, but when she opened her mouth, no sound came out.
Sigh, that makes sense. Given how she treats Zisu, it's no wonder Hongcha wouldn't be affectionate towards her! Every single one of Zisu's nine maids is incredibly loyal to her. She once offered a thousand taels of silver to bribe Lvye and Lancao, but both maids firmly refused. And, in the blink of an eye, Zisu found out about her attempt to bribe them.
It was Blue Grass and Green Leaves who took the initiative to confess to Zisu. From then on, she gave up on this idea and never tried to bribe Zisu's maids again.
Huaihua couldn't help but secretly grumble to herself: "The Princess Consort is such a good person, yet the Dowager Consort is willing to mistreat her. She's utterly foolish." The Prince's residence was sparsely populated, with only three masters in total. Since the Princess Consort wasn't coming to Rongfu Hall for meals, the Prince naturally wouldn't come either.
In fact, before marrying the princess, the prince ate at home very rarely. He would only dine with the dowager princess a handful of times a year. After the princess married into the royal household and their relationship improved, the prince, except for periods of extreme busyness, would dine with the princess and the dowager princess almost every evening.
In the end, the Dowager Consort's success is all thanks to the Princess Consort, yet the Dowager Consort doesn't know how to cherish her blessings. Sigh, as the Dowager Consort's personal maid, there were many times when she wanted to scold the Dowager Consort. Unfortunately, she didn't dare; she was just a lowly maid, how could she dare to question the Dowager Consort's decisions?
Sigh, I heard that the nine maids in Rongrui Hall, including Hongcha, are treated like sisters by the Princess Consort, who gives them the respect and care they deserve. Working in Rongrui Hall, as long as you are loyal enough, even if you make a small mistake, you don't have to worry about being beaten, scolded, or sold out.
The Princess said that everyone makes mistakes. Making mistakes is okay, as long as it's not intentional or motivated by malicious intent; it can be forgiven. However, those who make mistakes must learn from them. There's a limit to how many times a mistake can be made; if a mistake is made more than three times, then the consequences must be borne according to the severity of the error.
In other words, the Princess Consort treated Hongcha and the others almost like family, which made Huaihua extremely envious. Having served the Dowager Consort for so many years, she had always felt like a lowly servant, never experiencing being treated as a human being by the Dowager Consort.
Hongcha personally went to the General's Mansion and the Yu Mansion to deliver the good news.
Madam Yu was overjoyed. Her daughter was finally pregnant, and the heavy weight on her heart was finally lifted. She knew all too well that Consort Qin was not one to stay put; her daughter had been married for almost half a year, yet her belly remained flat. Knowing Consort Qin's personality, she was bound to cause some trouble again.
Thankfully, the child is pregnant again!
That evening, when Shangguan Mufeng returned from his business trip, Madam Yu said happily, "Husband, Zisu is finally pregnant! You have a day off tomorrow, so come with me to visit our daughter!"
Shangguan Mufeng: "Okay, I understand. I'll make time for tomorrow, let's all go as a family!"
In a little while, the eldest son, Yi-ge'er, will also be back.
Mrs. Yu nodded with a smile: "Yes, our whole family will go together! By the way, should we invite my mother's family too?"
Shangguan Mufeng: "Alright, let's send someone to let them know that we're going to the Prince's Mansion to visit Zisu tomorrow!"
Madam Yu nodded vigorously: "Let Pan Kang go to the Yu residence!"
Shangguan Mufeng nodded and personally sent Pan Kang out.
When Madam Yu learned that Zisu was pregnant, she smiled so broadly that her eyes disappeared: "Good! This child is finally pregnant! If she gives birth to a son as her first child, then no one can shake her position in the Prince's Mansion! Otherwise, that Consort Qin will cause trouble again!"
Yu Zhe: "Mother, don't worry, even if the first child is a daughter, the Prince will not let Zisu down!"
Given how much Prince Duan adores Zisu, he wouldn't take a concubine or secondary wife, let alone have a daughter. Even if Zisu were infertile, he wouldn't do so. However, this would cause a ruckus for Consort Qin. The best outcome, of course, would be for Zisu to be fertile, and to have several sons.
The next morning, just after having breakfast with Prince Duan*, Lichun came to report: "Your Highness and Your Highness, General Shangguan's family and Lord Yu's family have arrived and are currently in the reception room in the outer courtyard!"
Prince Duan then said to Zisu, "I'm going to the outer courtyard to entertain my father-in-law and uncle. Have Hongcha come with me and bring my mother-in-law and grandmother over here."
Zisu said, "Let all my younger brothers come together. I haven't seen Yi-ge and Han-ge in so long!"
Prince Duan: "Very well, whatever you like is fine!"
******
Upon seeing her daughter, Madam Yu burst into tears of joy, holding her daughter's hand and saying, "Zisu, that's good. Now I can rest assured!" Otherwise, whenever she thought about how Consort Qin might make things difficult for her daughter and arrange for Prince Duan to take a concubine, she would be so worried that she couldn't eat or sleep.
Old Madam Yu held her other hand, her face full of loving smiles: "Good child, your hardships have finally come to an end! From now on, you must live well with the Prince, and be happier than anyone else!"
Zisu nodded vigorously: "Mother, Grandmother, don't worry, the Prince treats me very well. As long as the Prince treats me well, even if the Dowager Consort wants to cause trouble, it won't work. Now, I don't go anywhere, I just stay in the Prince's mansion, growing vegetables, admiring flowers, and studying recipes. I'm living a very comfortable life, so you don't need to worry!"
"I'll be relieved if you take good care of your younger brothers! Also, why didn't Grandma bring Zhen'er along? Is she comfortable leaving her at home? What if the Li family finds out? Won't they try to snatch her away? Perhaps we should send someone back to bring Zhen'er here?"
Madam Yu waved her hand: "Don't worry, we have Gu Mama here, and so many guards and maids. We only brought two guards and one maid with us this time; the rest of the staff stayed at the manor!"
Zisu said, "Let the two guards go back. When it's time for you to go home, I'll send the guards from the Prince's Mansion to escort you back!"
Madam Yu: "Alright, have Hongcha go to the front yard and tell your uncle."
Zisu nodded to Hongcha: "Go ahead and tell Lord Yu to send the two guards from the Yu residence back!"
Hongcha respectfully accepted the order and left.
Shangguan Yi circled around Zisu curiously, his gaze landing on her stomach. He asked curiously, "Big sister, are you carrying a little nephew?"
Zisu: "Yes, my eldest sister is pregnant. But we don't know yet if it's a boy or a girl."
Madam Yu asked with a smile, "Yi-ge'er, do you prefer your nephew or your niece?"
Shangguan Yi chuckled and said, "Whether it's a boy or a girl, I'm still your uncle, hehe! So, I like them both the same!" Then he added, "Hmm, it would be great if my eldest sister could have two children like Mom did, preferably a boy and a girl. I love sweet, soft little girls, and I love having two little ones the same size following behind me, calling me my little uncle!"
Mrs. Yu smiled and tapped her son's forehead: "You little rascal, you'll be an uncle soon, aren't you very proud?"
Shangguan Yi: "That's right, of course I'm very proud. My cousin doesn't have an uncle, hehe!"
To everyone's surprise, Yu Han said, "You're wrong. You're the uncle, and I'm the uncle too!"
Shangguan Yi's eyes widened in disbelief: "How is that possible? Your surname is Yu, mine is Shangguan, and my eldest sister's surname is also Shangguan. How could my eldest sister's child call you uncle?"
Yu Han nodded smugly: "Me? I'm a cousin, and a cousin is also an uncle, hehe! If you don't believe me, ask Grandma and Aunt!"
Madam Yu nodded and smiled: "That's right, Han-ge'er is absolutely right!"
Shangguan Yi couldn't help but scratch his head, exclaiming in surprise, "Huh? Is that even possible?"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Madam Yu then said to Shangguan Yi and Yu Han, "Go and take a stroll around the Prince's Mansion. There is a peach blossom grove there, and the peach blossoms are in full bloom right now. Go and have a look!"
There are two updates today. I want to thank my dear Shufeng. You are the second author of this story. I am very grateful. I wish you happiness and all your wishes come true. I also wish your children health, happiness and healthy growth!