171. Bandit Emperor (17) (1/2)

Ji Xiawan's life in the palace was much better than she had imagined. Although the palace rules taught by the maids were still there, the new emperor didn't care much about them, probably because he was also from a grassroots background.

Her mother-in-law, the current queen mother, was a kind person. She liked to recite scriptures and chant Buddha's name on weekdays. She also spoke softly and treated her daughter-in-law, who was pregnant before marriage, very well.

Princess Wei Qingniang was a gentle woman. The two liked to do needlework together. Princess Wei Yiyi also lived in the palace with her mother. She was a very cute girl. In just a few days, Ji Xiawan loved her as her own daughter.

Her husband was a little busy. After all, he had just conquered the capital not long ago and there were still many things to do. But even so, he still insisted on coming to the bedroom quietly after a tiring day to sleep next to Ji Xiawan, and left quietly the next day.

If the maid hadn't told her the next day, Ji Xiawan, who had fallen asleep early because of fatigue during pregnancy, would not have known about it. This was enough to show how careful the new king was.

Although Wei Mingyan was still young, Ji Xiawan couldn't help but worry about such long-term handling of political affairs. After getting along for a long time, her fear of her husband, the man with the highest status in the country, was reduced.

When checking Ping'an's pulse, the imperial physician clearly prescribed a prescription to reduce fatigue, but when the palace maid brought it over, this heroic man who had fought all the way to the top of the world frowned and refused to drink it.

It was only after the queen mother said that Ji Xiawan knew that he had been afraid of suffering since he was a child and never liked to drink medicine.

Such a heroic and extraordinary man suddenly showed such a side, which not only did not make people feel disillusioned, but even made Ji Xiawan feel that he seemed to be closer.

Although she was cautious by nature, as a wife, how could she watch her husband not take medicine properly, especially when she saw him frowning even in his dreams every day, Ji Xiawan slept beside him, and she was even more anxious.

When she lost her cautiousness for the first time and bravely brought the medicine in person, the handsome emperor, who the palace servants dared not even look at directly, still frowned, but still took it and drank it obediently.

"Wanwan, I don't like to drink these, too bitter."

Ji Xiawan handed over the snack that had been prepared long ago, a small piece, with not much sugar added, but it could better suppress the bitterness.

"Your Majesty, you will feel better after eating this."

Wei Mingyan frowned, looking at the small piece of candy in front of him with disdain, and said, "Only Xiaoyi likes to eat this kind of childish food."

While speaking, the hand naturally reached out and threw it into his mouth. After chewing a few times, the frown quickly stretched out. He obviously liked the taste, but he still pretended, "If it weren't for Wanwan's face, I wouldn't eat it."

After eating, he looked at his wife who was covering her lips and laughing softly, "Ask someone to send some to Xiaoyi, this little girl likes to eat these."

From then on, the task of coaxing the emperor to take medicine fell on the Queen.

The new emperor drank the medicine, which contained a calming ingredient, and he couldn't help but feel sleepy every time after a while.

He simply put down his pen and ink, stopped reviewing, and prepared to go to bed.

Recently, Wei Mingyan was reviewing memorials in the palace after the court session. Now he put down his pen and went into the inner room, and saw his queen sitting at the table with her white neck slightly lowered, sewing the clothes in her hands stitch by stitch.

Since Ji Xiawan entered the palace, all his inner clothes were sewn by Ji Xiawan. Although her embroidery skills were not as good as those of professional embroiderers, her attentiveness could be seen. Every thread was well hidden and very comfortable to wear.

She was grateful to her husband and loved him, but she was embarrassed to express her feelings, so she had to repay him in this way.

Every stitch and thread contained love and respect for her husband.

In Ji Xiawan's view, her majesty was the great hero in her mind.

As a king, he had already conquered the world, but he did not slack off at all. He killed corrupt officials, opened the imperial examination, and issued one system after another to settle the people.

As a husband, he was gentle and considerate. He could have had three thousand concubines, but he kept his promise. Since she entered the palace, he had never touched any woman other than her. He was busy with government affairs on weekdays, but he would still take time to accompany her for meals and stay by her side at night.

Ji Xiawan never thought that she would have such a happy life. She thought that the man she married might be the best man in the world.

She didn't know how to repay him, so she could only take better care of him.

Before going to bed that day, Wei Mingyan put his ear to his wife's abdomen as usual, with a smile on his handsome face, "He moved."

"Wanwan, do you feel it? Our child is moving."

Ji Xiawan looked at him gently, smiled and nodded, "He is moving. Mother said that he will move more frequently in a while."

Wei Mingyan didn't listen, but raised his head, took his wife's hand, and looked at her seriously, "Wanwan, you have worked hard."

"I have been busy these days, and I can spare time to accompany you."

Ji Xiawan looked at him, her heart warmed.

This is her husband. When she thought he was good, he could always be better.

She leaned in Wei Mingyan's arms, feeling the gentle heartbeat in his chest, her eyes full of happiness.

***

When giving birth, Ji Xiawan had already been well placed in the delivery room, and the palace servants around her were moving around in an orderly manner.

She was sweating from the pain on her head, and felt that the pain was about to split herself, but on the contrary, she was not panicked at all.

Because she knew that her husband was outside.

Ji Xiawan's birth was not smooth. She was imprisoned in the courtyard when she was first pregnant. After learning about the existence of this child, she was too frightened and her body became weak. Although she had been recuperating since she was taken into the palace, she dared not take too much medicine because of pregnancy.

She bit the handkerchief in her mouth, and the whole person was in a trance with pain. Finally, she didn't know how long it had been, and finally couldn't help but screaming in pain.

"My queen, my queen, try harder, it will be better soon, my queen..."

Ji Xiawan's face was full of tears and sweat, and her hands tightly grasped the sheets under her body, feeling that her strength was losing little by little.

She knew that the most fearful thing during childbirth was that she would lose her strength and the child would suffocate to death in the mother's womb.

But her husband loved this child so much.

He would always put his head on her belly before going to bed, carefully listening to the movements inside, and sometimes he would hold a book and tell her, hoping that the child in her belly could also hear it.

He said more than once that this was their little prince or princess, and also his first child, and he must teach and love her well.

When he said this, his husband's face was full of love for the child.

Ji Xiawan tried hard to open her eyes and exerted painfully.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the queen is still giving birth, it's filthy here, Your Majesty..."

Someone shouted Your Majesty in her ears, and then her cold hands were tightly wrapped by a pair of big hands.

The magnetic voice was saying, "How is the queen?"

Someone answered, "The queen has no strength left. If she continues like this, the little prince may be in danger..."

"I'm asking your queen!"

"Yes, yes... If the queen continues like this, I'm afraid..."

What did the man say again? Ji Xiawan was in a trance and couldn't hear clearly. In the end, only Wei Mingyan's resolute voice entered her ears.

"The queen is the most important thing."

Ji Xiawan's eyes were hot and she held the man's warm hand tightly. It seemed that a warm current was flowing through the hand to her body. She subconsciously exerted force, and then a baby cried.

The whole person seemed to relax.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, the queen gave birth to a little prince..."

The palace servants' good news was heard in his ears. Everyone was beaming with joy, only Wei Mingyan looked at his wife with a pale face on the bed with his eyes focused. His eyes were full of heartache. He took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat off Ji Xiawan.

"Wanwan, thank you for your hard work..."

Ji Xiawan smiled with difficulty. Although she was exhausted, her eyes still looked at him with sparkling eyes.

"Your Majesty, our child..."

Wei Mingyan then hurriedly asked the palace servants to bring the child over and put him next to Ji Xiawan.

He stretched out his slender fingertips and tapped the baby's little fist, his eyes full of love.

"Little prince, you must grow up quickly."

***

Children always grow up very fast. In just one month, the little prince, who was still red-faced when he was born, has already shown his original whiteness and tenderness. Ji Xiawan quickly recovered her figure after giving birth, but he was still white and chubby. Just lying there and kicking his legs, he could make all the elders laugh with pampering.

The little prince should be the first prince of Jin State who was named the prince as soon as he was born. When Wei Mingyan announced it, the civil and military ministers did not express any surprise. After all, the majesty had already pushed the selection and stated that there was only one queen in the palace.

It's not that there were no stubborn ministers who opposed it, but since the new monarch came to power, he reduced taxes, opened the imperial examination, opened official schools, recruited poor children from all over the world, and sent envoys overseas to bring back foreign grains that could support the people. Such a diligent and good monarch who had never done anything bad to the people since he came to power just wanted to stay with the queen for life, not to forcibly seize the women, so their voices of opposition could not be loud at all.

Now the queen has a son in one fell swoop, and establishing a prince is a good thing that can calm the people's hearts. What reason do they have to oppose it?

If there is anything that can be criticized about the queen, it is probably her family. Ji Wu is righteous and honest on the surface, but he has done a lot of dirty things behind the scenes. However, he did not give people the opportunity to impeach him, and he was "actively" paralyzed.

The emperor expressed his grief and stripped Ji Wu of his position so that the queen's father could rest assured to recuperate. In order to express his respect for the queen, he sent the imperial doctors and good medicine to the Ji family like water.

If nothing unexpected happens, with the help of such good medical treatment and good medicine, Ji Wu should be able to stay still and stay conscious for more than 20 years.

The emperor, who loved the queen, was so considerate that he brought back the new wife who had been abandoned by Ji Wu in the countryside so that she could continue to take care of her husband.

The new wife seemed to have a serious illness after the queen got married. It was said that she took a deadly poison by mistake. Although she was saved by the imperial physician, she became hoarse overnight. Later, she seemed to have been burned on the face when arguing with her husband. The whole person was like a ghost, and even attracted the emperor's questioning in the palace.

Originally, the new wife should have "passed away" as Ji Wu wished, but now she has saved her life. Ji Wu did not dare to do it again, and simply sent her to the countryside. She lived a difficult life in the countryside just like Ji Xia Wan did at the beginning.

Her daughter was luckier. When she realized that Ji Wu wanted to kill someone, she fled the house overnight. Ji Wu simply announced that Ji Xia Ting had died of illness, and from then on, she could no longer live with this name.

Not to mention how the new wife, who was hoarse and disfigured, "took good care" of her paralyzed husband, a paralyzed father-in-law, even if he was a corrupt official, could not play many advantages. Seeing that the emperor loved her so much, no one mentioned this matter again.

The crown prince was established smoothly, and the baby in the swaddling clothes became the crown prince.

When the little crown prince was one year old, the whole Jin State had been purged. The king set up assistants to assist each official who was sent out to the outside. Every year, he would send imperial envoys to check. Who the imperial envoys were, when to check, and where to check were all decided by the emperor temporarily, and no one could get any gossip in advance.

Without the suppression from above, the people could support themselves as long as they worked. The originally deserted streets gradually became lively, and almost everyone had a smile on their faces.

Children running on the street with toys made by their parents at home, hawkers hawking their goods, and students wearing uniforms issued by official schools were talking loudly together. Two old men trembled and supported each other and smiled as they sat in front of the stall and ordered a bowl of food. The yamen runners in majestic official uniforms patrolled everywhere with knives on their shoulders. When a stall owner saw them, he smiled and greeted them and asked if they wanted a bowl of fragrant wonton.

Everyone's face was filled with hope for the future, not at all like the numbness and indifference in Ji Xiawan's memory.

"What? Wanwan wants to go downstairs to play?"

Wei Mingyan, who was also dressed in casual clothes, asked her with a smile, "When we come back, we'll go for a good walk as a family."

"Ah... um..."

The chubby little prince was anxious when he saw his mother lower the curtain. He was held by his father and kicked his legs and whimpered in protest.

He had been born in the palace since he was a child. This was the first time he followed his parents out of the palace. Ji Xiawan lifted the curtain just now to look, mostly because this little guy was making a fuss and insisted on looking at the people outside.

"Okay, okay, Miao'er, be good, just look for a while."

Ji Xiawan had no idea what to do with her son. This child looked exactly like Wei Mingyan. Every time he looked at her, she couldn't help but soften her heart.

The little prince was satisfied, and then he was hit on the head lightly. His father's voice with a smile was in his ears, "Little clever boy, if you do this again, I won't take you out next time."

"Ah!"

The little prince was hit, and immediately turned to look at his father angrily, protesting.

"Call me father, call me father, and I will open the curtain for you."

Wei Mingyan looked at his chubby son in his arms, his eyes full of love. This little thing learns things quickly. He can obviously call people, but he is too lazy to speak. He always babbles words that no one can learn, making people guess.

Of course, the little prince would not compromise so easily. He turned his head and looked at his mother with a pair of big eyes pitifully for help, shouting incoherently: "Mother, mother, please..."

Ji Xiawan nodded his little head, "I don't know who he learned this bad habit from. He knows how to ask for mercy at such a young age."

"Who else can it be from? It must be Xia Ying. That kid is not good at other things, but the ability to adapt to the situation seems to be innate. I brought delicious food to this little thing two days ago."

Wei Mingyan shook his fat son, "Hurry up, the emperor will not wait for you. We will be there soon. You can't see it even if you want to."

There was no way, the little prince had to look at his father pitifully and shouted, "Father's room..."

As soon as he finished speaking, his saliva fell down, and he quickly stretched out his little hand to lift the handkerchief on his neck to wipe it. The fat lotus root hand moved back and forth, and it took a long time to wipe it clean.

While the little prince was busy, his unscrupulous parents just watched and laughed, and had no intention of coming up to help at all.

Fortunately, when he finished wiping, Ji Xiawan had already lifted the curtain, and the lively crowd outside could be seen again. The little prince was happy again, and happily looked out in his father's arms.

"Good... beautiful!"

He clapped his hands to express his thoughts.

Wei Mingyan touched his little head, "If it's beautiful, look at it more. Later, you have to make it more beautiful, okay?"

The little prince nodded excitedly, not knowing whether he understood or not, and clapped his hands to agree, "Okay!"

The car continued to move forward, and the little prince looked all the way. When he was carried out of the car, he was very well-behaved and looked around obediently in his father's arms.

He saw a small house. To the young prince who had grown up surrounded by huge palaces, the house was indeed small. But when he entered, it didn't seem to be very small, and there was a small courtyard.

Wei Mingyan carried his son and Ji Xiawan into the courtyard. A birthday banquet was being held here. The host of the banquet was an old lady who was about to be buried.

She had only one son in her life. Because of her son who died for the country, he was taken to the capital and well taken care of.

The old lady lost her son, so she took her son's apprentice who had lost his parents to her home to raise as a grandson. The child was only fourteen years old, but he had already passed the examination for a scholar. He was supposed to continue to take the examination, but he insisted on mourning for his master and did not participate in the special examination.

Because it was the emperor's personal decree to confer the title, there were really many people at the old lady's birthday banquet. The fourteen-year-old boy shuttled through the crowd and gave instructions in an orderly manner.

Wei Mingyan was a little surprised when he came, but later he saw that most of those people left after putting down their gifts, and he knew that this was to establish a good relationship.

Chi Lingzhi saw that most people had come in, so he called the servants to ask, "How is grandma? Was she disturbed?"

"The old lady went to the ancestral hall..."

Hearing this, Chi Lingzhi felt a pain in his heart. He knew that grandma must have gone to visit the master.

At first, grandma believed what people said outside and thought that the master really helped the tyrant to commit atrocities, drove him out of the house, and even severed the mother-son relationship. She had been crying every day. After the current emperor ascended the throne and announced to the world how many innocent people the master had secretly saved from the corrupt official, grandma's health deteriorated.

Chi Lingzhi knew how much she regretted treating the master like that.

Thinking of the master in his memory who was strict but truly treated him as a disciple, Chi Lingzhi swallowed the warmth in his eyes and continued to cheer up to greet the guests, but he didn't notice that a group of people were going to the backyard.

"Hey! Sister! Sister!!"

Ji Xiaying saw her sister as soon as she entered the door, and immediately walked over excitedly. As soon as she stood firm, she saw Wei Mingyan turned around and looked at him.

The young man, who was just full of excitement, felt his legs go weak and almost fell to his knees, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

"You don't have to be like this outside, just call me brother-in-law."

Wei Mingyan looked his brother-in-law up and down, "Have you finished your homework? It seems that it is not the time for the official school to be dismissed now."

"Chi Lingzhi is my good friend. It is his grandmother's birthday, so I took a special leave to come here." Ji Xiaying answered honestly. After saying that, he was afraid that his brother-in-law, who was more concerned about his studies than his sister, would force him to go back to class, so he quickly added, "I am not here alone. The teacher also came with me. Brother-in-law, look..."

The young man looked back as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw, and then his face was puzzled, "Eh? Where is the teacher? He was with me just now."

"Okay, you are so old, but you are still so impetuous. Straighten your back."

As soon as Wei Mingyan finished speaking, Ji Xiaying reflexively straightened his back. At first glance, he was also a gentleman with a graceful demeanor, but his face was as bitter as it could be.

Sure enough, the next moment, the king in front of him spoke, "Let's go, put down the gifts, and let your sister test your homework."

"Also, why did I hear that you failed the last time on horseback archery? A man can't even do horseback archery. You come to the palace tomorrow and I will teach you in person."

Ji Xiaying felt bitter in his heart. Outsiders knew that his emperor brother-in-law valued him and personally taught him, and even invited him to the palace several times. But who knew that every time he went to the palace to study, he was scolded like a grandson.

Many times, looking at the emperor brother-in-law's eyes of disappointment, Ji Xiaying felt that his brother-in-law raised him as a son. Literary talent, military strategy, horseback archery and formation, these are enough for Ji Xiaying to learn, but his brother-in-law's intention is clearly to let him learn them all.

It's bitter, too bitter.

Ji Xiawan was smart since she was young. She never put down her books after entering the palace. She found out that Ji Xiaying had not studied hard recently. The young man immediately experienced criticism from the queen, the emperor and the brother-in-law. In between, the prince and his nephew clapped their hands and watched the fun.

When he was finally released and ordered to go to the palace to practice riding and shooting with Wei Mingyan tomorrow, Ji Xiaying's stiff smile on his face was almost gone.

Seeing his sister and brother-in-law holding his nephew on the carriage, Ji Xiaying breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to relax, he saw his teacher with red eyes coming out of the door.

"Teacher, where have you been? Do you know who I just met? I..."

Ji Xiaying was about to complain so that the teacher would give him less homework, but he saw Mr. Jin's red eyes and was stunned. "Teacher, are you... crying?"

"Three big characters, I will check tomorrow." Mr. Jin was still the same. After arranging, he waved his sleeves and left.

"Ah? I, no, why, sir..."

Before Ji Xiaying could complain, he felt even more miserable. He was confused when his friend suddenly chased him out the door and hurriedly pulled him to complain, "Lingzhi, I want to tell you..."

"Xiaying."

The handsome young man also had red eyes and hugged his friend, his voice even choked with sobs, "Thank you."

Ji Xiaying: "Ah?"

Why do I always feel that everyone knows something but he doesn't.

On the carriage

Wei Mingyan said, "I remember that the child raised by Old Lady Jin has a younger sister at home."

Ji Xiawan thought for a while and said, "Yes, he is raised by his grandmother, but I think his grandmother is not a good person."

"Let the Jin family take the child back. After all, they have a brother, so they don't need a younger sister."

Wei Mingyan hugged the little prince and smiled, "Xiaying is smart, but he just doesn't want to work hard. We have to think of a way to motivate him."

Ji Xiawan was curious, "What way? Xiaying is very stubborn."

"You will know when the time comes."

After the news that Ji Xiaying practiced horseback archery in the palace spread, a large number of young men envied it. For a while, horseback archery became popular in the capital again.

And in such a peaceful environment, envoys from neighboring countries entered the capital.

They had defeated the former Jin Dynasty and maintained their arrogance towards the new monarch.

In addition to expressing their hope to trade with Jin, they also made a request that they thought was very compromising.

They asked to marry the eldest princess as the third queen of their king.

Wei Mingyan refused on the spot. The envoy looked unhappy. After a few words of relentless talk, he was directly driven out of Jin.

The neighboring country went to war. This was their usual method. They first made a request and then went to war after being rejected. If it was the previous dynasty, they would have gotten what they wanted long ago.

Unfortunately, they met the emperor Wei Mingyan.

When Chi Lingzhi's sister Chi Qingqing entered the capital after her grandmother passed away, Jin had completely suppressed the neighboring country.

When she reached the age of marriage, there was no neighboring country.

Two years later, when the little prince could handle political affairs, the uncle of the state, Ji Xiaying, happily married his friend's sister Chi Qingqing.

He has a sister who is the queen, and he is proficient in both literary and military strategies. He was also taught a lot of dirty tricks by his brother-in-law, the emperor. In this life, he can finally protect his wife.

The author has something to say: Two in one, good night everyone!

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