Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 775 A great thing

Mr. and Mrs. Zhu Youcheng were very happy.

But when a close attendant suggested announcing the good news to the world, Zhu Youcheng's expression instantly became cautious... It seemed that he was very unwilling to share the good news with the people in the court and was prepared to hide everything.

Neither Zhang Yu nor Shi Qin, who was guarding the entrance to the inner palace, had anticipated this.

Only Zhang Yanling seemed to understand Zhu Youcheng's mindset. After all, historically, Zhu Youcheng kept the birth of his eldest son a secret to the greatest extent possible. Therefore, some people doubted whether Zhu Houzhao was actually born to him and Empress Zhang. Folk tales and stories offered various opinions, which even influenced later generations.

Perhaps due to his tragic childhood, Zhu Youcheng felt that once he had children, the danger would increase dramatically, and the best approach was to keep his own affairs to himself and not flaunt them to the court officials.

Zhu Youcheng said, "The matter of the Empress's pregnancy must not be publicized; it can only be circulated among a small group of people..."

Upon hearing this, Shi Qin returned to the emperor's side and asked in a questioning tone, "Then this humble subject..."

He simply couldn't understand the emperor's decision.

You have offspring, which is a great thing and can put the minds of the people at ease. Why do you choose to keep it a secret and even hide it from the court officials?
Having a child secretly?
What's the point of doing this?

Zhang Yanling seemed to agree, nodding and echoing, "I think His Majesty means to wait until things are settled, or even until the Empress is about to give birth, before informing the court officials of this good news... This is also for the sake of the peace and tranquility of the palace."

"Ah."

Zhu Youcheng nodded slightly.

In fact, he wasn't quite sure what he was thinking or why he felt he shouldn't tell others; he just had a gut feeling that he should do it.

Now that his brother-in-law seems to agree with his approach, he's going along with it and has made the decision.

Shi Qin tentatively asked, "Then... can my colleagues in the Imperial Medical Academy tell me?"

"No."

Zhu Youcheng said without any preamble, "Shi Qing, you must keep this secret, and you must not even tell your closest relatives. Also, to avoid arousing suspicion, you don't need to come to see patients normally... Yanling, I'm entrusting this matter to you."

To ensure the absolute safety of his wife and his first child, Zhu Youcheng trusted no one, even the people of the Imperial Medical Academy were considered suspects.

Shi Qin looked extremely embarrassed.

As a royal physician, how could he not even discover the Empress's pregnancy himself, but instead rely on this young imperial uncle? What's even more outrageous is that he will also entrust the Empress's prenatal care to this young imperial uncle?

What kind of situation would that put the Imperial Medical Academy in?
"Your Majesty, may I inform your father of this matter upon my return?"

Zhang Yanling asked with a smile.

"That's something I can talk about."

Zhu Youcheng nodded and said, "But we shouldn't leak the news. I think... we should wait and see."

At this moment, Zhu Youcheng was very confused. For some reason, he had lacked a sense of security since childhood and was always worried that even his wife's safety could not be guaranteed. If someone were to harm her, it would inevitably result in the death of both mother and child, and he would become lonely and helpless, regretting it for the rest of his life.

Zhang Yanling said, "Then I will come to the palace recently to take care of my sister's daily care. But actually... there's nothing special to adjust her diet; just follow her usual meals."

Do pregnant women need special care?
Ordinary people naturally need it, but the problem is that the one who is pregnant now is her own sister, the Empress of the Ming Dynasty. What good things can't she eat? Although it's not as exaggerated as having dozens of dishes at every meal, there is no problem with having meat at every meal and plenty of eggs and milk.

Eat and drink as usual, it's just a matter of adding some extra nutrients, such as foods rich in folic acid and DHA, and occasionally supplementing with dietary fiber, etc.

History has at least proven that Empress Zhang was perfectly healthy; the problem was primarily with Zhu Youcheng… His own sister’s child was healthy and lively, and even fought bravely on the battlefield, achieving great success.

As for the deaths of the latter two children, they had absolutely nothing to do with Empress Zhang's health as a mother.

……

……

After Zhang Yanling had dinner in the palace, Zhu Youcheng and his wife became very affectionate. As the brother-in-law, he tactfully took his leave.

Because Zhang Yu was pregnant, Zhang Yanling originally intended to mention to Zhu Youcheng the matter of continuing to open iron and coal mines, but he didn't say anything more. In any case, these matters could be settled first and then reported to the emperor, or rather, there was no need to rush. Anyway, Zhu Youcheng's mind was entirely focused on his wife and unborn child.

After leaving the palace, Zhang Yanling went straight to Zhang Luan's secluded villa.

Upon arrival, the gatekeeper, upon hearing that it was the second young master of the Zhang family, took it very seriously and invited him directly to the front hall. Before long, after being announced to several people, Qi Niang appeared before Zhang Yanling.

"Second Young Master? What brings you here?"

Qi Niang was very surprised.

Logically speaking, if Zhang Yanling had something to say, he only needed to send someone to notify him; it was indeed rare for him to visit in person.

Zhang Yanling asked, "Where is my father?"

Qi Niang said, "He...he hasn't gotten up yet. Should I go in and let him know?"

Zhang Yanling glanced at the sun and asked in surprise, "It's already past noon, and he's still not awake? Did he stay up all night again?"

Qi Niang said with some helplessness, "Master's condition has improved a lot recently. He is not as restrained as he was a few days ago. However, he has not been drinking alcohol. Although he has marital relations, he goes to bed before midnight. Everything is fine. Second Young Master, please do not worry."

"hehe."

Zhang Yanling shook his head and smiled.

My good-for-nothing father even knows to restrain his mistresses... Speaking of you, old man Zhang, you party every night, do you really not care about your health?
"Please wake him up. I have something important to discuss with him," Zhang Yanling said. "It concerns the rise and fall of the family, so please make sure he comes out... I won't go in."

"I'll go right away."

Qi Niang went to the inner courtyard herself.

……

……

After a long while, Zhang Luan finally emerged with dark circles under his eyes and an unwilling expression.

Qi Niang had been with him, but when they reached the entrance to the front hall, she tactfully bowed and took her leave. She could still hear Zhang Luan greeting her from inside the room: "He's not an outsider..."

Watching his mother leave humbly, he turned back and glared at his son, teasingly saying, "You actually came here...you're quite a rare guest!"

Zhang Yanling frowned and said, "Then who exactly is the outsider and who is the insider? Father, can you tell the difference?"

"What kind of talk is that? Your father is just being polite to her. With your intelligence, can't you tell?" Zhang Luan said. "Do you think I don't know that she can't listen to what you're saying? Hey, child, can't you tell the difference between good and bad words?"

"Humph!"

Zhang Yanling turned his head to the side, snorted coldly, and then deliberately lowered his voice to say, "I just came from the palace. My sister is pregnant."

"What?"

Zhang Luan was initially taken aback, but after blinking, he quickly realized what this meant for the Zhang family and asked in surprise, "So that means the Crown Prince will be born soon? I'm going to be a grandfather?"

Zhang Yanling narrowed his eyes and said, "Father, your thinking changes very quickly... How do you know it's the Crown Prince? Also, are you sure the child will be born safely?"

"Isn't it you who's protecting your sister?"

Zhang Luan laughed and said, "You should do a good job of calculating whether your sister is carrying a nephew or a niece? And what will this child's fate be like? And..."

"Ahem, I never expected that my daughter would be so promising. She's only been in the palace for a year and she's already pregnant... Speaking of which, didn't the late emperor wait many years before he had an heir?"

Zhang Yanling said, "There are some people and things that I cannot predict."

Zhang Luan asked in surprise, "Why is that?"

Zhang Yanling truthfully replied, "Because of what I've done over the years, I've already defied fate. Many people and things are no longer within the realm of destiny... Many situations will change in the future, becoming increasingly beyond my control. Father, let me put it this way: I've gone from someone who could accurately predict the future to a member of the secular world, finding it difficult to remain unaffected."

"Why are you talking so mysteriously, kid?"

Zhang Luan was confused, but he understood the general meaning. He glanced at his son, got up and paced back and forth. After a while, he asked again, "Have you told your mother about the good news that your sister is pregnant?"

"I haven't had time to say it yet."

Zhang Yanling said, "My brother-in-law said that we will make this public at the right time. It is still an absolute secret for now... at most, it is known to our own family."

"Huh? You still need to hide it?"

Zhang Luan was surprised and frowned, asking, "Shouldn't you announce this to the world to reassure your subjects? Why keep it a secret? What kind of nonsense is this?"

Zhang Yanling analyzed: "Perhaps it is because of my brother-in-law's tragic childhood experience that he attaches great importance to the issue of offspring, and also carries a bit of caution."

"Anyway, we'll do whatever my brother-in-law tells us to do. It won't have much of an impact on our family, right?"

Zhang Luan said with a bitter face, "Does that mean other people won't know until my daughter is about to give birth? I was thinking..."

"You're still thinking of showing off in front of others, aren't you?"

Zhang Yanling countered with a question.

"How can you talk like that? What do you mean by 'showing off'?"

Zhang Luan's expression was unfriendly as he said, "Good things should be known to the world... Hey, your brother-in-law is really different from ordinary people, I really can't figure him out... By the way, what does your sister think?"

Zhang Yanling shook his head and said, "I think my sister isn't mentally prepared to have a child yet... She's still quite confused about this."

What is confusion?

Zhang Luan continued to frown and said, "She gave birth to a royal heir, ensuring the continuation of the imperial line and guaranteeing an heir to the Ming Dynasty's throne... Is that a crime? Your sister's thinking is different from ordinary people... By the way, what exactly are those two trying to do?"

Zhang Yanling said, “Father, you can’t impose your own ideas on others… Think about it, how long has my sister been in the palace? Do you think that after giving birth to the imperial heir, she, as a mother, doesn’t have to put in any effort? Right now, she’s living a carefree life, having everything she wants and doing whatever she pleases, but she’ll have to worry about many things later… Can a woman’s mindset be the same before and after childbirth? Especially in this era, childbirth is not safe, what if something unexpected happens…”

"Bah bah bah!"

Zhang Luan spat and said, "You little brat, you can't say anything nice. Why do I feel like you're cursing your sister? Or are you predicting something... bad?"

“No, I don’t know what will happen either, but I always feel that things might still get out of control. Not only are my brother-in-law and sister confused, but I also feel that this matter may not be very good.” Zhang Yanling said, “In the future, I will have to go to the palace from time to time to protect my sister’s pregnancy, and I’m tired too.”

Zhang Luan frowned and said, "Isn't there a royal physician? Do you have to go?"

Zhang Yanling shrugged and said, "My brother-in-law entrusted me with the important task of protecting my sister and the child in her womb. I can only obey his orders. Perhaps it's because the people in the Imperial Hospital can't gain my brother-in-law's complete trust... After all, this is my brother-in-law's first child, and he hasn't taken any concubines. He only dotes on my sister, so it's not surprising that he values ​​her so much!"

Zhang Luan muttered to himself, "That's true. Your brother-in-law's personality is different from most people. Logically speaking, he should be taking a concubine by now. Hey, it's common for emperors to have three palaces and six courtyards. How can someone like him only marry one? It's strange, really strange."

……

……

After explaining the situation, Zhang Yanling prepared to take his elderly father home to share the good news with Jin and Tang.

Of course, there was basically no need to notify Zhang Heling, the eldest son of the Zhang family, because he was too talkative and would easily leak the news... which would go against the emperor's decision to keep the matter confidential.

Zhang Luan made an excuse that he needed to go into the inner courtyard to tidy up, leaving his son to wait outside, while he went straight inside.

Without asking the reason, Qi Niang was only curious about Zhang Luan's desire to go home and asked, "When will you come back here, sir?"

"I won't be coming for the next couple of days."

Zhang Luan said, "That's perfect, it'll save you some trouble."

Qi Niang thought to herself, "So you know you're the one who causes trouble?"

Every time you come, you make a big fuss, as if you're entertaining a guest. Even the brothel has never had a guest with so many faults. Now you're even picky about eating.

Zhang Luan asked, "Aren't you curious about what happened?"

"It is not appropriate for me to inquire so casually."

"That's what Lady Qi said respectfully."

"I shouldn't be avoiding telling you, but this matter is too important, you'll find out later."

Zhang Luan smiled and said, "It's still a very happy event. You can rest assured here, you'll be set for life... that should be enough!"

……

……

The Zhang family held a family banquet to celebrate.

As for what exactly they're celebrating, they can't tell outsiders yet, especially to prevent Zhang Heling from spreading it around. It's just a trivial excuse for the family to sit down and have a proper reunion dinner.

Zhang Heling was dragged back from outside. When he sat down at the table and saw his family enjoying each other's company, he felt a sense of novelty. Looking around, he asked, "Father and younger brother are back, and Mother isn't frowning anymore today. What's going on in our family?"

Zhang Luan laughed and said, "Does a family meal need so many reasons? Oh? The food hasn't all been served yet?"

"Wait a minute."

Jin said, "I've already sent someone to the kitchen to urge them."

Zhang Luan glanced at the table and frowned slightly: "What's this? Why is there vegetable and tofu? Even this is served at a banquet? Hmm, what's this? Cold seaweed salad? Isn't that vegetarian?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Heling grinned and said, "Dad, it seems you usually eat a lot of delicacies outside... Now that the harsh winter has just passed, it's already quite a feat to be able to eat vegetables at the banquet, isn't it?"

This statement indirectly suggests that even though Zhang Heling is currently indulging in a life of pleasure, he is limited by his economic circumstances and cannot afford to eat lavish meals like Zhang Luan.

At Zhang Heling's table, it was considered good if he could have meat at least once a day.

But Zhang Luan's situation is different...

Zhang Luan may seem to live a miserable life, but he is surrounded by beautiful women and eats chicken, duck, fish, and meat, even in the dead of winter.

Li Zisheng was meticulous in his hospitality and thoroughly ensnared Zhang Luan.

This is the fundamental reason why Zhang Luan immediately returned to the courtyard inside Chongwen Gate as soon as his condition improved. It's because the life he could live there was something he never dared to imagine before, and something he couldn't even enjoy when he returned home.

Jin also said, "What the eldest brother said makes a lot of sense. It's only the beginning of spring, and many people still can't afford these things. Aren't many of these dishes made with pork?"

"So this is what your family usually eats?"

Zhang Luan looked at the dishes on the table; they really didn't suit his taste.

Zhang Heling hurriedly said, "Dad, how do people usually treat you? Do they serve you abalone, sea cucumber, and shark fin every meal? I want to go with you... Can you take me to see it?"

"Don't mess around."

Zhang Luan said, "I just haven't had a good appetite because my condition has only recently improved. How much do I eat these days? I only eat small, delicate things... But it's nice that the family is together today..."

Jin's expression turned somewhat displeased.

The husband seemed to have come home, and even brought back the good news that their daughter was pregnant.

But I always feel that the family is missing that thriving and joyful atmosphere from before. Or rather, even though life was hard when we were in Xingji, the family was still united. Now we are scattered in different places, and it is difficult to stick together.

(End of this chapter)