The prince is more stable

Chapter 924 The Imperial Family Has a Heir
The imperial court in Bianjing was in uproar, and it was the officials who were shaken, while the lives of ordinary people were not affected at all.

After all, this is a major national event, so the people gathered together to discuss it.

However, when the emperor issued an edict to discuss the equal taxation law for the land, it was the officials, powerful families, and landlords throughout the country who were affected.

In contrast to the chaos in the Hall of State Affairs and the New Office of State Affairs, the inner palace remained peaceful.

Zhao Xiaoqian, carrying his son, wandered around the palace, from Wende Hall to Kunning Hall, traversing the entire inner palace. The father and son teased cats and dogs in the palace, while Zhao Hao brandished a small wooden sword, acting completely mad.

As expected, Zhao Hao was filthy again after a day's work, looking like a mud monkey. When he returned to Funing Palace, Di Ying and Niaoniao stomped their feet in anger. One was the emperor, and the other was a prince; they had no manners or decorum whatsoever.

Niao Niao carried her son to wash up, while Di Ying poked Zhao Xiaoqian's forehead in annoyance.

"This child has been playing with the master for a few days and has become more and more unruly. He used to be so well-behaved and cute, speaking softly and gentlely, with a refined and cultured demeanor. Now, he's like a great general commanding thousands of troops, speaking in a gruff voice and adopting a bold and unrestrained style."

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed and said, "That's more like it. My sons can't be effeminate; they must have masculinity. Especially my eldest son. If he grows up and starts to make a delicate gesture with his fingers and speak in a sweet, girlish voice, can you bear to look at that?"

Di Ying rolled her eyes at him: "My lord always tells me nonsense to deceive me. What does it have to do with a man being refined, elegant, and graceful?

"What do women know? Boys should be rougher so that they can have a broad mind and a wide perspective. They can't see the petty squabbles of small families and can see the vast world."

Zhao Xiaoqian pointed at Di Ying and said, "Don't get involved in this. Don't let a bunch of women ruin a perfectly good boy, or I'll take off your pants and spank you."

Di Ying snorted: "Fine, fine, whatever you say, my lord. I won't interfere in Hao'er's education. I want to see what kind of person you've raised Hao'er into."

Zhao Xiaoqian embraced Di Ying and said with a smile, "It's getting late, my lady, let's rest early..."

Di Ying, however, pushed him away, saying, "My lord, please don't be silly. I'm not feeling well today."

"Oh? Relatives from your maternal family are visiting? Let me check on them and give my regards..."

Di Ying chuckled and said, "Stop joking, it's not that... I've been feeling bloated in my chest these past two days, and I can't eat. The smell of oil makes me want to vomit. Today I only ate a bowl of porridge all day. I feel terrible."

"Furthermore, I've been very irritable these past few days. My temper has gotten worse, and I find nothing to like, even the sight of you, my lord... Humph!"

"Today, a palace maid in Kunning Palace made a small mistake. I couldn't control my temper and scolded her severely. After scolding her, I regretted it. It was such a small thing that it didn't deserve such a scolding."

Zhao Xiaoqian was immediately stunned.

Di Ying had no experience, but Zhao Xiaoqian did.

When Niao Niao became pregnant, her symptoms were exactly the same as Di Ying's.

His face flushed red, and Zhao Xiaoqian's face was filled with surprise and trepidation, his expression even distorted with excitement.

Di Ying was startled: "My lord, what's wrong? Don't frighten me... Should I call the imperial physician for you?"

Zhao Xiaoqian pressed his hands on her shoulders and said excitedly, "You're the one who wanted to summon the imperial physician, so shut up and don't say a word!"

After saying that, Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly shouted, "Someone come here! Where is Old Zheng? Where is Old Zheng?"

Zheng Chunhe rushed into the hall and said, "Your Majesty..."

Zhao Xiaoqian pointed outside the hall and said excitedly, "Quickly, summon the imperial physicians! Call several of them! Go now!"

Zheng Chunhe's expression changed drastically. Without even asking any questions, he practically tumbled and crawled out of the hall.

Di Ying stared at him blankly and said, "My lord, it can't be that bad..."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "Let's put everything else aside for now and have the imperial physician take my pulse. Maybe... there will be a pleasant surprise."

Di Ying's eyes lit up immediately. If she still didn't understand after all this, she would be too foolish.

“My lord, you mean, you mean…” Di Ying’s voice trembled, and her eyes reddened.

"Take a deep breath, take a deep breath! Keep your emotions stable, and we'll wait for the imperial physician to take your pulse before making a decision," Zhao Xiaoqian comforted him.

Before an incense stick's time had passed, several imperial physicians rushed over.

As he entered the hall and was about to pay his respects, Zhao Xiaoqian impatiently stopped him: "What time is it? Stop with this nonsense and come here to take the Empress's pulse!"

The imperial physicians dared not delay and hurriedly stepped forward to apologize to Di Ying. Then, one of the physicians placed three fingers on Di Ying's wrist.

This imperial physician was indeed quite skilled. After a short while, he paused, then carefully checked the pulse again, still not entirely reassured. Finally, with a look of delight, he knelt down before Zhao Xiaoqian.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty the Empress! This is a great joy for the entire Song Dynasty!"

"Her Majesty the Empress is pregnant, about two months along. May our ancestors bless our Great Song Dynasty with abundant offspring and a dynasty that lasts for ten thousand generations!"

Zhao Xiaoqian was overjoyed, and Di Ying was so happy that she burst into tears.

"Let's have another imperial physician take my pulse again," Zhao Xiaoqian said, still worried.

Another imperial physician stepped forward to take her pulse. This time, the pulse-taking took a little longer. Finally, the physician confirmed that Her Majesty was indeed two months pregnant! He knelt down and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! Your Majesty's pulse diagnosis is correct. Your Majesty is indeed two months pregnant!"

The imperial physicians who were summoned took turns examining Zhao Xiaoqian's pulse, and each physician came to the same conclusion. Only then did Zhao Xiaoqian burst into laughter.

Zheng Chunhe stood aside, tears streaming down his face, repeatedly praying for the ancestors' blessing, saying that the imperial family finally had a legitimate son.

After confirming the pregnancy, several imperial physicians gathered for a consultation. After discussing the case, they solemnly wrote down a prescription for a decoction to stabilize the pregnancy. Zhao Xiaoqian calmly put away the prescription and then ordered Zheng Chunhe to reward the imperial physicians with one hundred taels of silver. The imperial physicians were overjoyed and congratulated them repeatedly for a long time before they tactfully took their leave of the hall.

After the outsiders left, Di Ying finally lost control of her emotions and burst into tears.

Many years have passed since they got married, and Di Ying is now in her early twenties, which in ancient times would be considered an age of "fading beauty".

The official became emperor, and she was made empress. They were a noble couple who were the focus of everyone's attention, but her belly showed no signs of pregnancy.

The discussions in the court and among the public never stopped, and many officials even submitted memorials requesting the emperor to select candidates to enrich the harem and produce offspring for the imperial family.

Di Ying saw everything, and no one could understand the anxiety in her heart.

Finally, she became pregnant with her husband's child. All her long-standing anxiety vanished instantly. The relief and sense of liberation, the feeling of suddenly being relieved of a heavy burden, made her want to cry out loud, or find a secluded place to scream.

"Alright, getting pregnant is a happy event, why are you crying so sadly?" Zhao Xiaoqian said with a smile, hugging Di Ying.

"My lord, I just want to cry. These past few years, my heart has been filled with so much..." Di Ying buried her head in his chest and sobbed.

"My lady, please don't cry. If you keep crying, I'll start to cry too..."

"Why is my lord crying for no reason?"

"Thinking back on these past few months, every night you treated me like an animal, now the hardship has finally come to an end, the quantitative change has finally led to the qualitative change. I am like a hardworking ox that has seen the harvest of autumn. My heart is filled with joy, but I cannot help but feel sorrow, and my laughter is tinged with tears..."

Di Ying chuckled and gave him a push: "How could I be as bad as you say, my lord..."

Zhao Xiaoqian stroked her still flat belly and said, "Great news should be announced to the world. Of course, the news has probably spread throughout Bianjing by now. But you should also tell your father to congratulate him on becoming a grandfather."

Di Ying was taken aback, then quickly nodded and summoned a palace servant to invite her father, Di Zi, over.

It was very convenient for Di Zi to come over; he was in the palace.

After Zhao Xiaoqian ascended the throne, the important task of guarding the palace was entrusted to Di Zi, who was appointed as the Commander of the Palace Guards, and Chen Shou as the Deputy Commander. The safety of the palace fell on the shoulders of these two.

Di Zi arrived quickly and soon reached the Funing Palace.

Upon entering, Di Ying rushed forward, overjoyed and weeping, "Father..."

Di Zi first respectfully greeted Zhao Xiaoqian, then said excitedly, "I have heard, Your Majesty, congratulations..."

Zhao Xiaoqian waved his hand and said, "Father-in-law, we should address each other as family. 'Your Majesty and Empress' are terms for outsiders."

"Haha, good! Congratulations, daughter! Congratulations, son-in-law! We've finally seen the light of day!" Di Zixin stroked his beard and laughed heartily.

At this moment, Di Zi also looked relaxed and relieved.

Over the years, Di Ying has been under tremendous pressure, and so has the entire Di family.

With the Empress unable to bear children, her position was precarious, and the Di family lived in constant fear. Even if Zhao Xiaoqian, out of consideration for their marital bond, was unlikely to consider deposing the Empress, he couldn't withstand the clamor of the court officials.

When the court officials put too much pressure on the emperor and made too many noises, Di Zi was also afraid that his daughter would be deposed, and he could only watch helplessly as a tragedy between husband and wife occurred.

Today, I can finally relax. Di Zi no longer has to worry.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "Congratulations to my father-in-law, you'll be a grandfather soon..."

Then Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly said, "Father-in-law, Ying'er is pregnant and needs someone to take care of her. Why don't we carefully select a few maids from the Di family to enter the palace and take care of Ying'er personally?"

"Ying'er's food, medicine, clothing, and lodging will be taken care of by the Di family's maids. What do you think, father-in-law?"

Di Zi and his daughter Di Ying were taken aback. Di Ying said with dissatisfaction, "There are so many palace maids in the palace, I don't need any..."

Before she could finish speaking, Di Zi interrupted her with a solemn expression, saying, "Very well, the maids of the Di family will be personally selected by me. After they enter the palace, all matters concerning Ying'er's food, clothing, and lodging will be handled by them alone, without the help of palace maids."

Di Ying looked completely bewildered: "What are you talking about?"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and patted her head, saying, "Silly woman, say less and ask less, just focus on your pregnancy. Your most important task now is to give birth to the baby safely and give me a healthy son or daughter. That would be a great achievement for you."

…………

Di Ying's pregnancy was a joyous occasion, but Zhao Xiaoqian remained clear-headed, constantly reminding himself not to let joy turn into sorrow.

In the complex and cruel environment of the imperial harem, the most dangerous thing is to be scheming against someone who is not.

Zhao Xiaoqian remembered clearly how Zhao Xu's only son died.

He did not want Zhao Xu's tragedy to repeat itself in his own life.

As night deepened, Di Ying, with a joyful smile on her face, fell asleep beside Zhao Xiaoqian.

Zhao Xiaoqian, however, could not sleep. He got up, put on his clothes, and went out of Funing Palace, standing under the corridor outside the palace.

There was someone under the eaves, a graceful and slender figure.

Zhao Xi, a stunningly beautiful woman who is not to be trifled with, is a secret agent within the Imperial City Guard, whose true identity is elusive. She was once a trained assassin of Zhao Hao, but now serves only Zhao Xiaoqian.

(End of this chapter)