inspire-indiana Chapter 293 It's really here!
Chapter 293 It's really here!
"Really?!" Lu Tao stood up in surprise.
She supported Tian Tian with both arms, looking her up and down with surprise, "Really pregnant?"
Tian Tian shook her head, "Mom, I don't know yet."
Lu Tao was already nervous. "No, you're carrying a royal child, a dragon's offspring. Nothing can go wrong."
"Today is my wedding day with the Duke, so you don't need to do anything. You... you just need to keep an eye on things."
"Third Aunt, you have to keep an eye on Tiantian for me."
Liu San Niang nodded in agreement.
"Sister Lu, what I mean is... should we call a doctor to take the child's pulse first?"
"If she is indeed pregnant, it will be good for Your Highness to be careful."
Liu San Niang's original intention was to ask Ling Yao to take good care of Tian Tian.
But Tian Tian thought of something else... and her face turned even redder.
Liu San Niang could tell at a glance, and gave her a disdainful look, "You silly girl, what are you thinking?"
Tian Tian gave an awkward laugh...
"It's not a good occasion to call a doctor today."
Tian Tian quickly changed the subject, "Don't worry, Aunt Liu, I'll summon the imperial physician as soon as we get back to the palace."
Liu San Niang thought about it and agreed, "Okay."
But then I thought, "How about tonight..."
"Tian Tian can stay at the Princess's residence. I'll ask a doctor to take a look."
Her concern was that the banquet would end very late that evening, and then there would be the hassle of going back to the palace...
Tian Tian subconsciously touched her stomach. For some reason, just knowing that she might be pregnant made her feel...overwhelmed with happiness.
"Let's go back to the palace and have the imperial physician examine us," she said.
Seeing this, Lu Tao nodded and said, "Let's go back to the palace and have the imperial physician check if it's safe."
Liu San Niang replied, "Alright then."
She took Tian Tian's hand and said, "Then I'll take Tian Tian back to the front and I'll keep an eye on her."
Lu Tao reluctantly pulled Tian Tian along, "Yes, girl, please be careful."
Tian Tian understood that this was her first child, and she was only nineteen years old. In her time, she was not yet of legal marriage age.
She is pregnant now, so she needs to be especially careful.
Moreover, it hasn't even been three months yet, so we need to be even more careful.
After returning to the front yard, Liu San Niang kept her word and never left Tian Tian's side for more than three steps.
I instinctively try to stop anyone who gets too close.
Even when Ling Yao came over, she first stopped him, then let him go.
"Sweetie." Ling Yao thought she was acting strangely, so he pulled Tian Tian aside and asked, "What's wrong with Aunt Liu?"
Since nothing was certain yet, Tian Tian didn't want to bother them, so she shook her head and said, "It's just that if there are too many people, Aunt Liu might bump into us."
Ling Yao put his hands behind his back and said, "We're all family, it's alright."
The Cui family will also be related to the Princess's family by marriage in the future, so strictly speaking, they can be considered half family.
There is no conflict between family members.
The wedding went very smoothly, and Tian Tian was filled with happiness throughout the entire process.
She truly saw Gu Yu's affection for Lu Tao.
Lu Tao had no siblings, so Gu Yu went directly to the backyard and carried Lu Tao out himself.
Then he personally escorted her to the bridal sedan chair.
Upon arriving at the Duke's mansion, he personally carried the person down.
Fearing that Lu Tao would be bored alone in the new house, Tian Tian was asked to come in and keep her company before dinner.
During this time, he also had his servants prepare food for Lu Tao.
Unexpectedly, Gu Yu, despite his age, is no less doting on his wife than Ling Yao.
However, at the wedding banquet, Tian Tian endured her stomach discomfort the whole time.
She sat inside the house with the Emperor, Empress, Ling Yao, Gu Yu, Tian Xiang, Qin Youyou, and the rest of the family.
Everyone happily drank some wine, but the smell of alcohol made Tian Tian feel nauseous and vomiting.
This was the happiest and most lively time for everyone, and she tried her best to suppress the sour taste in her throat.
Empress Li noticed her unusual behavior, "Sweetie, why aren't you eating?"
Tian Tian swallowed hard. "Today... my mouth hasn't stopped all day..."
"I'm not hungry at all right now."
She was smiling, but her eyes drooped, and she looked very uncomfortable.
Empress Li was worried. "Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
Tian Tian forced a smile and shook her head, "No, no, it's just... I'm full and don't want to eat anymore."
"Father, Mother, please eat."
"You've all had a hard day, so please eat more."
Despite saying that, Ling Yao still helped her pick out a lot of food and ladled out some soup.
Tian Tian was actually very hungry and wanted to drink some soup to fill her stomach, but in the end, she was stopped by the sour water that surged up.
After enduring this arduous journey until returning to the palace, Tian Tian could no longer bear it.
Just as he was about to speak, Ling Yao had already instructed the palace servants, "Quickly summon the imperial physician."
Tian Tian frowned. "You...you know me..."
Ling Yao turned back helplessly, put his arm around her, and brought her to the bedside. "You were feeling unwell just now, how could I not notice?"
He gently stroked Tian Tian's forehead, "I only let you have your way because I knew you didn't want to show it at your mother's wedding."
"Now that we're back in the palace, you have to listen to me."
Tian Tian lay on the bed and murmured, "Mmm."
Physician Zhang from the Imperial Medical Academy rushed over and, as soon as he entered the East Palace, saw Ling Yao pacing anxiously in front of the room.
Physician Zhang stepped forward and bowed, "Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Before he could finish speaking, Ling Yao grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the room. "Imperial Physician Zhang, quick, come and take a look at the Crown Princess. She has vomited for the third time in just a short while."
"But she didn't eat anything today, and she didn't vomit anything."
Inside the room, Tian Tian, who had retched three times, leaned against a soft pillow, her face slightly pale, holding a cup of hot tea in her hand.
After listening to Ling Yao's description, Physician Zhang had already guessed seven or eight parts of the story.
But he dared not be careless, so he took out his pulse-taking tool and said, "Your Highness, please allow me to take your pulse."
Tian Tian extended her wrist...
Physician Zhang placed a thin silk handkerchief on Tian Tian's wrist...
The moment his fingertips touched Tian Tian's wrist, he felt the pulse beneath his fingers like pearls rolling on a plate, smooth and flowing—a typical pregnancy pulse!
"Congratulations, Your Highness the Crown Prince, and congratulations, Your Highness the Crown Princess." After confirming the news several times, Imperial Physician Zhang stood up and bowed to Ling Yao. "Your Highness the Crown Princess is pregnant; she has been pregnant for a month."
Ling Yao stood there, stunned, his eyes wide open.
When he came to his senses, he suddenly turned to look at Tian Tian.
She blushed, but a knowing smile played on her lips, showing no surprise whatsoever.
Ling Yao slowly walked over and gently put his arm around her. "Sweetie, you didn't already know, did you?"
Tian Tian nodded, "My mother and Aunt Liu guessed that I wasn't feeling well during the day, but I didn't let them call a doctor."
Physician Zhang picked up his medicine chest and said, "Your Highness, Your Highness the Crown Princess, I'm going back to the Imperial Hospital to get a prescription."
"Her Majesty the Crown Princess's pulse is steady, but her morning sickness is a little severe. I will prescribe a mild medicine to help her maintain her pregnancy."
"Okay, okay." Ling Yao nodded repeatedly.
As soon as Physician Zhang left, Ling Yao held Tian Tian's hand against his face, his eyes slightly red, and said, "Tian Tian, we have a child."
Tian Tian hummed in agreement, and the two smiled at each other.
*
Empress Li paced back and forth in her palace...
Ling Jun had already finished bathing. "Are you sure you didn't see wrong?"
Empress Li was very certain, "I'm not mistaken, Tian Tian is definitely not feeling well."
"I just had the nanny go and see, and she said the imperial physician has been summoned."
“This child must be sick, but he doesn’t want us to worry, so he doesn’t say anything.”
"She fell ill just two months into the marriage. What are we going to say if her in-laws ask?"
Ling Jun came over to comfort him, "Don't worry, the imperial physician has already gone over, right? We'll find out by asking him in a bit."
Empress Li nodded and sat down in the chair.
Just then, the nanny came in and said, "Your Highness, great news!"
"Your Majesty, this is a joyous occasion!"
The old woman bowed to Ling Jun, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Then he looked at the Empress and said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Princess has been diagnosed with pregnancy."
The Emperor and Empress both stood up abruptly. "What is it?"
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, the Empress laughed and said, "Quickly, summon Physician Zhang. I want to ask him carefully."
Imperial Physician Zhang entered, saying, "This old minister greets Your Majesty and Empress... Long live the Emperor..."
"Alright, stop with the formalities," Empress Li said, stopping them directly.
"Imperial Physician, is the Crown Princess's pulse stable?"
Is the Crown Princess experiencing severe morning sickness?
"What kind of supplements should we prepare?"
Physician Zhang answered each question, and when he mentioned that the Crown Prince was also very happy, the Emperor and Empress laughed so hard they almost fell over.
"These two kids!!"
"How can you be so successful?!"
Empress Li returned to the Emperor's side and exclaimed, "That's wonderful! We're going to be grandparents!"
The Emperor lowered his voice, "But Empress...we don't have much time left."
Empress Li was taken aback, but then she understood.
"Yes, once our grandson is born, we'll definitely come back to enjoy being with him."
She clapped her hands loudly, "We need to hurry."
"First, give the instructions regarding Tian Tian's childbirth..."
"Only then can we leave in peace!!"
Yes, Emperor Lingjun and Empress Li have been constantly finding ways to quarrel lately...
This was to help Ling Yao and Tian Tian learn how to handle state affairs and matters of the harem as quickly as possible.
In this way, the two of them could leave the palace to travel and enjoy the scenery.
Originally, he planned to travel for two or three years before returning to the palace to retire, but now...
Now that Tian Tian is pregnant, their plans have to change.
They'll travel for ten months, and once Tian Tian has a grandchild, they'll come back to enjoy their grandchildren!
During their trip, they still needed to make arrangements for everything that needed to be done during Tian Tian's pregnancy.
then...
The next morning, after Ling Yao went to court, the rewards from the Empress's palace arrived.
The Empress's people specifically instructed that Tian Tian should not be alerted.
A large procession of palace servants, carrying brocade boxes, tiptoed in and out...
Century-old ginseng, ice silk quilt and pillowcase, purple gold pregnancy-supporting bracelet, ten boxes of blood bird's nest cups, honey-preserved plum jar, and gold thread jujube box.
Hetian jade Guanyin statue with a child, silk screen with a hundred children design, gilded longevity lock, warm jade Go board, prenatal education poetry book, and colorful auspicious knot.
Swaddling clothes made of silk, cradle made of golden nanmu wood...
When Tian Tian woke up, she was so shocked by all the things she saw that her eyes widened in disbelief.
"You sent so much stuff?"
She looked at them one by one, "Why did you even prepare a cradle?"
The palace maid replied cheerfully, "Her Majesty the Empress must know that the Crown Princess is pregnant and is overjoyed."
Tian Tian smiled, but something still felt off...
"Put away anything you don't need."
The palace maids stored away anything they didn't need for the time being in the East Palace's storeroom.
As for the snacks, supplements, bedding, and pillowcases, they were all taken into the room.
Ling Yao also spent the day handling state affairs in the Imperial Study.
*
Just after the fifth watch bell rang, Ling Yao was already dressed and standing outside the palace waiting for the morning court session.
Before the morning mist had dissipated, civil and military officials gradually gathered in the square in front of the palace, chatting in twos and threes.
Ling Yao frowned slightly. Why... was Father Emperor late today?
By this time normally, Father would have already summoned everyone inside...
Just then, I heard a series of hurried footsteps.
An elderly eunuch, carrying a bright yellow imperial edict, strode over, escorted by a group of imperial guards.
His face was solemn as he went straight to the entrance of the main hall.
"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees—"
A sharp voice pierced the morning mist, and all the officials knelt down in a flurry.
Ling Yao also knelt down...
"I have been under the mandate of Heaven for twenty-eight years. Now the world is at peace. The Crown Prince is benevolent and filial, and is fit to succeed to the throne."
Effective immediately, the throne is to be abdicated to Crown Prince Yao, and the reign title is changed to Yonghe.
The Crown Princess, née Tian, was virtuous and kind, and was thus made Empress.
The Empress Dowager and I will depart today to travel the world. All my ministers should wholeheartedly assist the new emperor…
Ling Yao suddenly looked up!
what? !
What was written on the imperial edict?!
The officials were also shocked!!
However, the emperor only had one son, the crown prince, and there was never any controversy over the position of heir apparent.
After a moment of stunned silence, the officials immediately knelt down and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"
Ling Yao looked at the officials... overwhelmed with mixed feelings.
“Your Majesty,” the old man knelt down, “Your Majesty arranged the abdication more than a month ago. Now the Ministry of Rites is ready, and Your Majesty can hold the enthronement ceremony at any time.”
Ling Yao took a deep breath. What was this "dian" about? He hadn't even processed it yet.
"The morning court session is cancelled today," he said.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "Let's send the memorial to the Hall of Diligent Governance first."
Ling Yao strode through the many palace walls and arrived at Ling Jun's bedroom.
“Your Majesty,” the old man then entered, “Ever since Your Majesty and Empress married, the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Dowager have decided to abdicate.”
"They left overnight..."
When Tian Tian arrived, she was breathing heavily.
“Ayao”.
Ling Yao turned around, "Sweetie."
"Father and Mother are really gone?" Tian Tian could hardly believe it.
Father and Mother actually abdicated in favor of Ayao?!
And then he just left overnight?!
Thinking back on some things after the marriage, it seems... there were already signs.
"So... Father Emperor let you get involved in court affairs... Mother Empress made me familiar with palace affairs... all for this day?!" she muttered.
Ling Yao nodded silently. It must be true!
The young couple exchanged a look that was both funny and exasperating.
"What about the coronation?" Tian Tian asked.
Ling Yao bit her lip in resentment, "They just left like that, leaving me with such a huge mess..."
"I refuse to ascend the throne!!!"
"We'll talk about it when they get back."
Tian Tian nodded. She hadn't even warmed her seat as the Crown Princess yet, and she didn't want to become the Empress of the country so soon.
Although they were not going to ascend the throne for the time being, the young couple still took on the responsibilities of governing the country and managing the harem very seriously.
The officials and palace maids... reverted to the titles of Crown Prince and Crown Princess.