The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 163 Aunt is also a mother

On the very day the court announced the selection of those to remain in the capital, Fu Erniang was also summoned to the palace by Empress Fu.

As dawn broke and the thin mist lingered, Fu Erniang's carriage arrived outside the Gongchen Gate of the Imperial City.

The eunuch Qu Tai had been waiting for a long time. The imperial guards at the gate, having received the Empress's decree, immediately opened the side gate, allowing the carriage to drive directly into the palace.

The wheels rolled over the bluestone imperial road, making a dull sound that startled several birds perched on the palace walls.

"Madam, we've arrived." The carriage curtain was gently lifted, and Fu Erniang, supported by the female official, stepped out of the carriage, only to see a vermilion-lacquered and gold-painted imperial carriage already waiting to the side.

Qu Tai bowed respectfully and said, "Her Majesty has instructed that since the Lady of the County is ill, she need not walk, but can enter directly by carriage."

Fu Erniang was slightly taken aback, then a warm feeling welled up in her heart. Her sister had always doted on her, and now that she was pregnant, she was even more considerate in every way.

She gently stroked her slightly protruding belly and, with the help of a lady-in-waiting, sat in the imperial palanquin. The palanquin was lifted smoothly, passing through numerous palace gates and heading towards the inner palace along the winding corridor.

When the palace servants along the way saw such an honor of being brought into the palace by imperial carriage, they knew that the person who came must be of noble status, and they all lowered their heads and gave way.

Through the light gauze curtain of the sedan chair, Fu Erniang looked at the red walls and golden tiles on both sides, which were glowing softly in the morning sun, and felt a sense of unreality.

The imperial carriage finally stopped outside the pavilion in the back garden. From afar, the clear laughter of children could be heard.

As soon as Fu Erniang stepped off the imperial carriage, she saw several palace maids leading a child who looked about three or four years old, chasing and playing.

The little guy, wearing an apricot-yellow jacket, stumbled and ran across the dew-covered grass, occasionally letting out a silvery laugh.

Empress Fu leaned against the pavilion railing, dressed in plain white clothes, with only a white jade phoenix hairpin in her hair, smiling as she watched the children playing.

"Second sister is here, come and sit down." Upon seeing Fu Erniang, Fu Shi smiled and beckoned her sister to come closer.

The tone was intimate and natural, not like someone summoning a court lady, but like someone calling out to their own younger sister.

"This humble servant greets Your Majesty the Empress." As Fu Erniang entered the pavilion, she was about to curtsy. Although they were sisters by blood, their social status differed, and with many people around, proper etiquette was naturally essential.

Unexpectedly, Madam Fu stood up and helped her up, saying softly, "Why bother with these formalities? In front of outsiders I am the Empress, but in front of you I am just your elder sister. Today, I summoned my second sister to the palace just so that we sisters could have a chat. There's no need to be so formal."

Upon hearing this, Fu Erniang's face showed a hint of emotion. She grasped Fu Shi's hand in return and said softly, "Sister is right."

Madam Fu smiled and pulled her younger sister to sit down. She carefully examined Fu Erniang's complexion and asked with concern, "How are you feeling these past few days with morning sickness?"

"Thank you for your concern, elder sister." Fu Erniang gently stroked her slightly protruding belly with her delicate hand, a gentle smile unconsciously appearing on her lips.

"It's been much better these past few days, but the child is still very restless and can't sleep well at night."

“Just like when I was pregnant with my son…” Madam Fu reached out and stroked her sister’s lower abdomen. Suddenly, she felt a slight fetal movement at her fingertips, which made her smile. “This child must be a naughty boy. He knows how to make trouble for his mother even before he is born.”

Upon hearing this, Fu Erniang smiled sweetly and unconsciously protected her abdomen with her hands: "I only hope that my child can be like his father and become a great man who stands tall and upright in the future."

Morning light filtered through the light gauze curtains at the corner of the pavilion, casting dappled shadows on her beautiful face.

The soft halo seemed to gild her with a faint golden edge, even the few strands of hair that fell by her temples shimmered with a lustrous sheen. It made her whole being shrouded in a hazy maternal glow.

Looking at her younger sister like this, a hint of dazedness flashed in Fu's eyes. She seemed to see herself when she first became a mother—with the same shyness and anticipation.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Madam Fu couldn't help but say, "I still remember when you were little, you always followed me around calling 'Big Sister, Big Sister.' When I was about to marry and move to Yanzhou, you cried and begged me not to go... I never imagined that in the blink of an eye, my second sister would be about to become a mother..."

Upon hearing this, Fu Erniang tightened her grip on her sister's hand, feeling the warmth emanating from her palm. The two sisters smiled at each other, as if the warm memories of the past were right before their eyes.

"Oh dear, I was so busy chatting with my second sister..." Madam Fu turned to the female official outside the pavilion and ordered, "Go and bring me the lotus seed soup that I made."

Before long, the female official came over carrying a celadon lotus cup, which contained a crystal-clear soup with plump, freshly peeled lotus seeds inside.

“This was your favorite food when you were little.” Madam Fu took the porcelain bowl and handed it to her younger sister. “I remember you liked sweets back then, so I would always add extra sugar when I made it. I’m making it the same way as before today. I don’t know if it will suit your taste now?”

Fu Erniang took the porcelain bowl, feeling the warmth on her fingertips, and a surge of warmth welled up in her heart. She scooped a spoonful and put it in her mouth; the lotus seeds were soft and glutinous, and the soup was sweet and refreshing—just the taste she remembered.

In no time, she finished the whole bowl of lotus seed soup.

Fu took a handkerchief and wiped her sister's mouth.

After a while, she suddenly sighed softly: "This time I am going to war with the Emperor, and I don't know when I will be able to return. Xun'er is only three years old and has never left my side. I am most worried about him now that I am leaving... If you have any free time, Second Sister, you might as well go to the palace to take care of him for me."

“Sister…” Fu Erniang paused, put down the porcelain bowl in her hand, and hesitated to speak.

She didn't quite understand her elder sister's thinking. War was clearly a man's business, so why did the women in the harem have to get involved?
Noticing her sister's hesitation, Madam Fu gently patted her hand: "What can't we sisters say to each other?"

Fu Erniang bit her lip and finally couldn't help but ask, "Why does elder sister insist on going on the expedition with the emperor? I heard that the weather in Huainan is damp and cold in winter, with a chill that penetrates to the bone. Elder sister is delicate, why should she suffer with you... Besides, Xun'er is young and needs his mother by his side."

Upon hearing this, a complex expression flashed in Madam Fu's eyes. She gazed at the distant palace walls, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "Second Sister, do you still remember the Emperor's personal expedition last year?"

Fu Erniang naturally knew about that battle; her husband had become famous in the Battle of Gaoping and then defeated the Liao army in the Battle of Xinkou.

As a wife, Fu Erniang had already learned about the details of the war from her husband.

She just didn't understand how this matter had anything to do with her older sister's insistence on going on the expedition with the emperor.

Seeing Fu Erniang nod slightly, Fu sighed softly and said, "Since the Liang Dynasty, once the founding emperor has passed away, the successor has faced a difficult situation. That is why, when the northern border invaded last year, the Emperor overruled all objections and decided to personally lead the expedition."

"It is said that at the most dangerous moment, the army was almost defeated. The emperor personally supervised the battle from the front lines, braving arrows and stones. Some brave officers and soldiers fought hard, which turned the danger into safety."

"Looking back now, it still makes me shudder. If we had won, we would have cleared away both internal and external troubles, but if we had lost... the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Fu had kept these words to herself for a long time, never even to her husband. It was only after seeing her sister today that she finally felt compelled to speak them.

As she said, since the chaos of the Five Dynasties, it has been very difficult to be a second emperor... If Chai Rong had unfortunately not won the Battle of Gaoping, who knows what might have happened in Tokyo.

Fu was once married to Li Shouzhen's son, but not long after, her entire family was wiped out.

She still remembers the tragic scene when the Li family mansion was besieged—amidst the cries of swords and the blood of the women in the mansion, blood stained the stone steps in front of the courtyard.

If it weren't for her father Fu Yanqing's reputation, she probably wouldn't have escaped this fate either. Not to mention that Emperor Taizu Guo Wei treated her with respect and even arranged her marriage to his adopted son, Chai Rong. If something had happened to the emperor during his campaign last year, would she have had to rely on luck to survive amidst the chaos of war again?

But luck isn't always on her side... Besides, she now has a young child to worry about, which only intensifies her anxiety.

Seeing the expression on her sister's face, Fu Erniang said thoughtfully, "A few months ago, my husband was ordered to go to war. I had the same thoughts as you, sister. I was restless every day, afraid of hearing bad news... You were worried about the safety of the emperor, so you insisted on going to war with him?"

Madam Fu nodded slightly and said, "His Majesty is of a strong and unyielding nature, and often makes decisions unilaterally, making it difficult for the officials to persuade him. But His Majesty listens to me the most."

“In this campaign against Jiangnan, I fear that Your Majesty will once again risk your life by personally braving arrows and stones at a crucial moment. But if I were by your side, I could dissuade you.”

What she said was true. Although they were a second marriage, their relationship was deep. Chai Rong respected Fu Shi greatly and listened to her advice.

The calamity they experienced back then gave Fu a more profound and unforgettable understanding of the cruelty of power struggles in chaotic times.

Therefore, Lady Fu was well aware of the bloodshed that would ensue if the emperor were to suffer any mishap at the front lines.

She no longer wanted to passively accept the arrangements of fate, but wanted to do her best to avoid bad things from happening, which prompted her to persuade the emperor to take her with him on the expedition.

Fu Erniang whispered, "I am not as clever as you, sister, and I don't think things through as deeply... But don't worry, sister, after you leave Tokyo, I will often come to the palace to visit Xun Ge'er."

Madam Fu patted her sister's hand: "Your health isn't very good right now, so the most important thing is to rest and prepare for childbirth. You don't need to come too often; just come to the palace occasionally to chat with Brother Xun."

"Mother, hug me!" Just as the two were talking, the child in the apricot-yellow jacket skipped over and buried his head in Madam Fu's arms.

Madam Fu quickly and gently embraced her son, saying softly, "Xun-ge'er, be careful, don't bump into your aunt."

Chai Zongxun tilted his little face up, his big, dark eyes curiously observing Fu Erniang, and asked in a childish voice, "What's an aunt?"

She stroked her son's rosy cheeks and explained gently, "Auntie is your mother's sister. Hurry up and call her Auntie, boy."

Chai Zongxun was quite obedient and immediately called out in his childish voice, "Auntie."

"Brother Xun is such a good boy!" Fu Erniang replied with a smile, reaching out to gently pat her little nephew's head.

"Mother, I want to go play." Chai Zongxun couldn't stay quiet for long before he couldn't stand it anymore and twisted his little body to break free from his mother's arms.

Fu reluctantly released her embrace: "Go on, but run slowly, don't fall." Before she finished speaking, the little guy had already skipped away, and several palace servants quickly followed to protect him.

“This child…” Fu Erniang gazed at her nephew’s retreating figure, her eyes filled with tender smiles. Just then, her sister’s voice rang in her ears.

"For this expedition, the Emperor will leave his brother-in-law in Tokyo, concurrently holding the positions of Deputy Inspector of the Interior and Exterior, and temporarily in charge of all affairs of the Palace Guard."

Fu Erniang's expression froze for a moment. Then she turned to look at her sister, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, her eyes seeming to hold a thousand thoughts churning within them.

She recalled that during their last meeting, her sister had promised her that she wouldn't let her husband leave Tokyo for the time being. Now, judging from the meaning behind her sister's words, it seemed that her sister had kept her promise.

This thoughtful care warmed her heart. Only a few months into their marriage, Fu Erniang became pregnant again, and naturally hoped her husband would be with her during her pregnancy.

However… thinking of her husband, Fu Erniang hesitated again. Although she had been married for less than half a year, she had already figured out Li Yi's personality through their daily interactions.

That man, born into poverty but possessing exceptional talent, harbored lofty ambitions to achieve great deeds. Several months earlier, during the campaign to conquer Shu, he even made a pledge to the emperor in order to secure the opportunity to lead troops into battle.

The Emperor's personal expedition to Jiangnan was a grand undertaking. Fu Erniang also learned from Li Yi that this was an extremely important battle, involving the court's core strategies.

She couldn't bear to let her husband miss this opportunity to go to war because of her influence.

“I know my elder sister loves me…” Fu Erniang said softly, “but my husband would definitely prefer to go to war with the emperor.”

Madam Fu smiled and shook her head, knowing that her younger sister had not understood her meaning. She said earnestly, "In this world, there are many brave and skilled generals, but only a handful are qualified to be entrusted by the emperor with the important task of guarding the capital and to oversee the imperial guards."

"My persuasion was only part of the reason why my brother-in-law was able to stay in Tokyo; the main reason was the Emperor's will. Making meritorious achievements doesn't necessarily mean going to the battlefield. Last year, my brother-in-law was ordered to reorganize the Imperial Guards, which was also a great achievement."

"Moreover, my brother-in-law's military prowess is evident to all, both inside and outside the court... The world has been divided and fragmented for decades, and Your Majesty has a grand ambition to unify the various countries and achieve unparalleled feats. In the future, there will be many places where Your Majesty will have to rely on your brother-in-law."

At this point, Madam Fu reached out and covered her sister's hand, then suddenly lowered her voice, "Besides, you and I are sisters, and Xun'er is your nephew... He is still young, and the situation is unpredictable. Besides relying on his maternal relatives, who else can he depend on?"

"Second sister, go back and tell your husband to focus on staying with you during your pregnancy, and just take care of your duties in Tokyo..."

These words were spoken very frankly, but they were Fu's true feelings.

Her current noble status is all thanks to her emperor husband, so naturally she doesn't want anything to happen to him.

But the massacre of her ex-husband's entire family still haunts Fu. She knows that no one can predict the future, and even if she doesn't consider her own well-being, she needs to pave the way for her son in advance.

Currently, three members of the imperial family are stationed within the Zhou Kingdom's imperial guards. Among them, Li Chongjin is the nephew of Emperor Taizu Guo Wei, and Zhang Yongde is Guo Wei's son-in-law.

On the level of patriarchal blood ties, Li and Zhang were much closer to the Guo family of the imperial family than Li Yi, who was merely the empress's brother-in-law.

But Madam Fu had other considerations... The Fu family was her maternal family, Fu Erniang was her younger sister, and Li Yi was her brother-in-law, as well as the uncle of Prince Chai Zongxun.

Compared to Li Chongjin and Zhang Yongde from the lineage of Emperor Taizu, the Fu family and Li Yi are clearly more worthy of the Fu clan's trust.

However, no matter how powerful the Fu family was, they were ultimately far from the central court, and under the trend of "strengthening the trunk and weakening the branches," local warlords could no longer resist the imperial guards.

In the event of any unforeseen circumstances in the future, Li Yi, who commands the Imperial Guards, would be an indispensable and tremendous asset to the Fu clan.

“An aunt is also a mother…” Madam Fu gently patted her sister’s hand. “This blood relationship is stronger than anything else.”

Fu Erniang's heart skipped a beat. She naturally understood the meaning behind her sister's sincere words.

Moreover, according to her sister, her aunt was also a mother, so her uncle... she didn't think any further.

But Fu Erniang understood that her sister's summons before her departure was probably not primarily about entrusting Xun Ge'er with care, but rather about these other words.

"Don't worry, sister." Fu Erniang held her sister's hand, her voice soft but firm. "My husband is a very loyal and affectionate man. If the time you mentioned really comes, he will definitely not let down the Emperor and you."

(End of this chapter)