The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 214 New Year's Day has passed, and a great battle is imminent!
"Come on, let me help you walk around."

Li Yi carefully helped his wife to her feet; the weight of her belly made Fu Erniang's steps slightly unsteady. He steadily supported his wife's arm with one hand and gently protected her from behind with the other, as the two stepped out of the inner hall.

They strolled slowly along the covered walkway. The ice in the courtyard had long since melted away, and the warm sunlight shone on them, dispelling the chill of late winter.

Fu Erniang's face was radiant as she walked and whispered to Li Yi about household matters.

“A few days ago, when Eunuch Qu brought the Imperial Physician to our residence, he mentioned that since my elder sister returned from Jiangnan last month, her health has not been very good. She often sweats at night, and it is feared that the acute illness she suffered from has left her with a lingering condition.”

As she spoke, Fu Erniang mentioned her elder sister, Empress Fu, and her expression turned worried.

"If it weren't for my heavy body making it inconvenient for me to travel, I would really like to find some time to go to the palace to see my elder sister. Our mother passed away early, and my elder sister is like a mother to me. As her younger sister, I am so close yet unable to visit her..."

Li Yi's gaze fell on his wife's slightly worried face, and he gently comforted her, "Her Majesty the Empress is of noble birth, and the palace has the best physicians in the world. They are by her side, carefully examining and treating her. I believe there will be no major problems."

He gently stroked the back of Fu Erniang's hand, as if conveying a silent strength, "On the contrary, you are now six months pregnant, which is a critical moment. Too much worry will exhaust your mind and body, and it is not good for the child in your womb."

Upon hearing this, Fu Erniang's expression softened slightly.

Li Yi then said, "Tomorrow, write a letter to the Empress to pay your respects, and I will deliver it to the palace for you. Tell her that although you are too ill to visit her in the palace, you are concerned about her health and hope that she can take care of herself. It will be enough for the Empress to know that you have this intention."

"Yes!" Fu Erniang nodded, her brows finally relaxing, and said softly, "My husband is very thoughtful, that's for the best."

As they spoke, the two walked hand in hand around a covered walkway.

Just then, a gentle breeze blew by, and a few strands of fine hair from Fu Erniang's forehead were blown down and obediently stuck to her smooth cheeks.

She raised her hand to lift it, but accidentally loosened the hairpin, causing a few strands of her long black hair to fall like flowing clouds, making her look even more languid.

Seeing this, Li Yi stopped and said gently, "I'll do it."

He stood naturally beside his wife and gently tucked her wind-blown hair behind her ear. Then he reached out and pulled out the loose hairpin.

"Hmm?" Fu Erniang, not understanding what was going on, tilted her head slightly and saw her husband holding a hairpin, focusing and gently combing her fallen hair.

Li Yi's movements weren't particularly agile; in fact, they were somewhat clumsy and flustered.

But he held the hairpin in his broad, calloused hands as if it were a rare treasure, combing it with utmost care and attention, as if afraid of hurting his wife in the slightest.

As her fingertips brushed against Fu Erniang's earlobe, the warm and rough touch made her heart skip a beat and a faint blush rise to her cheeks.

Although they were already husband and wife, upon closer reflection, they had been married for less than a year. As the saying goes, newlyweds are in the honeymoon phase, a time when their relationship should be getting to know each other and growing stronger.

But deep in Fu Erniang's heart, there was often an indescribable feeling: it seemed that the two of them had known each other for many years and were naturally and seamlessly connected.

Is it possible that in this world, there truly is a predestined marriage from past lives to this one?

"Okay!" Li Yi clumsily tied his wife's long hair into a simple bun, and it took him two tries to finally secure it with a hairpin.

It was far less refined than Guo Shiwan's; it was crooked and uneven, and even her sideburns were not completely covered, with a few strands still hanging down beside her neck.

But Fu Erniang didn't care at all. When she looked up at him, she saw that his eyebrows were relaxed, his lowered eyelashes cast a light shadow in the sunlight, and his expression was full of focus and gentleness.

This moment of tenderness was worth more than a thousand words. A faint smile appeared in Fu Erniang's eyes as she reached out and straightened his slightly disheveled collar.

Not far away, the maids under the eaves saw this scene and tacitly slowed their pace, lowered their heads and stood with their eyes downcast, not daring to disturb the rare and warm moment between the two.

The couple found a sheltered spot and sat down to talk quietly. Fu Erniang nestled in Li Yi's arms, her fingers gently stroking her pregnant belly, her smile tender and affectionate.

However, as she spoke, Fu Erniang suddenly raised her head, her gaze falling on Li Yi's sharply defined profile. Her lips twitched slightly, as if she hesitated.

Li Yi noticed his wife's subtle movement, lowered his head, and looked back at her gently: "What's wrong?"

Fu Erniang bit her lower lip lightly, showing a rare hesitation: "There are some things I shouldn't say, but..."

She paused, as if considering her words, and lowered her voice slightly, "The palace specially sent a royal physician to our home. I think it's not just my sister's idea. I've known my sister's character best since childhood. She's a very sensible person. Even if she cares about me, her younger sister, she wouldn't easily do anything out of line."

After a moment's thought, Li Yi understood the meaning of those words. He pondered for a moment and said, "Jin must be saying that this matter must have been approved by the Emperor?"

Fu Erniang nodded and sighed softly, "That is exactly what I meant... If it was my elder sister who asked the Emperor for permission, I suppose it wasn't entirely because of our marriage ties, but more likely because of his favor towards my husband."

Li Yi chuckled lightly, dismissing the matter, and said, "The Emperor trusts me, isn't that a good thing? What is there for Jin Ding to worry about?"

Fu Erniang said, "It is certainly a good thing that the Emperor treats my husband so well, and it is something that my husband has earned through his own abilities. Although I am not very clever, I know the principle that 'having received his kindness, one should bear the weight of his responsibility.'"

"According to the old women who are out of town, many new warships have been built at the Bianhe Wharf, and they have been towed south in recent days. On the main road from Kaifeng to the south, the convoys transporting grain and fodder are also running day and night... The whole town is talking about how the Emperor will soon personally lead another expedition to Jiangnan."

She bit her lip lightly, a hint of sadness appearing on her face, and whispered, "If that's really the case, then my husband... I'm afraid you'll also have to go to war with me, won't you?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yi suddenly realized that this was what Fu Erniang was worried about; she was afraid that the emperor would send her to the battlefield. In fact, the court had indeed been making significant moves recently, not only transporting newly built warships southwards one by one, but also continuously sending logistical supplies there.

In addition, counties and prefectures within the Later Zhou territory that were close to the Huai River also began to mobilize local troops and conscript laborers on a large scale in preparation for the second southern expedition soon.

Although the exact date has not yet been determined, it will be no later than next month, around mid-to-late February, after the start of spring.

All told, it would only be a little over a month, which was close to the time when Fu Erniang was due to give birth.

To allow his wife to focus on her pregnancy, Li Yi never mentioned military or political matters when he returned home, but she still overheard some rumors.

However, the preparations for the great battle were quite extensive, and the news would likely reach not only the people near Kaifeng, but also the Southern Tang, thousands of miles away.

Although Fu Erniang lived in the inner quarters, she was not deaf or blind, so she couldn't hide it from everyone.

"Don't overthink it." Li Yi gently placed his broad palm on the back of Fu Erniang's hand.

He gently comforted them, saying, "The southern expedition is no small matter and cannot be accomplished in just ten days. It will take at least one or two months for the army to set out."

"Besides, His Majesty has always been considerate of his subjects. When he first launched the campaign against Huainan last year, didn't he take into account your pregnancy and specially order me to stay in Tokyo to accompany you? Even if I am to accompany you on this campaign, it will only be after you have safely given birth and are in good health. You can rest assured."

“But…” Fu Erniang’s red lips parted slightly, the words swirling around her lips before turning into a silent sigh.

What she really cared about wasn't whether her husband could accompany her during her pregnancy, but rather that she didn't want him to risk his life on the battlefield.

Especially now, with their child growing inside her, this bond feels even stronger.

Fu Erniang did not want to go through the same torment as last year again—every time news of the western expedition to Shu arrived, whether good or bad, it was like a stone thrown into water, stirring up waves in her heart.

Given her husband's ability to sweep through the Shu army, coupled with the extraordinary favor bestowed by her brother-in-law, the emperor, she is very likely to be given a key position as the vanguard in this southern expedition, or even be entrusted with the important task of leading a large army on her own.

However, Jiangnan is not comparable to Shu. It is vast, powerful, and has hundreds of thousands of armored soldiers. It is not so easy to defeat.
Otherwise, the first southern expedition would not have ended in failure.

In the end, Fu Erniang didn't say much, but simply gently squeezed her husband's hand back.

She understood in her heart that as a servant of the emperor, she had to be loyal to him... Her brother-in-law, the emperor, had treated her well, and she was ultimately expected to share the emperor's burdens. There was no other choice.

Besides, she knew her husband's temperament. He would never easily give up an opportunity to make a name for himself.

Since she couldn't stop it all, all she could do was silently support him so that her husband wouldn't be distracted by family matters.

……

After lunch, the sun outside the window was warm.

Li Yi sat with Fu Erniang on the soft couch covered with thick brocade cushions for a while longer. Fu Erniang closed her eyes slightly, and drowsiness quickly overcame her.

After settling Fu Erniang down to sleep, Li Yi left the inner courtyard.

As soon as he stepped into the front yard, Xu Sheng, the personal guard, who had been waiting for a long time, saw Li Yi's figure turn out from the porch and immediately stepped forward to greet him, clasping his hands in salute: "Marshal!"

He then reported on the Li family's caravan—Zhao Pu had sent a messenger to deliver the message that the caravan was being escorted to Tokyo and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, would arrive by the end of the month at the latest.

Li Yi nodded to indicate that he understood, but did not say anything more.

In those days, communication methods were scarce, and everything relied on post stations. Chengdu was a thousand or two miles away from Kaifeng.

The Li family caravan traveled from Xingyuan Prefecture in Hanzhong, along the Han River to Junzhou, and then north to Kaifeng.

Li Yi estimated the travel time and sent Zhao Pu and a few others to Junzhou to meet them in advance. It seems that they arrived at the right time, with less than a day's difference between the arrival and departure.

Immediately, Li Yi turned his gaze to Xu Sheng and instructed, "Bring the prepared gifts, and select two more people to accompany us. We're going to the Zhao family now."

"Yes, sir!" Xu Sheng readily accepted the order and turned to leave quickly. Before long, three Tangut soldiers stood in the courtyard: Yeli Dalai, Mi Qinbo, and Ximu Wutai, each carrying a gift box.

These three Tangut men, ever since being recruited by Li Yi, have stayed by his side at all times, showing great loyalty and devotion.

Therefore, whenever Li Yi went out, he would always take the three of them with him.

"Let's go."

Li Yi said no more and stepped out first.

Since the Zhao residence was not far from their own home, separated by only a few streets and alleys, the group of several people abandoned their horses and carriages and proceeded on foot.

(End of this chapter)