Do You Know?: Rule the World.

Chapter 189 Minglan gives birth to a son and goes to Zishan Hall

"What are you waiting for? I'm looking forward to playing polo with you. You're the only one in the harem who can rival me."

Zhang Guifen turned to look at Minglan, her brows relaxed. The Zhang family was already preparing for her return home to visit her relatives.

She was just waiting for the auspicious day to arrive so she could return home in style for a few hours of family reunion.

The imperial concubine's visit to her family home was enough to cause a sensation in the capital.

"Sister Zhang, let me rest up first. When the time comes, I will definitely fight you to the end and leave you with nothing."

Minglan narrowed her almond-shaped eyes, with a touch of coquettishness.

Both women were open-minded and cheerful, and disdained the struggle for favor and profit. Not long after Minglan entered the palace, she became close friends with Zhang Guifen, and they treated each other with sincerity.

Unlike Liang Jinyue and Rong Feiyan, who always had smiles on their faces when they were favored, but became listless and lost their appetite once Zhao Han neglected them for a few days.

"That's not necessarily true." Zhang Guifen gestured with her chin. "I can't possibly lose to you every time."

"Who can say for sure?" Minglan smiled slyly, then turned to Yuan Wenying to discuss how to make the water shield and perch soup fresh, smooth, crisp, and refreshing.

Standing to the side, Xiao Taoguang listened to their conversation and her mouth watered.

As dusk settled, Yuan Wenying glanced at the sky outside the window, stood up, and prepared to bid farewell to Hua Lan and the others.

She sighed softly, thinking to herself that when she returned to the manor, Xian'er would surely come with a stack of visiting cards for her to review.

The mistresses of noble families in the capital are all incredibly shrewd; without a bit of brains, you can't possibly decipher the hidden meanings in their words, making them a real handful.

Fortunately, Sister Xian is smart and can help share some of the burden.

Otherwise, she would have no way to manage the entire Zhenguo Duke's Mansion on her own, not to mention that there was also Chang'er by her side who needed to be raised.

Since Xian'er's coming-of-age ceremony, the number of families coming to propose marriage has been countless.

Mrs. Shao knew that her judgment of people was not as good as that of Yuan Wenying and Gu Tingye, so she directly entrusted Xian'er's marriage to them.

Minglan also stood up, and was about to tell Yuan Wenying to be careful on the road when she suddenly felt a warm sensation in her lower body. Looking down, she saw a wet patch on her skirt.
"Your Majesty...this...how..." Xiao Tao opened her eyes wide, her face showing panic, and hurriedly stepped forward to support Minglan.

Yuan Wenying and Hua Lan were both women who had given birth to two children.

Upon seeing this, the two men exchanged a glance, their expressions immediately changing. They knew her water had broken and hurriedly said, "Quickly, prepare a sedan chair and summon the midwife!"

"Hurry up!"

"Caizan, quickly go and report to the Emperor!"

Several palace maids were instantly thrown into a flurry of activity.

Not long after, in the delivery room that had been prepared months in advance, Minglan's eyebrows were slightly furrowed, her eyes filled with worry, and she was already feeling a faint, sharp pain in her lower abdomen.

"Don't be afraid. The imperial physicians have always said that your pregnancy is stable and you will definitely have a smooth delivery this time, giving birth to an imperial heir for the Emperor."

Hua Lan gently comforted Ming Lan, and then took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

Compared to her identity as Empress, she is more like Minglan's older sister who has a slight attachment to being the eldest sister.

Minglan lay on the postpartum diaper and nodded repeatedly.

After several midwives rushed over, Hua Lan, Yan Ran, and the others went to the warm pavilion on the west side to wait for news.

Yuan Wenying didn't care about leaving the palace and returning home at this moment. She planned to see Minglan give birth to the imperial heir before leaving.

On the other side, Cai Zan, panting heavily, informed Zhao Han that Minglan was about to give birth.

Inside the Wenhua Hall, several ministers bowed and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

"This is a blessing for the nation, a joyous occasion for the royal family with a new addition to the family!"

Sheng Changbai lowered his eyelids slightly, feeling a little worried about Minglan.

Since ancient times, childbirth has been a life-or-death ordeal for women. During Hai Chaoyun's two births, he stayed by her side without ever leaving her side.

Zhao Han smiled and gently patted his shoulder, "Your sixth sister is a blessed person, she and her child will definitely be safe and sound."

"Your Majesty is right. May the Empress Dowager be blessed with good fortune," Sheng Changbai replied, bowing.

"I'm going to see Consort Sheng. We'll discuss the rest tomorrow. My beloved ministers, you may all return." With that, Zhao Han strode away.

Sheng Changbai and the others hurriedly cupped their hands and said, "Your Majesty, we respectfully see you off."

Before long, Zhao Han appeared in the warm pavilion. "How is it? How is Minglan now?"

"Your Majesty, please rest assured, Sixth Sister is perfectly fine, but she still needs some time." Hua Lan's tone was calm, and she smiled gently, silently praying that Ming Lan and her child would be safe.

"That's good."

Zhao Han sat upright on the soft couch, quietly waiting for news, still feeling a bit worried.

Listening to the painful groans that occasionally came from inside the delivery room.

Yanran unconsciously clenched her handkerchief, and subconsciously looked down at her lower abdomen, her eyes filled with heartache and a sense of shared fear.

Yuan Wenying stood beside Zhang Guifen, occasionally tiptoeing to look towards the delivery room.

Nearly half an hour later, a clear and loud baby's cry broke the surrounding silence, and a midwife rushed over to announce the good news.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Consort Sheng has given birth to a prince! Mother and child are safe and sound!"

Zhao Han's face lit up with joy. He suddenly stood up and said in a deep voice, "Issue my decree: everyone in Ninghui Palace, including the midwife who delivered the baby today, shall be rewarded with ten taels of silver and two bolts of fine silk."

Upon hearing this, Xiaotao, Danju, and the others bowed and expressed their gratitude, their faces beaming with genuine smiles.

"The Sheng family is known for its integrity and its daughters are well-educated. Consort Sheng is gentle and virtuous, and today she has given birth to an imperial heir for me. Her contribution to the country is immense. I hereby order the Imperial Household Department to send her a generous gift."

"This servant obeys the decree." Qingyun bowed respectfully.

Immediately afterwards, the curtain of the delivery room was gently lifted again, and a midwife carefully carried a bright yellow swaddled baby and walked to Zhao Han with a smile on her face.

"Your Majesty, please take a look at the young prince. His eyebrows and eyes are so beautiful, and his forehead is full. He is clearly a blessed man."

Hua Lan leaned forward for a look, then smiled and said, "Sixth Sister is already exceptionally beautiful, so the prince she gave birth to will naturally be no less so."

"Yes." Zhao Han took the swaddling clothes, pondered for a moment, and named the fifth prince born to Minglan Zhao Rui.

“Rui Ge’er…what a wonderful name,” Hua Lan repeated softly, her eyes full of smiles.

After returning home to the Duke of Wei's mansion, Sheng Changbai told the old lady about Minglan's childbirth.

Inside Shou'an Hall, the old lady was filled with worry and was pacing back and forth anxiously.

Sheng Hong stood to the side and gently comforted her, "The imperial physicians and experienced midwives are all here; they will surely ensure the safety of both mother and child."

"Please sit still and do not worry too much, lest you harm your health."

Wang Ruofu nodded in agreement, subtly rubbing her slightly sore thighs. "Yes, yes, Mother, please sit down and rest. Everything in the palace is the best."

Since the old lady wouldn't sit down, she and Sheng Hong naturally couldn't sit either, and could only stay there to keep her company.

The old lady snorted softly, seemingly ignoring their words, her anxiety growing.

Hua Lan has already given birth to two princes. Chang Bai is steadily advancing in the Ministry of Personnel, with a bright future ahead. The Sheng family's future is secure, and their lineage will be glorious. She knows that neither Sheng Hong nor Wang Ruofu will care too much about Ming Lan's affairs.

As night fell, Fang Mama led several eunuchs carrying various gifts in a hurry.

The head eunuch entered with a beaming smile and said, "Congratulations to the old lady, the Duke, and his wife!"

"Consort Zhaorong gave birth to a healthy baby prince, whom the Emperor personally named Rui."

Upon hearing this, the old lady immediately stopped and let out a long sigh.

Sheng Hong blinked, a smile quickly spreading across his face. For the Sheng family, having another prince would naturally be the icing on the cake.

As for Wang Ruofu, although he also had a smile on his face, upon closer inspection, it didn't seem very genuine.

-

In the eighth year of the Hongwu reign, during the height of spring, the reduction of redundant troops was successfully completed.

In the capital, the Earl of Yongchang passed away, and Liang Hui, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, inherited the title. He has now resigned from his post and returned home to observe mourning.

The Liang family is relatively peaceful, and there haven't been any rumors circulating, but things might change once the mourning period ends.

Marquis Yongyi of Jinling, Xu Ji, is seriously ill, and Xu Pingyuan traveled south three days ago to attend to him.

Today, inside the Chuigong Hall, civil and military officials, holding their official tablets, stood on both sides, creating a slightly somber atmosphere.

Gu Tingye, dressed in a purple court robe, stood upright and stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty, we have eliminated the 300,000 soldiers whose origins and whereabouts are unknown."

"The actual number of personnel in the Imperial Guards and Garrison of the Great Zhou Dynasty is 900,000."

"This time, another 300,000 old and weak soldiers were dismissed, of which 100,000 were assigned to the River Works Battalion and the Land Reclamation Bureau, specializing in water conservancy and land reclamation to strengthen the foundation of the country."

Of the remaining 600,000 soldiers, 400,000 are imperial guards and 200,000 are local garrison troops.

Above the throne, Zhao Han nodded slightly. He was naturally at ease knowing that Gu Tingye was personally overseeing the matter, and the data was within his expectations.

Although it is said that the quality of an army is more important than its quantity, 600,000 soldiers are not enough to guard various places.

"By imperial decree, the Ministry of War shall take the lead, with the cooperation of all prefectures and counties, to recruit another 100,000 strong men to serve in the Imperial Guard. They must be selected from among the strong and healthy and from respectable backgrounds."

"Recruit another 100,000 troops to reinforce local defenses."

Upon hearing this, several officials from the Ministry of War immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, we obey your command."

Through the joint efforts of the Court of Judicial Review, the Censorate, and the Imperial City Guard, a thorough investigation was conducted over several months.

More than 800 military officers of all ranks across the country were dismissed or demoted for falsely reporting troop numbers, including some who had previously followed the Gu and Zhang families.

Among them, Wu Dechang was demoted from a third-rank pacification commissioner to a sixth-rank local military officer, and Qin Feng, the second son of the Marquis of Dongchang, was stripped of his position as commander.

Marquis of Fu'an, Marquis of Zhongshan, and Earl of Xuanmen, three noble titles conferred by the late emperor, were stripped of their titles and exiled, with their property confiscated, because they profited excessively from falsely reporting troop numbers.

In addition, the number of officials dismissed due to the performance evaluation system has increased from dozens at the beginning to nearly a thousand, and the number of redundant officials in the Great Zhou Dynasty is gradually decreasing.

After listening to the reports from several ministers as usual, it was already past Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

After Zhao Han announced his resignation from court, he and Gu Tingye went together to Zishan Hall, where the princes received their first education.

Founded by Emperor Zhenzong in the eighth year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era, the Dazhong Xiangfu era established official positions such as Yishan, Zandu, and Zhijiang, and those appointed were all learned scholars and important officials of the imperial academy.

They were responsible for teaching the princes classics, history, and various books. Quan Ge'er and Chang Ge'er, who served as his companions, lived in Zishan Hall.

As expected, Gu Tingye's reputation plummeted after he was in charge of checking military records and reducing redundant soldiers, and all the blame was directed at him.

Wang Anshi and several other imperial envoys were largely unaffected.

"Zhong Huai deserves a lot of credit for making this matter go smoothly," Zhao Han said with a smile, turning to look at him.

Gu Tingye waved his hand repeatedly.

"What merit? I was just doing my duty. If it weren't for Your Majesty's support and trust, I wouldn't be where I am today!"

"I am deeply grateful that this rascal Changge can accompany me in the palace and study alongside the prince."

Gu Shuchang's personality is somewhat similar to Gu Tingye's; he is mischievous, lively, energetic, and also a bit clever.

They may seem carefree on ordinary days, but when it comes to studying and practicing calligraphy, they can calm down and behave obediently.

“Zhonghuai, there’s no need to be modest. I know your abilities and contributions very well.”

"Recent reports from the border mention that the Jurchen people of Liao are somewhat restless, and Yelü Hongji is planning to send troops to quell them."

To effectively rule the Jurchen people and prevent them from becoming too powerful, the Liao Dynasty consistently adopted a divide-and-rule strategy.

Some powerful ethnic groups were relocated to the Liaodong Peninsula, incorporated into the Liao state's household register, and given official titles as their leaders, known as the Hesuguan Jurchen, or the Shu Jurchen.

Another group lived north of the Sumo River, were not registered in the Liao Dynasty, maintained their original tribal organization, and had great autonomy; they were called the Raw Jurchens.

Although not directly controlled by the Liao Kingdom, they were required to pay tribute regularly. In particular, the Haidong Eagle, with its extremely fast flight and strong combat capabilities, had always been a favorite of the Liao nobles.

Every year, they would demand large quantities of these hunting falcons from the Jurchen people, who would then risk their lives to capture them on cliffs, where a single misstep could result in their death.

In the eyes of the Liao people, the Jurchens were uncivilized barbarians who not only wantonly plundered the people's wealth.

The envoys sent to the Jurchen tribes every year to collect tribute were arrogant and extorted money at will.

They were even required to offer beautiful women as "pillows" (a euphemism for sexual partners), initially only requiring unmarried virgins.
Now it has gradually evolved into a situation where, regardless of social status, marital status, or whether one has children, anyone who is targeted by the messenger is forcibly abducted, with no regard for the life or death of their family.

The various tribes of the Jurchen people had long harbored deep resentment towards this, and their anger was palpable.

However, whenever they showed any signs of resistance, the Liao Dynasty would send skilled Jurchens and elite cavalry to suppress them.

Gu Tingye raised his hand and stroked his chin, saying in a deep voice, "I'm afraid that with Sheng Nuzhen's current strength, she can't stir up any trouble."

"If the Liao Kingdom can break into chaos first, we might be able to take the opportunity to head north!"

Zhao Han smiled calmly. If he remembered correctly, Wanyan Aguda was only three or four years old, and his father, Wanyan Helibo, had not yet become the leader of the Jurchen tribe alliance.

"I have already sent people to secretly monitor their movements. The Liao Kingdom is getting weaker day by day."

Currently, the number of monks in the Liao Kingdom is close to 300,000, and the trend of cult of Buddhism is spreading, causing widespread resentment among the people.

When Zhao Han and Gu Tingye arrived at Zishan Hall, they saw Changge'er and the third prince Zhangge'er bent over by the pond, each holding a wooden stick that they had broken off from somewhere.

He was fiddling with the goldfish in the pond, shooing them away in all directions.

"Cough cough..." Seeing how unruly Changge was, Gu Tingye couldn't help but cough twice, his tone tinged with helplessness.

Changge'er immediately stopped smiling, quickly tugged at Zhangge'er's sleeve, and the two little guys turned around nimbly and bowed respectfully.

"Meet the official."

"My son, I pay my respects to my father."

Gu Tingye raised his finger with a serious expression and pointed at Changge'er, which frightened him so much that he hid behind Zhangge'er.

(End of this chapter)