Do You Know?: Rule the World.

Chapter 196 Wang Ruofu feels stifled, Gu Tingye heads north

When Minglan noticed Princess Pingning's gaze, she straightened her back, her lips curving upwards with a perfectly gentle smile.

"I heard that Your Highness has recently welcomed another child into your family. I have not had the chance to offer my congratulations until today. It is a good opportunity to congratulate you on the joyous occasion of the addition of a new member to your family."

Shen Hezhen recently gave birth to Qi's third son, named Qi Runzhang.

The baby's third-day celebration and the full-moon celebration were held with great pomp and circumstance, and all the prominent families in the city came to offer their congratulations.

The Qi family has been small since the time of the Duke of Qi. Furthermore, because Princess Pingning was strong-willed and insisted on not allowing the Duke of Qi to take concubines, Qi Heng was the only son in this generation.

She had hoped to give birth to another brother or sister for Qi Heng back then.

The more offspring a family has, the greater the probability of producing outstanding descendants. Even if all of them are mediocre, the family can still consolidate its power by marrying off daughters or wives.

After several years of trying, she still hadn't conceived, so she had no choice but to give up and focus on raising Qi Heng.

Now that her daughter-in-law has given birth to two sons and a daughter in succession, and her concubine is about to give birth, she can't wait to let everyone know that the Qi family is starting to prosper.

"Your Highness is so kind. Heng'er and his wife are truly blessed, they are truly blessed by Heaven," Princess Pingning said softly, her attitude quite respectful and gentle.

Facing the current Imperial Consort Chen, and with the Prince of Chu by her side, she could not afford to offend her.

Zhao Han picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and said softly, "The Empress Dowager has been saying lately that she feels weak and her mood is not very cheerful."

"If Princess Pingning has time, she should come to the palace more often to talk to her and relieve her boredom."

"Your Majesty, please rest assured, the Empress is simply getting older and her energy is certainly not what it used to be. From now on, I will visit her in the palace regularly," Princess Pingning replied respectfully.

Zhao Han nodded with satisfaction. Empress Dowager Cao was now fifty-eight years old. Since the beginning of winter, she had frequently summoned the imperial physicians for consultations and had been taking medicine every day.

Gao Taotao visited her quite a few times.

After several rounds of drinks, Zhao Han got up and left his seat, and the atmosphere in the hall became much more relaxed.

Rulan put down her chopsticks, continued to crane her neck to look at Madam Wei, squinted her eyes, and shook her head, saying, "Tell me, if my fourth sister could enter the palace, she could see how noble and dignified my sixth sister is now."

"I bet she'll be so angry she'll grind her back teeth to powder."

“What Madam Sheng said is true. When Her Majesty was made a concubine, the Earl’s Mansion had not yet been divided. I heard that Liu Lang’s wife was so angry that she broke several teacups in the room.”

"The maids around her were so frightened that they didn't dare to breathe, for fear of incurring bad luck."

"We're sisters from the same family, how come there's such a big difference in how we treat each other?" Madam Wei had long known from Rulan's words that they had never gotten along at home.

Rulan often inquired about Molan's whereabouts, and she only needed to mention Rulan in front of Molan.

Mo Lan had a long face, as if she wanted to devour someone.

For the sake of her husband's future, she naturally had to try every means to please Rulan.

“That’s right. It’s a pity that you’ve all started your own businesses. It won’t be easy for you to chat with me about everyday things anymore.” Rulan shook her head, feeling a little regretful.

Madam Wei snorted lightly, "What's the big deal? It's just a wall, after all. What is going on in the Liang family that I don't know about?"

"Don't forget that Chun, the young lady in Liu Lang's backyard, is a distant relative of my maternal family, and Qiu and I are also very close."

Liang Hui was worried that his eagerness to separate his family would make him look unfilial, which would affect his future and reputation. Right now, his Yongchang Earl's Mansion and the Liang Mansion were separated by only one wall.

I would still greet Madam Wu morning and night, but everything that needed to be divided had already been clearly defined.

"That's good. If you have time, come to my house for tea more often." Rulan looked at her with a smile.

“Since Madam Sheng has spoken, how could I refuse?” Madam Wei immediately replied.

Seeing this, Wang Ruofu tugged at Rulan's sleeve and whispered, "Why are you still asking about that brat Molan?"

"Asking questions like a gossipy old woman, aren't you ashamed?"

Rulan frowned and retorted, "What's shameful about it? I'm just concerned about my own sisters. Doesn't Mother want to see Molan make a fool of herself?"

"I..." Wang Ruofu was speechless for a moment, and subconsciously glanced around, "I was afraid that you would speak recklessly and make a fool of yourself in front of others."

"Hmph, who dares!"

“My eldest sister and sixth sister are here. Although my husband’s official rank is not high, no matter where I go, people will look up to me.” Rulan shrugged indifferently.

A short while later, she changed the subject and asked, "Now that my second sister-in-law is pregnant, has she sent Hui'er to live with you, Mother?"

Wang Ruofu pursed her lips. It would have been better if she hadn't mentioned it, because the mere thought of it filled her with resentment.

"no!"

"Huh? Why is that?" Rulan was puzzled.

Wang Ruofu took a deep breath, leaned close to her ear, and said through gritted teeth, "Your second brother said that Minglan and Quan Ge'er are both in the palace now."

"I was afraid that the old lady would get sick from being too quiet around, so I sent Hui'er to Shou'an Hall to fulfill her filial duties for them without saying a word. How could I possibly stop her from doing that?"

"You heartless little brat, all you think about is your mother, doesn't he worry about making his own mother feel stifled!"

"Your father is the same, completely disregarding my opinion. I am Hui-jie's blood-related grandmother!"

Sheng Changbai and Hai Chaoyun both agreed that the old lady was better at raising children than Wang Ruofu, and that this was evident even just by looking at Minglan and Rulan, not to mention Hualan.

They genuinely didn't want Hui-jie to grow up to be like Ru-lan—spoiled, willful, outspoken, and reckless.

Naturally, he wouldn't let her be exposed to the influence of the Wei Rui Xuan. On this matter, Sheng Hong has always been on the same side as Sheng Changbai.

"Mother, please calm down. Don't take it to heart with your second brother."

"Otherwise, he might go on and on about filial piety and other such things, which would only annoy my mother even more."

After Rulan finished speaking, she gave a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth.

She never dared to express any opinion on this matter, otherwise Sheng Changbai would definitely come over and criticize her.

Even when facing Hai Chaoyun, she felt somewhat insecure.

"Ugh! I'm so angry!" Wang Ruofu picked up the teacup and angrily drank the tea in one gulp.

As dusk fell, the ladies of the court left the palace together.

In a departure from the daytime hustle and bustle of Ninghui Palace, Minglan stood on a stool and personally hung the portrait of Lady Li guarding Niangzi Pass, embroidered by Yanran, in the most conspicuous place in the bedroom.

"Sister Yanran's hands are truly skillful; this painting is even more lifelike than the one His Majesty sent her in the past."

Xiao Tao stood beside her, nodding repeatedly. Then, she and Dan Ju went to the side hall to help Minglan bathe, preparing to welcome the Emperor. Zhao Han would stay overnight in the palace of any of the empresses or concubines on their birthdays.

In the warm bath, Minglan comfortably closed her eyes, revealing her snow-white neck, while Danju gently wiped her arms.

Xiao Tao would occasionally stuff a grape into her mouth.

"The way Princess Pingning and Her Majesty spoke today made me feel incredibly happy," Danju said softly, her beautiful eyes slightly twitching.

After Zhao Han left, Princess Pingning pulled Minglan aside and talked for quite a while.

“That’s right, she was so affectionate, I almost didn’t recognize her,” Xiao Tao chimed in.

Minglan opened her eyes, a grape still in her mouth, her cheeks slightly puffed out, and slowly said, "If Princess Pingning is willing to be close to us, then we should treat her with courtesy."

"If you're unwilling, then let each other be well. After all, life is for yourself, so there's no need to worry about other people's attitudes."

"Your Majesty is right." Danju nodded in deep agreement.

Xiao Tao popped a grape into her mouth, blinked, and said, "If Your Highness had told me this sooner, I wouldn't have been angry with Magpie and the others."

Back in the Sheng family, Xique, Rulan's maid, and the other maids serving in Linxi Pavilion always spoke openly or secretly about how stupid and inept she was.

This caused Xiao Tao to hide and secretly wipe away her tears more than once.

"You're just so silly." Danju smiled and tapped Xiaotao's head.

"Not bad!" Minglan looked at them and chuckled.

-

On the Liao side, Yelü Hongji officially issued an edict to depose Empress Xiao, and then subjected Xiao Guanyin to extreme torture, and also gave her a white silk ribbon.

In a fit of rage, even after her death, he ordered that her clothes be stripped off and her body wrapped only in a tattered straw mat before being sent back to her maternal family, the Xiao family mansion.

When Crown Prince Yelü Jun learned of his mother's tragic state, he was filled with grief and vowed to exterminate Yelü Yixin's entire family to avenge the death of his mother.

Once the year was over, Yelü Hongji, on the advice of Yelü Yixin, appointed Xiao Tansi as empress and put her in charge of the inner palace.

This woman was the husband of Yelü Sage, the eldest daughter of Xiao Guanyin and Yelü Hongji, and the younger sister of Xiao Xiamo.

At the same time, Yelü Yixin knew that Yelü Hongji was getting older and becoming more and more suspicious, fearing that he would lose power.

To get him to order the removal of the crown prince, they have conspired with the Grand Protector Yelü Chali to devise a flawless plan.

Once the time was right, Yelü Chali was instructed to submit a memorial stating that a large number of officials in the court were secretly conspiring to depose the emperor and install Crown Prince Yelü Jun on the throne ahead of schedule.

Although Yelü Hongji currently only has one son, Yelü Jun, his trust in Yelü Yixin has long surpassed the bond between father and son.

After ordering Xiao Guanyin's execution, he felt uneasy, always worried that Yelü Jun would hold a grudge against him because of this and harbor rebellious intentions.

Yelü Yixin's plan struck at Yelü Hongji's sore spot.

Meanwhile, the Jurchens were also secretly building up their power and closely monitoring the Liao Dynasty's movements.

In the thirteenth year of the Hongwu reign, during the height of spring, Zhao Han summoned ministers such as Gu Tingye to discuss matters.

He has already ordered the soldiers guarding Xiongzhou and Bazhou to prepare for war and strengthen their military preparedness. He has also ordered the garrison in Daizhou to secretly reinforce the city's defenses and stockpile grain and fodder.

At the same time, Gu Tingye was appointed as the Pacification Commissioner of Hebei, in charge of all military and political affairs in Hebei.

Zheng Xiao was appointed as the deputy pacification commissioner, assisting Gu Tingye in deploying troops and supervising the supply of provisions.

Inside the Wenhua Hall of the Imperial Palace, Zhang Fu looked at Zhao Han with excitement in his eyes, clenched his fists, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, although I am over fifty, my body is still strong and healthy."

"When we march north in the future, I would like to volunteer to be the vanguard. I am sure we will achieve the first victory and pave the way for the main army."

Zhao Han looked helpless and gave a dry laugh. "Zhong Huai has already made a reservation with me for the vanguard position."

"The Duke of England is a pillar of the nation, experienced and wise. I have other important responsibilities for him. They are in their prime and are more suited to the tough work of charging into battle."

Zhang Fu snorted, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "I knew this brat was quick and efficient. Oh well, I'll just follow His Majesty's orders."

Not long after Gu Tingye and Zheng Xiao went north, Wang Anshi's eldest son, Wang Pang, who was then serving as a lecturer at the Tianzhang Pavilion, resigned due to illness and stayed home to recuperate.

He died within half a month, at the young age of thirty-three. Wang Pang passed the imperial examination in the fourth year of the Hongwu reign, displaying exceptional talent and achieving fame at a young age.

Wang Anshi was devastated and stayed at home for days. He and his wife, Wu, had three sons.

His youngest son died young, his second son was of mediocre talent and did not enter the court as an official, and the sudden death of his most capable eldest son was undoubtedly a huge blow to him.

Zhao Han ordered that Wang Pang be posthumously granted the title of Left Grand Counselor, and granted Wang Anshi a three-month leave so that he could handle the funeral arrangements before returning to court to resume his duties.

It's already mid-June, the moon is high in the sky, and the stars are shining brightly.

Inside the Renming Hall, candlelight flickered.

Hua Lan wore a moon-white soft silk undergarment, the light and smooth material highlighting her voluptuous figure, though some wrinkles were already faintly visible at the corners of her eyes.

But her charm remains undiminished, and she exudes even more composure and tranquility.

She frowned slightly, tugged at Zhao Han's arm, and whispered, "Jing-ge'er will be seventeen soon."

"Should I start looking for a husband for him?"

“Jing’er is a prince, so he doesn’t need to be married like the children of ordinary families, who have to earn fame and secure their future before marriage.”

Zhao Han took her hand, hesitated for a moment, and tentatively asked, "Do you have someone suitable in mind?"

Hua Lan shook her head, a hint of clarity in her eyes. "Your Majesty's words have always been in mind: marriage between close relatives is unwise."

"Therefore, let His Majesty decide on Jing'er's marriage. I will only be responsible for finding a suitable match."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Han understood that Hua Lan had previously considered the Sheng family, but he wasn't surprised, after all, it was her maternal family.

It is gratifying that Hualan was not blinded by so-called family ties and did not choose to believe in the saying "marrying close relatives is unwise."

"Jingge'er's principal wife should be chosen from among the daughters of military officers. I already have a suitable candidate in mind, so there is no rush."

"Let's discuss this further once the army can successfully march north and we have made progress in recovering Yan and Yun."

After pondering for a moment, Hua Lan nodded, "Then I will arrange for two suitable people to serve Jing Ge'er."

(End of this chapter)