Harem Daily Life

Chapter 1116 Extra Chapter 5: 1 Sadness, 1 Joy

Feeling bad about being urinated on, Hua Yurong sent a lot of fabric from Jiangnan to He Yinuo to make new clothes after leaving the palace. The fabric filled the front hall, which made Song Shiqing exclaim: "You are too pampered. Your brother and sister-in-law dote on you!"

He Yinuo said calmly, "Of course, I'm so cute, who wouldn't love me?" Then she glared at him and said, "Only you are always tormenting me."

Song Shiqing raised an eyebrow and leaned closer: "Didn't you... enjoy it too?"

His breathing was shallow, his tone ambiguous. He Yinuo shivered and pushed him away, saying, "It's broad daylight, stay away from me." Her back was still aching, why was this bastard getting so close?

Song Shiqing smiled knowingly and gently kissed her soft face: "Your second brother, the other day when I went horseback riding with him, eight out of ten sentences were about praising his daughter, he was showing off so much. My dear Nuo'er, how about we have a daughter in a couple of years? She'll look like you, she'll be incredibly cute."

He Yinuo glared at him: "My mother said that whether a child is a boy or a girl is determined by the husband, by that X or the crooked chromosome in the husband's body... well, anyway, the sex of the fetus depends on the husband."

Song Shiqing neither objected nor pressed further. He had long known that the current Empress was somewhat unusual, seemingly possessing a particularly broad perspective and knowledge beyond that of ordinary men.

No matter what it is, listening to the Empress's advice is always the right thing to do.

He Jin'an and Hua Yurong finally decided to settle down in the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty first, because in mid-May of that year, the Empress Dowager passed away suddenly, and her children and grandchildren were deeply saddened. He Linzhang was so heartbroken that he stopped caring about court affairs. He Jin'an then took his family to serve her and fulfill his filial duty.

Mu Yu seemed to age ten years overnight. Already suffering from a heart ailment, he couldn't bear the blow and passed away that August, following the Empress Dowager. Tao Yanyan arranged Mu Yu's marriage and chose a propitious burial site in the outskirts of the capital. This place faced the Great Zhou Imperial Mausoleum from afar, as if Mu Yu was guarding the Empress Dowager.

Wang Xingchuan and members of the Mu family traveled a long way to attend Mu Yu's funeral. Before leaving, Wang Xingchuan discussed the selection of an heir with Tao Yanyan. He had never married and had no children, so he wanted to choose one of Tao Yanyan's children to inherit Penglai Island.

Tao Yanyan refused outright. Firstly, it was Wang Xingchuan's life's work, how could she give it to her child so easily? Secondly, she didn't want her child to be too far away from her.

In the end, Wang Xingchuan had no choice but to select a child from the Mu family, adopt him, and raise him himself. He also made the child swear a solemn oath to be loyal to the Great Zhou for all eternity.

The year after the Empress Dowager's death, He Yinuo became pregnant, and the gloom that had hung over the entire royal family was finally somewhat dispelled by this joyous occasion. He Yucheng was busy governing the court, so He Linzhang retreated behind the scenes to take care of his daughter's pregnancy.

Song Shiqing finally witnessed how much the Emperor of the Great Zhou doted on his daughter. The mountain of dowry she received at her wedding was nothing compared to the fact that the Emperor personally took care of her; that was true skill.

The Empress prepared chicken soup, which His Majesty personally fed to He Yinuo. He carefully skimmed off the oil and even tested the temperature to be just right.

"Drink slowly, there will be some snacks later, your favorite little cakes." Without an oven, making a cake is not easy, but as long as He Yinuo wants to eat it, the Empress will definitely do everything she can to make it.

He Yinuo was bored and spent his days eating and sleeping. His figure had become rounder, and he was beginning to resemble his chubby childhood self.

"Anyone who didn't know better would think Father was raising piglets." He Yinuo chewed. "Father, could you feed them less? If they eat too much, they'll have to go for digestion and won't be able to walk."

He Linzhang glanced at Song Shiqing beside him: "Have Shiqing help you walk. It's chilly outside, remember to wear a light shirt."

Song Shiqing immediately lowered his hands and said yes. His husband, who was always extremely filial, was always attentive and readily available whenever needed.

In the past, he couldn't understand why the Great Zhou had defeated the Yan Kingdom. After his sisters were redeemed, he was depressed for a long time. Later, as the Xia Kingdom changed dynasties and the Great Zhou became the hegemon of the Three Kingdoms, he witnessed the emperor's ruthless methods and developed a sense of admiration for the Great Zhou emperor, who was praised by the people.

Later, he joined the army under the command of the Marquis of Huguo and established himself in the army with his superb martial arts skills. He hoped that one day he would be able to see the emperor's face.

The first time I met the Emperor of the Great Zhou was at the New Year's banquet when I went to the capital for my first official duties. Unlike the majestic emperor I had imagined, this Emperor of the Great Zhou was refined and dignified, with an imposing presence even without anger. He treated his empress very well, and no one could match his love for his daughter.

He fell in love with the daughter of the Great Zhou Emperor, the most beloved Fifth Princess, but due to the pressure of his status, he hesitated to express his feelings.

The girl was as bright as the May morning sun, dressed in a pale yellow dress that warmed his heart. When he finally made up his mind to confess his feelings, the girl said that she would rather not marry than leave her father and mother, and even if she married someone from a city near the capital, she would feel it was too far.

For her, Yanzhou was as far away as the ends of the earth. Far from her family, even if she married well, she would still have regrets.

So after much deliberation, he decided to give in to her.

After obtaining his parents' consent, he embarked on a frenzied study spree without hesitation. He wanted to enter officialdom, become a high-ranking official in the capital, and make the Great Zhou Emperor disregard his past as a Yan citizen and ask to marry his beloved daughter.

Later, he got his wish and married the woman he loved, as if he had won a battle. They were married for a year and a half, and every day felt like their honeymoon. The girl, who had been pampered since childhood, knew how to love herself and others. She was a girl with a loving heart, the best girl in the world.

That girl belongs to him alone.

As the stars changed and spring turned to autumn, in the twelfth lunar month of that year, Song Shiqing and He Yinuo's daughter was born. Because her cries were so loud, He Linzhang named her Chaoge. To welcome the rising sun and sing triumphant songs, he further bestowed upon her the title of Princess of Chaoyang County and granted her a fiefdom in the suburbs of the capital.

The eldest grandson of the emperor, He Junshan, and the eldest grandson of the legitimate wife, He Xuyao, along with their twin sisters He Ruanruan and He Nuannuan, looked at their swaddling sister, who was eating and sleeping soundly in her swaddling clothes, with adorable expressions on their faces.

“Everyone says that Auntie loves to eat and sleep, but in my opinion, it’s Sister Chaoge who loves to eat and sleep the most. Every time we come back, she doesn’t even open her eyes to look at us. Even when she wakes up, she doesn’t look at us, she just looks for the wet nurse.” He Nuannuan opened her big, grape-like eyes, waiting for her sister to look at her.

He Linzhang carefully watched the children from the side, afraid that they would reach out their chubby little hands to poke and hurt his granddaughter who was not yet a month old.

“You were just like her when you were little; babies are always like that,” He Linzhang explained, as he picked up He Xuyao, who was still unsteady on his feet, and weighed him in his arms.

"Yao'er has been fed very well recently, and even his grandfather can hardly carry him anymore."

Tao Yanyan and Duan Chaopei exchanged a smile as they entered. Duan Chaopei said, "It's all thanks to Consort Su's culinary skills that my son and Yao'er are so fortunate to have such a delicious meal."

Hua Yurong followed closely behind, pulling Ruanruan and Nuannuan aside: "Why didn't Su Liangdi come with us today?"

Duan Chaopei's eyebrows were full of joy: "Originally, we dared not say anything before the date arrived, but the imperial physicians have made some progress. They say that Su Liangdi is probably really pregnant this time."